Pastor Noah Sematimba of Breakthrough Miracle Life Ministries has warned of the fading line between the religious and the Born-again.
He says Pentecostal Churches are “moving into religion steadily.”
He made these remarks while addressing hundreds of believers during the 4th Yesu Yeka (Only Jesus) “Evening of Miracles” gathering organised by Brian Ssempebwa of Love Christ Ministries International in Kampala.
“We have become like what we left. What we don’t realize is that people left the well built Cathedrals and came and sat in papyrus Churches because they wanted an experience with God,” the Pastor said.
Pastor Sematimba explained that religion replaces “the spiritual” with “rituals,” and added that many are not seeing it because “it creeps up so gradually that you get to a place where you are comfortable.”
To the preacher, the Pentecostal movement is not ritual-based. Rather, it is relationship-based.
Sematimba explained there isn’t anything very complicated about the gospel of Christ however, many have turned out to complicate it to the point of causing confusion.
“This gospel must remain so simple that when you preach at Makerere University, they get it. If you go downtown, the traders also understand it. You [don’t] need to be highly educated to understand the gospel or for it to work for you,” he said.
“Paul put it nicely, my message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,” he added.
“The problem is us – we come looking for entertainment, excitement. If one is not so exciting enough, we go looking for on that is. And so we wonder place to place. But what we need is the real power of God; financial freedom among congregants, healing, stable families and progression,” he said.
By Paul W Dennis.
