Naturally Care

“But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.”
— Philippians 2:19-20

We Give Thanks to God for His Pastors—
God’s pastors resemble how He naturally care for His church. No other person on the face of this earth can naturally care for the state of God’s people (church) than the pastors He gave to feed us with knowledge and understanding.

Oh, I know, many folks may disagree. But, who was given the lifetime responsibility from God Himself to watch over the souls of the congregation, and to present them perfect in Christ Jesus? God’s pastors!

But still, many believe no one is perfect, even though:

• the Lord Jesus Christ commands us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48);
• His leaders are expected to be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:17);
• His leaders speak wisdom to the perfect (1 Corinthians 2:6);
• His leaders helps us to be perfect in every good work to do His will (Hebrews 13:21)….

Even with these things being said, and as far as many are concerned, there cannot possibly be a perfect pastor … Right? Wrong!

Another false reason many may disagree … because they are either in the group who do not (or did not ever) have a pastor according to God’s own heart, or, they are in the group who failed (or is failing) to submit to the pastor God gave them. The second group can/will suffer the greater judgment since they are (or were) under God’s pastor in the congregation of the righteous.

See! There you have it….

However, if those in the second group repent (meaning, if there remain a sacrifice for sin), they can be restored to become partakers of the first resurrection. But, if they do not repent (or did not repent prior to death), they WILL suffer eternal judgment.

Please … be seriously advised!

Definitions—
Now, let’s define the key words from our title and focus verse. The word “naturally” refers to God’s pastor who possess purported good character or quality; they genuinely care for the things concerning (that is, the state of) the souls God gave them to oversee. The word “care” refers to God’s pastors, and His pulpit leaders under them, who seek to further the progress of the people, and to look out for their best interests while under their watch.

It is quite the opposite with the hireling as Jesus said, “But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” (John 10:12-13).

The word “wolf” is used metaphorically of cruel, greedy, rapacious, and destructive men/women. Have you seen any of these preachers in the pulpit? They specialize in profane and vain babblings …and… they are spiritual “rapists” which is the root word of “rapacious” … You might want to hightail it from these deadly jokers! Okay?!

A Scriptural Venture of God’s Pastors

• (Jeremiah 3:15) …And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
• (Jeremiah 23:4) And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
• (Acts 20:28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
• (1 Timothy 3:2-5) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
• (Titus 1:7-9) For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
• (Hebrews 13:7) Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
• (Hebrews 13:17) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
• (Colossians 2:5) For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
• (1 Peter 5:2-3) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
• (Ephesians 4:11-12) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…
• (Colossians 1:28) …Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus…

This was a short scriptural venture of God’s pastors and His pulpit leaders. But, as you can see (or we hope you can see) from this list, not many in the Church world qualify to be God’s pastors or pulpit leaders, yet there are so many occupants in these positions.

And what’s even worse is what God said, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:31).

That’s right, folks! Many people love false prophets as well as the doctrines and traditions of men. And, just in case you wonder why God allowed this for so long? The answer is simple — (but many may be shocked who do not believe God’s love is conditional) — He allowed (and allows) false prophets and false leaders to remain in their positions for a season to prove us, to know whether we love Him with all of our being.

Let’s look at Deuteronomy 13:1-3, “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

How many times have you heard this scripture across the pulpit?

God’s Love is Conditional—
God calls for His people to love Him and His word above and beyond every person, place, or thing whether on earth or in the heavens. God is jealous and will not give His glory to another!

• (Proverbs 8:17) I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
• (John 14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
• (John 14:23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
• (John 16:27) …For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
• (Exodus 34:14) For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…
• (Isaiah 42:8) I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
• (Isaiah 48:10-11) Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
• (Matthew 10:37-38) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

…God cannot change, nor, will He adjust His nature to satisfy the flesh with any fake concept of unconditional love. There is NO such thing as unconditional love with God….

Build Upon God’s Foundation—
God’s pastors naturally care for the state of the people to hear, receive, believe, and live by the truth as prescribed in His word. They build upon the foundation Jesus started with the apostles and prophets. There is no other foundation built, that is, there is no other gospel(s) to be preached to make us wise unto salvation than the gospel which was once delivered unto the saints by God’s pastors and pulpit leaders who naturally care for our state.

Endangerment of False Leaders—
Pastors and pulpit leaders NOT called and/or NOT appointed by God endanger the lives of every hearer under the sound of their voices:

• (1 Timothy 6:3-5) If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
• (Romans 16:17-18) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
• (Galatians 1:6-8) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
• (2 Timothy 4:3-4) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
• (2 Timothy 2:16-19) But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

False Leaders Embrace Trifling Matters—
As we hope you see from the aforementioned scriptures, pastors and pulpit leaders NOT called and/or NOT appointed by God do not consent (embrace) wholesome words; they are proud (self-conceited); they know nothing (they have no comprehension of God’s word); they are doting about questions (they have a morbid fondness for questions), and wrangle about empty and trifling matters. Their minds are thoroughly as rotten as evil men and seducers who wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13).

False Leaders Cause Divisions—
These false leaders cause divisions and offences contrary to sound doctrine, which are by the way, as those who soweth discord among brethren are an abomination to God (Proverbs 6:19); they serve their own belly—they are the enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18-19); they use plausibility and eloquent words to deceive, swindle, and seduce the hearts of the simple (the unsuspecting).

The gospel they teach is from another source, that’s why they are accursed … and that source is the angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). These false leaders specialize in speaking desirous pleasant words which tickles the ears, and turns the hearers on like hallucinated drugs causes junky’s to believe they can fly….

Endangerment of False Words—
Finally, the endangerment of false words are profane and vain babblings that will increase unto more ungodliness and will eat the truth in the heart as a canker, i.e., eat the truth in the heart as “gangrene” rapidly and mercilessly destroys any part of the human body infected by it.

Have you never read, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9). The word “leaven” refers to pernicious influence.

Here’s another precept, “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2 Peter 2:2). The word phrase “pernicious ways” refers to the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell.

Here’s one more critical precept, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Proverbs 13:20).

This scripture might surprise some of us because the word “companion” means to “feed” as in a pasture with a flock, and, “fools” means properly “fat” which is the overindulgence of profane and vain babblings — loved by fools. Therefore, to receive the same feed of false words with fools will rapidly and mercilessly destroy the truth in the heart of the hearer.

But, for those who walketh with prudent and sensible people will be wise enough to shun, i.e., wise enough to stay far away from all false speakers who love to feed their hearers with the vomit and filthiness (but sweet) tastes of worldly and foolishly fruitless discussions (Isaiah 28:8). ‘Nough said!

This strongly suggests that, as soon as one hears a false word, immediately it begins to contaminate the truth in their heart; they must renounce and turn against both the false word and false speaker. This is truly a matter of eternal life or death.

Words of truth will save life …but… false words will utterly destroy it.

False pastors CANNOT feed God’s people with knowledge and understanding; they CANNOT build upon the foundation Jesus established; they CANNOT shepherd God’s sheep; and they CANNOT naturally care for the sheep. Only God, His pastors, and His pulpit leaders naturally care for His sheep.

Epilogue—
Please, take serious regard to the words of truth presented in this post, because your soul may be at risk of the torments of hell. Please, know the pastor you are under as Paul exhorted, “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour 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. And be at peace among yourselves.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).

If he/she is an hireling, they will flee when the wolf comes. The wolf is a false prophet with the let’s-make-a-deal concept to live your best life now; name and claim what you’ve desired for so long; call those things which be not as though they were; send praises up and blessings will come down; etc. But, their offers are actually on the broad way that leads to eventual death, destruction, and your soul cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.

If you are not under a pastor who naturally care for your eternal state in God according to the scriptures, please, we beg you by the mercies of God to go from their presence, immediately! Consider what we wrote in this post, and the Lord will give you understanding in all the things you need to know to prove His point about the leadership you are under. He will reveal to you if they are not His called and appointed leaders so you can get out of that contaminated environment, diligently seek after Him, and He can/will give you the pastor (according to His own heart) He chose before the foundation of the world.

But, if you are under God’s appointed and authorized pastor and pulpit leadership, take full advantage to obey them unto perfection in the Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!!!

Oh, one last thing! God’s pastors are integral parts of His foundation. You cannot lose if you choose to submit and obey, because they naturally care for your eternal state in the Lord Jesus Christ!

In Christ We Do Remain
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