Spirit filled Pastors on mounds of Antidepressants -Seeking your thoughts

[IntriKate]

Personally I would leave

 

[Daniel Marsh]

Good question.... but the only things that we know about the Pastor is that they are from Canada and Pentecostal........ so we have no particular reason to doubt that the opening post is sincere!

If the city or town was given.... that would be a bit different.......!

Hi Dennis, the poster of the OP strikes me as playing a game. She revealed herself as being an United Pentecostal aka as Jesus Only aka Oneness. The game she was playing is there is something inherently wrong with Churches and people who believes in the Trinity. She struck me as saying those that are not Jesus Only are not spiritual.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Hi all.. I searched online to locate a forum where I can seek input from other Spirit filled believer's. Something is troubling me

Recently I discovered the pastor of the church I've been attending is on hoards of antidepressants to the point where he can't feel much of anything at all. This info is fact, not gossip. It is also fact that his wife screams viciously at him and criticizes him horribly (she claims to be spirit filled but I'm positive she's not). I've wondered if the reason he's on meds is because of her. I've never seen such horrible behavior from a pastor's wife.

I guess I'm confused.

I do not mean to offend anyone here who's on meds like this, but I'm struggling with having a Pentecostal LEADER who has zero ability to hear from the Lord. His sermons are from his intellect.

I've learned the pineal gland plays an important part in our ability to hear from the Lord spiritually. The pineal gland can be calcified by certain drugs (as well as fluoride).

.. ugh... I don't know how to wrap my little head around it. Why not contend with God for his healing so he can get off the meds instead of taking all that stuff?? He's a LEADER but he has a jezebel spirited wife and he has no JOY!
-- Is it possible for God to move if OTHER people are praying for him even if he isn't seeking that healing himself? .. I cannot imagine that he would not want healing instead of taking all that medication. I have never known of anyone who takes that MUCH antidepressant meds, it's absolutely extreme.

The Ministry is one of the most difficult and demanding occupations that one can enter into. Charles Spurgeon told his students that if there is anything else other than the ministry that they could do then go and do it!

Christian pastors are mortal human beings and when under extreme stress, they can have the same mental health issues as anyone else. Being a Christian believer does not make a person a super person. Stress, uncertainty, coping with criticism, fear around job security, frustration that not everyone accepts the preaching, are all part of the territory of being a pastor.

If a pastor needs antidepressants to keep him sane under excess stress, then he should use them without having to bear with unfair criticism and condemnation from those who have not the courage, education, sense of mission, to be other than armchair, pew-sitting critics.

 

[Daniel Marsh]

Since the pastor is not here to defend himself, the OP is gosip.

 

[NoFrills]

Being in MINISTRY or any other occupation is not an excuse for people to say they're STRESSED!

Jesus says His burden is easy and His yoke is light. If a Christian cannot walk in the PEACE Jesus promised to each and every one of us, then guess what?? ---- It means there's a problem ---- It means they have not learned to ABIDE in Christ. And if a person has not learned to ABIDE in Christ then they should NOT be in ministry at all !

That's just how it is.

Was Paul "stressed out" and in need of antidepressants when he was RUNNING to be persecuted?
something is wrong today ------------ we all ought to be walking in His PEACE ... Jesus promised PEACE to His followers so that they can overcome the world. If a minister doesnt even have the ability or relationship with God to enter that PEACE then they need to get out of ministry!

I left that church and took a slew of the people with me. Not only were these pastors incredible hypocrites, lovers of money and have rage issues, but they also HID from the entire church the fact that they deny the deity of Christ and were taking TITHES from church goers who thought they worship Jesus as God.

Judgement begins in the house of God. That's what the BIBLE says -- not a random critic..

@Oscarr

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Being in MINISTRY or any other occupation is not an excuse for people to say they're STRESSED!

Jesus says His burden is easy and His yoke is light. If a Christian cannot walk in the PEACE Jesus promised to each and every one of us, then guess what?? ---- It means there's a problem ---- It means they have not learned to ABIDE in Christ. And if a person has not learned to ABIDE in Christ then they should NOT be in ministry at all !

That's just how it is.

Was Paul "stressed out" and in need of antidepressants when he was RUNNING to be persecuted?

If we read 2 Corinthians 1, we see that Paul and his ministry team were under so much pressure and stress that they despaired even of life. There were times when his life was threatened, angels came and strengthened him. At the time when he was shipwrecked off Malta, angels came to reassure and strengthen him. This is where Paul is blessed in a way that pastors are not blessed today. He had angels to minister to him, and who needs antidepressants, when he has those ministering spirits to encourage and strengthen him?

 

[NoFrills]

If we read 2 Corinthians 1, we see that Paul and his ministry team were under so much pressure and stress that they despaired even of life. There were times when his life was threatened, angels came and strengthened him. At the time when he was shipwrecked off Malta, angels came to reassure and strengthen him. This is where Paul is blessed in a way that pastors are not blessed today. He had angels to minister to him, and who needs antidepressants, when he has those ministering spirits to encourage and strengthen him?

Is God a respecter of persons?
What was available to Paul and what was available to Jesus while here on earth, is also available to us.
Those times of Paul despairing of life took place during great persecution.. Scripture tells us the reason why God took them into such despair (yes GOD led them into a place where they would fall into despair) ..
To understand why He took them into that place we must read the scripture preceding that one... so that when we view it in context it is all explained for us in 2 Cor 1:8-9

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us..

God takes us into places where we can fall into despair because it is in those times when we must choose to either TRUST Him.. or not..

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Is God a respecter of persons?
What was available to Paul and what was available to Jesus while here on earth, is also available to us.
Those times of Paul despairing of life took place during great persecution.. Scripture tells us the reason why God took them into such despair (yes GOD led them into a place where they would fall into despair) ..
To understand why He took them into that place we must read the scripture preceding that one... so that when we view it in context it is all explained for us in 2 Cor 1:8-9

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us..

God takes us into places where we can fall into despair because it is in those times when we must choose to either TRUST Him.. or not..

It would be good to hear of examples of angels ministering to modern pastors in the same way they ministered to Paul. One point though: Paul was a specially chosen Apostle with a unique mission in which he was directly set apart by the Holy Spirit for it. So I don't see any examples in the New Testament where church elders received the same kind of angelic ministry. It is one thing to say that angels protect and minister to those who are called into service for the Lord, and it is quite another to receive reports of it actually happening to them.

 

[NoFrills]

hi @Oscarr

In Acts 27:24 it is written that an angel came and stood beside Paul and said:
"'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'"

We today do not need to have an angel show up beside us to tell us to not be afraid when we know the written word tells us to not fear and to trust God. However, there are times when God will send people to encourage us, or dreams, visions, etc. I have had dreams & visions of angels instructing me or encouraging me during times when there are no PEOPLE to do it.

Also, in the book of Acts it was common for the people of God to see angels -- we know this because of the time the servant girl opened the door and when she saw Peter who was supposed to be in jail, the people said "it's probably his angel" .. they didn't get all puffed up or think it was some huge deal. One of the reasons Christians today don't see angels is because they would get prideful about it as though they're something special. Another reason is because the saints today in the Western world aren't SUFFERING the way they were in the book of ACTS when God's kids were in great danger and being killed or tortured or put in prison.

It is one thing to say that angels protect and minister to those who are called into service for the Lord, and it is quite another to receive reports of it actually happening to them.

Well firstly, God often sends angels to minister to us which we cannot 'see' with our eyes and they strengthen us when we need it. But it is our responsibility to go to God if we are feeling weak. Jesus went to God in the garden when He was troubled about His coming crucifixion and the Lord ministered to Him there. We must go to Him.

But in regards to you not seeing reports of angels coming to visit people, you're simply not looking in the right place for those stories. Have you ever heard of the book "ANGELS ON ASSIGNMENT" ? - you can google it and read it online for free.
There are many documented visitations out there which are easily found online if you truly want to know more about them. God still sends angels (both seen and unseen) just as He did in scripture but the verse that is coming to me right now is this one:

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you" - Matt 9:29

The truth is that if you read accounts of visitations from angels, you may deny them and say people are making them up. So there's the problem of double mindedness and lack of faith. Today there is very little faith in the Western world specifically. People have more faith in pharmakia (drugs) than they do in God.
Well then, be it unto you according to your faith

One only needs to do a quick search on the internet for books about angelic visitations to see that God is still sending angels to His faithful ones. That being said, I don't dispute the fact that there are people who do make things up.

But the truth still stands that there is no need for any pastor or minister to claim to be 'stressed' if he is truly in communion with God and putting His trust in HIM ... Jesus said He gives us PEACE to overcome the world. But we must learn to abide in that peace and abide in Christ who is our peace. If a Christian has not learned to abide and rely on the Lord then they are simply not walking by faith. God puts us in difficult situations to test and stretch us so that we will learn to abide in Him and put our trust in Him just as we see in this scripture:

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead - 2 Cor 1:8-9

The purpose for God putting us in difficult situations is so that we will learn to give our burdens to God through abiding in Him (not medicate them with pills).

I also want to point out that the disciples and apostles were not any more 'special' than you or I. They were just regular humans. God is no respecter of persons. He says that ALL are called but only a FEW answer that call and walk in the obedience required to come up higher in Him.

The apostles were simply faithful and committed to the Lord..they struggled like we all do but they faced the giants and the challenges in spite of fear and kept going in spite of being stretched.
As they were faithfully obedient to the Lord they became 'great' in the eyes of heaven. Obedience and faith are the currency of greatness in God's eyes. We cannot be called a 'friend' of God if we are not obedient. Jesus Himself tells us:
You are my friends if you do what I command - John 15:14
Doing what He commands means being obedient. Not all believers are a 'friend of God' - Those who are friends of God are they who first chose to be bond servants and their faithfulness/obedience then brought them into 'friend' status.

But the apostles were no more special than any other believer outside of the fact that they never gave up -- they pushed through the struggles and learned to place their faith and trust in the Lord