To recap my last article, it is clear that I am personally against the prosperity message as it is currently presented in the church, but I want to make it clear that I am 100 percent for tithes, offerings, and any support of the church. But what I hate is how the principals that God placed in the word are being systematically abused by those he places in authority. This leaves the sheep in bondage and an image of God is presented that is so far from the loving heavenly father that he is; and what is more disgusting is that they do it with a smile, in the name of Jesus. As if Jesus had anything to do with their unrighteous, non spirit led actions.
I mean whose really benefiting from the bucket loads of cash – the pastor or the congregation? I mean whose really benefiting from the terrorist terminology of weekly brainwashing that you are cursed with a curse and being a God robber all on the heals of saying, oh and by the way God loves a cheerful giver. And even in the rare care that it was true, Jesus took every single curse and destroyed through his death at Calvary. The reality is if people are honest are they giving out of faith or are they giving out of fear. I’ve dealt with situations of God’s loving children in sheer vexation over whether to pay the light bill and keep food on the table or pay their tithes. Yet from the pulpit the message is screamed when you’re in need plant a seed (so you can pay for your mega church and stay debt free and my children can see me suffer and wonder why God is allowing it.) It is a misrepresentation of God in the worst sense.
It is so easy to preach a God will bless you as you keep giving message and build people’s hope that everything is going to turn out rosy. It is so easy to send tons of money into mission fields where the dollar is stretched a whole lot further than to deal with the raw needs of the congregation. What raw needs you may ask. I’m talking about job losses that set faithful people back, homes that are about to be foreclosed on while you are ordering people to pay their tithes. I’m talking about families that need food baskets everyday of the week until they get back on their feet while you’re off spending millions of dollars on TV broadcasts and buying jets to go to some other place to make more money from another guest church offering.
Well you’ve got some nerve saying all this! Yes I do have some nerve because I am one of one of those who have been in the ditch with those in the ditch, and God has taught me how to abound and how to be abased in my life. My heart bleeds for God’s wounded and abused sheep. “And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Son of man prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and cruelty have ye ruled them.” “I am against the shepherd and will require my flock at their hands…” Those quotes are from Ezekiel 34 I would suggest all ministers read that chapter again. But to the sheep God has promised in that same chapter to find you a shepherd that has his heart so don’t despair.
Author: Linda Leon
Previous article: 23 February 2007
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