Who is our leader/ pastor/ shepherd... king?!?

December 10, 2009

I was just sitting down to do some more Microsoft Office 2007 (Power Point) on-line training, when I sensed You very strongly speaking to me to turn to Your word instead. So I got my Bible and started reading my “chapters for today” and right away I realized there was a “theme” running through…

1 Samuel 7: 2 … and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. 3. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4. So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone. 5. Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6. They gathered…. and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah…. 9…. And Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel and the LORD answered him…. 12. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer (The stone of help), saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” … 14… So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites….

I Samuel 8:6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7. The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them, 8. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day – in that they have forsake Me and served other gods – so they are doing to you also.” …. 19. Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, 20. that we may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

(Father, Papa, I just can’t get away from the feeling that probably a lot of “churches” … the vast majority, eh! … are in this similar position… first we turned from just following You, from walking together with Jesus through Your Spirit… as members of one body walking and working together, in Your love, with You, our head, our God… to next wanting a “pastor” as a kind of intercessor – like Israel wanted Moses, and then the judges, to be … and then when those human intercessor/pastor people turn out to be, well, human… well, then we want “leaders” and “organizations” (kingdoms!) like the world around us (and/or the “churches” around us)… and in the process, we of course have to accept “the procedure of the king who will reign over them…” (1 Sam 8:9-18) (ignoring Your warnings to us)… funny thing, though… every time the “leader” doesn’t suit us, we go looking for another human to take on the “king” job… and we so rarely seem to think of really repenting and going back to You…) (Papa???)(oh dear, oh dear… oh dear.) (my stomach feels sick!)

Psalm 146: 2. I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3. Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation… 5. How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God… 10. The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

Proverbs 14: 12. There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death… 26. In the fear (reverence) of the LORD there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge…. 30. A tranquil heart is life to the body… 34. Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.
(A tranquil heart is ONLY found in YOU, Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit!)(You’re the only hope for tranquil hearts in Your children, Your body, Your church!)

Ezekiel 23: 45 But they, righteous men, will judge them (referring to Israel, pictured as the “bride” of God – but remember, we too are the “bride of Christ”…) with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands…. 49. Your lewdness (running after the world and its “gods”) will be requited upon you, and you will bear the penalty of worshiping your idols; thus you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

I Corinthians 12: 4. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…. 11. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit…. 18. But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired… 20. But now there are many members, but one body. … 22. On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23. And those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24. Whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25. So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another….

Revelation 10: 5. Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6. And swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets…. 11: 15. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Messiah); and He will reign forever and ever.