The Ministry of the Evangelist, The Teacher, and the Pastor
THE CHURCH MINISTRY - Viju Jeremiah Traven
The Ministry of the Evangelist proclaims the Gospel of Christ and the Teacher grounds them doctrinally.
The Ministry of the Pastor feeds and guards the redeemed flock against the cunning wolves diligently.
The Ministry of the Prophet seeks the Father’s heart and leads the Church to be the spotless Bride of Christ devotedly.
The Ministry of the Apostle governs the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as Ambassadors of Yeshua, the God of Eternity.
The Ministry is the invitation for every knee to bow and every tongue to confess Jesus Christ is the Lord earnestly.
The Ministry is the place where God unites the Jew and the Gentile to create one new-man in Christ progressively.
The Ministry is the act of the Holy Spirit Who impregnates us with the Seed of God, which makes us strip off carnality.
The Ministry is the voice of the Blood of Yeshua, the High Priest Who rebuilds the fallen tent of David imperishably.
The Ministry is the Lord’s Legacy; Worthy is He to receive all power, wealth, dominion, praise, honor, and glory.
The Ministry is the stewardship entrusted to those who say ‘yes’ to His query: “More than these do you love Me?”
The Ministry is the great commission of Christ Who raises a mighty Army from the dry bones of the fallen humanity.
The Ministry is the Lion of Judah’s spiritual warfare strategy, not a Corporate Company CEO’s religious activity.
The Ministry is the labor of the Father’s love, unveiling the testimony of Christ in the Spirit of Prophecy.
The Mighty, Mighty, Mighty is the Father of Glory, Who was and Who is and Who is to come eternally.
The Ministry declaring the Word began as Yahweh spoke: “Let there be Light” and there was light instantaneously.
The Ministry empowering souls to illuminate the world reflects the radiance of Christ the Creator of Galaxy.
The Ministry performing miracles to heal the brokenhearted proclaims resurrected Yeshua is Almighty.
The Ministry grooming their own household for the Wedding of the Lamb of God consummates prime-duty.
The Ministry appointing incompetent staff abandons the pursuit of excellence to expose God’s Word profoundly.
The Ministry preaching half-truths causes disorder in the Lord’s house and aborts the purpose of the clergy.
The Ministry teaching defective Theology blindfolds the followers and takes them to a horrendous destiny.
The Ministry humbling themselves to portray Christ as the Lord above all co-builds His House of Glory.
The Ministry loving God with all their heart, mind, spirit and strength also love their neighbors selflessly.
The Ministry caring for the widows and orphans without polluting themselves fulfills Yeshua’s Mission of Charity.
The Ministry offending co-laborers in the spirit of Cain degrades the Church as a club of the vicious and greedy.
The Ministry promoting themselves by silencing the chosen and beloved of Christ turns utter losers in eternity.
The Ministry is the labor of Yeshua’s grace and mercy; He makes us worthy to clothe the splendor of His Majesty.
Worthy, Worthy, Worthy is the Son of Glory, Who was and Who is and Who is to come eternally.
The Ministry meditating the sacrifice of Christ re-dedicates inner-thoughts to break the Bread reverentially.
The Ministry denying self falls like a grain of wheat dies daily and sprouts up to procreate exponentially.
The Ministry refusing to forgive and bless the enemies cannot bear the brand-marks of the Adonai in their body.
The Ministry submitting to each other in the fear of Christ celebrates harmony in the House through transparency.
The Ministry shepherding with the sternness and kindness of Christ urges His flock to be holy, as He is Holy.
The Ministry re-yoking the emancipated people with protocols of the wayward world grieves the Spirit of Liberty.
The Ministry establishing their own mortal kingdoms disowns Christ the King and His immortal Kingdom, foolishly.
The Ministry imitating fathers of faith births loyal disciples who care for the needy and bring equality in the laity.
The Ministry showing obedience of faith in the Living Word of God authenticates stomach nor wealth is their deity.
The Ministry seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness gains wisdom and power to eradicate poverty.
The Ministry breaking their alabaster jars to spread the fragrance of worship never thinks it’s a waste of money.
The Ministry suffering hardships for Christ’s sake until the end becomes pillars in the New Jerusalem City.
The Ministry is the labor of Yeshua’s grace and mercy, His indwelling Spirit makes us carry His greater glory.
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Spirit of Glory, Who was and Who is and Who is to come eternally.
The Ministry subjecting to the Law of the Spirit of Life abolishes the law of sin and death operating in the human body.
The Ministry yielding to The Consuming Fire gains the power to fan into flame the spiritual gifts of the Holy Trinity.
The Ministry patronizing fine arts helps the disciples to develop their artistry and glorify Christ through creativity.
The Ministry justifying spiritual-pride loses vision, rejects warnings, shipwrecks faith, and drowns in the sea of tragedy.
The Ministry following the mandate of Christ the Judge of all gives no foothold to the old-snake the adversary.
The Ministry wearing the complete armor of God exterminates weapons formed against them triumphantly.
The Ministry fighting a good fight of faith conquers the world and effectuates the objective of the Heavenly Dynasty.
The Ministry dethroning evil by the Sword of the Spirit and the Blood of the Lamb follows no Jewish mythology.
The Ministry consecrating themselves to be kind and godly gets preserved blameless by Yeshua’s unfathomable sympathy.
The Ministry keeping their lamps burning with surplus Oil shall unite with the Bride-Groom in His Cloud of Glory.
The Ministry running to receive the crown of life from the Lord of Lords considers loyalty until death is mandatory.
The Ministry kissing the King of Glory daily bonds with Him and inherits His Kingdom of Light everlastingly.
The Ministry is the labor of Yeshua’s grace and mercy, without His Holy Word we misplace His Kingdom key.
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and Who is and Who is to come eternally.
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[A] THE MINISTRY OF THE EVANGELIST
The Ministry of the Evangelist proclaims the Gospel of Christ and the Teacher grounds them doctrinally.
1. Our Father in Heaven desires humanity to re-obtain the fullness of the knowledge of the truth. God raises an Evangelist to gather and liberate the souls living in the dominion of darkness. He has to proclaim the Message of the Cross to the multitudes and bring them to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Spirit of the Lord is upon these disciples who are preaching the uncorrupt Truth for the restoration of the humankind. The Gospel of John opens the mystery of Christ portraying Him as the Word: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made" - (John1:1,3 ASV).
2. In the beginning, the Lord Yeshua formed heaven and earth and all things in it by the power of His spoken Word. Then from the dust of the ground, His mighty hands created Adam in His image and likeness. The Son of God blew His Breath into his nostrils and he became a living soul. Observing Adam's loneliness on earth, God caused a deep sleep. Out of his rib, God created Eve as his companion. He clothed them with His glory, authority, and dominion. He blessed them to multiply and subdue the Earth and reign over every creature in it. He gave them the Garden of Eden to abide and assigned them to guard it. God gave them a commandment to follow, to abide in Him eternally. He also cautioned them about the horrific consequences of disobedience. But the Lord gave them the freedom of choice to obey or not obey Him. God didn't create them as machines programmed to obey His commands. They could enjoy the fruit of every tree in the Garden except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity. This tree is the test of faith in God. Tasting the forbidden fruit will cause spiritual death. Discarding the knowledge of truth from their minds, the immortal life of God will depart their human spirit. Then the glory covering their body will fade, making them feel naked.
3. The Evangelist describes how Adam and Eve celebrated life in the Garden of Eden. Still waters of the four rivers reflected the blue sky. Green mountains kissing the clouds and the valleys full of lilies were a breathtaking sight. Birds singing sweet songs, sunshine over the dew on flora and fauna looked beautiful, fresh fragrance of flowers was in the air. Eden was heaven on earth, it is the paradise where the Tree of Life planted for mankind to taste the Lord is good. But in the abundant luxury of life, Adam was not thankful to remember His Creator and worship Him. For him, everything was a gift from Elohim. His mind dwelt in a Godless comfort zone. Sound of worship in harmony with heaven was missing in the Garden. Adam was complacent, he failed to transfer his deep conviction of the knowledge of truth to Eve. He didn't preserve the Garden as a worship sanctuary, didn't prioritize his family time to talk to God face to face. Adam lacked the desperation for God and diligence to sense the vices of the devil. This gave the cunning old snake a chance to operate his wicked schemes against humanity. The fallen angel entered their abode and mislead his woman. Devil's Theology misinterpreting the word of God nullifies human rule and reign on earth. So the old snake won't have to get trampled under the control of mankind. Speaking lies to Eve, Satan deceived her and stole Adam's God-given authority over the earth. Evil company corrupts godly character. Embracing half-truths and falsehood, they offended their Creator. Eating the forbidden fruit, they fell from the glory of God and lost the radiance of Glory covering their body. Breaking the law caused death to enter and reign in the world; the Earth got cursed. The living souls became dying souls. The everlasting life of God parted from their human spirit and they only have a body subjective to decay. Finally, God cursed humankind got abandoned from the Garden of Eden. This is where we need to learn how the work of the Gospel restores humanity.
4. The God-ordained Evangelist proclaims the true Gospel to the entire world to impart the hope for eternal life through Christ. He has to be a God-conscious and culture-sensitive disciple to connect all kinds of people with Christ. God only confirms the Word spoken by His beloved servants, who are splendid examples in actual life. Because their character and attitude shouldn't contradict what they preach as the mind of Christ. Their lifestyle should be the Letter of Christ to all people. He must speak the language of God for the general audience to comprehend the Revelation of Christ. He should address what Christ can do to solve their spiritual, physical, emotional, economic, and social problems. The Greatest Evangelist Yeshua spoke a very simple language to address the masses. He showed His authority and power to comfort, heal, and deliver them from all sorrows and pain. The Lord gave people miraculous solutions by performing extraordinary signs and wonders. A God-dependent Evangelist has to follow what Yeshua did. He ought to set people free from the curse of poverty and teach the Biblical way to prosper financially and spiritually. The Evangelist also preaches to a rich and educated audience to prosper their soul. The Lord Jesus said: "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth, but not have a rich relationship with God"- (Luke 12:21 NLT). Rich or poor, educated or uneducated, young or old, Jew or Gentile, every single soul needs a rich relationship with the Saviour. Prime duty of an Evangelist is to teach the masses what God did to restore His immortal life in the humankind. Therefore Apostle John said: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"- (John 3:16 NKJV).
5. Knowing the Father's compassion for us Yeshua without holding on to the equality with the Abba, He became the Lamb of God. He denied Himself and got slain in His Spirit even before the foundation of the world. Two thousand years ago He humbled Himself again to manifest in the flesh, to redeem us all in the flesh. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He sweats His Blood, but remembering us He denied Himself and renewed His mind to obey the perfect will of the Father. Finally, at Calvary, He surrendered His body as a dying sacrifice to please the Abba. He cried "Eli Eli Lamma sabhacthani"; He gave up His Spirit and finished His mission on the cross. He crushed the head of the old snake and redeemed humanity from his evil dominion. He gave Himself to rescue sinners born in the genealogy of Adam. Christ purchased souls for God from every culture, language, nation, and people with His Blood to restore the immortality which Adam lost. The Gospel brings back the life of God through enthroning Christ the Hope of Glory to reign in our human spirit. Accepting the Lordship of Christ, cause us to be born again as His new creation. After receiving the gift of Salvation, we must remain in constant union with the Holy Spirit. Through the obedience of faith, we can confirm the evidence of our sonship. Here we walk by faith and worship God for regaining the likeness and glory of God. The Evangelist urges working out our Salvation by yielding to the laws of the Spirit of Life. Let all creation groaning to see the sons and daughters of God, praise the Lord. Let the universe witness the Church of the Living God as the Light of the World, and Salt of the Earth.
6. The Father draws the chosen souls to the Throne of Grace, through the Ministry of the prayerful Evangelist. His sinless Son took the punishment of our sins, trespasses, and iniquities. He rescued us from the eternal condemnation for our wrongdoings. Now those who believe and follow Christ have no condemnation. If the nations of the earth believe this Truth, Yeshua will set them free from the slavery of sin. Because Christ manifested to destroy the works of all evil. The resurrected Jesus commanded his disciples to do the ministry of the Evangelist. He said: "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days" - (Mathew 28:18-20 ESV).
7. The Evangelist preaches the full Gospel to fulfill this Great Commission of Christ. The Holy Spirit uses the Evangelist as His mouthpiece to proclaim the Good News of Great Joy to the world with no hope for eternal life. He leads people to the glorious Light of Life in Christ the Saviour. Spirit of God will convince people about the deception of sin, the horror of God's judgment, and the unending joy of Salvation through faith in Christ. He unveils the mystery behind the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and return of Christ the King of Kings. The Abba Father desires a specific number of Jews and Gentiles from all generations to enter the Kingdom of Heaven before Christ returns. Until the Father gathers and unites them all with Christ His Son, the anointed Evangelist will boldly preach the Gospel to the ends of the world. When we realize Christ got crucified on our behalf to set us free from the punishment for our sins, we will fall in love with the Lover of our soul. Then, with no compulsion from any man, we will confess our faith in His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead on the third day. We shall accept Him as the Lord of our life. Here we get engaged with Him and prepare ourselves as the Bride for the glorious Wedding of the Lamb. Nothing in heaven or earth can ever fence the impact of this ministry. Though many evil people tried, they died. But generation after generation God empowers the Ministry of the Evangelist for saving and transforming souls.
8. The love of the Father moves the hearts of the people who hear the Gospel. Formation of genuine faith is by hearing the uncorrupt Word spoken by the God-sent Evangelist. When Apostle Paul was preaching, a devoted lady named Lydia heard him. For her to pay attention to the Message of the Cross, God opened her heart. She received the word and her entire household got baptized in water. The Lord planted a house Church there for the fellowship of the saints. The real Gospel leads all of us to deep repentance. If the message doesn't bring a radical change of heart, then the audience might have heard the wrong Gospel. The Holy Bible is the God-breathed word packed with the inherent power to change lives every day. Gift of Salvation is not a piece of mere information passed to students in a study class. The Revelation of Christ shows His manifest Presence consecrating and bonding people with Him. Receiving the Gospel, souls come under the gentle, humble, and easy yoke of Christ. Anointing of the Holy Spirit falls on them to break every unrighteous yoke and set people free. God the Father gives them the authority to become His children who inherit His Kingdom of Heaven.
9. Once the rich Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector of short stature, craved to see our Lord Yeshua. In his desperation, Zacchaeus climbed on a sycamore tree and waited to see the Rabbi. Yeshua saw him and said: "Come down, I must stay at your house today". He accepted Christ as the Lord of his life. The encounter with Christ changed his heart instantly. He declared to pay back what he wrongfully gained from the innocent people. Fruit of repentance in the tax collector caused great joy in Heaven. Transformation became evidence of the Salvation experience in his house. The call of the Evangelist is to reconcile every culture, language, nation, and people with God through an encounter with the Spirit of Christ.
10. A profound Evangelist portrays how the Messiah took the wrath of God against us and the wrath of brutal men against Him. He explains why Christ gave Himself as a ransom for many on the cross. This ministry of Christ delivers people from demonic bondages, generational curses, sicknesses, a guilty conscience, hopelessness, etc caused by Adam's fall. He shed His Holy Blood on the cross to wash out our guilt. The sprinkling of His Blood through faith cleanses our conscience to receive His grace. The Message of Hope helps sinners repent, the lame walk, blind see, deaf hear, mute speak, demons flee and death depart. The Evangelistic Ministry displays the love of Christ and His power. It shows how God forgave our sins and healed us by the stripes of Yeshua. Evangelism leads the believers of the Word to unite with Christ through water Baptism. This ministry witness how the Holy Spirit comes on all flesh to help us live a life worthy of Christ. The uncorrupt truth spoken in the love of Christ enlightens the listeners to become loyal disciples. Paul was defending himself as an Evangelist before King Agrippa regarding the vision of Heaven. After hearing what he spoke, the King said to Apostle Paul: "Do you think in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Paul replied: "Short time or long - I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except these chains" (Acts 26:28-29 NIV). King or queen, someday, every knee shall bow, every tongue will confess, Jesus Christ is the Lord. All who accept the Lordship of Christ ought to leave the past behind and run to receive the crown of life from Him.
11. The Greek word for Evangelist is 'Euangelistes' means the one who brings the delightful news. Unfortunately, today we have all kinds of Evangelists. God disqualifies the False Evangelist because his news never brings a revolutionary reformation of life through bonding people with Christ. False Evangelists are the cheap Gospel salesmen working hard for their selfish-gain. Without raising disciples who follow Christ, they present themselves as the golden calves. They expect people to worship them as human idols. They cannot lead people to worship God in Spirit and Truth. Though ordained and gifted by God, without doing what we are supposed to do, we use the name of the Lord Yeshua in vain. Genuine praise reports from any ministry magnifies the Lord. But false ministers do gimmicks for their prominence instead of humbly thank God and give Him the glory. They create fake testimonials or abuse the genuine ones for their advantage. Fake ministries end up as a corporate business where the senior minister works as a dictator CEO. "Bozo Explosion" (the bad corporate leadership example mentioned by late Steve Jobs of Apple) will happen as a chain reaction. The loveless administration tactics spread spiritual mediocrity like a pandemic. The circle of obedient employees (not disciples of Christ) around him mocks the purpose of the call of the Evangelist. Vulgar ambition for power, position, authority, and fame makes us chase vanity. The root of all this evil is the craving for money. Faith corrupted by greed brings profits accompanied by inexplicable disasters. Performing miracles, casting out demons, healing the sick are genuine acts of the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant Ministry. But if the preachers misrepresent Christ in actual life and endlessly give a deaf ear to the Lord of all, it grieves the Supreme Head of all Ministries.
12. If anyone hears the Gospel, follows Christ, and reforms like Zacchaeus, it consummates the mandate of God for the Evangelistic Ministry. God sends His word to sanctify us, it opens our inner eyes to see the vision of God. But Zacchaeus is an exceptional case. Transformation of the heart is not always an instant wonder, it is a lifelong procedure. It depends on how well we deny ourselves and yield to the work of grace forming the Divinity of Christ in us. A baby is not born in one day, it is a nine to the ten-month lengthy process. I believe Zacchaeus changed immediately because the Holy Spirit was preparing Him long before to meet up with Christ. But by all means, the Spirit of the Lord resting upon the Evangelist can help us all to jump-start our journey of faith moving towards full maturity in Christ. In 1998 the world-renowned Evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, came to Kochi in India. Those days I was like Peter following the Lord by keeping a little distance. I was a wounded disciple who lost my first love for Christ. I went to this meeting because my friends were performing the praise and worship songs there. I went near the stage; I had no clue who Bonnke the Man of God is. When the music started, I was disappointed because of the lack of excellence. It was disturbing to me, so I walked away. I saw my parents sitting in the meeting. There was a tremendous crowd and parents were so happy seeing me. My dad was a very prayerful person, I believed he prayed so much for me to receive a Divine touch from God that day. I reached near the exit and suddenly Bonnke came on stage. He started preaching powerfully from the Gospel of John. I heard his voice resounding for the first time, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God". I felt a lightning strike in my soul. The power of God astounded me, passing through my body for a minute. Though awestruck by his voice, I didn't stay at the venue. But the awakening power of the Gospel helps me to restart my journey of faith. In 2001, I left the music and advertising Industry. I humbly surrendered myself for the call of God for ministry. Evangelism reforms individuals, families, and nations to love God and be kind to all people.
13. The Lord Yeshua said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God". The will of the Father is our consecration, without chastisement, no one will see the face of the Lord. Christ has taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves. The good works God has preordained for us to do, there is purification. Jesus said: "So give to the needy what you greedily possess, and you will be clean all over" - (Luke 11:41 NLT). Our spirit, soul, and body need cleansing. Our character and conduct need to change. More than our names written in the local Church register, it has to appear in the Book of Life. But the spiritually blind preachers cannot magnify this purpose of the Gospel. They foolishly portray a Cross-less Christ, as if crucifixion was not necessary to save us. Resurrection power alone was enough to deliver us. Yeshua the Lamb of God shed His holy Blood to redeem us and cleanse us. Then Yeshua as the High Priest took His Blood to sprinkle at the mercy seat for us. Or else we won't receive the forgiveness and mercy from the Father. The real Evangelist tells us, the Blood of Christ makes us worthy to receive the power of resurrection to deaden the dictates of our sinful flesh. It is written: [In fact] under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of the blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins - (Hebrews 9:22 AMP).
14. If the salvation of souls, the purification of heart, and the spiritual growth of disciples are not on the agenda, then the preacher is the enemy of the cross. Again, sowing and reaping is a Biblical principle and God blesses a freewill offering. But if someone demands money for receiving prophecy, healing, miracles, or spiritual gifts in the name of Yeshua, then it is a broad daylight robbery. God instructs us to give freely as we have received spiritual gifts freely. Corrupt messages for swiftly gaining wealth and prosperity make listeners greedy, not godly. They fill up ministry response cards quickly without surrendering hearts to live by faith in God. Counterfeit messages of blessing through preaching the Cross-less Christ makes people assume Christian life is a lucrative business deal free of cost. Yes, Salvation is a gift for us who believe, but Yeshua gave Himself as the price for our soul. If we delight in the laws of the Spirit of Life then we will prosper as in Psalms chapter one. King Solomon wrote: "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed" - (Proverbs 11:25 NIV). God blesses a cheerful giver. Blessed are the merciful, they will receive mercy. But without gaining the mind of Christ, how will we become generous and kind. Without an act of faith, how will we please God and be blessed? The Gospel of Christ inspires us to look unto Him, trust Him, worship Him, and rest in Elohim. Miracles and prophecies in the Evangelistic Ministry can uncover the mystery of Christ through the demonstration of His power. But the Holy Spirit uses it as a platform to reveal the Lamb of God. He alone is Worthy to receive all authority, dominion, wealth, praise, honor, and glory eternally.
15. Therefore consider the warning of the Lord to all of us in every ministry office: "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord Lord did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons, in Your name perform miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me evildoers!" -(Mathew7:21-23 NIV). Wrong motives will corrupt us and makes us stumble and fall from grace. If we want to change the world, let's change ourselves first. Let's devote ourselves to seek the heart of God. Follow the voice of the Spirit of Christ in every breath. Deny ourselves and do His will in every step. Becoming a God-pleasing example is the only way to raise disciples who obey everything the Lord has commanded. Let no "Bozo Explosion" cause mass decaying of purity in ministry. Otherwise, a terrifying judgment is approaching us for disrupting His plan and purpose. It will be too late to repent then. The Righteous Judge will say, He doesn't know us. Yes, Christ, the Saviour Himself will call us 'evildoers'. No one can ever save us from His wrath. God doesn't regret about the Spiritual gifts he gives the ministers. If we magnify our gifts for our fame, we cannot glorify Christ the Giver. Distorting the mission focus ends in aborting the ministry's purpose.
16. Now the False Gospel of the Christ-less Cross teaches Christian life is only a life of poverty; they teach all who follow Christ shall never prosper. This is a deceptive half-truth. Wrong teachings load believers with oppressive burdens, making them slaves of distress and anguish. Accepting Christ as his immortal wealth, Zacchaeus gave up his love for money. He was not a loser; he gained the heart of the Owner of the planet Earth. The closed-minded people embrace false doctrines to justify their unbelief, stupidity, and laziness. True Evangelist never contradicts the sound doctrine. He reminds us, God's plan is not to harm us but to bless us and prosper us. Our lives go through pleasant times and troublesome times; our journey passes the hills and the valleys; we cross the oceans or fly above the clouds. But in our life of faith, we are not alone. One Who called us is faithful, He will never leave us nor forsake us. To encourage us, Yeshua spoke the full truth, "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world" - (John 16:33 NIV). We cannot do anything without Christ. He alone is our Hope of Glory, through Him we have triumphant victory. Apostle Paul wrote how God turned his sufferings and pain for the gain of the Corinthian Church: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body. Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you" - (2Corinthians 4: 7- 12 NIV).
17. True Evangelists will preach the obedience of faith is the gateway to greater blessing. Christ is the Lifter of our head. If we earnestly obey Him, then He will make us the head and not the tail. Those who are not revealing the glorious intent of God, create frustrated believers. The healing pill for the poverty Gospel is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then patiently wait upon the Lord and get blessed. Deuteronomy chapter 28 talks about blessings and curses. To witness the blessings to overtake Israel, Moses urged them to observe the commandments of God. Abraham the friend of Yahweh not only believed in His promises but also sacrificially obeyed His will regarding Isaac his son. God said: "I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands" - (Exodus 20:6 NLT). Blessings continue a thousand generations when curses crawl and die after four generations. So after thousands of years, the small nation of Israel is blessed and alive. Blessed are we with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, so we can access every Abrahamic blessing through faith in Christ. The Prophet Habakkuk's words encourage us to rejoice in the Lord even if we face extreme trouble: "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock is cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yes I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord is my strength, He makes my feet like the deers, He makes me tread on high places" - (Habakkuk3:17-19 ESV). Blessing or suffering, we must develop the dedication and boldness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow before the golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar. They said our God can deliver us, even otherwise we will not bow down before the King's idol. Finally, the King saw the Lord appearing in the big fire. He realized they are the beloved servants of the Most High God and King praised the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Later, the King promoted all three of them in his service. The Evangelist will remind us, our deeper commitment to obey God leads to receiving greater blessings.
18. The Evangelistic ministry helps us comprehend, the Children of God are aliens and strangers in this grim world; we don't belong here at all, our citizenship is in Heaven. We have every reason to rejoice in the Lord always because He is with us until the end of the world. The Joy of the Lord strengthens us to fight a valiant fight of faith. It helps us to remain thankful to overcome the uncertainties we face. King David confessed the certainty of his faith, "The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength, in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation, my High Tower"- (Psalm 18:2 AMP). The Evangelist will comfort us by saying, "Even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He will never leave us nor forsake us". We have believed in Christ the True God and Eternal Life, hence we will live even if we die. He encourages us to receive the resurrection power of Christ to strip off carnality and regain the Divinity Adam lost in the beginning. He will urge us to remain faithful until the end, then Christ will promote us to dwell in His glory forever.
19. Anointed Evangelist tells us not to fix our eyes on the fortunes of this mortal world. He inspires us to focus on Him Who promised us the immortal life. Abram before becoming Abraham (the father of faith) was a very rich man. Bible doesn't say he became a poor man after believing God, he became a blessed father of nations. After defeating the kings to deliver Lot his relative, Melchizedek the King of Salem and the Priest of the most-High blessed Abram. He said: "Be blessed by God, the Possessor, and Maker of Heaven and Earth. But the king of Sodom told Abram, "Take all the goods but give me back the people". Abram said he has taken a vow to God. He will take nothing free from the king of Sodom because later he will say he made Abram rich. God has blessed Abram, but to dwell in that blessing he sacrificially preserved his financial integrity. Apostle Paul spoke of his sufferings, but he also shared his blessings. So there is no room for the poverty Gospel to spread. He said: I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied...-(Philippians 4:18 AMP). Yes, the enduring Evangelist will remind us, our God is able, He is reliable, hence without murmuring, patiently wait until He shows up. After He blesses us, we should never say, our power and strength have produced this wealth for us. Moses wrote: "Remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which HE swore to your ancestors, as it is today - (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NIV). Zacchaeus remembered this mystery of blessing and gave up his illegitimate wealth to reciprocate those who suffered losses because of him. Inheriting earthly wealth blessed by God is not sinful, but the love for money is the root of all evil.
20. God gives us the power to create legitimate wealth on earth because He desires to bless us. Yet the Bible reminds us, there is suffering for all who are living a godly life regardless of us being rich or poor, young or old, Jew, or Gentile. If we have food to eat, clothes to wear, work to do, family to belong, saints to fellowship, and shelter to stay, let's stay thankful. True Evangelist will say: Even if we gain immense wealth to posses gigantic mansions, modern jet-planes, or massive luxury cruise liners, we will still part with it all and return to the dust. We have brought nothing into this world and we won't take anything back from this world. Cheerful givers store treasures in Heaven and remain blessed by God to love and bless others on earth. Flee from the lies of the devil, jealousy, hypocrisy, greed, poverty mentality, and belief systems that are not Biblical. Give thanks to the Lord with a grateful heart because our God shall supply all our needs according to the riches in the glory of Christ. Earth and its fullness belong to Christ, He is the Owner of all things. He is our High Priest Who can show sympathy in our human struggles. But it is our privilege not only to believe His promises but also to suffer on behalf of Christ. The Lord can turn our mourning into dancing because He has loved us with an inseparable love.
21. Therefore, the Message of the Evangelist makes us understand the positive sides of suffering. Yeshua said: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"- (Mathew 5:10 NKJV). I am not a language expert or well educated in any literature. But I received the grace to write timeless classics like 'Karunamayane' in my mother tongue Malayalam during a season I was all rejected and broken in ministry. Our Lord's presence comes closer to the brokenhearted people. Christ is our peace, and He is the God of peace. He will soon crush the devil under our feet. By His grace, we will be more than conquerors in Christ Who loved us. If there is suffering after doing good to all, let's rejoice in our sufferings for His sake. His grace will empower us to press on towards the supreme goal in front of us. If we subject to the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God, His resurrection power will transfigure us when Yeshua returns. Paul said: "We rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not put to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us" (Romans 5:3-5 ESV). Therefore, the Evangelist leads us to celebrate Christ eternally regardless of the circumstances we go through every day. The Ministry of the Evangelist restores the knowledge of truth once corrupted by the old snake. Almighty Yeshua dwells in us, so we will trample the head of the cunning old snake under our feet. Therefore, let the Spirit-filled Evangelist raise his blessed voice like a trumpet and shout: Let there be light in the name of the Lord Yeshua! Amen!
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[B] THE MINISTRY OF THE TEACHER
1. Two thousand years ago Gabriel the Angel of God visited a city of Galilee named Nazareth. There he appeared to Mary a highly favored virgin. The blessed women above all women believed the glorious news sent to her from Heaven. Soon the power of the Lord Almighty overshadowed her. Before she got married to Joseph, the Holy Spirit came upon her. She conceived our Lord and Saviour Yeshua. Thirty years after His Virgin Birth our Messiah got baptized in the river Jordan under the Holy Spirit led John the Baptist. Immediately after the baptism, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove from Heaven and rested upon Yeshua.
2. In the Synagogue of Nazareth, our Redeemer launched His ministry on earth as a Teacher. He declared the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good tidings to the poor, He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19, NKJV). After reading this portion, the Son of God rolled the book and gave it to the attendant and sat down. Before doing miracles, the Rabbi from Heaven opened His mouth with astonishing authority. He said: “Now this Scripture is fulfilled”. He began by yielding to the Holy Spirit Who transmits the deeper thoughts of the Father to all who earnestly seek Him. Pastor. Babu Cherian a magnificent Bible teacher from India said: We testify what we have inherited from God, but do we testify what we have learned from God?
3. Rabbi Yeshua foretold after He ascends to Heaven, another Teacher will descend from Heaven. The Lamb of God concluded His teachings and hung on the cross for us to complete His mission. He tore His heart and showed the passion of the Father to save mankind through His sacrifice. Christianity is not a religion but a love affair. Through hearing the Gospel preached by the Evangelist, the chosen Bride fell in love with Christ. She got betrothed to Him Who loved her first. But the Bride in flesh and blood has inherited the fallen nature from the first Adam. Hence the Last Adam manifested in the flesh to conquer sin and death for her. He wrote a new covenant of love for her in His own Holy Blood. The voice of His Blood pleads to His Father for her to receive His forgiveness and mercy. So she can enter the family of God through the Bloodline of Christ His Son. Now the Lord desires His Bride to stay diligent until He returns to take her away.
4. She has become a loveable new-creation in Christ. The Divine power of the Bridegroom will transfuse His Divine nature to His Bride as she yields to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The sanctifying work of the Spirit will groom her without a spot. The Spirit-filled Teachers compelled by the love of Christ serve solid spiritual food to nurture her. The Bride with the eyes of the Dove will adore the Shepherd of her soul and make melody in her heart singing, “Let Him Kiss me with the kisses of His mouth” (Song of Songs 1:2 AMP). The more she loves Him, the more she denies herself and honors Him. Her radiant spirit will surrender her body as a living sacrifice to please the Lover of her soul. Esther got groomed to be the Queen of the King Ahasuerus. Likewise, the Church must prepare themselves as the Bride for the Wedding of the Lamb.
5. After the ascension of Christ to Heaven, the twelve disciples and 108 others who followed Him waited to get baptized in the Fire of the Holy Ghost. To accomplish the Great Commission of Christ, they must receive the power of God. The Spirit of God must teach them and lead them. On the day of the Pentecost, the Fire descended from Heaven and raised the disciples as the Apostles of the Kingdom of Light. Three and a half years they have eye-witnessed the Master’s Glory and Majesty. But now the Spirit of Truth has manifested in their own human flesh. The divided Tongues of Fire rested upon each of them, empowered them to re-proclaim the Kingdom Gospel Yeshua preached. Here Peter filled by the Holy Spirit stood up and boldly preached the Good News to all who were near them in Jerusalem. The profound Word he spoke with his consecrated lips compelled three thousand souls to repent and get baptized in water. The Ministry of reconciliation entrusted to the Apostles thus initially changed the world. From that day the Church led by the Holy Ghost revealed the glory of Christ to the nations.
6. Disciples followed Yeshua everywhere, and the Spirit of God engraved the Word of life on the walls of their hearts. Dwelling with Rabbi Yeshua and knowing His passion made the Apostles desire the power and presence of the Holy Spirit promised by Yeshua. Experiential knowledge of Truth yoked them with Christ and the Spirit of the Lord qualified the old fishermen folk to teach the Revelation of Christ. Spirit-filled teaching and learning process transfers the knowledge of Truth to all generations. For the last two thousand years, the anointed Teachers kept Christianity grounded on the uncorrupt Word of God. They magnified what Christ taught and re-emphasized what the Apostles wrote. False teachers may deceive even the elders. But Christ preserves the divinity of His teachings for His Spiritual House of Prayer. Without amplifying the gracious voice of the indwelling Holy Spirit, mere head knowledge of a Bible Teacher will not transfer the life of Christ to the listener.
7. Our Lord said: “Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Mathew 24:35 NASB). The foundational principles of the Kingdom of God will never change. The Good News of Great Joy spoken by the Evangelists brings new souls inside the Church. Now anointed Teachers should ground the new believers in the Word of God. Reverence and awe to obey the Word will transform them to become like Christ day by day. Prayerful Teachers receive the testimony of the Spirit for the Bride to consecrate herself for the King.
8. Yeshua explains how the Spirit will teach the Bride: “But when the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole Truth, full truth). For He will not speak His own message (or His own authority); but He will tell whatever He hears from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come (that will happen in the future)- (John16:13 AMP). We explain here the most eminent Bible teaching method. Yeshua taught how the Spirit of Truth functions as a Teacher from Heaven. Likewise, God uses the anointed disciples to unveil the wholesome counsel of God to all. They will add nothing or take away any portion of the truth but will share the entire truth instead of half-truths. They will share what they received from the Throne of the Father and prophesy accurately about the future too. Now the Bride curious to learn more needs to ask questions like Virgin Mary to know the contexts of how, what, where, when, and why the Word is being written. God appoints anointed Teachers to help the Bride develop a heart of worship for her to enter the Throne of Grace and kiss the Son every day.
9. The Lord said: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended, the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock” (Mathew7:24,25 NKJV). Powerful Evangelists motivate people to rejoice in the Lord always, yes we have every reason to celebrate Christ eternally. But as we live on earth, the rains will come, floods will rise and it will beat our spiritual house and test the strength of the foundation of our faith. Now to be still and know He is God, we must bond with Christ the Rock of Ages. Evangelists have the power to raise the dead, but anointed Teachers will train people to die daily and walk in the power of resurrection. Evangelism shows the compassion of the Chief Shepherd to His lost and scattered sheep. But Teacher enlightens our inner-eyes like Messiah opening the eyes of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. Yeshua the Evangelist multiplies the loaves of bread and fish to feed the hungry masses, but Yeshua the Teacher runs to feed Martha’s sister Mary who is inexplicably hungry for the Bread of Life. Yeshua is the greatest Evangelist who preached in this world, but He is also the greatest Teacher who spoke the Knowledge of Truth. Therefore, Teaching and Evangelistic Ministries works in perfect harmony. Both the offices co-build the Church with God the Supreme Builder for the praise of His glory.
10. Yeshua is the Righteous Judge Who hates every sin, but the same Lord Yeshua died on the cross as a Saviour to rescue every sinner. Judgemental Teachers will be merciless and legalistic in their approach. This can create hypocrites who show godliness, which is fake before God. Teachers injecting a spirit of fear and anxiety depresses people without consecrating them. But the voice of the Spirit of Truth sets them free to gain self-control. Arrogant teachers without the Spirit of Christ will suck the life of God out of the Church. Offensive words never heal broken hearts or reform lives. False Teacher is an evil company that corrupts delightful characters. He cannot encourage believers to work out their salvation with trembling and fear.
11. God sent Teachers will preach what God has entrusted them and clear the doubts. They impart greater love, hope, and faith in people. They lead us to an accurate discernment and recognition of the will and desire of God. They admonish all to love each other and show brotherly kindness to stand as one on Christ the Rock. Teachers must have unquestionable integrity to impart the purity of the mind of Christ. They make us realize the perfect will of God for the renewal of our mind to please God. Apostle Paul wrote: Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves (not Christ). Do you not yourselves realize and know (thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience) that Jesus Christ is in you - unless you are (counterfeits) disapproved on trial and rejected? -(2Corinthians 13: 5 AMP). Spirit-filled Teachers unveils the wisdom and Revelation which enlightens the Bride. Prophetic teaching opens the mystery of Christ and blesses the Church to progress from glory to glory. Teachers help Pastors to keep the Divine order in the House and repair what is faulty in people’s understanding. Actual Teachers irrefutably convict those who contradict and oppose the Divine purpose of God. They remind us, "If we deny and disown and reject the Lord, He will also deny and disown and reject us”.
12. However, amid many winds of diverse teachings, the Bride needs to develop a sound mind to discern everything spiritually and hold on to what is excellent. Some local churches adore and depend on their Teacher more than Christ Himself and His Word. Such Churches get filled with pride and they ridicule other congregations. They quench the Spirit of the Body of Christ. They will belittle other offices of the Holy Spirit in the fivefold Ministry. Mockers will stumble and fall from grace. What we need to understand is, we have the new testament written because the first century Church had the bountiful fullness of the Spirit of the Messiah. Those saints obeyed the instruction of the Holy Spirit and lived a life worthy of Christ. Their convictions and lifestyle were in harmony with the Holy Spirit. The Author and Finisher of faith anointed the chosen fisher-men like Peter and John to become the authors of the uncorrupt Word of God.
13. Apostle John received celestial inspiration and wrote with deep conviction: “We are writing about the Word of life (in) Him Who existed from the beginning Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our own eyes, Whom we have gazed upon for ourselves and have touched with our own hands” - (1 John 1:1 AMP). Bible Teachers referring to books written by men to prepare sermon notes or teaching material is good. More than that, we must spend quality time to take a walk with God and talk with Him every day. When we become the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit, then people will get rooted in Christ and shall bear the fruit of the Spirit. Apostle Paul received direct revelations for us to live a higher spiritual life. He learned nothing from the other Apostles in Jerusalem. We know the writings of the disciples who partook in the Last Supper of Christ. Paul was not present on that table. But God gave him the Divine instructions saying how we must partake in the Holy Communion. Therefore, during Communion, Pastors worldwide read what Paul received from the Lord for the Church. Excellent Teachers take pride in learning from the Lord Himself than relying on others to edify the saints. The revelations God gives us will inspire all generations to worship the Lamb Who was slain for all.
14. Demonic doctrines can make the Church lose her first love for Christ and first faith in Him. So beware of the quick-tempered, merciless, legalistic, and wicked leaders who preach without aligning their hearts with God. Like the old snake deceiving Eve, they contradict the pristine intent of the Holy Trinity. They get puffed up by their mere instincts of head knowledge which offends the Holy Spirit our Teacher from Heaven. Without the mind of the Spirit, the power of crazy maniacs and their offices control everything to please themselves. They dilute or contaminate the Message with crafty words for making innocent people fearfully surrender to their half-truths. Submitting to authority is Biblical, but following a false teacher ends in fallacy. Honor the brilliant Teachers who make the Church rely on the Scripture and the power of God. Paul was clear how he portrayed Christ to the Galatians. Look how furious he was against the foolish response Galatians gave. Hence the uncorrupt teacher declared: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a Gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” -(Galatians 1:8 ESV). Even when Apostle Peter showed hypocrisy by making the gentiles turn to Judaism, Paul, a born-again Jew raised his voice against him. Christians must follow the most glorious revelation of Christ, not the shadows of Christ in the old Jewish customs and practices.
15. Apostle Paul points out what must be the core motive of the Bible Teacher. He said: “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned”- (1Timothy 1:5 KJV). So if there is no compassion, no purity of motive, no good consciousness to God and man, and no faith in the new covenant and the power of God, then the teacher is a false teacher. A trustworthy Bible Teacher will dwell as one with the Holy Spirit, the ultimate Teacher from Heaven. Otherwise, his teaching can go haywire, though he quotes the Holy Bible. Even Satan quotes the Bible to test Yeshua our Lord. Quoting Bible and interpreting it for our own convenience, deceives people.
16. The Lord Yeshua is the true vine and we are the branches ingrafted to Him for always bearing good fruit. For this to happen the Bridegroom reminded His beloved disciples to abide in Him and His Word, because we cannot do anything without Him, teaching included. So let the selfless and passionate Teachers filled with the Holy Spirit rise and shine in the Glory of Christ. They will enlighten the Bride to beautify herself blamelessly for the Wedding of the Lamb. Yeshua the Bridegroom is coming soon to take His Bride away. Are we ready? Let there be great joy in Heaven. Amen!
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[C] THE MINISTRY OF THE PASTOR
The Ministry of the Pastor feeds and guards the redeemed flock against the cunning wolves diligently.
1. According to Dictionary.com the meaning of the word ‘Pastor’: a Minister or a Priest in charge of a Church. We derive this word Pastor from a Latin noun which means - Shepherd The word ‘Shepherd’ is derived from ‘pascere’ which means - to lead to pasture, set to grazing, cause to eat.
2. Prominent Old Testament heroes of the Bible like Jacob, Moses, and David were Shepherds. After their tenures leading the flocks, God caused a significant shift in their lives. Jacob became the father of a great nation, Moses became a noble leader and David became a triumphant King. While shepherding the sheep, God conditioned their hearts to cultivate His greatness in them.
3. Those who are called for Pastoring the Church should identify themselves with Christ the Chief Shepherd. To represent Christ we must possess His compassion and vision. To accomplish the great commission, we must get reconciled with God and man. Then we need the boldness and endurance of Moses a noble leader. To fight a good fight of faith, we need a passion for God and His Kingdom like David the valiant man of war. An excellent Church Pastor is first an obedient follower and an intimate worshipper of God. David was the man after God’s own heart. As we follow Christ the Chief Shepherd, He will manifest in us to draw all others to Himself. God’s flock will recognize the voice of the Spirit of Christ in us and worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
4. Jacob the son of Isaac and Rebekah was once a cunning trickster. He earned his twin brother Esau’s birthright as the firstborn through a wicked exchange deal. Isaac their father was old and desired to pronounce the fatherly blessings. Here Jacob came in disguise of Esau, the firstborn, and lied to his father. The eyes of Isaac was dim because of old age, so he asked questions to clarify his doubts. He trusted Jacob but he got deceived. Isaac kissed and blessed Jacob instead of Esau the son he loved so much. Esau lost the father’s blessing because of his own utter foolishness. Esau gave away his birthright for a meal offered by Jacob. Now it upsets Esau because his twin brother took away his birthright, and secondly his father’s blessing.
5. Afterward, Isaac sent Jacob to Padan-Aram to visit Laban, who was Rebekah’s brother. Isaac told Jacob to choose one of the maternal uncle’s daughters as his wife. Jacob met this beautiful girl named Rachel there. She was the younger daughter of Laban and fell in love with her. To marry this lovely lady, Jacob agreed to become the shepherd of Laban’s flocks for seven years. But on the wedding day, the cunning Laban deceived Jacob. Laban gave his elder daughter Lea as the bride instead of Rachel. When Jacob came to know this it broke his heart, but it was too late. Then Laban demanded him to work seven more years before gaining Rachel as his wife. Jacob reaped what he sows. However, Jacob worked hard seven more years for his love's sake and became Rachel’s husband.
6. After two long decades of laboring as a shepherd, one day God commanded Jacob to get out of Laban’s house. So without informing Laban, he fled with Lea, Rachel, his other wives, children, and livestock. Laban came to know this and chased Jacob. But God of Abraham appeared in a dream to Laban and warned him not to speak good or bad to Jacob. This time God intervened and rescued the grandson of Abraham. But Esau was on his way to meet up with Jacob. When he came to know this, he got frightened and depressed. He prayed with all his heart, “Deliver me, I pray You from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he comes and smites (us all) the mothers with the children”(Genesis 32:11 AMP).
7. God wanted to take away the guilty conscience which was the root cause of fear in Jacob. Hence on the way to his Father’s land, near the ford of Jabbok, a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. The Man struggled to free himself from Jacob. So He touched Jacob’s thigh and put it out of joint. Jacob demanded the Man to bless him, or else he said he will not leave the Man. Jacob was a dreamer, crazy for blessings. But he failed to honor the ways of God, the Giver of all blessings. Jacob’s crooked strategies to gain blessings became the sermon notes for today’s prosperity gospel. Wrong belief systems can delay our blessings.
8. The wrestling with God ended Jacob with a limping thigh. But the Lord sanctified his heart and realigned him to inherit the Abrahamic promises. God asked him: “What is your name?” This time Jacob spoke the truth. To give him a second chance and a fresh beginning, God changed his name from Jacob (the supplanter) to Israel (the contender with God) and blessed him. God fulfilled His promises and made Jacob the father of a great nation. The consecration of our hearts makes us worthy to inherit every Abrahamic blessing by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
9. Jacob left Jabbok after getting blessed. In God’s favor, he had a joyful time with his twin brother Esau. We need to get reconciled with God and man before asking for blessings even in ministry. The wrong deeds we did and the evil thoughts we spoke can make us guilty and frightened. If we humble ourselves to rectify defects, the perfect love will cast out the spirit of fear that torments us. So before taking charge to represent Christ, let’s surrender to God and renew our minds to get transformed. It is better than paying a price like Jacob to get blessed for the future. Our ways are not His ways, so we better learn to walk in His ways. Let’s possess the Mind of Christ and correct our inner flaws. Let’s move forward and walk with God like Enoch. Christ will enlarge our territory and multiply us to subdue the earth for the praise of His glory.
10. In Egypt, once a strong and clever Hebraic boy named Moses grew up in the palace as the Pharaoh’s daughter’s son. One day he walked out to see the welfare of his own people. There he saw a cruel Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Infuriated Moses murdered the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. When Pharaoh came to know this, he got furious and sought to slay him. Then Moses fled and took refuge in Midian. There he became the husband of Zipporah and worked as a shepherd under Jethro, his father-in-law. Shepherding helped him to forget years of luxury and comforts of the Pharao’s palace. Today’s consecration is preparation for tomorrow’s mission. God was remolding a murderer to be a noble leader who is tough and tender. Forty years of tending sheep made him patient to lead Israel for the next forty years in the desert.
11. Then one day at Horeb, the mountain of God, the fire which was not consuming the bush fascinated Moses. There he had an encounter with the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. Moses saw the “Great I am” and realized how tiny he is before Him. But God ordained him to liberate Israel from slavery in Egypt. God promised him, “I will surely be with you and this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you” - (Exodus 3:12). Yahweh was with him as He promised. Moses walked with Him and later wrote about himself: “Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle, kind and humble) or above all men on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3 AMP). Seeing God face to face humbles us, and that’s when we begin to depend on Him eternally.
12. Likewise, David the youngest son of Jesse was tending his father’s flock far from his house. David, the blue-eyed shepherd boy with reddish skin, risked his life twice to protect the sheepfold. He killed a bear and a lion when no man was watching or helping. He was not Jesse’s favorite son, his brothers were not fond of him. His mother was nowhere around him. When Samuel came to Jesse’s house David was absent. Ignoring David, Jesse proudly presented his seven sons to the Prophet. But God said He hasn’t chosen any of them to be the King. Seven elder sons were not a match for David, the chosen one. The family forgot him, but God said to send someone to bring him. God brought David home and anointed him as the King of Israel before all who rejected him. From then onwards the Spirit of the Lord Who descended on Christ mightily came upon David. But the Lord departed King Saul and a tormenting spirit of evil entered him.
13. When the history of the elder sons and King Saul faded, the chosen son’s history was about to begin. God empowered His worshipper David to slay the giant Goliath who terrified the entire nation. David, the man after God’s own heart rescued Israel, which was once set free from Egypt by God. Anointed David the valiant man of war was a humble sheep who followed “The Great I am”. The sweet psalmist of Israel later sang: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 KJV).
14. 23rd Psalm of David is an excellent study material for all Pastors to know what God does in our ministry. Our Lord Yeshua the Root of David said, “I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. He also said, I am the Good Shepherd and I know My own and My own knows me” (John 10:11, 14 NASB). It’s written, when Yeshua’s eyes met the lost sheep, it broke him down: “When He saw the Multitudes, it moved Him with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd”- (Mathew 9:36 NKJV). The perishing world needs Yeshua the Saviour. He asked all weary souls to come near Him for rest. Unlike the Good Shepherd, the false shepherds are merciless, in times of distress, they will be miserable comforters.
15. Yeshua the Chief Shepherd called Peter to be His disciple. A poor fisherman became an Apostle to shepherd the flock of God. To guard, feed, and lead them and even risk his life for Christ. Pastors must care about the quality of the spiritual life led by the Church of God. Since Pastors deal with families every day, so his own family should remain as a wonderful example for others to follow Christ. Paul said: “For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the Church of God?” - (1Timothy 3:5 AMP).
16. The Ministry of a Pastor is one of the most prominent ministries. Yet it is the most misunderstood one in the Church today. Without the call of God, many unfit people take up this ministry seeing the benefits of the senior position, power, security, or salary. Misleading people they will goof up after a while. They will deceive and oppress the remnant with the actual call and anointing. Believers sometimes ignorantly take prayerful Pastors for granted without considering how they stand in the gap for them.
17. Evangelists gather the souls in the House of God. Then the Teachers ground them in the written Word. Now the anointed Pastors should stand like watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. God calls them to guard the flock from the cunning wolves who come to steal, kill, and destroy. False apostles, false teachers, false prophets who preach demonic doctrines may distract the good work Holy Spirit does use faithful Pastors. However, Christ proclaimed: “I will build my Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” - (Matthew 16:18 ESV). If our Lord is not building His Church in our lives, then we are building it in vain.
18. The call of God, integrity, anointing, and passion to care others are the marks of a real Pastor. Other ministry giftings may also function in them for the spiritual wellbeing of the local Church. Selfless Pastors serve like fathers who care for their children expecting nothing in return. This is how the family of God will endure the tests of faith. Then the children who receive the true Revelation of Christ will honor the Pastor like a father. More than what we preach or teach, how sincerely we care bonds us with the flock.
19.No human can shepherd all kinds of sheep. This is where Pastors need to give birth, unlike mere leaders who hold a position. Paul said: “After all, though you have ten thousand teachers yet you do not have many fathers. For I became your father through the glad tidings (the Gospel)” - [1Corithians 4:15 AMP]. This way, like Yeshua the Chief Shepherd, each Pastor should know his sheep. So the sheep may know their Pastor like they know their father. Let’s align our thoughts with God’s dream and give birth to a new breed of sheep. In the prison at Rome, Apostle Paul gave birth to a spiritual son named Onesimus.
20. We cannot build on someone else’s foundation, we may fail to lead some other shepherd’s flock. But our walk with Elohim will enable us to get impregnated with new souls following Christ. They will recognize us as their shepherd. In Genesis Chapter 31, we see how God gave a dream to Jacob. From God, he learned how to create a new breed, different and stronger flock than the current flock of Laban. Yeshua, our Lord said, He knows His sheep and His sheep knows Him. Again He said: “The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me” -(John 10:27 AMP). For this to happen the Chief Shepherd takes the role of a Father. Jacob did the breeding, and it birthed the new sheepfold different with spots and stripes. So the Shepherds need a God-given dream to become fathers who give birth. Such sheep sees the heart of Yeshua in their Pastor and will stick with him.
21. The position, power, authority, fame, wealth, respect, and love we may gain as Pastors is an Abrahamic blessing for the ministry. Yet it is a mortal blessing to do the magnificent works preordained for us to do as cheerful givers. We live to fulfill His mission, we can finish well and bond with Yeshua forever. This conviction makes us experience the upward pull from the Throne of God. Appointing Peter to be His co-shepherd the immortal Chief Shepherd asked him three times: "Do you love me more than these?” Because Peter Who had the revelation from the Father denied His beloved Rabbi three times. Yeshua is entrusting the shepherding ministry to those who will love Him more than others. Pastors are accountable to God for the redeemed souls and their spiritual progress. But the sheep too can flee from the Shepherds and scatter for no valid reason. They can migrate to different nations or regions or they may part with us to join some other Church. Here if we love people more than God, we will be disheartened when they part with us. The Church to progress in the purpose of God, we must follow the indwelling Holy Spirit the Helper. Rely only on the direct counsel of the Spirit confirming the Scripture. Learning the life of Moses who led twenty-five lakh Israelites will help us gain insights. He was their faithful Pastor for forty years in the desert, it was possible because he led them under the Cloud of God. Following the Chief Shepherd faithfully will help us reach our destiny.
22. Pastors are alert like a snake and innocent like a dove. They are bold as a lion to accomplish the great commission. Pastors need to know the vices of the cunning old snake. Prominent Pastors are not autocratic. Earnestly seeking and seeing the face of God, they become very humble. They gain people skills to deal with distinct characters and their temperaments. They are God’s own solution, providers; they give Biblical solutions for human problems. They ought to help the entire flock understand the Scripture and the power of God every day.
23. Arrogant leaders with pride and cruel minds will only offend God and bleed His people. Many flee from the Church because of bad Pastors. Truth spoken in love only can transform lives. When we see the congregation, our hearts must overflow with compassion even though people who dislike us are in front of us. Profound messages spoken without love will not illuminate the inner-life of the Church. The Message of the cross imparts the life of God to listeners. So the Pastors should never show a bad temperament. If Pastors burn the bridges to the hearts of people, we cannot cross over and minister to edify them.
24. Overseeing people is not an easy job. Possessing the heart of the Chief Shepherd, we can but lead a multinational, or a multicultural or a multilingual Church. Because Yeshua gave Himself as a ransom for every culture, language, nation, and people. He died for our sake and rose again from the dead to Shepherd us all in every generation. God uses the Pastors to unify all cultures, languages, nations, people, and age groups for the Kingdom of Christ. Universal Church has its own distinct culture, divine attitude, gracious language, and pure code of conduct driven by the Laws of the Spirit of Life. Hence all Pastors must have a larger heart to accept new-creations and honor the soon coming Christ the Supreme Head.
25. Pastors may go through the suffering Yeshua went through while dealing with rebellious souls reluctant to change. If we try to hold on to souls who refuse to love God, it causes conflicts in the Church. Rejecting solid spiritual food for the renewal of mind, none can become like Christ. If people don’t show reverence and awe to obey God’s order in the house, let them be free to make their choices to stay or leave. After the last supper, Yeshua didn’t ask Judas to stay, so the betrayer went his way. True Pastors are the signposts reflecting Yeshua the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Faultfinding, rejecting, mocking, dishonoring, backbiting, and betraying by our own Church will keep us humble to get crucified with Christ. Imitating Christ, we receive the grace to love, forgive, and bless every offender. Remember, we are here to fulfill His Mission on earth, let nothing distract us. One day a senior member of my Church came home and told me I should never preach the Word again. If I quit the ministry listening to him, you won’t be reading this message now. Endure the cross and follow Christ, because the Spirit of Glory will preserve us blameless and complete until the end. Our Lord said, “My righteous shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him”- (Hebrews 10:38 NASB). Whatever may come Real Pastors will guard, feed, lead and care for His people.
26. The main challenge is to love people who hate us right within the congregation. Confronting people’s resentment with wisdom and grace can bring peace. We need to be free from the fear of man, which is an evil trap that blinds the Pastoral vision. Some corrupt believers and lazy co-workers can make the Church grow stagnant. Manipulators with no reverence to God and no love for souls can control the Pastoral ministry. Pastor’s first circle should be diligent and God dependant. The pastoral team should always remain Christ-centric. Wise Pastors encourage the congregation to put their complete trust in God and not on them. He does it by training every single soul to pray without ceasing. If the intercessory team alone is active in prayer, others will not bear the fruit of the Spirit individually.
27. Many Churches lack the intimate prayer and worship atmosphere. That is because of their Pastors or team of elders don’t love God with all their heart, mind, spirit, and strength. However prayerful, devoted, skilled and anointed the worship team is, the Church will miss the joy of Salvation in the congregation if the Pastoral team doesn’t have a heart of worship. The constant personal act of worship in Spirit and Truth alone causes spiritual growth from glory to glory. Corporate worship hosting God’s presence with reverence and awe gives every believer a marvelous chance to engage his or her heart with the Lover of their soul. Heart of worship is the key secret of the Church growth. Because Abba Father is seeking the true worshippers, He will enable them to grow mature in Christ. Abba descends to dwell with those who run to kiss His Son undyingly.
28. We must pray like Solomon for God’s wisdom and His grace to lead complicated people untiringly. Once a journalist asked a Senior Pastor in America who served fifty years in the same local Church, how did the members of this Church followed your leadership so many years? The answers were brilliant. He said, by yielding to the Holy Spirit, I refreshed my mind to follow His will for every new season. I gifted myself as a new Pastor to the Church every year for the last fifty years. Fifty new Pastors appeared in one wise man who dedicated to trust in the Lord for renewing his strength year after year. By relying on the grace of God, eminent leaders co-build great Churches, and vice versa, great Churches raise superb leaders. Today’s ungodly Church boards and committees controlling anointed and genuine Pastoral ministry brings spiritual catastrophe. Under their rules and regulations, Churches become like Airports and Railways stations for travelers. None comes to stay and partaker in the mission of Christ, everybody departs. They also quench the anointing of the Pastors, grieve the Holy Spirit, and make Christ leave the building. When the egoistic and loveless human spirit is controlling the Church, there is no room for the Holy Spirit to birth a revival transforming lives. Godless men and women in administration mock the Lord Who is enthroned to reign in His Church. Ignorant church staff can torment intimate worshippers of God. Christ-less Christians make the congregation lifeless. When Yeshua our Lord is rejected in His Church, He walks out and later knocks at the door to re-enter and dwell in every heart. Manipulators in the Church makes the House of Prayer a den of thieves. Let every pretender know, God will consecrate them in His mercy. Their thighs may get disjointed, but if they repent they may get blessed like Jacob.
29. In my experience, I have met more Pastors than any other servant of God. This is because every Church planted on earth will have a Pastor. Yet very rarely I found a very gracious and blessed Pastors sold out for Christ and His Church. But I have met very many wrong people in Pastoral ministry. I have also have seen devoted elders, godly boards, and God-fearing committees struggling with the false shepherds. If we don’t have other ministry offices functioning in the Church, it can still go on. But without dedicated Pastors, it is not possible to oversee a Church. To experience the depth of the Pastoral ministry, textbooks, and elaborate study classes or writings like this are inadequate. Divine encounter with God alone makes us worthy to receive what the Spirit of God is speaking to the Church every day. The University called “The Holy Bible” alone is trustworthy and reliable. Here Holy Spirit is the Professor of Theology unveiling the mystery of Christ and His Church.
30. May His Church prepare as the flawless Bride ready to transfigure when Yeshua comes. Let every Church get revived and preserved for the Bridegroom. May God call, train, and anoint his faithful servants to become His noble Shepherds for a time as these. Let them faithfully guard, guide, feed, and care for the flock of God until we eyewitness His Majesty in the clouds with His Angels. Amen!
