From your pulpit, pastor, I ask you to look out over your flock. What do you see?

What you see is not the body of Christ! What you see is fallible humans who are susceptible to the allure of perfect health, wealth and riches, power and position, notability and pleasures.

I ask you again pastor, submit yourself to the Spirit and once again look out over your flock through spiritual eyes. What do you see?

What you see through spiritual eyes is the true and faithful Church. The bride who is without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish, waiting for the moment of her hope, the sounding of the trumpet, the arrival of her Groom in the clouds, and those cherished words - "Come up Here!"

There is the natural and there is the spiritual. The natural is of the first man Adam. The spiritual is of the last man Adam who became a life giving spirit.

What is seen through natural eyes is a body of sin which remains susceptible to failure, bad decisions, pride, and all manner of evil influence, and all manner of sin.

What is seen through spiritual eyes is holy, faithful, pure, true, and infallible. What you see is two spirits who through death and resurrection have become one and are each one in the other. What you see is not capable of sinning.

Pastor, take another look. Look through your natural eyes. Then look through your spiritual eyes. In the first case you see darkness and sin while in the later case you see light and perfect holiness.

Pastor, your sheep do not need to be taught how to be saved. They are already saved forevermore. What they need is to be led and taught in the Way of living a life in the natural which imitates their Savior.

Are you beating them up or are you encouraging them? Are you condemning them or are you exhorting them?

Pastor, I encourage you, lead and teach in the way of righteous living through gentleness and humbleness. The sheep tend to emulate their shepherd.

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Blessings to all,
Tch