7598	Forums / Main Forum / How Does One Counsel His Own Pastor?	on: April 07, 2007, 11:41:05 AM
Quote Hey MBG< No I didn't think you were..it's cool I was just saying that sometimes I get around "Hyper-spiritual" Christians who think Church is SOOOOO serious business and that ALL it should provide is doctrines and worship and nothing else should fall out of it. BS I say.. But to get back to your last point.. I DO attend a church..I just wasn't sure where I stand with the whole movement of late.. BUT I am starting to dive deeper into their structure. They even asked me to be a group leader.. isn't that wild?? I prayed about it and felt a strange leading towards something that needed to be revealed to myself. It did. They said the reason they asked me was because they liked the amount of knowledge I had about the Bible. I was referred by another in the group to take over. The second reason was because they saw that I seemed to have questions and was suspicious of the motives of the direction of the modern day church movements . So my burning of the past was now being used for good. BUT I knew that there had to be a change of attitude and cynicism. Being form the northeast it comes natural anyway. When i first took over I had some doubts about the pastor and the church and their whole direction. Still they supported me even with my reservations and questions. We even openly debated some of them. In the end the major points we were on the same page. That's all they cared about. they never once made me feel out casted even when I did not agree on some points. They said that they would rather have that kind of checks and balances as long as it didnt get divisive. Kind of like these boards or the body as a whole. We seem to be on the same roads just by different means. we argue and debate those means by which perception we have at the time or has proven itself in our lives. If we can debate those things and still have love for one another and realize that one day we will all be singing around the same throne then that's all I really need to see in anyone and even while not agreeing with some of the conclusions you have come to in your journey. I would have the pastor over just like i would have anyone over for dinner or to see a ball game or anything. I think some of our best spiritual bonding comes form times of just being ourselves and not partaking in "Church" activity. I think the world needs to see that. The evangelical message has been drummed to such repetitive beats that we don't even appear like salt anymore. At least in America. Knowing how to handle relationships and being there for people is a MAJOR door I think for the gospel without ever preaching a word. Then when an open door presents it self..there ya go.. I think sometimes the body looks lofty with all it's spiritual jargon ( and let's be honest) that we really don't fully understand either. Humility is severely lacking and is I think the greatest witness of Christ. Even in the way we treat our pastors and Brothers and Sisters. Jesus BECAME the word. I'm still meditating on that one and always will. I send my pastor a card once in awhile and just say . "thanks". I always have. I once had chat with a pastor of a huge church I attended 10 years ago. He came up to me and thanked me for the card and words of encouragement. I said it was no big deal and said, "With a church this large you probably get hundreds." He just smirked and said, "Is that what you think?"Believe me the criticism far out weighs any encouragement." Just like the world. We preach so hard aginst worldliness and look what happens in our own camp. No wonder I frown when I hear the word "Christianity". If He knew to pull me out of a large crowd in a lobby of hundreds..what does that say? The biggest thing IMNSHO lacking in the body is lack of encouragement. It will humble you right in your tracks. But the natural mind thinks it will puff up.. BS. It's all backwards. I 've watched some of the proudest and believe me I'm in THAT group get almost brought to tears by a kind word. So encourage your pastor and each other. I really enjoy reading and debating and observing your personalities and all the insights God has given to each of you. Peace RR I hear ya. But the truth will set you free, not necessarily men. Men are finite, the word last forever. God will reveal Himself to us in fellowship so that we can share not just in relationship that mean nothing, but we can encourage down to the bottom of the heart of everyone we meet. And yet most of the time we really are not being too sanctified by the word. We begin to develop a society of science mentality. We encourage each other through the flippant spirit to go home and carry on as usual. You know the culture i dont think i need to elaborate. We are not in community to disappear in a social paradigm, but we are individuals with gifts, and the hard part in community is to be an individual with the whole counsel mentality and get along. That is impossible as you know. We are tempted to give into the mindset of the cultural bias of secularism. But we are to be so filled with scripture that when we bleed the scripture comes out. And we are to always think Gods thoughts after Him as individuals. There are gifts of the Spirit that are supernatural , and they are given as a result of God purposing in us before the world that we would be gifted as individuals. When we are filled with the Spirit we are being what God made us to be. It is in the exercising of the gifts that makes community a place for the healing of the soul by divine fiat. It is as individuals in our private mortification that we can bring something to the table. When we take these things seriously they have a life of their own. Not saying the we do not have power over our spirit, but that there will be a depth in us that either will attract those Spirit filled believers or will repel the carnal believers. There are in every church the mix of saved and unsaved. Unfortunately because the spoon of the world has been shortened so that now the handle does not protrude from worship but the belly of the spoon actually is in the church , it can be very depressing. We must begin to use our spiritual discernment so that we will not be overcome with grief in carnal paradigm. We must become angry at what God is angry and and thankful for the absolute control of God in creation and in the the working out of all things in our lives for our good. But God will always move us if we are crying out for the pure worship of God. Its just a matter of time. Sorry if you do not understand, just read the cotton picken thing. Thanks.