> > Throw Away Christians
> >
> >
> > By Phil Scovell
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >      I have discovered a class, or group, of people, born again
> > they are, members of the Body of Christ, yet the church has thrown
> > them away.  Strangely enough, I have learned how much God loves
> > each and every one of these throw away Christians.  It goes
> > without saying, but I will say it any way, Jesus died for them,
> > shedding His blood for their sins, and was bodily resurrected for
> > them, too.
> >
> >      These special groups cover a wide range of personalities and
> > a variety of physical conditions.  Some are in wheelchairs for
> > whom ramps are conveniently constructed in order to get these
> > pitiful souls up and into the church building.  Unfortunately, for
> > these people, none of the bathrooms have been modified to handle
> > wheelchairs, So, extra faith is required of these folk to hold it
> > for several hours until they get back home or to wherever they
> > live.  These special folk are such a blessing to the church, too.
> > It makes you thankful that you aren't in a wheelchair.
> >
> >      Another category of these special Christians with special
> > needs are hard of hearing.  Little, if any, regard is given to
> > their inability to hear through the Public Address system to
> > accommodate the hearing loss these people have nor have any
> > special accommodations been made to the amplification system which
> > would allow them to wear earphones or to even plug in to the
> > system, if using implants, so they could hear better.
> >
> >      If you are totally deaf, on the other hand, you are in luck.
> > The larger ministries have taught sign language and so the
> > services are then translated for the deaf.  If you so happen to
> > wish to attend a church without a translator, then you are out of
> > luck.  The hard of hearing, and the totally deaf, are such a
> > blessing to the church, too.  It makes you thank the Lord for your
> > own hearing ability.
> >
> >      The elderly have their own Sunday school class.  This is
> > nice, of course, because then all those that the church brings in
> > from the nearby nursing home can sit in their own class without
> > disturbing the mainstream body of believers.  Especially if they
> > smell funny and those bussed in from the nearby nursing home
> > always do.  Yet, even these elderly people are such a blessing to
> > the church.  It makes you thankful for the youth we have.
> >
> >      This special class and seating arrangement in the church
> > service for the elderly is very much like Sunday school for the
> > children, of course, so it seems logically that the elderly would
> > have their own class where they won't be a bother to others.
> > These same children, since they are so disruptive, have junior
> > church immediately after Sunday school.  This is their own little
> > church they have while their parents are out in the auditorium
> > having their big church service.  In this way, church workers, who
> > never get to sit in on a Sunday school class or church service,
> > get to teach the children for a good three or four hours each
> > Sunday.
> >
> >      Although it is rare, some of the mega churches have
> > discovered blind people read Braille instead of print.  Since
> > blind people don't need to see, their little group of eight or ten
> > sit on the back row where those ungodly large Braille hymn books
> > are easily stored.  This has really brought the blind community
> > together, we are told, and the church is able to minister to them
> > better when they are all grouped together.  Additionally, there is
> > the added blessing of the camaraderie which occurs among these, to
> > be pitied of all handicapped peoples, just because they are now
> > grouped together.  They are such a blessing and encouragement to
> > the rest of the church as they sit back on the back roe with the
> > large Braille song books and singing right along with the rest of
> > the church.  It makes you thankful you aren't blind.
> >
> >      Closely related to the blind group of special Christians, are
> > the Path Finders group.  These are the mentally retarded bussed in
> > from a local care home.  This group also gets to sit in the back
> > of the church because they often become disruptive during the
> > service and have to be taken out by the special workers.  Thank
> > the Lord we are not like them and have mental normality.
> >
> >      Finally, there is a silent group of people who rarely are
> > considered.  They don't have their own special hymn books nor are
> > they assigned a special place to sit in the service.  Furthermore,
> > they have no special Sunday school class of their own to attend.
> > We notice their tears they often shed during the preaching and
> > teaching of the Word but we just figure they are being moved by
> > the Holy Spirit to tears.  We would never once consider that
> > something else might be wrong.
> >
> >      We have also noticed that this silent group of unnamed people
> > often are going forward during the altar call for specialized
> > prayer.  Again, we have no idea why but just assume they have
> > tender hearts toward the Lord.  We have heard they have some
> > special problems but we have never talked to them, other than to
> > say hello when coming or going to the church, and they look like
> > people who prefer being left alone anyhow.
> >
> >      Eventually, your curiosity gets the best of you and you ask
> > one of the church leaders who this silent group of people are.
> > You are told that this group has been unofficially classified by
> > the church as "those to whom only the professionals can handle."
> >
> > I could continue with other segments of society but you likely
> > have gotten the picture by now.
> >
> >      Scattered throughout these various groups, are little girls
> > who have been molested or raped by family members or friends and
> > relatives.  Little boys can also be found in the church who have
> > been sodomized but as is the case with the little girls, they
> > have been threatened or ignored if they did tell someone about it.
> > Now, most of those children are adults.  Some in this silent group
> > have suffered from traumatic childhood experiences and although
> > they daily experience anxiety and panic attacks, they have no
> > understanding of the nature of the cross they must carry.  When
> > seeking counsel from leaders of the church, they often are
> > referred to "The Professionals" and told they will be placed on
> > the church prayer list.
> >
> >      Some of these people suffering from various forms of
> > depression have ungodly nightmares the would frighten the average
> > Christian beyond emotional stability.  Others cry themselves to
> > sleep at night because of the sadness that tries to crush the life
> > out of them.  Others, although they would never admit such to
> > anyone, even hear voices.  Some have not only considered suicide
> > but attempted it.  They never told anyone why they were missing
> > from church for the last three weeks and no one noticed anyhow.
> > Some of these people in this special silent group, are told they
> > are in advanced stages of emotional and mental illness.  This
> > group are on medications for sleep because otherwise they are
> > awake all night.  Others are on antidepressants and antianxiety
> > medications for their depression.  Some are on even stronger
> > medications classified as psychotic or psychotropic mind altering
> > drugs.  These are the more mentally ill people, who, amazingly
> > enough, seem to function in life relatively normally as far as
> > anyone can tell.  Holding down a job, caring for their families,
> > driving a car, mowing their grass, reading their Bible, serving in
> > the church, and other activities that seem perfectly normal, are
> > all conducted by these silently hurting people.  If people knew,
> > on the other hand, they had done as the church leadership had
> > recommended and gone to "The Professionals" with their problems,
> > and were now diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or with
> > schizophrenia tendencies, or told they have Obsessive Compulsive
> > disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, or they are clinically
> > depressed or manic depressive, or if they have ben tested and
> > found to be bipolar, or, as is the case for some who have been
> > brave enough to tell their doctor that they heard voices and now
> > have been determined to have Dissociative Identity Disorder, which
> > is multiple personalities, the church wouldn't come near them.
> > Well, they don't come near them anyway.  These silently hurting
> > people are throw aways, right along with many others, for whom
> > the church chooses not to minister.
> >
> >      My ministry, on the other hand, is to these silently hurting
> > and forgotten people.  I pastor them and pray with them.  I cry
> > for them, making myself available for them 24-7 and pray for them
> > on my own times alone with the Lord.  They call me in the middle
> > of the night and get me out of bed because they are afraid.  They
> > call me when I'm eating my breakfast or lunch or supper and I
> > talk to them as they cry and tell me how frightened they are and
> > how they want to kill themselves.  If they have multiple
> > personalities, I talk to them when they call or if one of their
> > personalities emails me, I email them back and attempt to comfort
> > them.  I schedule regular appointments of prayer times with them
> > so the Lord can continue to reach into their lives of fear and
> > guilt and shame and loneliness and anxiety and pain to heal them.
> > How long do I continue to minister to them?  Until they are whole
> > and healed from everything.  Is that possible?  If it is not, you
> > are serving the wrong God.  Aren't these people crazy people?  No,
> > they are hurting people whom the Lord not only wants to heal but
> > can and does.
> >
> >      If you are one of the suffering silent people and need
> > ministry, call me.  If you are a pastor and need ministry, call
> > me.  If you are a pastor's wife and are trapped by fear and
> > there's no one to tell, call me.  If you are a pastor or
> > missionary or church leader, and find yourself addicted to
> > pornography, call me.  If you are a mixed up confused mom who is
> > hearing voices in your head and you want to kill yourself, call
> > me.  If you've been raped or molested and can't seem to find
> > comfort after all these years, call me.  If you are sexually
> > confused about your identity, call me.  If you have nightmares, if
> > you are suicidal, or if you've attempted suicide, call me.  If
> > you've lost a loved one and the grief is over powering and it just
> > doesn't get any better, call me.  If you are an obsessive
> > compulsive, call me.  If you have committed the unpardonable sin,
> > call me.  If you doubt your salvation, call me.  If you have
> > become involved in an affair, call me.  If you are a throw away,
> > call me.
> >
> >      I am not a professional but I am an intercessor.
> >
> > Phil.
> >
> >
> > I Flew Kites With Jesus
> > www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>