It's Midnight. Reading the bible and praying as usual

7/26/11 Wednesday
It’s almost midnight, almost Wednesday so I went ahead and put that date on this post. It will be Wednesday by the time I finish writing this. I’ve read all of Philippians and will finish Colossians before I call it a night. Went out and prayed for a while. It is nice to pray outside under the stars and the calmness of the night. It’s still pretty warm out but much cooler than the 103 degrees it hit today. I read a comment from a brother I dearly care for and see that he too has been drawn into the poison that is the fruit of this disgraceful action of the church. Here’s a scripture I just read in Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone ; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body ; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Ahh, the way it should be, unity, fellowship, truth, and true love, where you choose what is good for the other person, not what you want for yourself. How Jesus’ heart must have cried when they, in anger and self righteousness, violated the very heart of our faith. Lord be merciful to them, restore them and show them the great sin they have committed, that they might turn from such things, and future visitors will find the truth, not judgment. I suspect that the pastor saw me as a threat to her pedestal, the place of honor she has where so many adore and look up to her, a dangerous place to be for when all look up to you pride can easily set in.

That is why Jesus said this in Mathew 23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying : "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses ; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds ; for they say things and do not do them. 4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men ; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 "But do not be called Rabbi ; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father ; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "Do not be called leaders ; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled ; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

A good part of Jesus’ ministry was to show by example that trait He most desired to see in us, humility. Jesus, the son of God, creator of the universe, humbled Himself to die a horrible death after being mocked, spit on, laughed at, and beaten till He was unrecognizable. He washed the disciples feet, instructing them this is the way they needed to act. He said that the first shall be last, the greatest will be brought low and the least raised up. Poor Jannie hasn’t seemed to get this, that to be a pastor means to be a servant to all. She told the story several times of the woman who called her, who was sick apparently with an intense fever, and asked for Jannie to come over and wipe her forehead with a wet cloth. “Some people have no idea of what a pastor is, or how they should be treated” she harrumphed “She actually expected me to go over there” Jannie said with great indignation. I listened and cried inside, amazed at the blindness I was seeing and her total lack of comprehension of the heart of God. This is why God sent me to that church. I evidently failed in my mission, but pray for her still.

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.