Of all of the articles I have written lately my last article “Another Pastor is Killed” by far has garnered more email comments than any article in a long long time. I really was surprised by the number of comments; some against (maybe 10%), but the majority (almost 90%) were strongly in support of my article and many requested more teaching on this subject, because they said it is taboo to talk about such things and certainly not Christian to address manipulation and character flaws when uncovered. But maybe that is why many churches today have revolving doors, people coming and going, because of the lack of honor and integrity they find in most churches. How can God be glorified in this? This and my last article should also serve as a warning to those in church leadership who take their responsibilities carelessly and shiftless before God and the people. So I asked the LORD about a follow on article and He gave me the green light. Please understand I am not trying to beat up on Faith Covenant actually I feel sorry for them the leadership ought to have known better. My heart is to see them repent and come clean before the people and God before it is too late.
Now there is so much about how God operates and the things of the Spirit that are so far beyond my ability and understanding, but I like that. After all who wants to serve a God they can figure out? One (of many) of the things I am amazed about is how God can kill us and at the same time make us alive? In 1 Samuel we read, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” (1 Samuel 2:6) In the New Testament we see the same concept and Spiritual principle by looking at the law through the prism of sin and grace. “And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter (to write with reference to rules and requirements), but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-7) How could rules and requirements kill us? Well, Paul was not talking about the writing of rules and requirements to do things in God, but was talking about the rules and requirements we self-apply to ourselves to be sufficient in God. These attributes and characteristics my friend will kill the Spirit of God in our lives. Every time we step outside the framework and ways God has established for our lives to operate we begin to operate in these self-applied sufficient characteristics and qualities. And God must be able to kill these self-applied sufficient characteristics and qualities, through His dealings and judgments, in our lives so He can make us alive to His precious Holy Spirit flowing in us and out from us to situations and circumstances in our lives. When we incorrectly function in a given situation the letter of the law is strengthened and the Spirit of God grows weaker in us. And the longer we go in this direction the weaker the Spirit is in us. God will never be able to strengthen us with might in the inward man if we continue to walk contrary to God’s ways. Now I am not talking about sin alone here, but I am also talking about operating in the things found in the Spiritual realm. Those things of: wisdom, honesty, integrity, judgment, and mercy to name just a few. In church today we seem to be good at signing, playing instruments, dancing, thinking we bring down the Spirit so He can bless us, but how good are we at walking in the Spirit so that He can bless others in our lives? So that things can operate correctly in the Spiritual realm for the good of the local Body of Believers? As things are done on earth so they are also done in heaven. Yes my friend I think we will have a lot of explaining to do when we get heaven. Whatsoever we bind (gathered up like sheaves tied together in a field) on earth shall be bound in heaven. I would think we will be surprised (not at sin because we know when we sin) to what have we bound in heaven?
Now I know this is a hard lesson to learn and I know I am not there yet. Please hear me and hear my heart. Grace and mercy never trumps righteousness and truth. God has a complete counsel He operates through. Many in the church today operate in only the grace and mercy partition and willfully miss out on righteousness and truth. It seems truth and righteousness today has little importance in our lives. Why worry about being held accountable for our works and deeds we have mercy and grace to take care of our sins, shortcomings, and even our character flaws. The more we are brought face-to-face with truth (especially about ourselves) and righteousnesses the more we will be able to walk in and handle the things of the Spirit correctly. Jesus told the disciples, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) We seem to go after what we call the Spiritual things (praise and worship, etc.), but woefully fall short of the truth part. Well how do we worship God in truth? By doing and saying truthful things. It has nothing to do with singing, dancing, leading intercessory prayer groups, etc., but it is our heart condition that God brings into question. When we operate in truth God can make our spirit alive to righteousness and kill our earthly, carnal ways. Now here is the challenge how do we operate in truth and not offend people? In my last article the heart condition of the loving pastor was to “seek peace with all men” (a noble desire) and cause no offense, but to do this the LORD would have had to impel the sword of the Spirit into all hearts concerned to kill us so He could make us all alive. This my friend is a painful process most (if not all) Christians avoid like the plague. We seem not to want to offend people well the preaching of the Gospel is an open offense to the world and all who are of the world. If I teach or preach the word of God and have not offended you then I have failed to use the word of God correctly as a mirror to reveal your heart and intents. And it is how we respond to this offense inwardly that will determine whether God can kill us and make us alive. Notice the order, the killing comes first and the making alive comes second. The more complete God can kill us the more complete He can make us alive in newness of His life. Oddly the more we get offended by God and His word the more of the life of God we can come in to. One thing about Paul I always admired was his ability not to be a PC Christian. His truthfulness overshadowed his witness of the Gospel and he never held back his feelings. In 1 Timothy there is no doubt who Paul delivered unto Satan, “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1Timothy 1:19-20) Today we would have bleeped the names, but not so with Paul. He wanted everyone to know who he was talking about. We too must hold fast and call a spade a spade. Before you can cut the head of a snake off you must identify the snake and before you can stop the snake from biting people you must cut the head of the snake off. Also in 2 Timothy we find Paul again not hiding the truth, “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. 12And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. 13The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.” (2 Timothy 4:9-15) When we call a spade for what it is we are protecting the unknown hearts and starting the reconciliation process. Remember the goal in “speaking the truth in love” is so that they (the ones in err or error) can grow up in all things. Our concern is always for the one who is walking away from the truth. Make no mistake my friend offense will make us either go towards or away from the truth. At the heart of every issue is an issue of the heart and our heart must always be towards reconciliation and restoration. When I speak on offense I often share, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Peter 4:7-8) Now this is true, but it is our charity (or love) that is to cover the sins of sinners and babes in the LORD, those personal attacks and words they direct our way. It is the love we have allowed God to develop is us that covers our heart and ears from the words and deeds, but our charity or love is NOT to cover church doctrinal issues that would lead people in error. An “error” is to make a mistake that can be easily corrected with limited damage to a relationship, a human flaw, but “err” (Strong’s #4106, to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way) is something more diabolical and sinister. To “err” is when we intentionally for our own personal gain lead someone astray from the truth of the word of God. Oh no my friend these issue are to be addressed openly before the church when uncovered. James tells us, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20) After we are truly convinced of our sins being forgiven the next greatest thing that will get us into trouble with God is Spiritual authority. When we move in direct rebellion (like when we force a pastor to resign) to God’s leadership we “err” and God is paying attention. It is the biggest deal in our lives to God and He closely scrutinizes us in it all the days of our lives. Most Christians have little knowledge of Spiritual authority, but I promise you my friend if you get Spiritual authority wrong it may cost you your life. When we started the church in Germany some Africans brought in a Nigerian pastor to lead a rebellion to take over the church, well God protects His word and His children. One Wednesday night in a home this Nigerian was holding a meeting with some of our folks and as he was speaking he dropped over dead. They wanted me to claim his body I said no and he was cremated in Germany never to be buried in Nigerian soil, but here is the real sad part of the story. Right before his death he came to a service to hear me speak and realized he was wrong, but could not set aside his ambitions and what was already set into motion. He confessed this to others leading the rebellion and seeing his sudden death they left the church in fear, see Acts 5:11.
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