We are looking at the burden in the heart of God concerning His church in this end of the age through the mouth of His holy servant Joel and he says;
“Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare thy people, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, where is their God?” (Joel 2:27).
The leaders in the church must humble themselves and repent first before there can be a true visitation in the church. Repentance must begin first with God’s servants in this nation. God’s leadership pattern must be restored to the church.
Just as the word of the LORD came from the heart of the weeping prophet Jeremiah chapter 23,1 believe the same word is coming fresh from the LORD to the church leaders in this age” Woe is unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; ye have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD…………For both prophet and priest are profane; yea in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria (of the church) a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies (propaganda and deceit): they strengthen also the hands of evil doers that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profanes gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart and not of the mouth of the LORD. They speak a vision of their own heart and not of the mouth of the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1-2, 11-6). This same message is repeated in Ezekiel 34(you may want to check this up in your bible).” God’s servants are blind: they are all ignorant, they are like dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, and loving to slumber (dwelling at ease, in comfort and opulence). They are greedy and can never have enough; they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, everyone for his gain, from his quarter (Isaiah 56:10-11)
The mighty Spirit of the Lord is moving across the church and God is doing away with selfish leadership in the church. God is doing away with the Saul order. Saul ruled God’s people. He was head and shoulders above all the people………” from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people” (I sam 9:2). Saul oppressed and exploited God’s people. He took their sons to be slaves, he took their daughters to be confectionaries and cooks and bakers, he took their fields and their vineyard, he took their tithes of all and spent it on himself etc. (I Sam 8:10-22). The bulk ends on Saul’s table. His, was a one man rule. It was a one man kingdom. God is against the situation where the work of God is built around one man. Usually the man is the president and founder. God hates the rules of his people.Rev.2:6,But this thou hass,that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes,which I also hate.Now let us consider this. God Almighty, the father of us all is saying there is a thing called Nicolaitanism, which He hates.This has nothing to do with anyone named Nicolas. The word Nicolaitanes comes from Nico meaning rule, ruler, conqueror and laos meaning people, or Lauous (laitan) which means laity.So put the two words together and we get the rulers over the people or conqueror of the people (strongs #3531-Destroyer of people). God is against those that rule and have dominion over His people. He has said in Matt 20:20-26 that it shall not be so among you. Nicolaitanes actually means the rule of the laity. God has not called the Ministers to be lord over God’s heritage but to be ensamples to the flock (I peter 5:1-3). Nowhere in the New Testament is the operations and functioning of a local assembly at the mercy of just one man. It is abundantly clear from many passages of scripture In the New Testament that elders feed the flock; elders are set as overseers over the flock of the LORD. The pattern of leadership in the New Testament is always plural not singular (I Timothy 5:17, II Timothy 2:1-2, Titus. 1:5, Act 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-3).
The local expression of God’s body (the church) is not the personal property of anyone. It is not meant to be ruled by one man who is the “be it all and end it all”. In this new dispensation God is restoring a pattern of leadership that will not just be accountable to God and the Holy Spirit but will be accountable to other elders in the leadership team. Jeremiah saw this coming. He prophesied that God is going to gather his flock away from man’s domination and control. The LORD will gather the remnant of his people out of all countries (denominations), and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase, and I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.(Jeremiah 23:3-4)
Oh Lord God help your true sons and daughters to flee from the man made rules in your church. Shalom!
