SOW SEED WITH CASH TO BE BLESSED BY GOD: BIBLICAL OR SPIRITUAL SCAM?

MESSAGES OF SOW SEED TO BE BLESSED:
CHRISTIANS RESPOND, ASK BENNY HINN TO RESTITUTE ALL HE GOT

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Benny Hinn’s video of repentance from

IT’S BEEN TAUGHT BY ‘IGNORANT’ PREACHERS TO FUEL THE ‘GREED’ IN MAN AND ALSO TO FLEECE THE FLOCK
My thoughts on the abused subject matter from the pulpit today in many churches will be succinct: The principle of ‘giving and receiving’ or ‘sowing and reaping’ is scriptural and heaven backed. The practice of same is where we have a problem. It’s been taught by ‘ignorant’ preachers to fuel the ‘greed’ in man and also to fleece the flock of God by encouraging the people to expect ‘returns whenever they sow’ their seeds. The Lord determines the returns that your ‘seed’ will get according to scriptures (1 Cor 15 v 36-38) and it comes in many ways as His blessings, like mercy, protection, health, etc.
Yomi Kasali
Foundation of Truth Assembly, Lagos.

MY SON IN-LAW CAME AND THANKED MY WIFE AND I THREE DAYS AFTER THEIR WEDDING. HE SAID, “I MET MY WIFE A VIRGIN.” WE DIDN’T SOW SEED, WE TAUGHT HER CHRISTIAN VIRTUES
To our Christian faith, we must add diligence (Hard work), there is no substitution to this hard work. To our Christian faith we must add virtues, this speaks of good moral, of humility, honesty, trustworthiness. My son in-law came and thanked me and my wife three days after their wedding, he said, “I met my wife a virgin”. We didn’t sow seed, we taught her Christian virtues. To our Christian faith we must add knowledge, it is what you know that makes you outstanding and not the seed you sow. Prosperity is predicated on the knowledge you’ve acquired whether as a Muslim, Hindu or Christian. For me, I follow strictly the biblical principles for prosperity, I practice it, I teach my children and I teach the people of God under my care.
Regarding giving, I give to specific kingdom projects. I give to help the missionaries, widows and orphans. God promised blessing to those who do these, the blessings for me maybe good health and protections, it may not be in cash.
I give to God not because I want to prosper or to receive a double or hundred fold, I give to God to express my love for Him.
As for Benny Hinn’s confession which I watched, if he says the Holy Spirit has convicted him, then he must make restitution. These men have bastardised Christianity and have made themselves so rich and they turn around to sing a different song, to me it is preposterous. I stop here, I am not done but tired of typing and have other things to attend to. For us in Assemblies of God we stand by scriptural principles, that’s why we are still standing in Nigeria even after 80yrs.
Rev. John Amah, PhD
Assemblies of God, Sango, Lagos Nigeria.

MANY HAVE ABUSED AND MISUSED IT. THEY HAVE GONE TO THE EXTREME OF ASKING PEOPLE TO GIVE IN ORDER TO GET A TICKET TO HEAVEN
Giving is a powerful instrument of transformation. Some of the people who were transformed in the Bible attained that level by giving. There is the need to understand Biblical principles like the law sowing and reaping, because seed time and harvest shall not cease.
Abraham, Rebecca, Rehab, the Shunammite woman. The list is endless! But many have abused and misused the injunction of God. They have gone to the extreme of asking people to give in order to get a ticket to heaven. This is wrong and I am against that! Rev Benny Hinn must have seen this group of ministers who have decided to make merchandise of the gospel. Whatever you give cannot buy you a good character. Preachers must emphasise that Christian live a holy life, separated life. We must check the motive.
Gen. Amb. Bishop Rosecollett Haastrup
Presiding Chancellor, Continental Bible University College, Lagos.

WHETHER YOU SOW SPARINGLY OR BOUNTIFULLY, IF IT IS OUT OF GRUDGE OR COMPULSION OR OF NECESSITY, GOD DOES NOT LIKE IT AND IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
I totally disagree with that preaching of bring money and get miracles because it is not in alignment with the biblical principles of giving. In 1 Chronicles 29:9: the bible says the people rejoiced, they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. In the above verse nobody forced or dictated to the people to give unto the LORD but did it willingly with perfect heart and that is what God is pleased with.
In Luke  21: 1-4: He recognised the poor widow’s mite as the greatest offering Luke 21:4: Jesus said for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. If you can give out of the little you have to those who are richer than you give more out of their abundance that is your widow’s mite and the heavens recognise it and accept it. Whether you sow sparingly or bountifully, if it is out of grudge or compulsion or of necessity, God does not like it and it is not acceptable.
In conclusion, telling people to give certain amount of money for miracles to happen in their lives is man-made doctrine and is against the biblical principles of giving.
A lot of people have had sleepless nights or incurred unnecessary debts because they responded to this type of calling. At the end, they give grudgingly or out of necessity and yet no miracles because is not acceptable by God. Miracles are the supernatural acts of God which can happen to anybody at the appointed time of the Almighty God. It is not for sale.
Evangelist Bola Aderele  Jp, USA

PROSPERITY GOSPEL SELLS IN AN IMPOVERISHED SOCIETY FUEL BY GREED AND COVETOUSNESS
The root cause of prosperity gospel is a cultural imposition on Americanism in evangelism. It sells in an impoverished society fuel by greed and covetousness. Once the 10th commandment is violated in the inner recess of a pious religious man, he can stretch the truth of God’s pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. While prosperity gospel as touted by greedy disciple is in itself an aversion to the true gospel, poverty syndrome is alien to the gospel of grace where God supplies needs (not wants) according to His riches in glory. After about 40 years of serving as faith missionary, depending on God and His people to meet my needs both for life and ministry, I have learnt to abound and to abase. Have known gracious supply of God and have learnt the toughness of waiting!
Timothy Olonade
El-Rehoboth Global Leadership Foundation, Jos Nigeria.

THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSES IS NOT WAITING FOR OUR PITTANCE BEFORE HE BLESSES US
 Sowing any amount of money to get anything from God is not only a fraud but a clear manifestation of mammon spirit by ministers who practice it. It’s a crime again God. The God of the universes is not waiting for our pittance before He blesses us. The rain of God falls on both the wicked and the just. God blesses us irrespective of our condition. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He who have us His son, how will He not freely give us all things. If we, being evil will not give our children snake if they ask for bread, how will God not give us the Holy Spirit and the good things of life by simply asking?
People use the scripture of ‘give and it shall be given’ to buttress their argument on seed sowing. But they forget that the scripture has nothing to do with God. It is simply saying life is about action and reaction, what we do unto others shall be done to us in multiple fold. But does that mean we should not give towards the cause of God? Never. We should give not because we expect that God will give us back. We should give because we have been blessed of God and because we love God. Trying to bribe God to get His blessings is against the benevolence of God.
Gbenga Osinaike
Publisher Church Times Nigeria

TRUTH MUST BE TOLD, PROSPERITY TEACHINGS CAN NEVER BE TAKEN AWAY FROM CHRISTIANS
Prosperity (teaching) message is biblical. It is sound and ever relevant simply because it doesn’t centre on only money and material things according to 3 John 2:3. It affects the three realms of man: physical, mental, spiritual even other areas. Benny Hinn may not necessarily do any restitution or return things people have given to him but I am of the opinion that he is not really saying that people should not give to promote God’s kingdom. He may mean that those who milk money out of people are doing bad things. Truth must be told, prosperity teachings can never be taken away from Christians because God really wants His people to prosper. Deuteronomy 8:18
Solomon Jegede,
Destiny in the Word Church, Lagos Nigeria.

THE QUEST FOR MIRACLE AND PROSPERITY MAKES MEN GULLIBLE TO ALL THESE INCOMPLETE TEACHINGS
Prosperity message is not fake and it’s not irrelevant. But the way it is preached today is not complete. So many young believers now get so carried having been loaded with incomplete prosperity message. Like the Bible, says you must work to eat, you must have a work to be blessed. But Philippians 4:19 is what we hear. Not what happened before verse 19.
On Benny Hinn, I will leave him to Gods direction because he never forced anyone to give. Did he? They should leave him alone. I believe he knows what is best to do. The quest for miracle and prosperity makes men gullible to all these incomplete teachings. Benny Hinn and Co are been blessed thru the works of their hands which is evangelism, Preaching the word and liberating men from shackles of the enemy.
Faith Abore, Yaba Lagos Nigeria.

I WONDER WHY MONEY IS THE ONLY SEED ONE CAN SOW TO BE BLESSED
The issue of sowing seeds of money to get God’s blessings is NOT different from what happened in Matthew 21:12-13, about the case of Levite and those who came to pray to God. It is just the same today. God is coming to purge His Church. God’s blessings go beyond money so I wonder why money is the only seed one can sow to be blessed if not for the acts of money exchangers.
Kayode Odesanya

WE SHOULD NOT JOIN THE WORLD TO ATTACK MEN OF GOD WHO OVER ZEALOUSLY OR IGNORANTLY CROSSED A LINE
Prosperity is God’s will for His people; however, it has been abused. What Benny Hinn did was to excuse himself from excesses. I believe seriously in God’s anointing upon his life and I am one of those who want his ministry to do well. I love that man, but I was never in support whenever he or any other preacher says “If you give one thousand dollars, you will enter into the realm of abundance” or ” if you give two thousand dollars to help the poor in Israel, God will solve all your problems for you”. I know that God can tell a person to give so that what he wants can be given to him.”Give and it shall be given to you…” But it is personal and not for everybody. That God tested Abraham’s love and obedience by telling him to sacrifice Isaac does not mean that is how He will test the obedience of all His people. But I know that God can test the obedience of a person by telling the person to give something towards the work of God on earth.
A preacher can raise an offering for a project by not sweet talking the people but encouraging them to give. I have in the past told ministers in our ministry that they should never enforce sowing seed but should enforce responding to the love of God through their giving and not a relationship based on “I give God one thousand dollars, He gives me one million dollars”.
I am totally in support of what Benny Hinn did but I will not want to be counted among those screaming all over the place as if they are God’s only genuine spokesmen or women. The Church is under attack by the world and its culture. We should not join the world to attack genuine men of God, honest men of God who over-zealously or ignorantly crossed a line. I do not therefore support those who are saying that Benny should make restitution. Grace gives the believer the ability not to sin. In case the believer sins, grace says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Benny has stopped sweet talking people to give and it should end there. Let us not join the world to finish a genuine man of God. Let us, instead, congratulate him for coming out boldly for no longer being a part of those whose actions have made the name of the Lord to be blasphemed by the world.
Bishop Charles Ighele
Holy Spirit Mission, Lagos Nigeria.

I WILL RATHER HELP THOSE IN NEED THAN SOW ANY SEEDS
It depends on how you are looking at it. There are those who believe this, and it works for them. However, I believe in loving others as myself. For me, I will rather help those in need. But when I do so, I don’t expect anything back.  I don’t see it as trade by batter, which is my understanding of the teachings of the so called prosperity preachers. I can’t walk away from those who need education and health assistance if I have the means.
Dr. Yinka Daramola
Lagos Nigeria.

IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT SPEAKING TO BENNY HINN
The message of giving a particular amount of money to God or sowing a financial seed, from my understanding has never been a sound doctrine and it will never be.
The template of the full gospel that Jesus gave to His disciples was a very clear one. It was a gospel void of greed, deceit and extortion. It was given to the world free of charge and the world must equally give it out free of charge. But since I also believe in the sovereignty and omnipotence of God through the Holy Spirit, I submit that if God gave a specific instruction on a particular issue, I will wholeheartedly embrace it since it is God that is speaking.
The case of Pastor Benny Hinn is very clear because it was his style. In fact, he tagged it “My theology”. It was very clear all along that the Holy Spirit was not the one speaking, it is Benny Hinn declaring his own theology.
Conclusively, I think that Pastor Benny Hinn must be felicitated for the courage and humility he manifested in denouncing this teaching. It shows the level and seriousness of his repentance. He is preparing his eternity in and before God.
Kolade Oseayo Rotimi
Missionary in Mali

BENNY HINN SHOULD RESTITUTE EVERYTHING HE HAD GOTTEN FROM THOSE ‘FALSE TEACHINGS’
I share the views of those who are asking Rev. Benny Hinn to restitute. I have known him for over 20 years with the preaching of sowing an amount of dollars for book and other materials such as pendants, which is not prosperity message, but PURE idolatry. My question here is, is Rev Benny repenting or making boast? I believe if someone is repenting, he goes to God, confessing his sins and asks God for forgiveness rather than standing before people and ‘accusing’ other sinners like the Pharisee did in the Bible. If he really means it, he should restitute everything he’d gotten from those ‘false teachings’ for over 20 years.
I overheard someone saying, ‘let me too collect seed offering for as long as Rev. Benny did, then I will repent’. Huumm!

The issue of given, including tithes wasn’t of debate in the early church, why, the people loved God and so giving to Him wasn’t debatable. But nowadays, the Church is filled with carnal and greedy ministers, carnal and worldly members, etc, so we are only after what will benefit our carnal desires. So all we are interested in money.
Pastor Kola Ogidi,
Abuja Nigeria

I THANK THE HOLY GHOST FOR SENSITISING BENNY HILL ON THE ATROCITIES OF GOSPEL BASTARDISATION
The gospel of bring money for prosperity is an unbalanced theology. Pastors needs to understand that you don’t need to cunningly get money from their members before you succeed! It waters down the so called pastors anointing. For instance, I went to a birthday party of a fellow pastor and the pastor who was invited to give sermon preached brilliantly. In fact, he ‘wowed’ even the Muslims amongst us, but watered his anointing down by demanding for ten thousand naira from any guest who wanted blessings! This miracle for money gospel is evil and demonic! If a pastor is well anointed and called, he will be rich as his ministry progresses even though there might be initial challenges but God got our backing because it’s His ministry not ours!
I really thank the Holy Ghost that sensitised Pastor Benny Hill on the atrocities of commerce in the Church and gospel bastardisation. In fact, I never respect him for once as a pastor since the day I saw him selling some so-called Israel spiritual materials!
Pastor Segun Soleye
Ibadan Nigeria

MANY CHOOSE TO FORGET GOD, THE AVENUES, AND REASONS FOR THE PROVISION OF FINANCIAL PROSPERITY PACKAGE
Prosperity is divine plan and God’s plan for humanity. Across the Old and New Testaments is the faithfulness of God in prospering the works of men that walked the part of covenant and also made them a show piece of His glory and splendour from one generation to another. We have Abraham, Isaac, Job, David, Solomon, etc. All these men were recorded to have walked with God and enjoying the fulfilment of covenant wealth roundabout.
For Pastor Benny Hinn, he is a man of himself and can so make his own decision.
Many choose to forget God, the avenues, and reasons for the provision of financial prosperity package. That’s why they run everywhere looking for money miracle worker, and they shall continue to have multiple sorrows because they shall never have!
Seki Teju Amao Juga,
Jos Nigeria

WHATEVER JESUS DID NOT TEACH BECOMES MANIPULATION IN TODAY’S CHURCH, JUST LIKE PROSPERITY MESSAGE
If there is one thing that is missing in today pulpit, it will be the character and culture of Jesus message. Whatever Jesus didn’t preach and teach becomes manipulation in today’s Church, just like prosperity message. I guess the pastors are more in tune with people expectations than Go and Disciple Nations. Just like anointing oil that some are selling for miracles signs and wonders. No place in the gospel where Jesus used oil to heal anyone. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
Adewale Adepegba,
Ibadan Nigeria.

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YOUR TAKE
1. What is your position on those prosperity messages of bring money, sow seeds so you can be blessed? Is it biblical or a spiritual scam?

Input your response now…