Understanding the Confines of Spiritually Abusive Churches

"Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15

This is the first of a series of blogs on "Spiritual Abuse" what it is and why we should be concerned about it.  A recent series of status posting's by Apostle John Eckhardt on Facebook has inspired me to put in my "2 cents" as it were.  This is a sensitive subject to tackle for a variety of reasons but it seems necessary.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a polarized structure in churches.  On one hand, we find there are churches who are so run by the board that the pastor is an indentured servant and afraid to speak in truth to the people without fear of being fired.  On the other, we find that there are other churches where the pastor is quite a tyrant.  The following quote from Steven Lambert:

"Signs of Controlling churches: Members are required to obtain the approval or "witness" of their leaders(s) for decisions regarding personal matters." 

 One thing, that the LORD has surely endued us with is a mind and the ability to make decision.  Why then would the LORD set us in a spiritual environment to remove said ability or render us powerless. Godly leadership cannot be Godly if it does not have the attributes of God?  Namely the understanding and respect of the will and thought processes of human beings.  If the church you are attending does not encourage free thought and understanding and encourage asking questions and making inquiries in a respectable manner, then it is probably a good idea for you to start seeking the LORD for a new place of worship.

This is very serious issue.  And this entry is intended to be terse.  I will be delving much more into this topic in the upcoming weeks.  Stay tuned for more.

When Witches Answer: Point to Ponder

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;"           - John 10:27

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. "  - Hebrews 4:12

     One evening while I was working with Deliverance Ministries (delmin.org), on a typical Monday evening, a young woman sat down in front of me.  We began our conversation as was typical with the usual greeting.  I then asked her what brought her to Deliverance Ministries.  She then began to explain me how it was she had heard of Deliverance Ministries.  She had been at work at a local business in Oklahoma City, OK.  While she had been at work on the previous Thursday, a woman from my church gave her a word.  The lady in front of me said that she knew that the word spoken was from the LORD, and she fell down on her knees and repented and committed herself to the LORD.    The woman before me, had on that day been a practicing witch!  She also had said that there were others in her family that were practicing witches.  I was sitting there thinking and saying "Praise JESUS! Amen! Amen!"    We continued with the ministry session and the young woman received much deliverance and healing from the LORD.

    While recalling this I had to consider the ways of the church.  The ways of the saints.  How often do saints sit in church and say they do not know the voice of the LORD?  How often do Christians sit in church and hear sermon after sermon(in a healthy environment) and still quench the Spirit?  How frequently do we hear Jesus and say it isn't HIM?  Yet Jesus tells us Himself in John 10: 27 that His sheep hear His voice and His sheep follow Him.  Well, are you his sheep?  Now I had to say "ouch" before I could say amen myself.  Because I too am guilty of ignoring the instruction of the LORD at times.  But Hebrews reminds us that the WORD of GOD (which includes prophetic utterances)  is LIVING and SHARP and is able to pierce us.  And obviously this is true if a WORD from the LORD would cause a witch to repent.  A witch answered the call.  Then what is hindering us?  What has caused our ears to become deaf?  What has encouraged our disobedience?  As the Apostle Paul wrote, "what has hindered you[us]?"

     For those who do not believe the LORD speaks today i have to inquire, "how do you know you're on the right path?"  If the LORD doesn't send instruction then how are you aware of your obedience or disobedience?  How then do you know if your ways are pleasing to HIM?  The LORD GOD still speaks to us today and HE is issuing a clarion call.  

How will we respond?

       

Warring with Prophecy: Prophecy as Weapon

"This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight," - I Timothy 1:18

     When the Lord gives you a word of prophecy, it is imperative to not simply put it on the shelf and then expect it to happen if it happens.  It is critical that we discern the Words of the LORD spoken to us and equip ourselves with them.  We cannot be passive when we receive a word from GOD.  When the LORD speaks to one and says, " you are going to have a taco stand".  The receiver of the word cannot sit around and say, "great!" and then never learn to make tacos.  That person cannot say they are expecting from the LORD and then never write a business plan.  We must put our faith into action and do  all we can do to prepare ourselves for what GOD has promised.  To often times we don't accept responsibility for the word not coming to pass because of our own passivity.  But more on that at a later time.

     If you have received a word from the LORD that hasn't come to pass yet, the you are to use that word as a weapon to do battle in the heavenlies to effectuate change in the situations of your life.  Therefore when all HELL breaks out in your life, and HELL will charge at your prophecy, you don't quit and throw in the towel.  You fight the good fight with that prophecy as Paul instructed Timothy.

Below is an example of a prayer that uses prophecy as a weapon:

"Dear Father, I thank you in Jesus’ name, that you through your prophet spoke to me.  I receive your word, I believe your word, and Father as a result I am expecting without question that your prophetic word over my life will come to pass. I am standing in faith.  I will not be moved, discouraged or put off in Jesus name.  Rather I take this prophecy and I use it as a weapon against my enemy.  I say satan in the name of Jesus, God promised and He will prevail, these things will happen. I I will not doubt, I will not fall into unbelief. My expectation is permanent. It is fixed. I will not be budged. Father in Jesus' name I want you to know I will work, I will do everything in my power to implement your prophecy into my life.  I will not be passive, I will not hold back, rather I move forward believing what you said in JESUS' name."

Are We too Hard on Prophets?

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13

"And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues." I Corinthians 12:28

     Since I have been in church, I have had various experiences with prophets.  I, perhaps like many others, sat in various churches not really understanding what prophecy is or isn't and what it's place is in the body.  But one thing that has been consistent across denominational lines and theological perspectives, is that people are so stringent on prophets!  What do I mean stringent? Well when considering the passage above the LORD himself has given prophets.  therefore it would stand to reason that this office is important to HIM.  Yet I have consistently seen this office shunned in the body and so heavily criticize and ostracized. 

     I am not suggesting that we shouldn't try the spirits or test prophecies or prophets, but I do believe that EVERY office should be as heavily tested as the other.  Consider for a moment if we tested pastors, teachers and evangelists according to the same negative suspicions as prophets.

     Consider this.  When young preacher or teacher steps into the pulpit for the first time, and perhaps in some cases, the first several times, he or she may stumble. Maybe they read a book they shouldn't have read that isn't consistent with the theology of the house.  Maybe that individual gets in front of people and becomes tongue tied.  Do we then say that individual isn't called to preach?  No, generally the shepherd of the house stands up and will correct any incorrect doctrine, and perhaps speaks with the novice in private to offer encouragement and direction.  And what happens when a preacher "steps out of bounds" as it were?  

     My homiletics teacher, who had been a pastor for over 20 years and had grown a large church overtime once told a story.  He said he once had an evangelist come to speak to his church.  He had specifically told the evangelist not to keep the people past around 8pm (or so).   Well, the first evening of the revival the evangelist kept the people til almost 11pm!! The pastor was furious, so the next morning around 6am he went to the hotel room of the evangelist and knocked on the door.  The evangelist was dumbfounded and half asleep when he answered the door.  The pastor said, "Let's go".  The evangelist said he thought that the service wasn't until that evening, so where were they going?  The pastor replied, " well, my people had to get up to go to work this morning, so you're getting up! Get dressed, let's go! We can have breakfast..."  But notice no one said, "you stepped out of bounds, you didn't follow instructions, yada yada- you are not an evangelist!"  No, the young man made a mistake, was corrected and learned his lesson.  He let the people out on time the rest of the service.

    And what pastor hasn't made a mistake?  If a pastor has parishioners that he or she mishandles, that pastor can go to his leader and say, "you know I had a couple in my office, I think I was too hard on them, yada yada" and the leader will probably tell a story from his or her own life and say well,  learn from this, do better etc.  And then the pastor is able to learn from the mistake and grow.  The pastor isn't denounced as a pastor. He is corrected in love and given the opportunity to grow.

     But what about PROPHETS?  Why are we so hard on prophets?  Why aren't prophets allowed to make a mistake?  Don't prophets have to grow in their office as well?  Yes.  The reality is that a prophet has to grow and mature in their gift as well as any other office.  I believe the reason so many are so hard on prophets are for at least 4 different reasons:

1) ignorance
2) laziness
3) fear/jealousy
4)having been burned before

1) Many are ignorant of the fact that a person who is maturing in the prophetic has to mature as well as any other member of the body.  A prophet may see something and not proper relay or understand what he or she is seeing.  For example, one young prophet once saw a fist with money over someone.  So the prophet (made an assumption) said, I see you receiving a fist full of money.  However, the actual interpretation was that someone was going to rob the individual.  But not understanding didn't mean the individual wasn't called.  The young prophet had to grow in his gifting.

2) I believe some pastors just don't want to take the time to clean up and messes that may occur as a result of a prophet growing.  Well, as I have already stated, all of the offices require growing and a mess or two may occur in the process.  When teaching a child to drink or eat for himself, in the process there are some messes that are made.  There is some clean-up required to help the child grow.

3)  Some fear the prophet and are jealous of the gifts and revelations that the prophetic office carries. This is a sad thing to see, but I know of several cases where those with prophetic unctions were despised and feared by the flock and even by their own pastors.  These fearful, jealous folks need lots of prayer and repentance.  They allow their own fears and insecurities to hinder the work of the LORD when they are supposed to be helping to grow these people and the moves of GOD.

4) In all honesty, some people have been hurt by the prophetic and haven't recovered.  Sometimes a person needs healing and perhaps even a church that has been hurt by a prophets working in their midst.  Yet still, the   gift of the prophet and the office of the prophets should not be put off forever, those individuals need to recover and move forward to receive all the things the office of the prophet has to offer.

In short, all of the offices given by GOD have to be proved and tested and those individuals have to be grown in love.

Where Are the Apostles? part 1

As I was reading about Native Americans and considering the move that the LORD is making within those communities, I took time to pen down some thoughts.  I figured I would record them here.  This is intended to be terse.  Not a long expository essay about Apostles or Apostolic Office.

Pastors and even perhaps missionaries to some extent have been exceedingly frustrated because they are have attempted to do the wok of an APOSTLE- but obviously they aren't apostles.  So the weight and frustrations experienced only have a limited grace and that of GOD's love, to keep them from being crushed.

When dealing with the Native Peoples in general, but in North America particularly.  I've  alluded to this before, but this is why apostles are so necessary for Native American revitalization and of course, it's already begun.

But Apostolic grace is needed to "set church" in these areas- barring any offense to the indigenous cultures.  As much as customs can be retained in a manner appropriate to represent Christ- an Apostle's eyes can see- as the grace of GOD placed upon the apostle via the Apostolic office works in him.

In this, Christianity and particular the Western Culture has failed.  Inherently seeking to make westernized people accept Christ.  And mistaking the idea of cultural ratification through the gospel to mean "dress as I do", etc.  But it is the Apostle's  grace which sees appropriately Christ through the customs and with wisdom and power commands change, even softly-i.e. Paul at Mars Hill.  Seeking then to make Christians who are indigenous as well, rather than westernized individuals who prematurely or ignorantly accept Christianity- as a culture or way of life without receiving The Christ.  

However, to say the actions of such pastors or missionaries is inherently malicious or intentionally deceptive is untrue.  For they can only function according to their sphere of authority within their spectrum of understanding.  The function of Apostles is inherently different.  The task then is for the body the to come into unity.  To function within the prescribed foundations of scripture to allow for a healthily aligned, properly functioning body.  There are some distinct challenges presented due to carious Ecclesiastical structures.

Three main considerations at this time:

I. Without a Vision People Perish

II.Spiritual Authority

III. Stepping Up-In Times of Ignorance GOD Winked at It.

 I.  Without A Vision People Perish
This is something often stated perhaps misstated at times.  But as it relates to our reconciling and aligning the body an inherent struggle to right "settling" of the church has been a gross misunderstanding of the 5 fold offices.  The idea and predictions of reinstating as it were the office of Apostles is new to many people.  However, Bill Hamon predicted that the 1990's and 2000's would see the revitalization of this office.  C. Peter Wagner wrote of this as well.  Yet many are still not believing the existence of Apostles today.  But until the church acknowledges this office and accepts this "New Vision" then growth will be inhibited.

II.  Spiritual Authority
The other Ecclesiastical issue is concerning Spiritual Authority. WHOO! What a vast array of content to cover.  But the idea of an Apostle doesn't fit into most concepts of authority.  Questions like "where and how are Apostles to be placed?" What about Bishops? Or Prelates?  How does the transition occur without total disruption of the structure?  Or is a total disruption necessary?  Should denominations be dissolved as such?


III.  Stepping Up-In Times of Ignorance GOD Winked at It.
WHERE ARE THE APOSTLES?!? Do to such substantial ignorance so much time has passed without Apostles accepting their call or recognizing it.  It is difficult if not impossible to institute this renewal if those who are Apostles will not acknowledge who they are as APOSTLES.  In times of ignorance GOD winked but presently HE is calling. Who will answer?

Say What? That You ALL Speak in Tongues...

So, many may wonder why I feel a need to post this blog.  Well, I know that I am going to be writing some things that people won't agree with. Somethings that  I say may cause people to question if I am a believer and if so in what?  And honestly, I am alright with that.  As I said in the first blog I am sure trials will come.  I had a problem with my eyes for awhile after I started these blogs.   I am doing well as of right now.  But as the Apostle Paul writes, "yeah, All those who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12).  So then what is this writing about?  Well this is about letting everyone know that I believe whole heartedly in the things of the Spirit.  That includes, speaking in tongues and the other gifts written about in scripture.  Now this specific writing isn't going to go into detail about much doctrine- I am sure that will come later.  But really this is just a springboard-a Billboard of a declaration of my faith. 

YES I SPEAK IN TONGUES!!! And so did the Apostles, so did everyone present in the room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). So have Christians throughout history.  And really everyone should.  Some believe tongues have ceased. PSA #1: NO THEY HAVEN'T.  Some believe tongues are for a select group. PSA #2: THEY ARE FOR WHOSOEVER WILL COME AND RECEIVE (Acts 2:38-39). 

Again, you can look forward to more posts on this matter.  In the meantime for further reading you can examine the Book of Acts, Romans, 2 Corinthians.....

The book titled "Tongues:  A Theological History of Christian Glossolalia " by Richard Hogue gives a great theological foundation as well as tracing the speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Spirit in church throughout history.  More to come everyone... more to come.

When I Say I am a Christian

Well, this is my first post for this blog.  And I admit the thought of what I am about to begin, this journey of my Christian expression is somewhat daunting.  The purpose behind this blog isn't to present myself  holy and blameless to whosoever shall read this.  No, this is to share my journey of faith and discernings.  I know some will be provoked to think.  Others will be simply offended.  And of course still others will just think I am a nut. But that's alright. I am a nut.  I am peculiar. I planned to be extreme-in faith that is.  But no sooner than I push "publish post" will something come to attack me.  This is alright.  The BLOOD prevails and always will.  So please, definitely pray for me as I continue to press towards the mark, and share the travels along the way.

Now, in regards to the poem below.  This is from the incomparable Maya Angelou.  For a first post it is more than effecient to state that "I am a Christian."  And so I begin this blog not with a stifling appetizer or heavy main course, but with a sweet desert.  Enjoy.


"When I say I am a Christian"

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

by Maya Angelou