Churches employ all manner of shenanigans to rob widows of their houses.
Do you know it is recorded in the bible that Jesus once sat down, as if in a cinema, and watched a robbery taking place in broad daylight? This robbery took place in the favourite den of robbers; the church. But you might not even be aware of the incident because we pastors have done our level best to distract Christians from realising what was going on.
Now you take a second look.
Devouring widows’ houses
Jesus was engaged in one of his favourite discourses; the hypocrisy, greed and covetousness of the religious elite. He warned that we should beware of the scribes, who wear ceremonial robes, crave public adulation and employ all manner of shenanigans to rob widows of their houses.
He then illustrated this by going to the treasury where he observed the rich putting in a lot of money in the offering-box. He also noticed a widow who came and dropped in just two pennies. Jesus pointed out that the poor widow gave much more than the rich because while they gave out of their abundance, she gave out of her poverty. Indeed, he noted, the two pennies she gave were everything she had (Mark 12:38-44).
Pastors, who Jesus refers to as thieves and robbers (John 10:8), use this scripture to rob people all the more, thereby confirming we will receive greater condemnation (Mark 12:40). We hold up this poor widow as an example to be emulated and tell our church-members to give all they have. Sometimes, we even tell them to empty their pockets into the offering-basket, promising them a big windfall from God if they do so.
419 churches
However, Jesus’ position is the exact opposite of this deception. The point he makes is that the widow was robbed. What could she have been told to make her give all her livelihood to the church? How is she supposed to live thereafter? Pastors who bewitch poor church-goers into doing this don’t care what happens to them. Moreover, we can always blame it on their lack of faith when our false promises on God’s behalf fail to materialise.
Jesus’ demonstration shows that the church system is immoral and downright wicked. Money should have been given to this poor widow out of compassion rather than taking the little she had in the name of God. Instead of collecting money from the poor, thereby robbing them of their meagre livelihood, the primary purpose for the collection of offerings in churches should be in order to provide for the poor.
Jesus was so disgusted with this practice that he prophesied that the temple, where this robbery took place, would soon be destroyed. He said: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2). This prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70, when the Roman army completely destroyed the Jerusalem temple. Even so shall God destroy every church that men have built and used to deceive and to extort money from the poor.
Under the Mosaic Law, tithes were only collectible from those with land and livestock and not from widows and the poor. But today, the poor are the prey of money-grubbing pastors and televangelists. I once gave a big Sony television to my most industrious employee. But in no time whatsoever, it ended up in her pastor’s house. Don’t ask me how it got there.
Witchcraft in the churches
Listen carefully; if you are poor, don’t give any offerings. God will not hold it against you. If you are broke, don’t give any offerings. God knows you don’t have money to give. If you are in debt, don’t increase your indebtedness by investing in a “sacrificial offering” in hope of reaping a fantastic harvest. Offerings are not investments, no matter what we mercenary pastors say. Give according to what you have and not according to what you don’t have.
What would make a poor widow give everything she has to a church? It can only be some form of witchcraft. Many Christians don’t realise they have been bewitched by their pastors. The rich man can empty his pocket at the instance of a smooth-tongued pastor and then jump into his jeep after the service and drive home. But the poor woman who follows suit risks having to walk all the way back home.
The message therefore becomes clear. Armed-robbers extort money from their innocent victims by putting guns to their heads. Pastors rob widows of their houses by filling their heads with enticing words. The methods may be different but the objectives are the same. Both the armed-robber and the conniving pastor are working for the same master, and it is not Jesus Christ.