I WANT TO START OUT WITH A DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AGAINST OFFICES OF AUTHORITY. I AM AGAINST THE ABUSE OF OFFICES OF AUTHORITY. I AM AGAINST PEOPLE WALKING IN OFFICES OF AUTHORITY THEY WERE NEVER CALLED TO BY GOD. I AM AGAINST HYPOCRISY AND FALSEHOOD IN OFFICES OF AUTHORITY. I AM AGAINST LACK OF HUMILITY (PRIDE) EXHIBITED BY PEOPLE IN OFFICES OF AUTHORITY. I AM AGAINST PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY ARE ENTITLED TO A DEFERENCE IN THEIR OFFICE OF AUTHORITY THAT ONLY BELONGS TO GOD…

This all started when my middle sister made an observation recently that a pastor that we both know of had stopped sitting up front with the deacons at a certain church after he became an “Apostle”. She said that now he wears a special robe, is addressed as Apostle “So-and-So” and now sits, set apart, in a special pew for him, his wife and his family. She asked, “What’s up with that?” Her observation and question kept nagging at me because I have seen scenarios like this too many times. It grieves me because it grieves the Holy Spirit. It grieves our Lord and Savior. It grieves our Father God. Why because it takes the eyes of the congregation off of Jesus and places it on man. Acts 12:18-24.

WHAT MAN DO YOU KNOW THAT CREATED ALL OF CREATION? Read what the God says to Job, and what Job’s response is in Job 38-42. WHAT MAN DO YOU KNOW WHO LEFT HIS PLACE IN HEAVEN; CAME TO EARTH; DIED FOR OUR SIN; WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD; CONQUERED DEATH AND HELL (HE HAS THE KEYS. REVELATIONS-KJV- 1:17,18), AND BECAME THE BRIDGE THAT RECONCILES US BACK TO GOD? Romans 5:1-11; 2Corinthians 5:11-6:2. WHAT MAN DO YOU KNOW THAT DWELLS IN MANKIND, NOT LEAVING US AS SPIRITUAL ORPHANS WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR JESUS TO RETURN TO THE FATHER; BECOMING OUR ADVOCATE; BAPTIZING US WITH FIRE; DWELLING IN US WITH POWER: TEACHING US, INSTRUCTING US, COMFORTING US AND INTERCEDING FOR US? John 14:15-26; 15:26-16:15.

With that being said, how do we dare make gods of ourselves? How do we condone man making gods of us? Acts 3:1-16 is a cautionary tale.

First of all, God created Offices of Authority in the natural. Read Romans 13:1-7 (NIV) and what our response is to be.. Romans 13:1 states: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for which there is no authority except that which God has established. The authority that exist have been established by God.”

Secondly, God created Offices of Authority (spiritual gifts) within the body of believers. 1 Corinthians12:27-31; Christ himself gave offices to help equip His people. Ephesians 4:11-16.

Jesus told his disciples that to be great in the Kingdom of God, we must be willing to serve, and He was a continual/consistent example of that while He walked the earth. Are we willing to pay the price? Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45; John 13:1-16, 21:15-18. All the Apostles were martyred except, John and he was thrown in boiling oil and exiled on the Isle of Patmos (the book of Revelation was written during this time). Believe me, flashy robes, clothes, name tags and body guards do not even come close to what is required. Please read the Gospels of what Jesus suffered: Matthew 26-28; Mark 14-16; Luke 22-24; John 18-20; Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Please take the time to read the book of Acts and read the introduction to each letter written from the Apostles to the churches, starting with Romans-Jude.

Apostles impacted the known world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they started churches (not kingdoms unto themselves) and equipped the people to lead these churches and oversaw their growth out of obedience to God (not from a man-made-formula). Wherever they went there were signs and wonders. They were persecuted, imprisoned, and martyred. They paid with their lives and the Gospel is still being preached and people are still being saved and will continued to be saved until Christ returns. 2Corinthians 4:1-5:10.

I leave you with 2 Peter 2 and 1 John 4,5.