The Scandal of The Charismatic Prophetic Christianity

Africa is always the victim. Diseases and poverty, yes even wars had always found a good breeding ground long before me and you were born. Enter the 2000s and another clown entered the stage; the 'prophetic'. Dressed in holy clothing, tongues sweet as honey, possessed with mighty power that shook the masses to their frenzy – finally, all the African problems were saying their goodbyes, God had remembered us hallelujah – at least that is what they told us. Indeed, the servants of the Lord who spoke under the office of the High declared that joy was coming in the morning – reality check: nothing changed. It took us a whole decade to realize that we were still getting poorer; still unemployed, still hungry and still sick. If there is anything like change, it is on the part of the “anointed Papas” themselves. They are the ones boasting of new cars and big homes to add on top of flashy suits. Something…does not…make…sense… Actually, it does make sense if you realize that we have been long cheated by wolves in sheep’s clothing, a.k.a false prophets.

Nothing New

As the Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun; false prophets were there in the ancient land of Israel all the way to the present. Unfortunately, when the internet, satellite television and American books found their way across the Atlantic, so did a new kind of Christianity; the Success Gospel. Founding the fertile ground of the poor masses; it grew like madness. Young men, poor and uneducated themselves, found a quick route to the top; just open a church and call it “the prophetic.” Dress like a celebrity and just tell the masses that you are the key and solution to their problems – all of them! Tell them that they cannot survive until they are connected to your 'alter'. Warn them not to miss any of your “deliverance” services – carrying a seed envelope of course. 

The damage

Like all works of the enemy, the end goal is the same; destruction. It is no secret that ever since the charismatic 'prophetic anointed' came into power, there has been an increase in confusion and strange stuff happening in the name of Jesus: from eating snakes to drinking petrol, from fake miracles to miracle moneys. There is not even a small shortage of sexual scandals and corruption allegations. How can we forget false prophecies? In Scripture, anyone who prophesied something that didn't come to pass was immediately declared a false prophet and stoned to death, it's only in our time that someone can predict something that never comes to pass and still come out to make excuses for lying in the name of God, only because he is popular enough for his followers to defend him. What blindness has overcome our Christianity? Let me not even mention strange doctrines that come with all of this, because these days anyone can just preach anything, I mean any foolishness and still be hailed as “a man of wisdom”. What about weird manifestations? They also range from vomiting in the church to something worse like what happened in Harare just a while ago; a woman relieved herself live on the church camera in the name of “deliverance”. Oh, how the House of Prayer has been turned into a cane of rubbish!

Is that all? No, there is more; the ignorance of the Gospel of salvation, honoring the human “man of God” more than Christ, the love of money, boastful tongues (pride) and who can miss that these guys are unable to correctly interpret Scripture (bad doctrine)? One such embarrassing teaching is, of course, the prosperity gospel. Gentlemen, it is misleading to be told that Jesus died to make you rich. Just imagine how people were already rich before Jesus and are rich now, especially the unbelievers. If anything, the Bible warns us against the love of money and materialism. Africans have become poorer because they have used their hard-earned money to enrich these monsters that care nothing about the wellbeing of others other than their pockets. What is more saddening is that all these grave concerns are ignored by the average Christian in Africa, If anything, it is the Charlatans that are considered to be the “great men of God” who are so “connected to the anointing.”  I am sorry friends; I disagree because a tree is known by its fruit. Bad theology, bad living and a bad spirit all go together. Far be it from me that I think the Holy One of Israel is involved with that. Cry my beloved Africa!

The true Gospel 

Let us wash down the pollution with something beautiful – the Gospel. Many are they who no longer understand nor like to hear the Gospel because of this confusion caused by these deceivers. The Gospel dear friends begins with the fact that God is holy, righteous and just, yet we, mankind are none of that. We are born evil and God-hating. No matter how good we feel about ourselves, the perfect law of God proves that we all have sinned before our Maker. Hence we all deserve God’s anger and judgment. But there is good news, I mean it's great news; the same God loved us so much that He came down and became a man like us, so that He could go to the Cross, where He suffered, bled and died in our place. He rose again on the 3rd day, and ascended to heaven to make intercession for those who believe in Him. Therefore, through this Jesus of Nazareth, you and me can be freely forgiven all sins; past present and future. You don’t have to consult some prophet to get some “anointing” but you can approach the Throne of Grace directly through Jesus the Great High Priest and find all help in time of need (Heb 4:16). All you have to do is to believe this Good News (repent of your sins) and you will be instantly given perfect righteousness and eternal life. This is the Gospel my dear ones. I end with a question; since when did you hear anything like this in any church service? Why?

Do not miss the second part where we discuss the solution for all this.

Sinothi Ncube