Disappointment With Preachers

by Van Robison

My wife and I and some friends once traveled to a church that was perhaps a couple of hours away from our home, to hear a preacher who had a reputation for "raising the dead." This man spoke about some of the experiences he claims he had in his missionary work in Mexico and stated that something like fourteen people had been raised from the dead in his ministry. As he spoke, we all sat with a sense of awe at these supposed miraculous events. We were totally amazed and overwhelmed as he told of these people who had been "raised from the dead." During the service some people came in the door rolling a hospital-type bed with a man on it, who had what I heard was Lou Gehrig's Disease. The man was totally incapacitated and obviously needed a miraculous, supernatural healing miracle to restore his life. It would be safe to say that the loved ones of this man also must have believed that if a preacher could "raise people from the dead", then raising a sick man off a hospital bed would be a piece of cake.

My wife and I thought that surely, when this preacher prays over this man, he will be healed and get up and walk. When the preaching service ended, this preacher either of his own accord, or because he was ushered over to the bedside of this sick man on a hospital bed, I presume offered a prayer for the sick man. He was not healed and he went out the same way he came in. Looking back on this church service, I was very disappointed and I have always wondered how is it, that these "great healing preachers" can perform such great miracles that no one ever sees, but it never happens when we go to the service???

I have read many, many books about healing, miracles and deliverance, which have been published in the name of many different "healing" ministers. And while I fully believe in supernatural healing, I have been long disappointed with what I hear and read, as compared to what I have seen or experienced in real life.

At the First Assembly Church of God we use to attend, there was a young man of perhaps twenty to twenty two years old, who was always wheeled into church by his mother. This young man had I think cerebral palsy, and had a contorted body and was basically a mental and physical vegetable. During a "revival" service when several pentecostal type preachers were present, several of these preachers prayed over this young man diligently and all to no avail. My thought was that surely, with all this "fire power" from these preachers, this young man ought to be healed. He never was. On another occasion, a layman in the church came forward, picked this young man up out of his wheelchair, proceeded to the baptismal pool, which was in view of the entire congregation, and while holding this young incapacitated man in his arms, dunked this poor soul in the water seven times in the belief that "God told me to do this" and he would be healed. He was not healed. I don't fault the courage of this layman, but in spite of his boldness, there was no healing, to the great disappointment of everyone.

We once attended a "special" service at which supposedly gold dust was falling from the ceiling. We were told that this traveling "evangelist" had a miracle ministry in which people's teeth would be filled with gold fillings where needed. A friend of mine and myself both went forward, as did many others. This preacher looked into our mouths with a flashlight and said, "All I see is gold". After the service, when we went home and looked in the mirror, there was no gold and we had been hoodwinked. Of course, as this traveling "evangelist" couple made their circuit around the country, they no doubt took back a pocket full of money with them, which is customary.

We once attended a church during the time of the widespread charismatic happenings, in which a lady who was supposed to be a "prophetess" (and now deceased), told the "senior pastor" that God just spoke to her that an offering was to be taken up. The pastor obliged and the lady stood in the front saying, "This is going to separate the men from the boys." And she said, "All those who are serious about God, bring a $100 bill forward and throw it on the floor in the front." Many did and I also fell for this. Afterward, I have no idea how the money was used or for what purpose, but I do know that the "senior pastor" lived very comfortably and drove a very nice late model automobile. I learned from time and experience, that hucksters will separate you from your money for as long as you live, if you allow them to do so, and all in the name of Jesus Christ.

Once upon a time we were at the church we attended when a visiting "evangelist" was the guest speaker. After the preaching, all were invited to come forward. Many went forward, including my wife, myself, and my young twelve-year old daughter. My daughter was standing in the front, basically right in front of this preacher and wanting to be prayed over, as was everyone else, in the belief that the preacher had a "special anointing." But, instead, what this preacher did was to pick out the young, good-looking women and when he prayed over them, they would all fall out in the "spirit" on the floor. He never prayed over my young twelve-year old, nor my wife, nor myself, nor many others. As I thought back on this experience, I was disgusted. My wife invited the pastor of the church to our home, and I told him how I saw that service. I know assuredly that the pastor told his evangelist friend that there was a complaint about how he conducted himself the last time he visited this church, because the next time he came back to this church, he stated publicly that "I have no ulterior motives, and I will pray for every single one of you."

Ever wonder why Christians exit from churchianity? Now you know just some of the reasons and there are many more reasons why that I have not covered in this letter.