Pastor Appreciation Day

On October 7, 2018 it just happened to be Pastor Appreciation Day, and boy did I mess that all up! However, I need to say that I am very blessed to have all the Pastors that are in my Church as shinning lights in the darkness. It is no fun in the darkness, you cannot see.

Before I came to Victory Church, I had problems with some of the preachers because I knew there was not a glimmer in which to light the darkness. I happened to be in the wrong places, listening to the ones who would, if they could lead me astray. That is why I wrote about them. I did not think there were any Pastors who abided lies and deceit. That why I was shocked when I attended my last Church and heard and saw with my own eyes and ears, the way the Devil gets in. In my case, however he was already there. You see, I was very upset that good people believed these things and didn’t want to know the truth. They would rather remain ignorant. I felt that education of what the Bible says would help, instead of bashing anyone. Someone mentioned a Bible Study, so they could ask questions without prejudice. The fact that there were many things wrong didn’t help. I was the mouthpiece and I felt that Pastors were people too, and when you see a Bible teaching that is wrong, you need to speak up. In private, of course. The first thing I took my Bible to the pastor and asked, “where does it say, you have the right to hold back communion, just in case someone who shouldn’t, take it. I was dumfounded. My reply was that it wasn’t up to him, it was up to God, and he was breaking a very grave commandment by not offering communion. That was only the beginning, and I thought God would use me to help with the Pastor’s teachings. Nevertheless, it was a please to finally find a Church, Victory where they used God’s Word.

(Mat 24:24 MKJV)  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.”

I would pray every day for Pastor’s to teach instead of preach and got my answer, but after 6 yrs.  I prayed for Pastors to:

1. Understand the Bible

2. Explain the Bible

3. Would stop and give you the attention , even if they only have a minute, to help you

4. Have prayer with you

5. Didn’t get involve with politics

I was convicted! Rightly so, because  in my earlier blogs, I bashed all Preachers, without distinction, because they were not teaching the what I thought they should be, from the pulpit. I went on & on about how they were holding back information, etc. this is what I knew from the last 6 years of my life. What do I know?

This was until I met the real thing, the scriptural Church. I am a dispensationalist, and the only thing I believe is God’s word. So I have been deeply studying it for the past 10-yrs. However, this was all new to me.  

For example: They had announced that Victory was in need of “group leaders” for their small groups. I wanted desperately to get involved. However, this time God had a lesson on pride for me to learn. 

“I was sitting next to a young man who seemed eager for God’s word and I asked him if he would like to read my blogs, on-line. He said yes, so I gave him my card and hoped he would at the very least peek at them. Because of his busy schedule, he couldn’t promise anything, he would try. I was a little down, but continued to speak with him until he had to leave.

The pastor in charge, Pastor Craig had put out the word that they were still looking for group leaders, and they still needed people to fill these spots. About a couple of weeks after that, the young man was sitting next to my seat, and had a great deal of ‘busy’ going on, so I left him alone, until Brett, one of our greeters, came up to me, so I thought, but before he had a chance to open his mouth, I asked ‘Where is Pastor Craig Butler, I need to find him.’ Brett gave me a funny look, because lo’ and behold he was sitting right next to me. I would have crawled into a hole if one was available.

Consequently, we spoke about the positions, then he promised to read my blogs in order to be familiar with my head knowledge. No pride here! Oh, he understood me alright! I received an e-mail from him that he could find no place for me, so I asked to speak to him in private, and we made an appointment for the following week.

I couldn’t wait, I was so excited. I enter his office on the day in question and he had such a stern look on his face, and I thought, oh no!?! I sat there, red-faced and totally ashamed as he read part of my blog, ‘Where do you go when you die?’ He read aloud the first paragraph and I could see upside down on the sheet he was reading from that it was indeed my blog, downloaded and printed. Then I could see what he was referring to. God forgive me, because I had written: ‘that all Pastors and Churches won’t tell you what I am about to, (pride!). You will not hear these things from the pulpit. This is because they want to keep you there using fear as a tool, hanging on to hell and don’t tell you the truth…..’ That was enough! I was soooo convicted, I do not even know how I extricated myself from his office without crying. I was praying for God to forgive me, what was I thinking? I wasn’t!

 It took me a few days of prayer before I e-mailed Pastor Craig and told him how I really felt. First, being a JW for 15 years did not help, then the churches I had went to were like the words i had used, me, Miss-know-it-all! Nevertheless, I took this whole picture into view and knew it was a ‘God thing” as I call it. Pastor Craig couldn’t even continue to read my blogs. I thought that any day I was going to get the word that I was going to be thrown out of Church. My only saving grace, if you want to call it that, was these were all written before I even attended Victory Church. Where the Pastors are what I had been praying for.”

Yes, there are churches that Satan has gotten a foothold in, Jesus spoke about it in our time and times past. See Mathew 24:24

Notice that, though the elect may be powerfully tempted, they will reject and resist the attack and still remain loyal to their Lord. -“whom He did predestinate… them He also glorified,” Rom:8:30.

They may be tempted, tried, Until  deceived, but angels will bear them up in their hands and God will keep their feet. 

I also pray Psalm 91 every morning, because it encompasses so many things our Lord does for us behind the scenes. God knows this and that is good enough for me.

 

(Psa 91:11 & 12 MKJV)  For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways.”
(12:)  They shall bear You up in their hands, lest You dash your foot against a stone.”

(1Sa 2:8 & 9 MKJV)  He raises up the poor out of the dust; He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among princes; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor; for to Jehovah are the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world on them.”
(9:)  He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”

I wrote a blog on finally finding my home Church, Victory. It did not take me long to recognize that this was my oasis in the desert. God showed me without a doubt that I belonged here and that I would stay here. I joined shortly after. Please see my blog, :

“Breaking Through Brick Walls, an Easter Story.”

Until I went to Victory, I had not experienced such a true Church. My first time i was ecstatic, ask Jeff Sellers, I love the way he teaches when he preaches. I had written those blogs before Victory was a figment of my imagination. Pinch me. 

Now my job is to go through all of the blogs I had written, and change those derogatory remarks. In this case I was happy to be wrong. Anytime Jesus straightens me out I am happy that he is in my life.  

In this Church, they feed you what you need to know. It is neither meat nor milk. I am still praying for more Churches to be like this one. I am not the only one who feels this way. Seek out an “assemblies of God” Church in your area. Go check it out. You will find that gift from God, and every Pastor will be nice and attentive.  Like Pastor Craig Butler, they will be humble, and that was going to be my next blog. It’s a God thing. Not a Debbie thing.

(Rom 10:14 MKJV)  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without preaching?”

Thank you Pastor Craig!