When the church teaches power and miracles as primary, then — whether we like it or not — church leaders are expected to be the source of those manifestations of power. In other words, leaders are expected to have special privileges: to pray for people’s healing, to hear God’s voice, to experience supernatural encounters, and so on. As a consequence, it is almost inevitable that a cult of personality will arise because those leaders are seen as superior due to the extraordinary experiences they claim to have.
Many Christians who have never studied theology or the Bible in depth — but who have experienced, or claim to have experienced, supernatural events (especially if they can demonstrate a miracle) — are immediately regarded as fit to lead the flock. Ironically, those who have studied theology for years do not necessarily have as many followers as those who emphasize a mystical approach. Furthermore, if their theological learning only fills the mind without an experiential encounter with God, then their teaching is powerless to change lives. It touches the intellect but not the heart or the will.
Such theologians are only in demand in academic spaces — in theological colleges or seminars on doctrinal topics and systematic theology. Even so, their teaching often fails to change people’s lives. So, it is no surprise that churches emphasizing supernatural experiences feel they don’t permanently need profound theology. This group even considers itself special, but in reality, it has gone astray.
God is not only invisible; He often seems indifferent to our struggles. So if God does not seem to be working in concrete ways, don’t fabricate signs to make it appear so. Don’t interpret every ordinary occurrence as an extraordinary manifestation of God. For example: “Before I came to this church, my income was X; now it has multiplied. Amazing!” Yet non-Christians experience similar — sometimes even greater — things. We need not force ourselves to say, “God is so miraculous,” when there is no evident action of God in the event. God is indeed miraculous, but we must ask: miraculous in what way? What is the substance of that miracle?
Through church history, many Christians have experienced the reality that God seemed absent. Even when the church went into a significant decline known as the Dark Ages, where was God then? History records that the church’s deviations continued for centuries, far from the spirit and teaching of the Gospel Jesus left. Doctrinal conflicts even led to people being killed or burned alive. Were those events reflections of God’s presence? Where was the Lord then?
During periods of persecution, God also seemed powerless, as if unable to help His people, allowing suffering and persecution to continue for years, even centuries. There are Christians who never enjoyed a comfortable life from birth to death. When God appears to allow believers to endure prolonged suffering or to be persecuted for their faith in Jesus, where is God? It seems as if He does not value their sacrifices in defending the faith. Isn’t this something we must seriously reflect upon?
Therefore, when today some people treat their “real” experiences as the highest value — even though such stories are often exaggerated or fabricated — how should we view the suffering of the early Christians, whom God did not spectacularly rescue? What about the long decline of faith across church history? In some regions of the world — such as Turkey, which once received one of the seven letters of Revelation — the church has even died out. Where is the Lord? Is it because they were somehow not “good enough” and so deserved to be left to perish?
So now we need a new horizon in life so that the mismatch between pulpit testimonies or bombastic sermons and our lived reality of struggle won’t stress us. In church, we are told that God blesses abundantly and restores; yet when we go home, a debt collector may be waiting. So let us learn the pure truth. Use sound reasoning. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.