Should a Pastor, Pastor a Church for free

[Pastor Lorenzo Edwards]

Should a pastor that spends most of his time preaching and teaching get paid for what God has him to do? I know what the scriptures says about this, but would you pastor for free?

[Karvelis Flowers]

I have been co-pastoring a year right now and have seen the hand of God bless me time and time again. We are a new ministry and have decided at this time not to even take anything for our services because we know that it's God who blesses and opens the doors. I believe that as a pastor, you should think about the ministry that you are leading. If they are able to bless you financially then they should; however it will become a burden to do so, then you must find a day job until God opens the doors financially to take you off your job. Full-time ministry is wither you are sitting 8hrs in the your church office or 4 or 5 hours on a secular job. Paul worked every where he went because he wanted to pull his own weight without obligating other people to take care of him. I believe that sometimes we want a church to take care of us so that we can feel important or needed. Some pastors wants a "T.D. Jakes" salary have but haven't paid the price! I have gone out of the country and will be leaving again but it's because God is providing for me because we decided not to take salary from our ministry. Do we trust God to supply our needs or the financial report that the trustees gives us every Sunday after services? Freely you have received, freely give! If a pastor takes or refuses a job because of what the church can offer them financially, then the questions is wither they have been called by God or are they just a hireling.

[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

Todah Raba~~~this is a good point..Do you trust???

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Karvelis writes "we know that it's G-d who blesses and opens the doors." ... And Why does the Ruach HaKodosh guide you through those doors? Because of STUDY to "shew thyself approved [my best KJV interpolation]...What type of approval...Emunah is the word Yeshua would have used ..It means Faith and Faithfulness....It is when you come to the realization it is not by your might [ fancy biblical manipulation].... but by the sustaining love of HaShem. with the Torah' living and breathing within the earthen vessel [Shual/Paul alluded to this as a treasure in earthern vessels]~~it is the very essence of all instructions to all mankind first to the Jew and then only to the obediant, converted from all their pagan ways Gentile deciple... The Life of a Tzaddick is one/Echad with HaShem...
Your excellencies,...I will allude to this as an example;
I remember the Day a Bath Kol came forth from the Master.."Son you have recognized that I am' your source for all things".. how long did it take me Oh about forty years or so..LOL.. Really it is a Heart issue..not much of that taught today Intimacy is the key Turn the the hearts of Men toward G-d was my mandate some eighteen years ago...
As I stated in another thread..I have never stood in the position of leader and fleeced the flock for self..Why?
Because I would not prostitue my Master for trival stuff. Raising the Dead brings forth great humility. The Value of Ha'Shem operating in and through you to this sick and dying humanity is more than gratitude. It is the finest of the finest gift to mankind to be ONE with the Master. It is simply pure love which there is no second choice.


Unless as Karvelis suggests They are just Hirelings..and not the real deal.


FYI~Bath Kol= Heavenly Voice;

[Spoken And Motion Ministries]

Pastor if you love the people as God does some of them will bless you. I have always blessed my pastors. There may be times you will need to start asking the church to be a blessing but I believe God will direct you as to when those times are. Like you said..many want the salary of those who have paid a great price to be who they are, I call it entitlement. Many think that the title or position entitles them to certain benefits...Jesus was a servant leader..he didnt burden anyone who followed him.

[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

Doretta writes: "J-sus was a servant leader..he didnt burden anyone who followed him."

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Well first and foremost the life of a hasid is to give reverence to His Master teacher/NASI only second to the Torah and above all HaShem. SO in modern terms, it is simple edification they/the Rabbi or Tzaddik has studied to be worthy and most likely debated the finer points of the Instructions [Law] with eloquence...theirby having aquired Chabad OR wisdom knowledge and understanding to the utmost degree allowed....In Hebrew the word "chabad" is a Hebrew acronym for Chochma (Wisdom), Bina (Understanding), and Daas (Knowledge) No two year bible school will do this for you it is a lifetime journey into the received traditions...to become a tzaddik of higher learning in the Academy...and then go out and do Tikkun Olam.go out ' and repair the world or at least your little part...hope that helps...Shalom aleichem

I believe a book most worthy to be read of the lifestyle of a first century Rabbi would be AKIBA -Scholar-Martyr-BY:Louis-Finkelstein]

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

As a congregational member, I agree with you Bro. Flowers, if the pastor is able to work and still pastor, then do so. However, the members should always be willing to bless the pastor with a love offering as oppose to a weekly salary. Other gifts of love can be a paid vacation trip within the U.S.(if they have minor children) and/or a cruise for him and his wife, and maybe a leased vehicle for him so that he will always have reliable transportation without the financial burden of keeping up with regular maintenance.

[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

Geeeeee I missed all this is the teachings of your Rabbi..can you give me some historical rulings that make this a fact.....that is prior to the invasion of hellinistic & proto-nostic-Rome

[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

Mr Flowers I suggest that since you are new...that you go and study the roots of your rabbis teachings..Then you will set the people free.'You shall know the Torah and the Torah emet/emunah will set you free.

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I suggest~~Meet the Rabbis ~~Rabbinic thought and the teachings of J-sus.BY; Brad Young...[Professor at ORU] Meet the Rabbis.Lastly Shual/Paul was a maker of tents' extreamly poor translation Tent is a Talit / Mishkan HatchletMy Talit,... B'SD HaShem~~ has kissed the Kotel /the wall in Israel..I weep whan it is reverently placed upon me.

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I also suggest you check your blood linage~~ most likely Sephardi' [Northern African peoples] Spain and Portugal.

[Pastor Zeeshan Robert]

It depends that how u r loyal to the job where u r appointed.

[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

Mr. Robert writes: It depends that how u r loyal to the job where u r appointed.

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Loyality belongs to HaShem and no one else. Your Rabbi stated Why do you call ME GOOD'....their is no-One Tov but HaShem"...I would guess that is clear enough to trust that Yeshua was not making himself out to be Elohiem ,...But more-so a reverent Rabbi/or moreover a top level Tzaddik..that in no way would feel worthy to userpt that soveriegn rule.

[Trevor T. Greene]

This discussion has gone back and forth for quite a long time. I would like to bring a different angle to it by not asking if a Pastor should do it for free, but to bring it to the Sheep:

Congregation, what does the work of that Pastor, the Teachings that that Pastor mean to you?? If there was a monetary value you would place on the work that your Pastor does on your behalf, what would it be and would you be willing to pay it?? Do they do a good job? Do they do a horrible job? Do you value the living gift that GOD sent you? Has this person been a gift, or a curse to your life?

Now, act accordingly.........

[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

Mr. Trevor T. Green~ May I thank you for your thread once again..Obviously this has a divided response. Why?... because most of those who enjoy the 'Benefits of G-d as they 'encourage the sons and daughters to give to their coffers and respective denominations to move the hand of G-d [or so it is taught by some ~well meaning folks].

The Living gift, the treasure in earthern vessels, is within you..no man will make that any different except to show you that very hasidic tenent..G-d is in everything. Not that G-d is everything...but that G-d..the essence of all creation is within you...Who on this planet can top that....None I suspect.
If your tears of Teshuvah (repentence) do not wash you, then what will. More money for the three Billion $ infrastructure of the mainstream institutional church...I think not.
We could eliviate hunger from a third world country like Nigeria for instance whee the Muslims enjoy the slaughter of people and shiriah laws to inflict more pain into the lives of others..again it is Control.

Blessings from one to another ( love at it's finest) are fine, Harlotry is not..And when men get power..If they have not learned the control of the Yetzer harah thge evil instinct within..then they will always do what needs to be done to fill their appitite...Just look at our present and ever dangerous Government for example..Above the people for which they are to serve...fleecing the flock with illegal taxation..OK so that is an extream..Yet nobody cries out like a watchmen from the Pulpits of AmeriKa....because they can't,... government owns them and what they say.such a sham IMHO. We are all owned, by something or someone it seems.

Yet YHVH states clearly "I do not take a bribe ~ 5 Moshie/Duet./Devarim10:v17'Work is Deeds. [ go about doing Tov Deeds] In Judaism the root of Yeshuas teachings. Moreover that is what he learned from the Sages. More-so His own yeshiva taught him to be obediant to the Master Elohim and that my friend is the root of 'Shema Israel" Deverim 6:v4-9 Yeshua's teacher historically was the Highly acclaimed Rav. Hillel".

Those rulings are in place today as are some of AKIBA's // Akiba'~ Scholar, Saint and Martyr'~by: Louis Finkelstein[ that little book I mentioned earlier in the thread for people who wanted to study, is full of facts historically correct~~But then who wants that, right?]
Our research team has read well over five thousand books of historical truth from the Temple period of Yeshua, to come up with this Info)

Young man the flesh of mankind will always from the high chair tyrant standpoint... will always try and control because greed is from the animal instinct...the lowest form of our humanity that is why the sages study to Show themselves approved unto G-d { Novel thought} That is also why Israel produces more lettered men/PHDs than any other country second to none....Go Figure.

If a man does not obtain that which was lost ...a sovereign(personal realization/ relationship as one with the Master in all his ways, Then we will always have contension between the Elite' as it were and the Proliteriate's...it is that simple.So instead, do as the Jewish ages do...go and study until the Truths of the Master/YHVH fill you to overflowing..Then they go out and 'repair the world ...so to speak...The question next is who do you serve,?...If you want G-d, Look up...Look within~not look to man to lead you.


Lastly: Giving one to another is Tzadakah from the heart not because of a fleshly cause..or misconstruction..We are on the crest of Shabbat the same day that Yeshua set-apart..the same day that Paul taught and set apart unto the Master..i wonder how many here do as the famous Sage did then...Just a question..Nothing new under the Sun..flesh begets flesh...

Dear readers The church' is a breaking bread house to house fellowship within the comunity helping one another (eg true Community) with the Torah as a leading light.

May the Shekinah Light of G-d permeate your hearts and minds toward heaven..when that is done,... Then bring heaven down to earth..and do something one to another that is the Church for the most part.

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[YaaKov and Hadassah Terry]

This is the Problem...NOT the solution I spoke about earlier...Flesh begets flesh~~It is all about the buck and getting the butts in the seats..for some people,...the message is just come on down!

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True, pious, benevolent men, do not do, as this example given by GCM (below)

BTW a good book for the readers is R.Twerski's~~ 'Living Each Day"