Why it is important to follow your pastor!

What is a pastor? Well according to Webster's dictionary, pastor is a noun and a verb. Pastor is a person but it also is an act of doing.

Webster's definition....a spiritual overseer, from the Latin pastor meaning herdsmen, from the word pascere meaning to feed...

Isn't that what Jesus was? A Pastor feeding His sheep. Are we not called His sheep? That is why I believe that a Pastor is more like Jesus than any other man or woman of the church. A Pastor is there when we need him, and he is there to feed us every week, or in some cases every day the word of God.

You see a Pastor does not just get up and say whatever is on his mind Sunday morning. No he gets alone with God and gets quiet with the LORD and listens to what God would have him to tell us, His sheep. So when you do not agree with your Pastor, you have to stop and think, am I saying that I do not agree with GOD? You have to be able to trust your Pastor, because if you do not, then you will not get fed, because your heart will be hardened and not ready to receive. I personally every time I go to church, I ask the LORD to open my heart to receive and my ears to hear what HE has to say to me this day through my pastor.

There is a big difference between a preacher, an evangelist, a teacher and a Pastor.
A preacher studies the word and tells you what he thinks, an evangelist does his best to excite and stir you up with the word of God, a teacher teaches you how to study the word of God, and a Pastor brings the food God gave to him to you. He leads you in the right direction of following the Lord, and he guides you through your troubles with counseling. He comforts you during trials in your life, and helps to bring you through them.

A pastor is on call 24/7, just like Jesus. I am not saying you are to bow down to your pastor so don't go getting all bent out of shape. I am just saying that you need to regard him with the utmost respect. When you listen to him you need to remember that you are listening to the Lord Himself through your pastor, and act as you would if Jesus was standing there speaking to you in person.

Yes, Jesus was all of these people, but most importantly He was a Pastor to all God's sheep. He is always there for us to show us the way.

I was reading today in my devotional about when the Lord comes, will we be ready? Well according to the word, we as children of the light will be. This is the first time I saw this scripture this way.
We are always told how Jesus will come as a thief in the night, but we are never told the rest of that scripture.

1 Thes. 5 vs 1-5... But concerning the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you, yourselves know perfectly that the day of the LORD so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains of a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.....

So you see, we will not be taken by surprise if we are walking in the Light.
But then when I read on down into verse 12-13.....And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the LORD and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.....

This is where I got that we are to esteem our Pastor very highly, and be willing to hear with open ears and an open heart to receive what God has given him to feed us. Now this passage does not mention the word pastor, but that is what God revealed to me today that this scripture is meaning. He was telling me how important it is to have a pastor in our lives.

Doesn't that just make you want to go and hug your pastor and tell him how much you appreciate him and all he does for God's kingdom.
Well, Linda please show to Pastor Sam, how much he is appreciated from Rob and myself even though we are so far away, he continues to Pastor us weekly and feed us the wonderful food God has given him to bring to us, and we love him for his faithfulness in carrying out the LORD's work. I have learned to hear God more myself through Pastor Sam than any other time in my life. And for that I am grateful.

Let us all tell our Pastors today how much they are appreciated.
Neta

ps. For all those that know what I am talking about, I got a temp. job at the VA. Praise the LORD! Thank you for your prayers!