True spiritual leaders are defined by Christ's example. "Whoever wants to be great among you must become the servant of all" (Matt. 20:26).
To partake of Jesus Christ's ministry one must be a son or daughter by the adoption of the Holy Spirit, as an heir to the kingdom one then submits themselves though being the heir of all God has, they offer themselves a servant willing to serve, even willing to wash the feet of those who we serve in Christ's place when necessary. It's not about self, or "look who I am and what I can do, or how I'm blessed" its about the ministry of Jesus Christ working through the adopted sons and daughters to bring the Good News of Salvation and Healing to the souls of others, to bring them through the leading and Spirit of Jesus Christ into God's family and Christ's rest.
If your Church Congregation or Bible Study Group, thinks it's below you as a brother, sister or minister of Jesus Christ to serve them and wash their feet, or rather think they are to be your servants, then you probably are not qualified nor deserving of the title, to serve as Christ's ambassador. Many intentionally and even unintentionally exalt themselves by taking credit for work that Christ alone has done. One who exalts themselves above Christ and discredits the character of Christ by speaking in Christ stead, and yet disgraces Christ through their actions is likely to find themselves a tool in the hand of an anti-Christ spirit. These types minister so that they will in return be ministered too, leaning on cobwebs and reeds, these are building a Corporate-kingdom of worldly respect by appearance and worldly assets, a monument to themselves of wood, hay and stubble, and they have went out of the Holy City of God as a stranger to the widows, the fatherless, the poor, the hungry and unredeemed, being blind to the Truth of Christ, and having neglected God's progeny and heritage they may find at the conclusion of their days that they have missed the Kingdom of God and their calling all together.
Lets all pray together for more of Christ and his kingdom and less of man and his follies.
J.W. Mills
Avoiding Laodicean Shipwreck
True spiritual leaders are defined by Christ's example. "Whoever wants to be great among you must become the servant of all" (Matt. 20:26). Christ-like leadership is servant hood.
I say, then, a Laodicean has light; but man in nature is his object, and not Christ.
The first example I find is that of Eve. She had light, but she did not act up to her light. The word of God told her not to eat of the tree, and she did. It was a very bad case I admit, but it is a case. I give up the light in self-consideration; she had the pure light in a state of innocence; it was perfect light from God Himself; and what a power of sin was that in her when she said, I would give up the light and please myself. That was Laodicean in principle; and when the church gets to that state the Lord says, it does not suit ME. It cannot be of any use.
There are more examples of this in the word than I could possibly think of or put together now; but one or two will show you how the principle of the evil comes in. Who was it helped the children of Israel into idolatry? No one less than Aaron, the brother of Moses. Was there a want of light there? No; he had plenty of light, but he wanted to please the people. He was the one who was to carry out the words that Moses gave him from God, and this very man, whilst Moses was gone up the mountain to God, says: Give me your gold, and I will make a calf for you.
People talk of light, and are boastful of it; but with the knowledge of that light, I say, take care that you keep out the human element. If you are ministering to man in any way, no matter how – be it in your house, your furniture, your dress, anything – you are just paving the way for Laodicea, you are helping it on, for you have got light and are not walking in the practical power of it. It is a point that must be settled practically. The crisis is coming when people will say: There is plenty of light. They are trying to improve man by it, and Christ really is unthought of. Can you say people are more for Christ now then they used to be? I know that years ago saints used to be far more for Christ with less light than they are now.
I turn to another case, in 1 Samuel 15. The point to get hold of, and it is a difficult one if a person does not work it out in his own heart, is that we are the people who are to blame, because by giving a place to the human element in our preaching and teaching, we have produced a type of Christianity, which is very human. In this chapter king Saul is sent to destroy Amalek. There is no mistake about what he is to do; he is not in the least ignorant; yet he keeps what suits himself, while he destroys the vile and refuse. He could not say he was not able to walk up to the light; but he spared the best, that which ministered most to man, what most pleased himself.
Again, in 2 Kings 5, Gehazi is sent to communicate the truth to Naaman. Gehazi has the truth; but, when the prophet will not take anything from Naaman, he will. This is the principle. "Went not mine heart with thee", says the prophet, "when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee, Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive yards and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men servants, and maid servants?" – all this to suit Gehazi himself. Then he adds: "The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow". That is a Laodicean. He had light, but he considered for himself; he had not self-control, not self-mortification enough, to keep himself from coveting things that belong to Naaman.
I turn out to the New Testament, to Matthew 16. Here the Lord says to Peter: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven". The greatest light is shown to Peter; nothing could have been more wonderful than the Father giving such a revelation to him; it was light of the highest order. He had been given this light about the church. And, would you believe it, that this very man, in this very same chapter, foreshadows what a Laodicean is! He has the light about the church, but he will not have the cross. Read farther on: "Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men". Thus it is possible that the person who has the greatest light may make the greatest mistake. Peter wants to spare the man.
I make only one more remark. The apostle says in 2 Timothy 1: "All they which are in Asia be turned away from me". It was not that they had turned away from Christianity, but that they would not have Paul's teaching; they would not have Christ instead of the man here. And when you leave Christ out of Christianity it is Laodicean, and sinks into Babylon; when you leave Christ out of Christianity, Christ does not want the church.
And now, having shown you what a Laodicean is, I will show you the remedy for it, how the Lord can keep you from being one, and how HE can deliver you if you now are one. HE says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear MY voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with ME". It is not any particular truth HE brings in; HE brings in Himself. HE says: I will make you know ME in the intimacies of daily life; I will come and sup with you and then you shall learn what it is to sup with ME. I will throw Myself into all your circumstances, and then you will come to Mine.
We get the practical illustration of it in John 11 and 12. First, the Lord walks beside Mary to the grave of Lazarus, and weeps with her there. And then she says, anointing HIM for HIS burial: This world, with all its beauty, is nothing to me! HE is gone out of it, and I have buried it all with HIM in HIS grave.
The day we live in is a critical one. I am sure it ought to be a solemn thought that we are a corrupting instead of a sanctifying people, when we propound light without promoting and manifesting Christ, the new creation.
The Lord lead our hearts to understand how we may thus only injure souls instead of being a blessing to them. The apostle tells us in Timothy that unless we have conscience about what we believe, we shall make shipwreck. May we take the subject to heart for HIS name's sake!
J. B. Stoney
The preceding paper was dictated during the early part of Mr. Stoney's long illness which began in February, 1896, and continued until his departure to be with Christ on May 1, 1897.
