What Are You Carrying?

Many a Pentecostal pastor today is daily criticized for ‘distorting’ the prosperity message. Others mock them as using the prosperity message to enrich themselves. But sadly, there's yet another school of thought who vehemently believe that abject poverty is ordained for them, no matter what. As far as they are concerned, some people are ordained to be beggars; and they see poverty as their own "cross". It was this group that Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church worldwide was referring to last Sunday when he urged the worshipers at the 50,000-seater capacity auditorium to avoid what he called "anti-covenant mentality."

 

In a sermon titled: "Walking in the realm of the miraculous by engaging The Mystery Of Tithing", during the monthly thanksgiving service at Faith Tabernacle,Church headquarters, Canaanland, Ota, the president of the ministry reiterated the benefits of tithing, the punishment for non-tithing, and why prosperity does not answer to Prayer and fasting. Bishop Oyedepo admonished: "Don't carry the mentality that only some people are ordained to be rich...Don't say, I'm just carrying my cross by being poor: what are you still doing with a cross?" 

he continued. "Jesus went to the cross and came down; He went to the grave and rose, so what are you doing with a cross up till now?" he thundered.

Reading from Job 22:21, the cleric said, "God's prosperity plan is a covenant, not a promise. Until your part is played, God is not committed."

Papa (as he is fondly called) revealed how he caught the secret of Kingdom prosperity in October 1984 which, according to him, is an immutable law. "There is a law that launches us into realms of financial fortunes",he said, quoting from Malachi 6:18 and 3:6-7.

The senior pastor passed across the all-important message that God and His church are too big to depend on the tithe of mere men.

At the end of the service, it was clear that if worshipers took something home last Sunday, it probably would be all or some of these five undeniable truths:

1. Tithing is not doing God a favour but a source of favour for the tither.

2. Fasting and praying without fulfilling the terms of the covenant won't result in financial fortunes.

3. Paying tithes without a cheerful heart makes it unacceptable.

4. The Abrahamic order of blessing is not accessible unless we do what Abraham did, including consistent tithing.

5. That only a select few are ordained to be wealthy is not a true believer's mentality.

 

So, anytime you tend to think that you're poor because poverty is a cross, remember this: Jesus has left the cross, why are you still carrying yours?

 

Other Bible reference: Lev.27:30; Deut.14:22-23; 2Corith.8:9; 1Tim.6:17-19; 2Corith.9:6ff; Gal.3:13-14; Gen.28:22; 18:19; Job 22:25; Ps.20:103 and 41:1-3.

 

Bro. Lucky Ihanza