The Sunday Mail
Of late, the issue of the “prosperity gospel” has been at the centre of debates with some arguing that it is a strategy employed by preachers to fleece congregants of their hard-earned money while others see the relevance of this kind of preaching.
Renowned preacher Bishop Tudor Bismark in his book “Kingdom Economics” highlights the importance of money and ways in which Christians can establish a firm economic foundation.
Albeit the small size of the book, it radiates with spiritual knowledge woven together by a well-versed preacher.
Having travelled all over the world spreading the Word for the past two decades,Bishop Bismark has been able to grasp global economic trends and shifts.
His writing has been perfected over the years and reading this book one can tell the author knows how to play around with phrases to create varying effects.
His choice of words exhumes the intelligence within the author and adds flavour to the reading experience.
“The intent of this book is not to discuss rapture of the church or other aspects of end time theology.
“This is not the forum to debate pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, or post-tribulation eschatology, or discuss the literal or allegorical interpretations of the books of Daniel and Revelation.
“My goal is to encourage the church to recognise her God-given power to make and execute a plan for the future, regardless of how long that future may be,” said Bismark reinforcing the purpose of the book.
He goes on to clarify the notion of money being the root of all evil, “The word says the ‘love’ of money is the root of all evil.
“Money, in itself cannot be evil. It is neutral and becomes either good or evil depending on who holds it”.
In Kingdom Economics, money is said to be the key ingredient to possessing the future which could translate into power and influence if properly utilised.
Bismark is a preacher who has always been fond of using mathematical and scientific examples when stressing points during his sermons and he transfers this element to his written work as well.
He tries to calculate and demonstrate how the church can become the largest economic influence in the world by following biblical guidelines.
“For example, only three percent of the American church tithes . . . If every member of every church tithed, the annual tithe would be approximately 52 trillion dollars.”
I wouldn’t know where he got those figures from, but just the thought of such a scenario even here in Zimbabwe is fascinating.
Besides highlighting the necessity of money, Bishop Bismark also teaches how money can be saved, how to grow a money tree as well as how to create a sustainable financial culture.
The financial advice and strategies in this book are powerful and whether you are a born again Christian or not, the benefits are massive.
Unlike other religious books that are merely based on the Bible, this piece of literature gave me the feeling that I was seating in an economics class.
This book can prove to be a powerful tool for the financial emancipation and enlightenment of the church.
