“The Pastor, The Pastor……” Changing the Emphasis: Looking To Jesus!
What’s all this Looking to Pastors? Why do we do that and when did it Start? Tradition Folks. Does not Hebrews 12.2 say “Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith?” Some translations say “Fixing our Eyes on Jesus……….” In other words, not shifting our Gaze, our Affection, our Devotion.
So you are much better doing that – in this Day and Age especially – than Looking to your Pastor and“the Pastor says” so much.
Acquainting yourself with Your Lord and Savior “The God of Peace” In these Times when the World is So Stressful in no small way, Many Christians are Fretful and Panicking just like those who have not found Jesus yet. They feel “Without Hope” like Unbelievers. Many have forgotten the words of the precious Song “Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine, oh what a Foretaste of Glory Divine. Heir of Salvation, Purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, Washed in His Blood”………………
YES “Quicken Us Now” remind us of that Jesus. We are Yours, we are Redeemed. You’re not going to leave us now. You have Sent Your Holy Spirit to Be with Us until You Come. In the words of another Song “Thank You, Thank You Jesus God’s Own Son, You’re Leaving Us Your Spirit till Your Work on Earth is Done” (completed)
Jesus said He will Not Leave us desolate, He Sent the Holy Spirit to be Our Helper, Counsellor and Comforter……to Guide us into ALL Truth…….. in a World so full of Lies (all manner of Voices saying Come here, do this. Go there, do that. This is what you should do. That is what you should do) NO, Wait on The Lord, and Pray to Our God (personally) and see how He Leads us. See what He has to Say to You.
Yes Friends, that’s why yet another Song says “He’s the New and Living Way, Walk ye in Him…………..I am Guided and Led by His Right Hand” (speaking of His Strength, especially when our strength would fail us) This Song is actually based on a Scripture that calls Jesus the “New Living Way”
It’s a Way of Life, not a Church Habit when you are really Walking with Jesus:
In Tune with the Savior of Your Soul. But so Many of you are Not Acquainted with Him.
“Proof’s in the Pudding” as the adage says. Have you maybe not read this wonderful Verse:
Acquaint Yourself with God, Agree with Him and Be at Peace. And His Goodness shall Come to You”
Never mind the Televangelist’s False Promises of Ridiculous Wealth, that Verse is saying “He will Help You, He will show His Goodness to You in Some Way” ………… Notice, it also denotes a Restfulness in this Godly Exercise of Coming Closer to Him, getting to Know Him More. It’s also an Invitation to discover His True Nature………. not the Various Impressions many have of Him in this World (even Christians and Pastors) but how He wishes to Show/Reveal Himself to You personally- like He did with Moses. How did he see the Face of God – His True Nature? When His Presence passed over him in the form of a cloud and he heard the Voice of The Lord saying “I am The Lord who is Gracious and Merciful ………………” Tell me, how many of God’s Children need to hear that in their Souls Today – when they are so disturbed and Anxious – and be aware of these wonderful things about Him?
This is mostly due to a Poor Prayer Life and an absence of Scripture Reading or very little Scripture Reading.
YES Friends, Truth is that Most Christians’ Prayer-Life AND Scripture-Reading is SPARSE. That is why they have So Many Problems and things Mounting Up on them because they don’t really Know their Lord: They’re like Strangers to His Holiness (speaking of His Presence)
Yes, so many of you say “The Pastor, The Pastor……” and “I Love My Pastor” but you have very little Acquaintance with The Lord. Your Pastor is not your Savior and in most instances, he is not even your Friend. But JESUS IS…….. Come to Know Him, Come to Know Him Well. He’s still in that RESTING PLACE Waiting for You.
For the Christian, their Spirit is His Sanctuary when Jesus Came In at the time of their Salvation – the New Birth.
Yes, when we’re Swayed by Voices in the World; Confused OR Distressed by them, it’s a sure indication we’re not spending enough time in His Presence, in order for Him to Impart His Peace.
His Peace that passes All Understanding, whatever the Situation might be. Yes, He actually becomes Your PEACE so you don’t find the need to “Tie yourself up in Knots” trying to work things out.
Fears, Doubts and Anxiety are Not for the Child of God because of His Presence is in Our Spirt and we find a Haven of Rest in Coming Aside often with Him, staying still for a while in His Presence – not so Quick to Move Away, alright?
Resisting “Oh I have this to do; Oh I have that to do; I want to do This and That.”
This is often referred to as QUIET TIME. And if you Keep Renewing your Mind with Scriptures, you won’t be so Restless to do other things when it comes to spending Time in Prayer. You will find yourself much more Comfortable in His Presence when you’re not Living like a Stranger to Him (time for everything else; desire for other things; interested in everything else) are you beginning to understand?
And as far as now is concerned, if you feel poorly for not having spent much time with Him (or any) Run To Him, Not Away From Him, and let Him Welcome You with Open Arms of Grace.
He is the Author and Finisher of Your Faith – Not some Pastor on a Church’s Payroll. Elijah, considered to be the “Great Man of God” by many, and he was Human (not perfect) like You and Me, Scripture tells us.
And Paul, the Apostle who delivered “the whole counsel of God” to us (Acts 20:27) considered himself just a Servant, and Purposed to be the Best Example to us he could be – practicing what he Preached at all times, said to FOLLOW JESUS – Not him or Anyone Else.
So what’s this question Christians ask each-Other so often “What Church do you Belong To?
WHO do You FOLLOW?”
Honestly, it’s So Misguided. And why? Because through Church History to this Day, there is Far Too Much Emphasis on one’s Local Church and “The Pastor” who runs it.
We need to get the Emphasis Right, so I’m setting the Record Straight……where Christians AND Pastors are Forgetting SCRIPTURE and we need to take A FRESH LOOK at Scripture once again (maybe for the first time) what it really does say. To ALL of Us – Christians AND Pastors Alike!
FOLLOW JESUS and STAY CLOSE TO HIM.
Most Pastors playing “Authoritive” with Us who are Not Personally in Submission to the Lordship of Christ
in their Own Heart and Life: This Ought Never To Be!
This equates to you Submitting to Someone who is Not Submitted.
No wonder the Body of Christ is so Powerless (in reality since the Days of Constantine – the Roman Emperor who Changed the Way Christians Fellowship in 330AD) the Church is Inundated with Pastors Running Things; telling us what to do; but not fully Committed to the Lordship of Christ they Claim to Serve – however You must Submit to Them.
I have One Word to say to that (based on Christ and the Apostle’s Teaching found in Scripture) “WRONG……” It’s Really Wrong. And they dare to call themselves Your Covering – that you HAVE TO Submit to Them.
To me, and my Understanding of Godly Ethics and Allegiance to Jesus, it is a Form of Blasphemy for Any Person “in ministry” to say “I am your Covering”
NOT TRUE – The Lord is Our Covering. That’s His Rightful Place – His Alone.
“BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH HIM”