Make me a Shepherd again

Just recently I was with a group of pastors for our weekly prayer time together and as I mentioned in an earlier blog that through that time I was challenged to become a shepherd again and that being a preacher was a part of that shepherd. So over the past several weeks I have been praying that God would again give me a shepherd's heart. God did not call me to be a preacher but a shepherd and that preaching was just a part of that shepherding. I believe that as God makes me a better shepherd I will become a better pastor and preacher. This past week has been a week in which that prayer had a test would I be the preacher or shepherd. It would take me to long to tell in detail of all that has happen this week, but just to say was fun being a shepherd. I do want to reflect one time when I was a shepherd and it was so cool some would say a God thing. It happen Saturday (Dec 26) I was undecided if I was going to walk my 4 mile because I really wanted to walk outside, but the weather was not cooperating so I decided i would walk indoors but I was not happy. As I began my walk I met a man who was also walking and said the hi how are you thing and his comment was he was okay. After I finished my first lap his wife stopped me to tell me that this man had just got out of the hospital on the 23 of December from a 5 bi-pass heart surgery. I told them how neat that was that he wasdoing so good, but I have to admit that mind was on finishing my walk and not talking to these people so as I began my walk again God said to me you want to be a better shepherd yet you did nothing just now and was more concerned about your walk. My prayer became right then Lord help me to see this couple just one more time so I can pray with them and God answered my prayer and I was able to pray for the continued healing of this man and the regaining of his strength. I have to say it was so cool being that shepherd again I know I have more to relearn and God is faithful to help me to do just that. When i had stopped and prayed with this couple I was about a mile into my walk and I have to admit that the remaining 3 miles flew by it is so neat to be used of God to touch others.
Blessings

Jesus is not the reason for the season He is the season.

Well it is less than a week before Christmas and for many people the pace of things start to accelerate. With out a doubt there will be things that will be over looked ad other things will be forgotten.
Soon families will be together friends will meet and a good time will be had by all. Presnts will be opened and some will be to big and others to small or not the right color and some will be just plain ugly (How I remember the tie I got and only worn once and then it disappeared)
Through all of this where does the baby Jesus fit in.
I wondered what it was like on that first night the baby Jesus was born what people thought when they heard him cry did they think just listen to that baby why don't the parent make him be quiet, but soon he was forgotten about because he was just another baby.
To many times he is the one forgotten or over looked I hear people say Happy Holiday and not Merry Christamas well I say in return and a Merry Christamas to you. Even some of those who say keep Christ in Christmas are the very one who have forgotten or overlook the baby Jesus and am I one of them. Have I gotten so wrapped up in the comercialization of Christmas that I have forgotten what Christmas is all about.
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed the coming of Jesus he told about a child will be born he meantioned of his suffering that of a redeemer and one who proclaim the word of God's salvation to man yet where does He fit into my life? Have I become just someone who thinks of the Christmas season as just that a season a time to decorate, party, and share gifts or have I kept Christ in Christmas.
When I look at Jesus or think about him do I see the Savior just like Simeon did. Do I proclaim it to all I see that Christ came into this world to bring peace to all men. Does His glory shine in my life just as it shined when the angels told of Jesus birth to the shepherds watching their flock. Well I have a lot to think about my prayer is Jesus may you not be just another part of this holiday season may you be the reason in my life for this season may I let you liht so shine in my life that others will see you and you will become in their life the reason for this season
Blessings

Preachers being preached to

One of the highlights of my week is the regular Tuesday morning prayer time that I and 7 other pasters have each week. There are times we laugh, and then there are time we cry and other times we encourage each other. This morning we listen to as one pastor told of a break through with a prodical daughter and another pastor the struggles that come with having a teenage daughter, but then the host pastor began to share with us and he confessed to us that he went from being a shepherd to being a preacher. It was at that time that the toes of this pastor were stepped on. I had to ask myself have I gone from being the shepherd to being just a preacher am I more comcern about making sure that the sermon is just right and not the daily needs of the people God has made me the shepherd to. Well I had to say yes I am. What happen to my shepherd heart were did it go and can I get it back? The good news is that I can get it back and I can become that shepherd again I can not do it on my own but with the help of God I can again be that shepherd that God has called me to be. About a year ago I read a book by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak and the title of that book is "The Way of the Shepherd" while it deals with how to relate and treat people in the business world it really close to home for pastors as well. I believe it is time to pull that book back out and read it again. Help me Jesus to be that shepherd again.
Blessings
Darrell

practice what you preach

Just recently I preached a sermon on getting alone with God not just in our daily devotional time but a special time set aside just to be alone with God and to listen to him. So many times we come to God with a laundry list of things that we don't take time to listen to him. Then there are times in our life where it seems like what else could go wrong or take up my time and for me that has been the way for the past several weeks. Let me just recap a bit there was revival and working my part time job six days the week of revival, then there was ministers and mates retreat which was good to be at and a good time over all but then you come back to everything that needs to be caught up on, and then it is another six day a week spell because of sickness at work (need I say more). At the end of this message I challenged the people to take sometime that week just to get alone with God and to be still before Him so that we may hear what he has to say. Today (11/05/09) God said to me Darrell should you not also do what you challenged the people to do and that is to get alone with me and listen to what I have to say. So today when I got home from work and before supper I went for my afternoon/evening walk and I told Roxanne after my walk I will be in my office. When I got to the office I fixed me a cup of VIA coffee from Starbucks (and I recommend it for people who are coffee drinkers especially Starbucks fans) and put on a cd of music set to the sounds of the outdoors such as birds chirping and the sound of water going over the rock in a creek and I was quiet before God. I wish I could say it was easy to do and that God revealed his whole plan for my life, but at times my mind began to wonder and to think about all that is happening right now and God did not reveal anything earth moving to me other than He quieted my spirit and I found rest for my soul. Matthew 14:23 tells us, "he (Jesus) went up on a mountainside by himself to pray." i was on my mountainside today. May I challenge you to do the same thing go to your mountainside and be with Jesus. "Be still and know that I am God" Ps 46:10 When I went home for supper I was in a much better frame of mind
Blessing

Well it has been a some time since I have posted a blog. I was wanting to do one several weeks ago after returning from our annual minister and mates retreat, but other things took priority.
What a rich retreat it was as we sat under the spirit of the Lord. I was not sure if I was wanting to be there because I knew from the description of the speaker I may have to be vunerable and open myself up to others and yes that did happen, but it was not so bad. It help to see that others are just as vulnerable as I was and have the same struggles as I have, but we all have the same GREAT GOD who cares and loves us. You know what it is not to bad being vulnerable Paul said when I am weak then I am strong we know this not to be of himself but through the power of God. More later
Blessings

Hanging Out With Jesus

The other day I had the previledge to attend a Holiness Pastor's Day sponsored by the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium. This consortium is made up of 8 different Weslyan Holiness Denominations. It was a day filled with God annointed preaching and discussion. The first speaker was Dr. Kevin Mannoia who is the head of this consortium. His message was titlled "Hanging Out With Jesus" he began his message by telling us that the word "tarry" which we see in the bible means to hang out with so when the disciples tarried with Jesus they were hanging out. Dr. Mannoia went on to say that when we hang out with someone there is no agenda (as he illustrated this by telling of how his son was just going to hang out with his friends) they were just going to hang out. Dr Mannoia made a statement I will remember for a long time, "we become like the people we hang out with". When he said that my mind flashed back to my high school years and the people I hung out with and as well as the young people I see today and how they seem to be one in the same because they hang out together. This is true for we adults as well I just read on the Internet tonight about a small (micro) brewery that was closing because it was not making money one of the people who was sad to see this brewery closed was a man who said, "It was the owner of the brewery that got him started drinking beer instead of always drinking wine." So you see we become like the people we hang out to be. So if we want to be like the grumpy old man in town just hang out with him or if we want to become like the one in town everybody knows and love hang out with them, but more importantly if you want o be like Jesus HANG OUT WITH JESUS hang out with no personal agenda see what Jesus show you. May it be your desire to be like Jesus. Let us hang out with Jesus
Blessings

May Jesus be seen in me

Just recently I finished reading a book by Nina Gunter and Gay Leonard titled "Holy Leadership in a Hectic World" It was what I called my Monday night book because I took it with me to my part time job on Monday night and when I had time I would read a chapter or two. While it was a very good book, but for me the last chapter was the most powerful chapter of the book. I read the last chapter when the song "It Is My Desire to be Like Jesus" when going through my mind all day long and that was my constant prayer. This book is about Godly Leadership principles and one of the authors had this to say, "The Jesus style of leadership is as old as His Word. If you want to know more about God look at His Son, read His Word, model His Character, emulate His prayer life, adopt His servanthood. In short in all your leadership responsibilities, remember Jesus. This is not good direction for the Christian Leader but for each child of God. Again it is my desire to be like Jesus.
Blessings