Quote:
Originally Posted by H Gang
CC1 you aren't off like PM says you are. This is the predominant trend in the UPC among the premier churches and elite ministries.
Often these churches are told by pastor, ministers on staff, visiting ministers that they are "special" church, among the best of the best, and that they really are the only place in town where the presence and favor of God can be found like it is found there. An elitist mentality becomes a part of the culture of that church.
Prophecies that the jewel of the city church will one day experience a great outpouring, revival, move of God that will bring in the hordes of sinners and further validate their superior standing with God and validate their deeper spirituality are common, furthering the attitude that at any moment an Azusa Street type revival is about to happen. The slightest evidence of supernatural activity: a bonafide miracle, a significant number of people speaking receiving the HG, outbreaks like we saw on YouTube of folks shouting and getting crazy at Cracker Barrel stirs the emotions that it's about to happen.
The congregation begins to believe this brainwashing that they are THE church, the best place to find God and have the deep spiritual experience and revelations they receive, unlike any other in town. They become condescending to other churches in and out of their denomination and they proselytize often.
Then when something like this goes down, there is a crisis within the members of the church. Some realize it was a big farce and that the arrogance and self righteousness was wrong, they are humbled and learn from the experience. Others unfortunately are too intoxicated with themselves and although their hero and the icon of their superiority has fallen, they cannot give up on the idea that they are that special place where God visits in a unique and exclusive way.
Ergo, many will remain blind to what really caused the problem in the first place and keep hanging on to the dream. They even believe the fall of their pastor will be the very thing that will usher in that great move of God they were promised so many times.
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And it is a lonely feeling indeed when you are one of the few who sees through this sham and senses the grief of the Holy Ghost over the matter. It is not Biblical to "
believe God for revival" to begin with, or to expect mobs of sinners to just show up. We are commanded to
GO and preach the gospel. We are called, as Paul said, to "
persuade men" and lovingly call them to repentance. I'll call it a "
revival" when I see significant numbers of Christians obeying this command without waiting to be told what to do by their pastors. Sadly, many pastors would try to quench such a revival because it would make them look bad for not obeying the command themselves.
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