IT CAN’T GET WORSE THAN THIS:
‘Seed-Faith’ Hoax Lives On!
Clip from Richard Roberts Ministries web site, on ‘Seed-Faith’ -
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 JOHN 2.
Everything in life begins with a seed. God said in Genesis 8:22, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…, shall not cease.” God gave His Son, Jesus, as a seed for all mankind in order that He might bring, through salvation, “vast multitudes of God’s people to heaven” (Hebrews 2:10).
Seed-Faith is a term my father, Oral Roberts, used to refer to our giving to God as a seed we sow, and not a debt we owe. God has a plan for your needs to be met. When you sow your seed – give of your resources – you can expect that God sees your giving, and will multiply back to you what you have given, just as he promises in His word. (Luke 6:38) You can talk to God about your specific need, as you give, trusting Him and releasing your faith for that need to be met.
Here are three major keys to exercising the principle of seed-faith (giving and receiving) and seeing it work in our lives:
1. Look To God As Your Source.
He may meet our needs through other people, but they are just instruments. God is the one who meets your need. Put Him first, then He will supply… and He will do it His way…not our way…and not depending on whether the economy is up or down. It boils down to trust and going along with God’s agenda, His plan, and His timetable… His biblical principles concerning giving and receiving (Malachi 3:9-10, Matthew 6:33 & Galatians 6:7).
2. Give First Or “Seed For Your Miracle Or Need.”
You apply your faith as you give your seed…seeds of whatever you have to give…time, talents, love, forgiveness, financial resources…and God causes the mountains of need in your life to move (Matthew 17:20). You’re no longer giving out of a sense of obligation to God, as something owed, but you become a seed-sower. You’re giving God opportunities to meet your need and He in turn, multiplies your seeds back to you in the form you need most (Luke 6:38).
3. Expect A Miracle.
When you give, or sow your seeds of faith, you are expecting to reap the benefits (Mark 11:24). Just as when a farmer plants his seed, he doesn’t just throw his seed on the ground and walk away. He cultivates the ground and He expects a harvest to grow. But the farmer has a “due season” for his harvest to come in. So trust God’s perfect timing for your harvest. Expect Him to multiply every seed you sow and to supply all your needs, just as He promised in Galatians 6:9 and Philippians 4:13.
God is not looking at the amount you sow; He’s looking at your heart—your motive—and your faith. No matter how little you think you have, sow it in joy and faith, expecting your seed to reap God’s miracles!
END OF CLIP FROM RICHARD ROBERTS MINISTRY WEB.
IT CAN’T GET WORSE THAN THIS:
The ‘Seed-Faith’ Hoax Lives On.
JAN LILLEBY
With regard to my article on Oral Roberts, I mentioned that his son, Richard, inherited the established ministry when his father died 15th December 2009 at an age 91; his full name was Granville Richard James Oral Roberts III. But already in 1985 Richard was given the leadership as his father retired. All according to Wikipedia.
Above I presented what exactly the ideas of Roberts’ ‘Seed-Faith’ giving are, and how he found support in certain Bible passages for this.
The first I must point out is: Roberts has taken absolutely all the Bible references out of their contexts. And I shall explain this.
3 John 2,
This is a message from John, the apostle, sent to his fellow believers in the Messianic assembly in the time of Acts (28-62 CE) – and he said that he prayed for them, that they would be all well and at good health and thus also prospering just as their soul was prospering.
This has nothing to do with ‘giving money to John’s apostolic ministry’, so that God could give the donators blessings back. Such an idea is not found in the New Testament of the Bible. If this was the case, John would have told his readers straight out in his epistle!
Heb. 2:10,
NASB, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.”
Roberts points out that Jesus was given mankind as a Seed…thus bringing salvation.
Yes, He was a seed in that manner and context. Jesus Himself described this by saying that He would, like a seed, be put in the ground so it could grow up and give life. Through the resurrection.
But it is a total fraud to try and make common cause with Jesus dying for our sins, as if this is the same as giving money to the preacher’s ministry so that God can bless the giver back for this. Oral Roberts cannot have been in his right mind when he invented this fraudulent concept back in the day.
Luke 6:38,
NASB, "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure -pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
These words spoken by Jesus are interpreted by Roberts as, …you can expect that God sees your giving, and will multiply back to you what you have given, just as He promises in His Word.
He disregards entirely to whom this was promised, and under what context/circumstance. Nothing in Luke 6:38 were ever spoken to other than Israel and the believing Jews present.
Jesus told His people that He was not sent to anyone else, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 15:24.
Paul taught that Jesus was made a minister to the circumcision (Jews) Rom. 15:8.
None of any of Jesus’ promises (regardless of topic), were ever given to the Church, the ‘One New Man’ taught by Paul in Eph. 2:14-16. Jesus did not start the Church dispensation while in His earthly ministry. He sent Paul later on to perform that ministry to us Gentiles! See Eph. 3:3. Roberts is very unlearned and ignorant in these matters, and thus his Bible interpretation suffers from this. Bible passages are used in great error, so their meaning turns into a doctrinal lie!
God has in no way promised the Church, the Body of Christ,- that donors of money (or other values/services) would have their money-gifts multiplied back to them and make them prosperous and wealthy.
In real life, the ORU organization headed by Richard Roberts, are the only ones who seem to have money-gifts in abundance, by the millions which they have stolen via false miracle-promises to the gullible donors.
Roberts’ 3 paragraphs above, starts with “1. Look to God as you source”.
Thus referring to Mal. 3:9, 18; Mat. 6:33 and Gal. 6:7.
From NASB these says,
Malachi,
9 "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!
10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows *.
11 "Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the LORD of hosts.
12 "All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts.
13 "Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?'
14 "You have said, 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before * the LORD of hosts?
15 'So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.' "
The Book of Remembrance
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.
17 "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."
18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.”
This misused Bible passage – of the old ordinance of Tithing – is of course used by Roberts, who else! This so the believers would get a false ‘bad conscience’ if they do not give money to the ministry. Never has the ordinance been laid upon the Christian church. There are no such doctrine found with Paul in his two Church Epistles, Ephesians and Colossians. Meaning: There exists no Tithing in the Church dispensation! End of discussion.
The passage in Malachi was written to Israel only, and not to the other nations on earth!
Mat. 6:33,
NASB, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
As I pointed out above, again I tell you: Jesus said these things in His exclusive ministry to His people, the House of Israel. The passage is from the Sermon on the Mount, in which He addressed Israel only. These words were never ever spoken to the Church dispensation. Sorry Mr. Roberts, but you are entirely wrong in your assumptions.
Gal. 6:7,
NASB, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever * a man sows, this he will also reap.”
If Roberts’ actual use of this passage was meant to go for monetary concerns, he is greatly mistaken. Paul wrote of evil works, evil lifestyle, and if one sows evil things (sinful carnal things) he shall reap of this very same misfortune. This has nothing to do with money in the form of ‘Seed-Faith’ giving and the like. Verse 8 says it very clearly,
“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Paul wrote of salvation here, and not at all the giving of money as such.
Roberts’ third paragraph he named, “Expect a Miracle”.
Using Bible passages from Gal. 6:9 and Phil. 4:13,
NASB,
Galatians,
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
Philippians,
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Roberts wrote: …Expect Him to multiply every seed you sow, and to supply all your needs, just as He promised in Gal. 6:9 and Phil. 4:13.
CONCLUSION
‘Seed-Faith’ giving, as presented by Richard Roberts who took this from his father Oral Roberts, is a total cynical hoax. He is guilty of seducing his believers by serving false miracle-promises, supposedly ‘given by God’.
In real life, we find that God never promised such things to the Church.
He once dealt with His nation Israel, and gave them certain promises of wealth and prosperity …conditionally… IF THEY OBEYED HIM and kept His commandments (Exodus 19:5, 6). They did not, and were punished for this, as we read Bible history.
But regarding the Church, the Body of Christ as found in Ephesians and Colossians, there are no such ordinances or covenants. We have been given a free Grace salvation by faith alone, no works. Miracle gifts and healings were only given to Israel’s Messianic believers during the ministries of the apostles. And that’s it.
Gracepano.com
