Praying for your Pastor

Another guest blog by Barry Greer. Barry is a great writer with wonderful insights to church and Christian issues.

Praying For Your Pastor

Do you pray for your pastor? Do you realize that HE is the most spiritual person in your life?

I understand that a spouse, parent, sibling, or other church members have a great influence in

your life concerning the things of God, but make no mistake; YOUR PASTOR is the only other

person, beside yourself, that will give an account to God for you! Think about that statement for

a moment. As we individually stand before the “Judgment Seat of Christ” giving an account of

our own lives (Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.), the

Lord will have your pastor give an account of you as well (Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have

the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give

account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you). How powerful

and sobering!

I must confess, to my shame, I hadn’t always prayed for my pastor, as I should. This left him

more vulnerable to the attacks of the devil. As with any army, you disable the leadership, your

chances of winning increase. We are engaged in spiritual warfare. Souls, lives, eternities are at

stake. We all, as fellow soldiers with Christ, have a responsibility to the Lord of sabaoth (James

5:4) to pray for our pastor, the one who watches for OUR souls. That is why we are to put on

the “Whole Armour of God”, made complete by prayer (Ephesians 6:13,18 Wherefore take unto

you the whole armour of God… Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit….

Here are a few reasons to pray for your pastor.

1) The Gift of God: The Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16), and eternal life (Rom 6:23) are gifts of God, but so is a pastor (Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding). What great love our Father has for us, and wisely has given us a man who will feed us with knowledge and understanding. He needs our prayers.

2) The Gospel of God: This world is spiritually “hard of hearing” concerning the gospel, deafened by sin, self and Satan. The man of God needs wisdom and power to proclaim truth. (Colossians 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ…) My pastor, being led by the Spirit of God, knew exactly what to say to me the night I struggled to be saved. He needs our prayers.

3) The Glory of God: Individually, we are to bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31 …whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.). Corporately, the Lord established His 3^rd institution for that very purpose (Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus…). Christ is the Head of every church, but has placed a man in an “office” to oversee each church (Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some…pastors and teachers). With that office, the pastor has a great responsibility. (Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.) He needs our prayers.

The Apostle Paul regularly instructed the churches to pray for those in leadership. He was very much aware of his own need for prayer (Rom 15:30, Eph 6:19, Phil 1:19, 1 Thess 5:25, 2 Thess 3:1). His ministry would not have been successful without the saturation of prayer.

Child of God, your pastor needs your prayers. Be assured, your pastor daily brings your name before the throne of grace. (2 Corinthians 11:28 … that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.) Time after time after time, my pastor has given testimony of praying for our church, and members in particular. Should we not also intercede on his behalf? Support your pastor in prayer and thank the Lord in the interest of His Gift, His Gospel, His Glory.

For Christ,

Barry J. Greer

Jer 32:27

Faith while in Action

Readers: I came across this story from "The Baptist Muse".

It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.



On a cool, quiet January morning, Corporal Rick Garrett was shaving in the shower trailer at Camp Victory, Iraq. Wrapped in a towel and enjoying the energy he felt from a good night's sleep, he began thinking about the months he had left overseas. Many questions filled his mind: Would the war get even bloodier? Would any of his buddies be killed? Would he do his duty well? In fact, would he even survive?

Then another question - it was a prayer, really - formed itself in his mind: "God, are you able to protect me over here?"

The words had just become a conscious thought when Corporal Garrett heard a deafening crash. It was the sound of the trailer door shattering. An RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) had pierced the door and was now flying through the middle of the trailer. In an instant, the projectile flew past Corporal Garrett, lightly creasing his stomach en route, and embedded itself in the trailer wall opposite the door.

For a moment, Garrett was frozen in shock, expecting the RPG to explode. But it did not. Realizing he might have a moment to escape, the corporal ran to the gaping hole where the door had been and hurled himself through it to the ground several feet below. Jumping up as quickly as he could, he sprinted from the trailer while shouting a warning to those in the nearby trailers. Dozens of soldiers braced themselves for an explosion.

Yet nothing happened. The RPG never exploded. It was a dud. Garrett picked himself up from the ground and began laughing with relief. As a crowd gathered and began congratulating him for his luck, he remembered the question he had been asking God: "Can you protect me over here?" It seemed that God had answered.

In case the message hadn't been clear enough, though, there was something more. When the ordinance specialists examined the unexploded RPG, they found a message had been scratched onto it. This was not uncommon. Insurgents often painted or scratched some message on the missiles they fired as an added insult to their American enemy. But the message on this particular missile had a special meaning to Corporal Garrett.

It read simply, "From the God of the American Soldiers."

Apparently, an insurgent had intended the message as a cruel insult. Corporal Garrett knew better. Whatever the insurgents meant to say, he knew that his God was saying in dramatic terms, "Yes, I can protect you over here. For I am indeed, 'the God of the American Soldiers.'"

Taken from 'American Heroes' by Stephen Mansfield.

In the last days...

In the last days, scorners and mockers will come…

Jude 1:14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

We have heard it told for a long time that Jesus will soon return. It is the hope of every Christian that God will make a swift end of the ungodliness we see daily. There is coming a time when God will change this vile body and I will put on incorruption. Jesus is coming again soon as the verse above implies. At that time will be a judgement on earth the world has never seen. It is a horrible time where Gods wrath will be poured out without any mercy. Men will use their own name for a curse word then. The warnings of God are too plain to ignore.

There are those who mock and scorn Jesus Christ and His return.

2 Peter 3:3-5 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Consider the irreligious and ungodly websites out there mocking and scorning the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible. Any web search will produce hundreds of web sites built for the sole purpose of scorning the Bible and Jesus Christ. Consider also the comedy channels and movies made to mock Christianity and those who follow Christ. Try to find a movie or TV show that mocks and scorns Budda or Mohammad and Allah.

Jude 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

The most sobering words that can be spoken are words of impending judgement of Christ rejectors.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

One man said,“The wheels of Gods judgement grind slow, but they grind ever so fine.”

Be sure of this, God will have the last laugh. Please read the following portion carefully. Your soul depends upon your response.

Proverbs 1:23-33 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Those that would mock and make fun of God and the Bible are in for serious trouble. You are sinning away your day of grace. Please consider your plight before you turn away to mock another day. God is not finished with you yet.

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

What's New?

What’s New?

This is the New Year! People all over the world look to a fresh start. A new beginning that will last the whole year long. How refreshing is something that is new. I love the newness the new year brings and want to try to keep it new every day. Here are some things to keep new the whole year:

A New Strength

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Knowing my power to live the Christian life is insufficient. I will wait upon the Lord.

Waiting, as in tarrying for and looking to and attending to the things of God in these last days.

A New Spirit

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

The power of God is in the pure life we are commanded to keep. Endeavoring to keep my heart right and clean, I will set no wicked thing before my eyes to profane my heart. I will keep my heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.This is a secret to power in the Christian life.

A New Man

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Here is the key to Christian life. To live daily in the new man God has created in me. The old man is done away with and is crucified with Christ. The victory is mine and I will possess it.

All Things New

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

The great and final coming of our Lord is something I can look forward to this year, What if Jesus were to return again today? Would you be ready for the final judgement on this life? Life is short and the time is at hand.