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Saint Matthew's Churches

Discussion in 'Free-For-All Archives' started by Dan Todd, May 20, 2004.

  1. Dan Todd

    Dan Todd Active Member

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    At least three people in my church have received letters from Saint Matthew's Churches - Tulsa, OK. (The zip code with the nonprofit Org. Mailing permit is 52641 - which is Mount Pleasant, IA)

    The letters are addressed to "Resident - to a Friend" In the envelope:

    1. Is a letter - with the salutation "Dear...Someone Connected with This Address,"

    2. A flyer with testimonials stating that large sums of money had come their way - they had been healed - etc.

    3. Church Prayer Rug (which is made of paper) - it is two sided - first side has a picture of Jesus on it - with the following printed on the bottom - "Look into Jesus' Eyes you will see they are closed. But as you continue to look you will see His eyes opening and looking back into your eyes. then so and be alone and kneel on this Rug of Faith or touch it to both knees. Then please check your needs on our letter to you. Please return this Prayer Rug. Do not keep it."

    On the back it says - "This Prayer Rug is soaked with the Power of Prayer for you. Use it immediately, then please return it with your Prayer Needs Checked on our letter to you." It must be mailed to a second home that needs a blessing after you use it. Prayer works. Expect God's blessing.

    Regarding the picture of Jesus - if you look carefully at the closed eyes - you will see a difference in the ink patterns where the eyes would be - behind the closed eye lids. You can see very faint circles - with the pupils! This is some sort of subliminal trick - that when you stare long and hard enough - your brain will bring the "open eyes" out!


    On the back side of the letter - there is indeed a place for the receiver to respond. Directions in bold large print read - MAIL THIS PAGE BACK WITH THIS PRAYER RUG.

    The following is the list of items that you can check:

    1. I received this Church Prayer Rug you loaned me, and I used it as instructed in this letter of faith. Now, I am returning it to you for another to use.

    2. Yes, I do need the Lord's blessings upon my family and me.!

    3. Pray for my family and me for ...
    ** My Soul
    ** A Closer Walk With Jesus
    ** My Health
    ** A Family Member's Health
    ** Confusion in My Home
    ** My Children
    ** To Stop A Bad Habit
    ** A Better Job
    ** Please, especially pray for this person: _________________
    ** Enclosed is my seed gift to God's work of $__________
    ** A Home To Call My Own
    ** A New Car
    ** A Money Blessing
    ** I Want to be Saved
    ** Pray for God to bless me with this amount of money: $_____________

    It says on the bottom: Saint Matthew's Church must have this prayer rug back. Please do not misplace it. It must go to another home after you use it.

    *********************************
    I would post the entire letter - but I don't want to get into trouble - as the letter is copyrighted. Wow!

    My question - have any of you been getting such letters - and do you know anything of this Saint Matthew's Churches?

    It sure looks like a scam to me!
     
  2. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    It is a matter of employing all the words, and lacking the inner experience of grace. I believe these people are at best an affront to God and truth.

    More and more I believe that we are not to announce our personal needs publicly, but to trust God fully. He does supply all our needs.

    Put it in the dustbin from whence it came.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  3. music4Him

    music4Him New Member

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    I haven't seen one as yet but I'd take Jim's advice...Chunk it in a file 13....or really, it would be better if it had the salvtion message of Jesus on it, because thats where healing, and prosperity really come from and If I get one I might write as much on it. :D

    Another sad thought would be that some people might see it as a magic carpet to make everything go perfect. :( When it don't, who will they blame?
    Now I going to go look up and see what I can find about this so called church. :mad:

    Music4Him
     
  4. music4Him

    music4Him New Member

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  5. D28guy

    D28guy New Member

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    I saw one of these things from "St. Matthews Church"(in Tulsa) at the hospital where I work recently. It was in the form of a book...thick, maybe 1/2 inch or so...sort of like an oversized Readers Digest but with that cheaper type of paper. Less glossy, sort of "newspaperish".

    Like yours, lots of testimonials. It promoted something called "Golden Harvest Seed Coupons Plan", or something like that. You send away for your booklet, then send them money regularly, and God will give you more in return.

    Right at the start it said something like...

    "The St Matthews Church *prayer team* will pray personally for your requests, and over your Gold Harvest seed gifts. We are a group of elderly grandfathers and grandmothers, and WE KNOW HOW TO PRAY!"

    It did say on it "resident, or one residing here", but for some reason someone put it on a waiting room table instead of in the trash.

    I cant believe the "elderly grandfathers and grandmothers" line. They really pulled out all the stops with this one.

    I did a google search on all the different phrases I could fine...St. Matthews Church, Golden Seed Harvest Plan, etc...and nothing much came up.

    God bless,

    Mike
     
  6. music4Him

    music4Him New Member

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  7. D28guy

    D28guy New Member

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    I cant find anywhere on there where the adresses of any of their "churches" can be found. Also, the section on calling them by telephone tells you that you will get nothing but recordings. If you have a dire need, you can leave a messege and within 48 hours or so supposedly one of their "elders" will call you. I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for a reply.

    They mention that they are adding more and more churchs nationally, but they dont give you adresses or cities.

    I found a place where there are supposedly photographs from one of their "St Matthews" churches and it looked like photos from a Roman Catholic church!

    Here is the link...http://www.saintmatthewschurches.com/photo_gallery_of_saint_matthew.html

    (you'll have to paste that into your browser...I dont know how to make links work on this site...sorry)

    This is unreal...

    Mike

    Link

    (Thanks Mike - I added the above link - it's the same web site that music4Him listed - Dan)

    [ May 21, 2004, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: Dan Todd ]
     
  8. Dan Todd

    Dan Todd Active Member

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    Thank you music4Him and D28guy for the research.

    Based on the letter that was given to me by my people - I was aware that this whole setup was a scam. Of the three who received the letter - two had thrown them away and the other (which came into my possession) had not been opened.

    I wanted to get the info on BB - to warn of what was out there!

    Both of you have been a big help in my desire to inform others of this scam!
     
  9. music4Him

    music4Him New Member

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    Dan,
    The part that you mentioned about the eyes on the rug opening? In a way I can't wait to see eyes of the people who sent them paper rugs on judgement day for doing people that way. :eek:
    ~But hopefully their eyes will be opened before that day comes and they will repent. [​IMG]

    Music4Him
     
  10. Dan Todd

    Dan Todd Active Member

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    I think it's disgusting - that they would prey on the unsuspecting by using subliminal hocu-pocus -- and make people think that they are seeing a miracle - when in reality it's just a scam for their money!
     
  11. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    This whole thing demonstrates how much we need to preach more on what prayer is. I want,,I need,,give me,,give me....is totally foreign to the model prayers in either the Old or New Testaments.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  12. Dan Todd

    Dan Todd Active Member

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    Well said Jim.

    "Give us this day our daily bread" comes after some very important worship of our Heavenly Father -- which usually is ignored by the prosperity gospel folks!
     
  13. Living4Him

    Living4Him New Member

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    The pictures of Saint Matthews Churches is new. There is a St. Matthew's Church in OK, but it is in no way affliated with the Prayer by Letters bit known as Saint Matthews Churches.

    OK has done some write up with regards to the letters that are being sent to people. Apparently, the money goes to a PO Box and some attorney from CA owns the account. It is not a real church of any kind.
     
  14. Living4Him

    Living4Him New Member

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  15. Jude

    Jude <img src=/scott3.jpg>

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    Our church got one several weeks ago...
     
  16. Chemnitz

    Chemnitz New Member

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    We have had members of our congregation recieve them. Smelled like a scam to me, so we have been telling them to feel free to throw out the "prayer rugs" you don't need them for God to hear you. Oddly enough the name of our congregation is St Matthew.
     
  17. Dan Todd

    Dan Todd Active Member

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    Living4Him

    Thanks for the web site! It was helpful!
     
  18. D28guy

    D28guy New Member

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    That web-site was indeed helpful. This whole thing is just sickening.

    The thing is, for every one person who finds out about this, such as those who read this thread, there are probably several thousand who get this stuff and really believe there are "elderly gandparents" on their knees reading their prayer requests and praying for them, and this "ministry" really has an actual church, with elders and deacons and an actual "pastor" and bible classes, etc, and they really are out their somewhere "expanding the ministry" with other churches and godly pastors leading them, etc.

    And these types give evangelicals in general, and usually pentecostals and charismatics specifically, a bad name.

    The skeptical lost many times think we are all like this, to some degree.

    Very sad,

    Mike
     
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