Money Miracle

Note: this is another re-run from my old blog. I'm copying over a few to this blog, ones that I'd like all together in the same book when I print. Anywho...if you don't want to re-read it, move right along. ;)


I am bothered. Very bothered. So bothered that I was in bed awake just thinking thinking thinking about how bothered I am. What other choice did I have than to get out of bed and blog about being bothered? ;o)

I opened someones mail today by accident. It was addressed to a woman who apparently used to live at our address but her name starts with a D and is about the same number of letters, so when I just glanced through the mail I thought it was mine and I opened it. No, I am not bothered by the guilt I feel for opening her mail, even though I have heard that is a federal crime...oops. I am bothered by the letter I read inside.

It was one of those letters from a ministry that basically is telling you to have faith and give a financial gift to the ministry so that God may bless you abundantly in turn (besides the deception factor, it was written very poorly and that tends to irritate me also). Here is the first line of this letter:

"I know God is doing something right now that will drive back the forces of darkness and bring unprecedented breakthrough in your life as you make your stand on this prophetic word of God to you.. God is about to give you some MONEY MIRACLE!"

At this point, my eyebrows were quite furrowed and I found myself gripping the little Monopoly money dollar that was in the envelope so tightly it was tearing.

I read on, fascinated and shocked that someone could possibly believe this and then I continue to read, just out of pure outrage. After many more lines claiming that this minister was praying and felt so connected to this woman, he went on to say the following:

"I believe that you are becoming a money magnet! You MUST release your faith in this word. (Jesus spoke this to you) Now I'm speaking to you, and you must obey to receive this blessing. The Bible says Faith without works is dead. This is what you must do"

The instructions tell the woman to take the monopoly money and put it in her wallet for one night only. He tells her it is an anointed replica dollar bill. He says first thing in the morning she needs to send the dollar bill back to him with a seed of faith. What seed of faith?? The next paragraph explains that. He says to send twenty-nine, fifty-nine or ninety-nine dollars with the bill as her seed of faith and tells her to "believe God for the flow of harvest in your life." He will then sign the fake, but anointed, bill and send it back to her, so that she may keep it in her wallet as a reminder of the flow of "MIRACLE MONEY" coming into her life. He goes on to say a couple more lines of religious guilt trip and gives a couple of very vague examples of people who have sown their seeds and received miracle money in return. One homeless lady for example, got a job. Miraculous.

I have seen these things before on TV, the Internet and even in the mail. I don't know why it bothered me so much today. I am always irritated when I feel that church or ministry has become more of a business than a place of teaching, love and fellowship. But for some reason today, the letter really got to me!

At first I was so angry! You would have thought I was the one being deceived! I just couldn't believe that whoever this man was with his name as the title of his ministry could think so highly of himself and so little of his Maker to be okay with deceiving God's children. How dare he send out these letters with verses and "direct quotes" from God making people feel guilty and that they have no other option than to sow these seeds of faith! How dare he insult peoples' intelligence that a fake dollar bill would be anointed and bring prosperity if and only if they send money to him first! How dare he speak for our Jesus, claiming some type of exalted place right beside Him! I was outraged! I showed Hubby and we talked about how wrong and manipulative it was and wondered what God thought or would say to people like this.

Then I grew saddened; my heart ached for the many people that fall victim to these lies. The people who are desperate to find an answer to the hard questions in life; the parents struggling to put food on the table for their children, willing to try anything and not wanting to abandon "faith." How many people have been deceived and stolen from? How many people have sowed repeated seeds of faith to ministries like this one and prayed for this money miracle? How many people have traveled miles and miles and miles to be anointed by this man and others, to be prayed over and chanted to? How many times have they been convinced that with a little more faith, God will answer their prayers? How many dollars have been wasted, not sent to further God's kingdom, but to further a few men's riches? Has no one told them that they don't need to travel to see God? That God doesn't need our money? Has no one told them that Satan is the master of deceit and will stop at nothing to make us falter and trick us?

God lives within us, we just have to open our hearts and receive what He offers! It is a gift, it is not for sale! God wants to bless us abundantly because He loves us, not for the right price! He wants us to commit our lives to spreading His Word, and often times that does cost money, however, God expects nothing but our love and our faith in HIM! If we have money to give for a true ministry, we should be expecting nothing back, but knowing that He will bless us in ways we cannot imagine. We have already been given the ultimate gift- a chance at eternal life with our Lord! These false teachers are selling God and promising riches and financial prosperity in return! This is not what God teaches us, this is sad.

I have now added these people to my prayer list; the false teachers and people that are a part of these ministries, these businesses. Mostly though, I have started to pray for the people receiving these letters. The lost, hurt and vulnerable people who are deceived by these false claims of hope, wealth and happiness. I wish I could tell them all to keep their $29, $59, or $99 dollars. I wish I could tell them that if they want to sow seeds of faith, it is a matter of their heart not their checkbook. All we need to do is listen to God's tug on our hearts. Perhaps it is to help the elderly lady parked beside us to put her groceries away, or to volunteer at our church, or to help at the community center. It could be to check on our neighbors, let them know we are there when they need us; it could be teaching our children to be kind and gentle, it could be getting a sandwich for the homeless man on the corner. And it could very well be writing out a check for our tithe, or to send to help a legitimate organization feed hungry kids. Sometimes money is involved, but it is not always and it is not the key factor. There are so many things that we can do that do not involve money, just our willingness, time, compassion. Love is the bottom line. Now more than ever, we need each other. We need helping hands, watchful eyes, and loving and open hearts.