The trouble with self appointed Bishops
By Brilliant Pongo
“Dave Chikosi is founder, Bishop and senior Pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship International Churches. After establishing three growing congregations in Zimbabwe, Africa, he came to USA to study for a Master’s degree in Theology. Upon completion, he moved to Michigan where he planted the church in the City of Ypsilanti.”
This is the caption at the end of a response article to a discussion on the so called prosperity gospel preachers. Clearly the arguments I put forward in this discussion threatened Dave Chikosi who has felt he needs to defend the indefensible.
A thief is a thief no matter how he or she chooses to steal; one who smashes- grabs and runs, one who tricks you into handing your money to them for whatever reason, is at the end the day, a fraud or a thief. “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.” (Mark 10 vs19).
The trouble with these self appointing Bishops, is that they give themselves all the glory titles so that they may appear to have some sort of authority and authenticity. Titles such as Bishop, senior Pastor, man of God, The Anointed, Prophet, etc and then they let us know of their qualification but never their calling.
Yes, let’s not forget that ‘Bishop’ Chikosi has a Master’s degree in Theology. These titles dear reader are supposed to get us quaking in our boots. By virtue of the worldly qualification that ‘Bishop’ Chikosi holds, we are somehow expected to automatically believe that he has power and authority and is better placed to impose his personal interpretation of the bible on the rest of us who have not been trained in these synthetic theological institutions.
However, I for one shall not be moved by such people or the organizations they represent, for indeed I ask the Lord Jehovah to help me expose the likes of Bishop Chikosi who unashamedly solicit the hard earned cash of their congregates by misquoting scripture and making false promises in God’s name, the bishop declared in his article:
“Folk, when you give to the man of God, God will reward you with a rich harvest. Those who are already doing so, please don’t stop. You are investing in your own future.”
The truth that you do not want me to say is you are abusing your positions of trust, manipulating congregates into giving ‘the so called man of God’, lots of money which affords them lives of opulence while your congregates wallow in the pits of poverty. And you tell them they are investing in their future what frauds, unashamedly building wealth by milking the poor, May God have mercy on your souls.
You only want to receive but never want to give, Matt.23 vs 4-7;
“For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.”
I felt I need to indulge our Master’s degreed church planting bishop in his vanity and his need for self promotion, indeed this Bishop/senior pastor, has got his reward I am now talking about him and his church, he is now mentioned in text and hundreds upon hundreds will read of him via this text, and will speak of him in the market places, as someone who has planted churches in Zimbabwe and America, he is after all a founder of a church (Hallelujah) great publicity coup, job well done bishop.
The scriptures that bishop Chikosi attempts to manipulate expose what he is really about. I am never one to be diplomatic when it comes to pointing out half truths, false teachings and manipulation of the word of God.
Men like Bishop Chikosi feel threatened by those who challenge their misuse of the bible, people who stop them from assuming the role of expert bible interpreter, which they think they are entitled to by virtue of the bible college qualifications which they hold.
Well here is some good news bishop, real understanding of the word of God, is brought about spiritually rather than academically, so all the theological degrees come to naught if you walk without the Holy Spirit.
The gospel that we need to be preaching is the gospel of Jesus Christ and the salvation he brings to all men. (Mark 16:15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. While to some of us the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is service to God and our fellow creatures.
For bishop Chikosi and others like him it is something of a career, a trade, a profession and thus, it has to pay. The remuneration or the promise of great earthly wealth is chief motivator, the reward has to be here and now, never mind the life to come.
The scriptures that the bishop chose to use in his attempt to defend and normalise the prosperity gospel peddlers are indeed very rich in many ways for they expose his real motivation to take up his “profession”. The bishop quoted these verses:
Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake, and the gospel’s, who shall not receive an hundredfold now in this time.
However the learned bishop chose to quote Mark 10:28-30 and calculatingly elected not to give the reference (i.e. where he had pulled these verses from) then from those verses bishop Chikosi fished out only the part that he felt consolidated his point and deliberately chose not to include the rest of verse 30 and the context and background to the verses that he had highlighted.
Personally I think if the whole chapter is given the bishop’s attempt at manipulating these verses will be exposed.
In the book of St. Mark Chapter 10 Jesus teaches the higher law of marriage; He blesses little children; he counsels the rich young man; and heals blind Bartimaus. This is the synopsis of the chapter, but key to understanding the verses that bishop Chikosi is misusing is the counsel given to the rich young man by Jesus, for this is the premise of Peter’s question.
Verses 17-22 of Mark 10 reads:
“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
Mark 10 verses 23 to 27 Jesus continues to teach:
“And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, children, how hard is it for them, that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved? And then Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
What Jesus says is very enlightening. It is when we read the whole chapter that we get the background and context in which things are said, and the spirit in which things were written. At no point in this scripture is Jesus suggesting, justifying or advocating His gospel as a tool for prosperity.
As a matter of fact it is clear to me that Jesus is saying riches can be a hindrance in ones spiritual growth. Jesus is teaching that it is much more challenging for one who gathers material riches on this earth to enter into the Kingdom of God.
Yet bishop Chikosi seems to be suggesting congregates should help the so-called man of God to gather riches right here and right now.
Mark 10 vs 28 to 30; Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Bishop Chikosi as a self confessed career preacher chooses to focus more on the here and now, in reading of the verses above, what he chose to point out was the “now in this time” the bishop wrote “The careful Bible reader will notice the last four words: “now in this time.” Not in the sweet by-and-by!
It’s “hundredfold” return now in this time for those of us who have given up our professions to pursue the call to preach.” This sums up the Bishop and those of his ilk who got into preaching the gospel not by calling but as a professional career path, not to spiritually uplift the children of God but to gather for themselves riches here and now.
Some of the readers of this article may think that my method and approach to these self-appointed man of ‘God’ and mainly money focused career gospel entrepreneurs is un-Christian-like, but I like to call a spade a spade and I am not intimidated by the self given titles that these men give themselves to gain some sort of veneration.
Bishop Chikosi said and very rightly “The truth of scripture is that God blesses the giver. He “gives seed to the sower” (2 Cor 9:10). The Law of Sowing and Reaping says we reap what we sow. The bigger the seed the bigger the harvest.”
The question is, does this scripture strictly speak of money to be given to “man of God” as you call them? Why do you conclude that this is all about money to be given to man like you?
The bishop did not stop there he went on “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Cor 9:6-8).
Again I say to the bishop great scripture, is that what they taught you at your bible school that each scripture that indicates any form of giving boils down to dollars for you “the man of God”?
Bishop Chikosi then topped all this with this salvo
“When you give to the man of God, God will reward you with a rich harvest. Those who are already doing so please don’t stop. You are investing in your own future. “Now therefore, while we have time, let us do good to every person, especially to the members of the household of faith” (Gal 6:10).
And what more can I say Bishop Chikosi, but here is my words of warning to you never abuse the word of God for material gain. In the epistle of Paul to Titus chapter 2 vs 8 reads: Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
