Isaiah’s Introduction
When Isaiah prophesied that the government would be upon Christ's shoulders, the word MIZRAH meant the rule and reign of God. So, to say a man today is "governmental", simply means he is under God's rule and reign more than others. What follows true Government will always be true Peace. To know a man has private peace between the times of public activity, points to an authentic government.
Government is not in the Look
A common secular error in church leadership, is to confuse or even trade government for personality type and force of presence. While speaking gift, leadership skill, masculinity etc, all can feed into a governmental man, they ought to not be first considered when seeing how headship operates in the Kingdom of God. There was nothing in Christ's APPEARANCE to draw men to Him. He chooses the foolish to shame the wise. He delights in a man who folds man's weakness into God's strength. I once heard a preacher comment that while David was overlooked by Samuel, "he was still handsome, ruddy and with fine appearance". O dear, what chance do all us ugly types have? No wonder the cosmetics industry has done so well.
When natural, physical and spiritual gifts and endowments are celebrated as of first importance in government, the church is in dire peril of being led by troops of well dressed theological apes who happen to possess "charisma". Or by seductive charm. Or by powerless pastors. Or soul control. Or the wow factor. The list is endless.
Women in Government?
The "sexy-soulish" definitions of government also lead to the gibberish blanket conclusion that "women are not governmental". If the centurion had authority because he was a man "under authority", where does that leave ANY godly praying woman fully under Christ's authority? Some churches would rather have a spiritually dysfunctional man preach - whose words leave people's heads the moment they are heard - than a woman whose faith is moving mountains and whose heart has been conquered by heaven. Madame Guyon, Blandina, Priscilla and Maggie Thatcher would make a pretty picture sitting daintily in the front pews, adorned with real or virtual hats and handbags.
Government and Office
I do believe we ought to recognize OFFICE in some measure, as the Bible illustrates, and even as the Father captains the Trinity with infinite benignness. The husband remains the pointman in the marriage. The king does not bear the rod in vain. Elders direct the affairs of the church. But again, these are not the paramount issue in revival. The rule of God is, demonstrated by hearts unfolded like flowers before Him.
Offices do not safeguard or guarantee revival
Lightning strikes the tallest tree; it does not get drawn from a bottle. Pattern does not precede or precipitate the power of God - it is the power of God that gives rise to the need for some administration. The life of Paul is testimony to this - a life burning for God, compelled to preach, crossing oceans with a single vision, surviving shipwrecks with angelic assurance, singing in dungeons because of seeing the unseen, travelling further and further, not to set things in order firstly, but to preach the gospel with signs and wonders following. Several such signs were churches being established. Patternistic Bible reading surely is one of the great bottlenecks of the church, as opposed to being filled with the revelation of Christ from every page of scripture!
Harmful Offices
By way of example regarding earthly government that can hinder the Kingdom of God temporarily, the following had governmental offices in church and state, but did harm to godliness, peace and people's access to the Kingdom. Pharaoh, Saul, Ahab, Absalom, Pharisees and Sadducees, Peter when eating with the Jews, the entire Catholic system, the vast majority of earthly kings and presidents (whether through terror or seduction), as well as every corrupt and vainglorious politician and line manager.
Even King David damaged Israel when his governmental rights and office eclipsed his worship and fellowship with God and he stayed in Jerusalem while his army fought. This is not some absolute line that once for all time separates the wheat from the tares and the sheep from the goats. Wise virgins can also succumb to moments of foolishness. The reign of righteousness in church leadership can be outwitted by hidden, uncrucified motives lurking as landmines in an otherwise Field of Green.
Blessed Examples
In contrast to harmful government, there are blessed examples of many without "office" or "charm" (often misrepresented as "anointing"), who shut the mouths of lions and quenched the fury of the flames. If government is about submission, and submission to the invisible God requires faith alone, then it stands to reason that men and women and children of God are governmental, at least in God's eyes, when in submission to God. Gideon, Abel, Jackie Pullinger, Heidi Baker, Bruce Olsen the pimply nerd from Canada, Michael Eaton, RT Kendall, all the persecuted puritan preachers, Gandhi, Sundar Singh, Stephen before the irate Sanhedrin, the unknown preachers who have bathed and dived in God's word in private. The list is literally endless, as much as Hebrews 11 will remain an unfinished chapter until Christ's return.
I propose that two apposite lists like this represent the strength of Cain against the submitted heart of Abel, in some moderately oversimplified way.
Wimpish Imitations
As an important aside here, let us not see government as a LACK of presence either. Some in the name of peace behave in effete and cosy ways. The pastor-in-my-pocket types. These safe and harmless pastel shades of ministry is a nostrum to the malady of spiritual dictators, but is certainly not the "Basilea of God", der Konigreich (sorry, I wrote this while in Germany). Highly masculine men ought not be ashamed of their masculinity, but allow it to serve faith and not hide a lack of private fruitfulness behind male promenading. What is the moral here? Noise is not always a pleasing sound, but silence is no sound at all.
Prayer in the Kingdom
One test of my position on the analogue scale from flesh to spirit, would be my prayer life. Prayer is desperation for God. Prayer is prostration, submission, centering on Another than I. Prayer acknowledges Psalm 127, that unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain - no matter how grand the product of mankind's brilliance and brawn. The Manhattan skyline was erected with scarce a drop of authentic worship or surrender to God.
Yet prayer acknowledges that "the Architect and Builder is God".
Love as the Apex
The most basic test of all for the presence of godly government surely is Love, for God is love. Without love, I am a gong and all I do is vanity (1 Cor 13v1-3), so government without love is no worthwhile government at all.
Effects of Hybrid Governance
When worldly definitions invade or trickle up into a pure view of government in the Kingdom of God, the weak are trivialized or patronized, Tozer's new cross triumphs over the old, churches become personal domains, disciplers become patriarchs, moves of God becomes denominational empires of men, leaders become mediators in some form or fashion. The skyline grows, the city spreads, but the temple lies with its foundations exposed. All the while, wood and hay and stubble are being cleverly converted into temporary building materials.
The Big Issue
This is a pivotal issue. It must be settled. I am not asking the reader whether to accept or reject the gift of leadership - that gift (and every other gift too) is needed in meekness and sacrifice and grace - nor whether to acknowledge the creativity of God in the many personalities of people, but to decide how God sees GOVERNMENT, what brings it to settle, what tries to imitate it. This is the difference between gentle ministers and butting rams, between healing communities and cauldrons of competition, between one camp and many, between Jacob's ladder and Babel's Tower.
This is the hinge of unity or the rivet of chauvenism, the door to the power of God or the ironclad entry to the power of man.
Genuine Authority
Speaking of power, authority to drive out demons is the authority of faith, not of loudness, nor imitation or learned behavior. Authority to take possession of Canaan was the authority of knowing God's authority, not of positional headship like 10 of the 12 spies. Shepherding authority in the church is reserved for elders who can teach, have godly homes and display the fruit of the Spirit, which only comes through abiding in the Vine, not through running an orchard business. Authority to disciple comes through private holiness, public example, suffering, study, wisdom and impartiality. A life that is truly dead.
The Mighty Government of Jesus
Jesus came with much authority to not break bruised reeds, nor cry out in the streets. He rippled with authority as he defended prostitutes and dined with the nothings. He lambasted His enemies as He offered His cheeks to be struck, His back to be beaten and His body to be nailed to a tree. His boldness to confront religious wickedness came not from cause, personality or natural anger, but from a heavenly Zeal for the glory of God, in Himself and in His Work. He raised up his Church by laying down His life, by condescension, by incarnation and huge patience. He knew all but overlooked so much. He taught in parables and in plain speech. He knew his Torah, yet was in the River of Truth. He did not entrust Himself to man because He knew what was in the heart of man. His authority was not in possessions, position, title or succession, for He was born in a stable from a seemingly illegitimate pregnancy. And He had no place to lay His head. Our great apostle suffered and yet stretched out His hands to be led where He did not want to go. Not My will but Thine.
True apostolic authority today is hallmarked by suffering, sacrifice, stretching. Any authority that offers the promise and prospect of worldly wealth and ease of life, is devoid of the example of Christ.
Closing
This warrants deep thought, honesty and repentance. Without which many of us will continue to hold God's people captive to surrogate systems of hybrid governance, wherein many are built towards man not God.
Nick Davis, June 2009