Charismatic Bible Studies - 1 Peter 3:1-7

[RandyK]

Man this is so true. New Testament services involved participation, not spectating. Congregations just LIGHT UP when you allow them to participate. The problem comes when they don't keep order. You will have some who will go on and on at length and none of it is anointed. You will have some who start teaching off base doctrines. But the answer is not to just shut it all back down. The answer was for the leadership to bring it back into order. But it takes a strong enough leader who can sit some sister back down if she is just spouting forever and everyone can tell it's not God. Same with sound doctrine. Sit the guy back down. They tested the spirits. They didn't just let a false or evil spirit run off at the mouth forever and not be silenced.

It takes strong and wide leadership, but not allowing a congregation to participate in a service is NOT New Testament Christianity, and the sooner that mistake gets corrected the better. He was supposed to operate through the entire congregation, not just one man. The church is a body, not just a head.

We had a strong pastor and a weak pastor, as you suggested. The strong one opened up the service to other gifts. One lady was an incredibly gifted singer--won a contest on the 700 Club! But she had a tendency to "take over."

But our strong pastor corralled her, and kept her in order. The result was wonderful! Unfortunately, it was his "strength" that did him in, because a few of the deacons and elders were incensed by some of his independent choices, and the church fell into division until the pastor left.

Then we had a weak pastor, who could not control this "out-of-control" worship singer. So he openly humiliated her, and the pastor's wife, a prophetess, utilized "prophecy" to condemn the lady and her friends on the worship team. Again, the result was division until the pastor had to leave.

Yes, we have problems in our church. But if we respond to the Devil by backing down we will always be forced to quit, and silence the voice of the Spirit. As you say, we need to not surrender to problems, but to persevere in allowing the Spirit to speak. We just need to be strong and self-controlled!

 

[Hidden In Him]

On another occasion, also many years ago, I was in Europe and visited a Pentecostal service open to all Pentecostal churches in the area. I had been going through the worst time in my life, and the minister said there was an area of the church where someone was having a difficult time. He even identified my row of seats, but I would not divulge my condition out of embarrassment.

So the minister just had everybody pray for that area of the church. I feel sorry for those who go out on a limb with special gifts. But God certainly must give them some serious confidence in what they're doing?

Yeah, and this is humility in action to admit this.

I felt led to divulge some secret stuff to a sister a few months ago that was NOT good. Secrets I hadn't shared with anyone, and not something I think most people could handle. But we made it through it, and it has opened the door up to some things now. It's not always easy fully confessing things, cuz some stuff can be really dark, but the question becomes do we truly trust Him or not? I think the trouble for many is, they have to trust His people. But it still comes down to are you trusting Him when all is said and done, because in the operation of things He uses His people.

 

[Hidden In Him]

We had a strong pastor and a weak pastor, as you suggested. The strong one opened up the service to other gifts. One lady was an incredibly gifted singer--won a contest on the 700 Club! But she had a tendency to "take over."

But our strong pastor corralled her, and kept her in order. The result was wonderful! Unfortunately, it was his "strength" that did him in, because a few of the deacons and elders were incensed by some of his independent choices, and the church fell into division until the pastor left.

Then we had a weak pastor, who could not control this "out-of-control" worship singer. So he openly humiliated her, and the pastor's wife, a prophetess, utilized "prophecy" to condemn the lady and her friends on the worship team. Again, the result was division until the pastor had to leave.

Man your posts are good sometimes, LoL.

There can be so much going on, and again it takes the gifts to navigate situations like this. As a leader you have to be able to monitor those around you. Where are they spiritually? Are they susceptible to the enemy right now? Could they be manipulated into opposing something the Spirit of God is telling you needs to be done? It's a delicate balance, and even very strong leaders can be done in if they are not ever watchful of what is going on around them spiritually.

But the weak leader has no chance. He will refuse to lead and then get resentful and bitter when things mysteriously get out of hand, and eventually just be conquered by the enemy himself and used, and then everyone picks up on it and just starts heading for the exits if he is not forced to leave.

So many things go on. It's why you see the apostle Paul constantly struggling to hold the churches together in his letters, and why he mentioned amongst his sufferings "the anxiety over all the churches." The enemy was coming in behind him everywhere he went and just cutting them to ribbons in various ways. But the reason the Lord allows it is because believers have to come to the place where THEY themselves can be governed by the Holy Spirit. They were supposed to let the SPIRIT arbitrate in their hearts, not an apostle or a pastor or a teacher or a prophet. Ultimately we must all learn to be governed by the Holy Spirit ourselves, or there will always be weaknesses. The pastor or leader is simply there to guide things when a congregation can NOT follow His leading properly. They should not be a permanent crutch the congregation relies on to keep from screwing things up.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Not long from spending some time with the Lord here soon, but I wanted to post a couple threads that relate to the OP. The army of God will be called that for some very good reasons, and maybe primary because they won't just haphazardly go through life. They will receive orders from the Lord by operating in the prophetic, and will act on them as soldiers would.

Are You A Soldier Under Command? Part 1

Are You A Soldier Under Command? Part 1 Believers of all stripes need to ask themselves a question: Why will the end-time army of God be characterized by prophetic gifts, i.e. by operating in prophecy, dreams and visions, as is stated in Joel 2:28? The primary reason is because they will be...

christianforums.net

Are You A Soldier Under Command? Part 2

Are You A Soldier Under Command? Part 2 Is being a soldier of Christ about simply following one's "leadings," or is it about receiving clear directives from the Holy Spirit on where to go, when to go there, and what to do when you arrive? This may be a bit of an uncomfortable set of questions...

christianforums.net

 

[JLB]

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:4