I've been randomly listening to Eric Dykstra's sermons for months now and a theme has happened with each and every one; he's going for the money. Every sermon, no matter the content, has a punchline of "You must tithe." "You need to show God you can trust him with your money before he can trust you with bigger things." "Give more." "Give more to us." Now if you're a bible believing person you can easily research that all this forced giving is not biblical at all. Just Google it.
What I want to address is the ways they are manipulating people's emotions to finance their empire and their own lives. It's the old formula of: tithe + prayer + doing things right = BLESSINGS! It's disgusting. People are desperate. They want hope, they want guarantees and they want security. They are told if they just follow this formula, with tithing always pushed the most, that life will work out. Of course they have their pastors, Eric & Kelly Dykstra, as their grand examples of how if you follow their plan that financial blessings will fall from the heavens. Because they certainly aren't wanting for anything right? Big house, new Mustangs sent directly from God because of a special prayer, huge new church building, insanely expensive shoes , fantastic vacations both in the U.S. and overseas. And then the one with more audacity than can even be stomached: when Kelly prayed that her Starbucks card would always be filled! WTF? Yes, you heard that right. Well of course her Starbucks card is always full as she announced this from the stage so everyone would know to make sure to keep it full for her. Then she acts like it's some special blessing from God that Starbucks cards are given to her. Kelly, by going on stage and saying this was your special prayer you then put it in everyone's head a new way to kiss up to you. That's why you have a full Starbucks card - not God!
I haven't forgotten the time Eric stood on stage, during a sermon on obeying your leaders, and said that if a leader did something for you then you should buy them something. He gave an example of how he had just sent Bill Cornelius a $50 gift card. Gee...and how many $50 gift cards did Eric get after that? You are preaching to these working class, blue collar people and flat out using them for your own financial gain. It's horrific.
Nobody gets a guarantee in this life. Nobody. God, or no God, the good luck is handed out randomly and without warning or by deeds. There are Christians being killed all over the world for their faith. Children in poverty in Minnesota. Death, suffering, dying, jobs lost, financial ruin, divorce, disease. So is this because they weren't tithing?!?! If they'd just given a church 10% then that would have been their spiritual insurance policy!?! Sure some people are going to profit as with any scenario; just run the numbers. But what about those who do everything "right" and your formula just doesn't work? You are ruining lives. You are breaking hearts. SHUT UP! Just stop it!
