Meeting Elijah’s Criteria For An Elisha Anointing (Part 3)
Artwork and Article by: Linda J. Waiters
Copyright © June 19, 2010
The Word of God, however, must always be the final authority on every subject. So I totally agree with the Lord who said it best, “call no man your father.” Because God and God alone is the only One who empowers us in order for manifestation to take place in our lives. We are the sheep of His pasture, and He is the fountain of life that we draw from. Consequently, our focus should only be on receiving from Him for the supernatural results we expect in our lives.
Make no bones about it now, this in no way negates our need to hold our pastors in high esteem. Personally, I honor my pastor and thank God for placing him over my life. As a woman of God, I know the attacks and loneliness one goes through just to sacrifice yourself for others in your service to the Lord. So I appreciate him. My pastor is an awesome man of God and we have the same radical spirit for serving God. He is younger than I am, yet every chance I get to hear him preach, and others he allows to impart into me, I often find myself sitting on the edge of my seat to get every word because I have a teachable spirit and am submitted to him. I also know that when God sends you, you are totally immersed in the Spirit of God when you minister, and Bishop Walker is sent. So when I’m looking at him preach, I see the God in and on him before me. Nevertheless, the only reason I’m there is because my Father told me to “yield to this house!” As Pastor Quann admonished us, that was the “Spirit bearing witness with my spirit.” Bishop Walker is who my Father placed over me to impart into me – by the Spirit of my Father – what my Father wants me to have. It is mandatory that you grasp this. Simplified, there is a hierarchy in God and HE is always on top, and rightfully so – He alone sent His Son to die for us. And my pastor emphasizes that.
Therefore, absolutely nothing that rightfully belongs to your pastor or mine is taken away. God has given pastors rule over us; they watch over our souls; they give account to God for us; and it does not bode well for us if their report is not good. But lest we forget, recall Jesus humbling Himself and washing His disciples feet as He taught us servanthood. At the end of the day, we are all simply servants of the Most High God. Never get it twisted.
Moreover, those really gifted to the Body of Christ by God as pastors have the heart of Father God, a trait that is inherent to the office of pastor. Wisely fulfilling that office alone is a daunting task in itself. But, having the heart of a father does not make a pastor’s shoulders broad enough to support the needs of God’s children. Therefore, don’t be surprised when you see people sent to be “pastors” cave in under the weight because they took on an additional role that only God can fill. And don’t be surprised by the increased manipulation, domination, fear, and control false prophets utilize to stay in the role that only God can fill.
Continuing on, idolatry also uses favor on a man or woman to gain its stronghold, and this often results in a lot of sucking up because of covetousness. But the heart of the King remains in God’s Hand, and it is God who turns man’s heart in the direction God wants it to go. This is such a liberating truth that must never be slighted or overlooked. That means you don’t have to suck up, all you’ve got to do is bless God! This also protects you from winding up in a situation where you leave the church because things didn’t go your way – after all that sucking up. That’s why many are at home now offended. As a female preacher, I’ve seen God make men give me what they didn’t even want me to have because of man’s rules. In the place we’re moving into, you’ve got to be totally connected to the “final answer,” which is God. Therein lies your “favor.” Because when you’re walking in your authority as a son of God, your pastor may not be around on the battlefield when you need him or her. And if you’ve been leaning on or relying on your pastor INSTEAD OF GOD, then you are bound to FAIL. So often that’s when people catch an attitude and say, “if he or she was a ‘real’ man or woman of God, he or she would have been there.” Wrong! If you gave God the proper position in your life, then your help would have been there because the Bible says our help cometh from the Lord! And God is the source of all favor. It is our Father who can make our enemies to be at peace with us, and He causes men to give unto our bosoms. The days of shortcuts is over. I believe God is going to make you stand on your own faith in the upcoming days.
It is noteworthy to add that spiritual fatherhood, in many cases, reveals covetousness at work on both sides of the coin. Or, at the very least, it exposes people who are easily misled (as you generally find with people following those who turn out to be false prophets). Regardless, people end up mad at God for something He had nothing to do with. And herein lies the danger of this concept.
For instance, some time ago, God gave me a front row seat to observe two examples of idolatry at its best. I knew a lady on a ministry staff at my church where the senior pastor, a beloved man of God, was known to many as a “spiritual father.” But when another ministry rose up in the area, she and others from the church left this “spiritual father” who had established them, and followed after a new “spiritual father” whose wife was a celebrity of sorts in the Body of Christ. Sadly, the new “spiritual father” beat his wife in public which caused this new church to disintegrate. Now God Himself allowed this tragedy to go on blast for the whole world to see. He threw every red flag in Heaven at it, but a few faithful “women” were determined to stay with their “spiritual father.” Since God is not the author of confusion, you can only imagine the hell these women may endure as a result.
Then there was another pastor, who for years seemed to be a pillar in the community. However, he fathered a child by his own brother’s wife (now the pastor, the brother and the son all served on the same ministry staff). This pastor allegedly molested his own granddaughter (as revealed in a deposition given by the pastor’s granddaughter); and was sued by a woman in his church who alleged that they had sexual relations because he told her the calling on her life was to sexually service him. He too was a “spiritual father,” and people also left this church that disintegrated.
Idolatry, however, can enter our hearts unknowingly, as in the next two examples:
In one case, the Lord exposed me to a young lady who was extremely close to her father, who was also her pastor. Her father died and because she held him in such high esteem as a man of God, she became angry with God for taking him away and left the church for a season. God worked her through the process and showed her how idolatry had subtly entered her heart unknowingly.
Lastly, I met a lady powerfully used by God as a psalmist, but one day her mother, who had been her backbone, died with no warning. She too became angry with God and left church for a period of time. She later realized that she too had unknowingly erected an idol in her heart, and God made it clear that He wanted to be the support she relied on. In her case, she sensed dire results if she had not repented.
See, you’ve got to get right up in Satan’s face with the mess he’s slinging at times, because he doesn’t want anyone to talk about his strategy against Christians. We are to be quiet and not “gossip.” But there is a big difference between uncovering deceit versus gossip. You have to call a spade-a-spade. In all four examples, we see how idolatry causes a separation from God, and that’s Satan’s objective.
Disillusionment engulfs people because their loyalty to a “gift” is stronger than their loyalty to the “gift giver” – God. Consequently, many leave the church and risk losing their faith.
In conclusion, as sons of God, we are to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” We have all got to press towards the mark like never before. With Jesus set before us as our example, our reign with Him will be glorious if our loyalty to God remains unwaivering. Therefore, we must not let anything interfere with such a wonderful future. King David said it best, “the Lord is my Shepherd,” and GOD is our “exeeding joy.” God is indeed up to something, and that is to see you succeed in Him!
