WORDS OF ADVICE FOR NEW PASTORS

I was asked by a man that is entering into pastorship if I could give some adivce to him on his new journery. I breifly commented by the following and thought I'd share it with others that may be answering the call to pastor. These are just a few things that I think would prove very helpful to you:

The Lord says in Jeremiah 3:15 "I will give you pastors after Mine own heart who shall feed you with knowledge and with understanding."

HAVE THE HEART OF THE FATHER
Having your heart being transformed into the Father's heart is of paramount importance. We need to see people as God sees them and see things from His perspective. For too many of us we deal with people on the basis of what our experience shave been or on what we've been taught. The only problem with that is, we need to unlearn some things and relearn some things. While a lot of what we've done or do is religious and sounds like and seem like it's spiritual, it is really religious, with no Spirit. For many we practice a bunch of rules, regulations, legalism i.e. man-made rules, laws or man-made standards, and subject God's people and othrs to them, and then condemn, judge and rebuke them wrongly when they don't adhere to them.

We as God's leaders need to understand the word of God as revealed to us by His Spirit, His wisdom and His knowledge. And then we need to be willing to let go and abandon any thing tht we have learned, tauaght or practice that does not align it self with the word of God. While tradion is good in some sense, it is not good when it is not scriptural.

STICK WITH THE WORD OF GOD
Be scriptural, not religious and not opinionated. It's not about what we think or believe but its about what the word of God is reaveling and saying to us through the scriptures, that we must teach and feed God's people.

VALUE THE WORD OF GOD
Value the Bread of Life i.e. the Living Word of God. I have been on sites and left them because they had a spirit of debating the word of God, fighting back and forth with it, instead of using it to edify the body of Christ. God has not called any of us to be a "word policeman" if you will. But He has called usto be doers of the word and to preach, teach and proclaim it. When we view the word of God as the Living Word of God, we won't get engaged in battles or brawls about the word of God. As the Living Word of God, when we debate, fight and bicker with it, we sever, rip and tear apart the Body of Jesus Christ. For Jesus is the word from the beginnning and the Word is Him. (John 1:1-2)

LOVE LIKE GOD LOVES
Love God's people like He loves them. Every body is significant to God, reagrdless of who they are and what they have done. God's love is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, etc. Let God's love rule in your heart and your life.

You as any one else is privileged to be called to do anything by the Lord.
May Father-God lead, keep and guide you as you endeavor to fulfill this call of pastorship
May you be a pastor after God's own heart.
And may your fruit glorify your heavenly Father, and may it long remain.

Your new office wil come with new responsibilities and new challenges.
You must be patient, you must be teachable and you must be persevering.
It is God that calls us and qualifies us, and it is Him that will guide us through the process,
the process of becoming what He has calleed you to.
Remain faithful in the process, don't get weary during the process, don't give up the process/
May God bless you as you accept humbly this call,and may you see it as a privilege to serve the
Lord in any capacity. I hope this advice can be helpful in some way to you/

Lovingly,