As a prophetic ministry I see the use of my gifting is to help those to whom I minister in realigning themselves with The Lord. The main problem I run into while trying to do this comes up when I confront them over a contaminated relationship they have developed with an authority figure. They will do anything for the authority figure, from mowing their lawn to carrying their Bible; they will even dress a certain way or give of their resources to please the authority figure. They’ll clean the church, lockup after everyone is gone, lead prayer meetings and serve at the altar. However, this does not make them a loyal follower of Christ; it makes them a loyal follower of the authority figure! Their commitment to The Lord is often times bankrupt! Their understanding of sound doctrine is usually whatever the authority figure says. They don’t understand what it means to be spirit-led in prayer, giving or ministry to others. They will defend the authority figure even if it means denying Christ’s teachings concerning honesty, morality, or integrity.
My experience is that when you try to wean them away from the authority figure, all hell breaks loose! Not only do they manifest and attack you, the authority figure comes after you with a vengeance. This is the main problem with church today! Contaminated relationships with authority are the source of carnality within the church.
Paul confronts this in 1 Corinthians 3:1-15…
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”