Don't shoot the messenger.

MARK 12 : 13 - 17 NKJV

13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”

But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” 16 So they brought it.

And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

17 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

And they marveled at Him.

In the above scripture the church leaders of the day have sent some of their people to try and trip Jesus up in His words. Of course they failed, but why did they want to discredit Jesus? It is because Jesus had been discrediting the church leaders of the day, telling the truth about them and their evil behavior.  Why then was Jesus doing this? Was Jesus just wanting to big note Himself? Most certainly not! Jesus came bringing the message of repentance and reconciliation to GOD. He was simply humiliating the leaders of the church that they may have an opportunity of seeing their errors, that they may have repented. How does that look today? Are the church leaders on the right track?(Judge the tree by it's fruit.) What happens to the messenger of God who is sent to bring them correction? Is he or she attacked in an effort to be silenced?

MARK 12 : 1 - 9 NKJV

12 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. 6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

The above parable is referring to the church of the day and what has now taken place. In other words the wicked vinedressers were the church leaders of the day and the servants who were sent to them were the prophets. Jesus was the son and heir. They killed Jesus and God has taken the vineyard away from them. They are still trapped in Judaism and have missed that Jesus is the Messiah. What would have happened if they had submitted to Jesus and they had repented?

God has not ceased in sending His messengers, the prophets. Why then is the church of today such an unfruitful mess? Because the messengers are being cast aside? In many cases yes. How many prophets are recognized in the church of today? How does your church treat the prophetic? Has it been silenced? If you or your church do not respect or acknowledge the prophets, then you or your church does not respect the mouthpiece of God. If this continues in a church God simply removes His blessings from that church. 

MATTHEW 10 : 41 NKJV

41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

But those who do not receive the prophet get no good reward. Prophets will bring correction and the wise person will submit to it.

PROVERBS 10 : 8 NKJV

8 The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.

It is a good time to pray for the prophetic to be seen and acknowledged in the church, that our Lord may have mercy and restore His correction and direction to the church. Not only that but I believe that we should all pray for ourselves that we don't shoot the messenger when God sends him or her to us.