"What improvements are needed in today's *church?..." 

by Gary Schooley

...a brother of mine asked.  That is a GOOD question
and one that has been needing to be asked for decades.  It's a question that
more and more *Spirit Filled Christians are asking every day.  It's a question
that begs to be answered.  In order to assess what areas need improvement,
it is important to identify the main problems.  So, let's look at some of
the things that hinder the Body of Christ; things that are being done that
aren't scriptural and things that aren't being done but ought to be.  Things
that don't bear witness with The Word or the spiritual discernment that the
Lord has given me; discernment that has never failed and proves accurate
and reliable daily. 

The cornerstone that leads to the majority of
spiritual mistakes is in the one-way (only) form of communication that MOST
churches have adopted.  If the pastor makes even one spiritual mistake, it
may as well be set in stone, because it will be believed by a substantial
portion of the congregation.  I have seen pastors miss it a little, and miss
it completely, yet there is NO forum; no means of asking why or where or
what scripture, etc.  But, if they were to overhear a candid conversation
of Christians discussing things that don't bear witness with their spirits
(or the Word), they would hear some things that would surprise them; things
that they should and would be aware of, if only the rest of the body had
some input.  I have often wished that each person had a little button that
they could push when things don't bear witness with their spirits in church. 
Some way to say "I challenge that; I don't buy it; Show me from the Bible". 

In talking with other Christians, I have found
that I was not alone in my feelings that something was not always right. 
In fact, it was surprising to find that there are quite a few that share
my understanding that things are sometimes wrong.  Before, I would just blame
myself, because it looked as though every one else accepted what was said
and done.  I wish I knew how many times I went to God and said "Father, I
don't understand - the word says one thing but they're doing or saying another". 
But, when I finally found out that others felt the same way, I was so relieved. 
At last, I wasn't alone; I wasn't the only one who "must be wrong", as I
often felt I was. 

The Word likens the church to a (human) body,
with many parts.  Now, in a human body, there is almost total feedback.  That
means that the body is always talking to the head, as well as the head talking
to the body.  It's not a one way "monologue".  Try this: take a pin and stick
it in your leg.  Does the "message" reach your head?  Now, stick it in your
arm.  Same result, right?  That's called two-way communications and it is present
in all forms of life.  So, when did the Body of Christ become quadriplegic,
so that the head can't hear what the body is saying (or wanting to say)? 

Corinthians 14:28 says ...but if there be no
interpreter, let him keep silence in the church;... This gives a clear indication
that there was some effort to determine just what gift(s) the members of
the body had, and more importantly, to use the various gifts appropriately. 
They could literally look around and say "Is that guy with the gift of
interpretation here?"  and "Good, he is here; that guy with the gift of tongues
might have a message". 

If this were so in today's church, there wouldn't
be as many spiritual mistakes and unfulfilled spiritual needs.  Yet, there
is still NO effort to evaluate the different gifts of the various members
of the body.  That leaves a LOT of people feeling left out and useless; either
not knowing their gifts, or unable to use the gifts that they know they have. 
This is not how the Lord intended it to be.  Not at all. 

But, all is not lost.  There is hope.  I once attended
a church where it was routine to assess ones gifts and use them accordingly. 
I had never seen a church like that and haven't seen one since.  I wish I
could have continued to attend, but circumstances dictated otherwise. 
Nevertheless, I continue to look for such a church.  The gifts of the spirit
were really allowed to work in that church.  And not just the major gifts
listed in the Bible either.  There are many, many minor gifts that aren't
listed, but are none the less important to the overall functioning of the
body.  For example: A "Hugger" - now, this gift is a valuable and useful gift. 
There have been many times when I would have literally paid $10.00 for a
decent hug.  No kidding!  I really would have paid.  Even now, I tend to seek
out "huggers" for a hug.  And medical science has proven that there is a positive
physiological benefit from a good hug. 

Even though that gift isn't listed in the Bible,
that doesn't mean it's not a valid gift of the spirit.  Here is another example:
I seem to have the gift of discerning human need; it won't go away, nor is
it being used.  It never has been for that matter.  And at this rate, it never
will be.  Case in point: I noticed that there were NO tissue boxes anywhere
in the church that I recently attended.  None at all.  That might seem like
a trivial and insignificant thing, and most of the time it may be.  That is,
until you need one.  Picture this: You are there in your nice suit, and you
shed some tears, and then your nose starts running, and you forgot your
handkerchief.  Then you dribble on your nice suit - all because someone didn't
perceive human need (or wasn't allowed to). 

There is another spiritual gift that I possess. 
I don't know if it is one of the ones listed in the Bible, or not (discernment
of spirits?)  but it has far more serious implications and applications.  The
best way to illustrate this is to give an excerpt from a letter that I had
previously written to a church:

...Once upon a time, my wife and I attended a
nondenominational spirit filled church.  It was blessed and prosperous in
many ways.  Then, one day the pastor thought that he heard the Holy Spirit
tell him to give the church to another, and then take his ministry on the
road.  The man that he was planning on giving the church to spoke at the men's
breakfast preceding the announcement of what was to come.  His message was
"dry as dust" and NOT anointed by any stretch of the imagination.  Yet, no
one seemed to perceive it, but me (us).  But, we decided to give it a chance,
as the pastor had asked us to do.  Now, we were used to being fed "steak and
taters", spiritually speaking, and all of the sudden, we were getting "tumble
weeds".  So, bit by bit, people had to seek spiritual nourishment
elsewhere. 

Then, the original pastor realized that the new
pastor was not following the vision that they had agreed upon, and tried
to wrest the church from him by force, as he had already given legal control
over to the new pastor.  There was a scandal, a big meeting and the shattering
of a church.  The old pastor tried to re-gather his flock, but his efforts
were futile; our trust in him was destroyed.  The point is this: Had anyone
sought the conviction of the less comely parts of The Body Of Christ, this
catastrophic schism would have been averted.  I knew from the beginning that
the pastor had "missed" the Holy Spirit; but, who cares what I think- I just
fill a seat in the pew and a tithe envelope, not MY part in the body, as
it should be.  No one knows how many more spiritual gifts exist in the body
that are being neglected, and very little is being done to find out.  Gifts
that could have a major impact on the well being of the body.  It's clear
that to ignore these gifts is harmful to the body in general and its members
in particular. 

More about feedback.  Even though there is a need
for feedback, that doesn't mean that church services should be a question
and answer session, or people should raise their hands and challenge the
pastor (or should they?).  But some sort of secondary forum should exist. 
Maybe a feedback box or something of that sort.  Had some sort of feedback
existed in the previously mentioned church, that "problem" would have been
detected and avoided.  But, it's clear that pastors can and do miss it, and
on occasion, miss it "big time".  Jeremiah 23:1 ...Woe be unto the pastors
that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!  saith the LORD.  Don't stop
reading there - Read on down to Jeremiah 23:5, and you'll see that it's not
a thing to be taken lightly.  God gets downright upset when it's not done
right. 

Another reason that the body doesn't speak to
the head (the pastor, etc.),  is out of respect, which is good, to some extent. 
But there should be some consideration for the rest of the body, especially
in serious situations (like giving away a church).  Remember "sticking the
pin in your leg"?  Now, did your body say "well I better not bother the head
- it's busy with more important things"?  NO WAY!  It spoke up boldly and without
hesitation; and the head listened too.  The needs of the body are always monitored
by the head.  In fact, it is the primary concern of the head; is the body
doing O.K.? 

"Do I fall down now?",  an elderly lady was heard
to ask, as she had hands laid on her for healing.  That is a question that
shouldn't be heard in today's spirit filled church.  What caused this lady
to ask such a question? 

Well, it seems that she had experienced a spirit
filled church in which some were using the gifts of the spirit to exalt
themselves rather than stick to what the word says about laying on of hands. 
In fact, it has become more of a "baseball" game than the proper operation
of a spiritual gift.  Complete with a pitcher, a catcher and something that
slightly resembles an umpire.  It ought not be so.  It hinders and damages
the body of Christ and how it was intended to work.  And people who truly
NEED to be healed (but won't play a game) find themselves reluctant to have
hands laid on them, so they go without, or just get healed on their faith
alone.  I have seen a certain increase in my faith for healing, due, no doubt,
to the fact that God knows that I won't play that game. 

How does it hurt the body of Christ, you may
ask.  It makes people lie.  Would you intentionally make someone lie?  I doubt
it.  Christians are typically known for their honesty and integrity.  But
Christians can and do get caught up in causing people to fall and the feeling
of power that they get from it.  And if you don't fall on your own, they push
you. 

I will never forget the first time that I went
along with this strange custom.  I was new to the spirit filled church and
didn't know any better.  But, I needed healing, so I went up to GET HEALED. 
Well, the "pitcher" pushed me back, the "catcher" caught me and laid me down,
and the "umpire"(?)  covered me with a cloth!  Now for the really bad part
- I experienced the most absurd assortment of emotions and questions and
thoughts.  Emotions like "I feel like such a fool" and "I feel like such a
liar" and worst of all, "I feel like I have lied to God".  And questions like
"How long do I lay here?", " Do I smile?", " Do I roll around?", " Do I make
any noise?",  etc.  And thoughts like "God didn't knock me down; a man pushed
me".  Since then, I have learned MUCH more about the word and how it is used
(and abused) regarding healing.  And one thing is overwhelmingly clear: This
practice does NOT bear witness with the Word, nor does it bear witness with
the gift of discernment that God has given me.  A person shouldn't feel like
a "liar" or a "fool" when they need healing.  When it is done properly, they
won't. 

And the poor "umpire" ... He didn't know for
sure whether or not to cover men.  So he just covered EVERYTHING.  Now, I can
understand covering a woman (in the interest of modesty), but covering a
fully clothed man?  That doesn't make any sense.  Maybe if it were in the Bible,
there wouldn't be these awkward situations. 

Don't get me wrong; I have absolutely NO problem
with God knocking me down.  In fact, I would be thrilled if he did - as long
as it was TRULY God that did the knocking down.  But, when a man (or woman
for that matter) pushes me down, I now know that it is an unchecked, self
exalting ego in operation, not the Holy Spirit.  I have even seen a T.V.
Evangelist take it to such an extreme that he simply "blows" at the choir,
and they fall down.  Therein lies my use of the word "Game"; Because this
behavior has NO foundation in the Word of God whatsoever and has become just
that: A GAME. 

And it's a game that does harm and damage to the
body of Christ. 

Some have argued that this is scriptural,
(mis)quoting John 20:22 which says ...And when he had said this, he breathed
on them, and saith onto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.  Now, does it say
that they fell down?  NO!  And how many times does one receive the Holy Ghost? 
Every week like this Evangelist is doing?  NO!  I don't buy it - it's just
not scriptural.  That argument "doesn't hold water". 

Some say that a powerful healing touch from God
invariably knocks one out. 

Again, I don't buy it.  Acts 3:6-8 says ...Then
Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.  7And he took
him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle
bones received strength.  8And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered
with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.  Now, if
a supernatural touch from God knocks one out, this guy should have leaped
straight up, and then fallen back down into the same crumpled heap that he
was in before he was healed, right?  Does anyone deny that this was a powerful
touch from God? 

Luke 6:10 is another good example that a powerful
healing does not mean that a person passes out.  You have to admit that the
healing of a withered hand IS a heavy duty touch of power.  There are three
accounts of this particular healing in the Bible and not one mentions that
he passed out (and Jesus certainly didn't push him).  In fact, as I read it,
contact wasn't even made; the man was healed in the process of stretching
out his hand. 

But the most powerful touch of all has got to
be a raising of the dead, such as in Luke 8:54.  And if a touch from God made
one pass out, then the maid would have arisen, and fallen, and arisen, and
fallen, etc.  Now, how would a person raising the dead know that they have
risen, if the resulting touch of God's power caused passing out? 

After having experienced a number of these "baseball
games", I found myself saying within myself, "I didn't fall down; I guess
I'm not healed".  That's when I realized that something was wrong, and decided
to look into what the Bible says on the subject.  Since I have discovered
that this practice isn't scriptural, I have been watching carefully and taking
mental notes.  Although it can sometimes be comical, it's nothing to laugh
about, as it is Christians playing games, instead of being about our father's
business as Jesus showed us to be.  I have seen quite a bit of resistance,
too, which shows me that I'm not the only one who has a problem with the
way the laying on of hands is being done.  I have seen flailing arms, like
someone trying to keep their balance.  I have seen people pushed down in the
sitting position, and maintain that position.  I have seen people pushed down,
only to immediately spring up again.  And I have seen people refuse to be
pushed down, no matter how hard the effort.  This kind of childish game just
shouldn't be seen in a Christian church.  Not at all.  It's hard enough to
witness Jesus to the secular world without putting in a bunch of strange
and unscriptural practices.  No wonder they think we're all nuts. 

Here is a prime example of how Scripture must
be twisted in order to go from Mark 16:18 - ...they shall lay hands on the
sick, and they shall recover... to what has become today "lay hands on the
sick and push them down" and "fall down for every reason" (being "slain"
in the spirit). 

There is a booklet by a notable evangelist entitled
"Why do people fall under the spirit?" ( or something to that effect).  In
this booklet, he refers to John 18:6-7 which says: 6As soon as he had said
unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.  7Then asked
he them again, whom seek ye?  Look closely at this Scripture and you can see
why it cannot stand as justification for falling down, in the context of
being slain in the spirit.  First, Jesus wasn't laying hands on them, was
he?  Secondly, if they were passed out, how could Jesus continue to talk with
them?  No, they weren't "slain in the spirit" as this person supposes; they
were just plain scared! 

Have you ever been just plain scared?  I have. 
Once a scaffolding fell from a three story building and missed me by mere
inches.  Guess what; I was just plain scared.  In fact I fell to the ground,
I was so scared.  No one laid hands on me, and I wasn't slain in the spirit
- I was just plain scared. 

And the term "slain in the spirit" is not in the
Bible, although from watching, you would think it were, as so many have fallen
for it (no pun intended).  It has gotten so that people are getting hands
laid on them for any and all reasons, and falling (getting pushed) for all
reasons.  There are two other reasons to have hands laid on, but they don't
seem to contain anything about falling either.  They are: Acts 6:6, 13:3 for
setting people apart for a certain work and Acts 8:17, 19:6 for the receiving
of the Holy Spirit.  How did we get so far away from the word on this matter? 
How did it become a doctrine? 

I don't buy it!  The fact of the matter is that
this man gets a kick out of making people fall down - it makes him feel powerful. 
This doesn't make the man any less my brother in the Lord; in fact, he has
taught me much.  But, it is just another illustration of how Spirit filled
Christians can (and do) totally miss the Holy Spirit.  Recently, Kenneth Copeland
said something to the effect of, the longer a person is a Christian, the
harder it becomes (or less often?)  to hear the Holy Spirit.  That, I believe. 
Just as I showed previously, Christians miss the Holy Spirit all the time. 
No matter what your station in the body of Christ; From the pastor to the
lowliest member...We ALL miss it.  And we miss it MUCH more often than we
have the courage to admit, too. 

And you pastors had better be especially careful
when it comes to rightly dividing the word of God and the administration
of the gifts of the spirit - The word clearly indicates that YOU will be
held accountable for the well being of your flock.  How will you answer for
those who needed healing, but wouldn't come forward because someone was exalting
themselves with some game?  And how will you answer for falsifying the gifts
of the Holy Spirit (pushing)?  I wouldn't want to be in your shoes on that
day.  Because of this, I have determined that, whenever I have occasion to
lay hands on someone FOR HEALING, I will do it in such a manner so as to
in no way whatsoever influence them to sit, stand, fall, jump, roll, kneel,
or do anything other than what is clearly stated in Scripture.  Furthermore,
REGARDLESS of whether they do any or all of the above, THEY SHALL RECOVER! 
Just like the Word says to do it; nothing more; nothing less. 

The more I have tried to find Scriptures to support
the practice of pushing people down, the more Scriptures I have found to
the contrary.  Time after time; Scripture after Scripture - people get better:
get healed: Get Up!  I just can't find ANY scriptural evidence that this practice
is sanctioned by God.  My research has taken me through: Strong's Exhaustive
Concordance, Dake's Annotated Reference Bible & Concordance, NASB-NIV
Interlinear Greek and English Bible, Franklin "Bookman" Electronic King James
Bible and over a hundred cassette tapes.  And I have been looking for over
twenty years!  It's just NOT THERE!  It is time that the church take stock
of what it is doing, and exactly WHY; "Put up or shut up" as the saying goes. 
And if they can't show solid scriptural reasons for these practices, then
they should have the decency and maturity to admit that there is a problem
and to correct it.  Just that simple.  And it won't hurt nearly as much as
it will if they continue to abuse the privilege of being pastor. 

"Ca, Ca, Ca, Ca, Ca, Ca, Como Si, Como Sa, Como
Si, Como Sa, Como Si, Como Sa, Ca, Ca, Ca, Ca, Ca ......." was the message
in tongues, as the lady beat on the back of the pew.  It went on and on.  Then,
when she was (finally) finished, the pastor said "This is of God".  But, was
it really?  I have heard tongues, and then I have heard TONGUES, and this
wasn't the real thing.  Yet this sort of thing goes on every day in today's
Spirit Filled Churches.  How do I know the difference?  Well, do you remember
the gift of discernment that I mentioned?  It acts like a "filter"; It's like
a red light that comes on in my spirit, and when it comes on, I know that
something is not right.  Again, let me say that I have NO problem with TRUE
tongues, as long as it is genuine, but, once again, I DON'T PLAY GAMES with
the gifts (tools) of the Holy Spirit.  Neither should you. 

It's important to note that the pastor that said
"This is of God", is the one that fed his flock "tumble weeds".  He then decided
(for everyone else) that since HE has horses, EVERYONE has horses, so he
started a Christian Horse Clinic, in spite of the fact that less than one
percent of the congregation had horses.  We knew many in the congregation,
and I don't recall knowing anyone who owned a horse. ( Now, was this for
Christians that had horses, or was it for "Christian" horses)?  Any way, this
didn't seem like much of a priority; I could think of a thousand things that
were more important for the body of Christ to engage in.  I guess he missed
it (again). 

There were two elderly ladies that attended this
church regularly.  They always sat in the front.  On a rare occasion, one or
the other of them would give a true message in tongues.  When either of them
gave a message in tongues, my spirit would just "eat it up".  It was like
a bird singing a beautiful song.  It bore total witness with my spirit.  Each
and every word different and unique, just like any other language.  There
was complete peace and joy in my spirit, unlike what happens in my spirit
when it is being done improperly.  And what's really interesting is that something
inside me understood every word. ( I still haven't figured that one out). 
But it's clear to me that there IS a difference; one that bears looking into. 
It's way overdue. 

There once was a Christian radio program in which
they were discussing spiritual mistakes.  It was a call in type show.  They
eventually got to the subject of tongues, and in this discussion the host
mentioned that he had seen a church "emptied out" by two ladies speaking
in "tongues".  This is a perfect example of a pastor that is a spiritual coward,
afraid to offend anyone, so he just let it continue.  Yet, he offended the
whole congregation, because by the time that the message in tongues was over,
everyone was gone.  There have been many occasions when my wife and I got
our books together and were on the verge of leaving during a so called message
in tongues. 

There are hundreds of languages and thousands
of dialects in this world.  I simply can't accept that tongues consists of
the same two or three syllables over and over again.  Even animals and insects
have a much more complex language than this.  Take bees for example: They
have an intricate system of communication that not only utilizes "sign" language
(the little dance they do to tell the location of food), but also uses pheromones
(scents) to convey information.  Yet some maintain that this kind of vain
repetition is supported by Scripture?  I DON'T think so. 

Look at Corinthians 12:29-30.  These questions
reveal that all believers are not apostles, prophets, teachers, and all do
not have all the gifts.  Although a person may have the baptism of the Holy
Spirit (with the evidence of tongues), that doesn't necessarily mean that
they have the gift of outwardly speaking messages in tongues.  I have seen
so many take this valuable tool and play with it like a toy, not knowing
the proper use of it.  Have you ever seen a child play with an item that has
(had) a specific use and function?  They pour dirt all in it , and run their
toy cars on it, and do just about everything to it; except USE it the way
it was designed. 

That's pretty much what many Christians have done
to tongues.  They get hold of it and run it into the ground.  They use it to
show off to others and try to impress them with how spiritual they are.  They
ABUSE it. 

Can gifts of the spirit be misused?  Yes, they
certainly can.  Look at Numbers 20:7-13 with Deuteronomy 32:48-52.  Moses had
a gift that God had given him; he could speak (what God told him to) to things,
and whatever he said came to pass.  Yet, when God told him to speak to the
rock, he hit it instead.  He abused the gift.  There are other indications
that gifts can be misused.  See also: Ecclesiastes 2:9; Corinthians 13:1-3;
14:1-40.  So, if you are experiencing a bit of spiritual discomfort and confusion
when you hear some messages in tongues, yet you are at peace with other messages,
don't feel alone; you're not.  And don't feel bad and "beat yourself up" as
I used to do.  You're probably right, and that feeling is probably that "little
red light" of discernment in your spirit coming on.  Instead, seek out a church
that DOES understand that there ARE different distributions of gifts of the
Spirit (and makes an effort to identify and use them accordingly). 

Once, I did see a pastor that had the spiritual
"guts" to correct a problem at a church service.  It wasn't even a tongues
problem.  It seems that a woman got carried away, and started saying "Oooh
Hallelujah".  She just kept saying it over and over, and getting louder and
longer.  But, the pastor was mature enough to keep control of the situation,
and on about the fifth "Hallelujah", he started saying "Sister, Sister". 
About the third or fourth "Sister", and the service was back in order.  He
did it discreetly (as much as is possible in a public service) and in the
spirit of love. 

Afterward, there was no gossip or bad mouthing
about it.  My wife and I discussed it, in the privacy of our own home, and
we both agreed that the woman had missed it (and disrupted the service). 
But, we were especially impressed with the way that the pastor handled it,
AND that he handled it at all.  We had seen so many pastors just let anything
that happens continue, not having the spiritual "guts" or discernment to
keep things in order, as Scripture says to do.  It's too bad that more pastors
don't share these attributes. 

I was recently attending a church that seemed
to have things on an "even keel".  It has taken years to find a church that
isn't having a "funeral service" every Sunday (I'm not dead yet; I don't
need a funeral).  They lay hands on the sick, but there is no "baseball" games. 
They speak in tongues, yet there hasn't been any messages in tongues.  They
don't have the Holy Spirit typed into a tiny paper box that they hand you
at the door; He is free to move.  And it is a very prosperous church.  They
don't have to beg for funding, and are not confessing lack and failure.  I
thought I'd stick around for a while. 

That is, until they pulled that stunt about a
month ago, when the pastor told everyone to accept the Holy Spirit, even
if they already had; that is when total chaos broke out.  You should have
heard it; it sounded like a mass murder was taking place.  That is when I
got up and left.  When I hear someone scream at the top of their lungs, it's
time to move on.  The word is very clear that God LIKES order and is not the
author of confusion.  Look it up for yourself, and you will see; Look up all
references to the word ORDER.  Meanwhile, I challenge ANYONE to show me scriptural
justification for the chaos that I witnessed.  Oh well - I guess I missed
it (by being there). 

The last subject on my list, that I have seen
do damage to the body of Christ, is "hit and run" evangelists.  Visitors that
the pastor has temporarily given the church over to.  Case in point: Our pastor
had taught us how to use Matthew 16:19 which says - And I will give unto
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven (the prayer of binding and loosing).  We would use
it frequently.  Then a traveling evangelist came by, and taught a completely
different use of that same Scripture.  Result: Confusion, and no more use
of that Scripture in either manner.  It also eroded and undermined the trust
we had in this pastor; not knowing if he knew for sure just what he was teaching
us.  Don't pastors have enough material to cover?  Can't they say "NO" to a
traveling evangelist, on occasion?  Must they let just any stranger lead their
sheep off to strange pastures? 

There also seems to be a trend with "hit and
run" evangelists that we have dubbed "condemnation preaching".  That is where
an evangelist takes a congregation that is blessed, prosperous, forgiven
and enjoying a good relationship with God, and by the time he gets done with
them, they feel like rotten, low down worms in the dirt.  We have experienced
this a number of times; so much so that we have decided that we will not
subject ourselves to this kind of abuse again. 

So, what justification is there for this?  What
right do they have to take people who feel good and make them feel bad?  And
what good did they do? 

There is a place for condemnation and there is
a place for grace. 

Condemnation is for those who are lost to motivate
them to the Lord, not for a well established congregation who already has
a good, working relationship with God.  This kind of preaching is more suitable
for a street ministry. 

Besides, I don't need anyone to make me feel
bad; I do a pretty good job of that myself.  Anyone who has known the Lord
for any length of time knows that acquiring "the joy of the Lord" is often
a struggle; also that Satan attacks Christians in that area all the time. 
So, why do these Christians "join forces" with Satan to make us feel bad? 
Could it be that they don't have the joy of the Lord themselves, and instead
of working on getting it, they would rather bring down those who do have
it?  Sounds like jealousy to me. " Misery loves company", as they say. 

That pretty much covers the main problems that
I see in the body of Christ, being: Abuse of tongues, pushing people down,
missing the Holy Spirit, neglecting the gifts of the lesser members of the
body, and "hit and run" evangelists.  These are things that have been on my
mind and spirit for many years.  I hope that I have shed some light in some
dark areas. 

Remember, these are not just my opinions, but
are shared by a surprisingly substantial number of Christians. 

The baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts
that become available to believers are wonderful things.  They are useful
tools that God has given to Christians to be used when needed; not abused
or played with.  When used as God intended, the results are miracles, healing,
prosperity and harmony in the Body of Christ.  But, when abused, the results
are confusion, discord, strife and ineffectual attempts at healing.  Time
is short, but the church is still far from realizing the full embodiment
of Christianity as set forth by Jesus, both in word (The Word) and in deed. 
It is time to put away games and get serious, as Jesus was, about the things
that will have eternal consequences; Things that we will be held accountable
for.  How will you fare? 

Please feel free to make copies of this as the
Spirit leads.  Some DO realize that something is wrong, but can't quite put
their finger on it.  Maybe a subjective viewpoint and fresh perspective will
help. 

P.S. - Pastors:

The challenge still applies; open your Bibles
and show me scriptural justification for these antics, without twisting the
Word. 

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