POLITICS IN THE CHURCH
Updated January 22, 2012
Politics gets into the church when leaders apply natural solutions to resolve spiritual
matters. The reason why political decisions are made is to nurture the incapacities and
frailness of man. Leaders who try to lead the Body of Christ with carnal solutions will find
themselves out of the will of God. If they continue in that condition, they will miss the
rapture and stand in Judgment. Only the spirit led man can see the folly of politics. It
can not be correctly discerned by the natural man for he is understandably blind to it. In
this lesson, we will prayerfully underline somethings that causes politics and suggest remedies
we can pray over to keep the ministry in the spiritually reality of how to fulfill the great
commission.
A minister's and his ministering friends can create politics. Because of our first
nature, ministers will bond with ministering friends whom they have things in common with.
Even Jesus had an inter circle of friends, which was, Peter, James, and John. But it was Paul
who was Jesus' real choice to lead His church. When personal friendship becomes the
reason why preachers use certain ones to help in their ministry, mostly preaching in their
pulpits, regardless of how effectual it might seem, it is wrong. Human friendship
should never be the deciding factor in any spiritual matter. The uniting of ministerial
friendships is usually a trap the devil has carefully help engineered over a long period
of time. We should never think that human traits bond us with certain ones just for the
purpose of spreading the gospel. The right way is to treat all ministering friends the same.
Because a preacher is often led of the Lord to do things outside of his own reasoning, he has
to watch his personal feelings closely. How much the more, should he be careful with the
influence of his ministering friends? Stay away from this trap by reach out constantly to
ones outside of your close acquaintance. You will make more friends and not bind yourself to
personal private opinions, including your own big mouth (I know because I've been guilty).
A minister can be sincerely wrong. Brother Branham explained many times that sincerity
is no sign of God's leading. As responsibilities grows around a minister, usually he becomes
more serious minded. This is humanly understandable. But we must keep things in perspective.
The real church is not following a pastor, they are following Christ Jesus. Brother Branham
said ...You're not feeding on a man. A man, his words will fail, but you're feeding on
the unfailing Body-Word of the Son of man. Most preachers need to lighten-up a little
bit and realize that their calling is to change oneself more (for the other world), than change
others. Brother Branham said ...Stick your finger in a bucket of water and pull it
out, and find the hole you put your finger in. Then say, "That was me." You're nothing.
Because of different needs preachers will confront daily, they become too serious
about the value of their service. If the church can prosper after Brother Branham's death, we
won't be missed. When personal responsibilities starts growing in a minister often it will
never stop till he's ship wreck in carnality. Let's take a quick examination to measure
incorrect human involvement. EXAMPLE 1, a preacher's duty is to preach the gospel.
If followers obey it, praise the Lord. If they do not, we should still have the same friendly
feeling toward them as we did before their unheeded correction. EXAMPLE 2, taking a
stand for the Word, is to be done under constrain from the Holy Ghost. The pressure of
"stand against the wrong" should not be carried as a personal thing. If a minister
enjoys correcting people he has a carnal approach to spiritual problems. EXAMPLE 3, when
a preacher feels like he is carrying people's burdens, most of the time, he is sincerely
wrong. The minister is to take people to Christ, in prayer, or by the preaching of the Word,
and leave them there (end our quick examination). Regardless of our sincerity and our desire
to see the Kingdom of God move forward, it can only happen when human involvement is correct.
Many ministries have assumed unnecessary responsibilities that have carried them away from
their real spiritual mission. They feel the burden, so to them they are right. But the harvest
of their labor will leave a political mentality, which God will in due time correct in His body.
We should learn to lighten up and realize everything inevitably is out of our control, even if
the problem looks easy to correct. Example, a minister might correct an obvious
(to the human eye) situation whereby a soul could be saved, but at a later time, there will
come, from that same person, another problem beyond the minister's reach, for all human
perceptions will fail. Practice the art of making ourselves comfortable. We will find, once,
we get ourselves out of the way, we might become useful. God's men are called to be
faithful (spiritual), not burden with the responsibilities of making their ministry successful.
Clergy support creates politics. From time to time certain politic minded ministerial
groups will reline itself for the promotion of their personal agenda. When this realignment
happens, close friendships will become like enemies overnight, and vise versa. This should
tell us the importance of staying out of politics. When the shaking comes and the brethren are
taking sides. Do not be apart of it. That does not mean you do not agree with the right side.
But the one in the right does not need clergy support from human friendships. Any man
that's standing for the Word of God does not need any minister to stand with him.
Also, the same applies when a minister becomes involved in a spiritual battle he should not
reach out to other ministries for human support. If another minister's feel God has
spoken to him to be of an assistant, then that is different. We must remember if we are
standing on the Word, God is our support and His Word will not change. Furthermore, what
other help do we need than God's? It might feel carnally good to have human support
(call up our friends, or better said, call our favors in), but looking to men will only
complicate things. We are dealing with eternal issues not earthly problems. What could we
lose, when following the Lord, which would not always be for our own good? The ministry can rest
upon this fact, the truth will be vindicated in God's time and you will be exonerated
by the Lord Himself.
Money Part 1
The three things that will causes politics to prosper. Every year that goes by, we
see more ministers stumbling under the influence of three things that Brother Branham said,
that ministers were to stay away from, which are money, popularity, and lust. These three
things generate politics. However, we will only look at money. Nevertheless, the same situation
applies to the other two temptations. Money makes the political happen. Many of our message
churches would soon be with-out pastors if the pastors had to work like Brother Branham (for
17 years) and like Apostle Paul had to do, just to preach the gospel to their congregations.
Many pastors in these days are puppets on financial strings. Others have taken That high
calling due to morally low deceit of making a living (meal ticket). Spiritual decisions will
be made with the consideration of their monetary support. The evil does not stop here. For
the love of money is the root of all evil: 1 Timothy 6:10, soon their pulpits become full of
those who will support them, as they return this support. With-out funds swapping support will
not happen. Some times there are innocent ministers drawn into his darkness.
It might seem successful but in the eyes of the spiritual they are the caught in the trap.
Money Part 2
There are political systems created within laity of the local church. This happen when the pastor
allows someone (or a part of his congergation) to exhort power over his office with money. The political
machine is rolling, usually ninety percent of the church members are happy for they control
the pulpit subconsciously, through their friend, or church members who has the money.
The pastor is happy for he is controlling the spiritual. But we see, while the pastor is
dealing with the spiritual matters, the controlling spirit will dominate him with the
carnal. This is politic situation that sometimes cause churches to grow in membership, due
to the unsaid worldly comprising power over the pulpit. Of course, the pew proudly and falsely
proclaims submission to the pulpit. But that is not the truth. Only God can open people's
eyes and God will not. For He has previous warn ministers not to cross that line for money.
Now He says, Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:
I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth. The leadership is neither completely spiritual
or neither completely carnal, they are somewhere in between. There is a natural solution being
applied to spiritual matters for the spiritual benefit of the congregation, not cold and not hot. If
you are a guilty minister, the remedy is to repent, and get out of the mess. If you are a hire
preacher, someone is controlling your salary. REPENT. If you are apart of a church were people
are getting directions other than from one Holy Ghost filled pastor you should also repent and
flee for your salvation. It is a less thing to
answer for being a sinner, but it will be worse standing before God after playing church politics
with His Holy Message.
Closing statements, Brother Branham said, ...You"ve got to love your pastor. You've got
to know that he's a human being. This writer realized that everybody has made mistakes,
and we will, no doubt; make even more mistakes, because we are just human. We also realize
that God "factor in" human instrumentality and all its weakness into His eternal plan.
However, it is because of taking the wrong road we have learned how important it is to be leading
others in the right way. We are aware many will not consider the points expressed in this
article to be "in the real world." This might be true, but this writer is not considering
any other avenue than the spiritual to be necessary for this discussions. If you feel any part
of this article is incorrect, please write me. We believe this article is important because we
believe problems in the message circulate around the pulpit. There will be some
after reading this tract who will see the Light at the end of the tunnel. Remember you will be
eternally accountable for not seeking spiritual directions for your ministry, so moved toward
the Light. There is a high road that only a few can stay on, and by God's grace, we desire
to be one of those who will run and who will receive the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye
may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Eagle Christian Church ' P.O. Box 1510 LaVergne, TN 37086 USA
Pastor James Tidwell
Pastor James Tidwell