Who's the richest pastor in the world?

Who's the richest pastor in the world?
There are now a lot of talks on "Who's the richest, the greatest, or the most anointed pastor now?"
I think, This is the craziest world we are living in. People are now beginning to think that 'pastor' is one of the best occupations. Although we know that there are still many poor pastors, the impression that the pastors are the richest people in the world is a norm now. Thanks, but no thanks to the mega church pastors' prosperity gospel. No one can deny the dilution, corruption, or perversion of the gospel now. Many non-believers are now having the wrong impression on the gospel of Jesus Christ.


Many pastors today do not really know how to 'prosper' in the Lord
To defend on their 'prosperity' or 'priest and kings' status, many pastors would argue and justify why they must prosper, be wealthy, be famous, and be favoured by the people of the world. If they cannot reign like kings or prince, they would say that at least they can reign like Paul or John who tells them that they can prosper too:
3Jn 1:2-4 KJV  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.  (3)  For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.  (4)  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
However, I will tell them to read the words again. Did Paul and John prosper like what you think? No. Obviously, they were talking about the 'prosperity' which you can never understand. Only the true believers will understand what John meant with these words.


Are pastors answerable to God or men?
Many pastors claim that they are not answerable to anyone; but only to God. Obviously, they are deceiving themselves and others. If they read the Bible, they would know that they should not think like the people of the world and justify themselves for the riches or freedom they can enjoy like the people of the world.
While the people of the world would mostly agree with them because they think that all the money earned or collected through legal means belong to them, and hence, it is not a sin to earn more, to keep more, to enjoy more, to be happy, and to indulge in exorbitant spending of their own money, but God would certainly judge all His servants who boast and live in a manner without being mindful of Him or others. In fact, many of them think that they are not even answerable to God and that God would ONLY have good opinion of them. However, the Bible tells us clearly that:

• God's people are answerable to God: Luk 12:15-21 KJV  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  (16)  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:  (17)  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  (18)  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  (20)  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  (21)  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Many will argue that these Bible verses are not for them; but for the non-believers. I will tell them, The Lord did not specify if the rich man is a non-believer, believer, or pastor. If any of us behave like him, be sure that God will still judge us even if we confess vehemently that we are not answerable to God.)

• God's people are answerable to men: Luk 16:19-31 KJV  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:  (20)  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,  (21)  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  (22)  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  (23)  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  (24)  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  (25)  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  (26)  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.  (27)  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  (29)  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Many will argue that this is not applicable to them again. They will say that Lazarus is a Jews under the law, and hence this warning is not for them who are under grace. I will tell them, If you are truly under grace, you would know the will of God and live with 'Lazarus' in your mind. Otherwise, this Bible passage is still for you even if you argue vehemently that the teaching of the Lord has all become obsolete.)

**How are we answerable to God or men?
So, if you are the real kings or princes who inherit great wealth of the country, you may not be answerable to anyone in the world. But if you are a 'king', a 'priest', or a 'celebrity' pastor in the spiritual kingdom of God, you are still a disciple of Jesus Christ. If you are a disciple, you are certainly answerable to the Lord who gave you His commandments to love and do His commandments. If you remove all His commandments and think that you can never be condemned for any rotten attitude to God or men, you have been deceived by the devil or the 'lawless one' who will rise (or has risen) in the end time ..
In fact, Jesus did not destroy or remove the commandments of God. His doctrine of the two parables of the rich man above and all His New Testament teaching is still clearly based on the commandments of God. If we all know God's commandments, we will know that we are answerable to God or men:

• God's people are answerable to God: Luk 12:15-21 
  1. You shall have no other Gods but me
  2. You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
  3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God
  4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy
   
• God's people are answerable to men: Luk 16:19-31
  5. Respect your father and mother.
  6. You must not commit murder.
  7. You must not commit adultery.
  8. You must not steal.
  9. You must not give false evidence against your neighbour.
  10. You must not be envious of your neighbour's goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Hence, when any pastor or preacher say that we do not need to keep the Ten Commandments or any commandment of God, they are indirectly telling us that we are not answerable to anyone, including God or men ! They think that they have made it more convenient for the people to believe God, but in reality, they have made it more difficult for the sinners to repent and keep the commandments of the Lord. 

Joh 7:14-17 KJV  Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.  (15)  And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?  (16)  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  (17)  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
Joh 14:23-25 KJV  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  (24)  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.  (25)  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.  
Luk 6:47 KJV  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

Hence, if you think that the Ten Commandments are too many, you can just tell yourselves that you are answerable to God and men with the two commandments of loving God and loving men. But whether there are ten commandments or two commandments, they are the same as the one commandment that Jesus gave to us: Keep His commandments and Do His commandments. They are all the same !

• Mat 7:21-24 KJV  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

If we know the will of the Father, it would be more than doing the Ten Commandments.


Is it a sin to be rich?
Of course, there is nothing wrong for us to be rich pastors, rich bishops, or rich elders. To be rich is not a sin. However, to prosper without doing the will of the Father is a sin. What is the will of the Father? The non-believers will never need to answer this question. But, if we are pastors, preachers, or believers in the covenant of grace, we must do the will of the Father:

• Joh 5:30 KJV  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
• 1Pe 4:2-3 KJV  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.  (3)  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
• 1Jn 2:16-19 KJV  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.  (18)  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.  (19)  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

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