com7fy8
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- May 22, 2013
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The Bible says, to leaders >
"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)
To me, this means a leader needs to lead by example, not trying to control and lord himself over the people. But . . . also . . . this is our example, of how all of us need to do things by good example . . . not trying to use anyone, not having an attitude that someone has to listen to us and do what we say. Ones can use "democracy" as their method of dictating. Democracy can have us feeling "entitled" to getting what we want > so, this can be a way of lording it over, too.
But I see how the early church handled business > before the Holy Spirit came, they all prayed together until they were ready . . . and God knew they were ready; Peter handled the business of choosing a replacement for Judas > Acts 1:12 - 2:4. Later, when they had the issue of if people must follow the law of Moses, they met and were all in agreement . . . not only a majority vote . . . when they finally wrote the letter. And God used Peter His approved leader to make real progress . . . after unapproved ones argued for maybe quite a while (Acts 15:1-29).
So, if I join a church, first I need to pray about who God trusts to be my pastor and others who help me. If He does not have me trust someone, why am I with that person?
So . . . it looks like may be you and others do not really trust your pastor. Why, ever, then, have you been there for as long as you have been there??
Hebrews 13:17 says >
"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17)
So, are you capable of being submissive to a leader whom God trusts to watch out for your souls?
My experience is that when I have had a problem with my leadership, I first needed to pray and get with God in His peace, then discover how He has me seeing things. And, "usually", I have discovered how I needed to be more positive and able to perceive and appreciate how my leaders are and do things > I was the one who needed to learn something. And this "works" very well with my lady friend, t She can be very compassionate and sensitive, while I may be too administrative and practical, just judging her by how she does things, instead of feeding on her compassion.
By the way . . . "perhaps" you did really experience the presence of the LORD before the Bible change. But the Bible change "might" not be why the presence of the LORD seemed to you to stop. He could have stopped because of the attitude and reactions of the people who were getting in a huff about the change of Bibles . . . instead of giving their attention to where they belong. Huffing about not having "democracy" can be a disguised way of worshiping my own ego's attitude of "entitlement".
So, may be you need to really get to know your pastor and his example. Possibly you need to be there, but in a different way of evaluating and seeing things. Just because you do not trust him, this does not necessarily mean you should not be there. So, trust God to make you clear and honest and humble, and not only reacting.
In Jesus, we need to do things as family, not only by majority, I offer from the example of how the Holy Spirit did things with the church as recorded in the book of Acts. Possibly, the pastor knows he does not have unity in your church; and so he did not aggravate this problem by having a vote on this. It seems possible to me, that ones in your church were ready-to-go to criticize, instead of pray first. So, if they are so, they are not ready to vote prayerfully and with family communication before making a decision.
It doesn't not seem you have been relating as family in Jesus with your pastor; so please feed on how the Bible says for us to share and relate as God's family > a few scriptures for this include >
Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 4:31 - 5:2, James 1:19-20, and James 5:16.
If you all are obeying how our Father rules us with His own peace in our hearts (Colossians 3:15), He will rule you in unity. So, I think some people need to repent and start fresh about this, and then evaluate. Having a parallel Bible sounds even better; so why get stuck with two choices which are not as good as you could do? ? ? God is able to bring you to better than what either "side" might decide.
So, God bless you Bill
"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)
To me, this means a leader needs to lead by example, not trying to control and lord himself over the people. But . . . also . . . this is our example, of how all of us need to do things by good example . . . not trying to use anyone, not having an attitude that someone has to listen to us and do what we say. Ones can use "democracy" as their method of dictating. Democracy can have us feeling "entitled" to getting what we want > so, this can be a way of lording it over, too.
But I see how the early church handled business > before the Holy Spirit came, they all prayed together until they were ready . . . and God knew they were ready; Peter handled the business of choosing a replacement for Judas > Acts 1:12 - 2:4. Later, when they had the issue of if people must follow the law of Moses, they met and were all in agreement . . . not only a majority vote . . . when they finally wrote the letter. And God used Peter His approved leader to make real progress . . . after unapproved ones argued for maybe quite a while (Acts 15:1-29).
So, if I join a church, first I need to pray about who God trusts to be my pastor and others who help me. If He does not have me trust someone, why am I with that person?
So . . . it looks like may be you and others do not really trust your pastor. Why, ever, then, have you been there for as long as you have been there??
Hebrews 13:17 says >
"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17)
So, are you capable of being submissive to a leader whom God trusts to watch out for your souls?
My experience is that when I have had a problem with my leadership, I first needed to pray and get with God in His peace, then discover how He has me seeing things. And, "usually", I have discovered how I needed to be more positive and able to perceive and appreciate how my leaders are and do things > I was the one who needed to learn something. And this "works" very well with my lady friend, t She can be very compassionate and sensitive, while I may be too administrative and practical, just judging her by how she does things, instead of feeding on her compassion.
By the way . . . "perhaps" you did really experience the presence of the LORD before the Bible change. But the Bible change "might" not be why the presence of the LORD seemed to you to stop. He could have stopped because of the attitude and reactions of the people who were getting in a huff about the change of Bibles . . . instead of giving their attention to where they belong. Huffing about not having "democracy" can be a disguised way of worshiping my own ego's attitude of "entitlement".
So, may be you need to really get to know your pastor and his example. Possibly you need to be there, but in a different way of evaluating and seeing things. Just because you do not trust him, this does not necessarily mean you should not be there. So, trust God to make you clear and honest and humble, and not only reacting.
In Jesus, we need to do things as family, not only by majority, I offer from the example of how the Holy Spirit did things with the church as recorded in the book of Acts. Possibly, the pastor knows he does not have unity in your church; and so he did not aggravate this problem by having a vote on this. It seems possible to me, that ones in your church were ready-to-go to criticize, instead of pray first. So, if they are so, they are not ready to vote prayerfully and with family communication before making a decision.
It doesn't not seem you have been relating as family in Jesus with your pastor; so please feed on how the Bible says for us to share and relate as God's family > a few scriptures for this include >
Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 4:31 - 5:2, James 1:19-20, and James 5:16.
If you all are obeying how our Father rules us with His own peace in our hearts (Colossians 3:15), He will rule you in unity. So, I think some people need to repent and start fresh about this, and then evaluate. Having a parallel Bible sounds even better; so why get stuck with two choices which are not as good as you could do? ? ? God is able to bring you to better than what either "side" might decide.
So, God bless you Bill
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