Before going to bed after having been up all night, at 5:12 AM on a particular day, the Lord interrupted my sleep attempt and strongly impressed me with this reality about the state of most of the Church. Having experienced what I consider a fresh manifestation and demonstration of Lord's Presence, since October of 2014, that I haven't experienced in over 40 years of ministry, I was wrestling with the present state and attitude of the church world that I am familiar with. This is the impression that He gave me:

Most people and especially leaders, are afraid of a real genuine revival or visitation of the Lord - because it would cause too much change and they're afraid of losing control and their religious orientation or footing that makes them feel secure in their religious practices.

They can't handle the insecurity - that's why they stay in a lifeless church, denomination, or situation - because they know how to work that practice or procedure.

Many are also financially settled in their present church or ministry situation and they are insecure about any possible changes, especially negative changes to that financial situation, by the Lord doing or requiring something different.

Consider this impression. I remain,

Fulfilling my Mandate,

Dr. Jeff Edwards
Jeff Edwards Ministries International
www.jeffedwards.org
(816) 765-9915

After over 41 years of ministry, 40 years as an itinerant minister and 38 years as a Pastor. I am very concerned about why we gather together to attend conferences, conventions, summits and, as well as some gospel concerts.

Even though I have been a speaker in many of these gatherings for the last 39 years, it concerns me about the motives for gathering together the Body of Christ in many of these special meetings.

I sponsored a convention/conference for 23 years. 10 of those 23 years, we even paid the hotel bills for the pastors and leaders who came. Our purpose in gathering together was to be a time of refreshing for leaders and the people of their staff and congregations. It was to be an oasis for pastors and leaders.

We would not even let the pastors open the doors of their cars. We wanted to serve the leaders in the Body of Christ and treat them as kings and queens. We served a full meal after each service with no charge. All the pastors and leaders had to do was get to the convention. We took care of everything else. It was to be a replenishing time and a time of refreshing.

We, of course had expenses, but our church bore the majority of those expenses as a ministry to others. We raised an offering in each service, but with no pressure to give and no manipulation to give.

There were other churches and groups that I was associated with, that had the same spirit of service in their gatherings. But some where along the recent history of the church the motives began to change.

I remember, when a constituent was in moral trouble, and another older minister and myself, advised this pastor not to have his annual gathering this particular year and work on getting himself right before the Lord, and allowing healing to come to his wife and family. He said, I can't cancel my annual meeting, because 20% of our yearly income comes from the money we raise during that annual gathering. I then recognized that many leaders' motive for gathering together had drastically changed.

After 23 years, I stopped having our annual convention/conference because I couldn't submit to the Hollywood spirit that had started to prevail in having meetings and gatherings. You had to almost pay singers more than preachers to speak. The speakers were charging outlandish fees of several thousand dollars in order to speak. There were many added expenses of first class airline tickets for the speakers and entourages, demands of 5 star hotels, insurance coverage, etc. Choice of speakers was based on popularity and personality, and not on who had a Word from the Lord for the gathering. The lady with the pink hair chose who were the popular speakers and we were supposed to submit to her choices and those she had on her television program, whether they had a Word from God or not. I couldn't submit to that digression of God's original instruction in us gathering together, so I stopped gathering together after 23 years.

Today, in many circles, those leaders who are featured at many gatherings are chose on the basis of their ability to raise an offering -- not their anointing or their having a present Word from God that is relevant to the times.

Why do we gather people together these days? It breaks my heart to see how much we have digressed in our gatherings. May we return back to "Gathering Together Unto Him."

Dr. Jeff Edwards

"Its true that people make perceptions about the person you are. When you redefine yourself they continue to perceive you in their own manifestations. I also choose to live my life inside out. I am aware of my self concept. I know my past, I know what I do presently and I'm standing in the light and want to know the truth."

Posted by Santesha Waxter on 29-May-2016 at 07:54:03 EST
Subject: Manifestations andPerceptions

"I was always disturbed by meetings I would attend, and there would always be a problem with paying the bills for the meeting, sometimes there would be a call for what was called a "dump offering", where everybody was supposed to "dump" all that they had into the offering plate, at one of these times, I saw one of the presiding ministers wifes wearing a diamond ring that was placed in the offering plate; I was done with "dump offerings" after seeing this. I agree with Dr. Edwards, gathering together should be about "Jesus", and the uplifting of His kingdom. To much of "the world" has gotten into the Church, and not enough of "The Church" has gotten into the world."

Posted by Chaplain Benjamin L. Clayton on 27-Jun-2014 at 13:39:39 EST
Subject: Why we are gathering together ?

"Thank you brother Jeff that raised up these issues. I am equally disturbed that we have actually left the original reason for Gathering together. Raise this up in as many medias as you can. I know they wont listen, but keep talking."

Posted by Bishop Imoite Papa on 31-Oct-2013 at 17:20:20 EST
Subject: Comment

"You prophesied over a decade ago about the Hollywood Spirit & not to get caught up in it, and now 2013 we have a TV program called Hollywood Preachers... (I think that's the name I have not watched it)...."

Posted by samaria gordon on 31-Oct-2013 at 11:51:15 EST
Subject: Holly wood Spirit