A Word of Encouragement for the Pastors

The calling on a pastor's life is the highest calling beyond the call of salvation one can receive.  It is a unique call in that it is only for males, and it is one not achieved by human intuition.  I remember taking aptitude tests seeking to reveal the best job possibilities for me according to my interests.  But being a pastor is not a computer-based decision based on your interests or personality.  People with all types of personalities, strengths, and weaknesses will soon discover God can use them all in His call to ministry.

A pastor is not called by his parents or family.  Just because your father, grandfather, or brothers were or were not pastors does not make you or deny you the call yourself.  For me, no one in my immediate family was a pastor.

A pastor's calling is that call that drives his life day-and-night.  Even though for the sake of supporting his family he may have other income, it is the call that motivates him and moves him.

Charles Spurgeon said there is always evidence and signs of your calling in and through your life.

You have a high calling.  You serve under the headship of the Great Shepherd.  You serve the greatest organization on the face of the earth...the local church.  

So, pastor, be encouraged today.  God has called you and equipped you for this unique service.  It is the vision He has given you for His church that motivates you to get up, to stay up, and to get back up when knocked down.  That vision is the fuel for your life.  Without a vision, there is no motivation to keep going.  So treasure the God-given vision and keep pressing on.

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry..."  I Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)

The Place of Works in Salvation

Do works play any role in our salvation?  Are works important after one is converted?
As I wrote in my blogpost on Friday (3-21-25) our salvation is by grace, not works.  So are works out of the picture totally for a believer?  Do we just sit in the grace of God without anything further to do?
NO - the call to salvation is a gift of grace.  No one is ever converted until he has responded to the gracious call of Jesus to be saved.  It is through grace provided we are even able to respond.
But this call to salvation is also a call to follow and serve. It is a call to die to self and live totally and freely for Christ.  

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14: 25-27) NIV

Here it is...once converted, our entire life becomes our service.  There is no "service" that stands alone from the flow of our life that makes us a Christian.  Our entire life is now our service freely given over to Christ.  

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." (Romans 12:1) NIV

Our body incorporates everything we do, go, say, think...well, you get the picture.  Totality of who we are.

I remember hearing Dudley Hall say years ago that everything a believer does that is not sin is counted as righteousness because we stand in the righteousness of Jesus and our whole life is an act of service toward God.

And this is our "worship" which the old King James Version says, "Our reasonable service."  There is no one called to a higher level of service or commitment to Jesus than any other converted person because giving one's all - even to death - is what is required by one and all.

Once converted, we no longer control our life.  We belong to Jesus totally and freely.  So whether we continue as a nurse, a controller, an educator, or become a pastor....everyone who has been converted lives under the same policy - we are not our own.  

 

Come to Me and I will give you Rest

One of my favorite words of our Lord is recorded in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  The words...."I will give you rest."

Jesus wants us to have rest.  While that can be physical, I want to submit His words are mainly for soulish rest.  Its the kind of internal rest that can not be gotten through a good night's sleep, a week on the beach, or the absence of physical toil.  

Rest...oh, how precious the commodity of grace.

The most important rest Jesus offers is eternal rest.  And He is the only one who can give it.  The secret is found in Hebrews 4:4 "For He has spoken in a certain place on the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.'"

The rest is from "works." God rested "from all His works" referring to the six days of labor in creating the world and all we see today, and even what we can't see even through the most powerful telescope.  

The secret is in Hebrew 4:10 "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His."

We are cease from our works.  Does that mean we no longer have any "work" to do?  We no longer have to serve, work, or labor in good works?  Hardly....other Scriptures clearly declare "we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works..." (Ephesians 2:10)

The rest in regard to our reason we work.  Because of the grace of salvation, we do not work for our approval and right standing (righteousness) before God with our works.  Instead, we "rest" in the person and position of Jesus as our full acceptance and approval for His grace.  We do NOTHING to earn His grace, approval, or Heaven.  It is "the gift of God..."

Has your soul found rest?  Solace? Peace?  

The old hymn "Rock of Ages" says it well:

"Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law's demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die."

I have written about rest previously .... check it out here.

July 3, 2023

June 12, 2023 and then June 19

January 21, 2013 and then January 22 

Grace Comes with the Person of Jesus

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."  I Peter 1: 13 (NIV)

Our minds play some nasty tricks on us.  In our mind, we are made to believe we are not sufficient for this task given us.  In our mind, we are frightened by an approaching situation.  In our mind, we sense we are losers.  Our mind can cause us to be parylized.

But God says we have a responsibility to prepare our mind, not for sitting, but action.  God is moving us.

So in the midst of us preparing our mind, we are to control our mind by setting our hope, our ability FULLY - not partially, not half us and half God; but FULLY on....the grace.

Grace is not a pansy feeling of compassionate expression given to others to make them feel better.  Grace is action.  Grace is for the purpose of moving on to where God wants us.

This grace will be given us as we see Jesus in the picture.  Whenever Jesus shows up in our situation, grace is on its way to us!!!

In the Greek, this grace "is to be given to you" is an active verb meaning this grace is actively already on its way to you for every situation of life.

When we needed salvation, grace was already on its way.

When we needed power to endure, grace was already on its way.

When we needed provision, grace was already on its way.

When we needed rest, grace was already on its way.

For grace is Jesus. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1: 14 (NIV)

To see Jesus in our lives is to see grace on its way.  

A Thankful Heart for Partnerships - Part Two

On Tuesday, I shared my deep gratitude for many of the fellow ministers with whom I have had the privilege of serving with across these forty-six years.  As I retire from full-time pastoring, I am grateful for these partners.

As I finished my full-time ministry at Rainsville First Baptist Church, I want to write more fully about the last three ministerial staff with whom I have had the privilege of serving.  On Tuesday, I shared about our Children's Minister, Whitney Traylor.  Today, I share about the other two.

Max Grizzard

Students Pastor and Families

I don't know when I first met Max but it was sometime in the early 80's.  As I was serving in Glencoe, he was at White's Chapel Baptist Church and then later served other churches in the Gadsden area.  Then in 2022 when we had a vacancy in our Student Pastor position, I was having lunch with Max one day and we were just talking about our needs when I looked across the table and asked, "You wouldn't be interested, would you?"  You see, Max and Sherrie are missionaries who have served at Ponderosa Bible Camp (check it out here) for over twenty years and is the Director of the Release program in DeKalb County, serving school age children by teaching them the Bible during school hours.

I was so excited when a few days later Max gave me his resume and it has been a pure delight to serve with this quality man of God.  His love for our youth has been evident from day one.  Though he has seven children (all now married) and multiple grandchildren, he makes it a priority to be involved in the lives of the students by teaching them well, praying for them, leading a small group discipleship group, and encouraging them by his presence at their games and school events.  He and Sherrie even teach a young adult Sunday School class.  What examples of servants.  Thank you Max for the privilege of serving with you in these last days of pastoral ministry.  There are none better than you.

Isaiah Craig

Missions Pastor

When I was a pastor in the Shoals, Isaiah's mom and dad were members of our church and I heard about their son, Isaiah, who had been in Memphis pastoring and then later moved back to the Loretta, Tennessee area.  I met him and was immediately impressed with his heart for God, the nations, and discipleship.  In fact, he preached for me on August 31, 2014 (I keep good records). I would have loved to have had him on staff with me at that time, but his heart was in church planting and missions.

I lost track of Isaiah when I moved to Rainsville, but you can imagine my shock when a group of us four men went to Massachusetts in March 2023 to explore churches and pastors with whom we could partner, and there was Isaiah.  My immediate response, "Isaiah, what are you doing here?"  Well, we partnered with Isiaah and Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Worcester, MA in the summer of 2023 and then God arranged it for him and his family to move to Rainsville First Baptist Church as our Missions Pastor in January 2024.  What an authentic follower of Jesus Christ and a heart as pure as I've ever witnessed for Jesus and the nations.  And his family (his wife, ShaRhonda, and nine children) are all extensions of his heart for Jesus and the nations.

When you look at the blog on Tuesday and this one, you understand why I am such a blessed man.  Thank you Jesus for allowing my heart and hands to join up with such wonderful servants.  Thanks to all who have given me the privilege of serving with you.

 

A Thankful Heart for Partnerships

As I have now retired from full-time pastoring after 45-and-a-half years, I want to honor the partnerships I have had through these years in some fabulous brothers-and-sisters with whom to serve. Ministry is a partnership, it is not a solo-adventure.  God brings persons with whom you can join your heart, mind, and hands together for a common goal or vision. 

I know I will overlook some and I regret that, but for those whom I remember, I want to honor them.  The order is from the first pastorate at Sardis Baptist Church through here in Rainsville.

Jan Price, Clyde Morris, David Ayers, Jim Taylor, Jr., Aaron Johnson, Carl Cofield (yes, my brother), Brad Bensinger, Virginia Finley, Rodney Gilmore, Will Smith, Neil Stephens, Kathy Lancaster, Terry Gladden, Tim Lett, Steve Lacey, Randy White, J.D. McDuffie, Sean Burns, Craig Robertson, David Denson, Brian Fields, Dorothy Estes, Teresa Word, Bobby Dodd, Edgar Griggs, Zack Fleming, Jessica Thigpen, Shae Walton, Phillip Eady, Dan Arant, Tom Carrigan, Adam Casey, Craig White, Zac Gardner, Keith Beatty, and Virginia Browning.

As I retire, these are the ones who are currently my partners that I wish to honor and say a BIG "Thank you!!"

Lori Culpepper serves as our Administrative Assistant and Jeff Williams is our accountant. The Lord has blessed me and RFBC with an assistant that knows her details and serves with such integrity and sweet spirit. 

Garry Galloway has been the single best Maintenance person I have ever served with.  He serves full-time and knows the building as well as anyone and can do anything.  And is willing to do anything to save the church money.  

Jeff Laney is a pure delight as he serves as our Custodian.  An active member at RFBC, he cares and serves as Custodian with such joy.

And we have just hired an Assistant Custodian in my last week, and I know she will do a good job for RFBC.

Whitney Traylor has been our Children's Minister for my entire tenure at RFBC (nine-and-a-half years).  She has served as a Summer Intern and then when they needed a Children's Minister eleven years ago, they turned to Whitney.  She loves children and her Lord.  She has been such a team player, she was part of the first discipleship group Roxanne led, and she has led groups every year.  The greatest joy to my heart for Whitney is when she begin to serve as a foster parent and was able to adopt a brother-and-sister.  Later we got to dedicate that family and their grandfather got to baptize them after they got saved. 

On Friday, I will honor two other persons with whom I have served at RFBC.

The Pastor's Constant Concerns for the church

Paul talks about the troubles he is going through and then adds, "Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me:  my concern for all the churches."  2 Corinthians 11:28

"I had no rest in my spirit..."  2 Corinthians 2:13

I believe most pastors care more the church they pastor than the people who have been there for years.  This is what your pastor experiences every day of the year no matter who he is or what denomination he is.  Don't dare give him more heartache by not supporting him and doing everything you can to see the church thrive.

Your pastor is a gift to your church from God just like God gives gifts of salvation, healing, finances, relationships and all good things.  Celebrate him, join him, pray for him, encourage him, thank God for him, don't you dare let him suffer more by not providing for his financial needs over and beyond what he needs.  No pastor is perfect but neither are you or your church.

I love and honor all pastors today.  I'm in my 47th year of pastoring and 54th year of preaching.  It gets harder every day because the church is more driven by culture today than spiritual, but every pastor is more vital than President Trump could ever imagine being.

As the late Jerry Falwell said in response to whether he would run for President, "Why would I want to. step down from the highest office in the land to become President."

Be encouraged dear pastor!!  And to every church, thank God for the gift God has given you.

(This post originally was written for Facebook on February 28, 2025).