But I have a few
things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
(Revelation 2:14)
We are continuing with Balaam, but this time we are looking
at the implications and application. We will also look at other people who contributed
to destruction of the people they led.
At the foundation of this is the reality that in a forest,
the bigger the tree, the more trees it destroys in its fall. In ministry, as in
all of nature, a leader many times carries the fates of those he leads.
Saul was rejected as king. But very few, if any, people knew
as Samuel made no press statement of the release from heaven. How many people
walked at cross purposes with God as they sought to get rid of the threat to
his kingdom from David? How many died as a result to that? And how many others
died when his son was made king to continue his dynasty?
Do you realize that only one writer mentions the backslidden
nature of Hezekiah after his famous answer to prayer? Yet we see that answer
blocking any other prayers concerning Judah when we read Jeremiah.
Jeroboam condemned Israel by his search for security. Balaam
removed the cover over Moab by his greed. And of course Adam changed the course
of nature by his sin.
But it is not only in the negative that a leader has such
power. Moses saved Israel through his intercession again and again. Noah saved
the world by his obedience. David saved his people by taking responsibility.
How do we operate in the Balaam spirit?
Many times it is through tacit acts of self seeking. Like
Balaam we find it hard to say no to great offers, or offerings. We can’t resist
that position as it represents our greatest dreams.
We will of course pray with one eye open because our mind is
already made up. What do we expect God to do? Like Balaam and Hezekiah He will
let us have our way since we are closed to any other way.
Probably God led you to start a ministry that over the years
has become really big and serves many. Of course it also offers you a handsome
package as its leader. Then God tells you like he told Hezekiah that your work there
is over and you should move on and start something new. You might weep like
Hezekiah that you need to reap more from your labor. And God will allow you to
continue serving in a chapter He has closed. And like him you will produce
enough Manassehs. Or you will pretend you have not heard His new order and
operate like King Saul of old.
Either way you will have hordes following you and walking in
your rebellious spirit. And they will be heading to the hell you are heading to
irrespective of all that assurance you are pushing into their minds.
What was the last order you received from heaven? Do you
wonder why there are no new orders you are receiving? Could it be that there
was an order you trashed that removed you from the list of obedient servants so
that He does not consider you when looking for servants?
Maybe you were serving in a church that was not appreciating
your back breaking labor. Or they were taking you for granted. Maybe they even
mistreated you. Then another church gives you the offer of a lifetime. Surely
God would understand, you reason. You do not see any need to pray for
clarification.
Let me give you my own experience. I was called to the city
to start a new ministry. In a short time it was doing very well from all
fronts. But the leadership had thought I would be their PR or errand boy to
increase their visibility. When I refused to play their ball they decided to
literally kill the ministry. I was not given any options, or even a fall back
plan. I was in the city with a young family and zero upkeep.
I decided to go back home as the prospects were better. I
had a house and a farm, and even a business that I had left when I was called.
But God told me that He needed me in Nairobi.
Then a church called me. They wanted me to be their pastor.
And the first thing they offered was a free house! I do not know how I was able
to hear God’s voice in the midst of that offer. But He told me to turn that
offer down. Of course you know that housing is the single most urgent need in a
city, let alone for a person without support.
He also did not give me a shortcut out of the crisis I was
in. He just issued the order. He did not even give any explanation (a lord
never does anyway). And obedience did not smooth things all of a sudden. A
couple of times I was almost thrown out to the streets for rent arrears. And
landlords were even more frustrated because the only promise I could give was
‘when God provides’. And He always provided, though no exactly when I thought I
needed. Many times He went beyond the deadlines I was given.
But years later I can confess that He has taken very good
care of me and my family. He gave me more children and provision for them. He
even expanded ministry in far greater ways.
This post is directed at believers, not only their leaders.
This is because as we saw a leader heading the wrong direction carries all
those people he leads. A rejected leader leads his people to rejection, a
rebellious leader to rebellion. We have seen that with Balaam, Saul, jeroboam,
Hezekiah and many other Bible characters.
We must take responsibility for our spiritual growth. We
must build our capacity to be lead personally by God. We MUST stop using
proxies to relate with God. We must know God’s word for ourselves and not give
someone that responsibility; however anointed we may think they are.
Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20)
We can’t obey all when we are receiving small doses every
service we attend. I suggest that you read the post ‘Caplet Christianity’ on
the blog to understand what I mean.
Knowing the Bible for yourself will help you when your
spiritual leader loses their connection. Connecting with God at a personal
level will save you when your leader is taking the rebellious route. And
hearing and following God’s orders will save you from being ignorantly
rebellious.
Again I will give you my example. There are times God has
given very clear orders that are trashed by spiritual leaders when I seek their
counsel. I remember once being laughed to scorn when I repeated what God had
told me. Yet He did it the way He had told me!
You will realize that even with King Saul that there were
people who were able to know that the cloud had moved, and especially where it
had moved to. Interesting enough some of them were the greatest beneficiaries
of Saul’s kingdom, his relatives the Benjamites.
In fact, apart from the down and outs he had started with,
the rest of his army consisted of all these who were spiritually attuned to
know that God’s order had changed; and that David was God’s choice for king. No
wonder he was invincible. Imagine leading people who can also hear from God!
Yet now you find pastors being
threatened when a member of their congregation becomes or even seeks to become
deeper in his spiritual life!
Why did you start that church?
Did you realize that you also had teeth to chew the offerings? Were you being
frustrated yet you knew how to also run a church? Did you want to show your
former boss pastor what blunder he had made when he overlooked you when
appointing another pastor?
Why do you attend that church? Is
it because he pastor is so much fun? Is it because the church is too big to
hide your immaturity? Could it be the class it represents? Or all your friends
attend it?
Did God order you as to where you
will attend church or minister?
Obeying Him is what identifies
you with Him.
Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast
out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew
7: 21 – 23)
You realize that these are not going to hell for sexual sin,
or lying, or stealing. In fact they are doing all the right things. The only
thing they have missed out is God’s will. That is what sends them to hell.
I hope this makes it clear that it is critical that we know
God’s will for us at a personal level. And we can only do that by first knowing
His revealed will by knowing His word, the Bible. We do that by reading it
consistently and completely on a daily basis.
We then get to His specific will by developing our
devotional life. We will spend time in prayer, and value it above our comfort.
But finally we must determine that we will do His will at
all cost.
I am not trashing counsel. I am simply saying that it falls
under secondary, probably tertiary methods of knowing God’s will. Many times a
sign may be a more accurate method.
Again I have benefitted from counsel numerous times. But the
accuracy of the guide is subject to the nature of his connection to God. That
is the problem we are dealing with here. A guide who has diminished the
Lordship of Christ can never help me submit to that Lordship. A guide who has
no dealt with his sin and rebellion has no capacity to help me deal with mine.
What is the solution? We must first take responsibility for
our spirituality. We must get back to the basics of our faith. We must start to
place God’s word where God has placed it (Psalm 119: 89, 111).
We must repent for our sin and rebellion. We must repent for
absconding our spiritual growth, giving it to superstars instead of our Lord
and His Spirit. We must repent for replacing His word with motivation and other
voices, even voices of His servants.
But above all we must establish that we will seek to know
His will and obey it from our closet.
What if I am guilty of trashing His voice in the past?
Repent and start afresh. David’s sin was gross but he was given a fresh start
when he readily repented. Then determine never to quench the Spirit again. Then
walk in radical obedience.
Suppose I am in a structure where it is clear that the
leaders stopped walking in obedience? Ask for clear orders concerning it.
Running away from the evidence of past disobedience is still disobedience.
Choose to start obedience from that point. Ask for clear directions on the way to
deal with your past rebellion. You can best help that structure by starting to
walk in obedience.
Value the Bible. Spend adequate times in prayer. Seek the
fellowship of those inclined to radical obedience. And God will surely
reestablish communication with you.
Yet we are talking about lordship, Christ’s Lordship. He is
the One who demands our complete obedience at all times.
He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me
shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to
him. (John 14:21)
My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
I don’t see any place for proxies or brokers in these
verses. Nor do I see pastors, apostles or prophets there.
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