Leaders ( 1 Timothy 3 v 1 - 7 )

                                                          Lamentations 4 v 13                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                It was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her                                                                      priests,who shed the blood of  the righteous in the midst of                                                                      her.                                                                                                                          These may appear strange words,to accuse those spiritual leaders of the nation of  killing the righteous,surely that would be the  last thing you would expect from them. We must remember the spiritual deterioration  of the nation that brought about the judgement of God,in Jeremiah 6 v 13,  we read,'For from the least to the greatest of them,everyone is greedy for unjust gain,and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely'. 8 v 10,stresses the same thing, v 11,tells us how they proclaimed that which was false,and v 12 , accuses them of acting shamefully and committing abominations.In Jeremiah 18 v 18 Jeremiah was under threat from the priests,let us never forget that it was the religious leaders who hounded our Saviour to death.The inquisition was carried out by priests,likewise many martyrs were burned to death by priests. Godless religious leaders are  guilty of child abuse,of fleecing  the poor, and a multitude of other things,Let me remind you of the potential evil that lies deep in the human heart,whither it be a priest,prophet,pastor, yes and even  in our own hearts.