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Prophet Discontent in Local Church
Monday, August 18, 2008
I recently received a question from a prophet in a local church in America. The question went something like this:
What do you do when there you are discontent in your local church? Although I am in an apostolic/prophetic church, I still see so much that makes me want to run. In fact, I believe in being a part of a strong local assembly, but have been so badly wounded by people who know better but are themselves struggling to come into that new place. I just feel “STUCK” in this “PLACE” that I now feel I am “man-pleasing” and going through ritualism just to STAY IN CHURCH!!”
While we don’t understand the total situation of this prophet, there are some guidelines for safety that might help us avoid making the wrong decision about leaving a church God intends for us to stay in.
If it’s a dead church where the Holy Spirit isn’t hanging out, get out. If the transition of a church is slow, that’s normal. No church is perfect.
The devil always tries to get us to unplug and run from where we are really supposed to be.
The devil will always try to drive a wedge between the prophets and the apostles/leaders. The devil will always find plenty of people to agree with what’s wrong in a church.
If the leaders are in known sin, then get out from under that covering. But if it’s presumption or just personality clashes or your own frustration over other people’s failure to “catch on” or transition quickly enough, that’s not the right motivation for leaving.
Could it be possible that if the prophets came together and prayed for God’s foundation to be laid and a strong apostolic-prophetic ministry to be built that you would see a change in time?
Mind you, I am talking about praying His will, not praying witchcraft, i.e. praying for people to change or to do something you want them to do.
No matter what, it’s our responsibility to pray for the leadership. Pray for wisdom, grace, strategies. If we aren’t doing that, then we have no right to complain. Ultimately, we need to hear from God on the matter.
But the Holy Spirit doesn’t speak with a forked tongue. If He called you there, you shouldn’t be too quick to leave without making sure He’s calling you to leave. It could just be that the Holy Spirit is using a situation to break you so He can put an even greater anointing on you.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I’m not going to presume to know exactly what this person is dealing with, but I have a story that might help.
About a year ago I was in a church where the gifts were “accepted”, but with a very strong hand against them. I heard countless teachings AGAINST charismatic craziness etc, but still felt like God wanted my wife and I to stay. Anyway, I’ll try to keep this short, but one day I heard a sermon where the pastor said, “No one HEARS from God, but rather we get “impressions” or “think” we hear God etc.” he also went on to say, “No one SEES demons they just “think” the see them.
Anyway, being the prophetic thorn in the church that I am, I confronted him after the service. I went to him with humility and said, “I want to understand what you were saying about hearing God and seeing demons etc.” I let him explain it again incase I heard wrong. When he said it the same way I said, “I have heard God’s audible voice and I have seen demons with my eyes…” He started trying to convince me that I didn’t really experience those things and it went on and on for hours. Anyway, I was extremely nice and talked to him with a smile even though he as yelling at me.
Long story shorter…He finally told me he had 3 choices.
1. I was mentally insane and should be put in a hospital and on drugs.
2. He told me he should kill me according to Deut., but because he didn’t have civil authority he couldn’t kill me, but he could kick me out of the church.
3. I was telling the truth, which he didn’t believe, and I should be running the church. Which we know isn’t the case.
I thought he was exaggerating, but he wasn’t. I decided to call it a night and even as I was walking away he was yelling at me, “You have to convince me!!”. I said, “No I don’t. I have been talking to you politely all night and your yelling at me telling me I should be killed. I hope you have a great night and I’ll talk to you soon.”
Needless to say that when I got home I was a wreck. I had felt betrayed by a friend, pastor, leader etc. I was completely in shambles because I hadn’t been rejected to that extent before. I had never had a pastor tell me i should be killed let alone he should be the one to kill me.
I know that was a long story, but sometimes we are in church to hold the prophetic door open. I went to that church for a couple more months just trying to restore the friendships etc. God used me more in the last couple months than he did in the year I had gone there. Sometimes we need to learn obedience where we are at regardless of what everything around us is telling us. I can’t tell you how many people told me, “You need to leave that church…”, but God had something else in mind. I’m not saying your situation is that, but it is something to consider.
Also, our frustrations are a key to to what we need to be in the church. The problem arises when we let those frustrations manifest in the church. If we manifest negatively in the church we become a thorn to leadership in a negative way. We don’t promote change when our frustrations go against people and situations. What we must come to is the realization that our frustrations can be the very thing that promote change. Are you frustrated with worship? Then upgrade your worship and be an example. Are you frustrated with the lack of fire in the services? Catch fire and spread it to others. That is the basic premise. Somewhere prophetic people lose sight of the fact that we have an incredible influence by our lifestyle. If we become who were were made to be in Christ then it will spread. Turn those frustrations into blessings and manifest correctly to the people who are difficult to love.
I pray your situation clears up and God shows you what you GET to become to the church your at.
Dustin
dustin@endurelife.com
October 11th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
This reminds me of once visiting a spirituall dead baptist church once, the singers were so annointed I begain to weep as the Lord’s voice spoke to me saying…If your ashamed to praise me here I’ll be ashamed of you.The spirit of the Lord came all over me and I begain to life my hands and praise Him in fear that I might be thrown out, I had tried to ignore the Holy Spirit, but He had another plan in mind.You see I found out after the services that some spirit filled people had visited that church earlier that year and had spoken a prophetic word to that church saying that they’de never be the same after that prophetic word was spoken over the church….If I had not obeyed the Lord that day I would of had to live with guilt the rest of my life…anyhow after I lifted my hands and cryed out and praised Him, I opened my eyes later expecting to see people who were staring at me or ready to kick me out the door! God is so good Amen…people were standing up praising Him! Before the service was over that day, I just couldn’t contain myself from the preaching the little baptist preacher was preaching, God’s spirit was flowing so heavy until I could not hold back my Amens…the next thing I knew 3 rows of people behind me in the pews were then yelling AMEN along with me lol, then the front row begain to yell AMEN! I heard a year or so later a cousin of mine that attends that church got filled with the Spirit and begain to speak in heavenly language. Praise God He knows what He wants to do in a service He just needs willing vessels to hear His Holy voice and obey His leading. Glory!