CAUTION: BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT PLEDGE IN CHURCH

Again and again, I have been to churches and heard clerics, calling people to come and make a pledge and sow a seed. Before you do it again, I have a word of caution for you.

When a pastor tells me to make a pledge from what I don’t have, I wonder if the part of the Bible that says, “It’s accepted according to what a man has” has been torn from his Bible.

I believe in giving money in church. In fact, I believe you are very irresponsible as a Christian if you don’t give to support the work of God (not the ego and selfish ambition of the pastor).

But I have been to churches where pastors try to psyche congregants to give especially to tap anointing or sow a seed for breakthrough. My focus is not to talk about the madness of pastors in using lies and deception to get money out of the members, even with their good intentions*. I just want to talk about you who may fall victim.

It doesn’t make sense to fall prey of deceptive pastors who want you to make you pledge what  you should not because of a promise of breakthrough.

Don’t forget the wisdom from the mouth of King Solomon, “Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Some fools go there to offer sacrifices, even though they haven’t sinned. But it’s best just to listen when you go to worship. Don’t talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don’t talk too much ( Ecc. 5:1-2 CEV).

Just by the way, understand that it’s a joke to say that it’s when you sow a seed that God answers your prayers.

How do I know?

The Bible says,“…you still cannot get what you want, and you won’t get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. Yet even when you do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for selfish reasons.( Jas 4:2-3  CEV).

*I understand that some pastors, very few that I have encountered, mean well for the congregation. That’s, they believe that their wealth is from such ‘seeds’ and they are therefore teaching their members the way of prosperity. But their good intentions are not good enough. If you want to give to the work of God, please do so. It’s good. I do it whenever I can. But don’t agree with anybody that you have to tie your seed to anything. It’s selfishness!

Get this clear: God did not give us Christ so that he will get; He gave him so that we will get eternal life. What drives my giving is what the receiver will get; not what I will get!

Some pastors also believe that the money they get by deception is for the church project and propagation of the gospel. But that’s not God’s order. Paul told Timothy to try to understand what God wants him to do at all time. You can’t lie to your members to get money to do God’s work. If God’s doesn’t want to make provision for his work, you leave it for him now!

See, for everything God wants me to do, my business is to make myself available, if He won’t provide the resources, I will leave the work. That’s the attitude I had to imbibe to help me stay cool and not dabble into deception to finance God’s work.

So, my point is that you should give materially in church. But it’s not the passport to breakthrough. And when you want to give, think through it before giving. Don’t rush into making promise that will make the finance committee in your church coming after you because you can’t redeem your pledge. It’s safe to give just what you have and prophesy that it’s will be able to finish the project. When they tell you to tie your seed to something, tie it to more supplies for the project; not your needs. God knows about your needs and there are angles taking care of that!

NB: If you are a pastor having challenge in financing your ministry, please get Gbile Akanni’s book: TAPPING GOD’S RESOURCES FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY and download Pastor Bankie’s book, “SO, WHO WILL PAY FOR THIS? It’s free on his website: www.pastorbankie.org