“Seed Faith Prosperity” is a false teaching that in order to receive anything at all from God, one must first donate money, known as a ‘seed-faith’ offering. You reap what you sow, the claim goes. In this case you must send your money to – usually – a televangelist, some of whom promise a ‘hundred-fold return.’
If this scam worked as advertised, televangelists would be sending you money.
The concept of the seed faith offering was invented by James Eugene Ewing, who has long run a direct mail scam that has gone under many names but mostly known as “St. Matthew’s Churches”.
In 1968, when Oral Robert’s donations were down due to his joining the United Methodist Church, Ewing sold his program to Oral Roberts and Robert’s ministry doubled its income within 1 year. This was so successful, that many other ministries began adopting this methodology.
Just because something is “successful” by the world’s standards, that does not necessarily mean that it meets with God’s support or approval.
Though “successful” in making the promoters of this lie very wealthy, it is a very thorough perversion of God’s Word. The “seed” talked about in the bible is not money.
In the Bible (Luke 8:11) Jesus Himself explains that the “seed is the Word” and it is sown into different types of soil which represents the hearts of men. (see Luke 8, Matthew 13).
Promoters of the lie of “seed faith” just seek to take your money and make merchandise of you.
2 Peter 2:3
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
We are not to take things related to God and use them as a source of profit for ourselves.
John 2:16
And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
If a ministry is truly spreading God’s Word and is working within God’s will, then the ministry should not need to beg for money.
People hear the message that they can get rich by giving money to such and so ministry. When that doesn’t happen, they think that everyone who talks about God is just a charlatan, so they close their hearts and ears. All that these so-called ministries do by preaching “seed faith” is to inoculate and harden people’s hearts against the Gospel.
Additional reading:
http://www.raptureready.com/rr-evil.html