Posts in category: Uncategorized

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the seed faith teaching, and rightly so. Many believe that seed faith is a legitimate way to butter up God in return for material benefits. But the Bible says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” – 1 John 4:1, (NIV). As Christians, we are called to examine all teachings in light of biblical truth and ensure that they align with the truth of God’s Word. This will help us avoid being led astray by false teachings and ensure that we are growing in our understanding of God’s truth.

False teachings in the church

Paul’s letters to the Galatians and Corinthians reveal his concern for the purity of the Gospel message and his efforts to combat false teachings. The rise of false teaching was an ox in the ditch in the early church. These false teachings often led to division and confusion among believers, and it was necessary for Paul to address them in order to maintain the integrity of the faith.

This week, we shall discuss this prevalent false teaching of seed faith or sowing a seed. The teaching of seed faith maintains that money given to God will return to the donor multiplied in terms of material blessings, good health, and breakthroughs of all types. The volume of this multiplication is proportionate to how much one gives and how much faith one has. Seed faith is taught as a way the believer can show faith and trust in God’s provision.

The seed faith gospel

This false teaching in its current state was birthed by the late Oral Roberts, who encouraged people to anticipate a miracle when they plant a “seed” out of a “need.”

In his book “Principles of the Seed”, Oral Roberts taught three key principles of seed faith: 1) God is the source—not man, not the bank, and not one’s family. 2) Plant seed in faith, for only what one sows can grow. 3) Expect a miracle from the Lord. In his book Abundant Life, he said, “Solve your money needs with money seeds.”

This seed faith fallacy is nothing more than a fool’s paradise. It is a manipulative tool and a turkey shoot used by unscrupulous preachers to pressure people into giving more money than they can afford so as to enrich themselves. The victims here are vulnerable individuals who are seeking a quick fix to their financial problems and often end up losing more money in the long run. Victims are manipulated into giving money while under the spell of a fictitious future life of luxury.

BBC World Africa recently posted an article titled “Paying for Prayer: I Went into Debt, Trying to Secure a Miracle,” in which they highlighted the following story:

Evarline Okello breaks down in tears as she tells me she is hundreds of dollars in debt, after paying a pastor to pray for her. She lives in a tiny shack in Kibera, a vast slum in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, and can no longer provide for her four children. Ms Okello hasn’t earned anything for months, she tells me as we talk on the telephone. So when she heard about a pastor whose prayers could make life better, she wanted to see him. He asked her for $115 (£96; 15,000 Kenyan shillings). This is known as a “seed offering”: a financial contribution to a religious leader, with a specific outcome in mind.

Ms Okello borrowed the money from a friend, who took out a loan on her behalf. She had been told this pastor’s prayers were so powerful that she would see a return on her money within a week. But the miracle never came. In fact things got even worse, she says. The loan her friend took out has ballooned due to unpaid interest. She now owes more than $300, and has no idea how she’ll pay it back. Her friend has stopped talking to her, and she still has no job. “Things have become so difficult I have lost all hope,” she says.

It is important to always seek the truth and critically evaluate any teachings before subscribing to them. Blindly following false teachings can lead to negative consequences in one’s life.

Mammon, the god of seed faith gospel

Jesus portrayed the contrast between the true Gospel and the seed faith gospel in Matthew 6:24. In this verse, Jesus emphasizes that we cannot serve both God and money and that our focus should be on storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. This stands in direct opposition to the seed faith gospel, which often promotes the accumulation of wealth as a sign of God’s favour.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” – Matthew 6:24 (NIV).

The Greek word translated as “money” is the word “Mammon.” The term Mammon is used in a negative context, suggesting that the pursuit of wealth and material possessions can lead to moral corruption and spiritual emptiness. Mammon represents the pursuit of wealth and material possessions at the expense of spiritual or moral values, a lifestyle that is encouraged by the seed faith gospel. The Mammon-led lifestyle is characterized by the pursuit of material wealth and possessions, while the teaching of the true Gospel emphasizes spiritual values such as love, compassion, and humility.

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus presented Mammon as a rival to the true God. While the true Gospel teaches that we receive benefits from God on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the seed faith gospel teaches that we receive benefits from God on the basis of our works: how much money we can hand over to the preacher. In this seed faith gospel, God is irrelevant, grace is outdated, and man is the standard by which everything is measured.

A different gospel

The true Gospel focuses on righteousness and holiness as an end goal. Seed faith gospel focuses on material blessings and uses material wealth as a sign of God’s favour. The true Gospel points to the comforts of heaven, while the seed faith gospel points to temporal earthly comforts.

Like an evil twin to the true God, the seed faith Mammon god is susceptible to bribery and financial manipulation. He is only inspired to act when he witnesses the “sacrifice” of “seed money.” This seed faith god is a false deity that is focused on money, and those who worship him are not truly seeking spiritual enlightenment, but rather material gain.

A Mammon believer is not a true Christian

If you believe that you can buy favours from God using your money, I submit to you that you are not a Christian. Christianity is not about buying favours from God but rather having faith in the finished work of Christ and living a life that is pleasing to Him. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the only payment that is acceptable before God. Our financial resources play no part in our interactions with God.

In Acts 8, an evangelist named Philip arrived in a city in Samaria and preached the Gospel to the Samaritans. One of his converts was a magician named Simon. “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw” – Acts 8:13, (NIV). Simon was amazed to see that the apostles’ miracles outperformed his own magical powers. He became particularly enthused by their ability to impart God’s Spirit by the laying on of their hands. Just like seed-sowing churchgoers, he offered the apostles money (sowed seed) to acquire this same gift that the apostles had.

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”  – Acts 8:18-23 (NIV).

It is interesting to note that though Simon made a profession of faith and got baptized in verse 13, the apostle Peter negated his salvation on the basis of his adherence to the seed faith gospel. In the text above, the apostle lists the following characteristics of Simon that are true of all seed faith believers:

“May your money perish with you.”

In Scripture, the experience of perishing is only associated with unbelievers. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” – John 3:16 (NIV). A churchgoer who sows seed so as to obtain a benefit from God has ideally stepped away from the true Gospel and is now depending on his or her own works (monetary contribution) instead of the finished work of Christ on the cross. This makes him or her a ripe candidate for eternal damnation.

“You have no part or share in this ministry”

A churchgoer who sows seed has no part in the saving ministry of Jesus Christ. Salvation, including material benefits, cannot be earned through works or monetary contributions, but rather is a free gift of grace from Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV). One’s involvement in the saving ministry of Jesus Christ is not established by financial contributions to a pastor in the form of seed money but rather by repentance and faith in Jesus.

“Your heart is not right before God”

A heart that focuses on material, earthly benefits, as is encouraged by the seed faith gospel, is corrupt and defiled. Without repentance, such a heart is cut off from the saving grace of Christ. The apostle John writes, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” – 1 John 2:15–17 (NIV).

“Repent of this wickedness”

The seed faith gospel is a wickedness that should be repented of. The mere thought that a mortal man can bribe a holy God with perishable wealth is blasphemy. God cannot be bought with earthly possessions or riches as He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. His grace and mercy are freely given to those who seek Him. This seed faith gospel is trumped up by “certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago [who] have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” -. Jude 1:4 (NIV).

“I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin”

The apostle Peter closes his parlance by painting the true condition of seed faith adherents. They are bitter people who are still captives of sin. They resent their present circumstances and associations. They have no faith in a sovereign God Who works all things for good (Romans 8:28) and resent His remedy of “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience” – Colossians 1:11 (NIV). They believe they are entitled to health, wealth, and happiness and refuse to consider God’s call to Christlikeness. Unwilling to repent of their unbelief, they look for an escape route that bypasses God’s remedy of endurance, faith, and patience. Their bitterness and captivity to sin place them in the grip of the seed faith gospel.

Misused Scriptures

As with all heresies, the seed faith gospel twists Scriptures out of their context to push their false narrative. I will discuss two such Scriptures that fall into this category.

2 Corinthians 9:6-10

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

This passage is part of Paul’s larger appeal to the Corinthians to honour their commitment to making a donation for the needy Jerusalem saints. He tells them that they will reap in proportion to what they have sown. But what exactly are they reaping? The last sentence in the text reads, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” The apostle is telling the Corinthian givers that they will have a harvest of righteousness and not money, as is falsely proclaimed by the seed faith gospel. The true Gospel holds that righteous works are the true riches.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” – Ephesians 2:10 (NIV).

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” – 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV).

By donating generously to the needy believers in Jerusalem, the Corinthian believers were enriching themselves with good words and not money. Their acts of charity were a way to store treasure in heaven and demonstrate their love for their fellow believers.

It is also worth noting that the donation spoken of in 2 Corinthians 9:6–10 was directed to needy believers, not rich preachers. Indeed, all Scriptural giving that carries the promise of blessings is connected with the poor and needy, not wealthy pastors. “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done” – Proverbs 19:17 (NIV). For all who insist on sowing (giving money) to rich pastors so as to reap riches, the Bible says, “One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and ONE WHO GIVES GIFTS TO THE RICH—BOTH COME TO POVERTY” – Proverbs 22:16 (NIV). True blessings come from giving to those who are in need rather than to those who are already wealthy.

Genesis 8:22

After disembarking from the ark, Noah constructed an altar and sacrificed animals to God. In response, God promises never again to destroy all life on earth by sending a flood. He says, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

This verse is often misinterpreted to promote the idea of sowing money in order to reap financial blessings. In reality, its true meaning refers to the cycle of seasons and God’s promise to maintain the natural order of the earth. It is a biblical verse that talks about the cycle of seasons and how they will continue to occur. It has no relation to financial matters or investment advice.

Conclusion

The “seed faith” heresy is the false teaching that if you give money to a ministry, God will multiply it and bless you with more money. This is not a biblical teaching, and it can lead people into financial ruin. Avoid this false teaching by believing the true Gospel and being wise with your finances.

If you have financial problems, seek financial advice from financial experts. A financial expert can provide guidance on budgeting, debt management, and investment strategies. They can also help you develop a personalized financial plan to achieve your long-term goals. In today’s rapidly changing job market, it is important to continuously learn and develop new skills to stay competitive and increase your earning potential. By investing in yourself through education and training, you can open doors to new career paths and opportunities for financial growth. Relying solely on the concept of seed faith to solve all problems is not practical or realistic. It’s important to take action and make tangible efforts towards achieving one’s goals.

We have all heard this call from our pulpits: “Do you want to be born again? Then, pray this prayer and invite Jesus into your heart.” What generally follows is a short prayer that supposedly turns a sinner into a saint. This prayer in turn leads to the following statement: “Now that you have prayed this prayer, Jesus has come into your heart. You are now a child of God.”

Introducing the sinner’s prayer: an evangelistic tool that is used in evangelical Christian circles as a way for someone to ask Jesus Christ to come into their heart and be their Lord and Saviour. The sinner’s prayer has come to be accepted as the gateway into a relationship with Christ. Asking a church member when he or she got born again fits into asking when they prayed the sinner’s prayer.

A look at the Scriptures

Reading the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation will plough up an uncomfortable truth: nowhere in the Scriptures is the sinner’s prayer mentioned. Nobody in the Bible was ever instructed to ask Jesus into their heart in order to be saved. Contrary to the flow of the game, Jesus and His apostles called on their hearers to repent and believe. The message of repentance formed a core component of Jesus’ and His apostles’ evangelistic message. They emphasized that repentance was necessary for salvation and that it involved turning away from sin and turning towards God.

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news’!” Mark 1:14-15 (NIV).

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:37-38 (NIV).

What is repentance?

So what is repentance? The word “repent” comes from the Greek metanoeō which means “to think differently” or “change one’s mind.” Repentance simply means to change one’s thinking concerning one’s life and actions in the light of God’s truth as revealed in Scripture. Repentance then gives birth to confession where we identify sinful actions in our lives and seek God’s forgiveness and help in overcoming them. Confession is a sincere acknowledgement of wrongdoing, a tipping of one’s hat to God’s truth, and a commitment to live a life in accordance with God’s will.

As a case in point, let’s say person A earns a living by robbing banks. He justifies his way of thinking with statements such as “I can’t get a job in this failing economy and bank robbing is what I need to do to stay alive” and “Everyone steals! Most of the cash in banks is stolen money!” If A were to choose to follow Christ, he would need to change his thinking about his lifestyle, i.e., repent. He has to recognize that what he does is in violation of God’s holy laws, is punishable by God, and accordingly confess it to God so as to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation.

This is precisely what happened to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector employed by the Roman Empire. The Jews under the Empire had to pay hefty taxes, and tax collectors shamelessly slapped on extra money for themselves. By abusing his power to seize anything he desired, Zacchaeus amassed immense wealth. The Jews were helpless to oppose him because he had the full backing of the Roman government. But Zacchaeus had a change of heart when he met with Jesus. He changed tack and repented of his sinful lifestyle.

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount‘” Luke 19:8 (NIV).

According to the Bible, repentance always leads to behaviour change. John the Baptist urged people to “produce fruit consistent with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). A person who has sincerely turned from their sin and put their faith in Christ will without doubt show indications of a transformed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–23; James 2:14–26).

State of the Church

Why do we have so many hypocrites in the church? Why do we have so many church leaders leading double lives? You must have come across “believers” who are blatantly sinning and turn aggressive when confronted with their unbiblical lifestyle. These are persons who have not changed their minds (repented) concerning their sin despite having prayed the sinner’s prayer. They prayed the prayer but did not repent. Consequently, they are not born again. More’s the pity that there is no shortage of pastors who happily assure such individuals that they are now born again on the basis of their rattling off the sinner’s prayer. The absence of the message of repentance allows the enemy to easily pack “believing unbelievers” into our churches. Satan enjoys nothing more than using the false assurance from the sinner’s prayer to trick unbelievers into believing they are born again.

Jesus narrated a parable in Matthew 13:24–30, warning us that tares would be sown among the wheat. Jesus forewarned us through this parable that until He returned, there would be “believing unbelievers” in the Church. There would be double-faced churchgoers who hold with the hare and run with the hounds. Our present-day presentation of the Gospel message, which lacks the key ingredient of repentance, has made this parable a current reality.

It is not enough to just assent to the Gospel’s rudimentary truths. Knowing the basics about Jesus is not enough to gain entry into God’s kingdom. No charm offensive, such as saying a ritualistic prayer, can get one into the good graces of eternity. Jesus urges us to come around to the fact that we are sinners who need to turn from our sins. This can only be achieved by digging deep into one’s soul and not by mumbling superficial prayer formulas. Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, his protégé: “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” – 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV).

It is frightening to contemplate the sheer number of people living their lives in today’s world under the delusion that, just because they echoed a certain prayer once in their lives, they are now saved and headed to heaven. These people openly profess their faith in Christ, may even superficially resemble believers, but ultimately prove to have never undergone a genuine conversion. A certain pastor deceived them and assured them that they were saved and headed to heaven. They stake their faith in the sinner’s prayer and brush aside their impugning character flaws that prove they’ve never experienced the new birth.

Many who pray this sinner’s prayer end up praying it several times with no positive change. They lack a true understanding of what it means to repent. The sinner’s prayer is an eye-popper to those who believe that salvation is obtained through personal effort. They believe that the more good works they do, including the sinner’s prayer, the greater the likelihood that one of their actions will be the right one.

Conclusion

The sinner’s prayer is hazardous because it makes people believe they are already saved when they are not, and it also makes them resistant to the truth. They will dismiss the true Gospel of repentance and consider it a fake whenever they hear it preached. Many pastors are to blame for this, as they are more concerned with expanding their congregations and raising large sums of money than they are with cultivating genuine disciples for the heavenly Kingdom.

While repentance is an inward activity, the New Testament presents water baptism, not the sinner’s prayer, as an outward sign of membership in the Body of Christ. Baptism is a public declaration of faith in God and a symbol of the washing away of one’s sins and the beginning of a new life in Christ. We should encourage potential believers to have faith in and follow the Saviour day by day instead of having them perfunctorily recite the sinner’s prayer. We should also let them know that being born again is just the beginning; that being born again is a lifelong journey of growth and transformation as we continually respond to God through prayer, the Word, and confession of sin.

One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the existence of God lies in the fine-tuning of the universe. Scientists have discovered that numerous physical constants, such as the strength of gravity and the value of the cosmological constant, must be precisely set to allow for the development of life. Even a slight alteration in these values would render the universe uninhabitable.

The remarkable precision and delicate balance required to sustain life in the universe strongly suggest a purposeful design. Such intricate fine-tuning implies the presence of an intelligent Creator Who carefully fashioned the universe with the intention of supporting life. Psalms 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Billy Graham once said, “The existence of the universe is evidence enough for me that God created it. The intricacy and complexity of the cosmos point to a divine design.”

For one to ignore this evidence is scandalous to the point that the Bible says that such an individual is “wilfully ignorant.” “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water” – 2 Peter 3:5 (KJV).

Big bang theory

According to the Big Bang theory, the universe began in an extremely hot and dense state approximately 13.8 billion years ago. It states that all matter, energy, space, and time originated from a singularity—a point of infinite density and temperature. The universe then rapidly expanded and cooled down, undergoing a process known as cosmic inflation. As it expanded, matter and energy started to form, which eventually led to the formation of galaxies, stars, and other cosmic structures.

This theory has its issues. The joke question is “Why did the Big Bang go to therapy?” the answer is, “It needed to work out some universal issues.”

Cosmic inflation

Modern cosmology has revealed that the universe is in a state of constant expansion. Our moon, for instance, is moving away from the Earth at an average speed of approximately 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) per year. This universal expansion is supported by extensive observational evidence. Edwin Hubble, for instance, observed in the 1920s that the light from distant galaxies shifted towards longer wavelengths (known as redshift), indicating that they were moving away from us. He discovered a linear relationship between the distance of a galaxy and its recessional velocity, known as Hubble’s Law. Additionally, astronomers have observed that distant supernovae (extremely bright stellar explosions) appear fainter than expected. This dimming effect, known as time dilation, occurs because the light from these supernovae has travelled across an expanding universe and has been stretched to longer wavelengths.

Galaxies are actually moving away from each other, indicating that in the past, the universe was denser and hotter. The theory of cosmic inflation proposes that a rapid expansion occurred in the early moments of the universe that scientists attribute to the Big Bang, leading to the formation of the universe as we know it.

A problem emerges as we grapple with the mystery of why the universe appears to be geometrically flat rather than curved. The flatness problem arises from the fact that the universe appears to have extremely flat geometry. Even a slight deviation from this critical density in the early universe would have led to a dramatically different universe today. For the Big Bang theory to be true, the universe’s density must have been extremely fine-tuned in its early stages to achieve this flatness.

Another problem we encounter is the horizon problem. Regions of the universe that are currently too far apart to have had any direct interaction with each other appear to have the same temperature and exhibit similar properties. This muddies the waters for Big Bang proponents because these distant regions of space, based on their current separation, have not had enough time to exchange information since the beginning of the universe.

Divine inflation

Cosmic inflation, with its idea of a rapid expansion from a primordial state, resonates with Biblical accounts of creation. This expansion was so quick that it smoothed out irregularities in the fabric of space-time, leading to the remarkably uniform distribution of matter and energy observed in the universe today. The precision required for this expansion to occur in just the right manner to allow for the formation of galaxies and cosmic structures is awe-inspiring. The intricate balance of initial conditions and the laws of physics necessary to drive cosmic inflation indicate the presence of a Guiding Hand at the initial stage.

Divine inflation offers the solution to the flatness and horizon problems. The alignment between the predictions of inflationary models and the observed characteristics of the universe suggests a purposeful orchestration, indicative of a Divine Planner.

This concept of God stretching out the universe is mentioned multiple times in the Bible. It explains the expanding universe theory known as cosmic inflation in modern science.

Isaiah 40:22 (NIV): “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He STRETCHES OUT the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”

Job 9:8 (NIV): “He alone STRETCHES OUT the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.”

Psalm 104:2 (NIV): “He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he STRETCHES OUT the heavens like a tent.”

Isaiah 42:5 (NIV): “This is what God the LORD says—the Creator of the heavens, who STRETCHES THEM OUT, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it.”

Isaiah 45:12 (NIV): “It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands STRETCHED OUT the heavens; I marshalled their starry hosts.”

Jeremiah 10:12 (NIV): “But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and STRETCHED OUT the heavens by his understanding.”

The creation story

God, the ultimate Architect and Creator, exists beyond the boundaries of space and time. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” – Genesis 1:1 (NIV). In an act of divine intention, He initiates the expansion of the universe, unfolding His divine plan, and stretching the fabric of space itself.

Just as an artist paints a canvas with ever-expanding strokes, God breathes life into the cosmos, allowing it to evolve and flourish over vast stretches of time. As the universe expands, it mirrors the awe-inspiring power and limitless nature of God. This expansion, guided by divine wisdom, leads to the formation of galaxies, stars, and other cosmic structures.

As He stretched out the universe, God fashioned a small planet and located it in the Solar System, which is a part of the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way itself is just one of the billions of galaxies in the observable universe. In terms of size, this small planet is relatively modest. It has a diameter of about 12,742 kilometers (7,918 miles) and a mass of approximately 5.97 x 1024 kilograms. In comparison to the vast expanse of the universe, it seems insignificant.

God places this planet within a habitable zone known as the “Goldilocks zone.” He places the planet at a suitable distance from the sun to sustain a stable average temperature and allow for the presence of liquid water, a fundamental requirement for life as we know it. Additionally, He encloses the planet in a protective atmosphere that helps shield it from harmful radiation and provides the necessary gases for respiration and climate regulation.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone?” – Job 38:4-6 (NIV).

What makes Earth truly exceptional is its ability to support and sustain life as we know it. The unique combination of factors, such as Earth’s optimal distance from the sun, its composition of gases in the atmosphere, and its dynamic geology, have harmoniously come together to create an environment perfectly suited for the sustenance of life. Earth’s distance from the sun allows for a stable and moderate climate, with suitable temperatures. The composition of Earth’s atmosphere, primarily consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases, provides the necessary conditions for respiration, protection from harmful radiation, and the regulation of temperature and climate. Additionally, Earth’s geology, marked by tectonic activity and the presence of a diverse range of landforms, contributes to the cycling of nutrients, the formation of habitable environments, and the generation of diverse ecosystems. It is the delicate interplay of these factors that has made Earth a haven for the incredible tapestry of life that flourishes upon its surface.

Scientific observations point towards the idea of a Powerful and Intelligent Force behind the cosmos. From the complexity and order of the natural world to the intricate design of living organisms, there are numerous indications of purpose and intentionality in the universe. God exists and played a vital role in the formation of our world.

Cults have long fascinated and troubled society with their ability to ensnare individuals in manipulative and harmful belief systems. Recognizing the signs of a potentially dangerous cult is crucial to protecting ourselves and our loved ones from falling prey to their insidious tactics.

Any group of people with a shared belief system, such as a church congregation, has the potential to degenerate into a cult-like character. As a congregation grows in size and fervor, the leadership may begin to isolate members from outside influences and establish their authority as unquestionable. Groupthink can also occur, where dissenting opinions are discouraged, and members conform to the group’s beliefs and behaviours. It’s essential for any church community to maintain a solid foundation of God’s revealed truth in the Bible to prevent this dangerous shift towards cult-like behaviour.

The development of a church congregation into a cult is a complex process influenced by various factors. While it is difficult to pinpoint a single cause, certain elements commonly contribute to this transformation. Here are some factors that can contribute to the evolution of a church congregation into a cult:

Charismatic and Authoritarian Leadership:

A primary characteristic of a dangerous cult is the presence of a charismatic leader who holds significant control over his or her followers. Such a leader exhibits authoritarian tendencies, using charisma and manipulation to exert influence and maintain a hierarchical structure within the group.

Jim Jones, born on May 13, 1931, was an American religious leader and cult figure who gained notoriety as the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple cult. He was known for his authoritarian leadership style, ruling the People’s Temple with an iron fist. He demanded absolute loyalty and unwavering obedience from his followers, employing punishment and psychological manipulation to enforce compliance. This included physical abuse, public humiliation, and emotional coercion.

Extra-Biblical Truth Claims:

Dangerous cults reject conventional Biblical truth and assert their own brand of absolute truth, proclaiming that they possess exclusive knowledge or a superior understanding of reality. They denigrate or reject mainstream beliefs, promoting their own ideology as the only path to salvation, enlightenment, or a better existence.

Founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles in the 1970s, Heaven’s Gate believed in the existence of extraterrestrial beings who would provide spiritual salvation. They claimed to have exclusive knowledge about the nature of the universe and believed that by following their teachings and undergoing a process of physical transformation, their members could ascend to a higher level of existence.

Manipulation and Control Tactics:

Cults employ various manipulative techniques to gain control over their members. These tactics include isolation from family and friends, strict control of information, monitoring and censorship of communication, and the use of mind-altering practices such as sleep deprivation or excessive meditation. The goal is to weaken individual autonomy and foster dependence on the cult for emotional, financial, and social needs.

Founded by Keith Raniere, NXIVM marketed itself as a self-help organization but operated as a cult. It employed emotional manipulation, blackmail, isolation, and financial exploitation as tools of domination. Members were subjected to intense indoctrination, coerced into providing collateral (potentially damaging personal information), and psychologically manipulated to remain loyal to the group.

Exploitation and Abuse:

In dangerous cults, exploitation and abuse are distressingly common. Members may be subjected to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse under the guise of spiritual or psychological purification. Financial exploitation, coerced labour, or excessive donations are also frequent occurrences. Any signs of mistreatment, secrecy, or non-consensual practices within a group should be taken seriously.

Under the leadership of David Koresh, the Branch Davidians engaged in sexual abuse and exploitation. Koresh practiced polygamy and had multiple wives within the cult, including underage girls. He exerted control over the sexual relationships of his followers, including instructing them to abstain from sex with their spouses in favour of him.

Breaking Ties and Shunning:

Cults separate their followers from their previous lives, discouraging contact with family, friends, or the wider community. They insist on exclusive allegiance to the group, isolating individuals from external influences that may challenge the cult’s authority.

Jim Jones and the People’s Temple utilized isolation as a means of controlling their followers. Members were gradually separated from their families and subjected to a highly controlled environment within the cult. This isolation prevented dissenting views and facilitated the cult’s manipulation and control over its members.

Resistance to Questioning or Criticism:

A hallmark of a potentially dangerous cult is the intolerance of dissent or critical inquiry. Followers are discouraged from questioning the leader’s teachings or practices, and any criticism is met with hostility or punishment. This suppression of independent thought stifles intellectual growth and prevents individuals from making informed decisions.

Scientology is notorious for its aggressive response to dissent or criticism. The organization employs legal threats, lawsuits, harassment, and intimidation tactics against former members, journalists, and critics who speak out against the group or its practices. This approach aims to silence dissent and deter critical inquiry into the organization.

Conclusion:

Recognizing the signs of a potentially dangerous cult is of paramount importance in safeguarding ourselves and others from the psychological, emotional, and physical harm they can inflict. The red flags discussed here, including charismatic leadership, extra-biblical truth claims, manipulation and control tactics, exploitation and abuse, breaking ties, and resistance to questioning, serve as a starting point for identifying such groups. By studying our Bibles and promoting critical thinking, we can protect ourselves from the clutches of dangerous cults and contribute to a Church that reflects the nature of Christ.

The debate over whether pastors should be paid or not is a sensitive one. Some Christians believe that since the position of pastor is one of service, those who fill the role should not receive a salary. Others play up the role of the pastor in the church and maintain that those who fill this role should be properly compensated.

There are a few key points that should be considered when debating this matter. In the present-day church model, the role of a pastor is not an easy one. Pastors are responsible for the spiritual lives of their congregants and must often work long hours. They also have to prepare and deliver sermons, counsel members of their congregation, perform weddings and funerals, and oversee various church activities.

To discern the Biblical position concerning this issue, it is important to study the relevant passages in their original context and consider the historical and cultural background of the time in which they were written.

Historical context

Most of the congregations in the early church lacked the wherewithal to pay for a full-time pastor. Paul the Apostle attests to the limited resources of the early church:

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not —to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV).

Many church congregations weren’t able to financially sustain itinerant preachers or help fellow struggling churches (1 Thessalonians 2:9; Philippians 4:10–15). In the early church, leaders weren’t typically compensated on a full-time basis. There is no historical evidence to show that they were paid a full-time salary sufficient to cover their financial demands and commitments. They occasionally, however, received presents of food, clothing, and even some monetary support.

Qualifications for a pastor

Paul lists key qualifications for church leaders, and I wish to highlight three of them.

“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap” – 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NIV).

1. Someone aspiring to be a pastor must be hospitable

The early church’s concept of hospitality comprised welcoming and entertaining visitors in a way that made them feel well cared for. It meant giving visitors the best experience possible through the provision of services and goods, or amenities. When Paul says that the candidate for a pastoral position must be hospitable, he means that the individual should be in a financial position to make visitors who come to his residence comfortable in every way. This is what we see Abraham doing in Genesis 18:1–8. Jesus Himself regularly received hospitality from sinners and tax collectors who provided Him with meals. In Luke 9, He sends out His twelve disciples without provisions, purposely asking them to rely on the hospitality of others.

So we see that not only must the candidate for church leadership have the willingness to welcome and serve others with kindness and generosity, he must also have the financial resources to actualize his hospitality. James asks the question: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” – James 2:14-17 (NIV). In effect, Paul told Timothy, “Don’t pick a broke, jobless person for the position of pastor.”

2. Someone aspiring to be a pastor must manage his own family well

The Greek word used here for “manage” is the word “proistēmi” which means “to preside, maintain, to be over, or to rule.” Managing a household requires resources. From budgeting and grocery shopping, paying rent, medical, and school fees, to cleaning and maintenance, managing a household can be a complex task that requires energy and organizational skills. The candidate for the position of pastor makes the grade by providing material sustenance to his family. Later in his letter, Paul tells Timothy: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” – 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV).

3. Someone aspiring to be a pastor must be able to take care of the church

The Greek word used here for “take care” is “epimeleomai.” It simply means “to care for, physically or otherwise.”

The only other place this word epimeleomai appears is in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37). According to this story, a traveller is beaten, stripped of his clothes, and left for dead on the side of the road. A Levite and later a Jewish priest both approach the man, but neither assists him. Finally, the Samaritan arrives at the scene, applies oil and wine to the traveller’s wounds, and bandaged them. He placed the wounded man on his own animal and took him to an inn. He paid the innkeeper two denarii the following day and said:  “Look after him, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have” – Luke 10:35 (NIV).

The word epimeleomai as used in the story of the Good Samaritan depicts how a pastor should care for his church. The inclusion of this Greek word in the qualifications of a pastor means that apart from providing spiritual care to the congregation, the pastor should have some level of resources to meet some, if not all, of the material needs of his congregation. Being financially stable allows the pastor to be more generous and charitable toward others.

Let us also consider the word “pastor.” It is derived from the Latin word for “shepherd,” emphasizing the role of the pastor as a guide and protector of his flock or congregation. A shepherd’s primary responsibility is to look after his flock of sheep. This includes providing food and shelter, protecting the animals from predators, tending to their medical needs, monitoring their grazing, and transporting them to various grazing grounds.

Biblical model

The question must be asked: if pastors are to work to sustain themselves and their families, how can they find time to carry out their pastoral duties? Let us again examine the Biblical church model for answers.

1. Church leadership

The biblical model of a church congregation does not envisage a situation where a single pastor acts as the sole dominant head honcho of a congregation. Church services in the New Testament were under the management of elders (plural), not an individual (Acts 14:23; Acts 15:4; Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

We always find elders (plural) in the New Testament churches.  These elders were born again, respected men in the church who provided guidance and spiritual oversight to the community. They were often chosen based on their wisdom, experience, and faithfulness. Each congregation should be under the leadership of a team of elders.

In Acts 20, when Paul was bidding farewell to the Ephesian church and wanted to deliver his last instructions, he called the church’s elders. “From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church” – Acts 20:17 (NIV). If the present model of a senior pastor being in charge of a congregation is the Biblical one, why didn’t Paul call for the senior pastor of the Ephesian church? The answer is simple: the Biblical model does not put a single senior pastor in charge of the congregation but rather a team of elders.

2. Church care

According to the Biblical model, the task of caring for the congregation is not just shared among the elders; most of the work is carried out by the congregants themselves. Members of congregations are the ones most intimately involved in each other’s lives and can provide the necessary support and care. Additionally, this approach fosters a sense of community and encourages members to take an active role in the well-being of their fellow congregants. The New Testament is full of instructions for congregants to actively care for one another. Here are some of those verses:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” – John 13:34-35 (NIV).

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” – John 15:12 (NIV).

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” – Galatians 6:2 (NIV).

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” – Romans 15:1 (NIV).

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” – Romans 12:10 (NIV).

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” – Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV).

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters” – Hebrews 13:1 (NIV).

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart” – 1 Peter 1:22 (NIV).

The Biblical church model avoids the scenario where a team of pastors is burdened with the care of an entire congregation. Instead, it points to a more communal approach to spiritual guidance and support, with each member of the congregation, under the leadership of plural elders, taking an active role in supporting one another. This easily leads to a stronger sense of community and shared responsibility within the church.

In the current church model, congregants exercise care and concern vicariously through the senior pastors, visitation pastors, youth pastors, associate pastors, administrative pastors, family pastors, etc.; the list is almost endless. Of course, since the position of pastor in the present institutional church is a paying position, the church has come up with all these variations to accommodate the many theological job seekers who wish to join the gravy train. And since this model effectively transfers the care of the congregants to these salaried pastors, the congregation loses touch with one another and eventually grows cold toward one another.

3. Church services

The Biblical church model does not countenance a single individual, in this case, the pastor, dominating a church service. In the current church model, the pastor is the presiding officer at church gatherings. He is the one who delivers all sermons, distributes the bread and cup, dedicates the infants, and offers the closing benediction. In truth, the tenuous reliance on his ability to deliver sermons is what keeps many churches together.

Paul makes it clear that the Spirit of God gives His gifts to different members of the congregation and not exclusively to a single individual.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV).

In view of this, participation in early church services was open to all under the leadership of elders and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Everyone with a special message or insight from the Lord was welcome to share it. This gave believers the chance to deepen their relationship with God and their community of faith.

“What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up” – 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NIV).

The prosperity gospel

The present church’s violation of the Biblical model for the church has necessitated the prosperity gospel. Contrary to Paul’s directive that pastors must first be in a position to sustain themselves and their families, churches consistently employ jobless Bible College graduates to serve as ministers.

In their desperation to meet their daily financial needs and those of their families, these preachers have jettisoned the true gospel and have fashioned a false gospel that promises them material gain. In this false gospel, the accumulation of wealth is seen as a sign of God’s favour and blessings, rather than spiritual growth and obedience. The prosperity gospel allows preachers to exploit their congregants for financial gain. Pastors have adopted the Old Testament tithing system, which is not a requirement in the New Testament, in addition to first fruit offerings, seed planting, and other such gimmicks to weasel out as much cash from the congregation as possible.

Incidents of pastors using manipulative tactics to extract money from vulnerable individuals, and others being caught living lavish lifestyles at the expense of their followers are too frequent. John MacArthur, in his book Strange Fire, writes: “In hawking their gospel of greed, materialism, and self-promotion, Word of Faith teachers have made lucrative careers out of bad theology—backing up their false teachings by twisting the Scriptures or claiming new revelation from God.”

Conclusion

The rejection of the Biblical model for the church and church services has led to doctrinal decay in the body of Christ. Many churches have abandoned traditional teachings and practices in favour of modern and secular approaches whose end goal is to attract a large following rather than grow mature believers.

The sad truth is that the institutional church has used the Gospel to make money by exploiting people. We have more televangelists today than you can shake a stick at who use their platforms to manipulate vulnerable individuals into donating large sums of money, promising them salvation or blessings in return. Products and services are falsely advertised as having divine benefits to congregants who are vulnerable to manipulation and false claims. As a result, greed, materialism, and corruption have become commonplace, and on this account, many people have turned away from the authentic faith.

Contrast this with Jesus’ instructions to His disciples before sending them on an evangelistic mission. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the labourer deserves his food” – Matthew 10:8-10 (ESV). In Jesus’ mind, the ministry of the Gospel was not to be a career choice as it is today. Instead, Jesus saw the Gospel as a way of life and a calling to spread the message of God’s love and salvation to all people. He taught His followers not to seek personal gain or fame but rather to humbly serve others and live out his teachings.