Touch Not God’s Anointed

When I’m sharing the gospel with people, an objection that occasionally comes up is bad behavior by certain ministers. Unfortunately, a few “men of the cloth” have done despicable deeds such as committing adultery or abusing children. But non-Christians cannot use those incidents as excuses to avoid their need for salvation. When they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, He won’t examine other people’s lives but only their own.

Years ago, I knew a woman who claimed our then-pastor was involved in an immoral relationship. Believing her story, I brought up the issue with an associate pastor at our church. The resulting friction made me realize I didn’t rightly handle the situation. 1 Timothy 5:19 says, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.” 

In court trials, defendants are supposed to be presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Numerous people are called to the witness stand to give testimony before the jury reaches a verdict. Why then do some Christians quickly assume a preacher is guilty of something based on claims of one person? Rumors spread through social media and satirical sites like Babylon Bee certainly doesn’t help.

In Numbers chapter 12, Miriam became leprous after criticizing Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. There have been more modern incidents of people who suffered devastating consequences for discrediting men of God. One that comes to my mind involved William Branham, an evangelist used by God during the “Voice of Healing” era of the 1940s and 50s. Two preachers and their wives plotted to expose Brother Branham as a fake at one of his meetings. One of the preachers came up with a prayer card falsely claiming he had various diseases. The Holy Spirit revealed this scheme to Branham. He then confronted the preacher for being a fake himself. The preacher left the meeting with the same diseases he claimed to have! 

So how should people respond to ministers who have truly sinned against them? Jesus taught us to proper way to confront any erring Christian in Matthew 18…

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 

16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 

17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

The next time somebody starts talking to you about a sin supposedly committed by a preacher, advise him to keep quiet about it unless he has proof and his motive is restoration (Galatians 6:1). Ministers encounter enough persecution from the world. Christians don’t need to be siding with the accuser of the brethren.

“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.” - 1 Chronicles 16:22

It’s Not Too Late

As a young Christian, I had a fear of missing God’s plan for my life. That was largely overcome through listening to a Joyce Meyer tape series a friend recommended called “No Fear Lives Here.” One key point that really blessed me was God telling Joyce, “If you miss Me, I’ll find you.” Soon I realized our walk with the Lord is not on a tightrope where it’s all over if we make one wrong move. As long as we remain open to correction, God will gently guide us back in the direction He wants us to go.

Once I heard Kenneth Copeland talk about a time he asked the Lord how much farther in ministry he would be if he had gotten saved at a younger age. The Lord told Kenneth he would be exactly where he was at that time. Of course, that’s not an excuse to procrastinate and purposely waste time. James 4:14 says, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

There are people in the Bible that made major mistakes but God still used them to do great things. Moses perceived at a young age he was called to deliver his fellow Israelites from Egyptian bondage. But after killing an Egyptian, Moses ran away and spent 40 years in the desert until God sent him back to Egypt and eventually led the Israelites out to freedom.

Samson is another example of how God can use us in a greater way during the final days of our lives. After being seduced by Delilah into revealing the source of his strength, the Philistines cut off Samson’s hair, gouged out his eyes, and made him into a slave. But after his hair grew back, so did his strength. Samson soon found himself in a temple with 3000 Philistines. He pushed against the pillars so that the entire building collapsed. Samson killed more Philistines in this final act than he had previously (Judges 16:1-30).

God has a way of redeeming all areas of our lives including lost time. So if you’re still breathing, it’s not too late for God to use you for His glory.

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you.” - Joel 2:25