1 Big Reason Spiritual People Are Leaving Churches - Bert Farias

1 Big Reason Spiritual People Are Leaving Churches

 9/6/2015 BERT FARIAS  charisma news

Spirit-filled people are leaving churches for this one reason. (Flickr)

"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:4-5).

A solid and stable friend of mine has left three churches in the last decade. She attended all of them for a period of time and then left.

In the first church, the pastor stopped having guest ministers in and the church began to dry up.

In the second church, there was a small stirring of the Spirit for a while, but then the church turned to the seeker-friendly philosophy and tongues were confined to the back room.

In the third church, again it was alright for some time, but then the leadership began to move in a different direction and incorporate modern church growth principles and Madison Avenue tactics that grieved the Holy Spirit, and everything changed. Soon greasy doctrines slid into the church. She had no choice but to leave again.

To those really seeking to encounter God, soon the fancy stage, the bright lights, the cool bands and the video screens, just become white noise to them. They want Spirit and fire.

There was a season in Catherine Booth's life, the wife of Salvation Army founder William Booth, where she visited different churches in her area "looking for burning words."

Smith Wigglesworth had a similar experience where the Spirit kept telling him to come out of dead works and dead churches. He continued to move with God throughout his entire life.

One day a youth leader made an appointment with his pastor to discuss the implementation of a new program for the young people. The pastor, a deeply spiritual man, listened patiently. After the young man finished talking, the pastor responded with these words: "Mom (his wife) and I have found over the years that prayer, the Word and moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit have always got the job done."

Think about these examples. The same thing is happening today. When pastors and church leaders fail to follow the plan of God some people leave because they are not being spiritually fed and fulfilled. Sometimes they cannot even articulate the reason they are leaving. They may tell you it's because of the music, or the preaching, or the youth and children's programs, but the underground reason may be because they are not encountering God any more.

I've read articles and exit polls about the many reasons people leave their churches, but most of them are surface reasons. They make it so complex and complicated causing more pastors and church leaders to continue re-hashing over the many ideas they could implement to increase their numbers. But is that what it's really about? The numbers? The Catholics have numbers; the Muslims have numbers; the Mormons have numbers. I would rather have 300 hungry-for-God people than 3,000 who want to be entertained.

Think about the many revivals throughout church history. Think about the ministers God has used to pioneer some of those revivals. It was the presence and power of God in these meetings and on these ministers that drew the people. Throughout history people have always craved the supernatural. I know that the local church also caters to people's natural lives and natural needs, and cannot be run like a revival. But the people also need continual renewals and refillings of the Holy Spirit.

If the presence and power of God are in manifestation and people still leave, what of it? Do you really want those kind of people in your church? Conversely, I know many spiritual people who are exiting their churches for lack of rain. They are not leaving due to offense or pride. They are not backsliding and leaving God, but they are leaving deadness, lightness and superficiality. There is a cry in God's people for the waters of the Spirit and fresh new wine.

"My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory." (Ps. 63:2-3)

It is amazing what leaders can build and do without God, especially right here in America. But that doesn't mean that God's stamp of approval is on what you are building or doing. Divine power can only manifest when there is an end to self-sufficiency. If you become lukewarm and stop hungering and thirsting for the Spirit you will become a disappointment to God. I don't care how big of a building or how many people attend your church.

I love the local church. I love pastors who truly lay down their lives for the people they serve. I believe the local church to be the hope of the world. But God wants to move. He has a plan. He has a purpose. And if we don't line up with it He has no choice but to move where He finds His people and His leaders hungering for His presence and power.

I have a pastor friend who is leading a thriving church. The adults, the youth, and the children are on fire there. He has several guest speakers and at least two revivals every year. There is an expression in his church of a diversity of the Holy Spirit's ministries and manifestations that is rare today. He is a man of love and prayer and he listens to the Lord. By today's standards he is unconventional in that he refuses to compromise prayer, the Word, and the moving of the Holy Spirit and implement the newest church growth programs or the latest fads.

This church has constant revival because there is liberty in the Spirit for the Lord to do what He wants to do. This church is producing spiritual people and not clock watchers and time servers.

Pentecostal meetings use to be called the gate of heaven because of all the manifestations of the Spirit and power of God they had. Testimonies of changed lives were frequent. These churches were known for tongues and power. One of the big reasons we are not seeing the power and the glory of God in many of our churches today is because we don't pray in tongues long enough until the Holy Spirit can take hold with us and give birth to these things.

Oh, people of God! Oh, ministers of the Lord! May we come to the end of our own wisdom, strength and sufficiency!

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).

The apostle Paul was careful to place the focus of the people he ministered to on the power of God and not on the wisdom of men. He did not want to bring attention to his own persuasive words or enticing speech. He did not want people to place their confidence on man's ability, or charisma and personality. There was nothing in his ministry that was natural. With fear and trembling he sought to make Christ manifest everywhere he went.

Too many churches have lost the glory because their pastors and ministry leaders live too much in the natural. Get back in the Spirit. May we fall on our face and pray, and let the Spirit of God have His way.

Pockets of true revival are breaking out across America. Want to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire's new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Bert M. Farias, revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, is the author of several books including The Real Spirit of Revival and the newly released My Son, My Son—a beautiful father-son memoir co-written with his son Daniel for the purpose of training up a holy generation. He ministers inter-denominationally and cross-culturally in nations, churches, conferences, crusades, on the streets, and in homes. He and his wife also host The Holy Ghost Forum—a school of the Spirit. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy Fire Ministries on Facebook or @Bertfarias1 on Twitter.

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"The Ministry of Reconciliation" - Cindy Jacobs

"The Ministry of Reconciliation"

Cindy Jacobs, Red Oak, TX

The Elijah List

"For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NLT)

The Body of Christ is awakening to the need for reconciliation. People are beginning to realize that we cannot go on as we have—offended and divided—and still be effective at reaching the lost.

The ministry of reconciliation is carried out on multiple levels. First and foremost will always be the need that each person has to be reconciled to God. God does not want to us to be divided from Him, but rather to experience the fullness of relationship with Him.

Beyond this place of private reconciliation though, we must humbly face the reality that many have not been able to see and experience Christ, in part, because the Body of Christ has not faithfully expressed reconciliation in both word and deed.

Go Be Reconciled to Your Brother

After being reconciled to God, we are called to pursue reconciliation with each other. Matthew 5:23-24 puts it like this:

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Notice that it doesn't say if you have something against your brother, but rather if he has something against you. We need to seek out those who are offended with us and work to reconcile, forgive and be forgiven.

I'll never forget one time when the Lord impressed upon me that there was something I believed He could not do. At first, I was rather indignant! How could He accuse me of such a thing? Then He softly reminded me of an old broken relationship that I had never worked to mend, and because so much time had passed, I felt it was impossible to fix. He was right! (Of course. He always is!) I did think something was impossible for God. I began to pray, and God mended this long-standing breach.

On a much broader level, I believe God wants to bring reconciliation between the different races represented in the Body of Christ, and the need for this is urgent. 

As one looks around, it isn't hard to discern that there are large walls of separation between the nations or different races of people in the Church. Often, congregations are completely segregated. When a conference is held, there will be little mixture of races. Even large prayer gatherings are usually predominantly one race with very little representation of other races.

How do we get these walls to come down? 

First of all, we have to be willing to acknowledge that they even exist. Second, we need to consider why they exist, even if it means facing some hard truths about our histories and systems. Third, we need to make a concerted effort to rectify the situation. We need to make changes both in word and deed. If we simply talk about what it means to reconcile but do not put it into practice through repentance, it will come to nothing. Most churches would say they agree that reconciliation needs to take place, but many of them don't know how to practically go about reconciling.

The process of racial reconciliation for the Body of Christ needs to occur in at least three primary areas:

1. The Local Church

The local church needs to teach and equip people to reach out to those in their communities who are different from themselves. There may have even been sins committed against a certain people group, either within the church itself or in the community at large.(Photo via pixabay)

One Presbyterian church member told me how her church ran from the inner city so African-American people wouldn't want to become members. They removed themselves to the white suburbs. She shared with me how they felt they needed to go repent to the church in the inner city for their prejudicial attitudes and pride.

There may be members of your church who are Asian, Hispanic or some other race different than what is predominantly represented in the church. 

Ask yourself, "Are we cultivating friendships with these brothers and sisters in the Lord? Have we ever considered someone other than the predominant race to speak or give some kind of input at our church? Are we listening to the needs and experiences of these groups, even if their stories are different from ours?"

2. Church to Church

As a pastor, have you met and fellowshipped with pastors of other races? Have any of them ever been invited to stand in your pulpit? Do you know the needs of their churches, and have you ever prayed together?

Commitment comes out of relationship. Many times it takes one on one meetings together with leadership before Churches can meet together in the Spirit.

Are there any feelings of separation because of living in different sections of the city where racial barriers exist? The church should be the first to tear these walls down. You might need to ask another church if you can visit them on a Sunday to repent of wrong attitudes, evil speaking, sectarianism or prejudice. I have known of some pastors who have knelt before a formerly "rival" church and repented to the whole congregation.

3. Church to Community

In United States history, we have something called the Civil Rights Movement in which Black Americans fought for their rights. Unfortunately, because of racism, the Church as a whole did not stand up and join together with them in their fight. Some even fought against them. (Photo via Wikipedia)

This is a sin of the Church and has caused quite a bit of grief. It is important to repent of this to black leaders in the community and then make a concerted effort to rectify the situation.

Problems of racism which occur over generations in a community cause schisms and pain. In some communities, racial minorities have been refused housing, jobs and other kinds of equal opportunities. Some Hispanic, Asian, or African-American churches have not been able to rent facilities. Stereotyping people of certain races has resulted in segregation from nicer parts of town, which then forced them to go to areas they would not have preferred. It is one thing if this is their choice, but quite another if they are not given a choice.

A study of the history of your community will tell you where these sins have existed and what repentance needs to take place. If these hindrances to reconciliation are not dealt with, I believe we are in for some serious problems in our cities. There is a harnessed rage one feels in many places, not only in the U.S., but in other countries as well.

Racial rioting, such as the ones we've recently experienced in Ferguson and Baltimore, could begin to take place on a much bigger scale and with more frequency if the Church doesn't wake up and actively do something towards healing the division between races. The Church has the only solution – the ministry of reconciliation through the Blood of the Lamb and the name of Jesus.

In many cities satan has a plan to stir up strife and drop the match which will ignite the hatred of the hearts of the oppressed. We must lift up Jesus through repentance, forgiveness and the rectifying of the ancient problems to pour the water of the Holy Spirit upon the nations of the earth. As we come into unity in this manner, the blessing of the Lord will be poured out upon the peoples, and God will heal our land.

Prayer Points:

1. Pray for a spirit of repentance to fall on the Body of Christ over division and offenses that have been allowed to linger.

2. Pray for the Church to humble herself and fully allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts for areas of division and broken relationships.

3. Pray for a release of supernatural unity and reconciliation.

Cindy Jacobs

Generals International

Email: generals@generals.org
Website: generals.org

Cindy Jacobs is a respected prophet who travels the world, ministering not only to crowds of people but to heads of nations. Her first calling is and always will be prophetic intercession. Each year she travels, and she has spoken on nearly every inhabited continent to tens of thousands. Yet, in her heart is the memory that Jesus left the ninety-and-nine to go to the one. Generals International is an international Church movement, reforming the nations of the world back to a Biblical worldview. They are achieving societal transformation through intercession and the prophetic.

Cindy has authored seven books, loves to travel and speak, but one of her favorite past-times is spending time with her husband Mike and their children Daniel and Mary Madison, along with her five adorable grandchildren.

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