Originally released May 7, 2014 – Download PDF:  The Illusion of the Church Without the Holy Spirit.05.07.14

There is little logic to Christian leaders being appalled that the government would make it illegal to publicly pray in our schools when they actively lock the Holy Spirit out of Church services and Sunday schools.  When did we ever become so “smart” that we decided we could minister without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit?  Jesus said that we could do nothing without Him.  How do we think we can minister to the hearts of His people without the Spirit of Jesus?

There is no true ministry without the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was directed by the Holy Spirit.  He ministered by the power of the Holy Spirit.  What manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit do we see in the Church?  What room is given to Him?  How is the Holy Spirit honored in our services, in our Sunday schools, youth meetings and retreats?  How reluctant leaders are to have services run longer than they suppose today’s Christian will tolerate.  Catering to the lukewarm and the backslidden Christian does nothing for the overall health of a congregation.

If our services are nothing more than programmed funeral services, then we should keep them short!  By all means, make sure that ushers are stationed to open the doors to assist those that must find Fresh Bread and Living Water!  You and I dare not stand in their way.  Jesus has commanded them to come unto Him when He spoke in Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95) 28   “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  29   “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30   “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

If anyone dares to bring the Fresh Bread and Living Water of Jesus in your region, rest assured His sheep will find both The Shepherd and His messenger.

A great vacuum is created in the hearts of adults, youth and children when Church leaders do not allow the supernatural moving of the Holy Spirit.  It is a vacuum that the enemy is more than ready to fill with every evil device and temptation as they search for water.  There is a deep need in their hearts that will never be touched by either teaching or great oratory.  Christian leaders must partner with the Holy Spirit to minister to the deep needs of their congregations.  Jesus is the only One that can quench the thirst of the human being.  We cannot.

Pastors and church leaders cannot cry out to the Lord for the numerous needs in the Church while at the same time making decisions day after day that prevent the Holy Spirit from having free reign.  It is ludicrous!  It would be like crying out to God for water to come from the kitchen faucet while at the same time tightening the handle.

A Church that operates without honoring the presence of the Holy Spirit or partnering with Him in His ministry is attempting to teach their members how to live an intellectual/academic Christianity devoid of the power of God.  This type of Church will not survive the days ahead.  In fact, it is not surviving now.  It is a Church that is full of pride, thinking that it is rich because of its beautiful building, its many people that attend, the “qualified staff” that they have hired, the programs that are operating, etc.  Such a church would be aptly named The First Church of Laodicea.

In fact, I would say that the Church of today resembles something far from the standard of the Gospel.  It is abnormal.  It is Franken Church.  It is a monster that has been built by the plans and the design of men rather than by Jesus Christ.  It is a mechanical monster that is designed to operate without true Life.  It has a “life” of its own devoid of the Holy Spirit, built to please the lukewarm rather than inspire fervent fire in the hearts of believers.  It is a church that believes that discipleship occurs while sitting in countless classes where a teacher reads from curriculum that someone else has developed.  It is a place where Christian leaders spew processed Spam in place of fresh Bread, milk and meat for the flock of God.

These are churches where leaders and led their flocks to brown and burned-out pasture without living water or shade.  These are churches where artificial palm trees have been planted by men to make it appear as an oasis from the world.  However, it offers nothing to quench the thirst of the believer or those that seek to know if there is a Living God.

Church leaders want to pray II Chronicles 7:14 without standing in the light of Scripture and humbling themselves in repentance and turning from the wickedness of locking the Holy Spirit out of the Church and doing all they can to prevent Him from moving and touching His people.  We will not have revival until we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and allow the Lord to move as He wills, not as we will.  We must die to our will and our lifeless forms of church services.

Until we partner with the Holy Spirit in His ministry we will not have revival.  Church leaders have a simple decision to make.  Change or perish.  There is no middle ground.

When Christian leaders prevent the Holy Spirit from moving in services they are doing exactly what the Pharisees and the Sadducees did in the days of Jesus’ ministry.  Misunderstanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to misunderstand the ministry of Jesus.  The Spirit of Jesus moves to do the will of the Father.  To stand in the way of the Holy Spirit is to actively frustrate what Jesus wants to do in people’s lives.  We must get out of the way of the Spirit of Jesus and let Him touch those that are desperate for His touch.

It would be erroneous for a soldier to be at the front line of a battle with a pea shooter.  Pea shooters have very little power.  Yet, that is how the Church is conducting its mission to extend the Kingdom of God.  They have traded their ability to be issued mighty weapons by the Holy Spirit for books about how to live the Christian life.  How sad it would be to find a soldier in a fox hole reading a book on tanks instead of operating one.  We are called to actively desire the greater gifts of the Spirit.  We must desire to have the Holy Spirit move through us by His might and His power instead of by our “great” ideas, plans and strategies.  We must know the Holy Spirit to move with Him.  We must recognize His promptings and leadings and step forward with Him.  This is the only strategy that will allow us to take ground from the enemy.

Mark C. Biteler