The Work Of A Pastor

"...And some pastors and teachers.." (Ephesians 4:22b) What does a pastor do? Of all those who are involved in spiritual leadership in the church, what is the role of a pastor? *"Pastor is from Latin, translating the original Greek word poimen. The familiar Anglo-Saxon word shepherd also translates this word. The root meaning of the word is one who tends, or feeds the flock. Pastor is one of several words used in the New Testament to designate the men that God has charged to oversee the local church. Other names for these men include elders, or presbyters, from the Greek presbuteros; and bishops, or overseers, from the Greek word episcopos. All three Greek words describe the same church leaders in the New Testament, with each of the three titles simply showing different aspects of their work.(*housetohouse.com)
In order for a pastor to tend, and feed his flock, he must be among them. It is not a work that can be done, just sitting in the office. The work of a pastor is one of concern for the spiritual needs of the church. He is on the team with the elders and deacons of the church. The pastor's work is one of teaching and encouragement. On a football team, he would be the quarterback. It's a big job today, with the various challenges that churches face. But one that is very rewarding, when you see the growth and progress of each person under your care, as well as the progress of the church as a whole. GP Photo ID 10527880 © Rmarmion | Dreamstime.com

Absent Or Assembling?

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25) 
As Christians, is it wrong to be absent from church worship services, Bible studies, and church activities? The Hebrew writer is encouraging his readers (and us) to love each other, and minister to one another, and to not forsake the assembling of ourselves as (some were doing then) and are doing today. It is clear as we read the book of Hebrews that the number one priority in our lives, is our relationship to Jesus Christ. Second is our relationship to each other in the church. Our Christian walk is primarily about our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are to be constant in making that be the best that it can be.
Not being present at worship services, Bible studies, and church activities can be wrong if we are staying away for long periods of time. It will hinder our relationship with the Lord, and will affect our relationship with our fellow Christians. We don't want to be like a coal on a grill, when it is taken away, will turn cold and gray. Being involved in these things will help us to have the best relationship with the Lord, we can have. The Lord understands, that there are things that take us away, at times. But when it becomes all the time, He is not pleased with the lukewarmness of our heart. (Rev.3:16) GP
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Our Eternal Healing

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy," (Psalm 103:2-4) If someone dies from a terrible disease such as cancer, can they be healed? Looking at our text, I would say, "Yes". The Psalmist says that the Lord not only forgives our iniquity, but heals all our diseases.      
I heard someone pray this week concerning receiving healing, and the request this person made, was that the Heavenly Father would provide healing now in this life, or in the next. Death may end life as we know it, here on planet earth. But death is not the end of life. After our life here in this world is over, we step over into eternity. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, as the one the Psalmist says "who redeems us from the pit", we will be restored, and find our eternal healing. For those who have placed their lives in Christ, the promise of the future is so wonderful. That which we endure so severely, as far as sickness and pain, we can look forward to all of it, being taken away, the moment we go home to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 14, Jesus told His disciples: "Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:1) Believe that the Father, and the Son, have made preparations for us to not only enjoy a new home, but a new life, free from the suffering and pain, that comes from the ailments, and diseases of this life. It doesn't get any better than this! GP
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Go To The Lord First

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) 
Why is it, that most of the time, when we are overwhelmed by some trial, the Lord is the last person we go to? It's nice to have family and friends close, that you can talk to, about the problems; but yet they will never be able to provide the wisdom, and the comfort, like the Lord can. When people come to us with their problems, we may not have the right words. We may not know what to say. There are times we say things that we didn't intend, and end up hurting more than helping. The first person that people should go to is the Lord. Just make the time, to do as Psalm 46:10 says: "Be still and know that I am God." Make time to read God's Word. Look up Scriptures that pertain closely to your trial, and make time to pour out your heart to God if necessary. In your quiet time with God, let Him embrace your heart with His presence and peace. To say: "Lord, I just can't deal with this by myself. Please help me to be patient. Help me to find peace, as I wait for you to work things out for my good (Romans 8:28) as you promised." The reaction of many is to fall apart when confronted with the sharpness of a trial's edge. What would take the sharpness away, is a time of communion with God, allowing Him to "Be God" and know that in His time, and in His way, He will direct our paths, and deliver us! Let's take advantage of this precious privilege today! GP
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Concern Or Conflict

"Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will."     
(2 Timothy 2:23-26) How many arguments have we had with people? Too many to count? Time after time we have disagreements with people. It is apart of life. The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy as a young Christian leader, to not be an argumentative person. He is not to be quarrelsome, but show kindness, and patience, and gentleness. Just because people can be difficult to deal with, does not mean that we give up teaching them. If we give up on them, then the devil gains a foothold in their lives. It is a battle we are engaged in already, between us as spiritual leaders, and Satan our enemy. Our best defense is our constant love for the people who are under our care, even if some of them do not agree with us, and challenge our doctrinal position, and teaching from the Bible. Love and concern for those in our care should always be the priority, instead of constantly focusing on ourselves. The devil is hoping we will do this, so He can capture the sheep under our care, and have them do his will. GP Photo by Stuart Miles. Published on 08 October 2013 Stock photo - Image ID: 100206611 www.freedigitalphotos.net

The Holy Spirit's Scalpel

"For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) 

I have a friend who will be having surgery this coming week, for hip replacement. He will definitely be going as they say "under the knife" The surgeon's scalpel is one of the sharpest instruments used for surgery. That instrument is able to cut through skin and muscle very easily.

The Hebrew writer describes the Bible as being like a sharp blade, in the form of a sword, that is able to cut through to the soul and spirit, and penetrate our hearts. I take this to mean that the Word of God is able to cut through the selfish sinful intents of the heart, and help remove the ugly destructive spiritual decay, that is there.

The Word of God is able (through the spiritual surgeon: The Holy Spirit) to cut through the bad worldly intentions, and help us remove what is wrong in accordance with God's teachings.

In essence what the Hebrew writer is saying is that: God's Word will convict us of sin, and set us on a path of spiritual health. That is if we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. It is like with any health procedure, the patient must submit to the treatment, in order to get well.

 I don't know what is in your heart today? But I pray that if you need to surrender your life to the one who can provide the spiritual treatment to make you spiritually whole again, the Lord Jesus Christ, is waiting for you! GP

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Who Am I, And What Have You Done With Me?

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)     
You have heard this question asked about a certain someone you know. "Who are you, and what have you done with so and so?" 

I have a similar question regarding us, that could be asked of Satan, or of Jesus. "Who am I, and what have you done with me?" 

Of Satan I could ask: Since you have taken me down a path of selfishness and self-sufficiency. "Who am I, and what have you done with me?"

I am not the humble person I was, or should be. But now because of my pursuits of the world, and everything that pertains to me, I am a person of despair, and heading in a path of destruction.

Now Of Jesus I ask this same question. Since I have submitted my life to You, "Who am I, and what have you done with me?" 

Because of my submission and obedience to your Word, you have made me a whole person, a complete person. Free from sin, guilt, self, and fear. And now you are working in me, and through me, to help me be, a mature person in my faith, hope, and love. (1 Cor.13)

This same question can cause us to see the negative side of what we could be, or the positive side.
I pray that we will let Jesus help us to be the person He wants us to be.

And the answer to the question of how we can stay that person, is found in our text: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) GP

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Something To Look Forward To

"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.." 
(2 Peter 3:14) The things that we are to be looking forward according to Peter, is in regard to the return of Jesus Christ. What is referred to as "The Day Of The Lord" This is the ultimate event we as Christians look forward to. What would we do if we didn't have anything to look forward to? Life would be miserable beyond imagination. Life is made up of things and events that we look forward to. From what we are going to eat for our next meal, to the new chapter in our lives, whatever that may be. We try with all our heart to embrace new hope for our lives. And even though our days now, may be filled with trouble, we know that our future will not be all bad, and we look forward to that good part coming up. But the most important event is the return or our Lord Jesus Christ. To one day see Him, and to "be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless,"should be the main goal of our lives. We want to be pleasing to Him, when we meet Him, and go home to be with Him for eternity. Are you preparing for that time? Are we doing as the old Hymn tells us to do? Trust And Obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey." Let's be thankful, and lets be prepared. We have a bright future in Jesus Christ. This is something so wonderful to look forward to. GP
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IS JESUS LORD?

Have you ever heard these words, or said these words? "You're not the boss of me!" These words are definitely an attempt to assert one's independence. We don't like having someone telling us what to do. After all that person might ask us to do something we don't what to do, or put us in a situation we don't want to be in. There is a story of a farmer several years ago who was struggling with a balky mule. He was so frustrated with this mule that he was starting to lose his patience. Finally someone asked: "Why Sam, where is your will power?" He replied, "My will power is fine, but you ought to come out here and see this animal's "won't power." When it comes to our obedience to the Lord, what about our "Won't power?"    In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as "Lord" far more often than He is referred to as "Savior." He is called "Lord" 747 time in the New Testament. In Acts 2:26 Peter preached to the people on the Day of Pentecost, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."   In Biblical times, when a Jew reading the Scriptures came to a word translated "Lord" he would bow his head, and worship. When a Scribe was translating the Scriptures, and came across the word for "Lord" he would put down his pen, and get a new pen, just to write the word. Theme: Let's look closely at the Lordship of Jesus. He is the one... WHO CONTROLS ALL THINGS (Ephesians 1:20-23) WHO WAS CROWNED WITH ALL GLORY AND HONOR (Hebrews 2:7-9) WHO COMMANDS OUR ALLEGIANCE (Hebrews 5:9) Sermon Outline: The Preacher's Files. http://preachersfiles.com Photo ID 57379559 © Claudia Närdemann | Dreamstime.com

Do We Ever Think About Eternity?

 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."(Ecclesiastes 3:11) 
Here we are in this world, focused on this life. I wonder, do we ever think about eternity? After this life is through, than what? Where will we be? Have we made preparation for the next life that is eternal? You mean there will be another life after this one? This life is not all there is? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome and said: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Yes, the next life is indeed eternal. But the key to having a good eternal life, is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the major tragedy of the ages, that people leave this life without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. They never trusted Him as Savior. The did not claim Him as the one who would take away the wages of sin. The wages of sin is eternal separation from God. That is eternal death. And I can't imagine, or explain totally, what that experience will be like. But from what the Bible says, it is the most terrible experience one could have. It's time we thought about eternity. It's time we placed our lives in the hands of the one who can secure our eternal destiny. What would we do without Jesus? I pray that we will never eternally find out! GP
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The Fullness of God

"To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with the fullness of God." 
(Ephesians 3:19) 
How do you explain having "the fullness of God?" It is the prayer of the Apostle Paul, that his readers develop a strong spiritual maturity. That this inner person be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. It should be the desire of every Christian, to get as much knowledge of the love of God, and embrace as much of what God has to offer of Himself, and of His kingdom, as we can. Paul tells us that in Ephesians 1:3 that we are "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.." But the question is, are we taking advantage of those spiritual blessings? To know the love of God, is to know that through His Son Jesus, we have salvation, we have a shepherd that leads us through the storms of life, And as David says in Psalm 23, He will "lead us to the green pastures, and the still waters." He will "restore and sustain our souls". We have God's Word to direct out paths, so we will live lives of righteousness and peace. We have our brothers and sisters in Christ who are to be a support group for us. Of all that God is, and all that God has for us, is wrapped up in His love that is found in Christ Jesus. To know it, and to embrace it, is such a privilege and a blessing! To the world we can say! "It doesn't get any better than this!" GP
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Showing A Greater Sensitivity

"But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience sake; for "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness" (1 Corinthians 10:28) Regarding the issue of eating meat that was sacrificed to idols, the Apostle Paul gives this teaching. If a Christian is invited to a home of an unbeliever, and meat is placed on the table, let him eat without asking any questions. But if he is told that this meat was used in the sacrifice to idols, he is to not eat it. Why? Because it is showing a sensitivity to this one who feels that eating this meat would be wrong.   I was told that at some wedding receptions there are two punch bowls. One with just the drink of punch, and another which contains alcohol. As we would say "One that is spiked!" As A Christian, which one would you partake of? One cup or two, of the punch with alcohol, may not hurt me. But to set an example for others, I would abstain from it. Shouldn't a Christian be sensitive to the needs of others? To those who feel that doing this is wrong? To those who have a weakness towards alcohol?     Do we want to be a stumbling block to others? That is the question that the Apostle Paul asked then, and it is relevant for us today. Love is the key. It should be our desire to be balcony people, Showing a greater sensitivity to the feelings, and needs of others. As Jesus put people first, shouldn't we?  GP
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Our Caretaker!

"O Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand." (Psalm 95:6-7) As Christians, I wonder, do we look at ourselves as being "the people of God's pasture, and the sheep of His hand?" Or do we look at ourselves as being independent of any one's care; holding on to an attitude of self-sufficiency? It is sad to say, but I would venture to say that a lot of Christians (even though they profess the name of Christ) do not want to be submitted to the care of Christ. Their lives show that they want to care for themselves, and they want to be the captain of their own ship. But in the process of time and trial, we come to appreciate these words of Jesus when He said: "Come to Me, all you who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart. And you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) How foolish to try and take the reign of our lives, when we know the Lord can, and will, do a better job of taking care of us. We know that life requires a yoke of responsibility and burden. And at times, it gets very heavy. But our yoke becomes easier, because we have the Lord to help us bear it. With every step He teaches us, encourages us, strengthens us. And as we journey through this life, we feel peace and hope with every step. Now that's the kind of caretaker I want in my life. How about you? GP
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The Ruin Of Resentment

"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25) It happens in every family, and it happens to every individual. We hurt others, and we get hurt by others, and we have the tendency to hold on to resentment, sometimes for years. What we must remember is that we are all apart of the human factor. We have weaknesses, we have faults, no one is perfect. It's time to let people off the hook. In our text, when we are praying, forgiveness must be a top priority.
If we want our Heavenly Father to forgive us, we must be willing to forgive others. As Christians, we  are to do our best to treat people as Jesus treated people. There are those times, when the people we are close to, disappoint and hurt us. Holding resentment for a long period of time, is like carrying a heavy object around with us everywhere we go. It's like being burdened with a ball and chain. When we keep remembering how a certain person disappointed us, or wronged us in some way, it keeps our heart in constant despair. And our relationship with that certain person, will never be better, because we are refusing to let go of the bitter feelings, and let the healing of God take place. Where would we be if God held resentment towards us. We would not be forgiven, and we would definitely not enjoy eternal fellowship with Him. There would be no peace in our hearts, now, and forever! GP
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I Am, Because We Are

An anthropologist proposed a game to the kids in an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first, won the sweet fruits. When he gave them the signal to run, they all took each other's hands, and ran together, then sat in a circle enjoying their treats. When he asked them why they choose to run as a group, when they could have had more fruit individually, one child spoke up and said: UBUNTU, "how can one of us be happy, if all the other ones are sad?" UBUNTU in the Xhosa culture means "I am, because we are." In Acts 2:46 Luke says this about the early Christians: "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart." Do we see any sign of competition among the early Christians? Do we see any sign of selfishness, or division in the early Church?       So what is our excuse today? Why are we so focused on individuality instead of unity? Does the concern for the whole group pale, compared to the concern for the individual? Yes we all have our place in the body of Christ. But each member is there to contribute to the welfare of the whole body. May we always remember this. Because if we don't, the deterioration of our local Christian community will be a reality. GP
Photo by Stuart Miles. Published on 12 March 2013 Stock photo - Image ID: 100146286
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Looking At Others

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5) 
If there was ever a time when we are to take a good look at ourselves it is now. Instead of looking at the faults of others, why are we not looking at our own? And what is the testimony we bring concerning the Christian life, when our lives are not what they should be? When the scribes and pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, He made everyone involved take a good look at themselves. (John 8:1-11) After reading what Jesus wrote on the ground, one by one her accusers left. They had sin in their lives, just as she. Arrogance is the word, when we severely criticize others for the wrongs they have done, and we fail to look at the plank in our own eyes. For all of us, it is a time of self examination, to make sure that we line up to the teachings and will of our Lord Jesus Christ. May this be our main objective, before we step into the task of making the world right! GP
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What Did We Forget?

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15) 
Declining attendance, and churches closing, is the sad state of affairs of the Christian community today. For too long the enemy has has his way, and we are distracted, divided, and damaged. What did Jesus say to Peter? "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) Whenever I hear of a church closing, I ask the question: What did they as a church forget? What did they fail to focus on? The answer that comes to my mind is the great commission found in out text. We are to preach the Gospel to the whole creation. We are to reach out to the whole world, with the message of Jesus Christ. No we cannot go all over the world. But we are responsible for this work, where we are, with the people that we have contact with everyday. I would be confident to say, that there are people in our own families, who have not accepted Jesus as Savior.
The church is not a social club, or a place for entertainment. The church is a rescue unit, and a support group, for those who have been lost and beat up by Satan in this world. If we remember this, and focus our attention on this, we as a church will not be in decline, nor will we be closing our doors. Peoples' souls are at stake. Just what are we thinking! GP Photo by stockimages. Published on 13 November 2014 Stock photo - Image ID: 100297515

How Can We Do This?

Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of a shooting yesterday, at Umpqua Community College, in Roseburg, Oregon. At this writing the number of casulties was 13 dead, and 20 wounded. After an exchange of gunfire with police, the shooter was killed. It was said that the shooter had the people stand up and respond to his question of whether they were Christian or not.
If they responded "Yes" they were shot in the head. If they said "other" they were shot elsewhere in the body, usually the leg."The question comes to us as Christians: "How should we respond to this? Should we be fearful? Should we be angry? Should we raise our voice, with a spirit of revenge, and let the whole world know how we feel? One fatal shooting in this nation, was one too many; now we have had several. Yes, enough is enough! Even though there should be justice for such acts of violence and murder. What should our response be? "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to to those who hate you, and pray for those who who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) Many will ask: How can we do this? How can we treat those who are waiting to do us harm, with love and concern. How can we pray for them, when we should be in arms concerning them? This is what Jesus taught, and this is what He did. As the nails were piercing His hands and feet, He asked the Heavenly Father to forgive them, who placed Him on the cross, because they did not know what they had done. (Luke 23:34)
As I have stated before; love is a powerful force. It has made a powerful difference in the lives of those who were once enemies of God. If it were not for the love of God, where would we be? Yes, love, instead of war and revenge is the answer.
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