We are in a pivotal moment in the day of modern Apostolic and Prophetic Ministry. We have embraced the idea that God is not through with Apostles and Prophets, yet we have devalued the importance and value of the Pastor, Evangelist, and Teacher. We have become obsessed with the next great prophetic release, but failing daily to cultivate the last fifteen words released over our lives. Driven by social media, popularity, attention, and self-gratification, we seldom see leaders demonstrate humility and holy reverent fear of the Lord.
There is a line that is quickly emerging in the Body of Christ that is rightly dividing the Word of truth. Eager to be called out by name, address, family members, and more, we have more anticipation for a quick-fix word than we do in the foundation of the promises of the Lord found in His Word. We went from super-star TV ministers to men and women who can’t seem to bring the word of the Lord without an entourage protecting the man or woman speaking. Rarely are we witnessing Apostles who walk in humility, but those who give more attention to their stage appearance attire.
We are cultivating a generation who knows more about hashtags than the word itself. Many today refuse to walk in the way of the Lord because they need to remain on the fence of doctrine so that they can gain influence among those who embrace Biblical error. Creating a brand has become more important than transforming into the image of Christ.
I admit that my own frustrations have been increasing, yet my grievances have also increased within the multitudes of error within the Body of Christ today. At times I want to overturn the tables and drive everyone out with a whip, but then those same individuals are the ones that I find myself weeping over.
While in prayer, the Lord reminded me of the sons of Samuel. Samuel was a very strong and trusted Prophet of the Lord. Not only was he a Prophet, but he was also a Judge and a Priest. The Bible tells us that his words never fell to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19) implying that he was accurate when he spoke on behalf of the Lord. However, Samuel was a father to two young men who did not walk with the integrity of their Father.
Joel and Abijah
“Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.” — 1 Samuel 8:1-3
Samuel judged over Israel in the area of Ramah, while his two sons were in Beersheba, in the southern areas of Judah. Because of their location, Joel and Abijah served far from their father’s eye. Due to the character and integrity of Samuel, Joel and Abijah knew that their father (Samuel) would disapprove of their actions. It was because of loose supervision that their “judging” led their corrupt natures to become very obvious. The corruption of Joel and Abijah consisted of three major problems:
1. They turned aside after dishonest gain
2. They took bribes
3. They perverted justice
Joel and Abijah did not have the heart of service and dedication like their father. Ultimately these two sons were hirelings. They quickly became more concerned about their own personal lifestyle. They needed to discover ways to create financial gain. Though we know very little about Joel and Abijah, we can understand that they began to view ministry as more of a job, and not as a higher calling to serve the people of God.
From a seat of authority, their judgments were soon based on self-interest and not the word of the Lord. They showed themselves to be corrupt and more concerned with supporting their way of life rather than serving God’s people. They evidently had a very selfish love that was driven by profiting from the service of who they should have been. This did not go hidden from the eyes of the Lord. They were judged by God and their corruption led to the fulfillment of Israel’s desire for a king rather than a Judge.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Ryan Johnson Ministries
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