The focus of many church leaders have been the desire to move in the realm of the miraculous, they failed to spare a thought on the outcome and side effect of such ministry! It's an undeniable fact that many who have demonstrated supernatural power in the past did not last in the ministry. They started so well but didn't end well.

Many great preachers of yesteryears have made a shipwreck of the faith, simply because they were unable to handle the pressure and peculiar temptations of supernatural ministry. Even present day preachers are falling into the same mistake. Many have lost their ministry and life and are still losing them because they've failed to recognize that there is more beyond demonstrating supernatural power in the ministry.

Supernatural power will not leave you the way it met you I you will be changed forever. It therefore demands proper handling, else, it quickly destroys. Many preachers have lost the glory and shekinah presence of God that they once enjoyed. They are now strangers to His power and glory, which they once knew so intimately.

The landscape of the church in Africa is littered with such once great ministers. Many of such leaders, who started well began to display these negative characteristics at a point which eventually accelerated their down fall:

+ Pride of achievement and attainment; they believed that they are better than everybody.

+ Infallibility; they believed that they cannot be corrected by anyone

+ Immutability; that they cannot make mistakes anymore and the tendency to be loose and lax. They believed God has given them special grace and license to commit sin

+ Flamboyancy and money consciousness + Self-indulgence and pleasure loving

+ Seeking the commendation and adulation of people

+ Activities that leaves little time for prayer and the attitude that says "if God is not happy with me, why are miracles still happening through me?".

All these and many more characteristics are found in the lives of supernatural leaders that have fallen. Much more importantly, the works or ministry of such leaders do not last. Even today, many who are moving in the supernatural realm are really not doing a lasting work. Too many churches that once get filled with people seeking for signs and wonders are now empty, simply because the leader failed to look beyond demonstrating supernatural power.

I am quite sad to report that many of such churches that are committing the same mistakes today will also become empty tomorrow, if they fail to strike the needed balance.

I am appalled to see church leaders, especially prophets, evangelists and leaders with power ministries not sparing a thought for the durability and sustenance of the work. A quick survey of their respective churches show shallow, fickle, superficial and worldly-minded Christians. Christians that are not taught and who are caricature of true disciples are the ones that filled such churches.

It should be noted that not all those who personally experience God's power goes on to become true and genuine Christians. Jesus moved mightily in signs and wonders but confessed His great disappointment that most of the people who experienced His great touch never believed or followed Him for the wrong reasons (John 6:26; Luke 17: 12-19).

He rebuked Korazin and Bethsaida's lack of repentance and faith, despite the mighty miraculous works that were done there. (Matt. 11 :21. Luke 10:13). It happened to Jesus then and it is happening today. The irony is that church leaders of today are either ignorant of this or simply choose to carry on as if the problem do not exist.

In the last couple of years, much supernatural power that results in stupendous miracles have taken place in Africa. In actual fact, miracles have become so common place that only the most fantastic ones are recorded. But has this mighty display of power led to the increase of fundamental Christianity? I am afraid no!

True disciples are scarce commodities in our churches today because church leaders failed to strike the much needed balance. Shallow and beggarly Christians are the outcome of such profound mistake. Here are some side effects:

a. Preacher Becomes Object of Worship:

Many Christians worship their church leader today and not God. They see him as the Messiah and therefore sing his praises to high heaven. They idolize him as their deliverer and mention his name constantly in their testimonies, because if they fail to do that, they will be severely reprimanded by their larger- than-life tin god!'

b. Looking for the Gifts rather than the Giver:
It is quite normal for the people to start hankering for the gifts. rather than the Giver. Their reason for seeking for Jesus is not to be saved and to truly worship Him, but to be blessed and healed. Small wonder we have large percentage of selfish and 'bless me' Christians today occupying important positions in our churches.

c. Unbelieving Believers:
It is a well-known fact that not all those who are healed go on to accept Jesus and continue in Him. Too many professed Christians today are unbelieving people. They are only religious and Christians in name and appearance, but their heart is far from God and full of wickedness and every imaginable evil.

d. Hypocritical Living and Secret Sins:
Despite mighty deeds and workings of the Holy Spirit, Ananias and Saphira were still able to display hypocritical lives. Much the same today. Hypocritical and secret sins are still very rampant among the people, despite fantastic power demonstration. Things unimaginable are found happening among the people that attend churches where power demonstration is openly displayed.

e. It Does not Guarantee Heaven:
Jesus said that not all those who call Him Lord, Lord would get to heaven. Also, not all those who did miracle by His name. Many who have received miracles and are channels of mighty deeds to others have unfortunately gone to hell, literally fulfilling the words of Jesus (Matt. 7:21­23)

In the light of the above, we must put power demonstration in proper perspective. Miracles, signs and wonders are like money, it is neither good nor bad, it depends on what usage you put it. Signs, wonders and supernatural demonstration are necessary for ministry and to give sign to the people, yet it is not the ultimate, heaven is the ultimate. That is why Jesus said the disciples should not rejoice because the spirits are subject to them, rather they should rejoice because their names are written in heaven (Luke 10: 19,20).

However, we should not neglect the special presence and power of the Lord that results in great demonstration of power for signs and wonders. We should not make the mistake of throwing away the baby with the bath water as some have erroneously done. Life is a process of maintaining our balance and it is no less true in this instance. It is our candid duty to balance power with purity, healings with holiness; miracles with meekness; gifts with the Giver and deliverance with devotion to Christ, both in our personal lives and in our churches.


* Dr. Bola Akin John is a Church growth expert. You can reach him and or buy this book at his website: http://www.churchgrowthafrica.org