The Lead Pastor of Stars of Heaven Ministries Church in Bolgatanga, Prophet David Rauf, has cautioned Christian leaders against the excessive sale of so-called anointed oils, candles, soaps and water, warning that the practice risks shifting believers’ attention from Jesus Christ to spiritual materials.
Prophet Rauf said his concern was not with the prophetic ministry or the use of spiritual materials in churches, but with practices that, in his view, were gradually making such items central to Christian worship at the expense of Christ.
“People come to our meetings, and instead of pointing them to Jesus who called us into ministry, we keep pointing them to spiritual materials,” he said in a statement addressing the controversy surrounding the sale of such items in some churches.
He warned that the growing emphasis on selling spiritual products could encourage a profit-driven approach to ministry rather than the central Christian responsibility of leading people to Christ.
“I believe in spiritual materials myself. My concern is their misuse and the gradual replacement of Jesus with these materials,” he said.
Prophet Rauf questioned why products that cost relatively little in ordinary commercial outlets could be sold at significantly higher prices in churches simply because they were presented as anointed.
“How does an oil that costs $2 in a mall suddenly become $20, $50 or even $100 in church simply because it is called anointed oil?” he asked.
He acknowledged that churches needed financial resources to sustain their activities but argued that fundraising should not be used to justify every practice, particularly when believers’ faith could become a means of generating revenue.
“God’s work needs resources, certainly, but we cannot justify every practice in the name of raising funds. We cannot help God by making merchandise out of people’s faith,” he said.
The pastor was careful, however, not to accuse every minister who sells spiritual materials of being motivated by financial gain. He said his criticism was directed at the potential abuses associated with the practice and the danger of allowing commercial interests to overshadow the message of the Gospel.
He also distinguished between the sale of religious books and Bibles and the marketing of anointed products, rejecting comparisons between the two.
According to him, some ministers introduce spiritual materials to their congregations at the beginning of the year and leave the matter there, while others distribute them freely or at cost price. He described such approaches as more advisable than insisting that the sale of the products at inflated prices was necessary to finance ministry work.
Prophet Rauf further stressed that his position should not be interpreted as an attack on prophets or a claim that he alone represented the truth in the prophetic ministry.
“I am not questioning the genuineness of any prophet on earth. I have no right to do that because I didn’t call anyone. I am simply addressing practices that are becoming excessive and gradually replacing Jesus,” he said.
He disclosed that some of his friends engage in the practices he was criticising but insisted that their relationships would not prevent him from speaking out on issues he considered important to the Church.
“My loyalty to friends will never be greater than my loyalty to God and His Word. Friendship should not prevent us from having honest conversations about the things affecting the Church,” he said.
Prophet Rauf also dismissed suggestions that his criticism was driven by a desire to portray himself as the only genuine prophet, saying the debate should focus on the practices in question rather than personal attacks.
He said his ultimate concern was that the pursuit of prophetic manifestations and the use of spiritual materials should not displace the central place of Jesus Christ in Christian worship.
“My concern is not to fight prophets. My concern is that in our pursuit of prophetic manifestations, spiritual materials and ministry resources, JESUS MUST NEVER BECOME SECONDARY IN HIS OWN CHURCH,” he said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
