Introduction: "Sow a Hundred Dollars and Receive Ten Thousand"
In the vast majority of prosperity churches and television programmes, you will hear at some point: «Give a seed in faith — and God will return it to you thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. This is not charity — it is spiritual investment!» The real-world outcome is documented: wealth accumulates at the teachers, not the donors. Oral Roberts's City of Faith Medical Center — built with donated funds — went bankrupt and closed in 1989. Jesse Duplantis requested $54 million for a private jet. Creflo Dollar requested $65 million.
What Does the Parable of the Sower Actually Say?
The "seed" in this parable — according to the Lord Jesus's own interpretation — is "the word of the kingdom" (Matthew 13:19). The thirty, sixty, and hundred are spiritual fruits of the Word of God in hearts — not figures in a bank account. This parable has no connection to financial giving or material harvest. Converting it into a formula for multiplying money is an explicit distortion of the Lord Jesus's intent.
What Does Scripture Say About True Giving?
The context speaks of giving for the poor believers of Jerusalem — not sending money to a prosperity television network. The promised fruit is spiritual: "increase the fruits of your righteousness" (verse 10) — not a financial return multiplied. And "not grudgingly, or of necessity" — giving under the pressure of promised financial multiples is by definition giving under compulsion.
Peter's Answer to Those Who Monetise the Gifts of God
Peter said "thy money perish with thee" to one who wanted to purchase a gift of God with money. The seed-faith gospel proclaims the opposite: "pay money and receive God's blessing." The directions are opposite — but the apostolic verdict is the same.
The Biblical Model of Giving
The apostle Paul sought spiritual fruit, not financial returns. He wrote to the Corinthians: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him" (1 Corinthians 16:2) — proportional to income, not a fixed sum tied to promises of multiplication. Biblical giving flows from a heart that loves God and people — not from an investor calculating returns.
Prayer
Our Heavenly Father, teach us to give as Thou didst give — freely, joyfully, to those who truly need. Free us from the idea that giving is an investment obligating Thee to return it multiplied. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Conclusion
Biblical giving is beautiful, commanded, and blessed — but it is the overflow of a heart that loves God and people, not a financial transaction expecting returns. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ, for ever and ever and ever. Amen.
An Invitation to Receive Divine Salvation — Accept The Lord Jesus Christ as Your Personal Saviour
Dear reader — if these words have touched your heart and you have recognised that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, know that God is calling you to Himself in this very moment. You do not need a priest, or a human mediator, or a holy place, or rituals or works. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price on the cross, and the promise of God is certain and clear:
What saves you is not the words of this prayer — but the faith in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead. But if you want to express your faith in sincere words, read this prayer with a humble heart as though you are speaking to the living God:
The Prayer of Salvation
"O Great, Holy, and Loving True God,
I come to You now with complete humility, confessing that I am a sinner. I have broken Your commandments many times in my thoughts, in my words, and in my deeds. I know that my sin deserves eternal death and eternal separation from You. I have no good work I can offer that is able to redeem my soul, and no righteousness of my own to cover my nakedness before Your holiness.
But I believe with all my heart in the testimony of Your Word that Your only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins — bearing in my place the punishment I deserved. I believe that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, alive and victorious over death and the grave, and that He is alive now unto the ages of ages.
In this blessed moment, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I trust in Him alone — not in my works, not in my religion, not in rituals or any person or angel or saint. On the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and on His precious blood shed on the cross, I build the hope of my eternal salvation.
I thank You, my Father, that You have now received me in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have forgiven all my sins, and have given me eternal life as a free gift by Your grace. I thank You that You have sent Your Holy Ghost to dwell in my heart, bearing witness to me that I have become Your child. Give me grace to know You more day by day, and to live the rest of my life for Your glory alone.
I pray all this in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
After You Have Prayed — What Now?
If you prayed this prayer from a truly believing heart, the greatest miracle in all your history has happened in this moment: you have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God. You have become a child of the living God, and God's own promise guarantees this to you in His trustworthy Word:
Notice the power of this promise: "gave he power" — a settled right, guaranteed, not a wish or a possibility. And notice "them that believe on his name" — not "those who performed great deeds," not "those who completed rituals," but simply "them that believe." You are now one of them — with absolute certainty.
Here are five simple steps to establish you in your new life with the Lord Jesus Christ:
First — Read the King James Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of John, then continue through the rest of the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs. God speaks to you through His Word as a father speaks with his son. Do not read quickly — read with meditation and prayer. "The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Second — Pray every day. Speak to God as a loving Father — not with memorised words, but with words from your heart. Share with Him your joys and sorrows and questions and fears. Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Third — Join a Bible-believing church. Do not walk this road alone. Faith grows in the fellowship of believers, where the Word is preached faithfully and baptism and the Lord's Supper are practised according to the King James Bible. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
Fourth — Be baptised according to the King James Bible. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience after faith. It is a public declaration that you died with the Lord Jesus Christ and were buried with Him and rose with Him to a new life. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its natural fruit.
Fifth — Witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. What you have experienced of salvation and love cannot remain hidden. Begin with your family and friends. Tell them simply and honestly how the Lord Jesus Christ changed your life. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3).
And finally, remember always that your salvation is not built on your feelings or on any work you perform — but on the unchanging promise of God:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
Notice: "that ye may know" — not "that ye may hope," not "that ye may wish," not "that ye may wait in anxious fear." But that ye may know with complete, unshakeable certainty that you have eternal life. This is the difference between all the world's religions and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: religions say "work and perhaps you will be saved" — and the Word of God alone says: "believe and know that you are saved."
✉ Share Your Testimony of Salvation
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." — Luke 15:10