Dear Pastor,

You and I are running a marathon (26.2 miles at once, are we crazy!). We might even say we are running an ultramarathon (anything over 26.2 miles). As ministers, we are not sprinting nor running a 5k (3.1 miles). This means that it takes time and furthermore, it takes a lot of energy and a lot of patience. To begin thinking about what running mile 20 will look like when you are only at mile 5 is to get a bit ahead of yourself. We can make plans for mile 20: planning on eating well, hydrating, pacing, getting our mind into a good place, but we can’t run mile 20 until miles 1-19 are covered. Ministry is much like racing in this regard. We often want to be at mile 20 when we simply haven’t covered enough ground to be there yet. We make plans for mile 20 and imagine what it might be like, but we must recognize the importance, nay, the imperative necessity of running the mile we are in simply by putting one foot in front of the other one.

Here is what that looks like in ministry:

On any given day of the week, we daydream about what it would be like to serve in a church that has more volunteers, money, space, and members than we know what to do with. But instead of mourning the fact that we don’t serve in such a place (and then daydreaming about other places that might somehow have such an overabundance) we should put one foot in front of the other foot to help make this church and this ministry into that which we have dreamed.

The truth is that prayer, Bible study and time with people will reap more and greater results than almost anything else we can do. Indeed there are also other things on our to-do lists but if we spend time nurturing our mind, heart, and soul and then spend much of the rest of our time with people we certainly can’t go wrong. Sometimes building the healthy and “successful” church we dream of means stopping and praying immediately for that which is causing us distress and then making sure to spend time with people who need Jesus, encouragement, and/or equipping.

We are in a marathon, but sometimes instead of trying to figure out what we will do at mile 20 and wishing we were already there, we should just put one foot in front of the other and find joy and give thanks for the moment/mile we are in. After all who wants to get to the finish line only to discover that we spent so much time day-dreaming about the future moments and miles that we missed the things right in front of us and never enjoyed the run at all?

Christ is with us, Christ is in us

Mike

Every church has it:

Drama.

No matter how wonderful a church is, it still has drama. We all have difficulties, frustrations and “those people” in our churches.

The reminder today is that every church and ministry has drama because they consist of fallen and imperfect people.

Even if every single person in your church was saved and sanctified there would still be mistakes and shortcomings that could cause misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

I know that we all hope to one day find or become the perfect church that somehow rises above the drama and difficulties of immaturity and foolish choices, and yet that is not realistic nor Biblical.

If the church is reaching out to the lost and hurting, there will constantly be an inflow of people who bring their sin, burdens, immaturity, and foolishness with them. And even when they get saved and sanctified there will be other lost and hurting people brought in.

So let’s not get discouraged or frustrated at the fact that people in the church say foolish and hurtful things. Certainly, we should feel sorrow and compassion both for the offenders and the offended but let us not be surprised. Instead, let us realize that God has placed us where we are for such a time as this. We are here to disciple people through their immaturity and help them to connect with the One who will keep working to present them holy and blameless.

Here are 4 simple steps to take when drama occurs in your church:

1. Stop and listen to all persons as they relate what they saw, heard, said, experienced, etc. By listening and prayer you will hopefully be able to discern motives (both good and bad)
2. Graciously and yet with Biblical truth point people to the commands of God to let our speech be seasoned with grace, to speak the truth in love, to forgive, to go the extra mile and many other such passages that tell us how to deal with people who hurt us, bully us and otherwise treat us in a way contrary to Jesus’ perfect love
3. If at all possible, don’t call people out in front of others, but rather offer gentle instruction one-on-one to help them to realize how their behavior can help/hurt others
4. Remember to be both a peacemaker (they are blessed!) and yet always a truth-teller. We cannot stand idly by while people use words, attitudes, and actions to belittle, slander, or otherwise tear people down.

Pastor, God has placed you in the church you are in and with your particular flock so that you can help them to discern what is appropriate and what is inappropriate behavior for children of God. They do learn much by watching your example and being around people who live loving and gracious lives, but our flocks must be taught by words of gentle and yet consistent and insistent truth.

Thank you for living an example of love and forgiveness and watching carefully over your words. Thank you also for boldly and courageously leading your flock so that they will not devour one another but instead will build each other up with their words of love, compassion and gentle, nurturing kindness.

Isn’t it so good to know that in this journey with imperfect people,

Christ is with us and Christ is in us!

Mike J

Dear Pastor,

Here is the thing about ministry: it’s never done. When we leave the office at night or get a phone call in the middle of the night, or head out on vacation, the work is never done. We may check a few things off our list, but many of the things we check off will be right back on the list next week. There is a monotony in ministry that can be overwhelming. Furthermore, I once heard it said that often times pastors “burnout” more because of lack of progress than even because of overworking.

The reality is that when we feel like we are making progress it gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps to recharge our batteries to keep going. So here is what I want to encourage you in:

1. Do something every day that you can “measure”. It’s hard to measure people’s spiritual growth and its hard to measure the overall health and vitality of a ministry/congregation. But what can be measured is how many people you have contacted or met with. We can measure how many cards of encouragement we sent out. We can see when our desk is clean and our inbox is empty or not. Go out of your way each and every week to do something you can see and measure.
2. Remember that if you are doing ministry according to the things that release the power of God you can know that you are accomplishing more than you know. In other words, if you are sharing the gospel fully and unashamedly and if you are praying/fasting regularly for God’s glory and His kingdom advancement, God Himself is watching over your efforts and causing an effectiveness you can’t necessarily see and won’t necessarily know for a while.

Thank you for pressing on, when it seems like nothing is happening and you just want to quit. Thank you for not giving up or giving in. Remember to get on your knees and cry out to the Lord when the feelings of discouragement or oppression come heavy upon you. Remember to replace untrue, negative thoughts with the true and lovely thoughts of God’s holy Word. Remember to reach out to other pastors and ministers to find mutual edification in times of difficulty.

And above all, remember that God is the one who is so powerfully at work in you, around you, on your behalf and of course on behalf of His name and glory and kingdom. Don’t become discouraged but press on in the power of Jesus’ name! Remember that He is able and He will do it!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us

Mike J

Dear pastor,

Preaching is a beautiful thing.

It is also difficult.

The apostle Paul called it foolishness. Some in your congregation and mine might call it boring. You and I have both heard people say that certain preaching “just isn’t feeding them”.

So how indeed are we to measure our preaching? Should such a thing even be done? Am I wandering into subjective, judgmental or unhelpful kinds of things? I really don’t think so.

As a matter of fact I believe that since we are to be faithful witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ we need to look closely at the words coming out of our mouth and from whence they have come. Scripture instructs us to watch over our life and doctrine closely and also that we will be judged according to the deeds done and words spoken while in the body. So without any further delay, I believe that the quickest and most effective what to gauge or measure our preaching is not with “atta-boys” or praise from men or even altars lined with people (which would nonetheless be beautiful) but instead by asking the following questions. And then after we ask the following questions we better get on our knees in prayer for ourselves and our hearers…

• Do they know they are loved?
• Do they know what Jesus has done for them
• Have they believed in Jesus as Christ and Lord?
• Have they accepted all that God offers them in Christ Jesus?
• Have they laid their struggles down?
• Are they being obedient to the vision that have seen from heaven?
• Have they turned from their wicked ways?
• Are they worshiping and serving the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength?
• Are they walking in step with the Spirit and enjoying every promise and blessing?
• Are they actively sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ far and wise?
• Are they praying for and with other people and serving other people?
• Are they enjoying the Lord in all circumstances and at all times?

You may say: how can those questions measure my preaching when they are all about the people I am preaching to?

You might even go further to remind me that each person gets to choose and that the people you are preaching to are stubborn and stiff-necked.

I get it.

Everywhere I have preached the gospel, I too have met stubborn people who refuse to hear with their ears. But these questions are indeed of extreme value in measuring our preaching because how will our people believe and live as they should if they have not been told? And the question is: “have you and I told people of the gospel in such a way, enough times and with God’s anointing so that they know, understand and hopefully are now living according to the above questions”?

Charles Finney once told a story about a pastor who was not able to lead people to salvation and the response to this pastor was that the pastor “did not intend to get people saved” but rather “preached for another purpose altogether”. I believe that as you and I ask the questions above about our people we may be able to see areas of clarity and faithfulness in our preaching but we may also see holes. Furthermore, after asking the above questions we might see imperfect motives in ourselves or something that is lacking in our preaching (whether content or anointing or something else). Please pray over your people and the preaching opportunities that God gives you so that what you preach will bring such outcomes as inferred by the above questions. I do believe that by the foolishness of preaching many may still be saved! Do you?

Thank you for declaring the full gospel of this new life and thank you for declaring it fearlessly as you should. Thank you for not being of those who shrink back and are destroyed but rather being of those who are faithful and persevere and press on in Jesus’ name!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike J

Being a missionary

It’s not enough to pass people and think

• “They may be going through difficulties”
• “They need Jesus”
• “Jesus can save them”
• “Jesus can give them purpose and meaning”
• “If they would call on the name of the Lord they will be saved”
• “Jesus can set them free”

Thinking these thoughts can

• Encourage us in our own faith
• Deepen our compassion
• Compel us to pray more
• Convict us of our own need to accept/receive the same
• Motivate us to proactively connect, engage and serve

But the thoughts in and of themselves do not make me a missionary

Neither do platitudes, niceties, politeness or neighborliness in and of themselves make me a missionary. Indeed being kind and compassionate, gentle and loving are non-negotiables for the Christian and inseparably intertwined with being a witness, evangelist, and missionary. However, thinking true thoughts and living a lifestyle of kindness and love does not make me a missionary.

To be a missionary, first I must hear and accept the call of God to be not only a disciple but also an apostle (which all believers are called to). I must recognize that from the beginning Jesus called disciples whom He instructed that He would make “Fishers of Men”. His training and sending took place all through His earthly ministry and culminated in a commissioning with authority and the power of the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses even to “the uttermost parts of the earth”.

Second, to be a missionary, I must begin to go to the people I am sent to. Politicians seem to understand that to know their constituents they have to actually be with them, not only talking but listening also. Doctors recognize that to help their patients they have to dialogue about the symptoms. Retailers “get it” that in order to sell their products they have to engage the people so that the transaction and exchange of money for goods can take place. It seems that only in the church do people forget that the fulfillment of our purpose entails being with God and people.

It’s not enough to talk about God, we have to talk to Him. It’s not enough to talk about people’s needs, we have to talk to them. It’s not enough to be near God, we have to be with Him. It’s not enough to observe lost people from our insulated and isolated lives we have to rub shoulders with them and furthermore engage.

So, to be a missionary, we must hear and receive God’s call and we must go to the people we have been sent to.

Thirdly, to be a missionary, we must not only understand their language and hear their stories, but we also must give them the message Jesus gave us to pass along. We are His messengers and we simply must give the message. To be missionaries it is not enough to be near people, talk about the need, know about the culture, have pity/compassion towards lost and hurting people or even pray for the community around us. We must fearlessly declare to them the gospel of Jesus Christ. If not for this we may be theologians, we may cultural anthropologists or community organizers, but we will not be missionaries. To be a missionary we must work that God’s kingdom will come on earth, amongst these lost people, as in heaven. To be a missionary we have to immerse ourselves in their culture (whilst not partaking of the sinful things) we must interact and build relationships, we must listen as much as we talk and finally, we must tell the full message of this new life.

Dear Christian, may we remember that you and I are in a country that is not our own. Our country is in heaven, we are citizens of that place, but we are here as missionaries and we must act accordingly. The glory of God (in and through us) and the salvation of the lost and broken, hurting and enslaved depend on it!

Dear Pastor/Missionary, thank you for leading the way on your knees and with actions and words in the evangelistic effort to reach the lost with the message of the gospel. Thank you for not letting any of us Christians get comfortable in our own salvation and forget about the plight of the lost. Thank you so much for showing us the missionary heart of God and showing us that even in this pluralistic, intolerant and sinful era, God is still able to use willing and available people to share His good news.

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike J

Dear pastor,

I have a confession to make. There are many times that I get all topsy-turvy regarding my value and worth as a pastor. Don’t get me wrong here, God has helped me to know that my personal identity is in Him and Him alone, but sometimes I have thought that my only value or worth as a pastor is that which I accomplish. I sometimes gauge my significance as a pastor by what can be measured regarding my contribution to the lives of people and the churches I lead.

And yet that really is not the call God has placed upon his pastors. Instead, God has called you and me to be faithful. He has called us to fearlessly declare His gospel. God has called us to walk in His love and invite others to do the same. And really the only measure of our importance or significance as a pastor or missionary is not what accomplishments can be listed on our resumes or recognized and rewarded by our fellow man. Instead, God is showing me that the most important and truly the only significant measure of our pastoring is whether we have been obedient. Not perfect, not successful by the worlds measures or standards, not applauded by our boards and congregations.

As pastors, we must remember that what matters is faithfully representing Him. Likely many more people will reject our message and push us away than those who welcome us and our message. There is an increasing likelihood that criticism, rejection and even persecution will come upon God’s prophets. But for the sake of His name and for the sake of the lost and dying, we must keep on declaring the glorious news of His amazing love and grace. Let us not concern ourselves with how successful our pastoring is and instead pour ourselves out for His glory and their salvation. God will watch over the rest.

Fellow-minister and brother/sister in the Lord, thank you for being faithful to God’s call. Thank you for planting the seed and watering it and letting God make it grow.

Christ is for us, with us and Christ is in us!

Mike J