Extortion in religious circles

(This podcast was previously published on December 3, 2020)

 

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 

 

Often ministers will say things like this to their congregations:  "Please pray that God will help me to get a new car so I can do ministry work."

 

When he prayed like that, he is often hoping that someone in the congregation will give him the car or that the congregation will give him a car, otherwise he would pray to God in secret rather than praying openly before his congregation.

 

In such cases, he is praying to man, hoping man will give to him.

 

Concerning prayer, Jesus says:

 

Matthew 6:5-8  Jesus says: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

 

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask HIM.

 

Recently a man who calls himself a pastor, contacted me by e-mail asking me to send him a computer and a projector.  I told this man to get a part time job and earn the money for these objects.  He replied it took all of time to "minister" and he couldn't get a job.  I remembered how the apostle Paul worked as a tent maker and ministered the gospel in his spare time.  God showed me this man was a beggar, a thief, and an extortioner.

 

This man said he needed the projector to be able to teach the things I teach.  I told him, "Just teach the Bible then."

 

I know this man tried to con me with flattery, telling me things he thought I wanted to hear.  But he got so twisted in trying to do this that he made his deception obvious to me.

 

Also I have seen individuals in the congregation use prayer as a way to communicate their own needs to other people, hoping to get from others in the church.

 

It is a great sin to use prayer this way.

 

Often prayer is prayer to other men rather than prayer to God.  And often their prayer is really "extortion" for it makes the other person feel bad if they don't give when they are able to give.

 

Extortion:  The practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats or coercion.

 

Often they use scripture to try to get money from their congregation, implying that if the people do not give then they will not be blessed by God.

 

The apostle Paul said if a "brother" in Christ is an "extortioner", don't keep company with him. (I Corinthians 5:11;13)

 

Ministers often use extortion to get their congregations and others to give to them.

 

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* For writings on additional subjects, click here:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations Blog