Beloved in Christ, I extend cordial greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a matter I find profoundly perplexing, particularly concerning the prevailing spiritual climate across the European continent.
Christianity appears to be waning, and the collective ardor for God has markedly diminished.
Many preacher's, especially you, our brethren of European descent, seem to have lost much of your former zeal, with a growing number openly opposing the very Gospel they once championed.
I cannot fully comprehend what has transpired, yet it is evident that something of grave spiritual dissonance is unfolding within Europe.
Reports abound of churches being repurposed into mosques, for the faithful have dwindled to the point of scarcity.
I long for the day I might set foot there, to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ with unbridled fervor, for truly the return of the Lord is imminent.

To all the servants of God laboring there, I earnestly implore you to redouble your strength in proclaiming the spiritual Gospel.
Declare to the people the good news of salvation and the glories of Heaven; make known to them the reality of Heaven itself and of the perdition that awaits apart from it.

May God bless you all. Amen.
I remain the Lord’s humble servant,
Benjamin Masaba
Philosopher.
#John 21:15-17

AN ANALYTICAL REFLECTION
Praise to God or to Our Religious Leaders?

I once found myself momentarily stunned while listening to a testimony on the radio. A man was effusively extolling his pastor for having “healed” him, expressing heartfelt gratitude while the religious leader himself failed to redirect the accolades toward their proper source. This, I submit, is a perilous snare—especially when such praise is framed as a means of enticing others to seek the same “healing.”

In both the spiritual and bodily dimensions of life, we continually face adversities—illnesses, financial hardships, and even spiritual warfare. Under such circumstances it is all too easy for the human heart to ascribe praise to the religious intermediary who appears to have mediated the relief, whether through prayer, the laying on of hands, or other forms of ministerial intervention.

Yet the decisive question remains: Who truly merits praise and glory? Is it the religious leader, or God Himself?

According to the witness of Scripture, the answer is unambiguous: it is God alone who deserves all praise and glory. Nowhere does the Bible authorize religious leaders to appropriate the honor that belongs to God. Even when miraculous healing is experienced through prayer or the laying on of hands, God remains the sole source of that healing; it is He who is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Religious leaders are but vessels through which divine grace flows; the power and efficacy originate solely with God.

Romans 16:25–27 articulates this foundation clearly:

> “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

God alone strengthens our faith, redeems us, and grants victory over the powers of darkness. Whether the victory takes the form of physical healing, financial deliverance, or spiritual triumph, it is all a manifestation of His unmerited grace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Consequently, all praise, gratitude, and honor must return to God and not to human agents.

Christians must therefore exercise vigilance lest they fall into the trap of attributing glory to leaders rather than to the Divine. Every testimony of healing or deliverance ought to foreground God as the ultimate source, for “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Religious leaders may serve as mediators or facilitators, but they must never usurp God’s prerogative to receive praise.

In conclusion, we must ascribe all honor and glory to God alone in every circumstance, for He is the Creator, Redeemer, and the locus of all wisdom. In every victory—large or small—He alone is worthy, for “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36). Amen.

May God bless you.
Benjamin Masaba
Philosopher.