Quote:
Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne
This, of course, is assuming that all watchmen have a perspective and not an agenda.
I have met a few with an agenda. I have met several who have a perspective.
I was only 'beaten' by those with an agenda.
And that bolded part...that's only when they are in the Word, and not the manual.
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I don't know all of your spiritual history, but as I stated before, I believe that when a Pastor corrects someone for the first time, I believe it should be with love and in the spirit of meekness, first. If you have never experienced loving, caring correction from a Pastor who truly loves you and is doing it for your sake and not his, then that is sad and disappointing and I'm sorry that that has happened to you.
I believe that if a Pastor shows love and compassion for the sheep that the Lord has blessed him with, that the sheep with respect that man of God because they know what his motivations are - to please God and because he loves the sheep like his master.
Even when God wanted to destroy Israel and raise up people from Moses unto him, Moses interceded on behalf of Israel. Why did he do that? Because he was commanded to or it was written and therefore it was his responsibility? No, he did it because he loved and had compassion on them. If was not feigned and he didn't have to muster himself up to do it. Imagine that God wanting to destroy them and he is God and can do whatever he wants, but because an imperfect man besought and interceded on their behalf, God decided not to do it. Makes me think of when Jesus taught about the owner of the land seeing a tree that had not borne fruit and told the husbandman to cut it down because it was taking up space in the ground but not producing. Now because the owner owned the land, he had every right to ask that the tree but cut down. But the husbandman interceded on behalf of the tree and told him to give him 1 more year and he would dung around it and give it special attention; and then after that, if it still didn't bear fruit, then to cut it down. The husbandman didn't own the land, the owner did; the husbandman was just a servant of the owner. But thank God for true servants of God who love the sheep that the Lord has given them and has compassion for them and interceded on their behalf. Imagine if after the husbandman gave that tree special attention, that it did start bearing fruit. But if the husbandman would NOT have interceded and given it special attention, then the tree would have been cut down and not given a chance to bear fruit when given special attention. I want a husbandman who will love me, have compassion upon me, be patient with me, and will intercede on my behalf and give me special attention if I need it.
I don't know what kind of an agenda some Pastor's could have when the word shows us that he wants servants/husbandman who will love, have compassion, intercede, and give special attention to those whom the Lord gives to care for.
Just because a person graduates from a bible college doesn't mean God has called them to be a pastor. Oh and incidentally, a person doesn't have to go to bible college to be called of God to preach or to be a Pastor.
I agree with you and with Paul when he told Timothy to be instantly ready to preach, repove, and rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine. Correction must be done with and according to the word of God.
Now I've attended apostolic churches with the UPC and attended an apostolic church for years that was pastored by someone who got publicly rebuked in an apostolic church for adultery and so he left and decided to start his own church and to pastor it. He still preached apostolic salvation but let everyone work out their own salvation when it came to holiness. I gave that Pastor a chance for around 5 or 6 years give or take, but I eventually went back to the UPC church where God saved me and I rec'd spiritual benefit, strength, and it has saved my marriage; all within a very relatively short period of time. I can tell you from personal experience, that there was a significant difference b/n the 2 churches spiritually speaking even though they both preach the same apostolic salvation message.
Not sure if you've come from an apostolic/UPC background or not.
In any event, I hope that you have found or will find a man that God has called to be a Pastor, who was raised and mentored by his pastor, and went into the ministry with his Pastor's blessing, and has a good spiritual history and reputation and can back it up with references.
I hope that you have not/will not throw away truth and holiness because of a few bad experiences.
God bless.
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