One day a brother from my church and I were talking about how we marvel at what God uses.
He told me about a pastor at a church he used to attend who preached against divorce. That included what the Bible says about the qualifications to be a pastor.
First Timothy 3:2 says, A bishop [pastor] then must be blameless, the husband of one wife… Notice the verse doesn’t say he should be the husband of one wife at a time.
Titus 1:5 and following indicate elders or decons should also adhere to this rule.
Later my friend’s pastor’s wife divorced him, and he changed his message.
How often does this happen? A great deal I’m sure.
If something doesn’t suit us, we change what we believe to be true to fit our standards. When leaders in our churches do this, they lead us astray. This accounts for many ills among believers today.
In spite of the fact that many individuals and ministries are operating outside of Biblical guidelines, God uses them. How can this be?
I suggest it’s because He is so merciful and patient.
God can use the strangest things. Think of how he used a donkey to talk to Balaam. See Numbers 22:21-35.
But back to the pastor who changed his tune about divorce. He became a weak leader. And yet people got saved under his ministry.
Does that make everything right?
No.
But apparently God honored the preaching of his word, not the man who was preaching it.
That’s an important distinction I’ll strive to keep in mind. I hope you will, too.
Notice what Isaiah says in 55:6-11, especially verses 10-11.
6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.