The answer is yes, and no. What I mean by yes is a man, but not just any man or men. The man Jesus, the Christ, our Lord & Savior. He alone is our mediator between us and God. When I say no, I mean no we don't need any *other man* ... no pastor, apostle, teacher, other than Jesus. Jesus has equipped every believer with two witnesses, they are: the Holy Spirit that resides in us upon our *new birth* into the Lord; and His holy written word, the bible. These are the only two things any Christian needs in this world, even in this time, which I believe to be the last days before the Lord's return.

We are dangerously close to self-anhilation in so many ways. Not just on the world scene with nuclear weapons poised and at the ready but with spiritual apostasy hot on our heels. We will be allowed to go to the very edge of extinction by our own hands. Then the Lord will return, but only after Israel is on her knees calling for their Messiah, Whom they rejected 2000 years ago. They (Israel), and indeed the rest of the world, could have been spared all the tragedies of the past 2000 years if they'd have only acknowledged and accepted their King when He rode into Jerusalem on that foul of a donkey. At first many were willing, laying palms down and shouting (as prophesied in Psalms and later seen in action) ...

Psa 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Psa 118:26 Blessed [be] he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

Jhn 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Jhn 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed [is] the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jhn 12:14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
Jhn 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

But as the religious establishment became enraged by the presence of their own God in the flesh (Jesus) they incited the crowds against Him. We all know what happened next, and what sadly has taken place since then ;o/

By the way, I am NOT saying we shouldn't have pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc. They are necessary in many ways. I personally believe the pastoral mantle is given because many people get lazy and do not read the scriptures for themselves ... and/or perhaps are not strong enough in the Lord to understand what they read as they don't yet know/trust Him to help them to understand from His Spirit to theirs. So yes of course pastors are needed in a congregational sense. But they are not needed in the sense that the Lord has provided each believer with the Holy Spirit within and His written word. We only *need* these two things for our soul food. My concern with pastors is there are so many in different theologies and doctrines, some of which aren't even biblical ... yet people follow them as sheep to the slaughter. Why do they get slaughtered? Because they are following a man (or woman) not annointed by God, they don't read and confirm all things in His written word, they don't consult the Holy Spirit within them. God calls this adultery, since mankind wanders *from Him* to the arms of others! Therefore they are led astray to destruction. Most so called *believers* are pew potatoes, spoon fed by the one at the pulpit ... whether correctly or not they don't really care. Very few actually seek the Lord for a personal relationship with Him, seldom do they feast on His written word and so they slowly starve to death and His Spirit departs.

Can His Spirit really depart? Read what happened to Saul in his adultery against the Lord:
1Ch 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it];
1Ch 10:14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

Don't take my word for anything, read your own bible!

So, back to the topic at hand. The Holy Spirit, and the Word of God in writing ... these two are our witnesses confirming what is going on today right under our noses and that which is yet to be. I'm not saying these are THE two witnesses as spoken of in Revelation, I think those are Enoch & Elijah since they are the only two to not have died physically, and a few other scriptural reasons, see my previous article on that subject. Jesus lamented (mourned over) the people of His day and how they rejected Him. It was even propesied that they would do so, long before He came.

Zec 7:12 Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! {see also Luke 13:34}

Please, read your bibles for yourself, ask the Holy Spirit within you for guidance and understanding ... He is faithful to help you see and know God. Our Father loves you, so much so that He made just one of you! You are irreplacable and He yearns to have a personal relationship with you as He has with others in the past, present and those yet to know Him. Don't be a pew potato ... open His word, the bible, and do as He asked you when He said:

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

John the apostle says:
Jhn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus said:
Jhn 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Jesus, Himself being two witnesses: in word (both written and spoken) and deed. Your bible is Jesus, in writing ... it's all about Him. Ask the Holy Spirit within you for understanding, He will help you. Filter ALL things heard and seen, including what I write, through His Spirit and His Word (the bible).

Thank you for reading, may our God bless you!