Are You a Spiritual Parasite?

Recently, I read a story about a Pastor who converted to Islam and convinced members of his congregation to embrace his new faith. In Kenya, another Pastor deceived more than 300 of his followers to fast to death, ostensibly to enable them enter heaven. Surprisingly, the man who should have led by example is still alive and in Police custody. A similar incident occurred in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978 when an American minister, Jim Jones, the founder of the Peoples Temple, influenced 909 members to commit suicide, using cyanide.

       These incidents are sad reminders of the gullibility of some so-called Christians who choose to feed on their pastors rather than the word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ introduced us to a personal relationship with Him and the Father. Corporate fellowship should flow from the nourishment we individually receive from the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul the apostle meant in Ephesians 4:16, “From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.”

         Unfortunately, some Christians have chosen to be parasites, feeding on other branches, instead of drawing nutrient from the Vine directly. Therefore, when that branch is severed by the Father who does the pruning of the Vine (John 15:1-2), they are cut off as well. I did not understand that backsliding is actually a manifestation of the pruning process until recently.

The Lord Himself said in the cited verses, “He (the Father) cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit , while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” He also said in verse 6, “If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

         According to a Christian author, Roy Lauren, “Many Christians are parasitic consumers – you know what a parasite is, something like a leech that latches onto you and sucks life from your life – some Christians are like parasitic consumers. They have arrested development because they have ceased to search for food themselves. They are content to have someone else find it for them.

They have also ceased to pray, being satisfied with being prayed for. They do no form of spiritual work since they pay their preachers to work for them. In other words they live of another, and they never come to spiritual maturity, they are never ready for the meat.” Such Christians eagerly accept false teachings promoted by their pastors.  They are the ones committing mass suicide as an easy way to heaven. Others gladly follow their deluded pastor into another religion that is anti-Christ. May God have mercy on their poor souls!

         I had my first experience with the issue of parasitic Christianity early in my walk with the Lord. Due to my dark spiritual background, I was exposed to intense attacks by satan and his demons. Out of desperation, I moved from church to church, looking for help. While attending one of the fundamentally inclined denominations in my country Nigeria, I decided to meet its General Overseer for prayers.

Consequently, I left home quite early that Sunday morning to enable me sit close enough to see the man of God. After the service, we were directed to his office behind the church auditorium. When it was my turn to pass through the gate leading to the office, the people on duty refused to grant me entry, because I had not obtained a letter of recommendation from my local Parish. I was so overwhelmed with disappointment that I wept uncontrollably.

         When I got home, the Holy Spirit nudged me to open the Bible and the verse that was magnified for me was Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” I promptly repented of my idolatry. However, some years later, someone gave me a book, Smith Wigglesworth, the Man Who Walked with God.  Wigglesworth’s spiritual achievements enthralled me to the extent that the old idolatrous spirit was quickened in me. Thankfully, God used a matured Christian brother who led our fellowship to discipline my thoughts about this man of God and to see him through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.

         I shared my experiences to give us an idea of how the enemy can cause us to deviate from the path of life by making us to depend on our spiritual leaders instead of Christ. According to the revelation of the church Paul received from the Holy Spirit, every member should contribute to its growth. We do need the five-fold ministry of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher (Ephesians 4:11-16). Of course, there are also other ministry gifts highlighted in 1 Corinthians 7-11. No Christian is without a function in the church.

The reason people choose to be parasites is simple. They want the benefits of Christianity without paying the price. Jesus gave us an idea that being His disciple would cost us something, including our lives. That is why He said in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Verse 33 is more explicit, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

         The church of Jesus Christ was not supposed to be an institution headed by anyone. The church is the gathering of the saints. We gather to fellowship with one another on the one hand, and with Jesus Christ and the Father through the Holy Spirit on the other. Paul the apostle gave us an idea of what a typical church should look like in 1 Corinthians 14:26, “Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, and another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said.

But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.” This agrees with what he said in Ephesians 4:11-13, “And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the works of the ministry and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.”

          While Scripture emphasises the supremacy of the body of Christ, it also underscores the importance of each individual member. The reason is obvious. We have our respective roles to play in strengthening the body. However, our ministry gifts do not confer on us superstar status. There is only one Superstar – Jesus Christ, the One who “spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Sometimes we forget the Lord’s admonition to His apostles in Mathew 23:8-11, “Don’t let anyone call you Rabbi (Teacher), for you have only one Teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father’, for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you leader, for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”

           As we come to the concluding part of this discourse, I ask you my brother or sister, are you a spiritual parasite? When I was looking for spiritual help almost everywhere, a Christian sister took me to a prayer city in Lagos, Nigeria. That was the first time I heard that people can hire other Christians to pray and fast for them. Ridiculous, isn’t it? Back to my question. Are you feeding on Christ directly or is your pastor or General Overseer your bread of life? Are you among those paying people to know God for you? Don’t you think that you are fishing in troubled waters? Ecclesiates 10:8 declares, “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks the hedge, the serpent will bite.”

        Jesus’ command is “Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (Mathew 11:28). When you ignore His word, you are opening up yourself to attacks by satan and his demons. The Lord is your only refuge. Your pastor cannot play that role because he is not equipped for it. Repent of your folly today and seek the Lord for yourself. He said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”