The Bible urges us to “study to show yourself approved” (2 Timothy 2:15), yet far too many Christians still lean on others to study and interpret Scripture for them. Honestly? I wish I could sit here and boldly say, “I don’t get why people are so gullible!” But I can’t because once upon a time, I was paddling that same boat, driven by spiritual passiveness. I neglected the discipline of seeking the truth like the Berean Christians and trust me, it cost me. It robbed me of valuable time and, yes, even some money.
A passive approach to faith is not only risky, it’s dangerous. When your walk with God is based on someone else’s voice rather than the voice and Word of God, you become a prime target for deception.
A perfect example of what I’m talking about unfolded recently in Zimbabwe. Under the guise of a “divine message,” a self-proclaimed prophet exploited a grieving woman’s fear and scammed her out of thousands of dollars. Sadly, this isn’t new. It’s yet another case of spiritual fraud but to me, it’s a loud wake-up call. The level of gullibility among believers is shocking, and the call to take personal ownership of our salvation has never been louder. Let’s be clear: no one else can live out your relationship with God. No one. You’ve got to make the effort.
We’re living in a time where the world is flooded with self-appointed prophets that called themselves, false teachers, and counterfeit revelations. Too many are falling for polished performances and theatrics disguised as spiritual insight that paves the way for surrendering discernment, conviction, and even common sense to wolves in sheep’s clothing.
And the consequences? Emotional devastation. Financial exploitation. Spiritual confusion.
False prophet Tinashe Aiumando was recently arrested in Zimbabwe for scamming 27-year-old Pride Gamure after convincing her that her late father owed a $6,000 “spiritual debt.” He pressured her into paying $2,800 for bogus cleansing rituals. The scheme was straight out of a drama series complete with a staged car breakdown and a fake “revelation” from an accomplice pretending to hear from the Holy Spirit. Gamure, desperate to protect her family, gave in until Aiumando finally confessed. He was sentenced to 440 hours of community service and ordered to repay $1,155. Thankfully, authorities managed to recover $1,645 of the stolen funds.
As sad as this story is, it’s far from rare.
A few years ago, a pastor in South Africa made headlines for instructing his congregation to eat grass, claiming it would draw them closer to God. And guess what? Dozens obeyed. Crawling on the ground like animals, they chewed grass in pursuit of a so-called “spiritual breakthrough.” Some even ended up hospitalized. I have to ask: when did common sense become so uncommon that it turned into expensive nonsense? Was it blind gullibility or raw desperation driving these people?
And then there’s the pastor who boldly declared in church that he had God’s direct cellphone number – yes, a literal number he regularly received divine instructions through phone calls. The congregation clapped, shouted, and even wept… not one person stopped to ask, “Wait, what?” How do manipulations this outrageous still succeed so easily? Most likely because spiritual vulnerability with no discernment is fertile ground for exploitation.
In the U.S. and other parts of the world, some pastors have turned the pulpit into a profit-making machine. They’re selling “miracle oils,” “anointed” handkerchiefs, and fake holy water to desperate believers. The house of God has, sadly, become a spiritual marketplace screaming: “Show me the money!” Salvation has taken the back seat while sales now takes the front row. The hunger for God is being monetized, and it’s painful to watch so many souls misled all in the name of profit.
But here’s the bottom line: when believers don’t pursue God personally, they become easy prey and the scripture makes it crystal clear: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). You can’t outsource your faith, and you certainly can’t delegate your devotion. Your relationship with God is your personal responsibility and let me tell you, it’s also your strongest protection.
Don’t let anyone sell you what Jesus already gave you freely. Salvation isn’t a transaction, it’s a transformation. When you genuinely seek God for yourself, you begin to develop spiritual discernment. You can spot truth, can reject deception and most importantly, you can walk in the freedom Christ already secured for you.
Anointing oil and holy water for saleLet’s be honest: not everyone who claims to speak for God is truly sent by Him. Not every so-called “prophetic word” is from the Holy Spirit. If your faith is shallow, you’ll be drawn to hype, charisma, theatrics, and feel-good soundbites when what you really need is truth.
So, please don’t wait for painful deception to teach you what intimacy with God could have revealed. Make your salvation personal. Read your Bible. Pray. Ask questions. Grow. Build a faith that’s rooted in Christ – not in personalities, trends, gimmicks, or fear-based manipulation.
Yes, God is still speaking but He wants to speak to you. The veil was torn for a reason; So that you have direct access. Use and don’t hand it over to anyone else. God forbid!
Salvation is not for sale. It was paid for once and for all by the blood of Jesus.
Own it. Live it. Guard it.
May Oyairo is the Publisher of MannaXPRESS.
