REVIVALISTS AND THE LOCAL CHURCH

REVIVALISTS AND THE LOCAL CHURCH
I believe that the measure in which God will favor traveling evangelists and prophets and make them successful is in direct proportion to their attitude towards the local church. (And how you measure success is not by how many followers you have, but what impacting you are making, life-change and so on.)
If you don’t understand and respect the authority of the local Pastor, then you are not in the will of God. 

I have never felt at ease with much of the established system of Christianity, but I always honor the authority of the Pastor. Its amazing to me, that in all those years of preaching and ministering across denominations, although people kinda know what they get; I can count the Pastors who did NOT invite me back to minister, on one or two hands. A few times I had to work with insecure leaders, one time I know for sure they invited me for the wrong reasons in the first place, and a few times they didn’t like what I preached. One time I think I received like 5 testimonies from people before I was out of the door and get ready for the second service but then the pastor told me everything I’ve done wrong- right before I was supposed to minister again. I don’t share that to rehearse it, but to tell you what I did to deal with it. I listened to him, brought it to God, realized he was right about a few things, called a friend, and then let go of it. Never become bitter, always become better. Then I brought the fire again in the second service.
Also, the ones who have split other churches before, will chew you in and spit you out again. I usually have a hard time working with them.
Plus I don’t feel a lot of freedom at the overly seeker sensitive places were never my thing
(Now the 2 hands are exhausted I guess)

As someone who has payed both roles - serving locally and internationally I try to always be aware of this tension. Furthermore I don’t think that the kingdom of God is a local church, rather the local church is part of the kingdom of God. So if you are pastor, make sure you increase your horizon just a little bit, the kingdom is bigger than your church. 
There are even some who were pastors for many years and then they start their own traveling ministry with a goal to get back at the church because they were hurt by their own sheep. That is stupid. Not to mention the many evangelists who didn’t get their way a few times and therefore have completely given up on the church.

Have a regular attitude check and you will be just fine.

I don’t believe coming in and stirring up people in a negative way should be the norm at all for a traveling minister. I don’t think that it is a sign of success when you offended everybody and say it was God - unless you are Charles Finney or Jonathan Edwards and chances are that you are not. 
I hear and proclaim and demonstrate the power of God with signs, wonders and miracles.

Have a regular attitude check and you will be just fine.

Even at times when I came with a heavy word that God placed on my heart it was surprisingly received well, and people said it „hurt good“. Not by all the people, but by the authority that God has put in place, and honestly that means more to me. 

Have a regular attitude check and you will be just fine.

That doesn’t mean that you have to flatter people, neither is it a matter of liking all of that above or not. It simply means that you understand Gods protocol. You are there most likely simple because you have a gift from God - use it to life people and to be a blessing. You make it your aim to be a servant, maintain a high-level focus and keep the main thing the main thing and soon enough God may grant you to do bigger things.
People will know whether you are sincere, have a great attitude and by your love for people. If a church invites you to minister to their congregation, always respect the authority of the Pastor.. and then bring the fire ???? 
#purityandpower

Philipp J. Schmerold, Feb. 2019