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Faith and Receiving
by L Cruz III2007
Receive - to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered).
We have all received gifts at one point or another. Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts; the process is always the same. A person usually hands you a nicely wrapped package topped with a bow or a card or both. Then you open the package and discover what is inside. Yeah!
The process is the same year after year, event after event. This is nothing new. We know what to expect. But is receiving a gift from a friend or family member the same as receiving a gift from God?
At this point I could write a parable, wordy explanation or true life example that would demonstrate the process of receiving gifts from God, but none would come even close to the profound example enacted by televangelist, Dr. Creflo Dollar.
His example was spot on. It not only demonstrated how to receive gifts from God, it also clearly showed the importance and power of faith and how lives can be ruined when faith is absent. This is how I remember it happening. (All quotations are to be taken lightly.)
Dr. Dollar turns to his congregation and asks “Who here would like a hundred bucks?”
He finds himself surrounded by an eager sea of waiving hands. Searching carefully through the crowd he points to a woman. He asks her to come forward.
Once she arrives at Creflo's side he hands her a crisp $100 bill. Then, leaning towards her, he whispers instructions into her ear. She nods in understanding, then looks up towards the ceiling and says in a loud voice, “Dear Lord, may I please have $100?”
“Do you see?” asks Creflo of his congregation as he points to the woman who is clearly holding $100. “Do you see? This is what we do every day.”
Putting his arm down he searches again through the seats of onlookers. “Who else would like a hundred bucks?” This time Creflo selects a humbly dressed man and hands him a crisp $100 bill.
The man and woman stand side by side at the foot of the stage, each with a brand new $100 bill.
Creflo asks the woman, “Do you have faith that you have a $100 bill?”
"Yes." She answers an excited “Yes!”
He turns to the man. “Do you have faith that you have a $100 bill?”
Looking at the money in his hand, most likely contemplating the ways he can spend it, he responds with a smiling, “Yes. Glory be to God.”
“Good.” says Creflo. “Now I need an angel.” Creflo gestures to a friend. A man in a suit stands and joins the three of them at the front of the church.
Then Creflo takes the $100 bill from the woman and the $100 bill from the man and gives them both to the angel. After clearly pointing out that the angel is now holding $200 he leans toward the angel and whispers something into his ear.
Upon receiving instruction the angel moves towards the woman and hands her a $100 bill. Creflo asks her again, “Do you have faith that you have $100?”
“Yes. Yes. Oh, Yes.” she responds with a giant smile.
“Good.” he says. “You may return to your seat. Enjoy the rest of the service.”
The woman practically jumps and dances all the way to her seat as people cheer her on. She shows off her new Ben Franklin.
All who are left standing at the foot of the stage are the humbly dressed man, Dr. Dollar and the angel who still holds a $100 bill.
Dr. Dollar turns to the man and asks, “Do you have faith that you have a $100 bill?”
Puzzled, the man looks to his empty hands, looks to the angel holding the $100 bill then at Creflo. He answers an unsure, “Yes?”
Creflo quickly responds by saying, “Good. You may return to your seat. Enjoy the rest of the service.”
Puzzled, the man looks again at his empty hands. Not sure how to respond he starts for his seat…then stops…then starts again…then stops. He is obviously confused and somewhat disappointed. He, it seems, really needs the money.
“What’s the matter?” asks Creflo. "Is there something wrong?"
“I don’t have the money.” replies the humbly dressed man while glancing at the angel holding the $100.
“I thought you said you had faith that you had a $100 bill. There should be no problems. You said you have faith, so you have faith. Right? Have a seat, please.” The man starts and stops again. “Go sit, sir. We’re done.”
Extremely disappointed the man returns to his seat empty handed.
Then Creflo continues on with his service as the man stews in silence.
What Dr. Dollar was trying to demonstrate was that our faith is weak. We don't believe it until we see it. Also, we don't think a thing is possible unless we are capable of conceiving it ourselves. This is a dangerous mindset. Because of this skepticism we cut ourselves and God off at the knees. We don’t have faith that He is actually working on our behalves in places and ways we cannot see or fathom.
Our lack of faith causes us to go on living lives of depression, doubt, and desperation, completely convinced that we were meant to get the raw end of the deal because of our sex, or skin color, or current financial state, or weight, or looks, or where we are from, or our family tree, or our past...etc. We burden ourselves with truckloads of unnecessary limitations. Then we fall into the habit of jumping on every bad thing we see because we don’t know when the next (bad) "opportunity" will present itself.
In Matthew 6:21 (NIV) Jesus said:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
If we put more value on our own limited knowledge rather than the wisdom, love and endless possibilities of God, then what does that say about the true condition of our hearts? It means we treasure ourselves more than we treasure God.
True Faith in God does not require physical proof first. Nor should it be limited to the finite reaches of your mere human intellect. You should take comfort in KNOWING that God is working on your behalf in places you cannot see…in ways you cannot conceive.
He loves you. Trust him. If you let go and let God, then He will reveal His truth to you in wonderful ways.
Now, everyone with ears, let him hear...everyone with eyes, let him see. If we put more faith in our own limited knowledge rather than the endless possibilities of God, then we will fail to see that He truly watches over us. We may fail to notice that what we have been searching so long and hard for, has already been plopped right beneath our noses...just waiting for us to discover it...just waiting for us to realize that it is a gift from God Himself.
The key is FAITH!
Creflo stops speaking.
The angel ends his still and silent pose.
He moves from the foot of the stage and crosses before Dr. Dollar who remains looking towards his congregation. The angel spots a destination and moves down an isle and crosses left. He navigates through a sea of sitting onlookers who wait expectantly.
The angel leans forward and extends his arm, placing a gift in the hand of the humbly dressed man...a crisp and new $100 dollar bill.
The church cheers as a near by congregant pats him on the back as if to say.
'You see? Have faith.'