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THE CLERICAL MODEL IS ABHORRENT TO CHRIST
We have many Pastors toiling tirelessly to become successful
in their chosen profession. Their motives may be pure but their
families often suffer because of their commitment and dedication
to a pipe dream that goes far beyond the call of duty. God never
expects this so we cannot excuse our dereliction of duty as husband
and father on serving our church. Dedicated to success, many left
gapping holes in the walls of their homes. Responding to the excessive
demands of hierarchy higher up the pecking order of their pyramid;
driven by their own ambition; and on top of this having to tend
bleating sheep under them something was bound to suffer. It’s
so sad what misdirected service has done too many families and
is still doing today. The number of casualties is incalculable.
The failure of fathers to put their families before their ministry
has often caused great harm to their children and sorrow upon
sorrow for themselves as parents. The evidence is overwhelming.
I am not saying you shouldn’t be involved in the Kings business,
but your priorities must be lovingly established and scripturally
sound. “Take heed to yourselves”. Acts
20: 28-38.
I challenge you to take a good look into the homes of those you
have entrusted the spiritual welfare of your family too. What
do you see? Are you comforted by it? Do you believe you have done
the right thing? Has all that time spent attending services strengthened
your family life? Do you believe your family is closer to the
Lord and one another by allowing the service of the sanctuaries
of men render your fatherhood impotent? Did it ever dawn of you
that it might be having a detrimental effect? Would your wife
and children like to see more of you around the home? What do
you think God wants you to do about it? To the rest, don’t
use your business as an excuse either.
By the time you’ve made enough money to take it easy with
the family they will be well and truly gone; perhaps they couldn’t
go quick enough because they felt more than a little neglected,
or pushed into the background for the sake of your church ministry.
What about your plans then? Get a God life while you still can.
We sold our home before it was too late and went to America. Then
we purchased a 28ft motor home; pulled a station wagon behind
it and travelled thousands of miles around North America for 18
months. No it was not irresponsible, it was right for us.
Know them that labour among you says Paul. How often the following
has been played out before our eyes by those who claim to stand
in His stead and insist God has given them authority to rule over
us, while their own families were a shambles. The use of the devilish
doctrine of “covering” by clerics has coward many
saints into submission.
Fathers have been delegated by God to constitute their families
in a way that ensures they will follow the Lord. Church leaders
override His instructions and insist that they submit to them
and come under their covering. I would be like to be a fly on
the wall in some of the homes of these cleric’s and find
out what really takes place there.
1 Samuel 2:22-24 Now Eli was very old;
and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that
they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent
of meeting. And he said unto them, why do you such things for I
hear of your evil dealings from all the people. Nay, my sons; for
it is no good report that I hear: ye make Jehovah's people to transgress.
How could this be said of Eli? But hold on now, this should never
be said about any children of the followers of Christ. Eli must
have spent many fretful hours sitting on his seat by the tabernacle
of God contemplating what he should do as reports came constantly
to his ears regards what his sons of Belial were doing. They were
lying with women in the courts of the house of God. They were
gorging themselves on God’s portion of the offerings taken
from the house of God.
But it’s too late now Eli (preacher) you lost the chance
to be priest in your home when you chose to climb the religious
ladder. And now the children have kicked over the traces and bolted.
It’s highly unlikely that you will ever get a better chance
than the one God gave to you when first they saw the light of
day. Perhaps if you had done it when they were little you could
have talked to them when they became teenagers.
1 Samuel 3:13. For I have told him
that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he
knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves and he
restrained them not.
I know you are very busy in the Kings service, so was Eli.
He held the two highest Offices in the land. He Judged Israel;
and was the nations High Priest.
He was a very busy man. So Dr, pastor, prophet, evangelist, elder,
deacon, or whatever other title you go by don’t make the
workload an excuse for abdicating your primary role as Father.
It won’t wash with God on that day when we all must give
account to Him? Well I suppose you could blame God for the mess
you’re in. They insisted that they were relying on you;
and of course if you wanted to rise in the pyramid and become
its capstone, you absolutely had to get involved? I think it was
one of the reasons why some got divorced. They told me I was helping
to hold it all together so what else could I do? But shouldn’t
I give my full attention to the prophecies spoken over me by the
travelling prophetic circus? We were told to meditate in our prophecies
day and night. Besides we must be about the movements business.
Did I hear you say, you made a covenant with the Pastor to serve
him? Did you say you attended a series he took on commitment and
signed up afterwards because he convinced you this was the right
thing to do? You didn’t sign a bit of paper too did you?
You really are a complete moron aren’t you! The wife and
children God gave you are you’re chief assignment. Get committed
to them, and don’t foul it up.
Did you say you’re the treasurer? And you’re on the
building committee as well and they can’t do without you,
but evidently your family can. Look here’s the Sunday School
Superintendent, thank God for the Sunday school. They’ll
take a load of responsibility off my mind. Some prophets (?) came
to church and prophesied over me I’m Pastor’s “armour
bearer”. For crying out loud let the lazy hound carry his
own sword.
Then there are missionaries to support; sending finances to save
the heathen and their children. What about your children, your
flesh and blood? Where are they tonight?
Father, were you there to tuck them into bed at night and pray
with them? Did you instruct them in the ways of righteousness?
What about your grandchildren?
Did you make it interesting when you talked to them about Jesus
so that they wanted to know more?
Exodus 12:25-28 “and when you
come into the land, and when your children say to you, what is the
reason of this act of worship? Then you will say, this is the offering
of the Lord's Passover; for he went over the houses of the children
of Israel in Egypt, when he sent death on the Egyptians, and kept
our families safe. And the people gave worship with bent heads.
And the children of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had given
orders to Moses and Aaron, so they did”.
That’s why we should break bread in our homes; because
it’s an opportunity to tell the gospel story.
One of my sons told me that as a young boy he resented my being
in the ministry because I was never around but always at services.
He (rightly) felt the church had taken me away from him. It’s
a two way street, bad congregations help make bad pastors; make
no mistake about that.
So what did we do? Anne I and the family talked things over with
the Lord; and then ran it by a close friend. The result was we
sold our home; went to the US; purchased a 28ft motor home, and
lived in it while we travelled all over North America. If we hadn’t
done that I believe we might have lost our children. Besides we
had a quiver full to consider.
Did I hear you say you would like to do something about it but
you’re too busy, and the church needs you? Honestly, you’re
not that important believe me. But if you really think you are;
then your not very humble either are you? You say my wife can
teach the children; right? But she says she involved in the sisters
bible study and prayer meetings for the missionaries. It’s
simply not possible to fit everything in? Well that’s the
first truthful thing you’ve said since we began this discussion.
Get real and save your home first. After you do that He’ll
find plenty of worthwhile things for you to do.
They told us that involvement in the work of the Lord was the
most important aspect of our life.
The problem with this was we were always out of the house attending
meetings. We were encouraged to attend every activity the church
was involved in. The real reason behind this was to keep us from
worldly pursuits, or going somewhere they didn’t approve
of, like the church down the road. They told us we would all backslide
if we didn’t remain under their covering. So they sanctified
us with services, prayer meetings, programs and threats.
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, FIRST and to all the flock,
over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
congregation of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves
enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves
shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after themselves?
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years
I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now,
brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which
is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them
which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or
apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered
unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shown
you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak,
and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is
more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had thus spoken,
he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore,
and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, Sorrowing most of all for
the words which he spoke, that they should see his face no more.
And they accompanied him unto the ship. (Acts
20:28-38) (KJV)
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