WHAT TO THINK of TRUMP??

 
NOTE:  Would love your comments on this, my friends. An
American Christian sent the following email to me yesterday:

WHAT TO THINK of TRUMP??
by 'Troubled'

I woke up recently to see Trump has won. Some/many Christians
are happy and think he will be used as a Cyrus and that God will
do good things through Trump. Personally, I feel like they are
deceived and misplacing their hopes on him. Yes, he may be able
to get better Supreme court justices and other things, but overall,
I am troubled by his fruit. Can you tell me what you are feeling in
your spirit regarding Trump and what we can expect during his term?

I still feel that the condition of the Church is the largest problem
and that judgment begins with the house of God first. Christians
may be focused on Trump making America better, great again...
but God´s ways are not ours, right? God is more concerned about
the condition of our hearts, that we become truly humble, repentant,
coming into unity and agape love for one another, sharing the gospel.

Right now, American Christianity is a wretched mess ...I read
Brother Yun´s book, "The Heavenly Man" and chapter 20, "The
Road to Unity" spoke to me tremendously and clarified for me
what is wrong with American Christianty, multiplied many many
times over.  The pride and animosity, lack of love, lack of genuine
conversions, rampant sin (Here in America)... stemming from
bickering and fighting over teachings/doctrines... resulting in the
church continually splitting. Brother Yun said the house churches
in China split into about 10-12, then God said he would not pour
out his power until they came back into unity again.  Here in
America, I have read we have at least 216, some say as many
as 33,000 denominations! It all depends on how denominations
are defined.

I would like to research this more.  But as a whole, I see too much
bad fruit and carnality in most Christians. I am troubled by their
hopeful and even prophetic expectations of Trump.

What are your thoughts, and others that you know?

-PLEASE COMMENT on this important topic at the following site-

http://www.revivalschool.com/


God bless you all.

Forgiveness and the Future of Your City

Forgiveness and the Future
of Your City
(En Español)

When I look at the conditions of our world -- the deep racial and political divisions, immigration problems, terror threats, national debt, wars, and lawlessness in our cities -- a deep foreboding comes over my soul. As Christians, we all believe the call of 2 Chronicles 7:14 offers hope, but what if there is no response to the call to humble ourselves and pray? Is there anything we can do to restore hope and stability?

There is a situation mentioned in the Bible that offers a solution. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, "and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem" (Jer. 34:1). Because of Israel’s sin even the Lord had seemingly withdrawn. For nearly forty years, Jeremiah pleaded with God’s people to repent, but they would not. Israel was nearly apostate, and the dire and repeated warnings of Jeremiah were about to come to pass.

However, hidden in the ways of God was a plan, a redemptive strategy that would reverse Israel’s direction. If the Jews implemented a "Year of Remission" (see Deut. 15:1-18), God would show to them the same mercy they showed to one another. What was required was that "each man [would] set free his male servant and each man his female servant . . . so that no one [would] keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage" (Jer. 34:9).

Not only did they agree to this year of release, but "all the officials and all the people obeyed." Then, in earnest faith, they "entered into the covenant . . . so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free" (Jer. 34:10).

The Bible says the Judeans then cut a calf in two and passed "between its parts" (Jer. 34:18). This was the same kind of covenant ritual Abraham had made with the Lord centuries earlier (see Gen. 15:10, 17-18.). The redemptive plan of God was this: If the Israelites set free their slaves, they would not be taken as slaves. If they showed mercy, God would show Himself merciful to them as well. Even though they were, by all counts, nearly apostate, the act of releasing the debts of others would have averted the destruction of their cities, for "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13)!

As they were releasing one another, something marvelous occurred. Supernaturally the Lord drew "the king of Babylon…away" (Jer. 34:21). At the very moment the people were releasing the debts of others, God was reducing their debt to Him. What they did on earth was actually being replicated for them in Heaven!

In all the years since the establishment of the Law, Israel had never celebrated such a year of release. Yet now, even with their enemies within striking range, Israel covenanted with God to free every man his slave.

Unforgiveness in the Church
How does the above story relate to us? Today we too are facing overwhelming foes. Our society is overrun with corruption and the church is hardly better than the world. The prophets are warning of judgment, and at times, it seems as though God has stopped listening to our prayers.

Yet I believe if we can sincerely forgive those who are spiritual debtors to us -- even starting with those in our homes and families -- if we extend forgiveness to our neighbors and proclaim release to those who left our churches, if Blacks could forgive Whites and white people forgive people of color, the mercy of God will begin to fall again on our land.

Let the Lord reveal all with whom you have unforgiveness. Let mayors announce a day of release. Let white police and people from the Black community pray for each other, asking for forgiveness for mistakes and abuses. If we show mercy, God will show mercy as well.

Don't forget, Jesus taught that if we are at the altar and remember someone has unforgiveness toward us, we are to leave our offering and be reconciled (Matt. 5:23-24). Reconciliation is more important than ritual, according to the Lord. Yes, let us covenant with God for our communities and even for our nation!

Indeed, let us take this one step further: let us release those who have voted for candidates with whom we strongly disagree. It is time to rid ourselves of every debt we feel we are owed by others. And let us start anew to rebuild our lives in Christ and reunite in the power of redemption. Let us bring Christ’s covenant of forgiveness into our interracial relationships, and let us, each one, forgive others as completely as God in Christ has forgiven us.

The Sad End of Jeremiah 34
In spite of the great breakthrough Israel experienced, their story ends badly. For when the enemy left and the pressure was off, each man "took back" his male and female servants and “brought them into subjection" (see vv. 13-16).

Beloved, hear me please: If only the Jews would have followed through and held fast their release, the Book of Lamentations never would have been written! Mercy would have triumphed and remained, but such was not the case.

Still, for us, the final chapters of our times are yet to be written. We can learn from the example we see in Jeremiah 34. If we will embrace mercy, if we can sincerely release one another, we will escape the dire expectations coming to meet our sinful society. Our actions today, even now, will determine whether our society is blessed or judged. Let us, therefore, release the debts of every man and covenant for mercy for our land.

Heavenly Father, we recall the words of Jesus, Your Son. He mentioned how often He desired to gather the people together, but they would not have it. He warned that their house would be left to them desolate. We hear this and set our hearts to forgive and maintain forgiveness. We ask to be gathered together, to forgive and to be healed from the burden of our past. God have mercy on us even as we extend mercy to others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, When the Many Are One, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Save up to 50% this week
Limited time offer

When the Many Are One

How the Christian community - driven by grace, unified in love, and activated by prayer - can bring revival and change the world.

Our best efforts will not stop the flood of problems in our cities if we remain isolated from each other. In a season when external forces are causing disunity and division, Francis Frangipane calls us back to oneness with Christ, and through Him oneness with other Christians. With the character and power of Christ in our midst, the Church can again bring transformation to our communities, our nation, and our world.

Book - $8.75 (Retail $15.00)
Ebook - $8.75 (Retail $15.00)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

This Day We Fight!

This book is anointed to help the reader get their fire back. The Holy Spirit is ready to impart a fresh anointing to God's people - an anointing that will activate the "war mode" in the church. Published by Chosen Books. View Francis introducing this book
1. The Bronze Bow 2. Fighting the Fight of Faith 3. This Day We Fight! 4. The War Mode 5. Love-Motivated Warfare 6. Embracing the Fight of Faith 7. Overcoming Discouragement 8. If We Do Not Lose Heart 9. Goliath Had a Brother 10. Overcoming Fear 11. Unwavering Perseverance 12. Your Appointment Awaits You	13. A Word to the Women of God 14. Prayer Warriors 15. Fighting For Our Families 16. The Real Jesus 17. Will Jesus Find Faith in You? 18. When David Captured Jerusalem 19. Hastened in Its Time 20. And Then the End Shall Come 21. Prophet, Priest and King 22. A Generation of Rulers 23. When America Blesses God 24. The Lord of Armies

Book $9.00 (Retail $15.00)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Spiritual Discernment and the
Mind of Christ - plus CD

How can you defeat your enemy if you don't know who or what you are fighting? Pastor Francis shares biblical insights on the gift of discernment and what it means to possess the mind of Christ. A few of the chapters are classics from Francis' previously published books; they have been rewritten, updated, and included here as foundational to our understanding of spiritual discernment.

Includes extra chapters from several of pastor's other books, including three from The Three Battlegrounds. These additional chapters give continuity and additional insight into the important subject of spiritual discernment.

Includes a training CD titled, Society of the Redeemers.

Book and Free Training CD - $7.71 (Retail $12.85)
Ebook - $7.71 (Retail $12.85)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

The War Mode CD Series

The reason most people fail is not because God hasn't provided for them, it is because their spiritual life is lukewarm and passive. It is time to get your grit back! These messages will break the spell of passivity while helping you to develop a war-mode mentality. In this day of advancing evil, it is time to wake up and fight!

Audio message titles:
You Have Authority | Ready for Battle
Without Fear | Love-motivated Prayer

CD Audio Series - $15.60 (Retail $26.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.80 (Retail $13.00)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Package of 2-Book/CD and CD series - $26.92
(Retail $53.85)
 

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

The Real Jesus

The Real Jesus
(En Español)
A Storm, a Ghost or Jesus?
Get used to the idea that Jesus is seeking to perfect your faith (Heb.12:2). Sooner or later, the real Jesus will require you to look straight in the eye of the impossible and believe God for His power.
Consider when the Lord sent His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee. Later that night, Jesus comes to them walking on water (see Matt. 14:22-33). Contrary winds are causing the sea to churn with turbulent swells. Of course, Jesus could have waited for a calm day to walk on water. Or He simply could have arrived at the other side of the sea supernaturally. No, the Lord comes to the disciples with something in mind: a lesson on faith.
Please note that this is a violent storm. Jesus offers no preliminary instruction, no "Basic Water-Walking 101." He doesn't let them practice on puddles or wait until winter so they could walk on frozen water first. He waits for a storm to teach how to walk on water, which is by all accounts harder to do on rolling waves than on a placid sea. Then, on top of that, He does not come in daylight; He comes at night. So Jesus comes to the disciples in the middle of the sea, in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night to teach them how to walk on water. If you are taking notes, write this down: Jesus doesn't make lessons in faith easy! But this is the real Jesus with His real disciples, who were both physically tired and more than a little fearful.
Scripture says that the sight of a figure walking on the water, coming out of the blowing wind and spray in the darkness of the night, turns the disciples' fear into terror. They cry out, "It is a ghost!"
As Jesus approaches the boat, He calls out, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
When Jesus says in the midst of your storm, "It is I," it is a call to faith. When He says, "Take courage," it is a call to action. For true faith is a verb, not a noun. Again, if you are taking notes, write this down: true faith will always, at some point, require courage.
Peter says, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
This is wonderful, really. Here is an insight not only into the real Jesus but also into Peter's relationship with Christ. Ever since Peter has known Jesus, the Lord has required the disciples to do impossible things: heal the sick, feed multitudes with a lunch pail of food, raise the dead. Over and over Peter has seen Jesus work miracles; and then, over and over, Jesus has empowered Peter to do what he just saw Jesus do.
That night on the stormy sea, Peter has this amazing discernment, and this too is something you should underscore. He realizes that if it's really the Jesus he knows, in a moment He will tell him to do the impossible. And true to form, Jesus calls to Peter: "Come!"
Now Peter is not about to walk on the water, not really. When he steps out, Peter is walking on the word of the Lord: Come. Peter knows that the power to accomplish the impossible resides in obedience to Christ's word. It is this supernatural reality upon which he steps.
You see, faith is all about trusting the integrity of Jesus Christ's command. Do you think Peter feels power when he steps on the water? I don't think he feels anything besides the storm. No goose bumps. No "glory chills." Just obedience to the Lord’s word. With the spray in his face, Peter sits on the topside rail of the rocking boat, then swings his legs over the churning water. Peering through the wind and rain, he looks at Jesus. Then he slips down and stands upright on the rolling sea!
Splash! One step. Splash! Then another and another until Peter walks right up to Jesus. This is no little walk. Admittedly, anyone can walk on water for the first step. It is the second step and beyond that is difficult. Peter walks until the waves grab his attention; he takes his eyes off Jesus, and then he begins to sink. Jesus saves him, of course, and when they get into the boat the wind stops.
Maybe we would expect the Lord to say, "Peter, you did it!" Maybe Peter was expecting praise for his short water-walking career, but no, Jesus lovingly rebukes him, saying, "Why did you doubt?"
Christ sees the beginning of something great within Peter, and He does not want it contaminated by religious pride or self-pity. Most of us want a medal every time we do something for God, but He is not about to let Peter or us build a monument to our accomplishments, especially when we are just beginning. If this miracle of Peter's were done by some of us here in America, in two weeks we would have tours, T-shirts and commemorative celebrations of the day we walked on water. But Jesus will allow none of that for His disciples. He sees greatness emerging in Peter, and He will not press His disciples toward anything other than conformity to His character.
Remember: God's goal is that we become Christlike. Therefore, the real Jesus is going to call us to do the impossible. Walking with God means that we will be called to do what we have never done before. You will see Jesus ahead of you, probably in some kind of storm, but it will be the beginning of a miracle that will change you and touch the world around you.
Lord, forgive me for seeking a safe life instead of a supernatural life. I want more of You. Call me out of the boat of my familiar, predictable world. Master, for the sake of reaching the lost, increase my faith until I am standing with You on the water of divine potential. In Jesus' name, Amen.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, This Day We Fight, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Save up to 50% this week
Limited time offer

This Day We Fight!

This book is anointed to help the reader get their fire back. The Holy Spirit is ready to impart a fresh anointing to God's people - an anointing that will activate the "war mode" in the church. Published by Chosen Books. View Francis introducing this book
1. The Bronze Bow 2. Fighting the Fight of Faith 3. This Day We Fight! 4. The War Mode 5. Love-Motivated Warfare 6. Embracing the Fight of Faith 7. Overcoming Discouragement 8. If We Do Not Lose Heart 9. Goliath Had a Brother 10. Overcoming Fear 11. Unwavering Perseverance 12. Your Appointment Awaits You	13. A Word to the Women of God 14. Prayer Warriors 15. Fighting For Our Families 16. The Real Jesus 17. Will Jesus Find Faith in You? 18. When David Captured Jerusalem 19. Hastened in Its Time 20. And Then the End Shall Come 21. Prophet, Priest and King 22. A Generation of Rulers 23. When America Blesses God 24. The Lord of Armies

Book $9.00 (Retail $15.00)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Spiritual Discernment and the
Mind of Christ - plus CD

How can you defeat your enemy if you don't know who or what you are fighting? Pastor Francis shares biblical insights on the gift of discernment and what it means to possess the mind of Christ. A few of the chapters are classics from Francis' previously published books; they have been rewritten, updated, and included here as foundational to our understanding of spiritual discernment.

Includes extra chapters from several of pastor's other books, including three from The Three Battlegrounds. These additional chapters give continuity and additional insight into the important subject of spiritual discernment.

Includes a training CD titled, Society of the Redeemers.

Book and Free Training CD - $7.71 (Retail $12.85)
Ebook - $7.71 (Retail $12.85)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

The War Mode CD Series

The reason most people fail is not because God hasn't provided for them, it is because their spiritual life is lukewarm and passive. It is time to get your grit back! These messages will break the spell of passivity while helping you to develop a war-mode mentality. In this day of advancing evil, it is time to wake up and fight!

Audio message titles:
You Have Authority | Ready for Battle
Without Fear | Love-motivated Prayer

CD Audio Series - $15.60 (Retail $26.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.80 (Retail $13.00)

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Package of 2-Book/CD and CD series - $26.92
(Retail $53.85)
 

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order

GREAT QUOTES on THE FEAR OF GOD

GREAT QUOTES on THE FEAR OF GOD

"There is no sin so prevalent, so insidious, and so deep as the sin
of fearing people more than we fear God."
-Kevin DeYoung

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
-Solomon

"The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you
fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear
everything else."
-Oswald Chambers

"The person who fears God seeks to live all of life to the glory of
God... All the activities of life should be pursued with the aim of
glorifying God."
-Jerry Bridges

"We fear men so much, because we fear God so little."
-William Gurnall

NEVER GIVE UP!!

OUR LORD's LESSON on PERSEVERANCE
by Kimberley Demmitt

I feel Led by Him to share His Lesson about perseverance. In
general, our Lord Reminds us that the Higher the Calling, the
longer & more arduous the preparation time, whereas the Grander
the Promise, the more the tenacity that is required in our
perseverance. *The biggest Blessings will always occur in a
magnitude that is directly proportional to the degree of difficulties
in attaining Them. *So, please,*do not quit  *-- no matter how
long you have waited, how painful it has been, or what mistakes
you may have made along the way.  Trust our Lord's Love enough
to believe that He would never allow any of His Beloved Children
to be cruelly deceived for endless years by a delusion -- no one
who sincerely seeks to know Him or His Will can ever be led
astray.  We must*choose*to be deceived.

The Faith Walk is not for the faint-hearted or the shrinking violets.
One of the mandatory characteristics, which our Lord will develop
through His Character within us, is that of *fierce tenacity in the
face of all adversity.*

The events & characters in the Bible provide priceless analogies,
which our Lord will happily Teach each one of us through the
Agency of the Holy Spirit.  For perseverance, an excellent
illustration is presented in the Book of Genesis (Chapter 32), 
in which Jacob wrestles with the Angel all night long until dawn.
Here is what our Lord Showed me to learn from this chapter:

At the time of this event, Jacob was returning to his homeland for the
first time after 20 years of self-imposed exile... In spite of our Lord's
assurances that He would be with Jacob when He instructed him to
return to his homeland, Jacob did what we all have a tendency to do --
he tried to act in his own power to secure his brother's favor by sending
him a conciliatory message of subservience & an offering of  livestock
& servants. This he did because he was unwilling to relinquish his fear
& trust our Lord to Keep His Word to Protect him -- like us, he wrestled
with the doubts of whether or not he had understood our Lord correctly,
&  he felt helpless unless he tried to do something, himself, to  "help
God out"... just in case God Forgot about him, perhaps. 

However, his conciliatory gesture was met with silence -- & the news
that Esau was approaching to meet him head on with 400 men.
That was not encouraging -- & it sure didn't sound like he was under any
Divine Protection.  If God had Blessed him, then why was Esau coming
against him with 400 men?  Cold terror compounded the years of guilt as
Jacob realized that he had no army with him & could not withstand any
assaults inaugurated by Esau. So, in that long lonely night of isolation,
Jacob felt  himself collapse helplessly to the ground as the crippling
waves of guilt & terror brought him almost to the point of hysteria, & he
feared that our Lord had Abandoned him & Revoked all Blessings
because of his deception & for his failure to totally trust our Lord when
he was assured that the Divine Presence would be with him upon his
return. 

Feeling as though he had thoroughly messed up everything on all counts,
Jacobplunged into the most wretched depths of despair that any human
being can ever experience.

As he cried out to God, he felt a strong hand upon his shoulder. Thus
ensued a grim struggle for mastery without a single word being uttered
between Jacob and the stranger. As dawn approached, the stranger
placed a finger on Jacob's thigh & crippled him instantly, possibly by
dislocating the hip joint.  At that point, Jacob recognized that his
opponent was no ordinary mortal, but an Angel --& that recognition
brought to mind the promises of forgiveness and blessing that our Lord
had given him. So, in spite of the desperate turmoil in his heart and the
agonizing physical pain, Jacob clung to the Angel & refused to let go.

As dawn was arriving, the Angel  commanded Jacob to release him, 
but Jacob groaned, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me".
This was not declared in a petulant, arrogant, demanding spirit, but
rather it was the cry from the soul's depths of one who recognized his
errors & God's Mercy, & who was now desperately entreating God for
His Promises, in spite of his own unworthiness.

Even though he was in agony in all levels of his being & maintaining
his grip on the Angel required every ounce of his mortal life force,
Jacob persisted in hanging on & would have done so even if it had
meant dying in the process.  His perseverance was rewarded, for the
Angel symbolically removed the stain of his sin by declaring,*"Thy
name shall be called no more Jacob (the deceiver/supplanter), but
Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and
hast prevailed"* (Genesis 32: 28).

Thus Jacob's long night of personal hell was more than amply Rewarded
-- not only was his original sin against Esau officially removed in the
change of his name to the princely "Israel," but Esau's heart was also
moved by our Lord's loving Spirit to greet his brother with a weeping
embrace instead of combat. Because of Jacob's perseverance throughout
the long struggle, the emotional & physical pain, & his acute awareness
of his own failures and sense of unworthiness, our Lord did far more
than merely honor His Promise to Jacob. By his new name of Israel, he
was forever immortalized by a nation of people that still exists many
centuries later.

The Lesson our Lord Wishes for us to derive from Jacob's account is One
of Perseverance, no matter how dark & despairing things may appear.
We are to cling to our Lord at all costs & let nothing loosen that grip
-- not pain, not failure, not weariness from the length of time spent in
holding on, & not even our own mistakes and sense of unworthiness.
None of us has ever "earned" anything from our Lord -- He Gives to us
because He Loves us & because He Wants to Give Good Things to His
Children, not because of how "good" we are or how "holy," "religious,"
or "perfect" we are. Even if we make errors throughout our long wait, He
will always Honor His Word to us because that is His Love & Grace "In
Action," & He is All Perfection. 

So, if we remember that our Lord is always Faithful to "Come
Through" for us (even if not necessarily on our time-table) & we
emulate the tenacity of Jacob in our perseverance to hang onto
Him until He Blesses us, He will surely justify such faith in the
long run & prove that no one who puts his or her trust in Him
shall ever be ashamed (see *Romans 10:11)-- especially those
of you who have given Him your entire lives for many, many years.

More GREAT QUOTES

More GREAT QUOTES

"When there´s something in the Bible that churches don´t like,
they call it `legalism.´"
-Leonard Ravenhill

"I don´t believe there is a man on the whole TV that preaches
salvation. They preach forgiveness. Forgiveness is not salvation.
They point out "there´s a man in bed with some other man's wife in
a Motel". "Oh you know the Lord loves you just as you are." Well
then why get changed? Commit adultery as much as you like. He
still loves you. Be a cheat, be a liar, be a thief, and be a failure.
He still loves you. But there´s a scripture. Isn´t it the Psalms 7....
where it says "God is angry with the wicked every day.""
-- Leonard Ravenhill.

"We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of
the first." -- Oswald J. Smith

"I doubt that more than two percent of professing Christians in the
United States are truly born again."
-Leonard Ravenhill

"What good does it do to speak in tongues on Sunday if you have
been using your tongue during the week to curse and gossip?"
-Leonard Ravenhill

"Why do we expect to be better treated in this world than Jesus was?"
-Leonard Ravenhill

"Today´s church wants to be raptured from responsibility."
-Leonard Ravenhill

The DEADLY VIRUS of CELEBRITY CHRISTIANITY

The DEADLY VIRUS of CELEBRITY CHRISTIANITY
by J. Lee Grady

Some bigheaded preachers demand rock star treatment. If the
apostle Paul were around today he might throw rocks at them.

Just when I thought we charismatics had finally taken enough
abuse from the egomaniac ministers in our midst, I've learned that
some of our leaders are taking things to a new extreme. We've
moved beyond the red carpets, limousines and entourages of the
1990s. A new strain of the celebrity virus is spreading in large
segments of the church.

"What is this sickness spreading in the body of Christ? All I know
is that God is grieved by all of this shameful carnality."

One friend of mine in Texas recently inquired to see if a prominent
preacher could speak at her conference. The minister's assistant
faxed back a list of requirements that had to be met in order to
book a speaking engagement. The demands included:
  a.. a five-figure honorarium
  b.. a $10,000 gasoline deposit for the private plane
  c.. a manicurist and hairstylist for the speaker
  d.. a suite in a five-star hotel
  e.. a luxury car from the airport to the hotel (2004 model or newer)
  f.. room-temperature Perrier  

This really makes me wonder how the apostle Paul, Timothy or
Priscilla managed ministering to so many people in Ephesus,
Corinth and Thessalonica. How did they survive without a
manicurist if they broke a nail while laying hands on the sick?

I was relieved to know that this celebrity preacher's requirements
in 2007 did not include a set of armed bodyguards - because I just
might want to jump uninvited into her Rolls-Royce and say a few words.

It gets worse, if you can believe it. At a charismatic conference in
an East Coast city recently, a pastor stood on a stage in front of
a large crowd and smugly announced that the guest speaker was
"more than an apostle." Then the host asked everyone to bow
down to the person, claiming that this posture was necessary to
release God's power.

"This is the only way you can receive this kind of anointing!" the
host declared, bowing in front of the speaker. Immediately, about
80 percent of the audience fell prostrate on the floor. The few who
were uncomfortable with the weird spiritual control in the room
either walked out or stood in silent protest.

So today, I guess it's not enough to feed a celebrity preacher's ego
by treating them like a rock star. We also are required to worship him.

And apparently in some places you even have to pay big bucks to
speak with him. In a city in the South, a well-known preacher is
known to ask for money in order to secure a five- or 10-minute
counseling session. The minister uses Proverbs 18:16, "A man's
gift makes room for him and brings him before great men" (NASB),
to support this bizarre practice. Some people are known to give
more than $1,000 for a short meeting.

People on fixed incomes need not apply. (That would include
lepers, blind beggars, Samaritan women or any other social
outcasts who were welcomed and healed by Jesus without payment.)

What has become of the American church? What is this sickness
spreading in the body of Christ? I don't know whom to blame more
for it: The narcissistic minister who craves the attention, or the
spiritually naive crowds who place these arrogant people on their
shaky pedestals. All I know is that God is grieved by all of this
shameful carnality.

How far we have fallen from authentic New Testament faith. Paul,
who carried the anointing of an apostle but often described himself
as a bond slave, told the Thessalonians, "Having so fond an
affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only
the gospel of God but also our own lives" (1 Thess. 2:8).

New Testament Christianity is humble, selfless and authentic. And
those who carry the truth don't preach for selfish gain or to meet
an emotional need for attention. May God help us root out the false
apostles and false teachers who are making the American church
sick with their man-centered, money-focused heresies.

~SOURCE:  http://www.charismanews.com/ (2007)