Principle Number 10
What about Fake Preachers?
Pastor Mosomane
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:20-22
The message of sowing and reaping is been doing some rounds these days. We hear it from our churches; we hear it from visiting preachers; we hear it over the radio and television more often. It comes in many different names. Some call it Seed Faith, others call it Prosperity – it comes with a lot of different names. The message is the same; it only comes in different wrapping papers.
Many who have heard this message are asking questions – is this real or are we been duped? Why are so many preachers these days preaching about money? Is it about money or is it God’s message? Who can we trust this nowadays? What if the preacher is a fake?
Well; all these questions and many others are authentic. Many things are happening these days and people are scared. It is not only in the field of the gospel; other areas are also having their own share. Many none-profit organizations are doing a great job out there helping those who cannot help themselves. On the other hand many others are also out there doing a great harm to the good course. Governments are doing all they can to protect the vulnerable public but there is always a loop hole somewhere.
Like I said; we in the Christian circles have our share too. Many people; not only in our country but all over the world, are been taken for a ride in the name of Christianity – especially in the area of giving. We see requests for giving coming through all sorts of communication media like television and internet and we are concern. What must we do?
Well, my friend; true and honest as the concern may be; we better know that every good thing will end up having a counterfeit. Every genuine thing will always have a fake. The message of sowing and reaping is no exception. I was young and now I’m growing old; but in all my years I have never seen a R17. 25 cent fake note. Why; because there is no such note as that. No one in his right mind will fake something that does not exist. No one will fake a lie. Those people who fake this prosperity message do so because it is biblical and it is real. The more we hear all these stories about fake preachers; the more we are encouraged that we are doing the right thing by preach about money. No one will fake the message if it was not true.
It is also important to know that God will not change His word become some people are misconstruing it. God is a good God and His word will abide for ever; it doesn’t matter what people are doing to discredit the word or use it for their own selfish gain. The word of God is still saying what it used to say since it was uttered.
It has always been the principle of God that reaping should follow after sowing. We sow and then wait patiently for the harvest. Hear what our text is saying today; “…seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer and day and night shall not cease.” Harvest comes after sowing; hot weather follows cold weather; summer after winter and nigh after day. God has given us this pattern that we may realize and understand that harvest will always follow sowing.
Giving is another form of sowing. The Holy Spirit said this through Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:6 –7, ”But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” The subject matter is giving here. We see verse six speaks about sowing and reaping but verse seven speaks of giving and the two verses complement each other. Giving is sowing. When you give you are actually sowing.
I am aware that many of us have been hurt and disturbed a lot of times, they decided to stay away from this subject and hold back their seed. Can we stay away from work because someone has been fired? We still cannot stay away from marriage because so and so are divorced. The authenticity of the word of God is not dependable on what others did with the word. We are not dealing with people here; we are dealing with God through His word. His principles cannot be altered just because someone has been naughty.
May we not be scare away from the right and godly things just because so and so misrepresented the truth. I know it is the natural option for many of us to just decide to have nothing to do with the message of prosperity because of the experience we had in the past. Friend; let’s face ourselves eyeball to eyeball and tell ourselves the truth. That kind of thinking and that kind of decision is not based on the word of God. It is based on what people are doing and saying. Do not deny yourself what God has for you just because someone was selfish and silly. Jesus said such people would come in future. Our present day – the time in which we live today - is part of that future He talked about. He said others will come wearing sheep skin. He calls them wolves in sheep skin. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” Matthew 7:15.
We addressed this issue at length in our previous teachings; I think. We now know beyond any shadow of doubt that giving is obedience to God. Jesus said; “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Jesus is saying here; there is a promise when you give. When you hear about God’s promise in His word and believe what He says and act upon it; you are being obedient.
When you give, you are sowing. Your gift is a seed. Jesus said “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” John 12: 24. The seed does not work when it is in the shelve. One day I went to Spar and as I was doing my shopping I saw a sachet of mustard seeds and bought it. I have not as yet sown the seed. They are still in a sachet on my bed pedestal. Nothing has happened about them yet. Why? It is because I have not sown them yet. They are still in a sachet and nothing is happening. Seeds don’t grow in sachets – they grow in the soil.
The seed of trees and grass need the soil to grow and bring forth fruit. However; the seed of money needs people to grow and multiply. Money is the seed and people are the soil. Unless your money is sown in people it will remain as it is. Don’t you understand? All the investments you see around you are not there for themselves. They are there for people. You don’t establish a business unless it is to benefit other people. Giving is also to benefit people. When you take your money and benefit others with it; God says you have sown. Of course it looks like you are throwing your money away when you do so but the word of God says you are sowing a seed. Seeds work better somewhere; not in your hands – somewhere. It remains alone when you hold it back but when you scatter it, it sprout and grow and bring forth fruit or grain. That’s a harvest!
I’m aware you’ve been disappointed and it hurts – I know. But the truth will remain. No disappointment or hurt will amend the truth. God said it and it will remain said; whether we choose to believe it or not. There is seedtime and there is harvest time. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer and day and night shall not cease.”
Are you going to disobey God because of wolfs that comes to you in sheepskin? Are you going to through away the truth just because someone lied? Are you going to risk your future just because someone faked? Will you throw the baby away with the water just because the water is now dirty? Think about it.
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