Paying to Hear The Word of God

[Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen]

What do you think about preachers, teachers, singers and/or musicians who charge registration fees, or who take up an offering during a conference? As you answer this question, relate your response to 2 Peter 2:3, in which Apostle Peter says: "In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way."

[Ivory]

Hi, a friend of mine told me that her Pastor said; if she could not pay 200 dollars for the new building found, then she could not be a member in the new church. This is wrong, but I feel God's judgement will fall on those that do wrong to the children of God because of greed. God bless you sister!!

[David]

I think it depends on whether we can discern whether it is truth or a lie. We should know them that labor among us. The Bible does say that the workman is worthy of his hire. So is it wrong to give to someone who is working for the Lord? I don't think it is wrong. I do think we need to support ministries that are doing God's work. But we should also know the difference between the truth and a lie. There are some very shady people in ministry. I've seen some of them and also have been deceived by 1 or 2. Paul wrote in 1Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. Paul also wrote in Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Many don't realize that Paul was thanking Epaphroditus for sending the gifts to support his missionary ministry. It was to help continue God's work. But also to make sure that the gift giver knew that there is always fruit in giving. Many people use Phil 4:19 to justify fleshly desires for cars, houses etc. Not that cars and houses are bad things. But the money Paul got was to continue the work of the ministry. Jesus said it is better to give than to receive. Paul understood this. Paul said in Phil 4:16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. The bottom line is are they doing God's work or working for their flesh? Giving to someone who is doing God's work is a necessity. But it has to be God's work.

[William Jones]

Don't get me wrong, I Love the Local Church, but there is something far bigger on this Earth than any Local Church. It is the Eternal Kingdom of God. I would like to answer this question in the following Blogs "Fraudulent Fleecing the Flock. Tithing?" God Bless us all.

[Ivory]

Hi William, I do agree. We are the Church and may fellowship anywhere. Love you all!!

[Denise]

You know that this is something that I consistently seek God about. The "market" place. Sadly I know of some abuses in this as well. I just do not understand that "hustling" in church. Why are we paying for conferences unless we are getting study materials and things of that nature? Why do I need to pay you to read the bible to me or what "your" revelations are? I see some stuff is just "flesh". I do understand the needs in the "Kingdom of God" but where do we draw the line. The Kingdom of God will survive whether you sell a tape or not.

God will in fact take very good care of you when you are doing for this people. It may not always be what you want but it definitely be what you need. I am so sorry , some stuff is just simply plain old common sense. Yet, we try to convince the people that if you give me this , The Lord will give you that. WRONG!!! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Where is the freedom when the poor has to pay for to your entertainment sessions you claim that will deliver his people? I speak about this so fervently because I see the manipulation in which we call NOW SEED! The devil is a liar! The Word of God will cost you something, and it is not always a comfort zone and lying down in pleasures of your own. Much is given much is required. Yes, I do believe in God's people prospering. First we much define, what prosperity truly is. If you think that it is all money you will come up "snake eyes".

In the proverty areas in Chicago there is seemingly at least two churches on every block including liquor stores,.. Yet poverty is ruling and reigning and please tell me where is the dominion there? People can barely put food on the table yet, your conferences require that one pays for you to shepherd his people?? Don't you simply find it amazing that most will say You pay for concerts...to get your hair and nails done.... and the list continues. Here again, you do not want to be compared to the world yet you will use world rebuttals to dispute your cases.

I believe that we should be that beacon to help his people not do as the world does. The world charges you and require that you pay... So I guess the church is now on the same band wagon. Personally I feel like some of this nonsense is just embarrassing !

This question that I propose today to any minister Did God call you to minister and not supply the needs for you? I find it deeply amazing that they can find a scripture to justify some of the flesh and not taking the wisdom of God to execute on matters. At this point it is no longer God's ministry it is "Yours"!

I understand the money that is needed in ministry, whether we want to accept this or not church is a business. Sadly the business aspect of ministry has become now important to some of them. If I never purchase another one of someone's CD's or books. I stil have the word of the Lord. That is why is so vitally important that you establish your own relationship with God and know the word for yourself...Be Blessed!

[Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen]

Denise,

You have said a mouthful here! However, I am sorry to say that the majority of the people who call themselves "Christians" do not have the same understanding.

I am also sorry that the people who call themselves "Christians," yet fail to understand what you, and other believers write or speak about concerning this issue of paying to hear a Word from the Lord, are blind to the fact that the very problems Christ confronted in the Temple's Court of the Gentiles, at the beginning and the end of His ministry, are very prevalent in today's churches and ministries! The 21st-century people who charge astronomical registration fees, then, once the arena, conference center, etcetera, is packed, they pass the plates or baskets for more money, as well as the people who set up their booths or kiosks for the sole purpose of vending "biblical" or "spiritual" merchandise, are no different than the merchants, moneychangers and Pharisees in Christ's day whom He accused of making the House of the Lord a marketplace and a den of thieves!

I am a full-time minister, and although I worked nearly 20 years as a Professor of English before I was led by the Holy Spirit into full-time ministry, unlike Apostle Paul, I am not allowed to fall back on my former training to make a living for myself , and a "profit" from the ministry God has given to me to do. God specifically has told me to go, preach, and teach (freely giving to others from what I have freely received from Him), and to trust Him and what He has said in His Word concerning providing for my own day-to-day needs, as well as for the ministry's needs. I am NOT to "charge" people who gather in churches, ministry settings, or retreat and conference venues to hear me preach or teach the Word, or people who want to receive any of my written works, or people who want to receive a healing blessing, and so forth. So far, God has kept His Word. He has provided for me. Indeed, God meets my needs as He has said, but He hasn't blessed me to the point that after I give freely, cheerfully, and abundantly that I have an “impressive” savings account left over!

While I do not solicit money from those I am sent to bless with the spiritual and natural gifts God has given me, I do accept whatever people want to “voluntarily” give to me as a way of telling me that they have been blessed by me, and that is how it is supposed to be. Needless to say, just like I need encouragement, edification, and fellowship, I also need financial support, but God has told me through His Word that my financial support must come "voluntarily" from the people who have been blessed by the preached and taught word. Apostle Paul puts it this way:

What soldier has to pay his own expenses? And have you ever heard of a farmer who harvests his crop and doesn't have the right to eat some of it? What shepherd takes care of a flock of sheep and isn't allowed to drink some of the milk? And this isn't merely human opinion. Doesn't God's law say the same thing? For the law of Moses says, "Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain." Do you suppose God was thinking only about oxen when he said this? Wasn't he also speaking to us? Of course he was. Just as farm workers who plow fields and thresh the grain expect a share of the harvest, Christian workers should be paid by those they serve. We have planted good spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask, in return, for mere food and clothing? If you support others who preach to you, shouldn't we have an even greater right to be supported? Yet we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get their meals from the food brought to the Temple as offerings? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it (2 Corinthians 9:7-14, NLT; cf. 1 Timothy 5:17-18).

It is too bad that most of today's "spiritual" men and women have used these above listed Scriptures, and the tithing Scriptures, and the firstfruit Scriptures, and the "seed" sowing Scriptures to prove that they have a right to set (demand) their own preaching and teaching fees, church and ministry salaries, and other monetary charges that will meet their financial needs, all because they feel that the members in their churches or ministries are not giving enough "money" to keep them living in the lap of luxury or "their" ministries operating in the black. Once again, just as greed, cheating, and lying had become the means by which the merchants, moneychangers, and Pharisees separated the widows, orphans, strangers, daily Temple worshipers, and Festival congregants from their property and money, these same means are being used today by the "spiritual" men and women in today's churches and ministries. The difference is that today's men and women are fleecing the flock by promising to give them some “esoteric secrets” that ONLY they know, so ONLY they can preach and teach them! I know of NOTHING that is in the Word of God that is so mysterious that the revelations of these mysteries have been restricted to ONLY a few select people! My Bible tells me that God sent His Holy Spirit to Christ’s Body of Believers for the purpose of revealing God’s Divine Truths and mysteries to all believers who seek them out. As you say Denise, that which is being peddled as “esoteric secrets” is nothing more than common sense, or something that can be found in the Word of God, if people would just read for themselves!

PEACE... (originally posted on August 14th...re-posted today)