Spiritual discernment of idols in Ministries
Let us now go prophetically with Prophet Ezekiel to the land of Israel and be seated with him “upon a very high mountain” (Eze.40:1-4). I pray that the Lord may set you upon “a very high mountain” in the Body of Christ for this spiritual discernment. You should not be influenced by any prejudices against any particular minister of God. You should not be driven to this spiritual discernment out of jealousy on that particular minister of God. It is a very high mountain in the spiritual where you are seated with Christ Jesus to behold the spiritual things. It is the measuring rod that is based on righteous judgment that you have to discern or judge with the spirit of judgment.We have to discern every ministry so as to warn the children of God whether any idols have emerged from the ministry. If a mega church or a popular evangelical dais attracts the children of God through the image of the pastor or the evangelist concerned, the image of the servant of God concerned becomes an idol in the hearts of the children of God. However, if a popular evangelical ministry attracts a large number of unsaved souls which results in the salvation of individuals, the ministry of the evangelist concerned would not become an idol in the hearts of the saved souls so long as the evangelist concerned does not entangle the saved souls in building his ministry. If the image of any pastor or an evangelist grows in the heart of the children of God through a public ministry like television programs, crusades, etc, the pastor or the evangelist concerned should train and equip his co-workers for the public ministry and the former should remain in the wilderness, equipping the latter for the ministry. John the Baptist cried in the wilderness that Jesus should increase and that he should decrease. When Jesus begun His ministry, the disciples of John forsook him and followed Jesus. Any pastor or any evangelist who keeps himself the Lord’s flock for making use of their sacrificial offerings does build an image for himself even unknowingly though his intention may be to glorify God. However, the servant of God concerned can take the freewill or the sacrificial offerings of the Lord’s flock for his livelihood but should not covet the same.
Thresholds of kings and of God
Read Ezekiel 43:7 – 10-12. My dwelling unit means my personal belongings or assets, movable or immovable, that I earn or accumulate through my work in His vineyard. I should have a decent living but not a luxurious living. When the children of God sacrificially make their offerings on their altars for my ministry, I am supposed to use the same for His Kingdom. If I make a trust in the name of my wife or my son so as to be inherited by them after my death, it is tantamount to misappropriation of God’s money. It should be a public trust and not a private trust. The proceeds of such a trust should go to the children of God or the Body of Christ. The New Testament disciples had held everything in common after disposing of their own assets.Every servant of God should be very careful while acquiring assets even for promoting his ministry for God. He should not leave behind a curse for his family through such assets. God’s judgment fell on Ananias and his wife when they wanted to misappropriate a part of the sale proceedings of their own land. If we study the life of Ananias and Sapphira, they had every right to keep a part of the price of their land for their future family. But Peter said that once the land was sold, it was not under the control (Acts 5:4). Similarly, once the children of God sacrifice their belongings on the Altar of God by parting with the same, the offerings belong to God alone and the donors have no control over such properties. And the recipients have to make use of such offerings for the whole community of the House of God. The assets in the form of houses and lands were sold by the disciples and laid at the feet of apostles so that the same would be distributed to each as any had need (Acts 4:34-35). The principle is very simple. Anyone who is needy in the community should get a portion according to his/her need.
The New Testament priest should set apart some money or savings for his spouse or children after his home call. He should not mix the money for the maintenance of his family with the money that he earmarks for the ministry. There should be two accounts. He can withdraw the money for his own maintenance or for the future maintenance of his family from the ministry funds. If he acquires assets even for the construction of churches or for any building for the ministry, he should ensure that his descendants do not inherit the same for their own use. The assets should be incorporated in a public trust and the purposes of utilization of such assets declared in the will or the deed. Any of the trust members should not be related to the servant of God by blood or otherwise. The trustees should be men of God of proven integrity, not related to him and should not be his wife or children. There should be 100% transparency in his ministry. His own threshold and posts should be far away from the Temple. When the children of Israel dwelt in their camps, their camps were far away from the Tent of the Tabernacle.
- Job Anbalagan