Many pastors in this era run church services like an auction. They manipulate members through declaring that God showed them "that 10 people will pledge a R100,000", then "20 people R50,000" in a bid to lure them to pay for miracles.
Likened to auctioning, different monetary values will be called out until the pastor reaches an amount that can be affordable to the poor, R10. They would further proclaim that "before the end of the week, 20 people will be millionaires" or "a sister or brother will get married soon".
People who witness such money-making acts think poor people are the only ones who fall prey to these false prophecies. Little do they know that the rich are also "blindfolded" and used to invest exorbitant amounts of money by these fake pastors with a false Godly promise that they will become wealthier.
They endure this manipulation with the belief that their problems will fall away.
Unfortunately, many are waiting in vain to hit the promised million rand jackpot or for that brother to put a ring on it.
Instead of swimming in a pool of wealth, the victims end up poorer than a church mouse while their pastors continue to flourish. But the question remains, why would both the poor and the elite subject themselves to what is dubbed as the "fake gospel" taught by "fake pastors".
The truth is, many Christians want "the God who provides miracles" and not the God who delivers his true living word. Their weakness is that they do not search for the truth in the Bible.
Thus, most false pastors capitalise on this weakness to deliver to the congregants what their hearts are aching for, by preaching the "mammon prosperity gospel" instead of the "salvation gospel".
What is more lamentable is that Apostle Paul prophesied about these times.
False prophets capitalise and prey on those seeking God for material gain
Many pastors in this era run church services like an auction. They manipulate members through declaring that God showed them "that 10 people will pledge a R100,000", then "20 people R50,000" in a bid to lure them to pay for miracles.
Likened to auctioning, different monetary values will be called out until the pastor reaches an amount that can be affordable to the poor, R10. They would further proclaim that "before the end of the week, 20 people will be millionaires" or "a sister or brother will get married soon".
People who witness such money-making acts think poor people are the only ones who fall prey to these false prophecies. Little do they know that the rich are also "blindfolded" and used to invest exorbitant amounts of money by these fake pastors with a false Godly promise that they will become wealthier.
They endure this manipulation with the belief that their problems will fall away.
Unfortunately, many are waiting in vain to hit the promised million rand jackpot or for that brother to put a ring on it.
Instead of swimming in a pool of wealth, the victims end up poorer than a church mouse while their pastors continue to flourish. But the question remains, why would both the poor and the elite subject themselves to what is dubbed as the "fake gospel" taught by "fake pastors".
The truth is, many Christians want "the God who provides miracles" and not the God who delivers his true living word. Their weakness is that they do not search for the truth in the Bible.
Thus, most false pastors capitalise on this weakness to deliver to the congregants what their hearts are aching for, by preaching the "mammon prosperity gospel" instead of the "salvation gospel".
What is more lamentable is that Apostle Paul prophesied about these times.
In 2 Timothy 3 and 4 he mentioned that the time will come when those with itching ears will "not endure sound doctrine" but they will "heap up for themselves teachers".
This portion of the scripture also says: "They will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables."
The question that congregants should ask is, which Jesus is the pastor performing the miracles through?
Unfortunately, miracles performed through fake powers are temporary, because they were not obtained through the power of God.
Imposters also put congregants under a trance to believe in fake miracles, through anointing them with oils said to have supernatural powers.
These oils are known as "touch and follow" oil, "do as I say" oil, "crowd puller" oil, "all seeing" oil and "slaying" oil.
The names are self-explanatory. It is through the usage of such oils that some church buildings are filled to capacity on Sundays.
It is through such powers that some Christians invest in the preacher's opulent lifestyle, while they battle to make ends meet.
The only way Christians will escape falling prey to these charlatan pastors is through immersing themselves in the word of God and not just seeking him for material things.
- Abraham is a Bible school graduate and freelance writer.