Rejecting the Jezebels

It feels strange dressing and preparing to attend a church this morning where I will not take the pulpit. I spent the last six months pouring my life into a house that was nearly bankrupt of spiritual life only to see God rekindle a hope. Former members returning. A renewed heart for the word and mission of Jesus. Church finances turning around dramatically.

Last Sundays services were marvelous in the Lord with two dynamic messages sent in timely fashion from a guest evangelist. But while the new hearts were being touched and mended in a godly way the old hearts clamored for what they know best.

Today, today,  I was prepared to bring a message on the vision of the house. Writing it down. Making it plain.  It’s one I felt the Lord had given as we’d been praying about this since December for clear and specific direction.

Instead this last week took a bizarre turn as the old regime – the “owners of the church” — opted to listen and follow the Jezebel spirit instead of the Spirit of God. This split will likely doom the church to an early demise. What should have been an ongoing legacy of faithfulness will become a legacy of tradition, fleshly desires, and an unwillingness to surrender to the heart and direction of the Lord. They chose to listen to whispers and lies rather than the heart of God.

While its been publicly said I quit; that i just walked away, the reality is I was ostensibly ran from the church for refusing to be a puppet. As the lies and accusations were being fired at me during the meeting, the Spirit of the Lord showed me these were a people who were rejecting His direction and leading.

You could almost see a giddy joy on the faces of those behind the undoing of my pastorship and were well aware of the intent of the meeting: Would I bow?

Instead I shook the proverbial dust from my shoes and packed my belongings. I know they will have to give an account for their words, motives, and actions. I left with no remorse. I do not feel we made one misstep in following the Lord in any conversation, stand, or direction my wife and I took, in spite of the continual obstacles presented.

And yet my heart grieves over a responsibility I still feel to the number of sheep who want to follow God and knowing I’m leaving them in the hands of those who have played church so long they forgot the voice of the Lord.

A number of months ago the Lord gave me a stern warning over that church: either they were going to repent and follow (our biblical pattern of the Christian walk) or the doors would be closed. As I left the church for the last time Wednesday night, by the prompting of His Spirit, it was apparent to me the choice they had made. The legacy that started with hope and love will end with a legacy of sin and shame.  Knowing how to finish the race is as important as how we start it — by faith.

I’m trusting my Father to watch over the innocents who are left in this wake. He will take care of them and eventually lead them to places of worship that desire growth, change, and Him more than the spirit of jealousy, envy, and strife.

God have mercy on those who live and lead contrary to His purposes.