Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
If you stopped praying for Africa, please do not. If you stopped praying for Zimbabwe then you probably should get back to putting it back on your prayer list. There is a form of gospel that is spreading around the poverty stricken suburbs and making merchandize of the vulnerable. Yup, all in the name of Jesus:
THE young woman rocks nervously on her high heels and smiles uneasily as the prophet struts around her. She has had a hard time pinning down a man and she cannot get a job, we are told. Today, all her troubles will end.
“Many men have come and promised to marry you, but nothing happens. Is that not true?” declares the prophet.
She swoons: “Yes, man of God.”
He responds: “Listen. I was with the spirit. I’m in a vision. We are travelling. By the power of the spiritual navigator, I am turning towards a junction. Unit K. Is that not where you live?”
She weeps. “Yes, pastor.”
“I am at the door. The hand of the angel of God is on the door, so I can’t see the whole number, just the numbers 7 and 5. What is your house number?” “It is number 7715,” the woman responds.
Bull’s-eye. The church rises in a roaring mass, hands in the air. But wait: now for the big reveal.
“My sister,” the pastor says, rubbing his hands as if he were counting money, then holding her hand. “I see you counting money. Money. You will need a money-counting machine. Money, flowing to you.“
The “hallelujahs” rise and the band responds with a burst of sound.
Poster boy of the gospel brigade
The prophet is barely into his 30s, wears a velvet jacket, floral high-collar shirt and brown pointed-toe shoes. He goes by the name Uebert Angel. He is one of the poster boys of Zimbabwe’s prosperity gospel brigade. They are in their early 30s, natty dressers who bag crowds yearning to fill the gap left by old-time religion: the promise of prosperity.
Who can resist that? The old churches still insist on Christ’s teachings to “store up your riches in heaven”. But why wait when the prophet in the velvet jacket says you can have it all here and now?
Surely pray for the church in Africa. It is not only in Zimbabwe that prosperity gospel is robbing families and men of their livelihoods. It is the same problem in Nigeria (West Africa), East Africa and South Africa. If you are able to support a doctrinally good and sound missionary or local pastor working in some of these areas, your prayers and resources will be greatly appreciated and your reward in heaven will be great.
Christianity in Africa appears to be a mile wide but it is actually just an inch deep.
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 
What a great encouragement to re-engage in prayer – I will!
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