The Christian Use of Power Is Spiritual Not Worldly
Feb 3, 2020 03:07:40 #
January 31, 2020
The use of God-given power is one of the most pressing issues facing evangelical church leaders and members at the beginning of this new decade.
Recent years have brought an array of shocking headlines about the power abuses of high-profile celebrity pastors, #church too scandals, unholy political alliances motivated by hunger for personal power, and grievous examples of power gone awry.
Headlines like these — and their tragic, wide-ranging consequences — have sparked urgent and welcome conversations among evangelicals about the use of power.
For the church in 2020 and beyond, the nation's pastors and Christian leaders must reflect on the relevance of whether they exercise the power of the Holy Spirit among their congregations to lead them in healthy ways conforming to God's word, in order to feed and to shepherd them, in the manner of Jesus, or if they are too often succumbing to the temptation to control them through wielding worldly power to enhance their own personal reputation, and further their pastoral careers.
Understanding and applying spiritual power is a critical topic for pastors and church leaders in our social culture today, to be able to counter our public schools attempt to force teachings of perversion, of transgenderism and transgendering upon the nation's very young and vulnerable minds is but one urgent cause to follow the guidance and counseling of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
On the one hand, power is entrusted to leaders by the Lord, so that we will use it to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. The more influence, resources, and opportunity a leader is given, the more potential he or she has to allow God's power to work through them, in the church and in the world.
On the other hand, worldly power, recognized by the absence of gospel harvest and the fruit of the Spirit, can breed toxicity, injustice, inequality, abuse, and injurious treatments of others.
The ministry is not exempt from this kind of corruption, because ministers, like every other living human, redeemed or not, live in a fallen world with a sin problem. Power, like money and time and relationships, must be stewarded faithfully through submission to God in prayer and personal Bible study in order to remain a beneficial thing in the hands of a leader.
Scripture makes the options simple. We either embrace the way of power from above, marked by humility and love (Zechariah 4:6 "Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD who rules over all."')
or we embrace the way of power from below, marked by the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
“You once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh” (Ephesians 2:2-3).
Pastors who spend insufficient time prayer closeted with God will spend too little time considering how their view, grasp and application of power shapes their entire ministry.
Consequently, they can too easily fall prey to the way directed from below, and expressed through control, coercion, and manipulation.
To be faithful to their call, pastors must honestly and prayerfully view the spiritual power shaping their ministry as the property of the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides, counsels and enables them in all things, unless they wrest the reins of control from Him.
Are Christians to steward power as Christ who is our example did, He who rightfully has All power, on heaven and on earth?
Are we able to resist Satan with the written word of God, when tempted to adopt the world’s corrupting approach to power, as Jesus Christ did in the wilderness?
How can we avoid shifting focus through the misapplication of power to unscriptural agendas that can ruin lives and slander the name of Jesus?
In this election year, how should Christians navigate the power dynamics of politics in ways that glorify God and don’t damage our Christian witness?
Christians have a great opportunity in 2020 to either destroy our witness or establish it. We will vanquish our witness if we conflate our Christianity with partisan platforms that support godless abortion, and the sexual perversion of transgenderism. We will, on the other hand, establish our witness if we approach the political landscape in the same way we are called to approach every landscape — with honesty, humility, and concern for God's commands, values and virtues.
It will do the Christian witness much good if we engage the political process in such a way that praises the virtues and confronts the vices of every candidate, including the ones we support. No political party is completely virtuous, so try to consider the voting booth as a realm from which to love our neighbor as ourselves, and support those office seekers who genuinely seek to protect and nurture their territorial districts and constituents.
During this United States election year, the effectiveness of every Christian's mission and the success of their witness to others can hinge on their personal approach to power.
Numerous pastors and ministry leaders in the evangelical church have fallen prey to temptations of power. Christians and their churches must respond to correct this troubling trend wherever it exists and prevent any reoccurrence. What are the key lessons for the Christian?
It can be tempting to respond to these stories, both public and local, with a kind of distanced judgment, but it’s dangerous to always view the problem of those who are wielding unseemly power over others within the church as being “out there:” ...in those megachurches, those celebrity pastors, those denominations lacking the correct form of governance and policy...
There is a need to remove the dangerous propensities of particularly unbiblical fundraising enterprises, and structures and systems of governance that easily lend themselves to egotism and to idolatry. There is also a need to take seriously the destructive effects of creating and participating in a celebrity culture centered around a pastoral personality.
If the contemplation of these examples of pastoral failure cuts no deeper than pointing fingers at others, all Christian congregations will have suffered a missed opportunity to participate in an ongoing invitation from the Lord to "come, now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18).
God is inviting every church member and church body in North America to pray corporately and personally: “Search us, O God, and know our heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead each of us in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).
Our first response should be humility and lament. When ministers experience moral failure, especially regarding the abuse of power, everybody loses. The best way to lead people through such losses is through honest, appropriate, public acknowledgments of what went wrong.
Following this, every effort must be made not only to repent, but also to repair any damage that has been done, especially to victims. It’s also important for accountability structures to be in place to ensure power is stewarded from a place of humility and love, never pride and a clenched fist.
No single person should be given absolute power in a church ministry. There should always be checks and balances.
Ministers who have too many fans and followers in comparison to their number of actual friends are in danger of being enveloped into a "star" status. To help correct this, churches must encourage their leaders to cultivate friends among fellow believers to whom they are accountable and with whom they can share their life's challenges and struggles as a means of anchoring yourself to a source of unbiased criticism.
It should be understood in all these friendships that if anyone drifts or isolates themselves, these friends are sanctioned to pull them back in, by confronting them in love and with meekness and humility. If those within this circle notice the emergence of less than Christian characteristics, they will be in a position to intervene according to Galatians 6:1–5.
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2).
Parity (equality) within church leadership is always Biblical, for it is only Jesus Christ who is the head of His global church, and of all members, every church building and every congregation.
The shepherds are also sheep, and this is important for everyone to know and understand. There is only one rightful pedestal in the church. Only Jesus belongs on top of it.
ESV Study Bible
TGC The Gospel Coalition
Ligonier Ministries
The use of God-given power is one of the most pressing issues facing evangelical church leaders and members at the beginning of this new decade.
Recent years have brought an array of shocking headlines about the power abuses of high-profile celebrity pastors, #church too scandals, unholy political alliances motivated by hunger for personal power, and grievous examples of power gone awry.
Headlines like these — and their tragic, wide-ranging consequences — have sparked urgent and welcome conversations among evangelicals about the use of power.
For the church in 2020 and beyond, the nation's pastors and Christian leaders must reflect on the relevance of whether they exercise the power of the Holy Spirit among their congregations to lead them in healthy ways conforming to God's word, in order to feed and to shepherd them, in the manner of Jesus, or if they are too often succumbing to the temptation to control them through wielding worldly power to enhance their own personal reputation, and further their pastoral careers.
Understanding and applying spiritual power is a critical topic for pastors and church leaders in our social culture today, to be able to counter our public schools attempt to force teachings of perversion, of transgenderism and transgendering upon the nation's very young and vulnerable minds is but one urgent cause to follow the guidance and counseling of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
On the one hand, power is entrusted to leaders by the Lord, so that we will use it to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. The more influence, resources, and opportunity a leader is given, the more potential he or she has to allow God's power to work through them, in the church and in the world.
On the other hand, worldly power, recognized by the absence of gospel harvest and the fruit of the Spirit, can breed toxicity, injustice, inequality, abuse, and injurious treatments of others.
The ministry is not exempt from this kind of corruption, because ministers, like every other living human, redeemed or not, live in a fallen world with a sin problem. Power, like money and time and relationships, must be stewarded faithfully through submission to God in prayer and personal Bible study in order to remain a beneficial thing in the hands of a leader.
Scripture makes the options simple. We either embrace the way of power from above, marked by humility and love (Zechariah 4:6 "Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD who rules over all."')
or we embrace the way of power from below, marked by the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
“You once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh” (Ephesians 2:2-3).
Pastors who spend insufficient time prayer closeted with God will spend too little time considering how their view, grasp and application of power shapes their entire ministry.
Consequently, they can too easily fall prey to the way directed from below, and expressed through control, coercion, and manipulation.
To be faithful to their call, pastors must honestly and prayerfully view the spiritual power shaping their ministry as the property of the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides, counsels and enables them in all things, unless they wrest the reins of control from Him.
Are Christians to steward power as Christ who is our example did, He who rightfully has All power, on heaven and on earth?
Are we able to resist Satan with the written word of God, when tempted to adopt the world’s corrupting approach to power, as Jesus Christ did in the wilderness?
How can we avoid shifting focus through the misapplication of power to unscriptural agendas that can ruin lives and slander the name of Jesus?
In this election year, how should Christians navigate the power dynamics of politics in ways that glorify God and don’t damage our Christian witness?
Christians have a great opportunity in 2020 to either destroy our witness or establish it. We will vanquish our witness if we conflate our Christianity with partisan platforms that support godless abortion, and the sexual perversion of transgenderism. We will, on the other hand, establish our witness if we approach the political landscape in the same way we are called to approach every landscape — with honesty, humility, and concern for God's commands, values and virtues.
It will do the Christian witness much good if we engage the political process in such a way that praises the virtues and confronts the vices of every candidate, including the ones we support. No political party is completely virtuous, so try to consider the voting booth as a realm from which to love our neighbor as ourselves, and support those office seekers who genuinely seek to protect and nurture their territorial districts and constituents.
During this United States election year, the effectiveness of every Christian's mission and the success of their witness to others can hinge on their personal approach to power.
Numerous pastors and ministry leaders in the evangelical church have fallen prey to temptations of power. Christians and their churches must respond to correct this troubling trend wherever it exists and prevent any reoccurrence. What are the key lessons for the Christian?
It can be tempting to respond to these stories, both public and local, with a kind of distanced judgment, but it’s dangerous to always view the problem of those who are wielding unseemly power over others within the church as being “out there:” ...in those megachurches, those celebrity pastors, those denominations lacking the correct form of governance and policy...
There is a need to remove the dangerous propensities of particularly unbiblical fundraising enterprises, and structures and systems of governance that easily lend themselves to egotism and to idolatry. There is also a need to take seriously the destructive effects of creating and participating in a celebrity culture centered around a pastoral personality.
If the contemplation of these examples of pastoral failure cuts no deeper than pointing fingers at others, all Christian congregations will have suffered a missed opportunity to participate in an ongoing invitation from the Lord to "come, now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18).
God is inviting every church member and church body in North America to pray corporately and personally: “Search us, O God, and know our heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead each of us in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).
Our first response should be humility and lament. When ministers experience moral failure, especially regarding the abuse of power, everybody loses. The best way to lead people through such losses is through honest, appropriate, public acknowledgments of what went wrong.
Following this, every effort must be made not only to repent, but also to repair any damage that has been done, especially to victims. It’s also important for accountability structures to be in place to ensure power is stewarded from a place of humility and love, never pride and a clenched fist.
No single person should be given absolute power in a church ministry. There should always be checks and balances.
Ministers who have too many fans and followers in comparison to their number of actual friends are in danger of being enveloped into a "star" status. To help correct this, churches must encourage their leaders to cultivate friends among fellow believers to whom they are accountable and with whom they can share their life's challenges and struggles as a means of anchoring yourself to a source of unbiased criticism.
It should be understood in all these friendships that if anyone drifts or isolates themselves, these friends are sanctioned to pull them back in, by confronting them in love and with meekness and humility. If those within this circle notice the emergence of less than Christian characteristics, they will be in a position to intervene according to Galatians 6:1–5.
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2).
Parity (equality) within church leadership is always Biblical, for it is only Jesus Christ who is the head of His global church, and of all members, every church building and every congregation.
The shepherds are also sheep, and this is important for everyone to know and understand. There is only one rightful pedestal in the church. Only Jesus belongs on top of it.
ESV Study Bible
TGC The Gospel Coalition
Ligonier Ministries
Feb 3, 2020 04:13:07 #
Zemirah wrote:
January 31, 2020 br br br The use of God-given... (show quote)
Good article..
God willing people are listening
Feb 3, 2020 04:25:29 #
A few, possibly, Canuckus, enshallah (as God wills)!
Thank you for the compliment.
I started it yesterday, but life intervened with it's completion, - had to stay signed in all night and all day, because it was uncompleted.
There was a minor medical emergency, and then a Super Bowl to celebrate, before getting back to complete it!
Any flyover state from the heartland beating San Francisco is a celebration!
Thank you for the compliment.
I started it yesterday, but life intervened with it's completion, - had to stay signed in all night and all day, because it was uncompleted.
There was a minor medical emergency, and then a Super Bowl to celebrate, before getting back to complete it!
Any flyover state from the heartland beating San Francisco is a celebration!
Canuckus Deploracus wrote:
Good article..
God willing people are listening
God willing people are listening
Feb 3, 2020 06:13:15 #
Zemirah wrote:
A few, possibly, Canuckus, enshallah (as God wills... (show quote)
Congrats on the Super Bowl victory...
Apologies if I'm more enthusiastic about the article than the game...
Football isn't a big deal in Canada...
Hope you are better... Stay strong
Feb 3, 2020 07:30:13 #
You're not in Kansas any more, Dorothy,
What sports are popular in northern China?
Is it soccer, soccer and more soccer?
Sport in China - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_China
Quote: China has its own national quadrennial multi-sport event similar to the Olympic Games called the National Games. The largest audience for a single sporting event within the boundaries of mainland China was a football match in the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou. Football is a popular sport. EndQuote
What sports are popular in northern China?
Is it soccer, soccer and more soccer?
Sport in China - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_China
Quote: China has its own national quadrennial multi-sport event similar to the Olympic Games called the National Games. The largest audience for a single sporting event within the boundaries of mainland China was a football match in the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou. Football is a popular sport. EndQuote
Canuckus Deploracus wrote:
Congrats on the Super Bowl victory...
Apologies if I'm more enthusiastic about the article than the game...
Football isn't a big deal in Canada...
Hope you are better... Stay strong
Apologies if I'm more enthusiastic about the article than the game...
Football isn't a big deal in Canada...
Hope you are better... Stay strong
Feb 3, 2020 07:52:33 #
Zemirah wrote:
You're not in Kansas any more, Dorothy, br br Wha... (show quote)
When China says football, they mean soccer...
Most popular sports over here are football, basketball, badminton and pingpong... Although tennis has a growing following...
Up North there is some hockey, skiing and curling... But nothing great...
Volleyball has also been popular in recent years...
Chuckle... Although the average China man up North is around 5 foot 10, and bulls a bit more than in the south, there are few individuals who could play American Football
Feb 3, 2020 08:00:40 #
I know football means soccer in most of the known world, except in the U.S...
Why no baseball, that surely doesn't require height or weight, but speed?
The Japanese people love baseball!
Why no baseball, that surely doesn't require height or weight, but speed?
The Japanese people love baseball!
Canuckus Deploracus wrote:
When China says football, they mean soccer... br ... (show quote)
Feb 3, 2020 08:07:56 #
Zemirah wrote:
I know football means soccer in most of the known world, except in the U.S...
Why no baseball, that surely doesn't require height or weight, but speed?
The Japanese people love baseball!
Why no baseball, that surely doesn't require height or weight, but speed?
The Japanese people love baseball!
In 2008, during the Beijing Olympics, China's defeat of Taiwan in baseball was a major victory....
But in general the sport doesn't appeal to Chinese...
Not sure why.... My wife loves baseball... She watched a game the first time we visited Canada and by third inning was completely engrossed in the game... (I missed the only decent play - a double run off of a decent fly - in the seventh inning because she sent me for beer and burgers...)
Perhaps it's their desire for faster paced games... Or the lack of fields... Or the fact that most of them throw line six year old girls...
I have a couple of gloves and bats... Get together with some expats and Indians and just play around occasionally...
Feb 3, 2020 18:39:55 #
Zemirah wrote:
January 31, 2020 br br br The use of God-given... (show quote)
That was well put together.
Feb 4, 2020 11:53:43 #
Feb 4, 2020 17:48:59 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
bahmer wrote:
Amen and Amen
I felt chastised. When the left on OPP goes ugly and lying I just want to do the James Cagney thing and use their noses to juice a grapefruit. No humility, no meekness, no mercy. I have to do better and will try. I do know better. Thanks, Zemirah I needed to hear that! I've been letting the dipsticks pull me down to their level. That is only detrimental to me and my relationship with our Saviour. I just need to let he's anointed do the punching back, our beloved President, Donald J. Trump. I just have to keep praying and vote.
Feb 4, 2020 20:50:48 #
Peewee wrote:
I felt chastised. When the left on OPP goes ugly a... (show quote)
Everyone needs to heed it - all of us. Especially the ones that think they don’t.
Feb 4, 2020 21:05:48 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
Rose42 wrote:
Everyone needs to heed it - all of us. Especially the ones that think they don’t.
I agree, Rose. I've never noticed Zemirah ever putting out bad info on anything yet. She reminds me of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, knocking out home runs consistently.
Feb 4, 2020 21:34:02 #
Peewee wrote:
I agree, Rose. I've never noticed Zemirah ever putting out bad info on anything yet. She reminds me of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, knocking out home runs consistently.
Great analogy.
Feb 5, 2020 10:16:02 #
Peewee wrote:
I agree, Rose. I've never noticed Zemirah ever putting out bad info on anything yet. She reminds me of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, knocking out home runs consistently.
When I lived in Milwaukee I got to see Hammering Hank Aaron hit some home runs when he was with the Milwaukee Braves. Boy that was a long time ago.
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