| Ministry becoming an idol & Solomon |
| Written by Jill B |
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Many churches today have the problem that the ministry is become more important than the God it professes to gather brethren to worship. Increasingly it is becoming difficult to find a church that really sticks to the truth and doesn't seek primarily to build financial empires. Whilst we as Christians must work hard and so forth, the materialism that is being preached and associated with our Lords name does not correlate to the God we profess to love and worship. It is hard to find a church that is serving the true God of our bible in these times.
The manifestations of miracles, which are not real or true, sends my spirit into mourning. As it says in his word an adulterous nation seek signs and wonders. The number of Christians lining up in these churches to be slain in the spirit or to receive the anointing from the laying on of hands is astounding, for what. We already walk in the spirit as born again believers, we are already anointed by accepting him into our lives and hearts, by taking up our cross and following him. His living water flows within us. By staying true to him and his word we have all the anointing we need. What quick fix do we need from someone else? How far have we the bride wandered from his magnificent truth and love? Our efforts to try to save the world through promoting materialism have failed, whilst some pastors are being pulled up on charges by the world for various crimes, it is becoming a gross humiliation to the church in the eyes of unbelievers. The world is seeing that the church has wandered far from the doctrines of the true God of our word. How much longer will it take us, his bride to notice and stand up and say that these materialistic doctrines being practiced and taught are far from the truth and far from the God we profess to love and serve?
"Come and tithe, your tithe is not the same as your offering, your offering should be something extra. Put more than you are supposed to so your blessings will be multiplied. Sow a seed of faith, give more than you should or would normally give, break that curse of debt." so they proclaim. "Well the pastor deserves to be feed of the sheep he is serving. When people ask me why I have five cars I tell them. God didn't want us to suffer as Christians, so why should I."
Interesting documentary
I watched a very interesting documentary recently about Hip Hop and the cross over between the message of prosperity "blab it and grab it" and Hip Hop gospel of "bling bling". It considered all angles of the debate on whether Hip Hop could be accepted as Christian music if the lyrics reflected the gospel or if it represents pure rebellion.
The programme was not only shocking but accurate, the way the programme contrasted the two messages contained in “Hip Hop Bling Bling Materialism” and the Word of Faith prosperity teachings and found a common ground amongst them. It was mortifying that the name of Christianity can be associated with such things. When our precious Lord God is nothing like that, because of the blab it and grab it messages being pumped through and accepted in some churches.
“Noone wants to follow failure, people want to follow success.”
Which leads me onto the topic of Solomon, who tried to ignore the Torah and say part of it didn't apply to him so he could multiply his material wealth and wives. In Deut 17:14-20 it is very clear what should and should not be done. Other things we may remember about Solomon, we are told that the Queen of Sheba visited him, then it was noted in one year he received 666 talents of Gold, we are then told he does things he is not supposed to do as a leader multiplication of wealth and so on, he then takes foreign wives and then finally worships false Gods.
These churches are committing spiritual adultery with false doctrines and false teaching, the worshipping of money and constant demanding of monetary success
The Charismatic movement provided a common ground of agreement between some Catholic and Protestant leaders/believers where previously there was none. Regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So I tend to associate it with a platform for ushering in an acceptance of Roman Catholicism within the evangelical church where previously it wasn’t accepted as mainstream Christianity by most. The Toronto blessing is part of this Charismatic movement and the Word of Faith movement stems from this. The Word of Faith movement however seems to be a more extreme version. That our level of faith in him can control the Holy Spirit and the miracles of God. They have several teachings, which are central to the movement: 1. Name it and claim it - Blab it and Grab it, that if you state something, you can claim it and believe it into being. Areas of application: * Prosperity - The claim is that God did not want us to suffer financially, we can claim our prosperity, believe we will receive it and demand our miracles and we will receive it. As an NB: quite often it is promoted, that you apparently increase your chances of receiving greater financial blessings, if you give gifts, as an act of faith. (Please forgive my sarcasm) * Healing - The problem here is that often there is the claiming of healing that doesn't really happen which at times has very dangerous results. It is also often implied that if you continue to remain sick or in ill health then it is your fault, as you do not have enough faith to believe you will be healed or have unconfessed sin in your life. 2. Anointing - that an anointed leader, or some other form of contact can give the anointing of one man to another through the laying on of hands. 3. Speaking of tongues - that every believer can speak in tongues and should pray for this gift, a lot of such churches practice the praying in tongues in their church services. 4. Holy Spirit - is a source to be tapped into and controlled by the believer. We are now on par with God (according to this false teaching and can control God and his magical force similar to the manner in which witches cast spells and perform incantations is this what they are really alluding to?? Where is God’s will are we really becoming this arrogant in comparison to the Torah where believers were even scared to say the name of Yahweh. ) 5. Christians control their environment and lives by their words and thinking. Placebo affect 101 application of new age thinking is believing philosophies and mixing it up with the bible. 6. Visualisation is often a mode of meditation that is also encouraged. You are often encouraged to visualise your wealth or the things you desire and then name it and claim it. The variations and extremes of these applications vary from church to church and leader to leader. From milder to even blasphemous applications where some Charismatic leaders claim that we are in fact little Gods. Many of the leaders of this movement have very strange experiences, some have very strange conversion experiences also and visions. Slain in the Spirit is often suggested and I agree to be as a result of hypnotic suggestion heavily induced by the use of music and hyper sensationalism. Is this actual scriptural at all this falling down after standing for long periods with someone very often shouting commands of so called power and pushing you backwards with pressure on your head. Does God need them to raise their voice to release this so called power to make you slain and fall back or does he need the slight pressure on your forehead or body or the hypnotic type setting and the standing around for ages so your legs get weak. I don't think he does I think its time we stopped pretending these things were something they weren't and told them for what they really are manifestations of man and the flesh. It is sad to witness the sad deterioration of a persons faith and their obsession with the idol, the money, the power, the ministry, the titles and reputation they totally forget the most important commandment of all. Love thy neighbour, getting as much money as you can out of a congregation is not love. Treating people in ways that condradict Gods word is not laud and using hypnotic techniques, physcology, marketing tricks and confusing theologies with no real scriptural basis is in no way admirable. No matter what you achieve if you abuse others on the way to achieving it you have contravened the very master’s code you seek to serve and your achievements become meaningless. Let not the ministry become more important than loving our brother or sister and treating others with the due respect we should. After idols are cold and lifeless and eventually that is what you will become if you do not love others they way you are asked to this was after all the most important commandment as Yeshua prescribed to us.
written 2004 by Jill Barraclough |