As you listen to the words of this song… think about the picture you are painting in your relationship with Christ. Remember when everything was simple, because it was all about Him?
I hope you are beginning to see the picture we have been trying to paint for you... Jesus IS the CENTER at the Heart of the Matter. LIFE in Him is complete when we pursue fulfillment through the only Well that never runs dry...
Let HIS LOVE, His Spirit pour out over you today... For His Foundation is STRONG, STEADFAST, AND ETERNAL. It's usually when everything else fades away, that we discover the TRUE Significance in what remains.
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Allow Him to search deep within your heart, as you continue to walk this journey out. Allow the Holy Spirit to once again flame the fires of your pursuit of the risen King. For there is a call... for all to return their hearts back to their first love. Back to the only real thing that remains... after all the offerings have been given, after the lights go out and all is said and done. Our prayer is that ALL would once again encounter the simplistic, yet powerful and passionate Cause of serving Christ and one another. It's time to go back to the future..."May the Fullness of Joy that is found only in HIM...
be IGNITED in your life once again."
>>return their hearts back to their first love. <<
ReplyDeleteis this possible even though my heart is still in the process of breaking?
To Penny:
ReplyDeleteYour heart is breaking because you have been brave enough to not run from the problem. You have boldly taken the steps needed to face the ugly truth. This is a BIG STEP in the process of moving forward in a healthy way.
Take the time to encourage yourself and remember how important you are as a Child of God. And nothing or “no one” can take one shred of glory away from the Gifts and Talents that God has placed on the inside of YOU.
As you continue to build your life on the Foundation of Christ (and not the affirmation of man)... God will begin to restore the TRUST, HOPE, and JOY that you deserve! I know the process is hard, but YES –God can HEAL your heart AS you focus it back on Him. The key is to patient with yourself in the process and KNOW that it will be worth it in the end!
ugh. I hate the process. ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt really sucks because having grown up with a difficult childhood and doing my best to recover in adulthood...
It just seems like SSDD. I am amazed I landed myself in it again. And again. Each time I see it earlier, mind you -- that's supposedly PROGRESS. But alas - I have a tendency to hang on.
What was it that Sam I Am said?
LET IT GO.
feh.
Thank You Speaking the Truth in Love. What a powerful song because it really is all about Him.
ReplyDeleteSo simple yet so profound. May we all get back to pursuing our first love, the risen King.
Be blessed my friends.
2 Cor. 1:3,4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us is in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Beautiful Song, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI want to say that it is a blessing to see the "heart" of the matter is about Jesus. People will fail us and deception will be among us. But we need to lean on the Spirit of God to enlighten us... all we have to do is ask. I've spent years "praying" and everything that the Lord has shown others He's shown me. He has not failed us but has come to set us free.
ReplyDeleteSpiritually the "issue" is deep and I have a link that I was led too: http://www.bornagainministry.org/Malaysian/pdf/Freemasonry_curse_breaking_prayers_DWJD-team_SFC-Int.pdf
Sad to say, It's true and it worked.
Looking at scripture, Satan has always gotten into men. That's why God says to pray for all men. But Jesus also told us to "trust God" and "worship Him alone". I am healed and whole. It's a process... and I'm thankful for this blog.
"I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it, when it's ALL ABOUT YOU JESUS"...truly, truly, the HEART of it all. Thank you for sharing, thank you for caring, thank you for the support! Penny - keep the FAITH! God is your comfort and joy!
ReplyDelete@Struggling -
ReplyDeleteFaith is all I got.
Thank-you for your comment!
I wanted to stop by to share with all of you that I am one of the ones who posts silly stuff on FBook.
ReplyDeleteI love God.
Does a bishop love God more?
I'd rather be a zero with my broken heart.
FAKE Bishops have counterfeit love.
ReplyDeletePenny - I heard about the "zero" comment by MP last night. Is that what you were referencing?
ReplyDeleteanon -
ReplyDeleteof course it is.
What was his 'zero' comment? For someone who talks a big game about not listening to the 'haters' (or whatever they are calling all of us), he sure takes him time to take his shots.
ReplyDeleteKevin, His comment, from what I heard (Penny can verify), was "Don't be a zero...be a hero." It was one of his catch-phrases in Thursday night's message. The very unfortunate aspect of this comment is that he's calling some of GOD'S CREATION "zeros". Really?? GOD ALMIGHTY created "ZEROS"?? And MP will call them out??
ReplyDeleteThis is another demonstration of the LACK of love in his heart for mankind! It's also a demonstration of his pride.
The word "zero" is a mathematical term that means: having no measurable value; nothing; the absence of any, or all, units.
ReplyDeleteHuman beings cannot be described as a zero, absent of any value, from God's perspective, because He believes that we are of immeasurable worth. How much are we worth to God, Himself? The Apostle Paul put it best in the book of Romans.
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
How valuable are we to God??? We are worth the price of His own Son!!! What an amazing price was paid for us??? People of God... that is how much you are worth to God!!! None can speak ill of oneself with this information at our disposal. Zero??? I think not!!!
Paul, however, did make an exception to this Biblical decree. He shared an interesting insight with the church at Corinth. Paul decreed that someone can descend, by their own choice, to the absolute value of zero, or nothing. How can we lose that immeasurable value given by God, you may ask??? Simply this...
I Corinthians 13:2 "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I AM NOTHING."
Be careful how you treat others, Saints... you can descend, by personal choice, to the level of "zero!"
Amen!!
ReplyDeleteYou can tell a lot about a person, simply by watching their "love walk" with others...again –JUDGE THE FRUIT. It’s simple.
------------------------------
I thought I once heard it said, "I will never use this platform for my own agenda."
But clearly the Purpose or "agenda" of the Holy Spirit would always be to provide Truth in messages that would --nurture, heal, protect, and strengthen the sheep.
Sometimes we do not have the ANSWERS we are looking for –simply because we are NOT asking the right QUESTIONS.
"DO YOU BELIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD GIVE THIS MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH?" Do you??
-The people who write on this blog, who comment on this blog, who speak truth on this blog, who stand for something good, and pure and right, who might not be perfect but are willing to admit their mistakes, the pastors who left Cornernstone for good reasons and are still trying to do something for God-YOU ARE MY HEROES-Fight the good fight.
ReplyDeleteAnd umm, hustlinge the gospel for profit and taking money from poor folk of Toledo doesn't make you important or successful, sneaky and two faced maybe...justsayingdontbeazeroandwhateverotherphraseyouwanttothrowintothemixcauseyouaintgotnothinggoodtosay:)
Penny-you're awesome.
Saints,
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to reemphasize that we are not to build our lives on catch phrases, slick sayings, rhyming words, church growth consultants marketing slogans, scriptures out of context, or creativity.
We are to build our lives according to God's Word. The Bible.
Wherever you attend, you should ALWAYS reference the message with your Bible.
Again, part of my process out of Cornerstone was buying the CD and going home and listening to it a few days later with a few of my friends.
We would break it down and do our checks and balances with scripture in context like the Bereans.
Who was the author speaking to at the time?
Is it being taught in context of the whole letter or historical time period?
Is it applicable to me today? Was this promise made to everyone or just someone at that time?
Once we started down this road, we found that the majority of what was being taught was false teaching and messages developed around manipulating people for their money and time to build a personal kingdom.
The more we did this the louder the voice of God was telling us to make an exit. God did not tell us to stay and pray and hope for the best. He said leave and let me take care of it one on one with those who teach false doctrines and fables of men.
You can't rid your mind of the poison if you hang around and keep drinking the poison. You need to leave the environment and detox.
When a person is an addict, they don't get better hanging out at a different bar, they get better by leaving that environment and going to a place that is healthy.
Test the spirits folks....
And now...
ReplyDeleteCODEPENDENCY:
http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/mental_health/codependency.htm
This is one of the better down-to-earth sites explaining my dysfunction! HA!
I figure since I throw the word around so much, I would make an effort to show y'all what I mean by it.
Seriously, read through this and see what you think. Melody Beattie once wrote that if a codependent walked into a room of 500 people, they would find the other codependent.
The following checklist of cultic tendencies by Charles Lesser was published in the October, 1991 Spiritual Counterfeits Project Newsletter. They are typical of a number of aberrational cultic groups and churches on the scene today.
ReplyDelete1. Is your pastor fully accountable to a board of elders, presbyters, etc?
2. Is loyalty to Jesus and to one's own calling placed before loyalty to pastor and church?
3. Does your pastor encourage questions and suggestions? Is he approachable?
4. Does your pastor give equal attention to all kinds of people in his congregation?
5. Does your pastor readily admit his errors?
6. Does your pastor avoid boasting or hinting at a "special anointing"?
7. Is your pastor truly humble?
8. Are the sermons based on clear Biblical truths, not on "original revelations" or ax-grinding?
9. Does your church interact with other churches?
10. Does your church staff avoid secrecy?
11. Is power shared in your church (rather than preempted by a hierarchy)?
12. Does your church see itself as just one organ of the Body of Christ, and not the main one?
13. Is your church truly friendly?
14. Does your church emphasize ministry to people rather than church programs?
15. Are especially needy people cared for lovingly in your church?
16. Are church members encouraged and loved even when they leave?
17. Are relationships with former members encouraged or allowed?
18. Do the pastor and congregation avoid attacking and using as object lessons, former members or those who disagree?
19. Are families encouraged to stay together and spend time together?
20. Does your family worship Sunday service include children, at least for part of the service?
21. Are you encouraged in your own calling?
22. Are pleas for money rare and unemotional?
23. Are your children happy to attend church?
24. Are you happy to bring unsaved friends to your church?
25. Is there a diversity of classes, races, dress styles, ages, and occupations in your church?
26. Are people encouraged to hear from God for themselves?
27. Is there a single behavior standard for all people in the church?
28. Are all types of people considered welcome at your church?
29. Is the joy of the Lord present in your church?
30. Are you free from fear in your church?
31. Do you think more about God and Jesus than you do about your pastor and church?
32. Does your pastor include himself in any calls for repentance and forgiveness?
33. Are you clear that the pastors and elders never exaggerate or lie to make themselves look good?
34. Is your group encouraging of each other and free from gossip and rumoring?
35. Is there a humility of doctrine that points to the grace of God and His mercy for sinners?
36. Are you encouraged to serve in ministries or missions outside the local body?
37. Is there ever any pressure put upon members to give or lend money to leaders for their personal or business use (exclusive of church business or projects)?
Stumbled across this and thought that people here might find it useful.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.caryschmidt.com/2011/02/saddest-letter-ive-ever-read/
@Sam's Letter Posting
ReplyDeleteIt could read:
Dear Pastor,
I'm a teenager. What do?
Love,
_______
To Anonymous Feb. 23,
ReplyDeletePart 1
Great stuff. It would take an absolute blind, indoctrinated soul not to see that the majority of those questions can only be answered, "No." And the questions that you can say yes to, don't really matter in terms of all of the other incriminating evidence.
There is not much more to be said about the glaring false doctrine, heavy-handed shepherding & idolizing of Michael & Cornerstone Church. It is not even a matter of a fine line there folks. It is all up in your face right now & the only thing it should come down to is following Jesus & God's Word, not the feel good addictive brain buzz of the music and great show at the Stone. God doesn't really care about how good the music is & whether or not you got your feel good goose bump at church. He is going to judge you on His Word & that alone. He is not going to care about your friendships, connections, achieved levels, enjoying the music & being recognized by a corrupt set of leaders.
It is time to truly wake up & smell the coffee. It doesn't matter how much old Mike tries to back pedal right now & preach things according to the Word because he & his cronies have been
reading this blog to find out what the REAL TRUTH of God's Word is.
And furthermore, Mike can barely flow while trying to get a portion of the truth out. He flows in what he knows according to his revelation of the Word, but struggles to articulate the real truth of God's Word. I find that interesting. He really hasn't preached any new material in years - it is all rehashed according to the situation at hand that they are trying to defend.
As one who studies body language and mannerisms, speech patterns etc., Mike tells on himself. He is a real gospel showman & knows how to "turn the tricks" when he needs to.
He has, for years, had an ax to grind about many things & people & uses the platform to do it. He has such an ANGRY tone about him since this blog has started - it is so obvious. Then he tries to schmooze & smooth it out on his FB. And, quite frankly when the pressure is too great for him, he conveniently skips town to preach elsewhere which has been a lot lately. If he isn't avoiding things through his alcohol use, then he checks out of town for some R & R cause after all, he has such a stressful job & needs to take more time to relax. I think the real stress is from living a double life & trying to keep up wiht appearances.
If he were actually pastoring the way a true pastor should, then maybe I would agree with that. But as it stands, David Banks should be the one taking some long vacations as he probably does far more pastoring & dealing with Michael's sheep than Michael ever did.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteRegardless,the bottom line is that Michael Pitts has long ago ceased to be a pastor & teacher of the true Word of God. I know, I know, he became an "apostle" & had to go "establish" churches. Give me a break, the majority of churches he went to establiish were already in existence & all he did was go to indoctrinate them & groom them as a part of his network to bring more money in to his cash cow. Being a network church equates to incoming dollars for Michael & Robert - more tithes coming in & a pay to play to be in the network.
And then came the "elevation" to Bishop through the crooked connections of the ICCC, another pay to play outfit & basically a Catholic organization - research its roots for your self.
A bishop is basically an elder & interestingly enough although the Word speaks much about elders in the NT, Mike doesn't believe in those either...you know, can't have too much accountability for yourself. Just got to flow in the Spirit which trumps the Word.
Again, wake up ye followers of the gospel according to Michael. Hear ye, hear ye, it's all a smoke & mirrors operation. He ain't the great Oz, because when the curtain is pulled back, well you all know the story!
Just sayin'...the handwriting on the wall is clear. If you are still at the Stone, you are in a cult. End of story!
Just Sayin...
ReplyDeleteLike any unhealthy relationship (especially one highly co-dependent), it is hard to break away from the familiar. When one or several appear or are accused of "attacking" the co-dependent (MP), the first move is to support and come to the aid of the "victim" (MP) and feel sorry for them.
It is emotional manipulation. MP plays the victim card very well when he needs to and you can see it laced through his recent message....
He is backed in the corner, God isn't talking, the devil is fighting him because he is so great and the church is going to another level for the 75th time, we need to pray for our leaders (Duncan Billions) as they are under attack. All this is the victim side of the co-dependent. The other side is the aggressor role to manipulate and control the dependent (dumb sheep as MP would say).
If you pay attention and step away from the hype people I guarantee you will see both of these sides switch back and forth with MP. Look for the victim and the aggressor or controller weaving in and out of messages.
This set up is classic Co-Dependency. I had to read several books on co-dependency so that my eyes would be open to these patterns of behavior so I could first see those operating in MP and my life.
I encourage everyone to not only read your Bible but books on co-dependency so you can see what is going on and be able to loose yourself from a thought pattern to be able to see and interpret the scripture properly to get free from this unhealthy leadership and environment for good.
Once I saw this going on, I had to be honest with myself and release myself from a spirit of fear to be able to step out of the co-dependence into a healthy dependence on Jesus. Best move I ever made in my entire life.
There are those that are already being enlightened to this and are on their way out of this trap and those that you could show every Bible verse and cult list to and they turn a blind eye to it because it will cost them way too much to not deny the truth of what is going on. Particularly leadership who gets $$$ and power for their support of the co-dependent. They will ride it out as they have too much invested.
Again, the Bible says in Galatians (Paul's question) that we will seek to please God or Man. Who are you looking to please is the question we all should be asking ourselves as Christians.
To Eyeswideopen,
ReplyDeletePart 1
Very eloquently stated about the whole codependency relationship. That is as glaring as all of the other cult-like behavior occurring at The Stone.
I wish someone could take a poll to see exactly how many members past & present came from abusive families of origin or have had families of origin as well as their own struggles with addiction & codependency. I would venture a guess that it would be a very high percentage.
As has been stated by many previous posters, it is familiar behavior to those of us who had addictions of our own & who also grew up in addictive abusive households.
Once we got delivered from our drug or behavior addiction of choice, we replaced it with the opiate of Michael Pitts & Cornerstone.
There is truly a plethora of brain research on the effects of music on the brain, the shouting, the clapping, dancing, MP's style of preaching (hard & fast)etc. & group dynamics & the brain. That behavior activates certain chemicals in the brain such as dopamine, norepinephrine, etc. which also increases adrenaline & creates a neural pathway connection to crave & respond to that stimulation. It is in & of itself a "positive" addiction of sorts & I use positive very loosely here.
All of those chemicals racing through your brain & body of course keep you in a state of alertness & pleasure & affects your judgement & thinking. So, it may not be so much the joy of the Lord as it is the joy of the neurochemical stimulation you are experiencing. So, your discernment becomes clouded because everything feels so good, so right. And WOW, isn't MP just so anointed & full of revelation?? Quite the buzz I'd say!!
How about these verses: Be STILL & KNOW that I am God and In QUIETNESS & CONFIDENCE He shall be your strength.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteIf you take all of that hype away, what would you have? Could you discern what is really going on spiritually? Could you discern that a very different spirit is in operation there?
Living as God commands us to is seldom about warm fuzzy feel good emotions. Often times, there is much sacrifice involved with following God's commands, not a man's, & telling our flesh to sit down & allow our spirit to rise up so that we can hear from God FOR OURSELVES as He wants us to do. Just sayin'...Who are you really sacrificing for & trying to please?? Does Michael represent your earthly father/parent & all of your issues with that??
So yes, reading about codependency is very helpful to understand the dynamics we were once caught up in with Michael & his staff as well as with each other. Each memeber of the family plays a role in the codependency & the one who steps out to break the cycle & expose the secret, well, they pay a price for that. Look at what has been spoken of those of us who left.
Thus it was my anger with Michael's 2nd drunk driving conviction & denial of it that caused my eyes to open. I had dealt with the insanity of the behavior in my own family, why on earth would I want to continue with it in my church family of nearly 20 years?? That is when I began looking at the heart of it all & started my slow & gradual move out of Cornerstone. I had to follow my heart & the leading of the Holy Spirit & let all else go as painful as it was.
So whether you look at this from a codependency view or a cult/heavy-handed shepherding, false doctrine view, at the end of the day, it is all about following Jesus & the Word, not a man & his show. Because when you come right down to it, there is no Christ-like love at the Stone & Michael really doesn't care about you, but whether or not you are bowing to him & his ways. As Janet Wend once said herself, "Jesus may be King, but at Cornerstone, Michael is King". That pretty much says it all about how Michael is perceived.
Michael for many is like the ever elusive alcoholic father. You try and try to please him & gain his love & recognition & you think for a minute that you have it, but the wall goes up & it just can't be grasped or reached. And if you think you have it, is it genuine love or love that is conditional?
Well, enough said. It really does come down to as Eyeswideopen said, "Who are you looking to please at the end of the day?"
Just Sayin,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you stated above 100%. My father demanded perfection, it was never ever good enough, and he was a strict disciplinarian. I gravitated toward a cult environment like Cornerstone instead of any other Church in Toledo because the behavior and personality of MP was FAMILIAR to the environment in which I was raised.
Again, ask yourself why you chose Cornerstone over say any other place in Toledo. It is not a RANDOM choice, it was because the abusive and co-dependent environment was FAMILIAR and COMFORTABLE to you.
Karl Marx said religion is the opium of the masses. Those activities have an effect on brain chemicals indeed. Just to clarify, he didn't say Jesus is the opium of the masses. He said religion is and he was right in that regard.
When you hype people up it mimics a stimulant.
You nailed it here with this post. This is the roots of what is going on there and if Janet ever told me that Michael was the King, I would have ran out of that building shaking. That is NUTS and crazy thinking.
Just sayin...
ReplyDelete(hahahahaha)
This is a very small detail, but in the recovery setting I feel it is vitally important... so I am putting it out here:
Michael would be the Addict/Codep (All addicts are codeps and vice/versa but that's a different post) -
Those of us caught up in the machine or who were caught up in the machine are the codeps. EVERYONE at SOMETIME gets hooked SOMEWHERE. Even if you are a superhuman holy man. It is VITAL that we all look at our roles in the machine as to recoop, live healthy and NOT repeat it...
or in some cases, make sure we do NOT ignore the red flags in the future that we are examining in this situation.
I am NOT victim blaming. BUT - one key element in being a survivor (as opposed to victim) is to recognize where I fit, how I fit, and learn to take care and protect myself in a healthy manner. Let's face it, as a codependent, I could make a career out of being a victim. I, however, will NOT. I got caught in it and I am OUT. I will probably step in it again - but by GOD I will not play victim.
I have a few perpetrators in my past - and through the recovery process, I think I have managed the worse anyone could do to another human being; TRUE abject APATHY. I look forward to being there with this also.
NOTHING excuses the abuse from the hands of others... nothing.
Grace and forgiveness means empathy, not a free pass.
TO: Eyes and Just Sayin'
ReplyDelete(I love the "just sayin" - makes me smile)
EXCELLENT WORK AND WORD. Bravo to both of you!
"I wish someone could take a poll to see exactly how many members past & present came from abusive families of origin or have had families of origin as well as their own struggles with addiction & codependency. I would venture a guess that it would be a very high percentage."
Personally, I can't count that high - let's take a poll to to find out who WASN'T and then label them with "DENIAL." :)
Thank you Penny & Eyeswideopen. Sometimes it just helps to spell it all out in black & white.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for this blog & for those who truly understand all that we have been through.
It helps to share & validate each other.
And yes Penny, the poll for those who haven't lived through abusive/addictive families of origin would probably be much smaller & perhaps account for many yet in denial:)
How many times can the bible be taken out of context? Answer:every time an agenda driven,flesh creature attempts to prove a point.
ReplyDeleteWe are witnessing a man in bondage. It was this same man which taught us that in order to keep someone in bondage you must stay and watch the gate. Every message is preached from the gate and those who are imprisoned are clueless to the fact that the spirit of God moves and would not hover over and agenda.
The gate preacher will never be free to leave the gate because when he does, more people will realize the bondage and rush the gate(leave the church) so there will never be an end to his guard duty, which is why he has selected misinformed individuals to assist with damage control.
Some of us have been contacted by these folks...the problem is WE ARE NOT LOCKED IN THE GATE, but free! Free and experiencing the liberty of God, WITHOUT the opinions of a man or those controlled by a man.
Just in case you haven't noticed every political system, industry and church which has allowed greed to be it's motivation for doing is being exposed and failing.
There's nothing those who stand on the foundation of truth have to do except obey GOD and hold on to the truth.
A Word to the imprisoned, you are weak because you are not being fed, you are not being fed because the only revelation allowed is that which serves to secure the agenda and as long as you are weak you will never have the strength to rush the gate.
Selah
After considering the comment above by Bro. Leroy... I really think he has brought the "Heart of Worship" to a full circle by enlightening the truth "Behind the Gate Keeper".
ReplyDeleteNew comments will temporarily be closed on this article. I would like the above comment to remain highlighted at this time...