What Brings the People Must Keep the People
October 29, 2009 by admin
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
“Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand?” Matthew 16:9
A man was telling me about a slow leak that he had in a truck tire. He wanted to get as far down the road as possible, because he did not have a spare tire. He explained that his grandfather had told him a secret, “When you have a slow leak, drive as fast as you can. This will cause more wheel rotations, and when the part of the tire with the hole hits the pavement, the pressure will not let the air escape. Just drive flat out, and you can go longer before the flat completely stops you.” I thought that was interesting, but wondered what it had to do with our seminar. Then, with a crestfallen countenance, the man looked at me and said, “I am flat as a pastor and a believer. I have seen that there was a leak in the church, and my approach was to speed up, introduce as many new programs as possible, keep the people busy and distracted, and thus ignore the leak. It did not work, and I am flat and exhausted. Today, I see that the leak’s essence was that I had forgotten to proclaim Jesus, forgotten to determine to make Him known.” That I did understand. We must be careful as we work in the church, for what attracts the people will be what is needed to keep the people. I have seen so many burnt-out believers. Jesus fed the multitude, and when He was not feeding them, they crucified Him. He was feeding their flesh, and their flesh grew. Imagine two pastors, both with the same message. One attracts the people with video, music, games, a magnificent facility, miracles, healings, comfort, cappuccino machines, the spectacular, strong personalities, and bribes of a variety of forms. The other attracts with the simple message that a believer is the temple of God; the Holy Spirit will bring about the life of Christ naturally in him; and Jesus can be the source of his heart, bringing life to his spirit, soul, body and the world around him, though in the world there will be trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world. The first pastor now needs a football field to accommodate the audience and enough room for motorcycles to jump over him while he speaks or a flagpole from the top of which he has promised to eat pie if everyone in the youth group brings a friend. The other pastor just keeps talking about Jesus and has fifty people attending; they take back to their daily lives and jobs a great secret: Jesus in them. One must ask what has really attracted the people, because what attracts the people must keep them. I find it interesting that overall attendance in church is decreasing but increasing in the mega-church. What does one have that the other does not? It is a slippery slope and a great temptation when we see the mega-club degrade Christianity to the folly of the flesh that attracts people. Once that has occurred, the only way to keep the people from shifting to another mega-club with more appeal to the flesh is to up the fleshly appeal in the existing club. It is throat cutting, because flesh begets flesh, and appealing to the flesh of man will ultimately create more flesh. Take a walk in the woods. Life is something that comes naturally, without effort. If people are attracted by Jesus, then lifting up Jesus will keep the people. The goal is not keeping them coming for any reason but for Him and His glory. It is easy and relaxing. I spoke to a large group in a remote area of Nepal. The pastors came at the break, saying, “We did not know that if God gets the glory, He does the work. Everything we have heard from the U.S. involved a program that we needed to do. Preaching Christ has taken a second place.” Yes, and there is one more thing. When did the men of God begin to look to the world for the secret of success? There was a time when the Church led the world. It is as though there is a worldly parade, and the Christian club stands on the curb analyzing what has attracted people to join in. Next, the Christians jump to the back of the parade, dressing, imitating, and offering what those with a darkened mind at the front have dreamed up for the masses. They put something of a Christian twist to it, believing that those at the front of the parade will look back and want to be led by the new followers. A club in the Midwest used its budget to buy shot glasses and hand them out to every bar in town for free. The bar owners were asked to serve the whiskey in the glasses, so that when the patron drank the last swig, he would see the message painted on the bottom, “Give our church a shot,” along with the address. This kind of thing is hailed as cutting edge. There is a group of prostitutes for Jesus going on the streets, sleeping with men, and giving them a Bible and inviting them to church. When questioned, they said what so many say, “How else are you going to reach these men? They will not come to church.” I want to encourage all of you reading that Jesus is enough, and if you want to shake the world, you do not have to become like it to be heard. The world knows a contrast when it sees it. We are not joining the world’s parade. People attracted to Jesus need only hear talk about Him. That type of fellowship will not ever go flat.
Prophets
October 29, 2009 by admin
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
I have constantly run into prophets in the course of traveling these many years. In these times, prophets are increasing, and I wanted to pass on to you some observations.
1. The real deal. I love those guys; they are purely Christ-centered and point to Jesus in a Spirit-empowered way. They would not let someone spend one second talking about them, for they are pointing to another, Jesus. Many times I cannot remember the names of these brothers who have impacted my life in so many ways, because they were consumed with Christ. Just as with Jesus, there is nothing psychopathic about them! They are not into dreams or visions, their teaching is in the realm of real life, and they are very natural. Also like Jesus, they are defined by their refusals. They refuse to proclaim themselves, to crush anyone, or to further discourage the already downhearted. There are relatively very few of these, but they have been a great source of encouragement to me.
2. False Prophets. I have met only a couple. They were shocking in that they were actually “speaking on behalf of God” and leading people away from Jesus into blatant sin. They can be found in many mainline and orthodox type churches. They are authoritarians who present to believers spiritual and intellectual contentions that right is wrong and wrong is right. These fellows will consistently be trouble.
3. Those that enjoy the title of Prophet. Africa and India are full of these brothers wanting a title, like an American might want to flash around a Ph.D. They generally do some ministry but want to be set apart as having a higher calling and a perceived authority. Many times I do not think they have any idea of what a prophet is; it just sounds better than being a servant. I do not mind these fellows. Generally, after they introduce themselves they do get on with the work of sharing Christ.
4. The neurotic. They are quite common in the West and the “prophets” with which I have had the misfortune of having the most dealing. They are people that have had heaps of childhood rejection, everything from a vicious father to no father. Generally their temperament is Thinker, and at some point they committed suicide of the personality. They do not like who they are in real life, they have had very few successes, and they are not the kind of persons others would naturally gravitate toward. In short, no one would put them in charge of a company. These rejection cases have found a form of Christian religion enabling them to impose, for the first time in their lives, some power and influence over weak believers. They have a deep self-hatred and attempt to manipulate through their special “prophetic” gifting to attract followers. They need followers to validate their existence, and to keep followers on the hook, they dispense “secrets” slowly; they create a dependency on themselves and away from dependence on Christ. They claim to be hearing God personally for their followers or having visions of heaven that really are of no help to the struggling believer other than to be a short diversion from the realities of life. If questioned or starting to feel deserted, there will be veiled or overt threats concerning God’s judgment and what will happen to the followers if they abandon the “teaching.” Usually there is an obsession with repentance and revelation; often they say they have been given a date for the Lord’s return. The book of Revelation is open to nearly any interpretation, and therefore these “prophets” like to camp there. Remember, a neurotic person builds castles in the sky and a psychotic person moves in. The whole thing can easily become psychotic when the new identity is put in the hub of the wheel and every spoke made to feed it. If people call these deluded people prophets, that proves they are; if people do not agree that they are prophets, then that, too, proves they are. I do not discuss with psychotics their “prophetic call”; I direct them, and therefore I refuse to ask them obvious questions like, “Why is God telling you things about me and He is not telling me Himself?” or “How does the revelation move out of heaven into my home?” These they would immediately use in some distorted way to prove their prophetic gift. It does not help to discuss in any way the prophetic gifting, for in so doing, the beast is being fed. It is best to stick to Jesus and the real need a rejected person has: the revelation of Christ. The psychotic prophet only sees two options: remain a prophet or move back to being a rejected nobody. Our goal is for him to embrace a third option: Become a child of God and glory in the Christ that dwells within. I have seen the Lord break through and get people out of varieties of psychoses.
In the end, let Christ be the Prophet. He will speak truth, lead, guide, intercede, and be the mediator. I believe Jesus will send real prophets our way, and when He does, we will walk away with our heart singing and our eyes on all that Jesus is doing for us.
What is the Flesh?
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
No one can be born again by the will of the flesh, insidious in its ability to take the eyes off of Jesus.
Job 34:15, “All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.” John 1:13, “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
No one will be born of the will of the flesh. It is impossible. For in the flesh are the senses of man that constantly need feeding. One may think of them as instinct gone amuck. Senses in the body are given attention either by pain or reward, feeding or starving, or consciously avoiding or obsessing on. Either way it is in being activated that they are kept alive and in charge. The greater truth is that the senses want to be activated; the lesser truth is how they are activated, which is by eating from the tree of good and evil. The desire for food (wish fulfillment or fantasy) will keep senses alive just as much as condemnation from eating too much. Look at the anorexic or observe the obese, and both scream “flesh in control.” An overwhelming desire for sex or the condemnation of looking at porno both scream that the flesh has regained control. Thinking of oneself as intelligent or stupid are both still flesh. Again, flesh is simply the senses in control. The east denies the flesh in an attempt to appease it and the west feeds it in an attempt to appease it. Of course, the west doesn’t have a choice in that nothing is enough to satisfy it, nor does the east really choose, since there is ultimately no way to withhold from the flesh. Nevertheless, the flesh is flesh and is hostile to God. Now, why does flesh desire to be in control? It is because flesh desires man to be flesh-centered. If man becomes Christ-centered, the senses of flesh would not be fed but would be sublimated to Christ. The flesh can never be more than a slave, and a rebellious one at that, for by the works of the flesh will no flesh be justified. No one can be born again by the will of the flesh, insidious in its ability to take the eyes off of Jesus. The flesh constantly screams for attention and has a thousand methods at its disposal to get it. Believers and non-believers alike have flesh. The saddest thing is to witness someone who has abandoned his will to flesh. Like a tick, flesh will feed until it explodes and destroys itself. I meet many Christians that struggle with the sin of homosexuality but are not homosexual, and if you were to meet them, you would never guess what their particular deed of the flesh is. However, meet someone who has, by choice, yielded to that area of the flesh, and it is evident in his or her body. Just a few minutes with that person reveal to what they have yielded their flesh. Now, why would God put us in flesh? I am not talking about a physical body, but the desires of the senses that reside in the physical body. Well, it has been said that the greatness of a man is not determined by what he does but rather by what he refuses to do. The man who feeds his flesh through adventure and the procession of praise for victory or the mockery for defeat is not as great a man as he who says, “Not my will but Thy will be done.” Having flesh and its senses allows man the unique opportunity of choice, of living on the earth but not being of the earth, of living to God and not to senses, and the discovery of something higher in this life, spiritual fulfillment. Flesh, or rather the call of the senses to stay alive, is a constant reminder that we must move our eyes to Jesus. It is another stronghold allowing us to stay focused. If God is for us, then who can be against us? Again, the flesh is never a friend; you may buffet it and make it a slave, but it will never be a friend. The flesh is a strange thing in that it cannot live on its own but must live on something that is living. It adapts to resemble the thing on which it lives, but it isn’t really a living thing. When man dies, the fleshly condition of the man dies. It is weird.
I Take It Back!
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
“I am the true bread that came down out of heaven.”
John 6:12, “When they were filled, He said* to His disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.’ 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”
It is an astounding story. Jesus had fed 5,000 people, and what was left over, He wanted. But for what? What are twelve men and a teacher on the move going to do with twelve baskets of barley bread? I imagine that they found a few hungry people along the way. There was exactly enough food for all the people, so I wonder if some, like the boy that offered the five loaves and two fish, had food with them. When the bread that Jesus gave came, they simply ate their own food. They didn’t feel the need for His bread. Therefore, He took it back. Matthew 7:6, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Jesus then continues with the theme that He is the bread of life. In the same way that some would rather have their bread than His, there are those that would rather have what the world offers than what Jesus offers. To such people the bread is withdrawn. Sometimes I am talking to someone and all I am met with is one argument after another. That person simply is not interested in Jesus, so I say, “I take it back, I take back everything!” They may believe that I am retracting my conviction over what I have said about Jesus. Not so, I am retracting Jesus. A word not received is a wasted word, and there must be no waste. I just pick it up and wait to give it to others who hunger for the bread that comes from heaven. As we journey we will always find a few hungry people. “I am the true bread that came down out of heaven.” I remember being in India. As I left the airport, a band of men were attempting to wrestle my bags out of my hands. I made it clear that I would carry them myself. Since I would not relinquish the bags, they all walked with me touching them. When I arrived at the car they all wanted a tip. Reluctantly, I gave them all one rupee each. They began to curse me and demand more. I responded, “So one rupee is not enough?” I then took back from each man his one rupee. They were expecting me give them something bigger. Instead, I simply got in the taxi and rode away with them following me, now wanting the one rupee back. However, I had taken back what they didn’t like and was not giving it again. Jesus offers the bread of life; if you don’t want it, He will take it back and leave you exactly where you were before you heard of Him.
Laws, laws, and more laws
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
“And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Acts 8:1
It is said that in the U.S. there are over 50,000 new laws passed every year. That includes, local, state, and federal. This doesn’t include all the covenants that are passed. Why so many laws? First, the government would like a law to replace the conscience of man. The government believes in abortion. How can there be abortion without the hardening of the heart? (However, I have met many where the intellectual argument for abortion could not override their heart. For those, there has been forgiveness, restoration, and a moving on in Him.) Kill conscience in one area and it is likely to die in another.
The second reason for the multiplication of laws will be revealed in the future. Persecution for the Christian is coming to America. It would seem impossible since Christianity is the foundation for the constitution, laws, and the fact that there is freedom of religion. Christians won’t be put in jail for their Christianity. That would be too overt. Christians will be put in jail for some other vague law that will have been broken. It was the joke in the former Soviet Union, “We will put you in prison and find the law you broke later.” However, when it happens, it will be no joke.
Be Content!
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
“Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Phil. 4:11
We are to be content. He gives, in His love, the exact things that will make us contented persons.
Can you be content, or does He owe you something that will make you content? Does He owe you a better marriage, children, or vocation? If LIFE has cheated you, then LIFE must owe you something that will make you content.
The Christian community has fed the believers’ lack of contentment. We are actually taught not to be content. Many seminars are calculated to make us feel discontented. I have seen many men who love God in their jobs. However, a speaker comes and tells them that they should be in ministry, making the men discontent. I have seen women in difficult marriage situations; others feed discontent by telling them they wouldn’t put up with such behavior or position.
I have discovered that being content in my situation is not as difficult as having others content with my situation. Beware that you do not make another person discontented in his situation. Encourage him to seek and praise Jesus.
A Special Experience
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
On a particular night a pastor gave me complete freedom. I spoke on one attribute of God I appreciate so much: faithfulness. I have failed, but He is faithful. He is faithful not to keep lists of wrongs, not to be provoked, to be faithful when we are faithless. I believe that God revealed a new aspect of who He is to many. The pastor took the stage and began to pray and then weep.
All were praying for God to reveal that He is a loving Father. All month I have been practicing allowing my soul to feed on His wisdom, His will, and His peace that are in me. I must admit that my soul was very full. When we began to sing “Hold me now and let your love surround me,” I was expecting just that. But love did not surround me! My soul was full of His love, and it began to flow out of me to others. I wanted to run and hug everyone, to pray for the sick, and to pray for those in distress. But it wasn’t me, it was Him in me; the overflow of my soul was Him, and I could see that His love in me wanted to take the form of flesh and blood to minister in a concrete way. I was not just preaching about love but demonstrating it! I could see how the Word became flesh; the soul of Jesus was so completely full of God, a human body could not hold it all, so it spilled out to others. “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Jesus can manifest Himself through us, and we receive the awareness that there is nothing that faith cannot do, nothing that Jesus cannot do. I see that I cannot schedule God. But as my soul is fed, I also see how I could pray for healing and another would receive it, for the Spirit is scheduling me. Christ is in us! Christ knows who needs what, and He can move through us to heal or help.
On this day, in the city Tawua, I watched God move from head to heart. We are vehicles for the living Word to take form. We are not Jesus, or God, or special, but we have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer we who live but Christ that lives in us. I will always remember the night the pastor gave me complete freedom. Amen.
Running on Instinct
October 8, 2009 by Mike Wells
Filed under Articles by Mike Wells
“But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.” Jude 10
I looked out the window to watch a huge black bear, sitting up, paws in the air, sniffing and watching as two little cubs ate out of the deer feeder. The cubs ate until stuffed and spent until 3:00 AM rolling around on the deck chasing each other. So cute! But I remembered my grandfather’s words. No way was I going out. I don’t believe that you can reason with a wild animal. Instinct would kick in and she would protect, actually protecting the cubs from nothing for I would mean no harm.
When someone is being carnal, they are being animal. They are living by instinct. You can’t reason with them, nor do you know what they will do next. My advice, just avoid them in words, actions, and interaction. It is amazing how quickly you can be pushed into a carnal state yourself. At that point, there are two unreasoning people in the room.
However, if there is pride in me, it will well up within, I will move into instinct self-protection and give a defense. Then, he reacts, I, him, I, him, and so on. The only thing that is accomplished is that where there was one carnal man, now stands two!
The next morning I think, “I didn’t even care what the man thought! Why in the world did I spend that much time arguing?” When we are making excuses, defending self, defending our creditability, clarifying our position, getting another on our side, or trying to gain approval, we are carnal and unreasoning beasts!
Think about it for just a minute. The contentious relative, the neighbors, the teacher, or leader that you made a defense to, what you really wanted was for them to understand your position, and you wanted them to know your real motive. Do you really want them to think so well of you that they stay around all the time judging you? I promise you: fix one issue with the carnal and another will arise.
When someone finishes chewing (harsh, critical, condemning, judgmental) me up I often say, “Given that, you would be well advised to stay as far away from me as you can! If you see me coming you should turn and run!” If I won that person as a friend, what would I have won? Don’t enter into their carnality; let it work for you to push them away.
Jesus didn’t try to reason with the carnal,
(John 13:27): And after the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Jesus, therefore, said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
I am not begging people to let Christ live through them. It is a privilege!
