Devotionals

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A Texas town was invaded with hordes of squirrels who seemed to
settle in church attics. The Baptists had the best solution. They
baptized them and made them members. Now they are only
bothered with them at Easter and Christmas.

An E-cheer reader who is a pastor wrote the following in response
to yesterday's edition. I quote with permission: "Too often the
pastor is looked upon as someone who is "hired" to come and
"roundup the sinners" and "shoot 'em for Jesus". Many people
forget that it is the sheep that give birth to the lambs, not the
shepherds. The shepherds help prepare the sheep for the birthing
and nurturing of the lambs.

If we as local shepherds are doing our job, we are teaching the
saints to become what they are called to become, and to do the
work of the ministry. We have a full-time job just teaching the
saints to do their work. Yes, we lead by example, but that, too, is
part of teaching the saints to do the work of ministry, not doing the
work for them. We lead by example." Thank you, Pastor Dianne!

If you have ever been in a church, as we have, where every Sunday
you got the same dose of salvation aimed at the few who may not
yet be "saved," you can appreciate why I am grateful for what this
pastor said. We used to sit there week after week waiting to be fed
the meat of the Word. We often went away still being hungry.

Ephesians 4:11 (niv) has some important things to say about this --
"It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to
prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of
Christ may be built up..." Notice that the responsibility of pastor
and teacher are lumped together, but that the role of evangelist is a
separate role for someone else. It doesn't mean a pastor can't
evangelize -- it means that is not his primary calling. Know your
calling and follow it! Feed my lambs.

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