>> Pastors and the Church. Part 4. << > New Testament Church Spiritual Guidelines. <

>> What is the Vision of the New Testament Church? <<

Other than seeing, (as the Amplified Bible puts it) "....The overwhelming Preciousness and the surpassing worth and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ...." [Philippians 3:7-10.]

The greatest and most thrilling longing second to that alone is "to see His glory so as I have seen Thee in the Sanctuary" - the Church. [Psalm 63:2.]

The two go together. If "Christ is all" personally, then there will be a desire for him to be "all" collectively in the Church, and that can only be "in all" for that is the full phrase in the sentence - ".... Christ is all and in all". [Colossians 3:11.]

*** It is impossible for Christ to be "all" in the midst of the Church as it gathers together if the "in all" is inoperative! ***

How poverty striken and inept much of the Church is today because of the traditional (handed down by many generations) apostate (Nicolaitane - "nico" = conquer, "laitane" = laity) pastor power regime over the Churches.

If we long to see a complete picture of Christ's glory through the reflecting glass of the pages of His Word as we spend time with him, then we will long to see the beauty of Christ and something of his fullness reflected and magnified through His body (the Church) in fellowship together.

May the Lord possess us more with a vision of his glory personally and collectively in the midst of His people.

The "Pastors and the Church" series were firstly presented as articles on the web at www.jesuslovesyoumission.com.
Serious review of presentation has not been undertaken with either the website presentation or printed versions.
Trust is in the Lord to give the general vision and inspiration that has come to my heart from the Lord, that the collective serious plight of the body of Christ today (as it has always been) is the ancient apostasy (illustrated in Revelation chapters 2 and 3) of man orientated Church.
The apostate poisonous tick of 'pastor power' has buried deep into the body of Christ and is unmovably enthroned in the institutionalised church systems of man. These systems of 'church' run deep where it shouldn't, amongst believers seeking collective life from Christ under the elevated importance of 'clergy/laity' man governance amongst the people of God.

>> Pastor Power:

(* For a fuller description of the terms pastor/bishop/elder see below under the heading - "The Shepherding of the Church".)
'Pastor power' is swelling in popularity at an incredible rate with the clamoring of women also to take to themselves the unscriptural 'title' bestowal of "Pastor"!
Should we not sit up and listen if the Lord speaks thus:- "Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away" [Job 32:21-22.]

When man takes to himself an elevated position, a gateway of automatic solicitation of admiration by others is opened at the peril of those impressed with man's position in the Church instead of Christ's.

The Lord open our eyes in these last days to cast off the importance of man and self and seek valiantly with all our hearts the "Preeminence of Christ".