Dealing With Disloyal People

by Dag Heward-Mills

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Copyright 2008 Dag Heward-Mills

Published by Dag Heward-Mills on Smashwords.

E mail Dag Heward-Mills

info@daghewardmillsbooks.org

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Find out more about Dag Heward-Mills at:

http://www.daghewardmills.org

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http://www.daghewardmills.org/lci/

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible

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Contents

Chapter 1 - The Timing of Disloyalty

Chapter 2 - Three Methods for Dealing with Disloyalty

Chapter 3 - Four Methods for Dealing with Disloyalty

Chapter 1

The Timing of Disloyalty

When I write about disloyalty, I am writing about a whole array of things. These range from subtle acts of disloyalty to betrayals, insurgencies and open rebellions.

But, when do these things happen? Do they happen all the time? Or do they have specific seasons and timings? A close study of the Bible will reveal that acts of disloyalty are more common at particular times.

In this chapter, we will study what I call the timing of disloyalty. Let us now consider four important times when disloyalty may occur.

1. Disloyalty occurs with the apparent weakening of a leader.

All leaders go through different phases of their lives and ministries. In the prime of their ministry, they often appear very strong, hard, tireless and invincible.

Leaders may appear to weaken in the latter part of their ministries. They seem to be vulnerable to things that before were far off. This apparent weakening of a minister is not actually a diminishing of his strength.

Sometimes, in later years, the maturing minister speaks with a softer tone and is more accommodating. Sometimes it is a result of entering into another phase of ministry.

In the early part of Jesus' ministry, He was very strong on certain things. At one point, He spoke about how He was anointed and people tried to kill Him. At that stage of His ministry Jesus just ignored His persecutors and went His way.

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

Luke 4:28-30

In another instance, Jesus preached and called His listeners snakes. He told them to their faces, that they were vipers.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?…

Matthew 12:34

Jesus was a strong direct preacher. He was a no-nonsense personality. There was a time when people wanted to kill Him.

Jesus told them directly, "I know you want to kill me." He continued, "Your father is the devil." These were direct statements which infuriated the crowd. Yet, Jesus persisted in this line of confrontational preaching.

But now ye seek to kill me, A MAN THAT HATH TOLD YOU THE TRUTH, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

YE ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, GOING THROUGH THE MIDST OF THEM, AND SO PASSED BY.

John 8:40,41,44,59

In those days, Jesus did not seem to be moved by death threats. But later in his life, Jesus began to say things like, "I am going to suffer!"

And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you BEFORE I SUFFER...

Luke 22:15

At another point, Jesus was in a reflective mood and said, "This is my last drink."

For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

Luke 22:18

Jesus continued and said, "There is a betrayer amongst us."

If He was a good leader, why didn't He do anything about the betrayer. Had He lost His power? Judas must have heard these words and felt that Jesus' power was waning. Jesus' power never diminished. The anointing on His life was stronger than ever.

If His power had diminished, how come He was able to heal the boy whose ear was cut off by Peter (John 18:10)?

If His power was diminished, how come everyone fell under the power of God when Jesus identified Himself as the one they were looking for?

As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

John 18:6

Jesus' power had in no way diminished, but He had entered a different phase of His ministry.

This power would help Him go to the cross and accomplish His sacrifice for the sins of the world.

But Judas misinterpreted this to be a weakening of His master's anointing. Judas was encouraged to rise up and rebel against the Lord when He heard Him speak of dying. If you eat with someone who speaks of dying and taking His last drink, would you not think there was something wrong?

The High Priest and the Pharisees were afraid of Jesus. There was great mystery and intrigue surrounding Christ!

Jesus was a public figure and they could have arrested Him at any time. Jesus did not go around in secret. But they feared the people and were unsure of what sort of powers Jesus would conjure against them if they tried anything.

Judas waited for a sign of the apparent weakening of Christ's ministry. As soon as he felt his leader was a little weaker, he betrayed Him.

Dear pastor, do not be deceived. If God has called somebody, and you betray Him, you will pay for it! It may seem easy to rebel at certain times, but that is the devil luring you to your own destruction.

2. Disloyalty occurs with the aging of the leader.

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

1 Kings 11:4

King Solomon turned away from God in his old age. It may sound strange, but it sometimes requires physical strength to keep on doing what is right. King Solomon had married so many different women in his younger days.

He wanted to ensure that he did not fall into the mistake of adultery as his father did. So he married all the ladies he met, to prevent himself from having an affair with anyone.

However, in his old age, the resolve to serve Jehovah was weakened. He began to succumb to the pressures of his unbelieving wives.

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

1 Kings 11:7,8

I am a young man. As I write this book it is my prayer that I will be loyal to the Lord as I get older in ministry.

In the life of King David, it was when he was very old and stricken in years, that his son Adonijah rebelled against him. Adonijah was one of David's sons who had been a loyal member of the family for many years. He did not rebel with Absalom. Nor was he associated with any other rebellion. Yet, he was tempted to be disloyal when he realized that his father was weakened by old age.

Now king DAVID WAS OLD and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

THEN ADONIJAH THE SON OF HAGGITH EXALTED HIMSELF, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

1 Kings 1:1,5

3. Disloyalty occurs when the leader sins.

When Solomon went after many wives and his heart was turned against God, the Lord raised up rebels to fight against him.

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.

1 Kings 11:9,14

It is the grace of God that keeps a church together. What prevents one person from rising against another? It is the mercy of the Lord.

What prevents a bodyguard from shooting his own leader in order to become famous? It is the grace of God. A leader must be aware that God's mercy upholds all things.

You will not have a single loyal person with you unless God helps you.

Ladies and gentlemen, the power of the presidency and the power of leadership are maintained by a delicate balance of forces.

God's grace is what sustains us in all our endeavours. We may give many teachings about disloyalty and loyalty. We may print all the books we can on the subject. Ultimately, it is the grace of God that holds all things together.

Jehoshaphat was a famous king of Judah. He served the Lord and God wrought miracles under his regime. God gave the Israelites more blessings than they could carry under the reign of Jehoshaphat.

When Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram took over. Jehoram was not like his father and became associated with Ahab the evil king of Israel. This is because he married the daughter of Ahab.

It is interesting to note that under the reign of this backslidden king, a group of people who had lived in submission to Judah for many years, rebelled.

The Bible tells us clearly that the people of Edom became disloyal and traitorous under the rule of Jehoram.

But why did they stay submissive under Jehoshaphat?

…JEHORAM the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

IN HIS DAYS EDOM REVOLTED from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

2 Kings 8:16,18,20

It is clear from this Scripture that the timing of the revolt of Edom was related to the type of king in Judah. The revolt took place under the hand of an evil person. Acts of disloyalty by followers are often related to acts of disobedience by leaders.

4. Disloyalty occurs upon the death of a leader.

I have watched many churches disintegrate after the death of their founders and leaders. Why does this happen? Disloyal people are often looking for an opportunity to break away or revolt against authority. They are opportunists who will grab at any sign of weakness within the system. Often the death of a leader signifies to them the removal of a factor that has long prevented them from rebelling.

I remember when a great founder and leader of a denomination in Ghana died. It was not long before some of the prominent pastors of his denomination separated themselves.

I also recall when a founder of a great denomination in Nigeria died. It was but a few months before some of the most prominent ministers disassociated themselves from the church. Rebellious people sense a weakening in the system by the passing away of the leader.

Recently, in one African country, the dictatorial head of state died. When his assistant took over, he pursued policies completely opposite to what his leader had implemented.

He freed all the enemies of his former boss and set about to return the country to a democracy - something his predecessor was opposed to. This showed that the assistant was not loyal to the former head of state's ideologies. He could not say or show it publicly whilst his boss was alive; however, upon the death of his leader, his true feelings were manifested! This is a very common occurrence in life.

The unexpected death of a head of state can cause instability in a nation where the power is already held in delicate balance. In some countries, the head of state does not even have to die. All he has to do is to travel outside the country.

Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana, was overthrown in a coup d'état when he travelled outside Ghana for a short while. He was in Hanoi for a meeting when he was overthrown. He was never to return to Ghana in his lifetime.

Some pastors are afraid to travel away from their churches because of this fear of possible rebellion. Ahab, the king of Israel, was a wicked but strong ruler. He had the Moabites under control. But when he died, Moab rebelled almost immediately.

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep master, and rendered unto the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams with the wool. But it came to pass, WHEN AHAB WAS DEAD, THAT THE KING OF MOAB REBELLED against the king of Israel.

2 Kings 3:4,5

This is a common pattern for revolts. You see, there are many people who are rebels at heart but are afraid to make a move. They are watching for a sign, a change, a weakening or an opening. With little provocation they will separate themselves and fight against the authorities.

Are you a rebel at heart? Will your loyalty persist even when there is an apparent weakening of the leader? Will age, sin or even death of your leader turn you into a rebel? Time will tell!

Chapter 2

Three Methods for Dealing with Disloyalty

Every manager, business person and pastor must learn these important methods of dealing with all forms of disloyalty.

1. The Teaching Method

This method involves teaching the Word of God regularly. This method is a preventive process that every wise minister or leader should adopt. There are two ways to manage an organisation: crisis management or preventive management. In crisis management, you move from one crisis to another, solving the issues as they come up. In preventive management, you constantly teach and immunize the people against the problem you are trying to avoid.

I would suggest to you that your church or business should adopt the preventive style of management. Those who have a crisis management style are often stressed out and never able to do the things they have to do in order to take their business or church forward.

Teaching your people constantly is a sure way of preventing a whole array of problems. This is why I hold Shepherds' (leaders) camps and congresses. This is why I constantly have meetings with our pastors and leaders.

The main thing that teaching does is to fight against deception. It is only people who are deceived who go in the way of Absalom or Lucifer. Lucifer was deceived and is the father of deception.

Lucifer thought that he could replace God. He said, "I will ascend and be like the Most High." There must be a strong deception for a created being to think of displacing the Almighty God. The Bible calls the devil "that old serpent who deceives the whole world". If someone can deceive the whole world, then believe me he must be very good at it! That is why the teaching method of dealing with disloyalty is very important.

And the great dragon was cast out, THAT OLD SERPENT, CALLED THE DEVIL, and Satan, which DECEIVETH THE WHOLE WORLD: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 12:9

Many countries have adopted preventive medicine (primary health care) as the mainstay of their medical programmes. It has become evident that it is easier to prevent diseases than to fight them once they are established.

It is easier to prevent disloyalty by teaching than to clean up after an "Absalom" has passed through the church. The situation created by a "Judas" is so messy that you would be better off preventing it.

2. The Nicolaitan Method

But this thou hast, that thou hateth the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

Revelation 2:6

In this method, the church together with its leadership develops a hatred and aversion for disloyalty and disloyal people.

The Nicolaitanes were hated by the Ephesian church and God recommended them for that!

When people are taught about Judas, Absalom, Ahitophel and so on, they gradually develop a hatred for any form of disloyalty. They are quick to pick it up and reject it.

One brother told a friend in the church, "I want to tell you something in confidence. You know, Pastor is really annoying me."

He continued, "I know that the series he is preaching is directed against me."

He went on, "I am very angry with him."

The brother he was talking to replied, "What is wrong with you? Are you out of your mind? Why are you talking like this? I am going to tell Pastor what you said."

The angry brother was taken aback. He said, "This loyalty thing has also affected you."

Indeed the loyalty "thing" had affected this brother. He immediately reported these unacceptable comments to the pastor. Soon that fire was quenched.

This is the Nicolaitan method - where everyone has a hatred for rebellion and any form of disloyalty.

3. The North Wind Method

The NORTH WIND driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

Proverbs 25:23

This Scripture teaches us that an angry facial expression can drive away disloyalty.

You see, complainers, murmurers and slanderers are looking for someone to talk to. If you give them the chance, they will sit you down and poison you thoroughly.

What every leader must realize is that these people must not be given a chance to even speak in our midst.

Some people's words are like cancer. They poison the whole system and have a potential for polluting many people.

Would you smile at the sight of a viper in your sitting room? What facial expression would come up if you saw a rattlesnake in your bathtub? Certainly not a smile! I am sure you would have no welcoming facial expressions for the viper. Please do not welcome vipers in the church or in the company.

From today there can be no welcoming smiles for defiant agitators. They must not for one moment feel welcome in our midst!

If you cannot smile at a snake do not smile at a disloyal person. Let him know from your facial expression that his presence and his comments are undesirable.

Chapter 3

Four Methods for Dealing with Disloyalty

1. The Abrahamic Method

This is the method of peaceful separation. It happens between mature individuals who want to avoid the deadly effects of conflicts.

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

Is not the whole land before thee? SEPARATE THYSELF, I PRAY THEE, FROM ME: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Genesis 13:7-11

There was strife between Abraham's men and Lot's men.

God gave Abraham wisdom to deal with the situation. He called his nephew Lot and suggested a peaceful separation.

There are some people you should not work with. As long as you labour with them on the same field, there will never be peace.

Sometimes, people simply do not believe in your calling. They cannot accept that God will use you for anything special.

Do You Believe in My Prayer?

These people must be allowed to separate from you in peace. I once prayed for someone. After the prayer I asked, "Do you believe in my prayer?"

The answer was short and simple: "No!"

I told this individual to go peacefully to another church. I said, "Over there, you will be able to receive."

This is different from a dismissal in which a rebel is thrown out! In this case, everyone goes his way and has equal opportunities to do well. With time, the differences will show up.

After the separation of Abraham and Lot, there were soon obvious differences between the two parties. These were due to the different relationships that Abraham and Lot had with the Lord. No one can see your spiritual status in the natural. But with time, it becomes clear as to who is really called of God.

And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and eastward, and westward:

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy see for ever.

Genesis 13:14, 15

2. The "Casting Out" Method

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

Proverbs 22:10

The biblical remedy for dealing with scoffers is to cast them out! In modern English, to cast out means "to throw away, to dismiss, to expel, to eject, to banish, to fire, to sack, to discard, to unseat or to lay off". I believe that almost anyone can understand the meaning of casting out.

The Bible teaches us to cast out scornful people. A mocker is disloyal to your cause. The biblical treatment for such people is expulsion. Whenever you realize that someone is mocking at you, please do not hesitate to expel him from your life. Sometimes, failure to dismiss people is like failing to do a surgery that will save your life.

I have used this method for treating disloyalty. It was indeed painful, but a new spirit of loyalty entered the church. What a fresh breath of life we all experienced.

When you fail to dismiss someone who must go, you are exhibiting weak leadership. You are allowing a snake to live under your children's bed. Please do not cry if your children are bitten and they die.

3. The Marking and Avoiding Method

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Romans 16:17,18

This Scripture teaches that people who cause divisions must be noted and avoided at all costs. What does marking and avoiding mean?

To mark means to brand or to label an object so that it will stand out. Some sheep need to be branded so that they can be recognized from afar. It is important to notice a disloyal person from afar.

I once had to apply this method in dealing with a rebel in my church. Since I could not take a tin of red paint and brand this person, the only way I could mark him was to inform some people that this brother was a doubtful person who should be avoided.

I called for a meeting and told them that this brother was unsafe and should be avoided at all costs. By holding that meeting and telling the people that the brother was not loyal to the church, I had branded or marked him sufficiently. I did not even have to give the details of this brother's misdemeanours.

After that, sheep that would have innocently played with that brother became wary of him and stayed off.

Indeed, the few sheep that he was able to get close to suffered from his poisonous effusions. There are people who have fallen away today because they were exposed to this person. Do not be afraid to mark and avoid anyone. It is a biblical instruction given by the Apostle Paul himself.

When a nation is deporting someone, they often attach a letter that says, "Your presence is now undesirable in this nation." There are some people whose presence is undesirable in the church. They must not be allowed to remain in the church any longer. They must be marked and avoided. They must be expelled and prevented from coming back.

4. The Cursing Method

The Apostle Paul used this method when he was trying to prevent charlatans from deceiving the flock. He was powerless to physically prevent anyone from tricking and dividing his flock. Paul was far away in a Roman prison, so he employed the spiritual method of cursing.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.

Galatians 1:8

The curse was a spiritual barrier against intruders. When you are powerless in the physical, it is a good method to employ against traitors and mutineers.

Many years ago, King David had a disloyal associate called Joab. Joab went against David's commandments and murdered Abner. David realized that it was too risky to fight against Joab. It would have brought more division and destabilized his kingdom.

David employed a powerful curse against Joab and his family. He took the matter up spiritually. David knew that he had power through his tongue, to curse traitors and rebels. And he used it!

Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword or that lacketh bread.

2 Samuel 3:29

Many years ago, I was preaching in our church at a time when the church met at the medical school canteen in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital of Accra. I was preaching on the subject The New Wave Churches.

As I got to the end of my sermon, I began to speak prophetically. I spoke many prophetic curses against anyone who would rise up to destroy the new wave churches that God was building. You see, the Spirit of the Lord upon me was leading me to cover His church with spiritual protection. I believe that those proclamations are at work today! I believe that they contribute greatly to the divine preservation and growth of the ministry!

The Deception of Satan

What people must realize is that the strongest campaign of Satan is in the area of deception. If Satan can deceive you, he will destroy you!

Satan makes many people believe that they are fighting a man of God in the name of justice and truth. However, they soon discover with great pain, that they are doing nothing but kicking their feet against nails and thorns.

This is what Paul discovered when he fought against the church and supervised the elimination of one of its leaders, Stephen.

Saul was a man with a good conscience. He earnestly thought that he was eliminating troublemakers from the peaceful city of Jerusalem. In his fight for righteousness, he sought to wipe out elements that he thought were harmful to society. Many people think they are on a holy war to expose false preachers and ministries.

Like Saul, they think they have a divine mandate to let everyone know the truth about the hypocrites in the pulpits.

The Apostle Paul was so surprised to find out that he was actually fighting against Christ. Paul was astonished when he discovered what he was really doing! When people do not know what they are doing, they often do the wrong thing. Paul claimed later on that he had received mercy from God because he did not know what he was doing.

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I DID IT IGNORANTLY IN UNBELIEF.

1 Timothy 1:13

My little experience in the ministry shows me that the inability to be faithful, loyal, stable, consistent and constant is the greatest killer of ministries. It is the greatest killer of businesses.

The feeling that there is a shorter, quicker and easier way is in all men. Satan capitalizes on that tendency. Dear friend, you need to protect yourself against the deception of Satan. Deliver yourself from becoming a disloyal person.

If you are a leader of any kind, learn and apply the methods of dealing with disloyal people and preserve your organization, business or church.

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Other Best-Selling Books by Dag Heward-Mills:

Loyalty and Disloyalty

Leaders and Loyalty

Transform Your Pastoral Ministry

The Art of Leadership

Model Marriage

Church Planting

The Mega Church

Lay People and the Ministry

These titles are also available in Spanish and/or French. Information about other foreign translations of some of the titles above may be obtained by writing to our email address.

Table of Contents

The Timing of Disloyalty

Three Methods for Dealing with Disloyalty

Four Methods for Dealing with Disloyalty