A Mercantile Gospel

The Bible did not promote the concept of financial seed sowing, The main seed is Jesus.

Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;

it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

“And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” Genesis 22:18

The other seed the Bible talked about over and over again is the Word of God (Luke 8).

It is true that some things can be inferred rather than written in black and white when it comes to the Kingdom.

Seed sowing for the benefit of reaping financial rewards is not one of them.

Of course many preachers preach it with conviction and so many envelopes in churches are labeled “Seed Offering”

I understand the concept and I agree with the idea in principle but I disagree totally with the concept of sowing money to reap money especially when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ and building his church.

A lot of misguided folks have been taken advantage of, by sweet talking ministers whose intention is simply to part them with their hard earned money in the name of getting them healing for their body, a job, a husband or a wife, deliverance from a certain affliction, getting a promotion at work, landing a business or contract, getting a child, getting anointing or a mantle, or any other advantage such may desire in order to get ahead in life.

Terms like, “What is in your hand?”

“If it is not enough to execute your project, give it to God.”

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

“Give your five loaves of bread and two fishes.”

“Sacrificial offering”

“Painful giving” and so on are prevalent in the church today.

This concept opened the door to a level of transactional relationship with God that is unprecedented.

People no longer seek to know God and have a relationship with him, rather, they would live their lives as they desire and hide behind the tithe, offering or seed they send to one church or the other as fulfilling their obligation to God.

I have seen this play out too many times to keep quiet about it.

Believers need to start reading the Bible for themselves and live their lives as guided by the Holy Spirit

Anything other than this is unacceptable!

Ministers of the gospel have a duty to train believers to know the Holy Spirit for themselves and to know the Word of God in their hearts, for indeed it is the believer and not his or her money that God delights in.

For some, the latter seems to be more important than the former

This is wrong.

Romans 12:1 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

The believer Is the prolongment of the days of Christ, it is for the believer that Jesus died!

When the believer has come to know the Lord for Himself and is established in the faith, he or she will no longer have to be toasted, cajoled, sweet talked or tricked into parting with his money in the name of seed sowing.

When the Lord instructs such to do something, he or she will get it done joyfully and cheerfully

When Moses was told to build the Ark and other things, the scriptures recorded that the people gave willingly until Moses said it was enough

The Philippian church contributed money to help the church in Jerusalem without being told.

Jacob in Genesis 29 tried having a transactional relationship with God, it didn’t work.

By the time he would come to his senses in Genesis 35, he realized that God wanted Him to become Israel and not to become Jacob the rich man!

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15)

Jesus wanted us all to know what really matters because many of us measure ourselves according to things and not by the value God has placed on us from the beginning which was the life of His own son.

If Jesus was a seed as we read in the Scriptures and God sowed him, God should not reap money or things! Whatever you sow, you will reap. He that sowed money should reap money and He that sowed a life should read many lives!

Jesus confirmed this in the book of John

Verily verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:23-25

Here Jesus was referring to himself as the seed which was alone at the time but which will reproduce His kind after his death and resurrection.

The focus of the minister should not be on people’s pockets but on bringing them into the knowledge of Christ and establishing them in righteousness

When we shift our attention away from this to things, we will find ourselves raising criminals who will give money or other things labeled as “seed” to God and expect a pat on the back.

Once we tow this path, our bellies have become our god and we should just leave the pulpit for those in better standing than us to lead his people.

Of course, many are preaching the gospel just for the sake of their bellies.

My admonition is not directed at them.

I am simply reminding those who were called with a Holy Calling not to forget the difference between that which endures and that which must fade.

For our work for Him will be tested long after money would have lost its meaning.

It is better that the Lord asks us to execute projects that will bless and increase the capacity of His people in both substance and faith as part of the process of establishing them in righteousness than for us to take advantage of His people and leave them with bitter testimonies of unmet expectations, disappointments, pain, agony, being left worse off than when we encountered them or merchandising the gospel as we have seen done by many to their own peril.

Freely have we received and freely must we give!

Now, if you are wondering where the wages of the laborer in the vineyard of God will come from, and you are a minister of the gospel, you need to stop operating in the flesh and get on the same page with the Holy Spirit.

If you can sort this out and walk according to His instructions, you will be the source from which his blessings will flow outward to His people

You will raise nations and all your children will be taught of the Lord

He that is Holy will not require His ambassadors to engage in shady stuff just so they can survive or ride a car

There is so much more for us in God

-GSW-