Have you ever heard of the saying, "If something seems too good to be true, it most likely is"?

Recently I had a first-hand experience of this.

I was reading my email one February morning when one particular message caught my attention. I read, "I am willing to donate the sum of $6,000,000.00 US Dollars to your Church/Ministry for the development of evangelism and also as aid for the less privileged around you." It was sent from a resident of Nigeria, Africa, a widow of a very wealthy Sheik. According to her doctor, her breast cancer would take her life in six months. Under Christian conviction she wanted to divide her wealth for the development of evangelism in Africa, America, Europe and Asia in exchange for a crown of life. She searched the web sites, found ours, and prayed over it before making her intention known to us.

"This is absolutely too good to be true!" I thought to myself. Why did I not delete it as one of those scams right away? Because I do believe in miracles! So I followed the instructions to contact the donor's lawyer, went through some necessary procedures, completed some paper work and so on. The result? Ten days later, the email address of this so-called donor was no longer valid. What I had envisioned as too good to be true was indeed too good to be true.

Maybe you have also encountered similar situations. Someone faxed you a one-time promotional offer of your dream vacation. You paid the money thinking you had the best deal ever, only to find that you'd been systematically deceived. And you didn't have the time and patience to read all the regulations and restrictions that were conveniently never mentioned to you.

Have you ever hired a painter who almost swore to you that he would do an impeccable job if only you gave him the opportunity to work? He guaranteed that no one could beat his price. He was willing to do so because he wanted to establish his business. His sincerity melted your heart, and when he mentioned he had a three-year-old and a pregnant wife at home, you thought you were not only hiring a worker, but also being a good Samaritan. The man got the job, painted the house half-way through, and said he needed money right away to buy more supplies. When you gave him the money for supplies, he never returned.

These are not hypothetical cases. Instead, they are actual events that do happen to us. It is difficult to conceive how people can tell such beautiful lies, make such empty promises, or have the time to create such heartless jokes. Maybe they all know too well that to look for "a good deal" is a universal trait of human nature-that no one can turn down a free gift. So their business or hobby is to methodically lure people for their own ends.

I thank God for teaching me a lesson out of this "extraordinary" experience. Or should I say, this "ordinary" experience that is happening everywhere everyday? I don't think I will hastily believe in anything that seems to be too good to be true anymore, especially if it is via email!

(Johnny Wang, General Secretary of CCM)