When the gospel gets threatened

DESPERATE: Some people go to places of worship because they want miracles. NET PHOTOS

What you need to know:

TREADING MARSHY GROUND. While preaching, the gospel aims at drawing God’s people closer, at times the preaching and the actions of those who preach seem to instead bring uncertainty, misunderstanding and questions among believers, which threatens the gospel, writes RAJAB MUKOMBOZI.

Jesus is the master of the gospel and when the Pharisees tried to condemn him for associating with the sinners, he told them.
“For God did not send the son into the world to judge it but to save it” John 3:17. But often preachers have come out to judge and condemn believers for their suffering. Words such as “woe unto you sinners, you will go to hell” discourage believers.

Pastor Willy Tumwine, senior pastor at Holy Spirit Fire Church, Mbarara, says some people would not be what they are if they were judged and condemned for what they went through before they saw light.
“I am glad I grew up in a church that loved sinners. Otherwise, I would not be here. There is spiritual growth in spreading the word of God. You need to love those that have not seen light, it is your love that will bring them not condemnation,” Pastor Tumwine says.

Attacking others
Some preachers discredit others over the true gospel, born again Christians against other beliefs, Islam against Christianity.
“Preach the truth to build the Kingdom of God, but not the theatrics of claiming you know much about the Bible or Koran and you discredit others,” Pastor Elijah Mutatina of Evangelical Christian Ministries, notes.

Mutatina says there is a difference between defending the gospel and the truth and attacking others ,something most religious fanatics have not mastered. Thus, it hinders the spread of the gospel.

Competition
Churches today seem to mind about numbers, not the message they give. This also hinders the spread of the gospel.
The number of believers fluctuates. There have been scenes of assault and attacks by some of the church leaders based on competition for believers. Some leaders of these churches view it as a market share of believers. Mark3: 24-26, Jesus emphasises unity; “And if a kingdom is divided against itself cannot stand ….” Sometimes servants of God must remind themselves that they are all the same.

Pastor Steven Sebyala of Harvest Mission Africa, says when it comes to born again Christian churches, planting churches has lost meaning.
“Have you ever seen a mosque facing the door of another mosque, an Anglican or Catholic Church facing another? But look at what is happening in Pentecostal churches, establishing churches is pushed by egos than preaching the Word of God,” Pastor Sebyala said during the annual Keep the Fire Burning conference at Holy Spirit Fire Church in Mbarara.

He said servants with a calling establish churches where there are no existing churches. If not, they work to strengthen existing churches.

In Biafra, Kamukuzi Division Mbarara, there are more than six Pentecostal churches in one cell. Many wonder if they are on a preaching mission or satisfying individual egos.

Preaching for material gains
Some churches are good at praying for physical needs than spiritual ones.
“You cannot sustain a message premised on material gains, but most up and coming preachers are more inclined to this kind of preaching. Someone will join a church to gain earthly riches,” Mutatina says.

He adds that such people cannot stay in church because they end up not getting what they have been persuaded before.
“When you come to God for material gains, he won’t provide because he knows after you will go back to your earlier living ways (ungodly),” Mutatina adds, consequently believers miss the important message.

Gospel of compromise
Some preachers do not want to share the truth of the gospel for fear that they will offend others. We have always witnessed this where preachers tend to side with politicians or fail to correct them or speak against the injustices in society.
“It’s unfortunate that some religious leaders can’t preach against injustice and suffering of human kind because of politics. This leaves the public judging us on what we stand for,” says Fr Gaetano Batanyenda, Kitanga Parish Priest in Kabale.

Pride and show-offs
Philippians 2:3 says; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves…” Today, preachers have handlers cleaning shoes, wiping their faces, holding their bibles, with escorts even at pulpits. This is a sign of pride.
“Pride among preachers hinders the spread of the gospel, these people draw attention of believers to themselves than bring them closer to God,” adds Pastor Mutatina.
Preachers tend to draw worshipers to themselves than to God.