"You don't expect me to preach the gospel all over the world on a bicycle"
- An African preacher on why he owns two private jets.
Today, the gospel of Christ has been preached in nearly every nations of the world. And with the translation of the original texts of the bible into thousands of tongues, it is no exaggeration to say that the name, Jesus, is one of the most popular in the world. As the fame of Jesus penetrates the world, however, it is unfortunate that several modern day churches have diluted the gospel of Jesus, commercializing it; more interested in making money than redeeming lost souls. What do we get in the end? We get an adulterated gospel, the gospel which enriches the churches and empty the pockets of the congregants.
The major gospel dominating the churches today is the gospel of prosperity, the gospel of sowing a seed (money) and harvesting great blessings. This gospel projects Jesus as the proprietor of a ponzi scheme who collects money from investors and returns profits in a hundred fold.
In Africa, some popular churches have profited so much from prosperity messages that the presiding pastors now own two or more private jets and universities which charge tuition that cannot be afforded by over 80% of the church members. This is a misnomer in a continent where only a microscopic few live above two dollars per day according to a World Bank report.
At this point, it is pertinent to point out that the original gospel of Jesus was not materialistic. Instead, Jesus' teachings and parables stressed love and selflessness. Jesus himself lived a simple and straightforward life, laying down his own life for the redemption of mankind. Here is the Jesus today's churches no longer preach:
The Jesus Who Had No Where to Lay His Head
In the book of Luke 9:58 Jesus declared,
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
The above scripture does not literarily mean that Jesus was sleeping on the streets. Jesus intentionally made the comment to show to his followers that he cared less about worldly possessions because they are distractions to the works of the kingdom. To stress this point, Jesus told us in the parable of the sower about how the cares of this world snatched away the word from the listener.
The Jesus Who Did Not Discriminate Against the Poor
We read in the book of Mark 12:42-44 the story of the widow who dropped two mites in the offering basket, together with other rich men who gave greater gifts. Afterwards, Jesus told his disciples that the widow gave the hugest offering. Jesus did not disregard the widow because she gave very little. Is this the case in present day churches? Certainly, no. The rich, those who give more to the churches, are highly regarded than every other members of the church. We now have a situation where the biggests donors are kings in the churches.
The Jesus Who Did Not Fly A Private Jet
The reader may be tempted to argue that Jesus simply did not fly a private jet because there was no private jet in his age. I strongly hold a contrary opinion because Jesus advocated modesty through his teachings and lifestyle.
For instance, on the important occasion of his triumphant entry (see Mark 11:1-11) into Jerusalem Jesus did not ride in an expensive private chariot. Instead, he rode on a colt with a zero budget. He did not tell his disciples to sow seeds, so that he could enrich himself. What gospel do we preach in the churches today? The gospel which saya that Jesus became poor so that the preachers and the listeners could become rich enough to own private jets.
The Jesus Who Enriches the Poor; Not Himself
In the book of Luke 18:18-23 a fine, rich gentleman came to Jesus, asking him what he could do to be saved. After some discussions, Jesus instructed him to sell all his possessions and give it to the poor and follow him. The rich man went away, sad. If this same scenario had played out itself in present day churches, the preacher would have probably told the rich man to sell all that he had and give the money to the church.
Jesus demonstrated severally that giving was to be done for the poor, not the church. This does not mean that the church should not receive offerings. Giving should be more about enriching the lives of the poor and less privileged than enriching preachers and the churches. See Matthew 25:34-46
The Jesus Who Did Not Receive Tithes
There is no record of Jesus receiving tithes from his followers. Jesus knew that the book of Malachi was existing during his time but he never quoted it to intimidate and frighten his followers into paying their tithes to him. He knew that he was not a Levite and by right had no inheritance in tithe. Are today's preachers wiser than Jesus? Are they holier than the Pope? Where is the scriptural foundation for tithing in the new testament? There is no scriptural foundation for tithing in the new testament and, unfortunately, it is too late for today's preachers to write their own gospel.
I will conclude by admonishing churches all over the world to preach the undiluted word of God, so that the spirit of God can freely manifest himself in the lives of the children of God. Christians should also endeavour to find out the truth for themselves from the scriptures. This will prevent Christians from being misled by charlatans who call themselves preachers in the churches.
