Ingabe Izinkolo Zanamuhla Ziyawondla Noma Ziyawuphanga Umhlambi?
“Maye kubelusi bakwaIsrayeli, asebezondla bona! Akuwona yini umhlambi lowo abelusi okufanele bawondle?”—Hezekeli 34:2, NW.
NJENGOBA kwakunjalo ezinsukwini zikaIsrayeli wasendulo, kunjalo ngokuvamile namuhla: Abelusi benkolo abaningi bazondla bona futhi benza imihlambi yabo ibulawe yindlala. Ngonyaka odlule abashumayela ivangeli ngethelevishini babevelele, bephanga izimvu ngentshiseko.
UJim noTammy Bakker babengabalingiswa abaqavile bePTL, kodwa babenabalingiswa abasekela kakhulu. Ngenhlanhla, iPTL imelela ukuthi “Praise the Lord” (Dumisani UNkulunkulu) nokuthi “People That Love” (Abantu Abanothando), kodwa ngasekupheleni konyaka izintatheli zezindaba eziningi zazithi ukuthi “Pass the Loot” (Dlulisa Imvalamlomo) nokuthi “Pay the Lady” (Khokhela Inkosazana) kwakufaneleka kakhulu. Omunye umhleli wabhekisela enkonzweni yabo ‘njengokushintshelana ngemali ethempelini’ futhi wakubiza ngokuthi: “Ukukhohlisa ngokushumayela ivangeli kuyilapho kuphangwa abampofu.”
Laba bakwaBakker bake bengamela iHeritage USA, indawo ehlukanisiwe kwezinye ngamahektare angama-930 eseFort Mill, eNingizimu Carolina, eyinani elilinganiselwa kumaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-356. Umbuso wePTL ungenisa amaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-258 ngonyaka. Kusukela ngo-1984 imibiko yezindaba iye yathi abakwaBakker bamukela amaholo namabhonasi afinyelela ingqikithi yamaRandi ayizigidi eziyi-9, 6—ngo-1986 kwakuthiwa iholo likaJim Bakker lalicatshangelwa ukuthi lingamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-3, 2, elikaTammy amaRandi ayizi-600 000. Babehlala endlini ebheke echibini ebiza amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-2,6 eseNingizimu Carolina, enekamelo lokugeza elinezinto ezimbozwe ngegolide—nendlu yenja enezinto ezingenisa umoya opholile noshisayo ngaphandle ngemuva. UBakker wayevame ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu ufuna abantu bakhe bathole okungcono kakhulu kukho konke.” Okungenani yena noTammy nezinja zabo babekuthola—ithuba lisavuma.
Kodwa konke kwaphela lapho uBakker evuma ukuthi waphinga nonobhala wesonto. Naphezu kwamaRandi ayizi-530 000 esikhwama semali sePTL esibekelwe eceleni njengemali yokufumbathisa—lesenzo esincane sokuganga siyisisekelo sokuhunyushwa kwePTL ngokuthi “Khokhela Inkosazana.” (Nokho, inkosazana eyayihilelekile ayiyamukelanga neze lemali.) IPTL yesonto LikaMoya yanikezwa othatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo uJerry Falwell.
UFalwell waqalisa ngalo lonke uthando nokuxolela, kodwa kungakadluli isikhathi eside wayesekulungele ukudalula bonke ububi babo. Wagxeka iPTL kaBakker “njengotwayi olukhulu kakhulu nomdlavuza ebuKristwini eminyakeni eyizi-2 000 edlule yomlando wesonto.” Ngokubonakaliswa okuhle kwentukuthelo yokulunga, uFalwell wabhavumula: “Ngiyabubona ubugovu. Ngiyakubona ukuzikhukhumeza. Ngiyakubona ukuhaha okwabawisa.” Ngakho lapho uFalwell ethatha iPTL, wenza lesisiqinisekiso, njengoba kubikwa iNewsweek: “UFalwell wathi enye into ayengasoze ayenze ‘yayiwukucela imali ngemisakazo.’ Ngesonto elidlule uFalwell waya emsakazweni futhi wayicela.”
IDaily News yaseNew York, ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “UFalwell Uthi Kubalandeli: Dlulisa Imvalamlomo,” yaqhubeka ithi: “Izolo uJerry Falwell usephinde wavula kakhulu inetha lakhe lemali, ephoqelela umhlambi olalela izinkonzo zakhe ukuba unikele ngemali eyengeziwe.” Wathi ebandleni lakhe elinabaningi abampofu: “Sidinga isipho sokuzinikela okukhulu eningakwazi ukusithumela. . . . Uma ningafuni ukuthi lenkonzo iqhubeke, velani nje ninganginaki.” Abazange bangamnaki. Umkhankaso wokwandisa isikhwama sezimali wafinyelela amaRandi ayizi-40 000 000. Khona-ke—njengoba ayethembisa ukwenza kanjalo uma umkhankaso wawuphumelele—wagqoka isudi eluhlaza ehlanzekile, wama phezu komshishilizo wamanzi ophakeme ngamamitha angama-50 waseHeritage USA, washo uMthandazo WeNkosi ngekhanda, wawa. Kamuva uFalwell wahoxa kuyiPTL.
INewsweek yabika: “UMichael Korpi, owayengumthwebuli ‘Wehora Levangeli Lesikhathi Sakudala’ kaFalwell, usola ukuthi inkonzo [kaFalwell] yangenisa amaRandi angaphezu kwezigidi eziyi-8 ngesicelo sango-1979 sababaleki baseCambodia kodwa wathumela amaRandi nje ayizi-200 000 ukuba asize lezozisulu.”
Umshumayeli wevangeli ngeTV uOral Roberts waqhathanisa isenzo sikaFalwell somshishilizo wamanzi nesenzo sakhe siqu esihle kakhulu. Ekuqaleni konyaka odlule watshela abalandeli bakhe ukuba wayexwayiswe nguNkulunkulu ukuthi uma engangenisanga amaRandi ayizi-16 000 000 ngoMarch 31, ‘wayezobizelwa ekhaya.’ Emthandazweni wakhe wokuphetha wathi: “Yandisa ukuphila kwami. Ngivumele ngiphile kuze kudlule uMarch.” Indodana yakhe yanxusa: “Masingalokothi sikuvumele ukuba lona ube unyaka wokugcina kababa!” Lokhu kwesabisa okungokomzwelo okwenziwa uRoberts nendodana kwasebenza. URoberts wahlala enqabeni yakhe yokuthandaza—okucatshangelwa ukuthi yayimenza abe seduze noNkulunkulu ngamamitha angama-60—futhi izibukeli zakhe zethelevishini zanikela ngamaRandi ayizi-16 000 000. Nokho, omunye wabalandeli bakhe wayehlakaniphile ekubona: “Uma wayefile, lokho bekungeke kube kubi. Izulu liyindawo enhle umuntu angaba kuyo.”
Ngesinye isikhathi wajabulisa izibukeli zakhe zeTV ngenganekwane yokuphanga eyaphela ngenjabulo. UDeveli wafika ekamelweni lakhe lokulala futhi walwa naye. Njengoba uRoberts akubika: “Ngezwa lezozandla emphinjeni wami, futhi wayengiklinya. Ngamemeza umkami, ‘S’thandwa, woza!’ Wangena futhi wayala udeveli ukuba aphume. Ngaqala ukuphefumula futhi ngavuka embhedeni nginamandla.” Ngokusobala, umkakhe wayenamandla engeziwe phezu kukaDeveli kunaye.
Ngo-1980 lapho izimali zazehla khona, wakhuluma ngokuthi wabona uJesu ongamamitha angama-270 ubude emi ngezinyawo zaKhe ezingafake lutho ekhuluma naye. Lombono waholela emnikelweni wamaRandi ayizi-10 000 000. Uthi useke wavusa abantu abafile. Ngesinye isenzakalo, wabika: “Kwake kwadingeka ukuba ngiyimise intshumayelo, futhi ngibuyele emuva ngivuse umuntu ofile.” Konke lokhu kwenza iNewsweek ukuba ithi: “UOral Roberts uthi uye wavusa abafile, kodwa lokho akuqondile ukuvusa imali.”
Umshumayeli weSonto Likamoya uJimmy Swaggart kuthiwa ungumshumayeli wevangeli weTV oyisilomo esikhulu, njengoba efinyelela izibukeli eziyizigidi eziyisishiyagalombili ngosuku ngalunye lwangeSonto. Umhlabeleli wezingoma zevangeli ophambili, uye wahola amaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-200 ngamarekhodi akhe. Ngokuphathelene noshintsho olukhulu lukaBakker, uSwaggart wathi: “Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi ingqinamba yayiwumdlavuza okwakudingeka ukuba ususwe emzimbeni kaKristu.” Esenzakalweni samuva uSwaggart wanezela: “Abantu bazothi, ‘Hawu, bebelokhu bephanga abantu.’ Kodwa uma sikhuluma iqiniso yilokho kanye obekulokhu kwenziwa.”
Kodwa ngokuvela emibikweni yezindaba kubonakala ukuthi uSwaggart ngokwakhe wayengasele kakhulu emuva. INewsweek yabika ukuthi uGeorge Jernigan, owayengumqondisi kaSwaggart, wathi uSwaggart “wathola amaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-40 enzela izindleko zabantwana kodwa wasebenzisa amaphesenti angaphansi kwayi-10 awo kulolohlelo. UJernigan uthi: ‘enye yachithelwa eBaton Rouge’ lapho, ngokombiko weTV iWBRZ, inkomponi kaSwaggart ihlanganisa umuzi kaJimmy obiza amaRandi ayizigidi ezi-2, indawo yendodana yakhe ebiza amaRandi ayi-1 552 000 nendlu eyakhiwe emithini yomzukulu wakhe enezinto ezingenisa umoya opholile.”
Kolunye uchungechunge lweNightline yeABC oluphathelene nabashumayeli bevangeli ngeTV, umlobeli weABC uMarshall Drady wathi: “Okungenani, njengoba abambalwa sebeqalile ukuqaphela, yonke imicibisholo yokushumayela ivangeli yanamuhla iyindlela ende esuka ekungabini namicikilisho kwakuqala komuntu osemusha oyisimangaliso waseGalile owayengenalutho, engenaqembu labaqondisi, owayedavuza egumbini lomhlaba elinezintuli ekhuluma, eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili edlule.”
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi, “yonke imicikilisho yokushumayela ivangeli yanamuhla” ivela kude ezindleleni ezazisetshenziswa uJesu. Kodwa kuyiqiniso futhi ukuthi izikhathi zishintshile. Ukushumayela emhlabeni wonke ezigidini kuhilela ukusetshenziswa kwezinto zanamuhla nokuhleleka okufanelekile, futhi kubiza imali eningi. Ngisho nakuba kunjalo, izisekelo zendlela kaJesu yokuphila zihlala ziyisibonelo samaKristu. Ukubaluleka nezimiso azimisile kusewukuphela kwendlela yamaKristu namuhla.—1 Petru 2:21.
Ezinye zalezozimiso zithi: ‘Namukele iqiniso ngesihle, yiphani ngesihle. Ningakhathazeki ngezinto ezibonakalayo. Funani uMbuso kuqala. Kunenjabulo eyengeziwe ekupheni kunasekwamukeleni. Fundisani emakhaya abantu. IZwi likaNkulunkulu liyiqiniso. Thanda uNkulunkulu, uthande umakhelwane wakho. Yenza kwabanye lokho oyothanda bakwenze kuwe. Yondla izimvu zami.’ UbuKristu beqiniso abukashintshi; izinto zokulisakaza kuphela eziye zashintsha.
Akuyona imali eningi ehilelekile okumelenwe nayo. Kubiza izigidi eziningi ukushumayela emhlabeni woke. Imali ayibona ububi. Kuwuthando lwemali oluyimpande yakho konke okubi. Kuyizindlela zokuthola imali—izicelo, ukugembula, ukuncenga, ukukhohlisa, amanga. Kuwukuyithatha kwabampofu ngokuphamba okuwububi. Futhi iqoqelwa injongo ethile, bese isetshenziselwa enye, yokuzicebisa komuntu siqu—lokho kuwukuphanga. AbaFarisi babethanda imali. UJuda wathengisa uJesu ngenxa yemali. Abelusi benkolo abaningi namuhla bahamba ezinyathelweni zabo kunezikaJesu.
Bazondla bona, hhayi umhlambi. Futhi akubona abesonto likaMoya kuphela. Abathatha iBhayibheli njengoba linjalo bafundisa ngoZiqu-zintathu, isihogo somlilo, ukushiswa komhlaba—zonke izimfundiso zobuqaba zaseBabiloni lasendulo neGibithe. Abakholelwa ekuhlakanipheni kwesimanje bayaliphika iBhayibheli—aliphefumlelwe, alilona elingenaphutha, izincwadi zalo azilotshiwe yilabo abashiwoyo noma ngesikhathi esishiwoyo, futhi alisekeli ukudalwa kodwa ukuziphendukela kwemvelo. Khona-ke kunabashumayeli abahunga izingqondo, izinkulumo ezizishaya ezilungile eziveza izinto ezibushelelezi ukuze zikitaze izindlebe zabangalifuni iqiniso leBhayibheli eliqondile. Abondli imihlambi yabo ngokolweni kodwa ngamakhoba.—Isaya 30:10; 2 Thimothewu 4:3, 4.
Eqinisweni, namuhla kunjengasosukwini lukaJesu: “Kepha ebona izixuku wabanesihe ngazo, ngokuba zazikhathazekile, zihlakazekile njengezimvu ezingenamalusi.” (Mathewu 9:36) Futhi lapho ebabona, “waqala ukubafundisa okuningi.” (Marku 6:34) UJesu unabo abalandeli emhlabeni namuhla abahamba ezinyathelweni zakhe, abashumayela ngendlela enza ngayo, futhi abafundisa amaqiniso eBhayibheli aqeda indlala engokomoya.—Amose 8:11.
Labo balandeli bangoFakazi BakaJehova. Umsebenzi wabo womhlaba wonke wokushumayela udinga imali eningi, kodwa itholakala eminikelweni yokuzithandela. Izincwadi zinyatheliswa futhi zisakazwe ngemali ephansi. Izifundo zeBhayibheli zamasonto onke ziqhutshwa emakhaya mahhala. Imihlangano yebandla eyamahhala, ayikho inkongozelo, azenziwa izicelo zemali, akukho mholo okhokhwayo. OFakazi abaningi babamba amatoho ukuze bazigcine bephila futhi banikele ngesikhathi nangemali ukuba bafeze ukushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso.—Mathewu 24:14; IzEnzo 1:8.
Benza njengoba uJesu ayala: “Namukeliswe ngesihle, yiphani ngesihle.” Benza njengoba uPetru ayala: “Yelusani umhlambi kaNkulunkulu ophakathi kwenu, kungabingokucindezelwa kodwa ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu, kungabi-ngenxa yenzuzo eyihlazo kodwa ngenhliziyo evumayo, kungabi-njengabazenza amakhosi phezu kwamabandla enabelwa wona, kodwa nibe-yizibonelo zomhlambi.”—Mathewu 10:8; 1 Petru 5:2, 3.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 29]
“UOral Roberts uthi uye wavusa abafile, kodwa injongo yakhe iwukuvusa imali”
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 29]
“Ukukhohlisa ngokushumayela ivangeli kuyilapho kuphangwa abampofu”
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 30]
“Namukeliswe ngesihle, yiphani ngesihle”