BUSINESS CLAINS versus CHURCH CLAINS A statistical check a few days ago and I was surprised at what I found out. Do you know that in the Corporate Affairs Commission, less than 20,000 churches are actually registered with the Federal Government of Nigeria? But realiable information reveal that we have close to 5 million churches in Nigeria. By that I mean 5 million different denominations – and still counting! That info told me something. Nigerians are very religious people. Fair enough. Shouldn’t it be? Of course. But again Nigeria ranks among the 10 top most corrupt nation in the world. How does this relate or follow? Why should a very religious nation be that corrupt? It only says one thing. Religion is our MASK. We use it to cover up alot of deception and atrocities. We involve God so as to get away with things.It is sad. Do you realize that our political office holders attend churches? Most of them hold key positions in some of these churches. They pay tithe, preach from the pulpit…but it doesn’t stop them from massive embezzlement of public funds and all that. It is unfortunate that people think that having more churches or more chain of churches will bring about our so desired National development. Prayer doesn’t always change things; but changes people so that THEY CAN CHANGE THINGS.Don’t get me wrong. I am a Christian. I fellowship with a church. Yet if you look at my title objectively you will see where I am coming from. WE DON’T NEED MORE DENOMINATIONS; WE NEED MORE CHRISTIANS.We don’t need more pastors who run churches, we need more pastors in the work place, in the market place. That is where we can SHOW OUR GROWTH ANOINTING. We have churches that have up to 30 to 40 branches. Some others have as much as 500 to 1000. Has that settled poverty or unemployment? God would have christians start chain of BUSINESSES and COMPANIES that would solve unemployment. That is point. As a matter of fact, that is PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. It is unfortunate that we have more CHAIN OF CHURCHES than we do CHAIN OF BUSINESSES. These days creative youths and men who should be doing businesses are delving into starting churches and desiring to even have chain of churches. Will Chain of churches bring about our desired national development? Are these youths really called or are they using church starting as a means to escaping poverty? God hasn’t called any one to start a new denomination; he only calls men to MINISTRY, which isn’t necessarily starting a church Unfortunately, the most successful models we have in Nigeria today are pastors. A typical unemployed Nigerian Youth most likely ends becoming a pastor. Those are the guys who make the money, drive the best cars, and collect money from people. It is really so unfortunate. Religion DOESN’T BRING ABOUT NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT; BUSINESS DOES. And for your info, God would have us do business. Religion, as it were, should help in spiritual nuturing and create the enabling moral environment; it never should translate to the commercial stuff we see all around.PARTLY, THE REASON I BELIEVE CHURCHES WHO RUN BUSINESSES SHOULD BE TAXED; and very well so. You can’t use public funds to raise churches and businesses and become the sole proprietor. If members of churches have financial stakes or dividends from the businesses started by these churches,then it is a different matter. One Monday morning, I noticed that a church service was going on. So I went to the balcony to take a look. The place was jam packed! Teeming UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS were praying in church. I felt deeply sad.Is that prayer bad? No. But the timing was definitely wrong. God is not in support of that.And guess what? That prayer lasted till almost 12 noon. When young people say God has told them to begin a church work, I look at them with suspicion.Usually, they are unemployed “Go and do business”, I tell them. For middle aged men, it is because they have FAILED IN BUSINESS that is why they THINK they should now begin a denomination.For the elderly ones who are retired, starting a church is more like their retirement plan. May God really help us.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 09:11:22 +0000
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