H
Heneni
Guest
There is nobody in the church has been given the mandate to rule over others. Serve yes, rule NO. Not to rule as we world understands ‘rule’. If anybody calls themselves a ruler in the body of Christ, they must be the greatest servant among us all. A servant brings to others what they need. GOD is the one who authorizes what the servant should bring to others. Therefore there is only one in authority GOD. And he is the greatest servant of all. He brings to us daily what we need, even if it is air to breath.
There is great deception in the concept that god needs servants, as if god is in some way deficient and needs us to bring him something. If we have to look up to people, then look up to those who serve the most. You shall know them by their fruit. When you need mercy and find it in your fellow Christian man....you have been served with good fruit. Therefore ALL serving originates from God who develops our fruit. When you find someone who has poured out their life as a drink offering to those around him, you know that he has been a good servant. He will be someone whom god has given all that HE can through that person. That’s the kind of servants (rulers) god wants. Those who spend themselves for others. Those who pour their lives out for others. They take no consideration for their own welfare but only those of others. They trust that god who is all sufficient shall fill their cup again with good things, to be poured out again for others. God is the one in authority because GOD is the greatest servant of us all.
If we imitate the apostles we imitate their way of serving. If we look at some title holders in the church we would think 'that is what god wants me to be'. To 'make it' I have to be the one on a pedestal.
You will find that in many churches, protestant or otherwise, that the first thing their members feel they want to do when they join the church, is become the pastor, the leader, the worship leader and they lust after position and power. We must not bring those desires from the world, those desires of wanting to be someone of importance to the Christian life. To be the most important one you probably won’t end up with a title. You will be the one utterly spent.
'If you love me, peter, feed my sheep'. If we love god, we show this by pouring our lives out for others. Taking what God has been given to us freely and give it away freely. With no 'strings' attached. No membership fee, no owing of anything to the one that has given it. Freely you have received, freely give. Owe no man anything but to love him. Wouldn’t you say, that churches that make their members feel like the 'owe' the church something, have received something that was not freely given?. Instead it comes with all sorts of expectations. It comes with 'strings attached'.
There can be no unity between those who give freely and those who give with an agenda. The one lot loves God, the other lot loves titles, position, and power. Nobody who loves titles, position and power, can ever be united to those who have no need for it. There will always be a conflict of interest. Hence we pray…to HIM be the power and authority for ever and ever. All Glory be to HIM. God is the only one who has power, authority and a title, and not corrupted by it. So he really is the only one we can trust with it.
If you have any questions i will be ahppy to answer them.
Heneni
There is great deception in the concept that god needs servants, as if god is in some way deficient and needs us to bring him something. If we have to look up to people, then look up to those who serve the most. You shall know them by their fruit. When you need mercy and find it in your fellow Christian man....you have been served with good fruit. Therefore ALL serving originates from God who develops our fruit. When you find someone who has poured out their life as a drink offering to those around him, you know that he has been a good servant. He will be someone whom god has given all that HE can through that person. That’s the kind of servants (rulers) god wants. Those who spend themselves for others. Those who pour their lives out for others. They take no consideration for their own welfare but only those of others. They trust that god who is all sufficient shall fill their cup again with good things, to be poured out again for others. God is the one in authority because GOD is the greatest servant of us all.
If we imitate the apostles we imitate their way of serving. If we look at some title holders in the church we would think 'that is what god wants me to be'. To 'make it' I have to be the one on a pedestal.
You will find that in many churches, protestant or otherwise, that the first thing their members feel they want to do when they join the church, is become the pastor, the leader, the worship leader and they lust after position and power. We must not bring those desires from the world, those desires of wanting to be someone of importance to the Christian life. To be the most important one you probably won’t end up with a title. You will be the one utterly spent.
'If you love me, peter, feed my sheep'. If we love god, we show this by pouring our lives out for others. Taking what God has been given to us freely and give it away freely. With no 'strings' attached. No membership fee, no owing of anything to the one that has given it. Freely you have received, freely give. Owe no man anything but to love him. Wouldn’t you say, that churches that make their members feel like the 'owe' the church something, have received something that was not freely given?. Instead it comes with all sorts of expectations. It comes with 'strings attached'.
There can be no unity between those who give freely and those who give with an agenda. The one lot loves God, the other lot loves titles, position, and power. Nobody who loves titles, position and power, can ever be united to those who have no need for it. There will always be a conflict of interest. Hence we pray…to HIM be the power and authority for ever and ever. All Glory be to HIM. God is the only one who has power, authority and a title, and not corrupted by it. So he really is the only one we can trust with it.
If you have any questions i will be ahppy to answer them.
Heneni