12 THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL FLOURISH LIKE A PALM TREE, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are PLANTED in the HOUSE OF THE LORD SHALL FLOURISH in the courts of our God.
14 They shall STILL BEAR FRUIT IN OLD AGE; They shall be fresh and FLOURISHING [green]."
Psalm 92:12-14 (NKJV)
• There are some leaders who do not want those who are under their leadership to move up, prosper or make progress.
- These same leaders would want to keep the people under them, but would not have any plan for their growth and development.
THEY would not want the people under them to be taught or be ministered to, yet, they would not want the people to leave. - Thus, If you find yourself under a leader who would not want your growth and development, both spiritually and materially; you will do well to ask God in prayer to transplant you, In another church.
- In other words, you should ask God to move you to the place where you will grow, flourish, both spiritually and physically.
- Where you will have the opportunity to discover your gifts and put them to work, or use them to serve, and be a blessing to others.
• A Pastor—Prophet
I was in a church, some years back, where we used as our training centre, As the base, for our ministry leadership training, in the area.
THE pastor of the church Whom said to be a prophet, and used to receive invitations to minister in other places or churches.
BUT for that couple of months that I was with them, I did not witness any time which he used his prophetic gift to minister to those who were in his church.
THIS set me thinking, and I was asking in my mind; What does he minister to the people in other places where he was being invited?
- This minister in question wanted the people, those who will depend on him, even for their material needs. Although, he was not ready and willing to render the help or assistance which the people under him might need.
- I have come to discover that there are people who find themselves in the leadership, who just wanted to keep the people under them, only for the purpose of boosting their egos.
SUCCESS, progress, and the development of the people under them are not their utmost priorities.
• The truth is, If you do not love, or want other people's success, you would have to leave the ministry work.
- God can only work through a vessel who's bowel of compassion, or mercy, is Big, that is, someone who's heart of love is Big:
28 BESIDES the other THINGS, WHAT COMES UPON ME [Paul] DAILY: MY DEEP CONCERN FOR ALL THE CHURCHES. 29 WHO IS WEAK, AND I AM NOT WEAK? WHO IS MADE TO STUMBLE, AND I DO NOT BURN WITH INDIGNATION?" (2 Corinthians 11:28,29 NKJV). - Ministry work is mainly about impacts!
The number of people whom you are able to transform their lives through the Word of God and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life. - One of the signs that shows you are working as a leader is, when the lives of those who are under your leadership are being changed—when they are being transformed, both spiritually and physically.
- How would someone claimed that he or she is pastoring or leading, when the lives of the people under them are not evidently being changed or transformed for better, both spiritually and physically, or materially.
- If someone claimed that he or she is leading, and those under their leadership are not experiencing any growth or development whatsoever, spiritually and physically; it thus means the claim is false! Something is wrong with the leadership of such a person!
• Ministry leadership is not about keeping people to boost your egos!
- It is not about using them to show-off, as a sounding brass [percussion], to announce yourself.
THAT other people might know that you have any number of people under your leadership. - The people who usually find themselves under such leaders are those who like to receive free things.
THOSE who wanted to be where food, money, and other material things are being given to them freely (2 Timothy 3:5-7), AND would not want to take any responsibility in the Kingdom (2 Thessalonians 3:11,12). - Even with those things that are being given to you, your needs are not met completely; because only God can do that.
- Such leaders usually would not allow the people under them to be hungry; and at the same time, would not allow them to be well-fed.
• Another group of people who found themselves under some leaders who have been a success in the secular world, who had gotten names for themselves in the business world; thus, they wanted to be identify with such leaders.
- The people under such a leader are proud to tell others that, so and so person is my pastor. However, the so-called pastor does not have the time for them, and more so, does not have the spiritual substance to minister to them, or impact them with.
- When the people under such a leader had any material need, such a leader could give them a paltry sum—and that gladdens their hearts.
BUT they were not being blessed spiritually, because the person, the leader, could not give the spiritual substance to them—such do not have it:
6 THEN Peter SAID, “Silver and gold I do not have, BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE YOU: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6 NKJV). - For he or she is a businessperson, they lack the spiritual substance—the Anointing (Acts 3:6).
- Some of such leaders, pastors, are professionals, and are successful in their careers, and the people under them are proud of being identify with them.
EVEN when such followers are not receiving the spiritual substance needed by them—from the so-called pastors. - Such leaders keep people under them with no plans for their growth or spiritual wellbeing.
• We are at the time which those who do not have anything to offer people wanted to be in the ministry work.
- They are career people, and professionals, but wanted to boost their egos by being called pastors.
- They wanted the honour that accompanied the ministry work, the pastoral work, or the ministerial work; but are not called into it by God, and are not willing to pay the necessary prices for the work:
"AND no man TAKES this HONOUR to HIMSELF [herself], BUT HE WHO IS CALLED BY GOD, just as Aaron was" (Hebrews 5:4 NKJV).
• Ministry work is a call and NOT a career which you could simply and ambitiously desire to have or take (2 Timothy 1:9-11).
- If you are NOT called by God into the work of ministry, then stay where you are, in your profession or career.
- You could, however, serve in your local church as one of the lay-leaders; but you should venture NOT to pioneer a new work of ministry.
- Note: If you do find yourself under a wrong leader, and you do know that you are not in the place because of baits, that is, because of what you are being given as gifts—as we have shared in this piece. I would admonish or enjoin you to ask God, in prayer, to lead you where He wanted you to be.
• I used to know someone whom the pastor is a medical personnel. Though, she herself was a petty trader, but wanted to be in that church anyway; because of the status of the pastor.
- Whenever she had a need, or any member of her family, she would begin to go from one minister to another.
- Now, I am not against a medical person, or any professional, or whoever, being a pastor; but the point is, If such would not have the time to minister to the spiritual needs of the people: Why does he gather them to begin with? (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2,3).
28 Therefore TAKE HEED to yourselves AND TO ALL THE FLOCK, among which THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS MADE YOU OVERSEERS, TO SHEPHERD [pastor or oversee] THE CHURCH OF GOD which HE [Jesus] PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD."
Acts 20:28 (NKJV)
2 SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU, SERVING AS OVERSEERS [pastors or shepherds], not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, BUT BEING EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK."
1 Peter 5:2–3 (NKJV)
• If you are under a pastor who could not minister spiritual substance to you at the time of distress; the person does not have the anointing, the Word of God, and the time, for you; then, What are you doing there—under such a leader?
- Being in such a place, under a leader like that, makes you stagnant spiritually and physically.
- Why would you need to be going about looking for someone to minister to you, at the time of distress, when you claimed to have a pastor?
That could only be, when you do have a pastor who does not have what it takes to liberate you from whatever predicament—who does not have the spiritual substance to offer you:
4 AND my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, BUT IN DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT [of God] AND OF POWER,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD."
1 Corinthians 2:4,5 (NKJV)
"TRULY THE SIGNS OF AN APOSTLE were accomplished among you with all perseverance, IN SIGNS AND WONDERS AND MIGHTY DEEDS."
2 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV)
5 For our Gospel did NOT come to you IN WORD ONLY, BUT ALSO IN POWER, AND IN THE HOLY SPIRIT and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake."
1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NKJV)
• Take a step now, do the needful, and let God plant you where He does want you to be.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!