Will goal setting or seed sowing produce the promises of God?
He goes on to say that if you sow a $58 seed into his ministry for the next 12 months, God will bless you (Wow! I was under the impression according to Ephesians 1:3-4 we were already blessed). Then he goes on to say that God has a special blessing for those that sow $1000 seeds. While listening to this modern day money exchanger that Jesus had to whip out of the temple, I said to myself why do these preachers make it seem that once you give monies to their ministries God will just drop a sack of money from heaven on your head?
Better yet, they convince their scripturally unlearned listeners that once they've sown their monies into these ministries, all they have to do is sit back and patiently wait, then all of a sudden folks will run them down and give them a job, cars, homes, a good husband or wife will just pop out of the clear blue and marry them etc? Tell me something! Other than these "Preachers" who else are these incredible claims happening to? For the record, sowing seed will not educate you, sowing seed will not give you skills to perform a job, sowing seed will not make you a good future husband or wife. So why are these church leaders misleading folks into believing that when this truck load of money comes as a result of the monies their followers would have sown, that their followers will simultaneously become, educated, miraculously turn into a good person, suddenly develop financial skills etc? News flash! Sowing seeds will not provide you with a combo package of education, an account filled with money, a wonderful spouse and a happily ever after life......... Sowing seed my friend contrary to what you've been told, must be accompanied with preparation which entails goal setting for whatever it is that you desire as it relates to your future expectations. Furthermore scripture says every seed produces after its kind, so why are you sowing a $1000 into someone's ministry to get a spouse. I thought that if one had sown money should not they receive money in return and not a human being?
Folks! Please read what I am about to say very carefully. There is nowhere in scripture to support these diabolical claims made by these charlatans. Let me start by saying, God is a God of order and before God does anything for you he prepares you for it. However, his preparation which comes in the form of challenges and difficulties are just opportunities for you to apply his word and not your will all in an effort to condition you for the promises he’s made to you. In other word, God will not bless someone with a million dollars who does not know how to manage one hundred dollars, if they were to sow $1000 into someone’s ministry. It would be equivalent to him giving you the resources to fuel your bad habits. Just maybe your financial breakthrough has yet to happen because you refuse to manage the little that you have now, Matthew 25:23.
Case and point let’s review the following scripture, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” Deuteronomy 28:1. For starters, blessings from God are not generated through the giving of monies. Instead the above scripture clearly says that it was only when we diligently obey the voice of the Lord our God and to observe carefully all his commandments, which HE HAS COMMANDED, then the blessing which are already in place will come upon us. The purpose of obeying the commandments is to condition you for the blessings.
My friend the truth is God wants us to set goals to accommodate what he’s already put in place, yes! I know this sounds crazy when compared to some of these preacher’s self gaining teachings of giving to their ministries in order for you to receive a breakthrough, but hear me out for a second! What is a goal? A goal is the aim or object towards which an endeavor is directed. In other words it’s an assigned point or standard that one desires to reach or arrive at. Now let’s see what God has to say about goals and how this provokes him to intervene in our affairs. “A man’s heart devise his way (He sets goals for the future): but the lord directs his path, proverbs 16:9. Meaning, that once you set goals to achieve certain things in life God will now intervene and begin to direct your path. Goal setting indicates that you have a plan or a vision, you just don’t want a breakthrough or a miracle but you have an elaborate plan as to what you will do so that you don’t end up in your former lacking position ever again. When was the last time you heard a preacher say, begin educating yourself now before you sow your seed, so that when God blesses you with a good job you’ll be prepared to handle it? When last you hear a preacher say, change your bad ways and nasty attitude, before you sow your seed, so that when God blesses you with a good wife or husband you will know how to keep and maintain them? No, you won’t hear any of what I have just said; instead what you will hear is sow your seed if you want a husband or wife or a financial breakthrough……. Absolutely no advice on preparation and goal setting to accommodate and appreciate the blessing they claim you’ll receive.
Another scripture says to us, “The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the lord Proverbs 16:1. Again, this scripture is added evidence that God is about preparation and goal setting prior to any blessing, why? Well because he is a God of order and he wants you to not only be well equip when he blesses you but that you will appreciate and be a good Stewart over what he has blessed you with. Scripture goes on to say that if we commit our WORKS not our MONIES unto the lord, he will establish or prepare our thought, Proverbs 16:3. Suggesting, that if your goal is to be debt free, then let your work in relationship to being debt free be committed unto God and he will prepare your thoughts to bring about your goal of being debt free.
The benefit of this is clear, scripture says, “A good man/woman steps are ordered by the Lord and that God rejoices in that path that person decides to walk in that he’s carved out for him, simply because that is the only path for that person that is littered with God’s divine appointed blessings, Psalm 37:23.
Make no mistake my friend, it is God’s desire to lead you to your provisions or should I say your promise land. However, your confidence can not be in the giving of monies to anyone who claims they are anointed by God to prosper you. Instead you must make a determine effort to intentionally place your faith, belief, hope, trust and expectation in the word of God which is designed to lead you to the right preacher, the right church, the right place to sow your seed etc.
Scripture clearly says, “We must trust in the lord (not Charlatans) and do good so that we shall dwell in the land and be fed (needs being met) and if we delight ourselves in his counsel for our lives, he promise to grant us the desires of our hearts, Psalm 37:3-4. Set your goals, commit your works for those goals unto God and not only will he direct you on how to get there but he will give you the desire of your heart as you rejoice in following his directions.
Written by: Kevin L A Ewing
kevinewing@coralwave.com
kevinlaewing.blogspot.com