We had our regular Thursday meeting last night, and when I saw one man who had come, I immediately was seeking the Lord about how to handle the situation.  You see, the man is a travelling evangelist church builder who is very pushy with storehouse tithing teaching.  His group, based in Colombia, is basically recreating the Catholic Church.  Every church in the network teaches the same thing every week, as determined by the "Church Father" in the home church.  They are as forceful in their recruiting efforts as any multi-level marketing sales agent you have ever met.  I knew this fellow had probably come to our meeting to gather phone numbers.

     I was all prepared for a fight, and the Lord calmed me down, and had me to be downright sociable with the fellow.  Sure enough, after it was over, he was on the side, putting hard pressure on my wife and another man to come to his meeting, quit their churches and join his.  And yet, as I have always told those who come to our meeting, they are free.  They may go to inspect and check out any meeting where they feel the Lord is leading them to go.  They should TEST EVERYTHING as they go, and consider those forces, lusts and desires that motivate the actions of most men on planet Earth. 

     The interesting part is that this man loves Jesus, I believe.  In that sense, and toward that desire, I can walk with him and talk with him.  I disagree with so many of his rules and practices, and I believe he is in danger in the storehouse tithing teaching, yet the Lord still loves him, as the Lord loved me when God was patient with me in my ignorance.  I cannot gather with his church, or recommend it to others, but I am not to fight against him or it either.

     Mark 9 has a story where Jesus was told by his disciple John that a man was casting out devils in the name of Jesus, and that man was not walking with Jesus or the disciples.  Imagine John's surprise when the Lord told John to leave the man alone.

     There are things I may not be able to gather together with, or recommend, but that does not mean I am to fight against them.  There are other things that I am to fight against with all my strength.  It requires wisdom from God to know the difference.

Stephen L. Bening