Author: Pr. Chuck Morley
Category: Popular Read
Publish Date: Sep 9, 2011
Views: 36267
Every telethon has its success testimonials. They usually go something like this:
An individual was in a church service or watching a ministry on television when the Lord instructed them to give an offering. In the majority of the testimonies I have heard the amount is usually $1000. They argue with God that one thousand dollars is all they have, or that they don't have a thousand dollars, but they are led to make a pledge and send it in as they have opportunity. They end their testimony with a list of all the financial miracles they had reaped for sowing their $1000 seed.
I do not challenge God's ability to bless those who give to His work as He leads them. The problem arises in the fact that the viewing audience is manipulated into believing that if they send in $1000 they will receive the same return. In many cases, this is deliberate misleading of the people. God did not promise them a return or any other blessing for their offering.
I have attended many crusades where person after person was brought to the microphone to tell of the financial miracles they received for giving to a particular ministry. Sometimes the offering portion of the service would take over an hour. Because of the reports of blessings for giving, great sums of money were collected. The problem is that the offering was not led by the Holy Spirit it was manipulated by man with the promise of being blessed financially if they gave. When man manipulates us to give with promises of bigger, better and more, the driving force behind our giving is no longer obedience and love. It is now greed, pure and simple.
The same is true with the preacher who stands in front of a camera or behind a pulpit and tells you, "God told me that there are one hundred people who can give $1000 tonight." I have heard evangelists tell the people that he wanted to pray a special financial blessing over those who gave. He would have those who would give $100 to come forward and stand in a certain place on the platform, then those who would give $50, then $25 etc. Those who could not give went home empty handed. If this type of offering had been taken in Jesus' day, He would have had to praise the rich men and not the widow who could give only 2 mites.
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves and cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. " 2 Cor 9:7-8. God's children must be of a generous heart, and God will bless them abundantly 30-60-100-1000 times. But hundreds of religious rip offs are in the world with false promise that if we send them money, we are going to be blessed. They will get rich very fast, we will lose our money, and God will be laughing at our foolishness motivated by total greed.