A National Executive Member of Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Bishop Charles Agyinasare, has urged Christian leaders to feed their flocks with unaltered word of God and shun the “get-rich-quick” schemes in their various churches.
According to him, Christian leaders selling so-called miracle water and miracle oil to church members are practising get -rich -quick schemes which is a dishonest gain.
Bishop Agyinasare who is also the Presiding Bishop of Perez Chapel International said this in a sermon on Sunday when teaching about shunning bribes and acquiring wealth honestly but not through get-rich-quick schemes.
The revered pointed out that any wealth obtained through ill means eventually crumbles hence Christian leaders should diligently work for God and they would receive their reward in heaven.
Quoting Proverbs 13:11: ‘Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labour will increase’, he said: “Stealing or taking what does not belong to you, stealing from your employer, not paying your staff what is due them to make money” are all forms of dishonesty.
Highlighting his point, he noted that, 1 Peter 5:2, says ‘Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind’, warns pastors against gaining dishonestly.
Forms of quick money
“For a pastor to arrange with people to pretend they are healed so that his church would be packed is quick money; for a pastor to arrange with people during fundraising to pretend they are giving so others would give, is looking for quick money; for a pastor to say that one should bring their jewellery for sanctification and keep or take it, is going for quick money”, Bishop Agyinasare pointed out.
The Clergyman described unjust businessmen/women who fleece depositors by using their money to buy luxurious vehicles and live luxurious lifestyles.
“You are going to write an exam, and you get a leaked paper to pass your exam; a lecturer asks you for sex in exchange for good grades, falsifying figures to get extra money; going to buy something for your office and adding your own percentage” are all “unjust and dishonest gains”, The Presiding Bishop said.
“I have faithfully tried to be a man of God in the discharge of my pastoral duties because my prayer, as a pastor, has always been: ‘God, make my words speak to the conscience of my hearers. Let me be your mouthpiece,” he said.
Urging leaders to serve diligently, Bishop Agyinasare quoted Proverbs 28:16, saying: ‘A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness will prolong his days’ to emphasise as “unjust gain”, the phenomenon where “politicians go into government and suddenly, in four years, own a fleet of cars and chains of houses”.
Additionally, he noted, as unjust, the practice of “getting a contract for a particular sum of money and using shoddy materials to do the contract”, saying: “Collecting 30 per cent of the contract sum from a contractor pushes them to do a shoddy job”
.SOURCE: GPCC NEWS
