Responding to an Infection in the Local Church

What should you do if your church becomes infected with spiritual poison, or even defects to the other side. My advice to Christian leaders is: Do not allow any spiritual battle to rob you of God's joy and peace and your sleep. When you do, the enemy is winning the battle. Instead, use prayer, a mighty weapon and the encouragement of dialogue with other leaders who can offer good counsel and a godly response. Remember, a godly response means correction of error, but done with gentleness and in love. Dwight, the senior pastor of a conservative charismatic church, used that strategy after a group of men from his church returned from some special downtown meetings with renewed enthusiasm, but also false doctrine. They began to teach that there is only one manifestation of the Godhead-the person of Jesus Christ. Sometimes He might take the form of the Father or the form of the Spirit, they said, but there is only Jesus Christ. They argued that the Trinity was an evil doctrine. Their teaching touched a significant number of people in his church, and Dwight knew he was on the verge of a firestorm. He brought the other leaders of the church together, and they began to hold prayer meetings three times a week, crying out to God to change the hearts of those who had strayed from truth. In the sovereignty of God, the lies were exposed and all but three members of the group were brought back to an orthodox position about the Trinity. God also exposed the extreme excesses of the original group and showed that His power would never be demonstrated in people who were not correct in their doctrine. By gentleness and love, what could have been a fierce, divisive controversy simply resulted in the loss of three members. That was fortunate, although, sad too say, it rarely happens that way. Satan always wants to scare a pastor and make the church leaders shudder at what's happening in their church body in a way that makes them fearful of taking action. But when you cling to the Lord and cry out to God, God often gives victory in ways none could anticipate. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Do You Lack Courage

Please read Zechariah 4:1-10. During this time period (the above verses) God called two prophets on the scene, Haggai and Zechariah. They came in a time of extreme national discouragement. God has instructed the people to rebuild the Temple. But after 14 years it still lay in ruins. The nations was in a spiritually demoralized state of being. They had lost their heart for God and His work. In this context God said "It's not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts." Note three truths that apply just a well to the times we live in. First, a view of fruitless times. It was a time of drought, spiritually and in the land. During dry times we need to get thirsty for the power of God. I remember hearing an old evangelist say "I would rather be a back alley bookie than a preacher without the power of God." It was a time of discouragement. In the spiritual realm discouragement will bring the drought. It was a time of division. The nation was divided and it was a time of defeat. There had been 14 years of no blessing from the Lord. Second, the writer point out the vanity of fleshly efforts. Might, refers to human resources, strength, ability and wealth. Power, refers to personality, flesh, mental strength. We will never win spiritual battles in the flesh. Third, the victory of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Our problem is not with the lack of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will do His office work if we would just give Him office space. "If our churches have not the Spirit of God it is better to nail shut the doors and windows and put a black cross over them saying "God have mercy on us." A church in the land without the power of the Spirit of God is more of a curse than a blessing. Charles Spurgeon said "Failure follows on the heals of self confidence." Beware of worshiping the "god of common sense." That is relying on what others say rather than on what God says. A young preacher did a good job on the Sunday morning sermon. As an older believer walked out he complemented the young preacher on the message. The young preacher said "It was Jesus." The older saint said "No, it wasn't, it wasn't that good." The power of the Holy Spirit gives us staying power. Discouragement comes and fellows want to quit. When the things go wrong as they sometimes will, The road your trudging seems all up hill. When the funds are low and the debts are high, You want to smile but you have to sigh. When cares seem to press you down a bit, Rest if you must but don't you quit. Life is clear with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns. And many a failure turns about, He might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace is slow, You might succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering heart. Often the struggler has given up when he might have gained the victors cup, and learned too late when the night slipped down how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint in the clouds of doubt. And you can never tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far. So stick to the fight when your hardest hit, When things seem worse you must not quit. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Dark Night of the Soul

"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position" (James 1:9). Have you ever been to the place where the bottom fell out of everything? You felt so low that you could walk under a snakes belly without ducking. You were in a place where everything you touched fell apart. A trial like this is designed to accomplish something only the process from the place of "Humble circumstances" can do. Job learned that "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). Job's trials allowed him to learn things about God, himself and his friends that we all needed to know as well. He assumed things about God that he had to recant: "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:3). David learned how to be a King from the humble circumstances of herding sheep. Joseph learned how to be a ruler from the humble circumstances of prison. The Apostle Peter learned how to be a follower of Jesus from the humble circumstances surrounding his denial of Jesus. The Lord will take you to the dark places of circumstances and there He will reveal something He wants you and others to know. He has sent you ahead to learn these things so that you and others will benefit from your unique experience. Remember in Act 2: how Peter was able to say "The Lord whom you denied." According to James God views this place where you receive these truths as a "High position". The world views it as a place to be shunned at all costs. Have you hit bottom? Are you sick, broke, depressed, despised, lonely, feeling hopeless. or a combination of the above? The fact is your lowly state is considered a high position by God, this is His preparation soil for revealing deep things from the dark places that He desires you to learn. The writers of old would refer often to the "Dark night of the soul." Every believer I know has experienced this very place. What should we do in the place of humble circumstances? We must listen for the still small voice of God. He will show up, we dare not miss Him. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences and local church meetings.