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Are Christians really that needy?

Written by Peter Youngren on September 3rd 2006

I just spent five days traveling across the United States. Staying in hotels and having some free time on my hands I made it a point of watching a lot of Christian television. Something struck me very strange in program after program. The viewer is inundated with the preaching which claims we need victory?, breakthrough?, the next level?, etc. The preaching is quite obviously targeting born-again, spirit-filled believers. Are we really that needy? Or are preachers merely feeling a false emotion-based feeling of need?

Or are preachers merely feeling a false emotion-based feeling of need? I shudder to think where the rest of the world (the non-believers) are if we who are born of the Spirit with Christ indwelling us are in such dire straits. Every time a preacher tells you what you need that statement pre-supposes you dont have it.

Doesnt anyone believe in Ephesians 1:3, that we already have been blessed with every blessing? Is the Christian life really a journey towards our higher levels of anointing and victory? Sounds more like Buddhism to me. What about Pauls prayer that we would see what our inheritance in Christ is (Ephesians 1:17-18)?

Pauls teaching stands in stark contrast to what I saw on Christian television. The apostle never suggested to anyone that they needed victory, breakthrough or the next level. Instead he continually reinforced the truth that we have everything in Christ. Our need is not to obtain everything, but to see what is already ours. Thats why we are on television in the United States and Canada to preach Pauls gospel of what Jesus has done. We are not a religion of people looking for elusive blessings and victories - WE HAVE IT NOW, SO MAY OUR EYES BE OPENED TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE!

Let me hear from you.- Peter Youngren


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Comments:

Dear Pastor Peter Youngren,
I could not help returning to your website since I last discovered on Daystar TV you were from Sweden. I sent an e-mail to you few days ago with an audio and some other files of my testimony. Up until now, I want to confess that I may not have been sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord; to hear Him speak to my heart concerning your ministries. Over a year or so ago, I have watched your program few times. From tomorrow, I plan not to miss it and honestly admit that it’s simply for the fact that I know now you are Svenska saving my people through the blood of Christ. Perhaps you ought to also know that there is more to that, and this is to say I have witnessed the level of authenticity in the Swedish’s hearts while living in Sweden.
As you’ve written, there are many programs on Christian Television preaching born-again’s needs. First, I have to admit that if the messages of having everything in Christ are well taught in our churches, the fear of not having these things you mentioned or losing something when we give to God and those who do not have as much as we do will not be there at all. In my audio file to you, I express losing everything I have to Christ (although not in detail) because I am now sure and know that I have all in Him. And if I am to give it all up again, I will not hesitate doing it over and over. I have seen the Glory of God upon my life and Praise The Lord!!!
Up until late 2004, I did not watch Christian channels simply because I found it less moving just like many other born-again men/women out there. I did not know why many jerked around while praying, let alone why they spoke in tongue. By tuning into some Christian TV programs, I found these things plus some other things out. Moreover, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I am able to discern from the Word of God that the Only thing we need is God’s Love, His Grace and everything comes at the right and His appointed time. When we are confident in His love, breakthrough, victory, and definitely His Anointing & Love are already ours and shall flow through us regardless. When we do have this confidence in Christ, we are no longer in anguish and despair. So, the only thing The Lord wants to establish in us here in this Time Constrained 3D space we live in, is that we ought to ponder on the notion that we are His children and submit ourselves to Him. He will take care of all things once we are sure to depend on His Power and Love for us. He wants nothing else as to spend eternity with us as we believe in His Power raising Christ up on the 3rd day which will raise us up too on the last day. Once we are inclining to this position, He puts the yearning there for us to ask Him for those things He has already done for us; all the things you address for His Divine Purpose. This is why He says to seek 1st the Kingdom of God. Yet goes on to say, do not worry about those things because only sinners worry. His Love in us ought to cast out such fear and worry. When we earnestly seek Love: in Jesus Christ with all our hearts, God with all our hearts, we will find Him instead and His plan for us. Even the yearnings to spend more time with and to be closer to Him continously increase sherely since He is the one that puts them there to begin with because He has already done them. Why should these things then be of needs to a born-again when the Love of God dwells within one? This is why I trust according to His Divine Will, that when He speaks into your heart to be a Spiritual Father to me and His ministries through me, you shall be there. We give Honor and Glory to God! I look forward to hearing from your ministries and thank you in advance for your time reading and hearing my messages.
Stay Blessed,
Moji

Moji Word-Kelani

Amen,
I agree with you Peter.
If everything culminates at the cross,
and GOD made every provision for us there in
JESUS, therefore, don’t we already have everything as well?
Especially if we are in HIM and seated with
HIM in the heavenlies.
In Romans it says:
‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?’
Romans 8:32
If HE gives us JESUS, then what better gift can
HE give? And the greater includes the lesser.
The big mystery for the church is Christ in you.
Colossians 1:27 & 1 Corinthians 3:16
..And working in you mightly.
Colossians 1:29
I realized in my own life, that I was begging
GOD for so many things in prayer that were actually already mine.
What part of ‘It is finished’ don’t we seem
to understand?
Thanks for allowing me to share.
http://www.healingroomsgta.com

Eric Partanen

Hello to everybody!! It’s great to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus!!! I want to say thank you pastor Peter!!! You are very important person to me!! I’m from finland and you were here having campaing called ‘löydä elämä’ three years ago!! Thurshday evening you were preaching the Gospel of Jesus and the very verses were from Matthew 19:26! ‘...with God all things are possible!! And it truly was for me!! I received Christ that night!! Jesus Came in with all blessings!! Drugs, violense, alcohol and liver disease went out!!! Halleluja!! I want to thank you for all these wonderful teaching which have leaded me to live in Christ! I’m in Him and He’s in me!!! Halleluja!! Lord Jesus Has really opened the meaning of Gospel to me!! It’s not about my works, breakthroughs, levels, prayers, fasting…..BECAUSE I’VE BEEN CRUSIFIED WITH CHRIST, IT’S NO LONGER I WHO LIVES, BUT THE CHRIST JESUS LIVING IN ME!!! AND IF JESUS HIMSELF LIVES IN ME I HAVE IT ALL!!! JESUS DOESN’T NEED ANY BREAKTHROUGHS OR NEXT LEVELS!!! HE IS EXALTED! HE’S ALL IN ALL!! LET’S REALLY PRAY THAT WE COULD SEE JESUS AS HE IS!!! SAVIOUR AND HEALER AND KING OF KINGS!! GLORY TO JESUS!! HE LOVES EVERYBODY!! WANTS TO HEAL EVERYBODY AND HAS ALREADY BLESSED EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM!! WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US!! HE GAVE HIMSELF FOR US AND IN US!! HALLELUJA!! everybody, You are blessed in Christ!! Let’s share his love to everybody!! And once again I want to thank you as my spiritual father Pastor Peter!! I’ve been listening your teachings last three years and they have been Great blessing to me and to everybody I’ve been preaching!! Jesus has been leading my life in wonderful ways!! Many people have received Christ Jesus as a savior and many had been healed!! Jesus is alive!! Jesus is not a doctrine!! HE IS THE LIVING GOD!!! We can not understand him but we can RECEIVE HIM!! Let’s turn this world upside down!! Halleluja! All Glory to Jesus Christ!! With His love and faith, Kari Salo

Kari Salo

God bless you so much! I am thankful for God using you so wonderfully to help reveal why the ‘good news’ about Jesus is actually REALLY GOOD NEWS! Before becoming a Christian I looked deeply into Bhuddism and philosphy and religious ways of living life and I agree with you that in many ways ‘Christian’ messages often times are more like Bhuddism than what the bible teaches! God forgive us for this ignorance of his Word! I pray for all those hearing the gospel that they would understand and know God’s word for themselves to see through the rampant legalism being propogated today - and often as the gospel! I could ramble on and on about this but I would rather present here a really short but sweet gospel bible study that has helped me through the years! I hope God uses this as a blessing to someone as it has been a wonderful study help to me:
1. All have sinned
-Romans 3:23 ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
- Isaiah 53:6 ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
2. Sins penalty
- Romans 6:23 ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Hebrews 9:27 ‘And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:’
3. Christ paid the penalty
- Romans 5:8 ‘But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
- 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Salvation is not by works, it’s a free gift
- Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
- Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Recieve The Lord Jesus Christ
- John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name:
-Revelation 3:20�
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Assurance of Salvation
- 1John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
- John 5:24
’ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Thanks for your time, I hope this small study helps someone to understand what God has accomplished for us at the cross! God Bless you! Thank you Jesus for how wonderful you are to us!

Matthew

HI PASTOR PETER i JUST READ YOUR LATEST BLOG. I wept. because i was concerned that I did not want to go to church any more.I enjoyed the worship but not the surmons.even on t.v.I just got upset.I feelt so guilty. I would pray lord am I falling away from you? the preachers always made you feel that you missed something bless you .I HAVE ABOUT 10 CDS OF YOURS THANK YOU. THE LORD IS USEING YOU . DON. H.

Don Heinemann

You are correct in saying that everything we need has been provided. The problem is that it has not been apprehended into the life of most Christians. If it had, we would be like the first century church which we (in North America) are not. However, it will be - see Eph. 4:13 and 5:27.

Norm Linscott

Hi Pastor Peter,
It is always great to hear you preach, especially about what the true Gospel is, what Paul preaches. I have never heard the Gospel preached this way before attending your church, Praise God! I always thought, basically my entire Christian life that I needed to attain a ‘higher anointing’, and someday I would reach the ‘next level in Christ.’ But thank God, we already have everything InChrist! This is wonderful, and I cannot understand if christians really read the Word, why they preach things like this? This puzzles me?

Jamie Penque

I do believe we have everything from Christ the day Jesus died on the cross. What I want to know is where is the power, signs and wonders that should be following those of us who profess to be Disciples of Jesus Christ? Our churches seem to be filled up but not showing any power? We need to see change in our communities, our nation do we really believe in the Word of God? We need to see the evidence in a larger way in Canada.
Keep preaching the bold message of Jesus Christ! We are listening!
Thank you for your insight.

Lois Racine

Hi this is for peter carl. your blog on witnessing hit home . Iwas always concerned that I should be out there pushing . I use to do that .after reading your blog . you are right .let the holy spirit led amen.GOD BLESS YOU. HALLELUJAH. BRO. DON. HEINEMANN

Don. heinemann

READ PSALM 23

ANDREW OLIVER SATCHELL

Norm, what are you referring to when you say ‘apprehended’?

Phil VT

Yes, you’re spot on, Peter. Christians are not that needy, but it seems they want to act that way. They cry ‘woe is me’ forgetting that they are a child of the King. They fall into the trap of listening to every preacher who promises them the easy way out. Keep preaching the Word and speaking the way you see it and the way the Spirit enables you to see it. All the best in your endeavors. May God richly bless you.

Douglas Mullin

as with all things in christianity there is an appropriation of what we have been given at the cross so it is with us as christians we are needy it is the world that is not needy or that they just don’t relize their need just as Jesus said the sons of the world are more wise than the sons of God the sons of the world are wiser than us and because of that they don’t relize their need for Christ because of the fall in the garden of eden we opperate in our knowledge of good and evil we compare ourselves to each other and when the world sees they are wiser than us and have more than us they figure that they don’t need Jesus so to answer your question yes we are a needy people Jesus also said i thank you God that you have kept this from the wise

george froese

Thanks Pastor Peter,
Your message confirmed what I believe God’s Word says that we have everything in Christ .Ep 1:3.Even the father told the older son in Luke 15 ‘All that I have is yours!
The popular teaching today where I live is encouraging Christians to go for breakthrough encounters.I realized it is not a method but a Person that sets us free and gives us the breakthrough.And it is knowing the Truth.1 Cor 2:12 ‘Now we received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is from God,that we might know the things freely given to us by God.‘What we need is not more breakthroughs or more deliverance or higher levels but to know what has been freely given to us.I like to point out 3 unshakable pillars of foundational truths.
1)The foundation of Christianity is Jesus Christ.The Person & His finished work.1 Cor 3:11�
2)The core of the Gospel(Good News) is the gift of righteousness.Romans 1:17
3)Th main clause of the New Covenant is the forgiveness of sins(past,present & future)Mtt 26:27-28,Heb 8:10-13,Rom 4:5-8�
Blessing!
Jeffrey Teo

Jeffrey Teo

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