Well another pastor is killed. Many of you know we have moved to Sneads Ferry, North Carolina how glad Karen and I were and so thankful when God led us to the church He wanted us to go, but now I see it was only to support the pastor as he was being forced to resign (through no fault of his, but did so to keep the peace), to notify the unknowing people of the ungodly words and deeds (as directed by God) of the board members, and give the board leadership a warning from the LORD to repent before it is too late. Now when I say “killed” I do not mean this literally just in the heart and eyes of the people. Did you know when we usurp the Spiritual authority of a Pastor that God has put in place we are killing the pastor in the hearts and lives of the people just as if we put a gun to their head and pulled the trigger. Did you know when we destroy someone’s witness, good name and character we have said in our heart I would desire to take their life and kill them first with words, actions, and then if that is not satisfying enough often people literally (even though not intending to) take the physical life of someone. In this case it was only the killing in words and actions of one of the humblest people I have met (especially being a pastor) in a long long time. Usually it is overseas where we meet humble pastors, so this fellow was a rare breed indeed. In the short four or five months we have observed him Karen and I really admired his gentleness, humility, and he also was a very fine preacher. Now we know God will take care of this pastor and we also know God will take care of the other folk (board members) that rose up in direct Spiritual rebellion to him.
When situations like this come up in churches we seem to take a fallback position of letting peace reign at the cost of truth and righteousness, which are God’s position in situations like this. We think God is love and love must reign, well that is not the picture of God’s heart in these situations. Did you know love is not always soft and gentle? Did you know Jesus was not always gentle and meek? When the Bible talks of Jesus being meek and lowly (Matthew 11:28-29) it is referring to His character and attitude toward people, His heart condition, but the Bible often tells of times when Jesus rose up in anger to exhort His spiritual wherewithal to expose wicked men and men who would take advantage of people and situations of life. Jesus was master at dealing with the religious folks of the day, but Jesus always dealt harshly with the religious people who ought to know better. Speaking of the scribes and Pharisees Jesus never left any doubt where He stood with these religious liars and thieves. In Matthew we read, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:33-34) and again in Matthew we read, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. 28 So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27-28) and continuing “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:29-33) It does not sound like Jesus was trying to keep the peace here. Of course not, Jesus was exposing and uncovering the evil that was in their hearts and the manipulation and deceitfulness of their motives. In these church situations our traditional religious teaching wants to give grace and keep the peace, but we are to give grace to the sinner and the babes (they do not know any better), but those who have walked with the LORD for some time ought to know better we must hold their feet to the fire and hold them accountable for their words and deeds, yet this is not what we see in most if not all churches. We have this perverted view of doing the right thing in God by not wanting to offend or hurt someone’s feelings, we always want to keep the peace. Jesus was a peace maker (this is true) so we too must be a peace maker, well not so fast Jesus was also man of righteousness and truth, He was the living truth on earth and always did the right thing. He did not spare feelings or mince words Jesus always shoots from the hip and aims at the heart of the issue, our heart. When we go after saving the emotions and feelings of people (thinking we are keeping the peace) we actually are causing greater division and strife among the body of Believers by not exposing and uncovering the truth. Just the opposite outcome my friend in reality because we have now covered up wrong ungodly practices and motives of some people. In Acts Chapter five when Peter dealt with Ananias and with Sapphira his wife he did not try to cover up their actions, but dealt directly with them holding them accountable. My friend, in God there are consequences for our actions, especially in the church when we are leaders. The consequences for Ananias and with Sapphira out from their disobedience to God and Peter (God’s indirect Spiritual Authority) was, “Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts 5:10-11) So too this will be our outcome if we move in disobedience to God, but please notice the outcome God was looking was not peace or togetherness, “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” God was not picking on Ananias and Sapphira, but used this opportunity to let the people know He means what He says. My friend the agape type of love everyone wants to have flowing in their lives means dedicated and at the core of its essence is divorced of all human emotions, thus is was not an emotional propitiation for Jesus when He went to the cross it was a mature selfless action of sacrifice. This is why we must speak the truth (not looking to keep the peace and share feelings) in love. If we do not speak the truth people will not “grow up” in all things. We need to stand up for the truth in all situations (even church disputes and disagreements) and speak the truth (what is really going on) and not spare the liars and truth breakers, but spare the innocent and those not knowing what is going on by exposing and uncovering the deception and manipulation of those in rebellion. In Ephesians Paul instructs us, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:15-16) If we do not speak the truth in love (that does not mean in keeping the peace) God’s idea for speaking the truth is so that spiritual development and maturity can happen within the individual members of His Body. This is why church after church continues to strive for position and placement within denominations and why church leadership continues to strive and dispute with pastors they (both all times) are immature and want their way instead of God’s way. But only when speaking the truth again and again will the precious Holy Spirit have an opportunity to be heard in situations such as church splits and the killing of pastors. Pastors if God has put you in a place of Spiritual Authority then stand your ground and speak the truth in love. Be like a tree planted by the rivers of life and be not removed. God cannot use timidity and remember peace at the sake of truth and righteousness is devilish. There is a placed for humbleness, but when that does not work we must speak the truth in love and then God will show up to protect His word and His children. In Numbers we see what happens when God’s authority is questioned, “So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. 28And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. 29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. 30But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. 31And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: 32And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.” (Number 16:27-33) Before this Moses fell on his face three times to intercede, but God had nothing to do with Moses’ words. And please notice it was not just the rebellious leaders it was also, “their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.” Over 250 people were killed by God for Korah’s and the other elders rebellion, remember rebellion not against Moses, but against God. When we rise up in word and deed against a pastor God has put in place (God’s indirect Spiritual Authority) we are rising up against God. God is serious about His Spiritual Authority the Bible is full of verses that warn us of speaking and moving against God’s Spiritual Authority. Here are two examples: in Galatians Paul warn us, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” (Galatians 5:15) and in Proverbs we read, "Forwardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. 15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. 16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:14-19) It is not about speaking against a man, but God and His Spiritual Authority and if you get this wrong you may be dead wrong. I have seen this time and time again over many years of serving the LORD. I have personally seen God take people literally out from life to protect His word and His children.
The LORD got me up three days in a row between two and three o’clock (Thursday through Saturday) before the Sunday I shared these words at Faith Covenant Church (FCC), “Count the cost! Take heed! Ichabod! Ichabod! I am greatly angered at the leadership. Woe unto you Faith Covenant Church. Leadership your days are numbered, my punishment is coming, repent, others quickly take your families and run out of this death before it is too late.” Thus says the LORD. Make no mistake my friends these words apply to any church that rises up in rebellion to a pastor that God has put in place. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and the rest of the leaders thought they were chiding and railing against Moses but they (like the FCC leadership) were wrong it was God they were rebelling against and my friend God always shows up to protect His word and the people He has invested His Spiritual authority in. As I look back on this sad time the only regret is I did not share my heart as clear and God’s words as forceful and stern as God wanted me too. Sadly in the end another pastor has been killed in the eyes of the people and God’s authority and glory has been pulled down again on earth. Written by David Stahl
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