Pastor Chris seems like a big hit in Johannesburg. Thousands are flocking to his sermons – but at what cost? Seems like the word of God is now a commodity and is something to sell, market and charge money for – not that he is original. He has just followed the very successful business models run by his American brothers of the cloth! Of course the ZCC church, and Rhema church are ground breakers in the God business of South African Churches.

It seems to me like the world has gone mad – multi millionaire pastors, preachers and men of God, with a target market of hungry, gullible people. Not that I have a problem with people being hungry for the word of God – and certainly no problem with clever people fleecing the gullible, ain’t that the way of the world. – My main problem is that those being fleeced are the poor. Tithing has turned into an entrance fee.

With the population growing, poverty souring and cell phones being the best marketing tool ever invented, shrewd men of God are using the technology to suck even more from the faithful – reminders to attend church, reminders to recruit more people and reminders that God is smiling on those who help the pastor. Pastor Chris just happens to be one of the more successful preachers who have found a niche market – others like ZCC church do not have a niche – they own a segment – and the faithful flock to give their money away in the hope that God will notice their miserable little lives and change it for the better. At least the Traditional healers are honest – they charge an upfront, one off charge for their healing and spells. Mmmh – maybe they are not so clever – why not get a weekly installment sale with everyone rather?

Emails and Sms’s rage through the networks preaching, cajoling and laying on the guilt – all with one thing in mind – MONEY. Chain letters ask you to prove your love of God by sending them on to others – oh man – the guilt when you don’t – “I wonder if God noticed me hitting the delete button” What I really like is the praying in tongues – what a winner – no need to write sermons now – just speak a load of garbled nonsense.

Like this one

God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries and
illnesses and please watch over and heal my family in Jesus name, Amen.
This prayer is so powerful.  Pass this to 12 people including me.  A
blessing is coming to you in form of a new job, a house, marriage or
financially. Do not break or ask questions.  This is a test.  Does God come
first in your life?  If so, stop what you are doing and send it to 12 people
now.  Watch what He does.

Ouch – best I go back to my deleted items and repent. Sms’s like these are served  on a daily to the faithful: Oh my word…. by the blood of Jesus…..

Hello everyone. This is the beginning of the 6th month of the year, and its still a long way before the year ends. From tomorrow Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th, we’ll fast everyday from 3am to 3pm. We’ll pray mostly in tongues and against the spirits of fear, violence and death.During the period, we’ll study and meditate on the Word, particularly on the message of faith and the righteousness of God. God bless you.

Hello everyone. Tonight at 10pm (GMT+1) we’ll intercede for men’s lives, against the rulers of the darkness of this world; the spirits that rule the hearts of wicked and unreasonable men and influence the dastardly acts of the underworld. We must use the name of Jesus against these remote forces of evil and pray for the salvation and deliverance of their targets and victims. God bless you.

Hello everyone. As our fast continues, we’ll pray at 12noon and 2.30pm (GMT+1) for 15min each session, mostly in tongues. We have several recorded messages on Faith and Righteousness, though they may go by other titles. Get them, or related books from www.Christembassyonlinestore.org. Listening to or reading them will give you the inner fortitude, faith, inspiration and sagacity you require at such a time as this. God bless you.

Hello everyone. Its one year of praying together at special times as the Lord directed us. Happy Anniversary. Our fasting concludes today Sunday 5th, and we’ll be praying at 2.30pm for 15min in tongues. We’ll thank and praise the Lord for His love and grace. God bless you.

Hello everyone. We’ll pray fervidly in tongues tonight at 10pm (GMT+1) for 15min, and great deliverances shall be wrought for many; and that which was held back shall be released and the glory of the Lord shall be manifested. Hallelujah!

and that which was held back shall be released and the glory of the Lord shall be manifested. Hallelujah!

In 2Thess 3:5, Paul prayed: “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love, in patience for Christ and in waiting for His return” With those words at 10pm(GMT+1) tonight, we’ll intercede for God’s people around the world, praying fervidly in the spirit. God bless you.

Hello everyone. Jude 1:20 says: “..make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher, praying in the Holy Spirit”. At 12noon and 10pm (GMT+1) we’ll pray in tongues fervidly, and the resultant incandescence in our spirits will produce dramatic results in the earth and in our situations. Hallelujah! Remember to attend today’s midweek service in church. God bless you.

Hello everyone. Jude 1:20 says: “..make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher, praying in the Holy Spirit”. At 12noon and 10pm (GMT+1) we’ll pray in tongues fervidly, and the resultant incandescence in our spirits will produce dramatic results in the earth and in our situations. Hallelujah! Remember to attend today’s midweek service in church. God bless you.

Hello everyone. Welcome to July, our month of Praise. Hebrews 13:15 says: “By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”. We’ll do this specially at 12noon (GMT+1) speaking in tongues and full of joy: hallelujah! God bless you.Yookos is back!!! Log in to get more updates from PastorChrisLive(http://yookos.com/community/pastorchrislive)!!!

Thus saith the Lord; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: I am your rest and strength. Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. Hallelujah! We’ll pray in tongues for all 15min at 10pm (GMT+1). God bless you.Yookos is back!!! Log in to get more updates from PastorChrisLive( http://www.yookos.com/community/pastorchrislive )

Pastor Chris (@PastorChrisLive) [links to yookos.com/PastorChrisLive] posted a new message:

Hello everyone. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. Honour and majesty surround Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. At 12noon (GMT+1) we’ll pray in the spirit for all 15min, worshipping the Lord and glorifying Him. Be sensitive to receive whatever He ministers to your heart. God bless you.Yookos is back!!! Log in to get more updates from PastorChrisLive( http://www.yookos.com/community/pastorchrislive )

Thus saith the Lord. A change is coming to China; and the iron curtain shall be torn down, and the gospel of Christ shall be preached freely in all China. Therefore pray for China; for the waters of the Spirit are being poured out that the work of God may be wrought, and the glory of the Lord be manifested; and many shall be brought into the Kingdom. Hallelujah! Some have said it’ll not happen in their days, but that which was not told them shall they see, for the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform it. Blessed be His name.

Or this one from Nigeria – mmm.. wonder if it’s real? Duh

Dear Fellow Believer of God,

l greet you in the wonderful name of our lord Jesus. l hope this letter
finds you in good health. l am an earnest Christian believer of God, l was
born and abandoned when l was 8 months old to a widow whom l taken as my
mother in all of my growing up years. I deeply entrenched myself in the
ways of God she taught me till now. God is my first love and people are my
second.Here in my community, there are many lepers who have forgotten
about God, due to the facts that they had been rejected by the society.
But, the Lord speak so beautifully and mandates me to tell them that, HE
GOD loves and care for them.

With the leading of the Lord, l preached to them. But, they refuse to
listen to me as they believed the lepers are rejected people in the
society and nobody loves or even care about their walfare and that Jesus I
talk about did not even care for them. But after much preaching to them
and praying for several months, I was able to convert 16 of them for Jesus
Christ.

Today, it glady my heart to say we are 54 in numbers and we now have a
United Christian Fellewship. We have been serving and doing the work of
GOD diligently even with all the hardship and untold neglect from the
members of the society. We don’t even have a fellowship building and we
use under of trees here for our worship and services. But, one thing
always burden me in my heart which is the Holy Bible as only few of them
have Bibles, the rest Christian Lepers here have no Bibles in
their hands to read. But, they are worship God with us in under of trees
here.

l wish l could help them all with it. But, with all might l cannot, as l
have exhausted all l have presently for them not only physically but
spiritually as well. So, l would want you to send Bibles to us. For more
than a year, we have been waiting for some churches in the city and
individuals who have promised to help us. But, no one of them have come
with the help of Bible till now. My members are lepers who can neither
work nor toil to buy Bibles, as they are poor and some are widows left
with 4 or more children. These Lepers have been longing to have Bibles and
wishing, that each home could have a Bible, to read it with their family.

We need 13 KJV large print Bibles from you. Please they need this large
print type due to reading difficulty. l myself need the Thompson Chain
Reference Study Bible. We all at the United Christian Fellowship
contributed money to send somebody to the city which is about 40 miles
away from where we live, to type and send you this letter as we pray
earnestly that you grant us our request and making our dream of having
Bibles a reality. This community has no electricity, pipe-borne water, nor
post office. So, you can send the parcel to us through our an address in
Benin City, written below. We will get it so safety and in good condition
you send it out to us. I look forward for a letter from you, because this
world is full of discouragements and disappointemnts,reading your letters
will make things different. As you sow the seed of the Precious Word of
God into our Lives, may you reap life eternal in this world and in the
world to come in Jesus Name, Amen.

Your Friend in Christ,
Pastor Hope Owanazee. President and Founder.

You can send these Bibles to our Mailing Address writting below.

PASTOR HOPE OWANAZEE.
UNITED CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP.
61, AREOGHENE STREET.
BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA.
The ZCC church has even managed to get a concert going – a yearly God concert where people from all over South Africa, and beyond, flock to give him money – so much money that they need buckets and armoured cars to move it all. The Rhema church and Pastor Chris are missing a vital part of the God game – come on guys – you need a Woodstock like thing happening – the faithful will love you for it., God as a business has got to be one of the best – especially for South African churches.