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| Wynegood G. Malunga |
This will upset those who think I’m
writing about them. That’s alright with me.
Some preachers of the gospel, both
men and women have dangerously drifted onto the popularity stage and some have
become masters of strange doctrines and showmanship by which, sadly, a gullible
multitude seeking all sorts of miracles and excitement are being led astray. When
preachers of the gospel resort to using “anointed” underwear, insecticides,
detergents, cucumbers and being carried by deacons and elders as they preach,
feed congregants with snakes and rats, turn water into gasoline and make cold
water hot. This is not of God and it is time that true believers began to speak
out against this perversion of the word of God.
A generation of preachers, humble in
spirit but on fire for Jesus, men and women who were simply called “Pastor” or
“Reverend” has gone into the hereafter and now we have this. Strange titles tag
the names of preachers. “Pastor” isn’t good enough. There must be a “Major”,
“Commander”, “Seer”, “Anointed Mega Prophet”, Miracle Number One Apostle”, and
other grand adjectives.
The Church is now at a place where
preachers seem to be more popular than He who supposedly called, chose and sent
them. The messenger is more popular than the message and the servant looms way
above the Master. Churches and various ministries are identified more with the
name of the “man and woman of God” at the head than the One whose name should
be on the House of God. We now have names like “Breast and Honey Ministries
International” where the overseer calls himself a prophet and believes in
sucking women’s breasts as a way of sucking out demons and deliverance. Which
scripture supports such foolishness and how can people allow themselves to
be deceived to such levels? “O! Foolish
Galatians! Who has bewitched you...?” - Galatians 3:1
A Bishop, Apostle or Prophet’s wife
is now known as “The First Lady” or “Prophetess” as if the anointing is by
cross-pollination.
While thinking with deep concern
about this in the last few months, I have been led over and over again to the
passages of scripture pertaining to the building of the temple in Jerusalem and
its dedication by King Solomon. I noticed that God uses the following terms
about the building: “Temple for my
Name”, “My Name might
be there”, and “I have
consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever”.
My question to you is: “Whose name is on the House?”
Whose name is on the ministries and
churches of some of the preachers we are seeing today? I dare say that it is
not the name of the Almighty God but of man.
King
David had told his people:
2 "Hear
me, my brethren and my people: I had
it in my heart to build a house of
rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. 3 But
God said to me, 'You shall not build
a house for My name, because you have been a man of
war and have shed blood.' ... 6 Now
He said to me, 'It is your son Solomon
who shall build My house and My courts...”
- 1
Chronicles 28:2-8 - NKJV (My emphasis)
“Furthermore, King David said to all the
assembly: "My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because
the temple is
not
for man but for the Lord God.
-
1 Chronicles
29:1-2 – NKJV (My emphasis)
Addressing the assembly after the
completion of the work, King Solomon reminds the people of God’s promise to his
father King David. The Bible says:
“14 Then
the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the
assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And
he said:"Blessed be
the Lord
God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His
hand has fulfilled it,
saying,
16'Since the
day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from
any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My
people Israel.' 17 Now it was in the heart of my father David
to build a temple for the name of the
Lord God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father
David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build
a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19
Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from
your body, he shall build the temple
for My name.' 20 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which
He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the
throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.”
-
1 Kings 8:14-21 –NKJV (My emphasis)
There is so much confusion and
deception in the church today and people are being led to follow unchristian
beliefs which amount to nothing but magic and exalting the name of a “Prophet”
and his “ministry”. Gone are the days when a church was known by the name on
the billboard outside. It is now the name and air-brushed picture of a bishop,
apostle or prophet and his wife which has taken over the Name of the Lord.
My wife and I recently watched a
prophet on television talk to a woman who responded, “Prophesy, pastor”. The
man of God said, “Ah! You’re calling me pastor?” He left the woman and
proceeded to the next person. Realizing her “error”, the lady shouted,
“Prophesy, Major One! Go deeper, papa!” I cringed.
When you read the Book of Acts and
Paul’s letters, you will discover that even though he is regarded today as the
greatest apostle, he never regarded himself as such. Paul had the spirit of
humility and not boasting. Look at this:
14 “I
thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest
anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name...17 For
Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” - 1 Corinthians 1:14-18 NKJV
“And I, brethren, when I came to
you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom...3 I was with
you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my
speech and my preaching were not with
persuasive words of human* wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the
wisdom of men but in the power of God.” -1
Corinthians 2:1-5 NKJV
9 “For I am
the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle...” - 1 Corinthians 15:9-11 NKJV
15 “Here is a
trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.” - 1 Tim 1:15-16 NIV
24 “O
wretched man that I am...”
- Rom 7:24-25 NKJV
How many
preachers have you seen displaying such humility today? The Apostle Paul never
elevated himself in name or in deed but exalted Jesus. The Reverend Billy Graham is
known throughout the world today and is highly honored and respected because of the millions and millions of people
from all over the world that he has humbly led to Christ. He has done that as a
true and obedient servant of God without spraying anyone with a pesticide.  |
| Bishop Tudor Bismark |
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| Dr Nevers Mumba (left) |
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| Dr Mensah Otabil |
Today pastors are strutting around
urging people to “submit to divine authority” when they themselves show nothing
of submission to the Lord God. This blasphemous, publicity seeking, arrogant
and Bible-twisting message is leading thousands of people away from the truth.
The Mamas and Papas of today’s church are portraying a very disturbing picture
which is leaving many wondering and now doubting the Christian faith.
Growing
up, I remember attending “Crusades” with themes such as: “New Life for you in
Jesus” or “Reconciliation through Jesus Christ”. I saw hundreds of people get
saved. These days you have seven-day “Conferences” with themes like, “Miracles
Galore by Fire, by thunder, by Force” or “Explosive Power Impact Miracles”. People
come to these conferences, get an emotional high and once they get back home,
they are more miserable than ever before and wonder if God does indeed care.
Every
other message now is about “miracle money
and material wealth coming to the first 1001 people to type ‘Amen’” What
has happened to the message of the Cross? What has happened to “For God so loved the world that He gave”?
What has happened to the message of the soon coming King? When are we going to
hear testimonies from the once lost but now saved? The end-time message is not “money cometh to me now!” The end-time
message is about bringing lost souls to Jesus. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all the other things will be
added unto you.”
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| "Deliverance" |
The other day, my wife and I posted a
video on Facebook as a spoof on what is happening in the church today. It now
has nearly well four thousand likes and scores of people have shared it. You
all laughed. If you as believers laughed, what do you think the unbeliever is
saying about our faith? How are they going to be won for Christ when they see
such in the house of God?
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| "Breast and Honey Ministries International |
“...Many boast according to the flesh...(2 Corinthians 11:18); “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not
boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but
is earthly, sensual, demonic.” – James 3:14-15.
The
sad thing is that it is also the congregants who have created pop stars and
given these “Prophets” all the power and influence. They are partners in
putting the names of mortal human beings on the Houses of God. People are
building celebrity preachers instead of humble men and women leading lost souls
to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. These prophets seem totally fine with
soaking up the spotlight and getting the lion’s share of the
glory, leaving Jesus as only a quiet, gracious runner-up. The truth is
that we ourselves must bear a large portion of the blame by creating preachers
who seem to be vying for a spot in the Trinity.
The Scripture is clear:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." - Ephesians 4:14 NKJV
"For
there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers... Whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for
filthy lucre's sake." -
Titus 1:10,11 NKJV
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| Pastor Joseph Mutanuka |
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| Pastor Adam Mulilo |
However, there are many who have sadly elevated themselves to a pedestal in the stratosphere.
Bishop
T.D. Jakes once said, “You have young
preachers starting churches today, walking around with six bodyguards and two
police dogs.” There is nothing wrong with young preachers but it has to do
with their demeanor. There are things you as a preacher can and cannot say.
Even if you can say them, you have to know how to say them lest you are
misunderstood and lead someone astray.
Pastors
have become mega-brands like Coca Cola, Mercedes Benz and Samsung. The title
“Prophet” is a crowd puller. It puts them in the limelight. It is exciting. It
sets the prophet above one who is simply called “Pastor”. It carries fame and
weight.
By all means, we need to
respect and love our pastors but we must not elevate them above Jesus Christ. Don’t just let your pastor
get bigger than Jesus. God will not share His glory with another.
We
read in Genesis 28:16-17 that when Jacob awoke from his deep sleep, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place and I did
not know it...How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of
God...”
The Church is not a corporation, nor is it an entertainment, a
fashion catwalk, or an advertising agency. Godliness is not a way to get
wealthy or famous. When
people are so taken by the gifting of the minister that they lose sight of
the One who gave the minister the gift to begin with, they’ve been
charmed. The ruler, pastor, bishop, or church leader who does not operate
in submission to God and His Word is an illegitimate leader. It doesn’t
matter how smooth or gifted an orator the preacher is, or how great he
or she is in ministry, all must be held to the standard of God’s Word.
Preachers can and should be honored, but they must never be worshipped.
Jesus said, “Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF
PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."
May I add again, the House of God is not an auditorium for magic shows.
Anytime
we exalt the men of God above the God of men, the church has been charmed.
I thoroughly and wholeheartedly believe in
honoring deserving men and women of God. Paul instructs us in the Book of
Romans to give honor where honor is due.
Let me just say that I have a lot of friends who are pastors in
their own growing ministries whom I love and respect and have had the honor and
privilege to speak at their churches, but I will not give them the glory that
belongs to Jesus. God’s business is very serious business. Preaching the Gospel
is very serious business.
Jim
Raley who is the senior pastor of Calvary Christian Center in
Florida once said, “Having
been a pastor for 17 years and getting to be with, around, and close to
hundreds of professional Christians, I can tell you that no matter how wise,
talented, God-loving, and visionary they might be, they’re all as equally
flawed and messy as anyone in their congregations. Each of them is ministering
amidst the constant, incredible tension, between serving a Savior and being seen as one.
And none of them, not one, deserves the heart space
that was intended for God.”
A mentor and former Senior Pastor
told Jim Raley, early in his ministry, “I
have two pieces of advice. The first
is that there is a Savior. The second
is that you’re not Him.” Let Wynegood Malunga add: “There is a Miracle Worker and
you are NOT Him!”
Look at your church and your pastor today and ask yourself, “Whose
name is on the house?”
It’s just a thought.
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