“…[T]hou art an austere man…”  (Luke 19)

“[P]aul’s words are weighty…”  (2 Corinthians)

It was said by Sherlock Holmes that the kindest man he ever knew [Paraphasing], was a killer of children but built mant children’s hospitals.  Obviously, Holmes was speaking about being outwardly, a kind man, but inwardly and in truth a very wicked man. This is something that has been thought by many Christ-ians through-out the history of the churh and before.

Many if not most of God’s men including, God Himself, have been thought to be and said to be hard and heartless.  In the Exodus and before in Genesis, it has been said about God, that He called and brought individuals into a walk with Him only to destroy them and to leave them to die.  Sarah, Lot’s wife, many of the Jews in Exodus doubted God’s kindness, faithfulness, and love.  Aaron, Miriam, and many other’s questioned Moses and by doing so questioned God.  Reader, and ministers, especially, if you have not been questioned by God’s people, you have not been following God for all that follow God will be questioned by God’s people.

Did not the disciples ask Christ if He careth for them or their lives as they rocked in the ship, as the wind and the waves beat upon the ship?  Have you not doubted Christ’s love by doubting His plans for your life? What godly father has not been doubted and questioned by his own family?  Reader, did Christ not say plainly, that all prophets find honour EXCEPt at home?  What Christ-ian father has not experienced this and does to this day.  This writer has been sought by many for his counsel, yet his only family look not to his counsel and doubt his guidance and even resent his counsel. This is the way it is.  It is a means in which God keeps His minister’s humble, me thinks.  When may come to a minister for his counsel, there is a danger of the humble man of God may grow in his pride and self-worth. The family will be used to keep him grounded.

From the beginning God’s Fatherliness and desire for our well-being was brought into question when the serpent asked Eve, “Hath God said?”  God’s well being was brought into doubt by the serpent’s questioning and Eve’s belief in this doubt.  Presently, God’s goodness is brought into question when you doubt His Word, Works, and Well-meaning.  You fall for the devil’s questioning,”Hath God said?”

Never doubt your pastor’s love and well-meaning when you receive his rebuke, his reprove, his correction or his instruction.  Reader, this is to what he has been called for and to.  One (1) should doubt the pastor’s love when the pastor is always pleasant and pleasing.  Excuse my bluntness and crudeness, If the pastor is always kissing your butt he loves not your soul.  The pastor that is always apporoving does not seek your best.

The pastor has not been called to kiss your butt, overlook your sins, pat your back, blow smoke, smile and shake you hand when you have alcohol on your breathe, or see you treat your wife without love and respect and let you walk out of the church.  The pastor that sees bruises upon your child and does not take you aside, question you, and then threaten…yes, threaten, your well-being does not love you or your family.  The pastor is to be a shepherd and sometimes the shepherd must be physical.  The preacher that lets you sleep during a message does not respect the message or care for your soul. Reader, the pastor has been called, by no one but God, to love you; and that love comes in many forms, in many shapes, and in many sizes.

I call this the “A-Salting Ministry”  otherwise spelled as, “Assaulting Ministry.”  I think you understand my meaning. In other word’s the rod and the staff of the pastor and other men of God will [dis]comfort the abusive. There should be no physical or mental, or emotional abuse in the church of God nor in the house where a child of God resides.

I’m not suggesting that the pastor should walk around with a frown upon his face or a judgmental gaze. The pastor should have the look of the joyful upon his face until he shouldn’t  It is written of Christ, “[H]e looked upn them with anger…”  It is also written,    “[H]e looked upon him with love..”  and “[H]e look about, seeing all things.”  Reader, there are times when we should look about upon all things, observing all that we can.  There should be times we lool about with love in our eyes, and time when we should have anger glaring forth from our eyes. This is especially true of the pastor.

Your writer has been called, “The gentlest man,” one (1) man has ever know and the “Technician”, bysome in the jiu-jitsu world..  This same writer has been called “a hard man”, a “cold man,”  an “intimidating man,”  an “unfriendly man,”  a “loving man,”  “a great dad, a too strict dad, and even a physically abusive by someone that saw volley-ball bruises one of his daughters”  I suppose we have been all of these things or thought to be all these things by different persons at different times.  There have been church attenders that have approached others and siar, “We don’t think Brian likes us very much.”  Some others have seaid i am a “great” Bible teacher, while others have said, “I preach to hard and too much on holiness.”

When the man that thought I was th emost gentle man he has ever know found out about my jiu jitsu he found it hard to believe.  When my trainer heard what the mansaid about me, they laughed, but Reader, both “could be true.”  Can I not be a gentle man when gentleness was called for and then be the “Technician,” when that was called for?  Was Christ not meek and yet emptied the temple with controlled violence with a three (3) wired scourge?  Did Christ not shed His Blood for His beloved and will He not someday dip His vesture in Blood and destroy His enemies for His righteous ones (1’s) to bathe in (Psalm 58)? Meknows so.

Likewise, when those that think of me as a loving pastor hear that others believe me to be hard, cold, and intimidating, and unfriendly, they matvel and laugh.  when someone hears that I was once thought o be abusive by a stranger, they mock the thought.  Those that havs said, “Brian teaches too much on Holiness,” are living lives of unholiness and those that believe me to be a faithful minister og God’s Word, believe me to teach on holiness the right amount of time.

The above is true of all Bible ministers, I don’t normally speak to self, but it was helpful, methinks, here. The above is true, probaly of all persons at some point or another.  Do not some children (especially those raised in the world) think there Mom and Dad are the “best ever” only to think, much differently at another time? Many in the church will love the pastor when the pastor says something they like or believe, but when he teaches something they “we not taught,”  they turn on him like Autumn turns into winter. This pastor, preacher, teacher has been turned on many times just as some ministers have turned on him. If a pastor has not been turned on, the pastor is not serving his calling or the God that called him.

Reader, before you turn on a minister, “Search the Scriptures” first and “”Examine yourself, to see if you are in the faith.” before searching the pastor and testing his teachings.  One must, “search the Scriptures,” before one (1) “tests the spirits,” or proves all things.”  I am not saying a pastor should never be checked…GOD FORBID!!!  But do not do so based upon emotions or likes and dislikes.  Do so based upon….solely based upon, the Scriptures. To question the pastor is to question God if your questioning is based upon feelings, likes and dislikes. The Scriptures must be the authority before the pastor, but if the pastor lines up with Scriptures authority, it is your place to submit to the pastor who submits to Scripture…plain and simple, and Scriptural. To go against the faithful pastor is to go against Godhead, Himself period.

*Remember, “Many that followed Christ, departed to follow [H]im no more.” (John 6:66) Do not let the reference be lost on you.
*Remember, those that welcomed Christ into Jerusalem are the same that cried, “Crucify [H]im, Crucify [H]im!!!” The last principle is a principle that all employees should apply to their business life, in other words, the employer and fellow employees that praise you one (1) day, will seek for your crucifixtion the next.
*Was not Christ betrayed by one (1) of His twelve (12)? Remember, the disciples, “scattered” as the Shepherd was smitten.
*Remember the disciple that said, “I will die for you,” also denied Him three (3) times before morning.
*Remember how John Mark and all others, save Luke, and Christ departed from Paul when he was being persecuted and imprisoned.
*Remember how Moses’ own brother and sister betrayed him.
*Remember How David’s own son, Absolom betrayed Daid and sought his kingdom and death.
*Reader, a theme of Scripture is the betrayal by loved ones (1’s). During the tribulation, the saint is promised betrayal by family and friends and even those that have worshipped with us. 1 John 2; Book of Revelation)