This is a story that happened quite some time ago, but God hadn’t released me to write it yet. I now know why after what was revealed to us in the Kimilili Women’s conference. This story is a little long, so bear with me as I tell it. I will be giving four examples of how a leader or pastor can destroy a church and potentially lead his sheep astray.
When I first arrived to Nakuru, I was asked to preach at a daughter church in a city called Salgaa. I was so excited about the flock I would be speaking to, but not so excited to give my first sermon. They told me of the reputation of Salgaa, it was a halfway point between Nairobi and Eldoret, the 5th largest town in Kenya. It is a town that people say with disgust, as it is a town where many prostitutes work. It is full of alcoholics and addicts. There are gangs of women that will attack men if they are walking alone, rape them, rob them and then proceed to kill them. There really isn’t much else to Salga except for a few restaurants, bars, and a flower farm (a big export commodity in Kenya is fresh flowers).
At the end of the service we had an alter call and asked if anyone needed prayer. The bishop told me to come up and pray for people. The anointing fell after Missionary Ann prayed for the church, which was after I spoke and she gave the alter call. As I was praying for one young teen, the spirit told me to pray for her mother to receive Christ to which she began sobbing and wailing. The next woman I went to pray for fell the moment my hand touched her head. God was in the house! Boy did HE showed up! GLORY Bwena Asifewe!
After the service, the girl that was wailing invited all the women in the ministry to come over to her house for something to drink. So quickly about six of us walked to this girl’s house, it was on a very large compound that used to be a travel resort or motel of sorts. The house we went to was the servant’s quarters, and were told it was her grandmother’s and she took care of the children. There were many other children around the compound taking baths or playing football. We had some orange drink that was a little watered down then we prayed blessings on the house. She proceeded to ask if we could go to another home and meet her mother as she lived on a different property. We walked into the home and I was amazed. The floors looked like they were marble and the furniture was very expensive and luxurious. Three of us discerned in the spirit right away that this home was a brothel and her mother was one of the prostitutes. We met her prayed and left. The girl was so grateful that we came to her home and was able to meet her mother.
After we returned to the church there was a meeting between the Bishop, his team, the Pastor at Salgaa, and the elders of the church. See there had been many problems at Salgaa. After a crusade there where one hundred souls came to know the Lord, the Pastor’s wife began to chase people away from the church by reminding them of their past. She would accuse people and bring up the former things of their past. If they were still walking without completely purity she would tell them how horrible they were. So the number of the church decreased by 75%. She did not LOVE the flock as we are called to do. Bishop was trying to train up the Pastor, so he was giving grace to that Pastor trying to help him to control his wife.
Bishop Madadi told the Pastor he would continue to bring in other people into the church to give the sermon until issues in the church were resolved. This had been going on for two months and the church continued to decrease in numbers. The church at Salgaa was also experiencing financial difficulties as they were behind in rent for at least eight months. The pastor there expected the main church to bail them out, versus try to raise their own money. An elder also left the church because the wife was aggressive and abusive to him and his family. So the meeting was interesting to say the least.
These same issues continued for a couple more months regardless the warnings of removal from the pulpit if another harsh report was shared about the pastor or his wife. Needless to say he and his wife chose to continue to walk in disobedience to the word of God and abuse the flock. Then Pastor Machio called the Pastor from Salgaa into the Nakuru office along with the elder from the church who was being attacked by the pastor and his wife. He explained how there must be forgiveness and reconciliation within the leadership of th church. The Pastor refused to forgive, which is forbidden in the bible.
If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” ~ John 20:23
Therefore they had to ask the Pastor to leave the church.
Another situation that destroys a church happened in Kimilili. God delivered a young woman after He revealed to His servants that she was suicidal. He also revealed to us that when she shared it with an elder counselor in the church, they told her that she may no longer serve by singing on the praise and worship team. She had only expressed that she had a “thought” of taking poison. I can see an elder telling a person who is actively sinning in a servant role to step down, but NOT for a thought.
It would have been a different scenario if a servant was walking in sin, for instance adultery. For instance I know if a deacon who was cheating on his wife. Many in the church knew, but the wife did not know anything. What the flock should have done in this situation is share with an elder, and that elder should have been wise enough to ask that deacon to immediately move from that position. Sadly this deacon was in charge of the marriage ministry in the church. But to tell a member of the flock they must step down for a “thought” is NOT biblical and it is a quick way to KILL a spirit. If that elder allowed that woman to continue to sing on the praise and worship team, it would play a huge part of her deliverance of that spirit. To praise our God would help break the bondage of that spirit of suicide. In addition for an elder to condemn a person for a thought, versus an action, when they trusted the church enough to come to it with counsel, is not the way to build up a church. Anyway she was healed, released and delivered. Bwena Asifewe!
A final and third situation involves a church where the Pastor and his wife continued to counsel a member that they believed the son of another member who committed suicide was in heaven. They knew that member seeking counsel was suicidal, but they continued to tell this member something that isn’t in the bible. That is why we as the flock are challenged to test the spirits.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.~1 John 4:1
You can’t ask God for forgiveness for a sin you haven’t sinned yet. God does NOT grant you pre-forgiveness! You can’t ask him for forgiveness as you are in the process of committing ANY SIN. The process is you fall, you feel bad about it, THEN you repent which means you never do it again. If you continue to struggle in that sin, you ask God to help you not to sin. This is done through prayer and the washing/cleansing by the water of the word. It is a process called the gift of sanctification.
The same thing goes for churches that do not preach the entire truth, or a watered down truth. They tell you that its ok to continue to walk in sin, God loves you anyway! NO we must teach people that they MUST always strive for righteousness everyday. Remember, JESUS IS COMING FOR A SPOTLESS BRIDE!!!
So many people love the verse:.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.~Romans 8:1-2
They seem to ignore the fact there a comma separates an action which is followed by a condition that must be fulfilled in order to receive that action. See in that verse the action there is no condemnation with the condition that you walking in the Spirit. When you are walking in the Spirit you put into the practice of sanctification with a contrite heart, and in that process God will deliver you! He will change you from glory to glory!
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. ~ 2 Cor 3:18
Church we must be careful how we are to walk in leadership or pastoral roles. Remember, THEIR blood is on YOUR hands if you are teaching doctrine that goes against the word of God.
For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things. ~Isaiah 59:3
Oh and let’s not get into how you are accountable, if you are a false teacher or preacher. See at times, those chapters scare me so deeply, that I don’t want anything to do with a leadership role. Please take the time to read Jer 23 and 2 Peter 2. If you are teaching a group or leading a church you better make sure that your doctrine, teachings, preachings, prophecy line up with the word of God because you are ACCOUNTABLE.
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. ~ Jer 23:1
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness 2 Pet 2:4
These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity~~2 Pet 2:17-19
They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them... Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.... In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. 2 Pet 2:1-3
CHURCH QUIT TICKLING THE EARS OF YOUR FLOCK AND PREACH TRUTH !!!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
You Will Raise Them From the Dead
I know that I had mentioned in a status that we had a “raising of the dead” on our missions trip in Kimilili, Kenya. What I witnessed was in the spiritual not in the natural. Many people were risen from the dead in their spiritual man, and it was an awesome thing to see. There were many people deliverance from very evil spirits of witchcraft, and so much more happened at that women’s conference. But we had a situation in my previous note, “A picture is worth a 1000 words” where I had asked the pastors, “Why don’t we go over there and raise that baby from the dead?”
They told me, “WeWe (pronounced way way, meaning you you), Becky are you trying to test OUR faith?” I said, “No I just know that God CAN and WOULD do it IF it was in His will. I am so heartbroken over your sister in law and I don’t want the story to end here.” I proceeded to tell them about the famous raising of the dead where a wife brought her dead husband of three days to a Richard Boenke revival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SroD02bP120 She had the faith that God would bring her husband back and she was going to hold God accountable to His word.
They told me they would pray about overnight, and if God said yes they would obey. But they must have heard not to pursue my request anymore, because the next morning we did not go over there. Then they began to tell me their own experiences of people being literally raised from the dead. I was amazed as these stories aren’t being told. This is because of many reasons; they happen in remote areas where there are few people, TIA (This Is Africa) and many just don’t have access to the means of broadcasting to the world, three true servants of God don’t brag about the things that happen to be uplifted by man. They only tell the stories to uplift God and tell of HIS Glory. They KNOW God will uplift them when the time is right.
Pastor Fridah, My Bishop’s wife began to tell a story of when she was first in the ministry. She was a hair dresser by profession, and she was working on a woman’s hair in the salon by herself. She began to poor cool water on her hair, and unknown to her the woman was epileptic and she went into a seizure and died right there in her chair. She was kind of freaked out, and she really didn’t know what to do because she was all alone in the salon. So Fridah just looked up and told God, “NOW would be a really GOOD time for YOU to show up, GOD”. The woman came back to life. Bwena Asifewe (Praise the Lord)!
Missionary Ann spoke of a story where she was in a crusade speaking. A woman came running into the church running up the aisle with her four old boy in her arms. She told her, “My son is dead, will God bring him back to life?” So Ann began to pray, and God told her to pray for his legs. Confused but obedient Ann did just that she prayed for his legs which confused the people at the crusade. The boy came to life and stood up. She then got a word from God that the woman was a devil worshipper, and asked the woman if she wanted to accept Jesus. She did exactly that, so God chose an unusual way to bring this woman into the kingdom. Bwena Asifewe!
So the two women of God and the Bishop of the church in Kimilili began to tell me other stories of people being raised from the dead that they had witnessed. One was at a funeral and the Pastor asked to open the casket at the burial site. They prayed and the man sat up right in his own coffin. Many came to the Lord at that funeral. Bwene Asifewe!
One Evangelist was in a meeting in a stadium and he was preaching the word of God when some people brought in another man limp and lifeless up to the pulpit. He was asked to pray to God to bring the man back to life. So the preacher began to pray. He prayed many prayers and asked the people to continue to pray. He then asked all the people to continue to pray and asked them to keep their eyes closed. He continued praying and would open one eye only see the man was still dead. Then the preacher handed the microphone to another pastor. He told the people they must really pray hard and keep their eyes closed. The preacher began to walk away from the meeting, running down the aisle away from the stage as if he was running away. Then people began to clap and shout, the dead man was raised from the dead. God chose that moment even when the servant doubted God’s power to show His glory. Bwena Asifewe!
Missionary Ann began to tell me another story. Her family was in the hospital and they were praying over her father as he was in his last days and hours. They prayed for him to live, then God revealed that they must start praying for him to live spiritually. She prayed that he may repent, accept the Lord and live in eternity. Her father could not speak or open his eyes. She then was told that the family must release her father as he was NOW going to have everlasting life. So they did pray to release him, and her father died. So that was a situation that God said no, but He still wanted to bring a man back to life in the spiritual.
We all know of people that are spiritually dead. They walk around in a spiritual high for a while then it seems to get quenched by the struggles of life or even worse they walk away from the faith completely. We as the flock MUST breathe life back into the dead bones of these people as what happened in Ezekiel 37. We must bring those who have strayed back into the kingdom, we are held accountable to them as friends and family members. Their blood will be on our hands if we choose to ignore what the words says, as we are all called to be ministers of the word of God. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God~ Isaiah 61:6 . I hope you were blessed by some of these stories, and I know by the time I leave here or wherever is next I will actually see someone physically being raised from the dead by the Glory of GOD! Bwena Asifewe!
They told me, “WeWe (pronounced way way, meaning you you), Becky are you trying to test OUR faith?” I said, “No I just know that God CAN and WOULD do it IF it was in His will. I am so heartbroken over your sister in law and I don’t want the story to end here.” I proceeded to tell them about the famous raising of the dead where a wife brought her dead husband of three days to a Richard Boenke revival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SroD02bP120 She had the faith that God would bring her husband back and she was going to hold God accountable to His word.
They told me they would pray about overnight, and if God said yes they would obey. But they must have heard not to pursue my request anymore, because the next morning we did not go over there. Then they began to tell me their own experiences of people being literally raised from the dead. I was amazed as these stories aren’t being told. This is because of many reasons; they happen in remote areas where there are few people, TIA (This Is Africa) and many just don’t have access to the means of broadcasting to the world, three true servants of God don’t brag about the things that happen to be uplifted by man. They only tell the stories to uplift God and tell of HIS Glory. They KNOW God will uplift them when the time is right.
Pastor Fridah, My Bishop’s wife began to tell a story of when she was first in the ministry. She was a hair dresser by profession, and she was working on a woman’s hair in the salon by herself. She began to poor cool water on her hair, and unknown to her the woman was epileptic and she went into a seizure and died right there in her chair. She was kind of freaked out, and she really didn’t know what to do because she was all alone in the salon. So Fridah just looked up and told God, “NOW would be a really GOOD time for YOU to show up, GOD”. The woman came back to life. Bwena Asifewe (Praise the Lord)!
Missionary Ann spoke of a story where she was in a crusade speaking. A woman came running into the church running up the aisle with her four old boy in her arms. She told her, “My son is dead, will God bring him back to life?” So Ann began to pray, and God told her to pray for his legs. Confused but obedient Ann did just that she prayed for his legs which confused the people at the crusade. The boy came to life and stood up. She then got a word from God that the woman was a devil worshipper, and asked the woman if she wanted to accept Jesus. She did exactly that, so God chose an unusual way to bring this woman into the kingdom. Bwena Asifewe!
So the two women of God and the Bishop of the church in Kimilili began to tell me other stories of people being raised from the dead that they had witnessed. One was at a funeral and the Pastor asked to open the casket at the burial site. They prayed and the man sat up right in his own coffin. Many came to the Lord at that funeral. Bwene Asifewe!
One Evangelist was in a meeting in a stadium and he was preaching the word of God when some people brought in another man limp and lifeless up to the pulpit. He was asked to pray to God to bring the man back to life. So the preacher began to pray. He prayed many prayers and asked the people to continue to pray. He then asked all the people to continue to pray and asked them to keep their eyes closed. He continued praying and would open one eye only see the man was still dead. Then the preacher handed the microphone to another pastor. He told the people they must really pray hard and keep their eyes closed. The preacher began to walk away from the meeting, running down the aisle away from the stage as if he was running away. Then people began to clap and shout, the dead man was raised from the dead. God chose that moment even when the servant doubted God’s power to show His glory. Bwena Asifewe!
Missionary Ann began to tell me another story. Her family was in the hospital and they were praying over her father as he was in his last days and hours. They prayed for him to live, then God revealed that they must start praying for him to live spiritually. She prayed that he may repent, accept the Lord and live in eternity. Her father could not speak or open his eyes. She then was told that the family must release her father as he was NOW going to have everlasting life. So they did pray to release him, and her father died. So that was a situation that God said no, but He still wanted to bring a man back to life in the spiritual.
We all know of people that are spiritually dead. They walk around in a spiritual high for a while then it seems to get quenched by the struggles of life or even worse they walk away from the faith completely. We as the flock MUST breathe life back into the dead bones of these people as what happened in Ezekiel 37. We must bring those who have strayed back into the kingdom, we are held accountable to them as friends and family members. Their blood will be on our hands if we choose to ignore what the words says, as we are all called to be ministers of the word of God. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God~ Isaiah 61:6 . I hope you were blessed by some of these stories, and I know by the time I leave here or wherever is next I will actually see someone physically being raised from the dead by the Glory of GOD! Bwena Asifewe!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Picture is worth 1,000 Words –Women’s Conference Easter Weekend
You know they say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well here are a couple of pictures that have a heartbreaking story behind them.
So the first day of the conference many women spoke and there were quite a few deliverances. It always amazes me when God shows up to give divine revelation then the anointed know how to pray and lay hands upon the sick or afflicted. There were many deliverances, miracles, signs, and wonders; God showed up in a mighty way, I will try to write about all of them.
We took a break in the evening session before the day’s final evangelist was to speak in a night time revival. We were invited to walk over to the Bishop’s mother’s house which was next to the church. I went back to the church to use the latrine then the entire group was walking back my way. There was a woman with them and a man with a helmet, I didn’t think anything about it.
The group walked back to the piki piki (motorcycle). They told me that the woman, which was Bishop’s sister in law, had just given birth and the man with the helmet was her husband. I was so amazed and asked if I could take her picture. It totally amazed me that a woman would give birth and in the same day come to the woman’s conference to get the word of God. Then the fact that she came to the conference on a piki piki really shocked me. See it is about an hour from the hospital then the roads are horrible and there are many bumps and crevices. Then I was amazed thinking about what if she had been cut, no wonder she was wiping some tears it must have hurt.
My elders corrected me and told me that she didn’t come to get the word of God but to get the Grandmother so she could help her hold the baby on the piki piki on the way home cause they had a long journey. The strength of an African woman just absolutely amazes me daily. Where I live, I will see a pregnant woman with a 5 gallon jug of water on her head and a baby strapped to her back walking uphill. I thank God I was blessed to have lived the life I had lived in the USA, and then I realize that these women do not know any different.
So I continued taking a few pictures and as you can see, after picture number six, I had kind of received a look like I had taken enough pictures.
They know that many mzungu (white people) don’t see many things as normal that are normal in Africa and we make a fool out of ourselves all the time. About fifteen minutes later we are informed that the conference is canceled and we must load up in the car and go to the house where we are staying.
Later that evening Bishop informed us of the truth about what had happened. His sister in law went into early labor at 8 months into her pregnancy. The baby lived for one hour and died. Remember TIA (This Is Africa), and in America this never would have happened as we have the most advanced in medical care. Oh how embarrassed I was that I had taken pictures at such a horrible time. I asked the Bishop, “Hey why didn’t we pray to God and ask Him to raise the baby from the dead”. He said that he wasn’t sure how his very young flock would handle the news about the baby and knew they would be heartbroken. He wasn’t sure if that was in God’s will to raise the baby from the dead and if God said no to the prayer it might hinder his flock’s faith in God. So he let them continue home with their dead baby, as they needed to bury it the next day. They canceled the revival so that the Bishop could drive to pick them up because the motorcycle ran out of gas along the way.
Oh how sick I was over this situation. I begged Bishop to explain and apologize to this family about my stupidity. I asked my mentor women, “Why did we NOT discern this situation, as we were so into the spirit fifteen minutes prior to that moment. God had shown up and many were delivered from evil spirits.” They told me because we were no longer in the upper room as spoke about in the days of the early church. When those things happened and the heavens opened up we were under a spiritual covering. When we walked outside we were no longer under the covering of the heavens.
Anyway, God has His reasons, and who am I to question HIM?!?!
Well I am up to about 823 words, and I am sure I could make it to 1,000 if I really wanted to but I chose not to this time. Just remember when I post pictures of the people or the scenery, there is always a story behind it that is way different than what we would see in America. May Mungu Akupariki (God Bless You)
So the first day of the conference many women spoke and there were quite a few deliverances. It always amazes me when God shows up to give divine revelation then the anointed know how to pray and lay hands upon the sick or afflicted. There were many deliverances, miracles, signs, and wonders; God showed up in a mighty way, I will try to write about all of them.
We took a break in the evening session before the day’s final evangelist was to speak in a night time revival. We were invited to walk over to the Bishop’s mother’s house which was next to the church. I went back to the church to use the latrine then the entire group was walking back my way. There was a woman with them and a man with a helmet, I didn’t think anything about it.
The group walked back to the piki piki (motorcycle). They told me that the woman, which was Bishop’s sister in law, had just given birth and the man with the helmet was her husband. I was so amazed and asked if I could take her picture. It totally amazed me that a woman would give birth and in the same day come to the woman’s conference to get the word of God. Then the fact that she came to the conference on a piki piki really shocked me. See it is about an hour from the hospital then the roads are horrible and there are many bumps and crevices. Then I was amazed thinking about what if she had been cut, no wonder she was wiping some tears it must have hurt.
My elders corrected me and told me that she didn’t come to get the word of God but to get the Grandmother so she could help her hold the baby on the piki piki on the way home cause they had a long journey. The strength of an African woman just absolutely amazes me daily. Where I live, I will see a pregnant woman with a 5 gallon jug of water on her head and a baby strapped to her back walking uphill. I thank God I was blessed to have lived the life I had lived in the USA, and then I realize that these women do not know any different.
So I continued taking a few pictures and as you can see, after picture number six, I had kind of received a look like I had taken enough pictures.
They know that many mzungu (white people) don’t see many things as normal that are normal in Africa and we make a fool out of ourselves all the time. About fifteen minutes later we are informed that the conference is canceled and we must load up in the car and go to the house where we are staying.
Later that evening Bishop informed us of the truth about what had happened. His sister in law went into early labor at 8 months into her pregnancy. The baby lived for one hour and died. Remember TIA (This Is Africa), and in America this never would have happened as we have the most advanced in medical care. Oh how embarrassed I was that I had taken pictures at such a horrible time. I asked the Bishop, “Hey why didn’t we pray to God and ask Him to raise the baby from the dead”. He said that he wasn’t sure how his very young flock would handle the news about the baby and knew they would be heartbroken. He wasn’t sure if that was in God’s will to raise the baby from the dead and if God said no to the prayer it might hinder his flock’s faith in God. So he let them continue home with their dead baby, as they needed to bury it the next day. They canceled the revival so that the Bishop could drive to pick them up because the motorcycle ran out of gas along the way.
Oh how sick I was over this situation. I begged Bishop to explain and apologize to this family about my stupidity. I asked my mentor women, “Why did we NOT discern this situation, as we were so into the spirit fifteen minutes prior to that moment. God had shown up and many were delivered from evil spirits.” They told me because we were no longer in the upper room as spoke about in the days of the early church. When those things happened and the heavens opened up we were under a spiritual covering. When we walked outside we were no longer under the covering of the heavens.
Anyway, God has His reasons, and who am I to question HIM?!?!
Well I am up to about 823 words, and I am sure I could make it to 1,000 if I really wanted to but I chose not to this time. Just remember when I post pictures of the people or the scenery, there is always a story behind it that is way different than what we would see in America. May Mungu Akupariki (God Bless You)
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