Email Forwarding...for blessings

[Mark S Mirza]

Enough is enough!

I get all kinds of "religious" emails from friends, well meaning friends that ask me to pass this email on to 10 people (which I usually don't do, and if I do pass it on it only goes to one or two people). But
today's really took the cake (and I love cake). Today's simply said at the end, "if you pass this on, you will receive a miracle."

It's time for me to start asking people, "Do you REALLY believe that?"

SO let me back up, and put on my diplomatic hat, because the reality is, many of our godly friends believe some of these things. So here's the question, do you really believe that blessing come by forwarding these emails? Help me understand your thinking, please!

[Mark S Mirza]

So my friend, who I sent this question to, followed up with the following email. Please see my response to him, and again, PLEASE FIX MY THINKING if you disagree with me. It is time, past time, for us to talk about this subject:

From: James
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2010 2:08 PM
To: Mark Mirza
Subject: Just 27 Words…

God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries and illnesses and please watch over and heal my family in Jesus name, Amen. This prayer is so powerful. Pass this to 12 people including me. A blessing is coming to you in form of a new job, a house, marriage or financially. Do not break or ask questions. This is a test. Does God come first in your life? If so, stop what you 're doing & send it to 12 people now. Watch what He does!

To: James...
From: Mark Mirza
James, what if God does NOT want to bless you? If that is the case, then the prayer has NO POWER. The issue is not, your expectation of an entitlement, the issue is, “What is God’s will”?


Mark S Mirza

[Reimagine Curator]

Bravo Mark - I am concerned many who follow Christ don't realize that these kinds of email promises are more magic than miracle ...

[Mark S Mirza]

Thanks Phil. My desire is that we dialogue on this. I believe that most (not all, unfortunately) when talking about this subject will see the light when it shed onto their darkness. My prayer is that they see that something they thought was a good idea, is really an example of idle words that Jesus warns us of in Matt 12:36. Pray that people will dialogue on this subject and we can, thru the Holy Spirit, bring them to the truth.

[Lowell Snow]

Most people hate to be manipulated and it's a stereotype that many lost people have about Christians. To me this is the biggest issue here. I would encourage the sender to reconsider:

"Do not break or ask questions. This is a test. Does God come first in your life? If so, stop what you’re doing & send it (the email prayer) to 12 people now."

That's a manipulative statement that's a hindrance to what the sender is trying to do. I don't think most people have a problem with someone trying to start a 'viral' email by asking people to forward helpful information. However, they (including me) don't what to be manipulated.

Hope that helps.
Lowell Snow
www.leadingprayer.com

[Kathy Towle]

I'd much rather have that person STOP and pray for all the persons in their address book rather than giving "false hope" to those that are not spiritually strong enough to know that God doesn't operate like that!!

[Mark S Mirza]

"False hope" - Good word!

[John Nunnikhoven]

Cheap discipleship! God is going to give me two "atta boys" because I sent out a non-confrontational testimonial. Plus invariably each one of these "do not break the chain" forwards is just another attempt to manipulate God. Does the person who is sending this on to me think I really want a God who is no smarter than I am? My God does immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine and does not need to be tricked into providing a tinsel blessing.

Enough sputtering. I sometimes feel like writing a program that will shotgun 100 copies back to the sender, but that would not be loving my neighbor.

[Mark S Mirza]

Good word John, I also find it interesting that even though they talk about "God" they often do not talk about Jesus.

[mary]

mark or anyone else, if you want to read my reply you'll have to look for it {i think in 24/7} under "false promises".
i'm new to computers and social networking, pray! network is the only one i'm on, and between those two things i make a lot of mistakes. for example, this may be the second time i'm clarifying that i put "false promises" in the wrong place.
if anyone is willing, i would sure love prayer that i get better on this.
mary

[Reimagine Curator]

Mary, keep trying. Prayer plus our experiments will sharpen your skills!