This past February, Pastor Alph Lukau, of the Alleluia Ministries International church, in Kramerville, South Africa, has been caught in a scam, pretending to bring a dead man back to life. (photo)
The unnamed man was said to have died on a Friday and brought back to life on Sunday morning by Pastor Lukau as he shouted “Rise Up!”
People videoed the stunt and put it out on the Internet, which resulted in South African authorities and religious leaders condemning Lukau. Lukau is now being sued by several parties, including the funeral homes he tricked into participating in the stunt. Lukau is now facing charges of organized crime, fraud and misrepresentation. The supposed ‘dead man’ has also been arrested for taking part in the crime.
Now, we may laugh at this and shake our heads, but stop for a minute. How many times have some of us tried to get away with a Christian charade? A child has a sniffle, so the entire family thinks they have to stay home from church on Sunday. Yet, on Monday, the child’s sniffle doesn’t stop the parents from going off to work, and the other children off to school!
Some people stand out in the pouring rain to watch their kids play soccer, yet they can’t go to church because it’s raining. God doesn’t believe these excuses, and if the world saw what we did, they wouldn’t believe it either.
Christians, let’s just do the right thing for God, whether it’s easy to do, or whether it’s difficult to do.
Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.