― Francis Chan
We are not called to judge. But don't we have to at times? Don't we have to really look at a person and their life to determine if we should hear what they speak? Recently I was part of a discussion about a man who has some questionable history. Should we trust anything that comes out of the mouth of a fallen man? If we choose to not hear from anyone who has made a mistake, well then... there is nobody left to listen to.
Only God knows what is in a man's heart. Only God knows if a man has truly repented and is living according to God's will. If he continually disobeys the Lord we will all know eventually because he will fall. We can't know what anyone does in the privacy of their own home. We cannot know the thoughts that run through any one's mind. We are called to judge the words a man speaks, but not the man. Paul killed Christians. If we held that against him, we could not trust many books of the bible. David had a man killed so he could have his wife, but David was a good man. Good men do bad things and bad men do good things. (Women too)
So, how do we know who to trust? We trust God. Measure a man's words using the bible as the measuring stick and listen to God with your own heart. Repentance is the key. Does a man truly repent and change his ways. If you are truly submitting to God's will and obeying Him, you can't help but change. He will mess with your life. You will be judged and hated. Trust me, I know.
There is not one person who lives without sin. We would probably be very surprised at the battles some of the greatest leaders went through. But, did they repent? Did they truly see their wrong and turn from it? Grace is not an excuse to sin. Grace walks hand in hand with true repentance. The enemy goes after leaders for this reason. If we disregard the words of an anointed man because he has made a mistake, we are missing out. Yet this is what happens. The enemy attacks the anointed and they make one mistake and the power they have is diminished. So that same anointed man repents, seeks after God and gets back on track. Do we keep one eye open waiting for him to fall again? If he falls a second time it is even more difficult to trust the words from his mouth.
In this country we have become so distant from the supernatural, even afraid of it. So if the enemy steps in and creates a false supernatural incident it is really easy for us to disregard that person's anointing and label him as crazy. The enemy imitates God's ways to trick us into unbelief. The box we put God in limits the supernatural so it becomes a powerful tool for the enemy. We even doubt ourselves.
Recently, while I was away with a group of friends and we were all worshipping and praying, the Lord asked me if I wanted to hear a donkey talk. I immediately thought I had gotten off track. This had to be my own crazy thoughts. But then I heard it again. I began to laugh out loud, unsure what to believe. And when I shared what I was hearing with the woman next to me, she said, "A donkey talked in the Bible." Of course a donkey talked in the Bible. Thank You Lord that I am not crazy. I have had enough radically supernatural moments with God that doubt should not cross my mind anymore, though it still does. We all knew we needed to read the scripture.
Short version is Balaam the prophet has angered God and God has sent an angel to stop him from getting where he is headed. The donkey Balaam is riding sees the angel and tries twice to go around it. As he steps off the path the first time and crushed Balaam's foot the second time, Balaam beats the donkey, because he cannot see the angel that the donkey sees sent to block their path. The third time the donkey sees the angel blocking the path he gives up and lies down. Balaam beats the donkey for the third time. When we read that Balaam's words to the donkey were, "You have made a fool of me" that's when I understood the story. I have a friend who God has given me words of knowledge and visions for. He does not believe any of the words I have given. I, the donkey, have seen into the supernatural, but he (Balaam) is unable to see it. He has been angry with me for even speaking these words. But what I believe the Lord was telling me is that He is about to allow this man to see the truth (the angel). My beatings will end (Ha.)
Why I even share this story is show how radical by this worlds standards, God can be. For Him to put words in a donkey's mouth is nothing. For Him to part the sea is nothing. For Him to protect Daniel in the lion's den and have Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego step out of the fiery furnace without even the smell of smoke is beyond our thinking. Many people think He no longer works this way. But, I myself have seen clouds race across the sky and suddenly stop in front of the moon. Sound crazy? Of course it does by the worlds standards.
The Lord said if He would not won my heart with the supernatural He would have lost me in the trials of these last couple months. But when ever I start doubting him I go back to the crazy things He has shown me. It would be really easy for the enemy to step in when I am totally lost in worship and have me bark like a dog if I was not always on guard to his ways. If I ever were to stop questioning if I was hearing God or the enemy. We have to continually check what we are hearing with scripture.
In these days the leaders are under attack like never before. the temptations set before them are stronger than ever before. We even have leaders attacking leaders. But the Bible says that we are not to touch His anointed ones.
1 Chronicles 16:22
New International Version (NIV)
22 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
do my prophets no harm.”
More than ever our Christian leaders need our prayers and support, not our criticism and judgment. We need to be lifting them up, not putting them down. If a leader falls once, we can forgive, but twice is much more difficult, not so much to forgive, but to hear the words the Lord is speaking through them. There are so many of God's anointed that we refuse to hear because of their mistakes, because of their falling into temptation, but the Lord says to forgive 70 times 7.
He doesn't want us approving their sin or following them into it, but to disregard the words of God's anointed could be hazardous to our spiritual health. The Lord is sending prophet's in these last days. He is allowing dreams and visions like never before. He is doing more to support His chosen leaders in a time when we seem to be more judgmental. We need to join with what God's doing, join in His will and take more times to pray for these great men of God who are facing great temptations from the enemy.
Sometimes I am at a total loss on how to pray for them. All I can say at times is, "Lord your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give them their daily bread."
“Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”
― Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
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