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Pastors must know the person who establishes governing authorities. When God needed a new king to replace Saul, He did not allow him (Saul) to choose Jonathan, his son. Instead, the King of kings selected David, a young rustic shepherd to occupy the throne (1 Samuel 16).
When God needed a prophet to replace Eli, He did not choose any of Eli’s sons. He settled on young Samuel. When God needed a prophet to substitute Elijah, He did not consult Elijah’s family. God ordered Elijah to search for Elisha, the son of Shaphat, and anoint him in his stead (1 Kings 19: 15-16, 19).
The interesting question is: how many pastors, today, can do what Elijah did? How many pastors can obey the voice of the Lord to search for and anoint someone he may not even know personally to take over his office?
How many men of God, today, will happily resign from their leadership positions at the instruction of the Lord to allow ‘strangers’ to replace them? Which pastor of our time will behave and relate maturely to Samuel and allow the will of God to prevail as Eli did after young Samuel had told him that God was about to punish his house?
“And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you. Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. LET HIM DO WHAT SEEMS GOOD TO HIM” (1 Samuel 3:15-18).
How many head pastors of our day would have accepted Samuel’s message if he had told them the vision he told Eli? But ‘senior pastor Eli’ believed Samuel’s message. He knew that he was but a servant and so wanted the will of God to prevail. He did not fight God neither did he challenge nor hate Samuel over the vision he told him. He said, “It is the LORD. LET HIM DO WHAT SEEMS GOOD TO HIM.”
However, in doing what seems good to Him, God may appoint a pastor’s son to take the leadership position of a church. It must be understood that this teaching is all about knowing and doing the will of God, the true owner and Head of all genuine churches.
Thus, true servants of Christ never think of owning the churches they have been used to plant and oversee.
Note: This is an excerpt from my book: How Jesus Builds His Church Through His Genuine Ministers
To be continued…
By James Quansah
