Snares to Avoid
The devil has three simple traps to bring disapproval and
destruction to church leaders:
• The love of position
(pride-power-control).
• The (immoral) love of women
(in adultery/fornication).
• The love of money.
This last trap is set for the hireling. "For the love
of money is the root of all evil: which some coveted after, and have erred from
the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Tim
6:10).
“No servant can serve two masters... You cannot serve God
and mammon" (Luke 16:13). Mammon means money, wealth, material prosperity.
Sadly, many church leaders serve mammon. Those who follow Jesus (especially
church leaders) must renounce covetousness and love of money (Luke 14:33; I Tim
3:3).
"If you have not been faithful in... money, who will
commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:11). True riches represent
spiritual gifts and virtues: the anointing to preach, teach, heal, etc. Jesus
taught that right use or wrong use of money was a way of identifying a true or
false ministry.
Thousands of church leaders have a hireling spirit and
exploit the flock of God. They fleece the sheep instead of feeding the sheep.
1. The Snare of
Commanding and Claiming By Faith
We need to be very careful about "commanding and
claiming by faith" anything we might wish to name. There is a danger in
any teaching that implies we can possess anything we confess if we have enough
faith. Some will take one verse and isolate it as the basis for
their teaching or doctrine. For example: Some say Jesus taught us we can have
anything we want. "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do
it" (John 14:14).
Do you believe that if you ask God for a harlot on which to
satisfy your lust, God would give that to you? Can you ask God to kill someone
you dislike and He will do it? Obviously, we have to take Jesus' words in the
context of "... the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). We must
"do our best to present ourself to God as one approved, a workman who correctly
handles the word of truth'' (2 Tim 2:15).
In the illustration used above, we show how the words of
Jesus can be twisted to justify carnal praying. The very next verse says,
"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
If we love Him, we will never ask anything contrary to His
will and commandments. This is what we call a "MODIFIER". We take the
verse we want to interpret and look for other verses in the Bible on the same
subject.
a. We Need The Whole
Counsel Of God. When we put all the
verses together, we have "... the whole counsel of God” on the subject.
For example, James talks about two problems in prayer:
• "You do not have, because you do not
ask God." Some fail to pray and ask God for their needs, and go
without.
• "When you ask, you do not
receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on
your pleasures" (Jas 4:2, 3). Others pray with wrong motives, out of
covetousness and lust — and do not receive.
Further, John teaches us: "...this is the confidence
that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears
us: "And if we know that he hears
us... we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 Jn 5:14, 15). Our understanding of John 14:14 are thus modified by James'
and John's epistles. We understand that we must ask with right motives and ask
things that are according to God's will. With these "MODIFIERS" in
mind, "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14).
That is "...the whole counsel of God."
I have seen many church leaders pray wrongfully — because
they wanted to please people instead of the Lord. How much wiser it is to wait for God's word
and will to be revealed by God's Spirit before praying wrongfully or speaking forth
a prophetic word.One of the greatest dangers for individuals, who have been
gifted by the Holy Spirit with prophetic words and miracles, is the people to
whom they minister.
b. Avoid Prostituting
Spiritual Gifts. There are a large
number of individuals in this world who want a "command performance"
of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are not happy unless there is a dramatic
display of miracle power. We are reminded of King Herod who wanted Jesus to appear
before him and perform such a miracle (Luke 23:5-16). It was a "command
performance" to satisfy his curiosity.
This same Herod had also once commanded Salome to perform an obscene
dance before him and his guests to satisfy their lustful desires (Mark
6:19-29). Salome "prostituted" or sold her beauty for a price — the
head of John the Baptist. She was willing to perform as commanded.
Jesus was not! Forty
years ago, the United States was in the midst of a great healing-revival
movement. Scores of evangelists crossed the nation in great tent revivals and
healing crusades. Many of them were true and valid ministries.
However, as a young man I was greatly distressed. Some, it
seemed, were willing to "prostitute" their spiritual gifts for pride
and profit — fame and fortune. They were willing to perform for a price. Some even claimed that God's healing power
would come to the people if they gave their money to support the evangelist.
Tragically, as I write, the same thing is happening again.
Television evangelists are using their gifts to get money for themselves and
their own glory. I cried out to God for
an answer. Why was there such a lack of purity and sincerity on the part of
both the people and the ministers?
The Lord gave me the following passage from Scripture: "Some of the Pharisees and teachers of
the law said to him, 'Teacher, we want to see a miracle as a sign from
you.' "Jesus answered, 'Only wicked
and adulterous [unfaithful] people seek after a miracle-sign. But it shall not
be given them'" (Matt 12:38, 39).
In other words, there were unfaithful leaders who were
willing to "prostitute" or sell their ministry in order to satisfy
the carnal desires of the people who followed after them. There were also
people who wanted to either see or receive a miracle, and were willing to pay
for the privilege.
Jesus rejected both
the buyers and sellers. The same evil lust that caused Herod to pay for
Salome's obscene dance was the same root of carnality from which came the
desire to see a miracle.
Herod (like many today) only wanted to satisfy carnal
curiosity. Jesus would have no part of it. May God guard leaders from catering
to this clamoring carnality today! Once again God wants to move in power through the Gifts of
His Spirit. He wants a witness in which both the work and the worker will bring
honor to His holy Name.
2. The Snare of
Religious Pride and Position
God desires to raise up in these last days holy prophets of
prayer. With the prophetic ministry, however, is the great danger of religious
pride and position.I would like to share with you some spiritual insights God
has given me over the years regarding this problem. Some time ago I was invited to speak in a
church. I was introduced as a "great prophet of God." I fully believe in the five-fold ministry of apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in the Body of Christ (Eph
4:11).
However, when people ask me what I am, I tell them that I
don't really know. I simply see myself as “a voice crying in the
wilderness" (John 1:23). It is not necessary for me to carry a title to do
the will of God. As He shows me His will day by day, week by week and month
by month, I just try to do it. I admit
concern over the self-anointed and appointed honors and titles church leaders
arrogate to themselves. I'm likewise afraid for the people who sometimes give
flowery accolades to those called of God to the ministry. I am concerned because of the danger of pride
that can go with a high calling of God and the resulting prominent posture in
society.
I am not saying that we should show disrespect to church
leaders. I certainly am not saying we should never honor those who are in
responsible positions of leadership.I am saying we should be careful not to exalt or lift
someone up to a place where they are destroyed by pride because of unnecessary
accolades and praise.
a. Seek A Job
Description, Not A Title. It is interesting to note in the New Testament
that the terms apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher (Eph 4:11) were
never used as titles. They were merely used to describe a function in the Body
of Christ.
In the work world we call this a "job
description." Mechanics, carpenters and plumbers all have different
functions which they perform, and jobs which they can do. We don't introduce someone
as "the great and honorable plumber Jones," but simply by his
name. The same should be true of the
people with ministries in the Body of Christ. Their function should not be used
as a title. If some do, I am not condemning them. I just believe this can be a
dangerous snare related to pride of position.
The most famous evangelist in the Church worldwide is Billy
Graham. Perhaps you have noted that whenever anyone in Billy Graham's
evangelistic team introduces him, it simply is as "Mr. Graham." Others may call him "Dr. Graham,"
and add many words of honor and esteem. Billy Graham overlooks such words of
praise because he doesn't need them. He prefers to serve the Lord in
humility. His desire is just to be what
God wants him to be, and do what God wants him to do. He is secure in God's
call on his life. Nothing else is necessary.
These are the marks of a true, humble servant of the Lord. I
pray they may be ours as well. We don't
need an official and formal "position and title" in the Body of
Christ in order to serve the Lord.
John the Baptist didn't have one. He didn't even know how to
answer some of the questions of those who asked him about his identity.
The Apostle John records this interesting conversation:
"Now this is what John the Baptist said when the Jews of Jerusalem sent
priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He freely told them that he was not
the Christ [Messiah]. "They asked
him, 'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not. “Are you the
prophet?' He answered, 'No.'
"Finally they said 'Who are you? Give us an answer to
take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?'"(John
1:19-22).
“John replied in the words of Isaiah the Prophet: 'I am the
voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way for the Lord"
(Isa 40:3).
Moses had prophesied and foretold 1500 years earlier that
the Lord God would someday raise up another "prophet like himself"
(Deut 18:18).
The prophet Malachi had said that "Elijah would come
before the great and terrible day of the Lord" (Mal 4:5). So the people of
Israel were waiting for the coming of this great prophet like Moses and
Elijah. When they asked John if he was
that prophet (like Moses or Elijah), he said he was just "the voice of one
crying in the wilderness."
After John's death, Jesus tells us that John the Baptist
bore the mantle (anointing) of Elijah (Matt 17:11-13). It seems that Jesus knew
who John was, but John didn't know these facts about himself!
To his credit, John did what God told him. And God did talk
to John. He could boldly say, "God told me...!"
John didn't need a title or recognition of who he was to do
the will of God. He only needed to hear and obey God's voice. John didn't worry about his title or position
among men. He simply did the will of God. He laid down his life as a young man,
probably 30 or 31 years of age. No
wonder the Scriptures say that he would be called “the prophet of the Most High...
and prepare the way before the Lord... in the Spirit and power of Elijah''
(Luke 1:17, 76).
Let us BEWARE OF THE SNARE!
Source: The Shepherd's Staff
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