1Corin. 9:11 We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?
I recently spoke with a Pastor friend of mine about the condition of Christianity in a certain location. I was of the opinion that Pastors were failing in presenting the truth of the word of God in that particular location and pressed my point. He agreed with my point of view but said something that made me rethink my criticism of those Pastors.
I would like to state, first and foremost, that I do not still agree with the merchandising of the gospel that is currently going on, but I would like to ask that before we criticize we look closely at our own actions.
Lets get back to my story, I was angry that most of the messages focused people on material things and promoting infancy in the body of Christ. I feel, and still feel, that a message that makes one man a superstar and all others dwarfs, who need to depend on him to get direction, instead of the Holy Spirit, is very wrong.
However, the perceptive my friend brought needs to be considered.
Have you experienced an instance that a preacher feels the need to consult various gimmicks to raise money? Making a lot of ''prophetic'' promises to get a response. All sort of fund-raising techniques are consulted in other to get the people to give.
This I believe is wrong but consider this for a moment. My Pastor friend told me of an instance that a sincere full time pastor who went to that location to preach but could not get support for his young family. His wife had to accept a job that was far below her qualifications in order to try and meet the needs of the family. The pastor did not get adequate support from the congregation , he resigned, and went to pursue business ventures. He did not want to rob his congregation but he could no longer support his family being in ministry!
I have had to send money to a few full-time pastors who are not resident in my location. I now ask myself, if the believers they minister to, do not see the need to help them out financially, yet these same believers will criticize these same pastors!
Paul said in the above scripture that they have sown spiritual seed in the life of the brethren so was it too much if they reap material benefits from them? If men have labored over your life in prayer and yet nothing has ever left you to bless them. Then you my friend are irresponsible.
I believe that insincere pastors ,who promise all kinds of blessings, are best suited to exploit such irresponsible believer. I believe that they should get a pastor after their own heart!!
We complain that the church does not see the same power as in the days of Acts but check out what they church did to meet the need of others. Paul pronounced Phillipians 4: 19 on a people who had been a blessing to him and yet a stingy believer in our time will claim the blessing, while forsaking the principle upon which it stands. Missionaries are sent to the field and we care nothing about them but Muslims spend a lot to ensure that they build mosques very close to their homes.
Friend or not, I ask you, what have you done to bless your pastor?
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