Question and answer Wednesday...
Serenity asked…I'm still confused about that word "anointing."
As I always say I am not an expert--I am still learning myself so I may have left some things out. I always welcome comments further explaining anything that I have left out. With that said…The anointing is the power and ability to do what any given situation requires. My SF explained it one day like this--“the anointing is that power in and on us that makes G-d, G-d. It‘s smeared on.” It’s not for us, it’s for others. That’s why we doubt that we have it. But the Bible says that we have this power in earthen vessels (2 Corin 4:7). If you recall in (2 Kings 2:14) Elijah’s mantle had the anointing in it that allowed Elisha to part the Jordan. And in the new testament the Anointing in Jesus’ Tallit (prayer shawl) was so heavy that the woman with the issue of blood just touched the hem or the fringes and the blood was dried up and she was healed (Matthew 9:20).
It’s given to us for the edification of the church (1 Corin 14:12). We tend to limit it to kingdom things though a person can be anointed to do anything--for example Warren Buffet is anointed in the area of making money, Martha Stewart in the area of anything crafty and orderly in the home, Zig Ziglar in the area of sales and Tony Robbins in the area of motivation. Now in the kingdom, the anointing is placed or rather given by the Holy Spirit to whomsoever he chooses to do the work that G-d has called them to do (Hebrews 2:4). When it is present in a church burdens are lifted and yokes are destroyed removed. I don’t mean shouting, because noise is no indication of whether the anointing is present. I mean people get the deliverance they need in any area. Delivered from drugs, emotional burdens, etc.
What are your thoughts on Pastors who have amassed a lot of wealth and have material items, however most of their congregation is poor?
I don’t really have an opinion really, but I will speak from personal experience. A lot of churches are probably guilty of it. I have belonged to several huge ministries here. They take large salaries from their congregations and raise offerings to meet the needs of the church. Which is fine if that’s the way they desire to operate. The problem seems to be that the congregations are not truly being taught how to operate in faith thus they remain poor while the ministries grow and Pastors are able to get wealthy. They can’t teach what they really don’t know. It really doesn’t take faith to believe in people so that the money will increase and you are able to make more money. That's a simple economics lesson. Faith is operating in the power of G-d to either create something from nothing or create something new from something already existing. People come because you are large or because they see you with stuff and they think surely they will end up with a lot of stuff too. Nor does it require faith to have a pastors anniversary--which is not bible but tradition in most circles. I watched them raise 40-50,000 dollars in one day for the anniversary, someone would give them a car and not one person was given anything to my knowledge. I have sat in those churches and was not even able to understand how to believe in a car and I did everything they told me. I cut out so much stuff that I felt constricted but I needed the breakthrough and I thought it was worth the sacrifice. I quoted scripture not understanding that I had to personalize it and I waited and nothing happened. And then they were for the most part regurgitating the same sermons--which would not have been bad if they were actually adding new information to it. But just the same old things. People think that faith is simple--it can be sometimes. Especially in the beginning. But try to get your bills paid minus your salary and minus borrowing--simply believing G-d to do it. See, that's a different level of faith. I stayed until G-d moved me.
It’s given to us for the edification of the church (1 Corin 14:12). We tend to limit it to kingdom things though a person can be anointed to do anything--for example Warren Buffet is anointed in the area of making money, Martha Stewart in the area of anything crafty and orderly in the home, Zig Ziglar in the area of sales and Tony Robbins in the area of motivation. Now in the kingdom, the anointing is placed or rather given by the Holy Spirit to whomsoever he chooses to do the work that G-d has called them to do (Hebrews 2:4). When it is present in a church burdens are lifted and yokes are destroyed removed. I don’t mean shouting, because noise is no indication of whether the anointing is present. I mean people get the deliverance they need in any area. Delivered from drugs, emotional burdens, etc.
What are your thoughts on Pastors who have amassed a lot of wealth and have material items, however most of their congregation is poor?
I don’t really have an opinion really, but I will speak from personal experience. A lot of churches are probably guilty of it. I have belonged to several huge ministries here. They take large salaries from their congregations and raise offerings to meet the needs of the church. Which is fine if that’s the way they desire to operate. The problem seems to be that the congregations are not truly being taught how to operate in faith thus they remain poor while the ministries grow and Pastors are able to get wealthy. They can’t teach what they really don’t know. It really doesn’t take faith to believe in people so that the money will increase and you are able to make more money. That's a simple economics lesson. Faith is operating in the power of G-d to either create something from nothing or create something new from something already existing. People come because you are large or because they see you with stuff and they think surely they will end up with a lot of stuff too. Nor does it require faith to have a pastors anniversary--which is not bible but tradition in most circles. I watched them raise 40-50,000 dollars in one day for the anniversary, someone would give them a car and not one person was given anything to my knowledge. I have sat in those churches and was not even able to understand how to believe in a car and I did everything they told me. I cut out so much stuff that I felt constricted but I needed the breakthrough and I thought it was worth the sacrifice. I quoted scripture not understanding that I had to personalize it and I waited and nothing happened. And then they were for the most part regurgitating the same sermons--which would not have been bad if they were actually adding new information to it. But just the same old things. People think that faith is simple--it can be sometimes. Especially in the beginning. But try to get your bills paid minus your salary and minus borrowing--simply believing G-d to do it. See, that's a different level of faith. I stayed until G-d moved me.
We don’t pay a salary to my SF. Which allows all the funds to be allocated to meet the needs of the ministry. He has never asked us to sow a seed for buses or building funds or whatever. 99 percent of the time he tells us to give as we are directed by the Holy Spirit. He is forver ginvg to someone. Since I have been a part of my church which is almost 1 year and a half, I have watched him give away about 15 cars. The last one was a brand new Chevy Tahoe limites addition with rims and all--before the it was a brand new cadillac Sts and an Inifinti Q56 fully loaded. Last month he gave at least 15,000 dollars away--10, 000 to one specific person. Shoot, sunday he gave away 1,000. (and of course I told you how he paid my rent for the last 3 months). He's operating as Jesus commanded Peter when he said "Feed my Sheep". It's about more than the word, it's with things as well. But again that's how he chooses to operate. Everyone seems to have a different opinion.
As saints we always say that we reap what we sow not understanding that when we sow need, need is returned to us. Our offering is a seed therefore it operates to attract that which we sow it to. The word says give and IT shall be given unto you…Luke 6:38. I do however think it's a shame because these people are trying to live for G-d and being fleeced as they are in some circumstances, not all, causes people to often compromise and become jaded. The word that we are being taught should nourish us and build us up and cause change in us. It's not about motivation, it's about giving us the truth so that we can walk in holiness and purity because the scritptures tell us that when we do so we can possess our possesions(Obadiah 1:17). We shouldn't reamin the same way, operating the same way. Growth should come at some point if you are yielded.
If G-d ever calls me to handle an entire congregation, it is my desire to operate minus the salary and in the supernatural so that I can be a blessing to my people by not only teaching them what they need to know but by walking it myself.
Please rememeber the second question is an OPINION. It is my own personal experience. It is not however a judgment on anyone's ministry. They are free to operate however they feel the should.
Be Blessed.
Chosen.
Those were good answers Chosen...very thorough and to the point, especially the explanation of the annointing. I never thought of it as an edification of the church, but makes the whole lot of sense, especially from the point of view you presented in relation to the Holy Spirit.
Now, I attend one of those Mega churches in my area. Never would I have thought that I would go to such a church, because I hate crowds, but it was one of them things where I was saying "Lord, you leading me to go here, so this is on you"... (STILL repenting behind that attitude, lol) So in saying that, looking over the past 5 years of my membership, I can see that God has me where he needs for ME to be because he knew my areas of need. I have grown so much there. And I get a whole lot of word.
With that said, I get a lot of flack for going there. I try not to argue with folks, heck, I gotta go wherever my provision is, plain and simple. Hey, if they think I am being skewered and fleeced, please pray for me, that's what I say, lol. In the mean time, I think I will chill.... I am being very well spiritually fed... I am doing very well these days...
But i have always told people, you know when you are being fleeced. I am a giver and tither, wherever I go, before I even attended that Church. Because it is between me and God. And if your giving is not between you and God, whether it's a huge congregation or not; or if you don't have a true personal relationship with God, then you got problems, problems, problems. If you find yourself agonizing over what a preacher is doing...Bottom line... if you don't have peace and progress, keep it moving.
I like what you say here about YOU seeing YOUR pastor sow seed. i don't think anyone thinks much about this these days... This is what I look for. My pastor recently gave away his 100th car. He doesn't take a salary either (although I think he should, just my personal opinion). My biggest question, when I look at any pastor is... they got a lot... hmm, I wonder what kind of seed are they sowing?? Is he even sowing seed? Is he practicting what he is teaching, if he is teaching at all??
Just a few of my thoughts... I was about to post on this subject elsewhere, but now I don't have to! Good post, great thought-provoking answers as always.
Posted by
LadyLee |
1:37 PM
That's exactly it. When I was going to the 2 churches I was talking about, it was really bothering me that I never saw him give. I mean we all giving aren't you supposed to be the first partaker? And then thing with the fleecing wasn't even that it was the whining about people getting their money together for the Pastor's anniversary. Why should we give extra if you already have an envelope to give to you. We should give when we are being led and not because you said so. Shoot, I always tell people, I don't care where my money is going because I give to G-d. But in those instances, I was really irritated.
My pastor says he doesn'ttake a salary because G-d pays better than we can. Which is true.
Posted by
Chosen |
4:57 PM
"We should give when we are being led and not because you said so."
Now, I agree with that. Basically that's the gist of it. When one gives out of some sort of fear (I'm not sure that fear is a good word) something is wrong with that. I am seeing a pattern while reading the Old Testament, that in cases when people do give, it is willingly and with a cheerful heart. I have found myself that I purposefully keep my money in my pocket when a preacher is begging for money or trying to roll a guilt trip... I'm thinking to myself, "Did you get on your knees and pray about it? Are you depending on God or are you depending on the people?" Wow. And I make SURE not to go to that place again. I feel like a pastor should be dependent on God for his needs instead of the people, overall. I need to see him sowing, and I need to know that he is praying...
"My pastor says he doesn'ttake a salary because G-d pays better than we can. Which is true."
This is true, basically because it avoids a lot of issues overall. And it makes everyone feel better. I'm just the type that can care less. My pastor says he lives off of tapes and books and calls it a day. But I look at the Pope and the Vatican, worth many billions of dollars... Why oh why does no one complain that the Vatican is so wealthy (the Vatican itself is classified as an actual country).
I guess I'm just... strange. I have no hangups about wealthy churches... I feel like God knows everything, and will judge accordingly. You reap what you sow. What makes me SO sad, and I meet so many peeps like this, is that people stay in a church where they are not being spiritually fed, or there is a lot of mess going on. That brings about anxiety, which is a shame, because this is suppose to be church, a time of fellowship and worship, not a time of angst. I'm sorry, but I believe that God knows us better than we know ourselves, and is FULLY capable of placing each and every one of us exactly where He knows our needs will get met and where we can be spirtually fed.
Sorry to blog in your comment section, but I'd been thinking about posting on this subject matter elsewhere...
Posted by
LadyLee |
9:39 AM
I have another question for the week. Explain the difference b/t hope and faith.
Posted by
Serenity3-0 |
7:08 AM