Some people have asked why we didn’t collect an offering at the healing service when Curry Blake was ministering and we had a packed to capacity attendance.  The answer is a simple one:  Integrity.

As part of John G. Lake Ministries, we’ve taken the position that we’d rather take a loss on finances than confuse people as to our motivations.

Since too many “ministers” display greed and use healing as an opportunity to line their pockets by “squeezing” people for finances when ministering healing, some even going so far as to propagate unbiblical doctrines such as “sowing a financial seed for healing”, we choose to go in the opposite direction.  Jesus paid for our healing and we receive it by grace, through faith — not by “sowing a financial seed”, as if one could purchase healing with money. Only the precious suffering of Christ purchased our healing, “by Whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Ptr. 2:24)  “Freely you have received, so freely give.” (Mt. 10:8)

We minister to people because we love God, and we love people.  If we could never take an offering, we’d still be reaching out — touching and transforming lives.  We trust God to meet our needs, and we normally do take up offerings at our services as an important way through which finances can come in and thus help us continue to impact the lives of others; but if we advertise a particular meeting as a healing service, we don’t take a collection, that the Good News of Jesus Christ be not clouded in skepticism in the hearts of those who have met too many ministers who are predominantly after their pocket book, and who unfortunately use healing as a means to that end.  One person even told us that when she went to a certain minister to be healed, he looked at the offering she was bringing, and told her to come back “when she had a worthy offering.”  What garbage!  Only Jesus Christ is the worthy offering, and He gave His life freely for all who chose to believe in Him.

In summary, we thankfully receive offerings and indeed it helps us to advance the work of Christ — lives touched, healed, and equipped with the Good News of the Gospel that helps them live like Jesus.  We’re also very grateful for those who may choose to partner with the ministry and thus help us advance in a regular, sustainable way.  There’s so many ways to advance the Kingdom and we plan on opening Bible Schools, mission centers, and plant churches and transformation centers in impoverished areas — and all of this does require having financial means.  If you’d like to help with this vision, your help is greatly appreciated; but we will never “squeeze,” compromise, or enter into “financial strategies” which would potentially compromise the integrity of the Gospel in the minds and hearts of people.  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Mt. 6:33)