Beware of Abusive Authority

John 20:23
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.


This article is written to reach the mind and hearts of church leaders (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers), but it is also relevant for all members in the body of Christ.

As the body of Christ begins to walk in greater authority, greater anointing and greater power, it must not forget that love and forgiveness are essential for sustained favor and blessings. It is very easy to get caught up in the advancement of the kingdom of God, its signs and wonders, its accurate and timely prophetic words and utterances. But being focused on these wonderful things can sometimes blind us of the fundamentals of Christianity - love and forgiveness. Walking in love and forgiveness are the key elements to the anointing, favor, wisdom and blessings of God.

Church leaders can become calloused and hard when being taken to higher levels in the things of the kingdom of God. Aggravation and frustration that church leaders may have for members in the body can be a hindrance to the anointing. An unforgiving heart and anger can not only place a yoke of bondage on church leaders themselves, but also on those that the anger and unforgiveness is geared for.

Proverbs 18:21
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

It is the power of our words that have the ability to lift up, or cast down. Church leadership must always keep in mind that their main objective is to lift up those that have been weighed down. Constant beating and bashing of church members is not productive for Christian maturity. Of course, chastisement comes through the Word of God. But involving the human emotions to the point where jealousy and unforgiveness may be generated is not excusable. Church leaders most know that their words carry more weight than the words of anyone else because they hold an office of authority. Aggravation, anger and unforgiveness from the roles of authority in the church can indeed place a curse on those in which the lashing out is for, as well as cut off the blessings that were in store for the church leaders.

There are nine evident affects of this type of church abuse:

1) Individuals find it difficult to receive impartation - These individuals find it hard to hear from God and advance in the things of God. Harsh words can paralyze individuals to the point where their emotion and longing for God is shattered and they become couch potatoes in churches and no longer have the desire to grow.

2) Outsider feeling - Church abuse can make an individual feel like he or she is not part of the body of Christ and that he or she is all alone.

3) Feared loss of salvation - Church abuse can make an individual question whether or not they are saved. He or she may feel that if the leaders of the church are constantly reprimanding them, then there must be something wrong with them, creating a sense of condemnation.

4) Gifted person operating in deception - A gifted person is the most dangerous person if they are operating without the heart of God (operating with love, compassion and forgiveness). Witchcraft begins to work in the circle of intercessors, giving them controlling spirits, spirits of jealousy, envy, greed and pride.

5) Evil soul ties with a former church - Constant bickering and complaining about a former church or its leadership is the end result of an unhealthy relationship between church leadership and its flock. The bickering and complaining turns into curses in the spirit realm, which conjure up a spirit of unforgiveness, which blocks the flow of blessings into that individual