Title:- Political Pyres and The Cleansing of Leprosy
1 Kings 18:17
Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”
High above the Vienne River stands the remains of the fortified castle of Chinon. A few years ago, I stood on the supposed exact spot where Joan of Arc picked out Charles VII, the French Dauphin (heir to the throne and whom Joan had never seen before) who was himself, hidden by disguise within the French Royal Court to test her famed mystical acumen.
The English, who for years laid claim to the territories of France, had once again invaded that fair land and were now, via the Duke of Salisbury, laying siege to Orleons, the last stronghold before the fall of the Dauphin’s remaining territory. Joan, at Chinon, having picked out the Dauphin, shared with him a prophecy that had been revealed to her regarding his rightful claim to the throne. Noting that the Dauphin’s own mother had already deserted to the English, thereby declaring her own son’s illegitimacy to the throne, the arrival of Joan’s seemingly 'prophetic' words and revelations were said to make the besieged Dauphin's face radiant!Consequently, Charles VII sent this peasant girl mystic to Poitiers, where after three weeks of theological questioning, the clergy declared her to be both orthodox and called to lead the French army. A verified saint, now at the head of the army, brought both reform and recruitment to the French ranks. Joan's leadership (aged just 15 remember!) lifted the siege of Orleons and turned the tide for the French, allowing the Dauphin to be crowned King.
Politics and lack of needful provision from the throne mark the rest of Joan's life. Eventually she was betrayed into the hands of the English, who, it is believed out of revenge, charged her with witchcraft and the crime of 'cross dressing', for which she was burned at the stake today in 1431 in Rouen, at the exact same place her beloved Dauphin had been crowned King of France.
Voices from heaven, a board of theologians and the king himself all vouchsafed her 'divine' mission, yet what an end? Friends, we can at least see and apply this principle: that neither miracles nor the machinations of the metaphysical can keep anyone from ultimate harm. I don't know what Joan was, but I know that politics has always betrayed the prophetic and always will, for one is rooted in the spiritual domain whose source is Jesus, whilst the other is rooted in the worldly domain whose source too often, is right from the bosom of the evil one. Sometimes I wonder if politics is a disease rather than a calling?
This same political disease when practised amongst the body of Christ spreads its same killing spores across the prophetic, leaving the church both politically correct, but most pitifully pathetic. Church politics is a leprosy, the cleansing of which will mean the burning of the whole house.
I have a simple message for you today: If you find yourself playing politics in the church or even at work, then beware friends, because there's probably fire at the end of it all. FIRE!
Listen:- Therefore the wisdom of God also said,’ I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Luke 11:49-51
Pray:- Lord. Help me today in my dealings with others, to move in the powerfully prophetic and not the politically pathetic. Lord, save Your church from the cleansing burning of political leprosy. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment