Who is not a minister of God?
Keep Paul in mind as a true minister of God when answering these questions.
1. Does he pray for your worldly prosperity?
2. Does he ask God to multiply your income because of your offering to his ministry?
3. Does he speak about things he is not an expert on?
4. Does he recommend traditional medicines for your illness?
5. Does he talk to you about physical expansion of his ministry – building large buildings, starting more churches, adding more equipment?
6. Does he make his children a part of the stage by asking them to play music, lead the choir or preach even though they are not saved / they continue in worldly ways?
7. Does he ask you to pray for a musical instrument / sound system / car that is essential for his ministry?
8. Does he visit you during the first week of the month?
9. Does he have a new building plan / building expansion plan / TV channel launch?
10. Does he ask you to bring prayer requests to him so that he can play the middleman between you and God?
11. Does he preach about giving your substance to God often?
12. Does he dress with costly apparel?
13. Does he show off with jewelry and other luxurious accessories?
14. Does he make you think of him as someone great in the worldly sense? (Good command in English / great speaker / very knowledgeable in worldly ways / worldly wise like buying something at a cheaper price than you have bought / indulges in subjects he knows very little of)
15. Does he say that your current offering of money is a seed for future prosperity?
16. Does he say tithing is a compulsory Christian practice?
17. Does he baptize people even before they know about being born again, sins forgiven and repentance from a sinful past?
18. Does he drive a high-end car when you are struggling to pay your bike’s EMI?
19. Does he insist you on attending Sunday service but is least bothered about your attendance in Bible study meetings and prayer meetings?
20. Is he holding a showy study Bible or a Bible in an iPad or a costly iPhone?
21. Has he married twice / thrice, and his former wife / wives are still alive / living with another person?
22. Does he avoid speaking to you about his secret past life? Does he avoid a question when it is about his secret personal life?
23. Does he hype about his past and current life / lifestyle so that you think about him as someone other than his real self?
24. Does he receive your offering any number of times during a month / collect offerings at all opportunities when believers gather?
25. Does he tell others that you have contributed hugely to his ministry to induce others to do so?
26. Is he a second / third generation minister in his family? Has he been made a pastor by his pastor father?
27. Has he failed in his education before choosing ministry as his profession?
28. Has he become a pastor after retiring from his job or resigned his job after gathering enough believers who can support him with their tithes and offerings?
29. Has he failed in getting a secular job because of his inefficiency or deficiency in skills?
30. Does his wife seem to rule over him and take decisions in his place?
31. Does he take pride over his past sinful life prior to his becoming a Christian?
32. Is he egoistic, getting hurt by simple things?
33. Does he have a short temper or lose his temper now and again?
34. Does he enjoy the company of women more than men?
35. Does he drop in randomly and even without informing you about his intended visit?
36. Does he visit houses in the absence of the husband of the house?
37. Does he spend more time with women even when it is a discussion about the Bible?
38. Does his wife and children dress shabbily and in an immodest manner?
39. Does he seem pious on a Sunday and is more worldly on other days?
40. Does he speak filthy language casually or when provoked?
41. Does he gossip about people and speak ill about others in their absence?
42. Does he spend his money lavishly for rich food and costly gadgets?
43. Does he speak lies about even silly things?
44. Does he complain to others about 'no piece' in biryani at a birthday / wedding feast?
45. Does he threaten and show authority over weak people?
46. Does he read a lot of (spiritual!) books than the Bible?
47. Does he consider book writers’ theories and explanations above Bible doctrines?
48. Does he preach in a funeral service that the person that has died has gone to heaven even when most know that the person showed no characteristics of a bible believer?
49. Does he pray for physical healing even without discerning the will of God?
50. Does he pray for God’s intervention in a situation to turn it in your favor even without knowing why you came into such a situation?
51. Does he dare tell you that the trouble you are in might be because of your lustful venture?
52. Does he have a different measuring rod for his family?
53. Is he a different person at his home but very pious outside?
54. Does he wear white and white and hold a Jolna bag (laptop bag nowadays) but knows not even the basic gospel message?
55. Does he say that he has been called to minister among the youth and especially the creamy layer (IT employees in OMR or Electronic city)?
56. Does he avoid questions on Revelation, Hebrews, and other tough portions of the Bible?
57. Does he repeat that the salvation message is more important than doctrine?
58. Does he major on minors / spend a lot of time and effort on unimportant topics?
59. Does he drift away from his message too far and then states that he has little time to give you the original message?
60. Does he start arguing with you on every occasion?
61. Does he take to task believers and their children on silly matters?
62. Does he compromise on some things himself with respect to some and show strictness to others in the very same or similar matters?
63. Does he always repeat the same old message / feed you with stale food?
64. Has he spent huge money in buying TV and audio equipment for his home?
65. Does he expect you to welcome him, respect him, and talk to him in a lowly voice?
66. Does he suspect you when you spend a few extra minutes with other believers?
67. Does he question you when you visit another church or believers of another church?
68. Does he say that the building is the Church, and that God dwells in the building (and God wants him to expand it)?
69. Does he say that you come to meet with God inside a church building?
70. Does he insist believers must fast for forty days for sanctification or holy living?
71. Does he insist on celebrating Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter?
72. Does he sell or auction a “Blessing Plate”?
73. Does he sell prayer oil, anointed handkerchief and blessed golden keys?
74. Does he ask you to bring five loaves and two fishes in money terms?
75. Does he ask you to stand up amidst the congregation if you want to contribute?
76. Does he want you to enroll in a blessing program / young partners program?
77. Does he allow musicians who play worldly / filthy film music to play music in the church?
78. Does he bring on stage film song singers to sing hymns and lead the choir?
79. Does he glorify film and TV serial celebrities and give them opportunity to testify for the 'glory of God' though they continue in their filthy profession?
80. Does he announce publicly that he takes no money from people for personal use?
81. Does he say that none should question him as to how he spends the tithes, offerings, gifts, donations, building funds, evangelism funds and other contributions?
82. Does he show favoritism towards a chosen few in the committee or the church?
83. Does he demand money (other kind of gifts and jewelry) and that in advance for his visit to the local church?
84. Does he own education institutions, hospitals and businesses all built through believers’ contributions?
85. Does he keep demanding money for paying rent / buying land / building church or prayer tower / purchasing car or airplane or broadcasting his TV series?
86. Has he run into debt because of uncontrolled spending even for ministry matters?
87. Does he plead with you to save him and his ministry from drowning debts?
88. Does he boast that he is a rare commodity and is in great demand outside?
89. Does he say that people are blessed even if they get to see his face?
90. Does he insist that he place his hand on you for a richer blessing?
91. Does he take your offerings in person instead of asking you to drop it in the offertory?
92. Does he take pride in the increase in the population of the church?
93. Has he fallen sick because he keeps feasting at believers’ homes?
94. Has he forgotten / failed to return money / thing that he took as returnable?
95. Does he keep asking you for your two-wheeler and car for his personal use?
96. Does he publicize his birthday and wedding anniversary (in expectation of a gift!)?
97. Does he call rich families for celebrating his children’s birthday?
98. Does he pet one or more pedigree dogs? Does he discuss with you interestingly about your pet dog/s?
99. Does he try to prove you wrong or reject your answer every time you take a stand or answer a question?
100. Does he have filthy habits – smoking, drinking, adultery, usury (kandhu vatti), watching pornography (internet, print media, cinema, and TV Serials)?
101. Does he encourage his wife and other women to preach to a gathering of believing men and women?
Even if you answer yes to just one of these questions, you must reconsider whether your 'pastor' is worth his ministry. However, most modern day 'pastors' will score a first class (more than 60) here.
Does your Pastor score a centum? Shame on YOU!
Here are some points that I missed, some of which were pointed to me by readers:
1. Does he tell you that seeking a bridegroom / bride for your daughter / son in the same caste you belong to is hypocrisy?
2. Does he encourage you to receive dowry for your son or he himself plays a broker to facilitate this open robbery?
3. Does he put people on stage (for worship and testimony?) who are shabbily dressed (short skirts, short pants, low-cut blouse, banyan or T Shirt that expose cleavage (breasts) or that contain text on the breast / chest, tights, spandex and leggings that entice the lustful eye) or who have haircut like the BTS team?
4. Does he prophecy on stage (and speak like the Lord in first person - "I am the Lord and I want to speak to you my people..."?) but switches between the first and the third person or stammers to keep himself in the context or switches to a prayer mode during prophecy?
5. Does he boast he has one or more gifts of the Holy Spirit but is not even able to discern the spirits of any of the members in the congregation?
6. Does he speaks in 'tongues' but always keeps repeating the same 'gibberish' over and over again?
7.Does he encourage people to speak in 'tongues' even when there is no interpreter or interpretation?
8. Does he call you to the front of the crowd so that he can pray for a healing from your sickness or if you want to be baptized by the Holy Spirit?
9. When you go to him for a prayer to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, does he teach you some 'gibberish' so that you also will speak in the same 'tongues' ?
10. Does he encourage / insist you to come in front to testify about the healing you received because of his prayer? (Always mentioning that you must glorify God!)
11. Does he alter the order of the worship service on Sundays just 'to prove' that he is 'being lead by the Spirit'?
12. Does he come unprepared for the meeting (what to sing, what to read from scripture, who to allow for witnessing, or what to preach) buts says that he allows the Holy Spirit to decide on these things on the spot?
13. Does he switch to preaching mode during his 'spirit filled' prayer?
14. Is he against playing music at all - only 'spirit filled' singing during fellowship time?
15. Does he want the piano or the organ to play when he is praying in the spirit during worship time or at the end of the service (during altar call!)?
16: Does he complain that there is something wrong with the crowd during fellowship time just because he is not able to perform well?
17. Does he tell you that playing rhythm instruments is demonic or invokes demons inside the church?
18. Does he tell you that if you do not speak in tongues, you are not filled with the Spirit at all? 19. Doe he preach that 'speaking in tongues' is the first and foremost sign of receiving the baptism of the holy spirit?
20. Does he support the unscriptural 'lady pastor' practice in church or does he already have one or more 'lady pastors' to assist him in his church?
21. Does he preach that believers are "children of the King" and so, should live or seek for prosperity, comforts and luxury in this life?
22. Doe he avoid preaching about sin, righteousness, judgement to come, hell, persecutions, trial and tribulations (just to make people comfortable and pat them on their backs)?
23. Does he say that he is only accountable to God, not to any man (in matters of money, relationships and doctrine)?
24. Does your pastor have any spiritual minister, mentor or senior pastor to encourage, correct course or admonish him?
25. Does he register property in his name (or his wife or family member's name, or a trust with a majority of his family members) bought with the tithe, offering and building fund brought by the members of the congregation - poor or rich does not matter?
26. Is he offended if another person is asked to preach when he has been invited to a special meeting?
27.Does he accept offerings and contributions from unbelievers?
28. Does he ask you or other believers whether the money you earn is tainted (earned through sinful, hypocritical or unrighteous means) from which you make your contributions?
29. Does he tell you not to make any contribution when you are already in deep debt, not knowing how to mange your family with the meager sum that you earn?
30. Doe he discourage you from impulsive giving, i.e. giving during or after an emotionally charged message that has hijacked the hearers from their normal composed state?
31. Does he go around fishing for compliments after a 'wonderful' sermon or worship time?
32. Does he call people forward after an emotionally filled message to accept Jesus as their 'personal' Savior (instead of them being moved by the Spirit to ask "What should I do to be saved)?
33. Does he ask those who come forward to put their hearts on their chest (heart?) and pray?
34. Does he ask them to repeat the sinner's prayer irrespective of whether they commit to the statements or not?
35. Does he ask sick people to put their hands on their organs that are affected (some are embarrassed at this moment if they have a secret disease!) when he prays?
36. Does he avoid condemning evil habits like cigarette smoking, alcoholism, drugs, pornography or evil practices like taking usury (taking interest to money lent), visiting massage centers, visiting beauty parlors to enhance physical beauty, using eye liners and lipstick to attract others, stealing money / office stationery / equipment or grabbing property?
37. Does he refuse to give you the communion bread and wine because of some personal misunderstand or grudge?
38.Does he tell you that there are other gospels and spiritual material that are not included in the Bible but are inspired by the Spirit to various people at various times in history? (Book of Enoch, gospel according to Thomas and the like)
39. Does he tell you that one can be saved by reading one or more books written by men of questionable lifestyles (not the scriptures)?
40. Does he believe that people can be saved by threatening them about hell rather than convicting them about sin and assuring them of forgiveness?
41. Does he want believing parents to teach their children how to live a moral life than giving them the truth about the inability of a natural human being to do good but that there is hope in Jesus who will take care of this in the Salvation experience?
42. Does he escape from questions related to the cults like Seventh day Adventists, Jehovah witnesses, Mormons or Roman Catholics (predominant in India)?
43. Does he throw the blame on others when something goes wrong instead of owning the responsibility for the adverse situation or damage caused?
44. Does he immediately take a compliment for something well done even though he does not fully deserve it?
45. Does he not appreciate or recognize a believer publicly for a good performance or a good deed?
46. Does he not heartily thank you for you being a spiritual blessing to him?
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