01/11/2020 - WARNING TO THE SHEPHERDS

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Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of Mypasture!” says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:1

According to the apostle Paul, Jesus established several ministerial gifts to care for the Church, nominating them in five groups: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). The reason the Lord did this was to perfect the members of His Body, the Church, for the work of the ministry. Whoever exercises any of the ministerial gifts has to work hard to build the Body of Christ.

The maturing of the saved must continue until we reach the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, the perfect man, to the measure of Christ’s complete stature (Ephesians 4:13). We still have a lot to learn about what we can have, be and where to go in the faith of Jesus. We cannot be entangled by the affairs of this life, nor can we go back or stand still in the same place. Halleluiah!

We must face our calling like that of a public servant or military personnel, if they don´t fulfill their mission, they could be prosecuted, which will lead to the loss of their freedom, political rights or even imprisonment. We are privileged to be ministers of the New Testament, under superior promises (Hebrews 8:6). It is necessary to do the work of the eternal God with wisdom and detachment. Amen!

Many did not understand the meaning of being under divine command and what to do when called. Therefore, their behavior does not match the statements of the Word of God. Whoever errs must be prepared for the moment of accountability for their actions (2 Corinthians 5:10). We must watch and pray in order not to fall into temptation.

We have to study the Word and meditate on it. Thus, we will care for the Lord’s flock just as He wants, not like we think it should be done. May the ministers placed in the Church not forget the guidance of the Scriptures. The Heavenly Father knows everything; therefore, whoever serves Him must keep in mind that the flock is made up of the holy people.

The biblical warning includes a harsh penalty for anyone who destroys a life or causes sedition in the church, causing part of the members, or even the entire group, to get lost. Why annihilate the lives saved by God and given to us to be properly nourished  and thus be able to not only honor those who called them to salvation, but also to snatch others from the fire?

The pastor must gather the flock and never scatter. If he does wrong, he will suffer the consequences for his actions. Therefore, never forget the following words: Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep in my pasture, says the Lord. Ministry is not a place for those with evil intentions, but for those who want to serve God with faith, love and fear!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares