Dear Fellow Pastors,

The scripture is clear about the threats faced by the church as well as the role of the shepherd (pastor) as the chief defender of the sheep assigned to his care and oversight. (John 10)

These threats are ever increasing, as we enter more and more into perilous times in which deception, evil men and seducers, wax worse and worse. (2 Timothy 3:13)

As Pastors, we need to ensure that we are clothed with the whole armor of God with which we have been especially equipped both to feed and defend the flock assigned to our care. We need to stand in strength and in exercise of the independence that is necessary, if we are to be effective. We need to be aware that as the enemy targets the flock,  pastors would be the first point of assault.  If the shepherd is smitten, the flock would then be scattered. (Matthew 26:31)

We should also be aware that as we take our rightful position, others would take note. There are those who would be encouraged. There are those who would also become aware of their own limitations with respect to the flock, as the pastors would have marked the boundaries.

Be encouraged!

The office or gift of the Pastor is listed among the gifts (often called the ministry gifts) in Ephesians 4:11. According to the scripture, those gifts are given by the Lord. Let us focus on the office of the pastor. It is the Lord who distributes these gifts as He sees fit. No man can choose to be a pastor. One cannot be a pastor by his personal choice. Doubtless there are many who are performing the role of the pastor, without the calling and, may be recognized by others as a pastor, simply on the basis that they preside over a church. But according to the scripture, presiding over a church is NOT what makes one a pastor. The callings of God are NEVER chosen by men. According to Hebrews 5:4, No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God.

The scripture also says that the good works for which we are created in Christ Jesus were determined for us "before". (Eph 2:10). In Gal 1:15, 16 Paul states that it did please God who "separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace" to reveal His Son in him. This scripture implies that before he came out of his mother’s womb, his purpose was determined and that God brought him from his mother's womb for that predetermined purpose.  In other words, a person is a pastor before he is even set over a church. He is set by God over a church because he is a pastor. He is a pastor before he had knowledge of it and certainly before he had a single member. The number of members over which one presides cannot be a basis to determining the call. Even having many members do not prove the call.

Am I A Gossiper?

The word “gossip” always convey a sense of negative, idle conversation and the spreading of rumours about other people. Concern about gossip, may have been on the mind of Henry Thomas Buckle, when he made the well-known quote: “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people”.

There are people whose only problem with gossip is when they are the target of other gossipers. That however, suggests that they understand the evil effects of gossip.  Yet, they too, often indulge in gossip concerning others. Most gossips are outright lies, half-truths and often attempts to paint a negative view of others in the mind of the hearers.

For the purpose of making the rumours appear to be facts, it is delivered with a sense of boldness and assurance. Gossipers should be aware that they are spreading lies concerning others.

It is therefore, important that we be conscious of our gossip.

Very early in God’s dealing with man, He warns man against using His Name in vain.  Much of the use of the Name of the Lord by man occurs in human speech.  
When the Lord taught His disciples to pray, in what is a model prayer (after this manner pray ye), He began by addressing the Father and then worshipping Him through His Name – Hallowed be Thy Name. (Matthew 6:9)

The Lord began by reverencing the Name of our Father in Heaven. He taught his disciples to speak words to the Father, letting Him know that His Name is Hallowed to them. Hallowed means holy, sanctified, set apart.

Such reverencing of the Name of God is the very opposite of the vain use of His Name, in which the Name of the Lord is treated as a common word or a mere human name.  In fact, many persons when vainly using the Name of the Lord are unaware at those moments that they are misusing His Name.  There is often no thought of Him, when His Name is vainly used as though it was a slang. An understanding of the Scripture would teach us that when God uses names, that is - even when He gives names to men, those names are always related to the character, call and purpose of the individual.  It is always about who the person is. God changed the name of Abram to Abraham – meaning father of a multitude – because that was whom God made him.  Most human names given by parents are in no way reflective of the person who owns the name, because our parents do not know us sufficiently to identify us by who we really are.

LEST HAPLY YE BE FOUND EVEN TO FIGHT AGAINST GOD

Numbers 12 begins by relating how Miriam and Aaron, sister and brother of Moses, had an issue with Moses because of the Ethiopian wife that he had married.

Obviously upset, they began questioning if it was only Moses through who the Lord speaks. “And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?”  Then the scripture adds, “And the Lord heard it”. (Numbers 12: 1, 2)

Does that mean that the Lord was unaware of all they had been saying otherwise concerning their dissatisfaction with his choice of a wife?  Certainly not! What is does mean, is that they had entered into an area, that immediately got God’s attention.  They had crossed a line that was of great concern to the Lord and his response was immediate.

To Miriam and Aaron, Moses was their brother.  Very likely, while others saw him as a prophet of God, their first impression of him was that of a brother and just another man.  Therein lies the root of the problem expressed by the Lord in this well-known scripture: “A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” (Mark 6:4)

KNOW YE NOT THAT WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS?

In addressing the multiple problems among the Corinthian believers, Paul dealt with the matter of brothers taking brothers to courts, presided over by the ungodly judges. (1 Corinthians 6:1-8)

This scripture has been used by some, in certain instances to even perpetrate injustices among the brethren.  In other words, it would seem that there are some who have dealt unjustly with others only because they do not expect to be taken before the courts of the world.  Some may have dealt with their brethren in a manner that they may never deal with persons of the world whom they know won’t hesitate to take them to the courts of the world. Indeed, where this exists, it is a great evil and a wanton display of wickedness that goes contrary to ALL that this scripture has instructed. The scripture is about the delivery of justice, settling disputes between brethren in a just manner.  

Paul speaks concerning the future, that the saints shall have responsibilities for judging the then world. He further adds that the saints shall exercise judgment over angels. Compared to those responsibilities, the judgments we are now called upon to exercise are small matters. (1 Corinthians 6:2,3)

This has nothing to do with brethren who are legally trained.  It has nothing to do with looking for loopholes within the law for exploitation, as happens in the world’s legal system and which often corrupts justice. It has to do with making judgments according to truth and governed by our godly responsibilities toward each other. The scripture expects such a standard of fairness among believers that “the least esteemed in the church” should be able to justly decide a matter. (vs 4)

God created man for fellowship with man. That was evident in the Garden of Eden, as the presence of the Lord God, would visit man. (Genesis 3:8) It was also evident that once man sinned, the fellowship was broken and man was hiding from the presence and fellowship of his Creator. It was not God who pushed man away, it was man who was no longer comfortable in God’s presence. (Genesis 3:10.) Sin broke both the relationship and the fellowship that God and man had been mutually enjoying.

God immediately began a process that pointed to the sending of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, with restoration of fellowship as the objective.

The scripture tells that that to as many as receive the Lord Jesus, He gives power to become sons of God. (John 1:12) Giving those who receive Him the status or relationship of sons, define the kind of fellowship that God desires with mankind – the fellowship of a Father with His sons. Because sin had separated man from God, a restoration of fellowship with God, meant dealing with the sin problem. That is what the Lord Jesus did in His death, the shedding of His blood and in His resurrection from the dead. However, because even after restoration, the possibility exists that man may still sin, God had to put in place the means of dealing with any further sin.

When Jude wrote to the saints, he made mention that his intent was to write to them concerning “the common salvation.” (Jude 3)  He found however, that there was a matter more urgent with which he had to deal.  He instead wrote, urging the brethren to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Clearly Jude considered the “faith which  was once delivered unto the saints” to be under threat.  The words “earnestly contend”, according to the well-used, Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, come from a Greek word which “signifies to contend about a thing as a combatant”.  In other words, Jude is telling his audience to combat, fight for the faith, as originally delivered and received.  The word “earnestly” adds emphasis to the fight effort.  The Amplified version says, “fight strenuously”. Jude was putting the saint in combat mode.  There was nothing casual about his call.  The implication is that except you fight for it, you may lose it.

But just how could this threat have come about?  “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4)

WE ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO BE FAITHFUL

We must always be mindful that for us who are called of God, Paul wrote that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

The Amplified Version, states it this way: “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”

In other words, the work which God has called each of us to do was prepared, planned and determined by Him before we came.  It really is a matter of us finding out from God, what He has called us to do and following Him faithfully until that work is finished.

As Paul came to the end of his ministry, he wrote to Timothy, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7).  “I have fought a good fight” described the work of the ministry. “I have finished my course” was his objective.  “I have kept the faith” is another way of saying, “I remained faithful” and revealed the key to finishing.

Leadership is about vision.  Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”

Vision is about direction and destiny.  Leaders sell their visions to those who wish to follow them.  Followers are those who have bought into the vision as espoused by the leader.  The exception are those persons who live under dictatorships and are without a choice.

The Lord Jesus was a leader.  He boldly told men, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19) He told them what the outcome would be if they would follow His Vision – “I will make you fishers of men”.  Inherent in that promise, is that they too would be leading others.  He would make them leaders.

The Lord taught and prepared His disciples over 3 and a half years for the leadership roles they were to fill after His departure.  He taught by words and by His example.  He also drew reference to the leadership of men to which they were exposed, even in showing what they should avoid.  In one such example, the Lord referred to the leadership of the Pharisees. “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)