When shepherds bleed
Ray McQueen
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By Ray McQueen
Published: June 27, 2008
As we approach a new era for the office of president in the United States of America, we are a country with high expectancy for change. Many have referred to this position as the highest calling in the land. I agree, it has its place as a high calling, but I believe the highest calling is when a man or woman occupies the calling of a spiritual leader in the Kingdom of God.
Romans 10:13-15 says, “For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.”
The preaching of the gospel is a tremendous responsibility for a pastor. All of our lives go beyond our physical needs being met. The condition of our world illustrates to us that mankind is lacking spiritually. God gives us preachers to give us insight and revelation of the heart of God. In His infinite wisdom, God calls men and women to fulfill a divine calling to lead His people.
I believe every pastor who is living a holy and righteous life, determines how much Satan feels compelled to silence his voice. We need not fear the schemes and tactics of the enemy. Pastors are in need of prayer. Pastors, who spend time seeking the face of God and soaking in his word, live protected lives. The devil knows in order to destroy these men, is to wear them down spiritually. The enemy will try to get them disconnected from their source of spiritual strength through distractions.
Many pastors are facing great opposition and difficulty in the day-to-day operation of ministry. They are leading while bleeding. God is calling for parishioners to pray and speak words of life into the lives of pastors and their families.
Statistics say that 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month, due to spiritual burnout or contention in their churches. Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry, if they could, but have no other way of making a living. Many pastors are tolerating their position instead of enjoying their God-ordained assignment for their lives.
I have had the opportunity to pray for many pastors, who have given up on the pastorate. My reason for alerting the church about shepherds, who are preaching to you on Sunday mornings and hurting on Monday mornings, is so that you can pray fervently for spiritual leadership. Acts 12:5 says, “Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”
When Shepherds are under attack the church must pray unto God for them. People must know the value of righteous living shepherds.
Whatever local fellowship you meet at each week, remember shepherds do bleed, and you should stand with them and by them with fervent prayer.
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Posted by ( Cosmo Wafflefoot ) on June 29, 2008 at 2:19 pm
...“Statistics say that 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month, due to spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.“ Wow! Now I learn that half of those that stay only do so because they can’t think of another way to make a buck. These statistics sound so familiar. They so closely parallel life insurance sales, AMWAY and selling Mary Kay that it isn’t funny. The only real difference is that when Frank can’t get you to part with a check for the underwriting deposit or Betty can’t get you to spring for that $25 tube of foundation make-up (that’s just “your” color)... It ain’t Satan’s fault. They just stink at selling, closing the “deal” so to speak. It seems to me that God should be able to do better than that. Everybody knows that great salesmen are born and not made. Billy Graham made his bones selling Fuller Brush door to door. So, why would the all powerful creator of the universe, who knows how many hairs you have on your head at any given moment, recruit so many losers who HE knows can’t cut the mustard? Then, blame it all on Satan! Sounds awful cheesy to me. Even those late night hucksters who will sell you CD’s showing you how to be a millionaire buying houses for no money, or retire in a week trading stocks in your pajamas offer a money back guarantee. God, in his infinite wisdom, puts the blame on somebody else. We must truly be “made in His image”. There is just way to much of this stuff going around. Always has been I guess. Eve blamed the snake. Adam blamed Eve. God blames Satan. Nothing, it appears, is really anybodies fault. If on rare occasions you find yourself behind the old 8 ball with nobody to blame, forgiveness is their for the asking. They tell me Jesus died to give us all that little “Ace in the hole”. But I ain’t buying it. Who needs a “Get out of jail free” card that only works when the game is over? Kind of silly really. Then again 3000 religions all claiming to be the only TRUE religion is about as silly as it gets. I would offer Preachers this advice. If you were not born the kind of person who could talk a dog down off a meat truck, look for something in Civil Service. If the very idea of not knowing what to say to people makes you sweat like a Georgia red-neck writing a love letter… that ain’t no “calling” you heard. Probably just a little gas.
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