In the Scriptures, two of the worst curses are to have arrogant, immature, or unrighteous leaders and prophets speak words to tickle the people’s ears, or who only say what they think the people want to hear. The prophecies about the end of this age speak of a similar devotion of many. There are a number of things that separate the wheat from the tares at the end. There is a separation going on presently in the body of Christ where those who will only listen to what they want to hear are being given over to immature or unrighteous leaders.
When a friend of mine recently preached on the difficulties that are prophesied to come upon the world at the end of this age, some people complained because the message was “discouraging.” These people could only hear about happy times and blessings, and I knew that without a profound change in their mentality they would not last long in the times to come. A large part of the Christians in the West are in this weak, vulnerable, delusional condition. This can change, but if it is not confronted very soon the consequences will be devastating for many people.
This is not to imply that all we should talk about are the hard times to come, but rather we must walk in faith through even the most difficult times, seeing an opportunity for the glory and victory of the Lord. As we have said often, true warriors do not run from the sound of battle, but to the sound of battle.
It is a truth that the Scriptures verify that mature leaders are those who have been through the fire, through the trials, and even mistakes and failures, and have remained faithful. Do you want someone who has never failed to be your leader? Well, just consider that Captain Smith was chosen to be the skipper of the Titanic because he had never had an accident at sea.
If our leaders prove to be immature or unrighteous, we would be wise not to condemn them or others for this, but look to ourselves. What caused us to follow such people? To possibly answer this, consider this rebuke from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians:
For you bear with anyone if he enslaves you, if he devours you, if he takes advantage of you, if he exalts himself, if he hits you in the face (II Corinthians 11:19-20).
It is remarkable how many Christians still gravitate more toward those who minister in a control spirit than to those who minister in the Holy Spirit. Carnal people will follow carnal authority and reject true spiritual authority. Just as many people are conditioned to respond to the hype of television advertisements, many Christians respond more quickly to hype than to the anointing, and actually believe that hype is the anointing.
Now if you think that I am being negative, please consider that some truth is negative, and some of the most important truth at times is negative. If we cannot hear it, we will not find the Lord’s salvation. If we do not accept the negative truth that we are sinners, we will never repent of our sins and turn to the cross.
John the Baptist had to preach repentance to prepare the way for the Lord, and the Holy Spirit is about to come as the One who convicts us of our sins to prepare for the coming move of God. If we are not willing to be convicted of our sin or our irrational and continuing immaturity, we will miss the greatest move of God.
Weak, immature Christians gravitate to the preachers who tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. The greatest preachers and teachers in history, who accomplished the most for the gospel and the kingdom of God, were those who brought much conviction and repentance to the church. The strongest Christians have always been those who embraced the message of repentance when it was needed.
We have some great strengths in the Western church at this time, but we also have some glaring weaknesses. The weaknesses can be corrected. There is one simple answer that will begin to correct them all—the cross.
The cross will become the central theme of Christianity again for all who go on to maturity. Those who do not embrace the cross will fall away from the faith very soon. Carnal, immature, and unrighteous leaders will draw them away. Some of these may have some of the biggest churches and movements, but they are the blind leading the blind, and they will all fall into the ditch if they do not repent.
The army that God is raising up in these times is the army of the cross. They will be those who live the cross, taking it up daily, and thereby prove themselves to be the Lord’s true disciples, just as He said. Just as we are told over and over in the one book in the Bible devoted to wisdom, the Book of Proverbs, the wise love correction and embrace it, and even count reproofs for discipline as the path of life.
A very wise and very strong army is about to mobilize. For a time, their numbers may be much smaller than those gathering around other messages, but when all others fall away, they will be standing strong, holding to the banner of the Lord, and refusing to retreat before the enemies of the cross. They will not be afraid to die because they will have already died to this world, and they live to do all things for the sake of His gospel. Are you one of these? He is calling you.
