End Times Scams: Pimping the Beggars
If you are like me, I have received a plethora of appeals from a wide range of “non-profit organizations” who are appealing for money over the crisis in Israel.
If I were a rich man, I would feed every hungry person in the world! However, since most beggars have a Christianized pimp exploiting them, this task would be next to impossible.
If you are like me, I have received a plethora of appeals from a wide range of “non-profit organizations” who are appealing for money over the crisis in Israel. Some might be from ministries we know; however, most are from organizations that seem to come out of the woodwork - outreach services that are using the sufferings of Israel to make a few bucks.
It is not rocket science to underscore the reality of the deplorable acts of prostitution regarding sex trafficking. But what about those who exploit beggars? You know, those who send you pictures of starving children with themselves begging for money that, in many cases, never reach the starving or suffering of war-torn countries.
The people of Israel and Palestine are the new victims being used as pimping beggars.
The ideologies behind pimping prostitutes are elementary. The pimp finds desperate souls who need food, clothing, and affection, while the pimp creates a method of the madness of dependence, which in most cases executes drug dependence. While the pimp pockets the lion’s share of the money, the pimp uses ten percent of each “trick” to feed and clothe the slave – a method used since early Egypt.
Self-proclaimed “Christians” use the same method of raising funds for the needy. While it would be easy to blame the “feed the hungry” pimps in Israel or other related countries, that would be too easy. America is the number one country in the world that has mastered the art of taking money from the poor and giving ninety percent to the rich. Most likely, the war-torn countries learn this method from the Westerners. Many use the 90-10 method - 90% goes to the organization, and 10% goes to the adopted project. Many “feed the hungry” non-profits use this method on a sophisticated level.
I have been on enough mission trips to see this method of Christianized pimping with my own eyes. On one particular trip, I represented one of the largest child-sponsoring non-profits. Once I arrived in this African country, I “pushed” to be taken to the hut of the child I was sponsoring. My interest was not only in meeting “our child,” but I also wanted to see if the funds we sent for beds, food, etc., were reaching this family. Since I was a friend of the Vice President of this organization, my demands were accepted.
After a three-hour jeep ride on the highway, another hour in off-road travel, and over a mile of walking to their hut, sure enough, we met the family we were sponsoring. So far, so good. Right? What I saw after that journey changed my view of child sponsorship – at least with this particular non-profit. While being told our giving reached the family, not one of our gifts was present in the home/hut we were sponsoring.
To make a long story short, back home in the United States, I reported this misrepresentation to the home office. Not only did we uncover a localized “Christianized” pimping network, but the African local leader of the non-profit was also indicted for illegal activities. Since my friend assumed the role of President, things have been better. However, in my mind, the damage had been done.
Since those days, I have been on the trail investigating the ideology of “Christianized Pimping.” My findings have been mind-bending. Over the years, I poured thousands of donor dollars into the rescue efforts of the poor and needy, only to discover many leaders were using our giving to cushion their own pockets while they would toss a few crumbs to the poor. To this day, we sometimes receive a request for thousands of dollars of support – at times, daily.
Don’t get me wrong. Our ministry continues to sponsor leaders, children, and rescue efforts. Our beliefs in giving to the needy have not changed. My wife and I provide monthly support to three wonderful needy children in remote parts of the earth. Locally, we assist as the Lord leads us to care for the needy. However, we are far wiser than in the early days.
Folks, there are “Christian Pimps” all over the world. Some of them are in the churches you attend. Others are in those email appeals and social platforms. The clever scammers are frequently the winners.
My experience in communicating with these “Christianized Pimps” is fruitless. Their protective skills are too strong to reason or admit to leaning toward scamming the masses. Therefore, our ministry makes use of six key functional indicators.
THE SOLUTION
First, you must understand that all giving is honored by the Lord – even those who use your cherished donation to enhance self-motives. That is, of course, if the giving was conducted under conviction. I liken it to giving to a beggar on the corner. While they might use your money to purchase alcohol or drugs, God notes your selfless giving in Heaven.
Be level-headed. When I give, I am conscious that my giving could be used for evil gain by the receivers. Since you cannot prove otherwise, give out of a heart of sacrifice. God is accustomed to dealing with those who misspend your giving.
Never give out of guilt. Guilt giving is not only NOT recorded in the Kingdom of God; it is covert submission to the “pimp’s” scam. Meaning you bought into their prostitution system. All giving should come from the Holy Spirit’s conviction, not guilt. This requires you to be indwelt by Jesus while submitting to the people and institutions the Spirit leads.
When possible, do your homework. It is easier than you think. I investigate money appealers all the time. At times, I find that no matter how much free stuff you give them regarding growing the Gospel, the replies typically are centered on money. I nor our ministry give to these types of appealers. We always offer “free stuff,” discipleship materials, to those who appeal for money. For us, our goal is to advance the Gospel through our giving. When this does not occur, we move on to those who deeply appreciate and use the materials to advance Jesus’s primary mission.
Never give for tax reasons. If you want to get me on a soapbox, bring up giving for tax benefits. Jesus said we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is giving. Today, most give to get their money back in a “tax right off.” It is socialism in sheep’s clothing. This modality advances governments. Plus, it assists these governments in tracking you and the receiver. While recording your giving on your tax filings is respectful, it should not be a motive to get that money back in return. As Jesus Himself respected government taxes, we honor all government requirements as individuals and as a ministry. Soon, non-profit exemption status will be a thing of the past for authentic Christian services.
Never stop random giving. Giving to that beggar on the street is frequently more reliable than the big tech non-profit that guarantees your donation to reach the needy. Due to our limited funds, our ministry tends to give to ministries where we know the leader. For example, I know the Senator who runs a non-profit to eradicate sex trafficking. Since I know Linda and worked with her in DC, I am assured that my sacrificial donation will reach their efforts in an important cause to our family. Meanwhile, my greatest pleasure is giving to needy people who don’t have a corporate entity that withholds a percentage.
The company that monitors scammers on my phone and computer systems recently warned me of a statistic. Donor scammers increase by 92% during a global crisis. What was their suggested “fix?” Contact the corporate office directly if the appeal is appealing to you, not through email, phone appeal, or ad. Obtain the corporate number through an official site. Since our phones ring throughout the day with such scams and appeals, we have a third party managing our calls to screen such intrusions. Most do not have this advantage. However, sometimes, it is wise to let it go to your messaging and then decide what to do.
Our main method is giving to those we know. We believe this is to be the baseline of most of our giving. Secondly, we love giving to the needy on the spot, whether with a meal, a coat, or cash. Honestly, giving is messy. Tossing a buck to beggars is easy. However, jumping in, taking the time to get that meal, and returning to give it to the hungry is often where authentic giving is noted in Heaven. Since I am alert regarding “pimps” who prostitute beggars, when I don’t know the ministry personally, I default to giving directly to the beggar when possible – not their money-hungry representatives.
Now for the issue at hand - helping our Israeli brothers and sisters. Nothing can provide more support than praying for the people of our motherland. However, there are several organizations that we support that truly make a difference in global crisis: Samaritans Purse, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and Jewish Voice. Our ministry has conducted due diligence on each of these ministries. We recommend each.
Watch our partnership promotional with the Jewish Voice:
Supporting our Jewish brothers and sisters is important. Scammers are out to take advantage of our kindness. Do you have a story to tell regarding this problem?
Thank you Stephen, this is such wise and good advice!