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The work of God on earth runs on the wheels of money, considering the huge expenses church leaders have to make.
Parcels of land need to be purchased, buildings have to be put up, equipment have to acquired, donations to the poor have to be made, utility bills need to be paid and ministers must be supported.
Moreover, vehicles and generators have to be fuelled, repair works have to be done, and radio and TV stations need to be paid for the advancement of the gospel among others.
Church leaders, therefore, need to learn various methods to raise funds usually from the congregation to sponsor church programmes and activities.
One way some Pentecostal and Charismatic church leaders use to raise funds is to teach and encourage Christians to give money to tap the anointing upon them.
Indirectly, what these men of God teach is that Christians should buy the anointing of God. Is this doctrinally sound? Should it be tolerated? Do believers receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit by offering money?
Did Moses, David, Samson, Elijah, Elisha, Jesus Christ and the biblical apostles receive their anointing by paying money for it?
Clearly, this is an error or a mistake being carried out by money-conscious leaders to take money from ignorant Christians to pervert the grace of God.
How many of those who give their money to tap anointing truly receive anointing upon their lives? May be, they receive a counterfeit anointing.
Check throughout the Bible, and see if any child of God received the anointing of the Holy Spirit or divine empowerment by paying money for it.
Have you not read about what happened to Simon, the magician, who wanted to pay money for the anointing of the Holy Spirit?
Simon offered money to the apostles so that he could obtain the anointing. Peter got angry at his actions and rebuked him:
“Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:20, NIV).
Peter knew that neither the Holy Spirit nor His power was for sale. They can never be obtained with money.
If the power of God was obtained with money, people like Peter and John would not have it to minister powerfully as they did.
The Holy Spirit is a GIFT of God. This is a pure act of grace. It is sad how many Christians have been made to believe lies.
It is sad how some pastors have been taking advantage of the ignorance of some Christians to exploit them to enrich themselves.
However, many Christians do not want this error to be corrected. They resist and resent correction and sound teachings. It is not surprising because Paul prophesied about them in one of his letters to Timothy.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3).
We should know that one key method God uses to give His Spirit to disciples of Jesus Christ is through the laying on of hands by anointed ministers with prayer.
This is what Simon saw the apostles doing. Peter and John prayed with the new Christians in Samaria before laying hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit.
“Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also…” (Acts 8:17-19).
Peter made it clear that those who decide to sell and buy the anointing of the Holy Spirit have no part or share in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, because of the unrighteousness of their hearts.
He described them as wicked people. Then, in love, the apostle urged all those who have been deceived to fall into the trap of the devil to repent and pray to the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins.
By James Quansah
