Is it Spiritual Warfare or Discipline

A non-praying church never knows what God is doing in their midst. The Lord could be sending chastisement or judgment and the members, due to a lack of intimacy through lack of prayer, may not respond in repentance. Some churches react wrongly to circumstances, thinking the enemy is attacking, when in reality he has already sidelined the church's ministry through the people's lack of prayer. A common error is to label as "spiritual warfare" everything bad that happens to a church. Spiritual warfare does occur in many cases, but so does God's discipline. If we mistake discipline for Satan's attack, God will not be able to get our attention and call us to repent. In this context, I think of Pastor Marshall. He went the normal college and seminary route. He came to his first church with a master of divinity degree in his pocket but little experience. He could not easily recognize the church's spiritual condition. He soon learned that this one-time large church had shrunk to a small one; that though live (barely), it needed a resurrection if it wanted to accomplish anything in the name of Jesus Christ. Pastor Marshall learned the greatest problem was the community's opinion of the church. It was bad, and no one was about to become a part of it. He also realized a tremendous amount of discouragement had infected the body itself. Seeking God and reading the Scriptures for answers, Pastor Marshall came to an understanding of James's text, "You do not have because you do not ask." He also discovered God had something in store for this church if its members would pray. He and his wife were convinced God wanted them there, so they both began to pray, crying out to God. Pastor Marshall poured out the needs of the people before the throne of grace. As time went on, members began to notice something different about him and to catch the vision for prayer. They began opening the doors of the church at 5:30 in the morning for prayer. And the members came! Five mornings a week people came to the altar throughout the morning to pray. Through prayer, they recognized their cold hearts and God's readiness to embrace those who returned to Him. Another discovery followed: The members found if they prayed for an hour before a church business meeting the meeting would last five or ten minutes! Now that's the kind of answer I can relish! At the same time, prayer grew in their worship on Sunday mornings. Visitors sensed a unique spirit of God in that place. The church began to grow and the prayers continued. The church bounded from a mere fifty people to two hundred in the first year. Now, ten years later, the church averages more than sixteen hundred simply through God's leadership in prayer. When I asked for the meaning he saw behind it, Pastor Marshall told me, "Prayer is the lubricant that lubricates the machinery of the church. Not praying is like not breathing. Christians die! but when God builds into the hearts of our people a passion for prayer, we live." I can't emphasize it enough. If you have problems or your church has problems, pray. God will answer, and you will live again--joyously and fully! Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

When Service and Devotion Compete

Biblical counseling is a passion with me. I must confess, I delight in seeing people come to freedom in Christ. When I can help, (in some small way), lift a person out of the bondage of sin and into the freedom of Christ, I am elated (I realize that only the Lord can set a person free). The times I have been used of the Lord to show a person how to be saved from their sins and the fires of hell, has brought me great joy. I remember how I delighted in writing a book that exposed the lies of the enemy. I still have letters from people who found their way to a new level of freedom and healing through the pages of that book. I said all of this because I must confess that at times the joy of service has overshadowed my love and devotion for the Lord. I have a tendency to be more of a Martha than a Mary in my Christian walk. Perhaps the Lord would be pleased to have us visit the account of Mary and Martha once again. "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:40-42). There is the revelation of a great danger in this account. Should our concern for serving Jesus exceed our need to be with Jesus, we are in danger of focusing on the lesser thing. When we make the lesser thing a priority we are operating in the flesh. I personally find it hard to just sit and listen. I seem to be wired for action. I remember serving a millwright apprenticeship when I was young. During a down time, several of the older men, were sitting down and resting. A foreman came by and shouted "do something, even if its wrong." That statement stayed with me. The older I get the more I realize If I do something without the Lord's direction, it most likely will be wrong. Today would be a great day to listen more and yes, do less. The Lord is greatly pleased with our love and devotion toward Him, then He is pleased with the work He instructs us to do. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.