The church and money…

 

I read a very well written article dealing with the issue of church and money. The author, Larry Tomczak, shares a collection of charismatic aberrations destined to motivate Christians to give –or rather, to plunder the believers-, which he had recently watched during a telethon. You can read the original article, “The truth about the church’s fundraising tactics,” here. In the meantime, below is a summary thereof, along with a few personal comments.

He writes that in a highly charged atmosphere, a speaker told her audience to shout "Amen!" and then, to "Slap someone in agreement." In Agreement with what? He wondered. Then, the speaker quoted Psalm 71:21 - You will increase my greatness and comfort me again - and promised that if viewers would pledge $71.21 a month for 12 months ($854.52), God would give them "increase and greatness." She went on saying: "He'll stop that lawsuit. ... Greatness will be released in your job and finances and ministry and marriage even if you don't have the resources or have ten cents to your name or don't have a man to support you! Go to that phone and pledge $71.21 a month; and I prophesy to you that God will increase your greatness! Give now!"

He also writes that later, a bishop, who remarried only one week after divorcing his wife, forcefully told his audience to "obey the prophet of God and give." He said God gave him a word for the young people: "You are in tremendous credit card debt, but if you'll get up and pledge money and put it on your credit card, God will intervene for you. Don't let anything hinder you. Today salvation comes to your house." Larry Tomczak says he wished he could have reminded him of Pr 22:26-27 which says that if you foolishly go into debt even your very bed will be snatched from under you. Personally, I would like to say two things:

It is true that one must obey the prophet in order to prosper (2Chr 20:20). But it is exactly that: obey the PROPHET, i.e. someone who speaks on GOD’s behalf and whose life testifies that he/she hears the LORD’s voice and hearkens to it themselves. Anybody can take the title and pretend to speak in GOD’s Name; but you will be mad to listen to such a person. A young man of GOD ended in the belly of a lion because he had listened to an old prophet (1Ki 13:1-24). Listen to the PROPHETS and obey them; and you will know them by their fruits, Jesus said (Mat 7:15-16). The gift of discerning between spirits should not be forgotten or neglected in these end-times. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1Th 5:20-21, 1Jn 4:1). Test EVERYTHING. Do not swallow everything because somebody says he/she is sent by GOD. The apostle Paul himself had asked his followers to curse him or even any angel from heaven if they happened to preach another Gospel (Gal 1:8-9). I do not know many men of GOD of his stature nowadays; and yet, those that we have in our midst do not hesitate to threaten all those who dare to question what they say. Test EVERYTHING. Renowned pastors, bishops, popes and miracles-workers said to Jesus on that day: “We have done this and that in your name.” He rebuked them saying: “I never knew you. Depart from me…” (Mat 7:22-23). Do not follow people who are not known by the LORD and that He has not sent. No matter the sincerity of your heart, you will bitterly bite your fingers in regrets, like the young prophet (1Ki 13:24).

It is written: “But now also finish the doing of it, so that, as there was a readiness to will, so also the finishing, giving out of what you have. For if the eagerness is present, it is acceptable according to what one has, and not according to what one does not have. For it is not that others may have ease, but you trouble…” (2Cor 8:11-13). A pastor, who truly has a shepherd and a father’s heart, will NEVER push people to borrow to give what they do not have. And every wise Christian should never allow themselves to be manipulated by unscrupulous men whose eyes are only on their wallet. There is place in Christianity for sacrificial giving, but not in such a manner.

The author writes again about this internationally known church leader who told his TV audience that eight men were supposed to give $1 million each in the offering. "You have a choice," he told them. "Obey God and win or disobey God and keep losing. You will lose God's blessing! Go! And praise God while you're dialling the phone." I leave you to judge. You may shout because we are talking about a $1 million pledge; but if he had said $100, maybe you would not have noticed anything wrong with it…

After saying in other broadcasts that people would be healed if they sow money into his ministry, another leader apparently told the viewers that the more they pledged, the more protection they would have from God!

It is time to stop the Madness, Larry Tomczak wrote, wishing that Jesus would pick up His whip to cleanse the temple once again! As for me, I am convinced of this: when the LORD calls, He equips. When He sends, He supplies and there is no need to manipulate people for His provision to abound. When Moses was called to build the tabernacle, he had to tell the people to stop giving (Ex 36:6). Today, on the contrary, preachers beg people not to stop giving, because one has to keep up with the ‘lifestyle of the anointing’; a lifestyle of stars – the stars of the Gospel -, a royal lifestyle – the princes of the Kingdom.

I am a member of a ten year old ministry which has never made any appeal for donations. We only have one collection during services, no matter what special event; and guest preachers are never asked to motivate people to give. Yet, we have bought a massive temple in extraordinary circumstances. We have buses bringing people to church, free of charge. Believers even heard about the buses when they were already bought; they were never asked to contribute beforehand. We have our challenges, but GOD is aware of them and frequently sends people to drop envelopes full of money in our letterbox anonymously. Not to mention donations made by people abroad who just like what we do.

If anybody feels the need to pressurize people to support a project, then either the project does not come from GOD, or the person lacks the necessary faith to back it up. Know this: GOD does not need any help to support what He has initiated Himself and He is not a beggar. The whole universe and everything in it, belongs to Him.

I strongly recommend you read the original article which is full of personal testimonies of divine provision divine and instructions as to what to check before giving money to any ministry. Have a wonderblessed® week!