Lying for the Holy Spirit about angels and spiritual things

One of the first churches I attended as a new Christian was an independent Charismatic church that was loosely linked under the Pioneer Churches apostolic umbrella network (which is led by Gerald Coates). It was a very spiritually sick church that I, even as new Christian could discern, which I left just months later along with most of the rapidly dwindling flock. However, I made some really wonderful friendships over the relatively short period I was there that lasted me for many years and I am very grateful for.

There are a lot of examples from this time that could serve as warnings to spirit filled churches in general about what not to do, and what can happen. There are lessons of pride and elitism. There are lessons of strivings and one upmanship and ‘trying’ to be something. There are lessons of lack of discernment. I certainly learned a lot from my time there – but not the traditional things! The church really went rapidly downhill went it stopped preaching at all from the word of God in its services, in favour of just worship, prayer and ecstatic charismatic experiences.

It was at heart a spiritually sick church with a strange spiritual atmosphere and it also had many physically sick people in its midst – which I think was no coincidence. But it had some really wonderful people there – and I mean that – that loved God. And the pastor – although I knew he had problems with wanting to be ’somebody’ and being competitive with someone else and another church – was a nice guy, approachable, and to the eye ‘humble’ and down to earth.

Anyway, the reason for this article is that I wanted to mention what happened when a small group of us from the church went away to a Pioneer church conference in Dundee, Scotland. It was an afternoon off from the meetings, and as it was a beautiful summer’s day we all went to the nearby St Andrews and basked in the sun on its glorious beach (where Chariots of Fire   was filmed). On the way back from the beach, our pastor who was walking slightly ahead of me with his wife, suddenly made some swift movements and said ‘Look, I’ve found a five pound note! It flew into my hand. An angel gave it to me! I will buy us all a cream tea with it!’  Jehovah Gireh God has provided for us!    Yet the thing is, I’d seen his movements just beforehand – a bad slight of hand like a schoolboy magician rapidly into his pocket and then out again -  and knew that the fiver had come straight out of his own pocket. And his face and the face of his long suffering wife also gave it away – to me at any rate – (and I was then very naive and trusting and would not have even thought such a thing had I not seen it with my own eyes). At the time, though not happy at all about this embellishment, I made excuses for him – I and the other couple with me were all then unwaged, and I figured it was his way of treating us to tea without offending us. Yet at the same time, I was unhappy that he’d lie about angels putting the money into his hand when they had not as it was false testimony, even if it were meant for good motives. With the benefit of hindsight and more maturity and less naivity, I now see far less benign motives in this incident - I see that he was desperately trying to impress us in the spate of his dwindling flock and diminishing spiritual power and authority, to try and keep some of us ’spell bound’ and stayed under his ministry. Was it one of his last ditch efforts to keep his church together? The memory of that sunny day on that beach in St Andrews has stayed with me to this day. The pastor smiling and looking so genuine talking about ’angels’, yet the slight of hand producing this miracle to impress and keep his flock.

When I heard his spiritual stories in the future about spiritual warfare experiences, seeing angels in the sanctuary, and the like, I realise now I saw some embellishment and exageration in them too and did not believe them – not because I did not believe in angels or did not think it could happen, but because I knew he was lying or exagerating.  Now I question much more of his ministry, not just his talk of angels, and wonder how long he faked it for.

He meant well though, I am sure of that, and making money was not his aim. He did it for ’his’ church and ‘his’ ministry, in the name of Jesus Christ. But it was wrong. It is a deeply sad story but even sadder is what happened to that pastor, who I shall not name out of respect for his family. Within a couple of years he became obviously ill mentally and was forced to retire.

Sadder still, is I know he is not the only pastor or minister or evangelist who ‘lies for the Holy Spirit’ to help out his ministry, and impress those who will be impressed. Yet truly, the guy was a nice guy, and a real born again believer who meant well. But I think his own pride and desire for status and a constant comparison with another ministry – and jealousy – made him walk in the flesh instead of the spirit, and to strive instead of obey. And made him resort to trickery and counterfeits to try and keep his flailing congregation. His congregation flailed as He saw it more as his and his trophy,  rather than as God’s.

There can be all sorts of other reasons people in the church lie – but to push themselves and their ministries forward to be something is a huge one – whether for money or status.