I had a deal to seal yesterday at an office near a big church. I have watched this acclaimed man of God on few occasions on a TV station. He now seems to be staring at me without blinking his eye lids from a wide banner hung on the fence. I immediately recalled it wasn't my first time seeing that face. 'I have watched this man on TV', I told the officer who saw me to the curbside. I asked him if he attends the church and he disdainfully said "No o' almost immediately. I noticed his countenance and then further ask if he has an issue with the church or the founder.

This is the second time I'll hear this from different people. In the first instance, some years back a man told me he paid some money to see a pastor. The officer said the minimum you can pay to see the man of God is 5000 naira. You can book for quick response by paying as high as 50k or even more. These charges are just for consultation or counselling. The tendency that you pay a huge amount after the initial charge that will make the seer pastor act on your case is very high.

When he was through, I quickly remembered-Mathew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Then I asked myself why some self acclaimed pastors must rip off those in dare need of spiritual intervention. Apart from the fact that these charges have already segregated and denied the poor from seeing the 'man of God' for counselling and spiritual guidance, it is worldly and ungodly with no scriptural basis.

Christians should wake up to the reality that there are so many wolves among the sheep. There are false prophets and pastors everywhere dragging the Lord’s name in the mud by commercializing spiritual activities.

Matt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Many people got trapped by these fake pastors because they want fast miracles and couldn't wait on the Lord. The incongruous result many get from these voracious ministers is enslavement and not the miracle they sought. There are still true pastors who will neither force nor cajole you to pay a dime before you can be prayed for or counselled except you decide to water them on your own accord.

I encourage us to be sound in doctrine so we do not become as suckers holding our self in the captivity of fraudulent end time preachers.
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Jesus never requested anyone to pay a penny after receiving great miracle. How can a pastor now justify a compulsory sum of 5k before consulting him when he may not even be able to solve your problem?

Don't look far for the Bible verse justifying the extortion. It is called the Prophet's fee
It is culled from the Old testament one does not go before a seer empty handed. A seer! That's what they are, they invested time and energy to learn the art, most from Shrines and happening temples as far as India, Bangladesh and Nepal; as near as Ghana, Togo and Libya the go in search of the profiting spells
So they must recoupe their investments by any means possible. Warfare seed, No more sickness seed, get husband seed, get car seed, general offering, special offerings, evangelism support offerings, mission offering, project offering, faith seed offering all on a Sunday worship