Pentecostalism is now the fastest-growing Christian denomination in the world — and nowhere is it growing faster than in sub-Saharan Africa, home to nearly 45 percent of all Pentecostals.

In predominantly Christian Cameroon, there are more than 500 revival churches. Their rapid growth, as well as what the government views as questionable practices, has drawn attention. Last year, officials ordered the closure of nearly 100 churches that it claimed were criminal enterprises taking advantage of poor, desperate people.” So reads the lead to a story taken from NPR News on Palm Sunday of this year.

According to the report promises of prosperity, deliverance and healing are among the main attractions that are drawing these mostly poor Africans that live on less than $7 a day. Many of which are sick with HIV/Aids virus and are looking to be healed.

This is a disturbing story and unfortunately an all too familiar story to those in the United States who, like the Outcast Eagles, were part of the three decades of Charismatic and Pentecostal revivals in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

The danger is that we would end up painting Pentecostal faith itself with the same broad brush of corruption, just because men have perverted the Holy Ghost for who and what He actually is and have defrauded the love of Jesus Christ’s love for their own gain.

In fact, we at the Outcast Eagles would make the educated guess that the percentage of the vile churches is much higher than the 20 percent that have been closed down by the Cameroon government. In our time we have seen many revival churches with self-serving, power hungry pastors that are greedy for money and lusting for celebrity who are full of respect for persons rather than a humble devotion to Christ and truth. The numbers of such corrupt churches around the globe likely exceed 20 percent by a large number. In fact the number is likely so very high that we will not speculate on a number for fear of embarrassing those who do have integrity towards the Gospel of salvation.

Pentecostal Churches growing into Mega Churches, promises of prosperity, healings, etc have been the rule rather than the exception, their pastors living in luxury, million-dollar homes, fancy cars, jets, vacationing, traveling the world, writing books, making millions off fleecing the very sheep that they claim to be leading into prosperity.

Messages of “Come get your blessing”, “God wants you to live a rich life now” flow from the pulpit weekly like honey dripping from the honeycomb. “Just accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and your life will be carefree and easy”, they promise. Just give, give, and God will return it to you ten-fold. It is a religious 401K. A retirement fund that pays off immediately with interest. It is the prosperity hogwash heresy preached by Kenneth Hagin, Shambach, Pat Robertson, and a slew of others like the boundlessly popular Joel Olstein. Then they tell the congregation that someone, or the Devil, has stolen 70 thousand dollars out of their safe. They whitewash the Gospel of love and beckoning people to a silly and utterly unspiritual disaster.

The Outcast Eagles have seen this cancer grow over the last 40 years during the era of revival of the day of Pentecost. Not all have been corrupt, but the prosperity nonsense has been, wherever it has reared its deceptive head. Its cancer has filled the whole earth. Often it has appealed so smoothly to the people’s innate selfishness and fears that it has buried the sound of the true gospel of love. People led smilingly down a garden path to drunken, lusty shepherds waiting with shears to fleece the sheep, their path ending in a briar patch full of thorns by which they are fully entangled until their faith is entirely sheared away so that they stand naked and ashamed.

The Bible does prophesy about these shepherds that not only fleece the sheep but eat them. But the Bible also declares that there is a true way that leads to salvation. Why not live as Jesus suggests. Seek the Father’s will at all times. Many people come innocent to the wiles of the fraudulent preacher and leave jaded, confused as to what to believe.

It is just as God prophesied in 2 Tim 3:13 “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

Again in 2 Tim 4:3-4  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Though we are every bit Pentecostal (if one means by that, that we are believers in the baptism of the Holy Ghost and devoted followers of the Spirit of Jesus Christ) and we are Charismatics (if one believes by that, that we are partakers in the gifts of the Spirit and pray in the Spirit), we are not so naive to believe that all who confess to be spirit-filled know the Spirit, much less walk with Him in integrity. Many have used and defamed the Holy Spirit.

Jesus prophesied about these days in which we now live. The Evangelical church has become a part of what the Bible calls the Laodicea faith (Rev. 3) with its arrogance, selfish regard for worldly gain, and its rank profession that they have everything they need. If that is the case why do they need God to provide anything for them? They want the riches of this world, they thirst for power and influence. They say they love him and call upon his name but their hearts are very far from him. They are in love with this world and the things they can gain in this life. They don’t want sound doctrines, they want teachers teaching them fables so they can get their piece of the pie.

Jesus said: ”For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Matt 16:26

They don’t even know that they are poor, blind and naked. They think they are all set. They take the Word of God and apply it however they wish so they can, as the Bible puts it ‘consume it upon their lusts’. They don’t have the Holy Ghost applying the word to a given situation, they apply it themselves.

They think they can see and know what others need. I know only God knows what someone needs and He does take care of all our needs. I don’t know if someone needs to go through a hard time to see the merciful loving hand of God on them. I trust God to guide me into all truth in every given situation. He knows exactly what He is doing and what others need. He is looking to people’s eternal good. Everything works for our eternal good if we love God and are called according to His purpose – not ours!

I knew a godly man that suffered cancer and through his trials, his doctor/surgeon came to know Christ personally. It never would have happened if he did not endure the tumors and trials of cancer. A god-fearing woman had to go through Alzheimer’s in order to redeem things for other people and her granddaughter made a decision to follow Jesus.

I myself suffer a physical condition that God has used time and time again for the good of others. I don’t believe everyone should be healed of everything. It’s not about this life here as much as it is about eternal life in the great beyond of eternity. Sometimes we need to suffer things so God’s purpose can be done. Look at the disciple Paul and the things he suffered in this life for the good of others.

You may want to take a look at this article in: The Journey to  Brideship:  Sanctified ‘What is a Christian?’

If you read the word for yourself you will see that all the giants of faith and the things they had to go through and endure are to encouraged us when we have to go through similar trials. They are the example of how to live. They contrast how not to live. But alas, many Christians don’t even read the Bible let alone the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Most avoid the book of Revelation like the plagues that are ironically described in its pages that will fall upon the rebellious and unfaithful world in the last days. They don’t want to believe that God must judge unrighteousness for the sake of all people and nations.

You don’t have to follow mainstream Christianity. Revelation chapter three says buy of God gold tried in the fire and raiment, anoint your eyes with eyesalve so you can see. This is all spiritual. You have to have a relationship with Him yourself so He can do these things for you. He says: “as many as I love, I will rebuke and chasten”. If today you hear his voice harden not your heart. Give in to his loving voice and receive all that He has for you. You will be richly rewarded in this life with spiritual things that matter, not just carnal and worldly blessings.

Let him clean you up and give you new garments, be clothed in Jesus’s righteousness. Ask him to open your eyes so you can see him and what he is doing. Ask for wisdom and understanding about everything, especially His Word. You will be so blessed. Things like love, joy, peace, godliness, temperance, virtue, knowledge, wisdom and stability in Christ will grow in you. Come to a full knowledge of Christ and become a perfect man not one tossed about with every wind of doctrine as a person listening to what the churches are saying to the churches, rather than listening for what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The Lord says to come out from among those churches and people so inclined. Be separate and “touch not the unclean thing and he will receive you”. Don’t go by religion. Don’t follow men. Follow Jesus and He will steer you right.

You can walk with Jesus and hear his voice. You don’t need someone telling you what God has said. Listen to God for yourself. Do what pleases him. Read his Word and accept his Holy Ghost to help you. To those that overcome the watered-down version of Christianity today and all false doctrines being preached on the podiums today he grants to sit with him in his throne, what could be richer than this???