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It sounds like Jennifer needed more support and ministry than the church was willing to offer. Jesus saw the same thing when He walked the earth, He saw people who were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a Shepherd."
Additionally, many people with strong prophetic callings deal with this kind of thing. People don't like to talk with them because their views are often very black and white. Moreover, God has given prophetic voices a powerful edge that grates upon those who may need to hear a voice with an edge, if you know what I mean.
And God will use a prophetic person, even one who is struggling with their own personal issues, to bring correction to a ministry that's short on love and long on authority.
When God speaks through that person, it will stick with the leaders and the Holy Spirit will attempt to get the leader to soften up and do things God's way. Sadly, many simply harden their hearts and decide to run these people out on a rail. They'll couch it around the idea that they need to protect the flock or maintain order, when, in fact, they don't want to hear God speaking through someone who is flawed, has no ministry background, and seems to only point out things that may reveal shortcomings in leadership.
But God will do that because it's also a test of humility on the part of the leadership.
One thing I've learned is to never turn away someone who may be bringing a corrective word. Be patient with people who can be very black and white, even kind of judgmental. Listen and consider what they say, despite their obvious flaws or grating delivery. God may be testing your ministry by sending a prophet to you. And if you receive that prophet, you receive a reward.
I have a relative who is younger. He's very prophetic. At a time when he wasn't very grounded, and to be honest, a bit immature in the Lord, God used him to speak something to me. I didn't like what he said, but it was the truth.
We all need to be ready to hear that truth, even if it, well, especially if it comes from someone that challenges your pride a bit. God will do that.
You are a very wise man, and I am thankful for your post. I have been prophetic to a very evil pastor before, I said somthing simple- somthing he didnt want to hear. It was from the spirit and he did not recieve it, other people gave him words too- of the same nature. To the church I am a nobody, Im not in ministry or a leader but I do give a word here and there and they are from God. I made a lady cry one time becuase I told her, 'God loves you' and her freind was in shock that I had this 'gift' anyways it gave me comfort to read your post. be blessed sir
Thanks, Im still having a problem forgiving that pastor. Prayers apreciated.It's always beautiful when God touches the heart of someone in need with a simple word.
As far as dealing with ministries that have gone off track, remember to forgive and stay sweet before the Lord. When it's all said and done, He's going to wipe away every tear and there will be no more need for prophecy, only love will remain.
And God bless you, too!
You have gone into a lot of detail about your current situation and what other people are doing to you but haven't explained what contributed to that.
From an outsider's perspective it seems very unlikely that prayer requests that unfairly resulted in gossip against you suddenly led to you being banned. There are a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle.
Therefore you cannot expect reasonable advice based on so little information. proverbs 18:17
It sounds like Jennifer needed more support and ministry than the church was willing to offer. Jesus saw the same thing when He walked the earth, He saw people who were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a Shepherd."
Additionally, many people with strong prophetic callings deal with this kind of thing. People don't like to talk with them because their views are often very black and white. Moreover, God has given prophetic voices a powerful edge that grates upon those who may need to hear a voice with an edge, if you know what I mean.
And God will use a prophetic person, even one who is struggling with their own personal issues, to bring correction to a ministry that's short on love and long on authority.
When God speaks through that person, it will stick with the leaders and the Holy Spirit will attempt to get the leader to soften up and do things God's way. Sadly, many simply harden their hearts and decide to run these people out on a rail. They'll couch it around the idea that they need to protect the flock or maintain order, when, in fact, they don't want to hear God speaking through someone who is flawed, has no ministry background, and seems to only point out things that may reveal shortcomings in leadership.
But God will do that because it's also a test of humility on the part of the leadership.
One thing I've learned is to never turn away someone who may be bringing a corrective word. Be patient with people who can be very black and white, even kind of judgmental. Listen and consider what they say, despite their obvious flaws or grating delivery. God may be testing your ministry by sending a prophet to you. And if you receive that prophet, you receive a reward.
I have a relative who is younger. He's very prophetic. At a time when he wasn't very grounded, and to be honest, a bit immature in the Lord, God used him to speak something to me. I didn't like what he said, but it was the truth.
We all need to be ready to hear that truth, even if it, well, especially if it comes from someone that challenges your pride a bit. God will do that.
None of what you said was biblical. It was the opposite of biblical. Unless you can back up your statments then everything you said is wrong,So we obviously don't know what happened and something was fishy with that story, but something I think a lot of people in this thread are missing is this.
The bible explicitly tells us we are to at times kick people out of a church, namely if that person is professing to be a christian while living in continual unrepentant sin. While its obviously not something we should run to do, there is a time and place for it, and if a church is unwilling to remove ANYONE from the church then they are as much spiritually bankrupt as the church that abuses that power.
None of what you said was biblical. It was the opposite of biblical. Unless you can back up your statments then everything you said is wrong,
Our-first pastor, after we got saved, wouldn't allow blacks in his church. So we left.
Our second pastor was dealing in corruption over some church property. So we left.
Our third pastor robbed the people of their building investments. So we left.
Another pastor we knew who 'lorded it over us' locked his wife in the basement, feeding her under the door. He went to prison.
Another pastor we knew that rejected me got caught flashing himself on a highway. Jail time.
Another preacher that rejected me got caught molesting small boys. Jail time.
Another pastor that threw me out after 2 years of successful revivals in his church, lost his church completely.
Another pastor we know continues to sleep with different women in the church. He rejected my ministry. What else but.
Another pastor where I did a couple of songs whereby the Holy Spirit fell on the folks, rejected me. A while later his wife and another lady were killed in a car accident.
Another pastor where I held 2 wonderful revivals 2 years in a row, cast me out. He was 35. He died of cancer 2 years later.
Anybody want me to come visit your 'church'?
What would you say to a large Church who gives you a letter telling you to leave and if you enter their church property you will be arrested? Prior to this the Women's Leader in this church was following me from one function to another with a notebook, writing notes, talking to teachers that I spoke with in the classes, had me escorted out by security when she saw me entering the building, having peers report to her what I was doing and saying, having me kicked out of classes I signed up for after I purchased the book for the class, having me kicked out of choir, undermining my suggestions for the church, refusing to give me a receipt for a large donation I made to the church for missions, calling me on phone to tell me that I am not allowed to talk or email other women in the church, physically separating me from a close friend while i was talking on Church property and then starting talking to her while another pastor escorted me to the door telling me that I am being cut off from the Branch (Jesus) as in John 15, etc.
When I questioned this treatment to the Sr. pastor who I highly respect during an appointment, he told me he refuses to discuss any other leader in the church with me. He refused to even listen to the situation. I feel that pastors should address problems and concerns with their staff if they are out of order and deal with the problem, not just push it under the rug. When I approached the Women's Leader and asked for an appointment, she refused to give me one to address whatever the problem was. When I tried calling the Church, the secretary was told not to put me through and to direct all calls to this Woman's Leader who hangs up on me and refuses to talk to me.
I left the church and went to another, but the pastor wants a reference letter. Once he gets this letter, I had this mark against me already and this pastor told me to leave. I was being singled out again, since this pastor fellowship with the large church I was kicked out of. The pastors seem to stick together with this large church.
This large Church is very connected to large Christian functions at amusement parks, camping sites, and functions of some of the smaller churches and some of the people from the large church shuns and gossips when they see me. It is really difficult. I do not know how to handle it but it is excluding me from functions that are located at the large Churches' building that are put on by my new church I attend and it is causing division. If I write a letter, to the large Church that I was asked to leave, they may called it "harassment" and file charges with the police. They may also have a meeting with the other churches and make copies of the letter and discuss it when I am not present, so I am blackballed from ALL churches. If I leave it alone, like I have for 5 years already, I am still banned from the property when they have functions that other churches attend and that is advertised "open to the public." I have already gone to other churches that were connected to this Church and the minister walked up to me telling me that they have no problem with me, but they have to ask me to leave because this large church "funds" them and they had Security there. What could I do? This is really eating me up causing health problems. I do not know why they have treated me like this and they will not respond when I ask. The only partial information that they alluded to was that I have a lot of problems mostly people bullying me problems that was started from them when I asked for prayer for my problems and turned into gossip.
You haven't told us what happened which resulted in this conclusion. As such, no one can rationally respond without that information.
However, I will comment on a few things:
I understand if you are unwilling to give details, but I hope you would be willing to share. I also hope that my reply helps regardless as I think they are definitely overreacting in a way that potentially has severe reprocussions. Please be very careful but do not allow abuse to continue. Don't overreact yourself or be passive, but react appropriately and do what it takes to protect yourself.
- You should have been given the receipt for your donation. That is required for your taxes and, if you've already filed and you claimed it, it may be necessary depending on how large it is. If you are audited or are requested for proof, you'd have a major issue. I'd suggest contacting a tax and legal expert and seeing what recourse you have, because I have a nagging feeling that they are violating the law by not giving you a receipt upon demand. If so, you may have a legal avenue in order to obtain it. Shame on them for that.
- I'm not sure they have a right to legally ban you from public events. They do have a right to ban you from their property, but public events are, by nature, public. Unless they have some sort of restraining order on you, again, I have a nagging feeling they are in violation of your rights, although I am less sure on this case. Again, consult a legal expert.
- Regardless on how you were kicked out, I severely question your church's reaction. Unless you have threatened violence or been violent in any way, shape, or form (physical or non-physical), then I see no reason for them to behave in this manner. In my Anglican Church, people can and have been excommunicated, but they are still strongly encouraged to attend worship even though they are now banned from receiving the sacraments, voting, etc. It is used as a disciplinary measure. I find your church's method to be outright offensive, unnecessary, and it makes me question what have they to "hide."
- They have no right to continue to harass you after they have kicked you out. The letter was enough. For now, you need to respect their wishes, and if they continue to harass, you do have a legal right to counter it because they would then be in violation of the law.
You are in my prayers. Please take care of yourself.