The Practice Of Extortion In The Church (2)

TOPIC: The Practice Of Extortion In The Church (2)

BIBLE TEXT: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits…” – Matthew 7:15

In today’s text, Christians, as well as all practitioners of all creeds, are advised to be wary of religious authority figures who, as a means of fulfilling their own needs, deliberately extort and exploit the faith of those who look up to them. Unfortunately, history is littered with heartbreaking instances of innocent people who, trying to better understand their faith, found themselves taken advantage of by opportunistic charlatans who wore a mask of false divinity.

One of the marks of such people is a lifestyle of excessiveness and extravagance. Even though the bible heavily advocates for the practice of charity, it does not, in any way, encourage wastefulness and excessiveness as a way of life. Therefore, those who are prone to excessive and extravagant purchases like most celebrities, are likely operating in pursuit of their own interests.

Another mark of extortioners in the church is too much focus on money. It is obvious that some pastors have placed the issue of money and material gains above salvation. They place more emphasis on it than on any other key issue of the Kingdom. It is no secret that churches and pastors rely on donations from members in order to sustain themselves and continue to provide their services. However, whenever monetary donations become a frequent point of discussion and always a point of emphasis, it is possible that these religious authority figures are less concerned with spreading the gospel, and more interested in lining their own pockets.

This is especially more likely whenever monetary donations are stressed as effective means to garner favor in the eyes of God and increase the chances of getting into heaven. In many cases, this is a blatant act of manipulation and an exploitation of vulnerable church members’ reverence for God and their hope for a fruitful afterlife.

The third mark of predatory church leaders is self-aggrandizement. This is a classic tactic utilized by exploitative abusers trying to take advantage of those over whom they preside. They succeed in portraying themselves as tin-gods whose words are to be taken as gospel and whose demands are to be obeyed with both haste and minimal questioning. Whenever a religious authority figure actively works to cement himself as the only voice worth listening to, it would be safe to assume that they are not far from carrying out actions meant to exploit and extort those whom they preside over.

Beloved of God, the instruction in today’s text is a warning against those who parade themselves as prophets but who are indeed extortioners. Please be warned and beware.

PROPHETIC PRAYER

I pray for you today:

1. May you not fall into the trap of false prophets in the name of Jesus.
2. You will not be a victim of those who parade themselves as sheep but indeed are ravening wolves.
3. The Lord will keep you away from every destiny destroyer.
4. He will deal with every one who deceitfully loots your treasury.
5. This weekend, the Lord will single you out for outstanding miracle.

So shall it be in the name of Jesus. Amen

Do have a lovely weekend.

CHRIST IS THE ANSWER.

Yours in Christ,
Revd Dr. Bayo Sola Aremu
Church pastor
Yaba Baptist Church
Sabo-Yaba, Lagos

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