Desist from profiteering through God's word

Local Evangelist, Phanuel Chiweshe has called on the church to desist from profiteering through God's word and urged churches to conduct introspection and return to the basics of the gospel of Christ which is based on soul winning, salvation and repentance from sin.

The turn of the 21st century has seen the sprouting of new churches with a bias towards earthly riches.

The Christian world is now divided on the nature to which the gospel should be administered to people.

Speaking ahead of a conference to be held in Mabelreign, Harare from the 29th of this month, Evangelist Chiweshe of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe said the church's major focus should be saving souls.

"Prosperity should not be in front of the cross. The gospel should strive to save the soul from sin. Jesus came to save souls and conquer sin. So when one saves souls, bring salvation and make people repent from sin, the rest will follow. Blessings are not tangible but material things will come to blessed people," said Pastor Chiweshe.

In recent times, miracles have become the major draw card in attracting people to some churches. Pastor Onismo Sasa says such demonstration of power should be done to strengthen people's faith on Christ not to exalt man above God.

"The demonstration of power should be done so that people's faith will not rest on the wisdom of man but the power of God and should not focus on the man of God," Pastor Sasa said.

The gospel of prosperity has been ascribed to many names, such as the "name it and claim it" gospel, the "blab it and grab it", the "health and wealth" gospel, the "word of faith" movement, the "gospel of success" and "positive confession theology."

However, some church leaders have acquired vast wealth leading some people to query whether the church still retains the old values of humbleness and seeking first the kingdom of God.