We cannot stress this enough. Pray and pray some more. Pray about everything! Praying is simple, so keep it simple. Christianity is in decline in the UK. We can only ponder why? Is this because Christian leaders are more concerned about their self-importance, luxury lifestyle or their stature of how much they know about the Bible, they like to be intellectual or academic to impress the big wigs to keep their salary prospects high, however, a homeless person comes along and asks for help, but they are shooed away. The church is CLOSED, now move along.

Here is a telling scripture.

1 John 3:17

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

1 John 3:17 is a great scripture for people to check their hearts, this includes Christian leaders, as scripture is there not just for the congregation but for the leaders to. Who did Jesus come for? Let’s take a look in Luke 4 v 14-20.

Luke 4:14-20

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

  because he has anointed me

  to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

We love Jesus. Thank God that He sent His Son to help the poor. If you are a Christian leader and you are genuine, this article will not bother you, but if you are a leader, its niggling at you and there is a conviction then the good news is you can confess your short comings to the Lord. The process of letting Him start ironing out the creases in the heart muscle (that we all have) can begin. Just in case you forgot here is that wonderful scripture in 1 John.

1 John 1v9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Back to the main point

If you have been hurt in a church and put down. We are calling on people to pray and to keep it simple. Have a relationship with God in prayer and ask all kinds of things and that He help the poor as a central theme.

You may well be in a situation where a leader pulls rank on you saying you need to know this about the Bible and that, don’t lose heart, or get upset, go straight to God in prayer and have a deep relationship with him in prayer, keeping it simple. You will see fruit flow from it. Praying and being diligent in prayer is an education in itself.

Why do we say it is an education in itself? Check out this scripture in Psalm 119 in one of the stanzas, specifically in verses 98 and 99.

Psalm 119

98 “Your commands are always with me

and make me wiser than my enemies.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your statutes.”

God does not need a Bible college to educate you about the Bible. By keeping your walk with God simple in prayer, spending time with him and meditating on His word, it can lead to you knowing more than your teachers. The Psalmist is not boasting pridefully, he is simply saying he has spent so much time with God in prayer and His word it has been an education for Him.

Conclusion

Again, pray and pray some more. Pray about everything! Praying is simple, so keep it simple and pray and enjoy a deep intimate relationship with our Father in heaven thanks to Jesus, and let the fruit flow from it glorifying our Father in heaven.

As a church we have enjoyed writing blogs, and posting social media posts. It has been a joy. We just want people to know that our website does get hacked from time to time. We have seen deliberate spelling mistakes put into blogs; alignment of text put out of place; images that have been purposefully broken including links and buttons. All likely to make the website look bad and to discredit us in some way.

However, we all know that our battle is not against flesh or blood, but in the dark spiritual forces and in the heavenly realms. As confirmed in Ephesians.

Ephesians 6:12

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Whenever the enemy, or more commonly known as the devil hacks a computer, or website, this can be regarded as a back handed compliment. Yes! Canton Community Church is a busy, vibrant and active church. The Lord is doing great work here. But this means that the attacks will come. So, we are to expect attacks.

If you see a spelling mistake then just know that we could have been hacked, or it could just be an innocent simple typo. If you see anything like this then you can probably still read the content very well, or if you want to email us and we can take a look.

Why do hackers do this?

Well the devil uses the tactics of hacking to attack the mind. If He uses a person to hack you, then the tactic is paranoia, Who was it, you might wonder? It is a tactic of distraction and maliciousness to try and inspire fear and anxiety in a person to inflict trauma. There are many other reasons why hackers do this. However, the bottom line is this. Evil is the devils work and when you simplify it like that it is easy to live with.

To the hacker or hackers

There is always hope for you. You are a child of God once you have declared Jesus Lord of your life. Maybe you think you’re a Christian and are up to no good because you have been influenced by spiritually abusive teachers and false doctrine. Perhaps you have yet to deal with the fear in your life. If these are any of the reasons, or whatever it is, the good news is you can turn to Jesus.

Let Jesus help you. Ask Him how He can help you. We are rather sure He will show up in your life, actually CERTAIN. Here is a scripture in the letter of James.

James 4:10

10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour. 10 Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

Wow what an amazing scripture. It is actually better to humble yourself, rather than you being found out and then having to deal with the consequences. So as James put’s it, get on your knees before the master Jesus and let Him put you on your feet to a righteous life doing good and not evil. We think you will enjoy it far more.

Conclusion

Our final conclusion if you’re reading this. Pray for the people who have fallen to dark artistry tactics like hacking. The Lord will know exactly who it is and pray they are delivered. Prayer is powerful and we are confident that it will help this situation 🙂

If you have been hurt in a local church, then come and join a new church. We have people in our congregation that have suffered spiritual abuse but are doing just fine. Firstly, what is spiritual abuse, lets break it down.

Spiritual abuse is something that can take place within the confines of a cult or even inside a Christian church. It is when leaders like to maintain control of people through coercion. It is when leaders use Gods word in ways it was never intended, to control individuals to ensure their obedience, or to ensure they stay loyal and never raise an eyebrow.

Spiritual abuse is the manipulation of Gods word. This is not His will for your life in promoting spiritual growth.

When could spiritual abuse be taking place

If you want to do your best for the Lord, then that is a good thing. If you have fruit in your walk with the Lord that is a good thing.

One tactic of a spiritually abusive leader is this. Are they constantly telling you that it is for the Lord’s glory, and they tell you repeatedly. This could warrant spiritual abuse. We already know it is all for the Lord’s glory, only God is good, and if people are telling you constantly you are steeling the Lord’s glory this could be a sign of spiritual abuse. This scenario could playout over years.

Here are a couple of points to consider if you think you could be being spiritually abused:

• What de-nomination are they?
• What is the leader’s salary?
• What scriptures do they keep throwing at you?
• Do they try and change your appearance?
• Do they appear to be favouring the same people around them?
• What is the value of the organisation that runs the church?
• What company does a leader keep?

Each point explained

We have told you to consider the denomination because certain denominations can be riddled with scandal. Whether that be financial abuses, shenanigans in the background and the list could go on. If you are part of a church that has things like this going on, then they could well be a spiritually abusive church.

We tell you to consider the leaders salary because a leader could be financially motivated. They want to keep flock members in their place because they want to protect their own interests. In one church, five leaders alone, wages have totalled over £100,000. Leaders can become corrupted by money, and this can lead to things like spiritual abuse, they like their luxury lifestyle.

What leaders will say is this, they are living in the blessing of God. They are part of the bless me club. All the while around them, marriages are breaking down, people’s relationship with God are breaking down and other devastating situations that occur because the leaders are spiritually abusing the flock. Leaders neglect their true responsibility in guarding the flock.

Next tactic spiritually abusive leaders could use against you is this. What scriptures are leaders throwing at you? Here is one scripture you could hear time and again.

Matthew 7:21-23

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

If there is fruit in your life, you are working hard, and trying your best, but a leader will constantly let you know about the scripture above which is Matthew 7 v 21-23. This could be a sign that you are being spiritually abused. It acts as a discouragement to keep you in your place, to knock your self-esteem in God. The leader wants to protect their own interest or even possibly promote someone they favour, but we all know favouritism is forbidden.

Next up, we have said consider if a leader is trying to change your appearance. It is cool to be a Christian these days, or at least that’s how churches like to perceive themselves through their fashion sense. But if a leader is trying to force you into changing your appearance or commenting on the way you look, then again this is a sign of abuse, and you need to consider these things in your assessment of the situation.

We are almost there, we have stated, you should consider if a leader is favouring people around them. As we know in the letter from James and Gods word, favouritism is forbidden. Here is that scripture.

James 2

Favouritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

If people are being elevated and you are constantly being put down even though there is fruit in your life, then you could be being spiritually abused.

Last but one, we have told you to check the value of the organisation running the church where spiritual abuse could be present. It is easy to find out information like this, all you have to do is go to the charity commission and look up that organisation’s accounts. If that organisation accounts total an income of over £50 million, then sadly spiritual abuse could be present in a Christian organisation of this size, as the church is treated like a business and not a spiritual house based on Gods word.

Finally, our last point. We got there. Has the leader been keeping company with people who are rather shady. Perhaps connected with very un-ethical behaviour, perhaps even illegal. Well, if that is the case then you could have leaders who are vulnerable to falling into the realm of spiritual abuse.

What to do next after your assessment?
Don’t lose heart if any of these signs are present in your life, and you have now decided you have been spiritually abused. Where do you go from here? ALWAYS TURN TO JESUS. Always remember that scripture in the Bible is there to help us. In Philippians it says pray about everything. Here is that scripture.

Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Go to the Lord in prayer and tell Him about everything that is going on. He will help you. He will not only help you. He will help the people who have been spiritually abusing you. Who knows what the Lord will do. But one thing is for certain He will put you in a better environment where fruit bearing will continue, and your spiritual growth will continue without the scourge of spiritual abuse being present.

Secondly pray for those leaders. Pray that the Lord help them, and He will reveal to them that what they are doing is wrong. Who knows why leaders fall into the tactics of spiritual abuse, is it because of their own fear present in their lives, they have been compromised by the devil or is it because of a past event where they were hurt.

Whatever it could be, always pray for the people who are spiritually abusing you, because there is grace for them as much as there is grace for us, we are all Gods children who have confessed Jesus as Lord of our lives. God always brings good out of a situation, and He can bring good out in your situation so don’t lose heart.

Join Canton Community Church for a fresh start

If you would like a new start, then come and visit our church family service that takes place every Sunday. Doors open at 10.45am where we will be serving delicious refreshments. If we can be so upfront and talk about matters such as spiritual abuse, then we are confident you will be in a safe environment with us.

What we love about the Bible is there is guidance for almost every situation you go through in life, and, always one solution, and that is Jesus. Jesus does not hold back when the truth needs to be spoken. Let’s look at Revelation 3 v 1 – 6 where Jesus speaks to the Church in Sardis.

To the Church in Sardis

3 “To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

⁴ Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Ouch. This is quite a statement from Jesus. Imagine being part of a church that looks alive but it is not. It is dead. How sad is this. The only bit of good news you can take from this scripture is Jesus will take the few people who are genuine in that church, He will not forsake all. He also gives the church a chance to wake up and try again.

We know we are in the era where we hear of certain scriptures more than others mainly about Gods kindness and mercy, and He is a kind and merciful God don’t get us wrong. We are all in need of Gods grace. But we must not neglect all of the other scriptures that are in the Bible that can help us check our hearts. We could be walking the walk and appear to be serving Jesus but as in Revelation 3 v 1 – 6, Jesus does call out the church in Sardis calling it dead telling them to put their house in order, and to do it soon, because Jesus could return at anytime like a thief.

Do you need a new church to be planted in?

If you need a new church to be planted in and need that fresh start, there are two churches based here in Leckwith Avenue pictured below.

The first church is called, Canton Community Church, the second, called, Grace Canton. Canton Community Church family service doors open from 10.45am. Grace Canton hold an afternoon family service where doors open from 3.15pm.

We can confidently say that these are two churches that can help you along with your relationship with God, teaching his word consistently. Come and see for yourself. You will be warmly welcomed.

There is a beauty about prayer journaling. First things first the most important thing about prayer journaling is having a wonderful relationship with God our Father. The word says in Philippians pray about everything, here is the scripture.

Philippians 4:6-7
6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

If you have something on your heart, or something you really care about there is no harm in praying to God about it. It is the most beneficial thing you can do. God is open to your every feeling and care, He wants to know.

When you prayer journal you also need patience. Here are almost 60 prayer journals accumulated over the last 6 years that contain all kinds of prayer petitions and discussions with God.

There is a scripture that states that the battle is never ours but the Lords. Here it is.

2 Chronicles 20:15
“And he said, Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.”

We must not act in our own strength when a situation has come along, where injustice is present, unless the Lord states that we are to do something, however, one thing you can do is PRAY! Pray from your secret place and then sit back and watch diligently. This is where the patience comes in.

One prayer that has been consistently prayed for in the 6 years worth of journals was a controversial decision made in a church. Instead of voicing opposition to human leaders, we voiced the concerns to God. Over the last 5 years it has been amazing to watch God at work through the prayers spoken and what the outcomes were.

Prayer journaling reveals truth, there is much revelation to be found in prayer journaling that confirms God’s word. The problem we have is God’s word can be interpreted in ways that suit humans, for another word, manipulated. Prayer journaling confirms that God’s word does not change and you yourself through relationship with God will have concrete evidence that this is true, through confirmation of prayer. It will help your faith, rather than be blown from shore to shore with all the different theologies that are out there, especially the toxic Christian content that can be found on the internet, from YouTube videos etc.

To conclude. Through having deep and intimate relationship with God through prayer will help you have vindication, why? Because you will see directly from God what the outcomes were, and you did it in a way where the battle remained the Lords and you honoured scripture by praying about everything.