While driving on the N1 north freeway from Jozi to Pretoria, I decided to grab some chow at the Caltex filling station’s shop in Midrand. As I entered the shop, I noticed this speedy Gonzales girl rushing and anxiously grabbing every item in the shop. She reminded me of a guy called Norman in that old TV shopping spree game show in the 90’s called “shopper surprise”; remember when contestants with a map directed Norman over the phone to run with the trolley and grab groceries on their list to win?
I grabbed a drink and when I was on the cue to the till, I heard Norman impatiently waiting behind me. She was breathing intemperately and nervously whispering something that sounded like binary (computer) language going, “ 000110 bus 010100011 bus 0000”. Because I am intelligent, I interpreted it as expected; so when I arrived at the till, I turned back and asked her “are you rushing for the bus?” pointing at the idling and revving Greyhound bus outside. Again she replied with words that no one can understand, but fortunately the gift of interpreting tongues must have come to me because I translated her reply as “yes” (it was confirmed by the up and down movements of her head). I let her go before me but when she arrived at the till, I was surprised when she started pointing at more items at the counter to be added into her grocery bag. Some items were falling from the counter while the Greyhound was barking louder outside. Panicking, she continued speaking in tongues to the confused teller and simultaneously receiving cell phone calls from the bus riders (passengers) who were commanding her to rush and not to forget their items (I don’t know what they were saying but I figured they shouted “Gigima Norman!” = run Norman run! Like in the game show) . Norman finished paying for her items and jumped into the bus, 2 seconds before it took off.
It’s evil what those bus riders did to the poor girl (Norman), right? Well, the message that the Lord has laid in my heart is that we are like the bus riders who treat our pastors like Norman ( taken from “not a man” I suppose). Pastors are human chosen among us to lead the way but we drive them to do everything for us while we sit safely in the bus to Heaven.
These men of God already encounter much suffering because of their calling but we don’t seem to care about them but our selfish desires. If a 20 000 members church pastor doesn’t make it to your grandfather’s cousin’s baby sitter’s half-brother’s… cat’s funeral, you quit the church, don’t you? We never think about them accept when we need prayer to cast out the millipede on our doorstep at midnight.
The Lord, who is well known for sacrificing his sons for evil people’s sake, has placed us in these men’s hearts like children in the mothers’ hearts but we abuse them for it. Pastors (Shepherds) worry and think about us (sheep) all the times; they intercede for us like Christ (Heb. 7:25), the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) is. They spend sleepless nights preparing to feed us, and as a result some of them are sick while their families are breaking apart but they would never show it. They pray privately like Moses :
Numbers 11:11-15 NLT And Moses said to the LORD, "Why are You treating me, Your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? (12) Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did You tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land You swore to give their ancestors? (13) Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, 'Give us meat to eat!' (14) I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! (15) If this is how You intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!"
And for some foolish reason that only a Pentium 1 computer brain can process, we think pastors must do as we wish because we pay “tithes”. Wow, brilliant! (Now I understand why the Lord calls us sheep!). Who on their sober mind would choose to be a Pastor like Moses even if paid a Billion Rands per second? It’s a rhetorical question but please let me answer it just in case:
Joh 10:12-13 NLT A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. (13) The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep.
False shepherds choose to be a pastors! Yes, these hired hands who are not called by God don’t care about people and they have penetrated the body of Christ like cancer viruses sucking all the money, health and life out of the sheep. People don’t even identify them because there’s no relationship with Christ whom the pastors have been attempting to lead us to.
John 10:14 NLT "I am the good shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me,
The way we respond to our shepherds signifies the way we respond to God (the Master) who sent them to us as a gift.
Luke 10:16 ISV The person who listens to you listens to me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
Brothers and sisters, let us show gratitude and gratefulness to the Lord by supporting & loving our shepherds. Let us not throw our baggage on them recklessly but rather practise what they teach us and have a direct relationship with the Father so we can make it on our own.
It’s not just pastors but people who try to help us in the walk with God. The Bible is clear that each person must work on their own salvation and that we must work to reap results desired:-
Php 2:12 ESV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
2Thes 3:10 NLT Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat."
Lastly :
Mat 11:28 NLT Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Christ is the ultimate goal and carrier of our burdens, not people. So let us appreciate those who help us carry our load to Christ and let’s not throw every load on them because they help us. Love is the greatest of everything! Pray and support your leaders!
No comments:
Post a Comment