Unholy Ministry Alliances - Unapproved Builders

It’s now more crucial than ever that the building of living stones into the temple of God takes place (Ephesians 4:12). The builders must be uncompromised by the evil one and build together in unity. The enemy is seeking to place unqualified and unapproved builders (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers) alongside God-approved builders. If the enemy can get approved builders to partner with unapproved builders (according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1), the living stones (believers) will refuse to be built together under the direction of the builders. 

Satan wants to deceive ministers into engaging in unholy alliances that will discredit the ministries of approved leaders. 

“Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33 AMPC)

A righteous minister who associates with a discredited or biblically unapproved minister is putting believers in a position to either turn away from or reject their ministry. Many believers are seeing the Lord cleanse His church and will not stand for unrighteousness in the house of God any longer. Just as believers should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, righteous ministers should not be yoked with leaders who have shown they are a bad tree by producing bad fruit.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”” (II Corinthians 6:14-16 NKJV)

I’m not suggesting that ministers should not demonstrate the love of Christ to leaders who have produced bad fruit. These fallen leaders will certainly need Christ’s love, mercy, and forgiveness through believers and approved ministers. Fallen leaders need to be restored to Christ, their family, and the church (not necessarily ministry). But if we choose to support discredited ministers in their pursuit to continue in ministry or church leadership, that’s when we will begin to drift into deception. No personal prophetic revelation will ever contradict the scriptures, and the Lord will not contradict His own word. Rejecting God’s clear standard for church leaders in scripture certainly has major consequences for those who choose to do so.

The Lord does not commission leaders into ministry when He knows there is dark sin in their hearts. Just because someone is called to leadership in the church doesn’t mean they are approved and commissioned by God. A gifted person with a call to ministry can commission themself into ministry and be a leader simply because of the gifts functioning. The Lord gives us free will and we can operate in His freely given grace apart from relationship. We can choose to embrace the cross of Christ’s sufferings and wait until He cleanses us, approves us, and commissions us, or we can do things our own way and ahead of His timing.

Leaders who have bad fruit and evil sin in their hearts yet choose to enter into ministry are actually in rebellion against God and His word. They know the Lord’s standard for leadership in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, yet they disregard God and treat His word as insignificant. By this they prove that they care more about a calling to ministry than following Jesus as a disciple until He purifies them and approves them to minister to the church. If leaders truly loved the church then they would wait until they were purified and safe for the church. 

Ministers who choose to function in a ministry leadership position before their personal temple has been cleansed of wickedness and sin will pollute God’s holy corporate temple. These leaders are demonstrating that they were in deception from the beginning of their ministries by thinking they could function as leaders without living holy lives according to scripture. Approved leaders who encourage unapproved leaders in ministry will only further them in their own delusions. We must gaze into the pure reality of the word of God and adjust ourselves to its truth. 

“SO THEN, let us [apostles] be looked upon as ministering servants of Christ and stewards (trustees) of the mysteries (the secret purposes) of God. Moreover, it is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust].” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2 AMPC)

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15 NKJV)

Being approved of by God is more than properly teaching the word of God; it’s living according to the word of God. The Living Word Himself divides the soul and spirit of the minister to determine if the minister is inwardly qualified to be a faithful steward (has enough of the nature and character of Christ). 

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)

Division Caused by Leaders

Living stones will see righteous leaders who have become unequally yoked with unapproved ministers, and they will stop supporting the ministries of righteous leaders because they will not trust them any longer. The righteous leader will lose influence and will no longer be allowed by those believers to be a “builder” in their lives. Therefore, some believers will not be built into the temple of the living God, and some will be delayed (in being built into the temple). 

Since the primary will of the Lord is to have a holy temple and dwelling place, a minister’s main priority should be to give the Lord what He desires. However, if the minister is putting a ministry friendship ahead of living stones, then that minister is making his own will the priority over building the house of God. 

I understand that a leader cannot be led and directed by the will of the people, but a good shepherd values and loves people. A real shepherd takes into consideration how relationships and bad appearances can harm sheep and how those things can cause living stones to distrust their own ministry and thus hinder living stones from being built into a temple. Does the Lord put supporting one minister in ministry who has disqualified himself (according to the scriptures) above the building of His entire temple involving many living stones? 

“We put no obstruction in anybody's way [we give no offense in anything], so that no fault may be found and [our] ministry blamed and discredited.” (2 Corinthians 6:3 AMPC)

A good leader will not put obstructions in anybody’s way so that their own ministry cannot be blamed or discredited. This is because a good leader is after the will of the Lord above all else. They want the Lord to have a temple and a bride that is fully prepared for His return. These ministers will set everything else aside to see the Lord’s will accomplished. 

Ministers who are giving cause for their ministries to be blamed or discredited by unholy ministry associations are demonstrating that they are more concerned about their friendships than making sure that the living stones are in proper position to be built into the Lord’s temple. Ministers who are following Jesus will always offend some people just as some were offended by Jesus. However, I am discussing ministers causing unnecessary offenses that should be avoided so the Lord can have what He desires. 

Those who cause believers to sin are called stumbling blocks (Matthew 18). But in a way, leaders who cause unnecessary offenses that prevent living stones from being built into the temple can also be stumbling blocks in a lesser way. These leaders may keep believers from going on to the full measure of Christ, which is the very opposite of the leader’s job description found in Ephesians chapter 4. Leaders should be laying aside unrighteous associations so that they can see believers come to full measure.

Bad Leadership Alliances

The Lord is currently highlighting the terrible alliance that King Jehoshaphat made. The Lord is teaching us that making bad alliances will cost us and will keep us from fully carrying out His kingdom purposes. 

“Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab. After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.”” (II Chronicles 18:1-3 NKJV)

Ahab was a sinful man and Jehoshaphat was a righteous man who was seeking God. This unholy alliance is a spiritual parallel of righteous leaders partnering with unrighteous leaders in ministry (going into battle with). Jehoshaphat initially wanted to hear the will of God regarding this situation from a true prophet. However, when the true prophet did speak, Jehoshaphat ignored the word of the Lord and went to battle with Ahab anyway (2 Chronicles 18:16-27). Jehoshaphat nearly died in battle because of this poor decision and unholy partnership (2 Chronicles 18:28-32).

“Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you.” (II Chronicles 19:1-2 NKJV)

The Lord did spare Jehoshaphat, but judgment was prophesied against him. We should never put ourselves in positions where the Lord has to act in order to save us. The Lord will protect His disciples as we abide in Him and follow His will, but He is not obligated to save us every time we choose our own will. The grace and mercy of God were in operation, and Jehoshaphat was saved from himself. The Lord expects the mature not to make these careless mistakes and put Him in a position to act. Satan attempted to get Jesus to put Himself in a position in which the Father would be forced to save Him if He jumped from the temple. We should learn from our Master and follow His example.

“After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly. And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.” (II Chronicles 20:35-37 NKJV)

Unfortunately, Jehoshaphat did not learn from his mistakes in partnering with Ahab. The Lord judged Jehoshaphat for this unholy alliance and destroyed his labors. These ships can speak spiritually about ministries (the vessels the Lord has given ministers to reach people for the Kingdom of God). Leaders who engage in unholy alliances simply because they have a friendship with another minister may have their ships (ministries) wrecked just as Jehoshaphat’s ships were.

We must operate in discernment from the Holy Spirit in partnering with others. Feeling sorry for a disqualified minister and attempting to show them God’s grace is not going to be a sufficient reason for partnering with them. The more we attempt to justify our unholy alliances, the fainter the warnings of the Holy Spirit will be in our hearts. Even the spiritually mature can make these mistakes until they push away the counsel of the Holy Spirit completely.

The Paul and Barnabas Split

Prophetically, we are in the season of the Paul and Barnabas ministry split (Acts 15:36-41). Paul and Barnabas were leaving on another missionary journey and Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul didn’t trust John Mark because he had deserted them on a previous journey. John Mark had yet to be approved of by God and didn’t carry the necessary spiritual maturity and commissioning to be sent on such a difficult journey (which would be filled with a high level of spiritual warfare). 

John Mark had already proven he wasn’t ready and Paul didn’t feel he was ready yet. Apparently, Paul did not have a witness from the Holy Spirit like that which was present in Acts 13:1-2 when both he and Barnabas were commissioned and sent out. Paul and Barnabas should have had unity in the Spirit if John Mark was truly ready for ministry. Paul felt strongly enough regarding this issue that he and Barnabas parted ways and their ministry partnership was broken apart. Paul took a stand for his inner convictions because he saw outward bad fruit in John Mark.

A similar split is currently happening in the church. However, this church split involves greater sins than just not fulfilling one's commitment to preach the kingdom of God on a missionary journey. This “Paul and Barnabas” split involves some leaders and believers siding with ministers who have committed disqualifying sins (from church leadership), while other ministers and believers are opposed to disqualified ministers continuing in ministry. This division will get worse if leaders who are disqualified don’t step down from ministry.

The truly humble and repentant are those ministers who both acknowledge their sin and repent by removing themselves from church leadership. The prideful won’t confess their sins publicly and if they do confess, they will still continue on in ministry like the disqualifying sin never happened. 

Spirituality speaking, Paul is not going to back down and allow John Mark (the disqualified minister) to continue on the journey. If Barnabas (the righteous minister supporting ministers bearing bad fruit) is going to continue standing up for John Mark, then he will have to go his own way with John Mark. Barnabas’ ministry will diminish and fade away just as the narration in the book of Acts followed Paul and we no longer heard about Barnabas.

Barnabas, in many ways, was a type of spiritual father to Paul. He believed in Paul when the other apostles had just sent him back to his hometown because he was stirring up too much trouble in Jerusalem. Later, Barnabas went and sought Paul out so he could give him an opportunity to teach and minister in Antioch. Barnabas did a lot for Paul and helped him step into his leadership calling in the church. 

However, despite all the great things that Barnabas had done for him, Paul would not compromise his convictions. The “Pauls” in the church today will not compromise their convictions when they see leaders partnering with, supporting, endorsing, or platforming minsters who bore bad fruit and disqualified themselves. Paul will split from Barnabas once again. The Lord will then pair the “Silas” with the “Pauls.” These teams will be followed by the Holy Spirit and function in the fullness of the apostolic/prophetic ministry to build living stones into the temple. 

Rejecting Conscience

“having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,” (I Timothy 1:19 NKJV)

If we are following a minister who starts an unholy alliance with a disqualified minister, we have a decision to make. Are we going to shift our holy convictions and make excuses for our favorite minister, or are we going to stand on our convictions from the word of God and the Spirit of God? The Lord is looking at our hearts and judging our responses to situations like these. 

Those that stand strong in their godly convictions will be approved by the Lord and trusted to move on with Him. Those who start to make excuses for their favorite minister, the partnership, the disqualified minister, and even the minister’s disqualifying sins will start the process of searing their conscience. Whenever we justify things that are contrary to our holy convictions, our consciences start to become desensitized. The lie that we force our conscience to receive begins to warp it.

“speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” (I Timothy 4:2 NKJV)

Once our conscience is beginning to sear by embracing our own lies, defilement sets in. The very things of sin and compromise that we once had strong convictions against, we now tolerate. It can be a very slow fade for some in which they don’t notice the spiritual decline. For others, it can happen more rapidly.

“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” (Titus 1:15 NKJV)

Paul wrote about the importance of our conscience bearing witness with our actions (Romans 2:15, 9:1). He also taught that if we really love other believers, then we will not do certain things that could offend them and damage their conscience (specifically younger or less mature believers). 

“It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.” (Romans 14:21 NKJV)

“But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” (I Corinthians 8:9-13 NKJV)

There are certain things that some believers engage in and they have a liberty to do so because their conscience is not convicted or condemned. Other believers may be convicted in their own hearts that these same practices are sin. These are discretionary issues that are sin to some believers and not sin to others. If we believe something is sin in our conscience, then it is sin to us, but it may not be sin to others. 

Mature leaders will demonstrate love by not causing believers following them to stumble. In this context, mature leaders will not partner with ministers who many in the body of Christ believe to be disqualified as a bishop or overseer. When righteous leaders partner with these ministers of mixture, it offends the consciences of many believers. Biblical, Christ-like love actually wants to protect the consciences of believers. Mature leaders desire to operate in love and to not cause unnecessary offense.

To be clear, I do not believe that godly ministers partnering with disqualified ministers is a discretionary issue. I’m simply making the point that mature leaders are to be concerned about their own appearance so as not to offend people’s hearts and cause them to turn away from their ministry. If Christ is ministering through the leaders, believers can experience grace and come to maturity under their ministries. However, the leader who doesn’t care about the consciences and convictions of believers is out of touch and actually creating a situation in which believers will not come to maturity nor be ready for Christ’s return. This is a gauge for the leader’s true level of maturity and whether or not the love of Christ is truly flowing through them. 

True Builders

Do you think that John the Baptist carried the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the fire of God because he compromised his godly convictions and was wishy-washy in his faith? I wonder what John would have done if he saw a fellow minister supporting an unqualified leader? Would John have suppressed his conscience and convictions and just looked the other way? The Spirit and Power of Elijah is evident in a ministry by what is tolerated and what is not tolerated. Some claiming to be forerunners and operating in the Spirit and power of Elijah are proven "false claimers" by their actions or lack of actions.

The reason that the church in America is in such compromise today is because of what leaders have tolerated. Once something is tolerated by leadership, it can be widely accepted by the church. If it's alright that a church overseer continues in that position after having any type of sexual relations with another woman, all while betraying his wife and congregation, then where do we draw the line? If we allow that now, then we will allow much worse five years from now.

Paul understood what it meant to be a true builder:

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (I Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17 NKJV)

“having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:20-22 NKJV)

A “builder” ministry cannot have corruption in them or they pollute the temple of God with false doctrine and fleshly sins. If defiled builders begin destroying the temple, then the Lord will fulfill His word and destroy that builder. Let’s say a builder betrays his wife and has an intimate relationship with one of his ministry school students. The minister is defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is actually preventing live stones from being built together so the Lord can have a dwelling place in the Spirit. 

I hope we can see this! A minister who engages in this sin (or similar) is actually functioning as a demolitionist of the temple of God and not a builder. The minister is proving to us by his deeds that he is actually the opposite of a builder. Can we recognize this and respond appropriately? The Lord will reveal the hearts of the builders to us if we will pay attention. We know them by their fruits. 

I pray that the Lord would release His discernment to the body of Christ and that we would judge with His righteous judgment. May we recognize the disqualified by their deeds. May we have faith in God to empower and appoint new leaders who are not given to compromise. May the Lord have righteous builders who will put the will of the Lord before their own in the building of His temple. Let the Lord have His glorious inheritance in the saints. Let the Lord have His dwelling place in the Spirit!

-Ty Unruh (March 2025)