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There is an uneasiness that brews below the surface of the modern day consciousness of Christianity. It is the fear of the mantle on the prophet of God. A distaste of the strong meat, aroma and weighty anointing it carries. This fear is rooted in the ignorance of what the office is and how it functions. It’s as if it’s wrapped in Old Testament folklore, something ancient yet cosmic, fire and brimstone, judgment and wrath, revelations and end time events.

It is the fear of being found out by the prophet who executes the judgment of God and exposes the wickedness of man, a fear of any person who even closely resembles or demonstrates an authority of God higher than our own, a fear that all of our nakedness is one day going to be exposed as we’re found out to be the weak, unfaithful and disappointing persons our shame accuses us to be while God points the finger at us and makes it a very bad day in our life! In the back of our minds, religion has reinforced the performance oriented rules that we surrender to, and through the course of generations we have come to accept this bondage as easily as breathing. This is bondage in its most brutal form. In reality, we are like the lobster that is put in the pot when the water is cold. As the temperature rises, the lobster doesn’t even know it’s dying before the boiling begins. We submit to authority over us without ever questioning the direction that leadership takes us in. We are told that submission is the will of God. It most definitely is in right order and in love, but consequently when we arrive at the intended destination that someone else leads us to and discover that God wasn’t even in it, the shame of relinquishing our dominion or second guessing our initial Holy Ghost inspired instinct, leaves us angry and disillusioned.

If were not rooted and grounded in the love and grace of God, this leads us to withdraw from a life of faith. The experience robs us of a steadfast confidence in God’s love and the faith in ourselves to believe we can even hear him clearly. Why? We were following man instead of Christ. We are being led by children who are themselves, in their spiritual pampers; novices in high positions of leadership, armed with personality and charm, a diploma on the wall and a board vote that put them there. It’s become the professional pulpit.

I’m not against a spirit of excellence or professionalism. Without it, we are no better than the world. But, what happens when the money isn’t coming in? All too often, the tithe is used to prop up ministry that God never authored! Messages that beat God’s children with guilt for not giving a tithe, while professional preachers flaunt their new Rolex or Mercedes, is nothing more than a manipulative and demonic con game! Lord, please bring to nothing, that which you have not authored! As a new officer studies in a naval academy, he comes to possess the book knowledge for planning war. But, since he hasn’t seen combat, he lacks the hands on common sense experience that a veteran Sergeant Carter might have. Why? Sergeant Carter got his experience in the blood and mud of actual combat. The classroom teaches great theory but nothing gives revelation as well as application.

Heb. 5:14 declares, Strong meat belongs to them who are mature, even those who by reason of use have their senses exposed to discern between good and evil.

Isaiah 3:3-5 declares, I will give children to be their princes and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.

At this very moment, those of Hebrews 5:14, are being scrambled for duty. There is an army of battle tested, skilled and anointed men and women that God is placing within the corporate structure of the church in America and abroad. They have been in obscurity, unnoticed, and unrecognized. They are the hidden of ones of Isaiah 49. The supposed wise and faithful among us, consider them the foolish, the unlovely, the unqualified, the layman, even the backslidden. But, these men and woman are being sent by God with a razor sharp sword of the Spirit and in love, are performing the needed surgery to the souls and hearts of God’s people who have been wounded by these novices that ignorantly oppress God’s people. These warriors already do it in the street door to door, at the mall, grocery store, school, on the job, post office, over coffee and donuts in kitchens all over America or over Friday night pizza, and now they are marching into the place that they have been unwelcome, the corporate organized church building.

Their presence is unwelcome by a leadership that says in attitude, “It’s our way or the highway.” These warriors are a threat to those who seek to carry on with their own agendas and hold on to a position of power and status. They are unwelcome because they are not remaining passively silent, allowing their weaker brothers and sisters in Christ to be abused any longer and now, people are beginning to break away from their oppressors.

As I’ve stated, leadership can only lead to where it has already been. But, once we understand the heart of God intimately, we can go forward into the unknown without any fear because we believe that God is always good towards us and that our every step is ordered by Him. The truth of the matter is that the Church has withdrawn from the dark alleys of society. They don’t believe God will go with them if they go into the jungle of society. We’ll preach from a comfortable pulpit, radio or T.V. broadcast or pass out a track every once in a while but, don‘t get me dirty! For the most part, the church fears what it doesn’t understand. It believes it will get contaminated by the sin of unbelievers if they have any real friendship with the sinner and go where the sinner is hanging out. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone. If the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t try to put it on. You’ll only get toe cramps...............!

Continued in The Bruised Reed