When I was in High School I had only been a Christian for six months when God directed and called me to be a Pastor. I spent a lot of time dreaming about what it would be like to be a Pastor in those days. One of my biggest questions was, "What will the people in the church I pastor be like?" I was willing to pastor any church, in any town God wanted, anywhere in the world.
Sunday was the annual picnic and it was the funnest picnic ever! Not the largest attendance ever, we were off by ten. But, it was the most fun, EVER! I had better help. We had better activities. We had more friendship making than ever at a picnic. It made me have a reoccurring thought.
Recently, I have had a reoccurring thought. All those years I dreamt and wondered about the people I would one day pastor. I prayed for the people I would one day pastor. I knew that when I was in High School there were a bunch of other High School kids in some other town that would be my board some day and so on. Today I have this reoccurring thought, these are the people I have prayed for. These are the people God has ordained for me to pastor and serve.
I am not a perfect Pastor. People in our church are not perfect people. But, I like them more and more all the time! Being a good pastor means some sacrifices along the way. But, what a great opportunity (and life) to be a pastor.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Be Very Strong and Courageous
"Be Very Strong and Courageous." The Lord tells Joshua several times in Joshua chapter one that he should be strong and courageous in the invasion of Canaan. Then at the end of the chapter the community responds to Joshua telling them what the Lord has instructed them to do. Their response?
"Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go...Only be strong and courageous." Joshua 1:16-18
Can you imagine the power of a community of believers with this kind of dialogue in their hearts and mouths!
God gives clear direction.
The leader communicates it to the community.
The community responds positively.
Then, the community presses the leader to be strong and courageous and active.
In most churches today the Pastor gets a dream that is big and creative and for some reason it is the congregation's job to keep the Pastor from getting out of hand. What if the congregation's response was, "Pastor, that is a big vision! That road will be difficult and hard! Let's do it, but Pastor, don't be a whimp about it. Get busy and be strong and courageous!"
I write this blog entry today with tears in my eyes because our last board meeting was a beautiful picture of God giving direction, and the community then responding by pressing the leader to be immediate and forward moving on the vision.
I will post more about this later, but just to give you a glimpse, God has given me a theme for 2010. I will spend most of this fall preparing for the accomplishment of the 2010 vision and theme. If we will obey the Lord, and be strong and courageous, God is going to bless our sock off!
"Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go...Only be strong and courageous." Joshua 1:16-18
Can you imagine the power of a community of believers with this kind of dialogue in their hearts and mouths!
God gives clear direction.
The leader communicates it to the community.
The community responds positively.
Then, the community presses the leader to be strong and courageous and active.
In most churches today the Pastor gets a dream that is big and creative and for some reason it is the congregation's job to keep the Pastor from getting out of hand. What if the congregation's response was, "Pastor, that is a big vision! That road will be difficult and hard! Let's do it, but Pastor, don't be a whimp about it. Get busy and be strong and courageous!"
I write this blog entry today with tears in my eyes because our last board meeting was a beautiful picture of God giving direction, and the community then responding by pressing the leader to be immediate and forward moving on the vision.
I will post more about this later, but just to give you a glimpse, God has given me a theme for 2010. I will spend most of this fall preparing for the accomplishment of the 2010 vision and theme. If we will obey the Lord, and be strong and courageous, God is going to bless our sock off!
Monday, August 17, 2009
2010 Missions Trip
In 2009 we tried to get a team together to go to Equatorial Guinea for a missions trip with Carol Deal. That did not work out and the team would have been too small to be effective.
We are rescheduling that trip for 2010. I have put the dates January 30 through February 9th on my calender. We need to get moving on this one! We will be working with Africa Tabernacle Evangelism and the Deals to build Bible College buildings. Talk to me (Pastor Paul) ASAP to get you name added to the team.
We are rescheduling that trip for 2010. I have put the dates January 30 through February 9th on my calender. We need to get moving on this one! We will be working with Africa Tabernacle Evangelism and the Deals to build Bible College buildings. Talk to me (Pastor Paul) ASAP to get you name added to the team.
Weekend Rewind
Sunday was a very good day. Good to see some friends back at church following all the vacations and travel this year.
Worship was really great in both services. I love it when our church worships all together, and each person with all their heart. It really makes the way clear for good preaching and great prayer time following.
I believe that God did a lot of healing in both services. We talked about God's divine protection. But, that leads to the question, "Why did these other bad things happen to me if God protects his children?" It requires prayer, seeking God, and humility to accept his perspective to get the answer to that question for your particular situation. I hope that Sunday was the start of that journey with God to find the answer to your question. For others, I hope it was the conclusion of your journey that you have been on for a long time.
Worship was really great in both services. I love it when our church worships all together, and each person with all their heart. It really makes the way clear for good preaching and great prayer time following.
I believe that God did a lot of healing in both services. We talked about God's divine protection. But, that leads to the question, "Why did these other bad things happen to me if God protects his children?" It requires prayer, seeking God, and humility to accept his perspective to get the answer to that question for your particular situation. I hope that Sunday was the start of that journey with God to find the answer to your question. For others, I hope it was the conclusion of your journey that you have been on for a long time.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Moses
In my Bible reading I am finishing the Pentateuch. I am really struck this time through with the character of Moses. He was an amazing person. Raised in a palace, lived the middle of his adult life in exile, and the last third of his life he spent leading a nation out of slavery and into their own identity and property.
Here is what strikes me. In reading all the law of the first five books of the Bible you have to notice that Moses was quite unconventional in his politics. Often the law that is prescribed is prefaced or followed by something like, "do not do what the nations around you are doing."
I believe that the laws came from God. They were God's ideas. But, they were so different from what the Egyptians and Canaanites did that it must have taken great courage to enact the laws. The laws are not only to keep order, but to protect the human rights of justice, freedom, and economic opportunity.
It is amazing that Moses did not become the king. God set him up as the final authority, but he seems to submit to the priesthood that he formed under God's direction. How easy it would have been for Moses to take what God had given him and use it for his own pleasures. Moses actually give the next generation of authority to his brother Aaron's sons and to Joshua son of Nun, not his own children.
Can we modern day leaders be so altruistic and sacrificial in our church, school, business, and government? Do we make laws to protect our self interests, or the rights and interests of others and the least powerful in our realm of influence. Can we as leaders build an organization with structure and then have the discipline to live by our own rules? Can we build a structure through our leadership and then be willing to follow the leadership of our successor who is functioning under the same prerogatives that we enjoyed while we were in leadership?
The life of Moses really makes me think.
Here is what strikes me. In reading all the law of the first five books of the Bible you have to notice that Moses was quite unconventional in his politics. Often the law that is prescribed is prefaced or followed by something like, "do not do what the nations around you are doing."
I believe that the laws came from God. They were God's ideas. But, they were so different from what the Egyptians and Canaanites did that it must have taken great courage to enact the laws. The laws are not only to keep order, but to protect the human rights of justice, freedom, and economic opportunity.
It is amazing that Moses did not become the king. God set him up as the final authority, but he seems to submit to the priesthood that he formed under God's direction. How easy it would have been for Moses to take what God had given him and use it for his own pleasures. Moses actually give the next generation of authority to his brother Aaron's sons and to Joshua son of Nun, not his own children.
Can we modern day leaders be so altruistic and sacrificial in our church, school, business, and government? Do we make laws to protect our self interests, or the rights and interests of others and the least powerful in our realm of influence. Can we as leaders build an organization with structure and then have the discipline to live by our own rules? Can we build a structure through our leadership and then be willing to follow the leadership of our successor who is functioning under the same prerogatives that we enjoyed while we were in leadership?
The life of Moses really makes me think.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Get Ready for Sunday
To prepare for Sunday's sermon I encourage you to re-read mark 16 and take some extra time for prayer this week. We desire to see "These Signs" following those who believe as they preach the good news to all creation.
Final Day At Council
Today will be a full day. I think we have two more resolutions and these final ones will have a lot of conversation. Sorry I have not posted much this week internet access has been a bit slim for me. I will post some pictures later, maybe when I get home. Have a blessed day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)