Spiritual Control — When Pettiness Wears a Pulpit Robe

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“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord.”
— Jeremiah 23 : 1 (KJV)

There is a sickness that rarely shows on the outside — spiritual control disguised as care.  
It hides behind smiles, holy tones, and scriptures quoted to vidicate personal opinion and pain instead of purity.
The pulpit, meant to be a place of surrender, slowly becomes a throne of self.
And the minister, instead of feeding the flock, begins to feed his own emotions.

When Jeremiah cried, “Woe be unto the pastors that scatter the sheep of My pasture,” (Jeremiah 23 : 1)
he wasn’t speaking about wolves from outside.
He spoke of pulpits that scatter with words — platforms where hearts bleed instead of bless, where ministers project their own hurts, envy, and offence.

“A preacher that scolds the people with his own temper, that ain’t God. The Holy Spirit corrects in love.”
—  The Patmos Vision (60-1204E) - William Branham.

📌 Correction without compassion becomes control. When the Word becomes a tool of control, it ceases to be the Gospel.

These kinds of preachers can hardly deliver a message without mingling their sermon with self — telling people how to live their lives, what friends to keep, and even who among the believers to avoid.

How do you explain a preacher telling members - married adults who they should or shouldn’t keep as friends?

Who to follow? Who not to?

It’s not shepherding — it’s spiritual micromanagement, in other words - micropastoring dressed in holiness.

True ministers build bridges, not walls.

They heal hearts, not divide families.

They teach discernment, not suspicion

Some of the things that happens in churches these days makes us to question whether they are deliberately sowing seed of discord subtly while claiming to preach love and unity?  Because of this, many members have inherited their Pastors grudges and spirit due to lack of discernment. 

When preachers start managing people’s relationships, they step out of Christ’s authority into human control.

That spirit does not edify — it enslaves.

 Come with me to the verse of the day! 

 📖  “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

— James 3 : 16 (KJV)

 

🌿 Reflection

Envy and strife are the open doors of spiritual confusion.
When these takes root, the pulpit is polluted.
The anointing turns sour; truth may still be preached, but venom seeps through tone. Discord, pettiness, sentiments, strife, and bitterness, grudges are  projected from the pulpit. Instead of preaching the undiluted Word of God, they lace it with personal wounds and opinions. The platform becomes a mirror for their offence rather than a channel for revelation. 

The Word no longer convicts — it condemns.

📖 “ Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaker"— Mathew 12:34

So the pulpit, instead of being an altar, becomes a mirror of bitterness.
And sermons turn into personal battles fought publicly.

Many use their platforms and the pulpit to tell believers who to  live their lives. Who speak to, who to follow, and even who to avoid — shaping minds instead of feeding souls. But Scripture says,

📖 “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.” — Romans 14 : 4.  

Anyone that believe in Christ is a servant and Christ is the Master of all. Members are not servants to the Pastor. The Pastor and his members are all servants of God. 

William Branham warned,

“A minister that tries to rule people’s lives has left the Word and taken the place of the Holy Spirit.”
—Conduct, Order and Doctrine of the Church (57-0908M)

Where human control steps in from the pulpit to lead the church, the Spirit of God steps back. Every Pastor must put their personal feelings outside and let the Spirit of the Lord lead. 

📖 “ Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” — 2 Corinthians 3 :17

Some call their manipulation discernment, claiming to protect the flock.

But the Scripture exposes such pretence:

 📖     “These six things doth the Lord hate… and he that soweth discord among brethren.” — Proverbs 6 : 16–19 (KJV)

“He that hateth dissembleth with his lips… When he speaketh fair, believe him not.” — Proverbs 26 : 24–26 (KJV)

And Paul warned, “By good words and fair speeches [they] deceive the hearts of the simple.” — Romans 16 : 17–18 (KJV)“Don’t never try to make yourself big in somebody else’s eyes. Preach Christ and let every man live his own conviction before God.”

— He Cares, Do You Care? (63-0721) - William Branham. 

These controlling spirits preach about love while planting fear. They uses their pulpits to settle personal scores — directing members on who to love and who to avoid.

But love is not optional; it is a commandment. True love liberates; it never cages. 

📖 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you.” —  John 13 :34. 

Love is not a choice; it’s a commandment.

Fellowship, however, is guided by discernment.

We cannot choose who to love, but we can choose who to be closely acquainted with — guided by discernment, not dictated by manipulation.
Love is a command; closeness is a choice.

As believers, we cannot choose who to love — love is a commandment, not a suggestion. So love we must Love because we don't have control over that but we do have control over friendship by choosing who to be closely acquainted with, guided by wisdom and spiritual discernment.

📌 Love everyone. Fellowship wisely. Forgive freely. Walk carefully.

Even the Lord Jesus Christ showed this balance.
He loved all, yet He had dear friends with whom He shared deeper fellowship and trust.

📖 “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.” — John 11 : 3

📖 “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.” — John 11 : 5

📖 “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” — John 11 : 11

📖 “Then Jesus… came to Bethany, where Lazarus was… and they made Him a supper; and Martha served.” — John 12 : 1-2

Jesus loved the world, yet He dined with friends.
He proved that love is wide, but fellowship is wise.

True ministers carry that same balance.

They lead by example, not intimidation.

📖 “Feed the flock of God… not by constraint, but willingly; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.” — 1 Peter 5 : 2-3

Branham echoed “Shepherd the people in love. Don’t drive them; lead them.”— God’s Provided Way for This Day (64-0206E)

📖 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock… to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.” — Acts 20 : 28

The calling of a minister is not ownership but oversight.
The pulpit is not a throne; it is an altar.
The moment preaching turns into management, the Spirit of Christ grieves.

📌 When the pulpit becomes a throne, the altar loses its fire.

🌅 Takeaway

Control is not care.
Love never manipulates; it liberates.
📌 A true minister leads hearts to Christ, not to himself. A true pulpit points men to the Cross, not to personality.

🙏 Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
Deliver Your Church from controlling spirits that wear the robe of concern.
Heal every pulpit poisoned by pride and restore every minister overtaken by self.
Teach Your servants to feed, not dominate; to guide, not manipulate.
Restore liberty where fear has ruled and fellowship where division has spread.
Help us to love all and walk wisely before You.
Make Your pulpits flames of truth and Your ministers reflections of humility.
In Your holy Name, Amen.