Interesting.

2008-08-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

So the internet has gone crazy over Mike Guglielmucci (MG).

It seems this next generation is using any means necessary to communicate how they're feeling.

Without adding to the mix I thought I'd link the more interesting dialogues.

www.planetshakersinsider.wordpress.com - url speaks for itself. the conversation is closely moderated and very very interesting.

also just found a facebook group called 'Has Michael Guglielmucci changed the AOG forever". Some of the sentiments on there are fascinating not only from charismatic people but also from other denominations.

Feed the wordplay revolution I say.

End.

Bad Men

2007-04-22T01:37:00.000-07:00

Do you ever stop to think just how many bad men have been protected by the words 'don't cause disunity'?

Obviously unity must be a core value of a church. In fact how ridiculous to think any organisation could function without having one mind and spirit - especially the church. And of course the epistles are full of warnings about disunity in the church and the seeds of rebellion and so on and so forth.

But does it ever scare you how easily this biblical truth could be exploited?

It seems that in the present Australian AOG church culture, any senior church leader could pretty much get away with whatever they wanted because we've all been taught that our first response must always be to support the 'man (or was it house? i forget) of God', and ask questions later, in fact don't ask at all generally seems to be the case.

But what if they're wrong? Are we allowed to ask that? Can we think for ourselves? Is it ok to question if we disagree with what our leaders are saying or doing?

Already by asking these questions some people would freak out and shut this discussion down. 'Don't touch the Lord's Anointed' you might hear. I agree. But isn't the context of that verse a little far off from the anointed ones in the New Testament church?

Surely at some point our 'men of God' are just men.

Right now people seem to be relying on their leaders to hear from God rather than hearing from God for themselves.

Does anyone even remember that even Paul was put under scrutiny:

Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

How can that be unhealthy?

But where are the modern-day Bereans? Perhaps in the evangelical movement but what about the Pentecostal church? We who are supposed to be full of life and power but seem to have no free will.

That my friends is the scary point. In the name of unity we have given our leaders complete freedom to make whatever decisions they like and we follow unquestioningly.

That kind of behaviour is closer to a cult than a community of believers.

As I said, Unity is important:

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you, and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

With all this in mind, when leaders make selfish decisions, bad decisions, immoral decisions, unethical decisions or compromising decisions and get away with it in the name of protecting unity - something is very wrong and it needs to change.

-AJ-

assemblies of what?

Interesting.

Bad Men