Minister's Manual E-Book

Dr. Paul G. Caram

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

In this book, Dr. Paul Caram examines the inner life of the leader, his personal life and marriage, his vision, the temptations he faces, God’s view of success, the privileges and responsibilities, and the eternal rewards and honors that come to those who are faithful. You will be challenged and encouraged and you discover God’s wonderful plan and purpose for His leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Leseprobe

The Minister's Manual

Sharpening the Spiritual Vision of a Shepherd

Paul G. Caram

The Minister’s Manual

 © 2007 by Paul G. Caram

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher,

except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published with permission by Zion Christian Publishers

as an e-book in October 2021

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-743-X

For more information, please contact:

 Zion Christian Publications

Box 256

Ulysses, Pa. 16948

Web: www.zionchristianbooks.com

Phone [phone]

[email protected]

Introduction

Statistics tell us that the average minister influences around 10,000 people during his ministerial career. This survey includes ministers in small towns, not only those in large cities. By the contacts he makes when he performs weddings or funerals, by the newspaper articles he writes, by radio interviews, by graduation speeches, prayers made at dedications, hospital visits, or the taped messages he preaches that are sent to family or friends, the average cleric touches thousands of lives. The power and opportunity he possesses to mold and shape minds is unspeakable.

Like People / Like Priest

(Hosea 4:9)

The condition of a nation is directly related to the condition of the Church in that nation, and the condition of the Church is directly related to the condition of its ministers. A minister has the power to turn people to righteousness or to worldliness. When a nation is backslidden and ripe for judgment, it is the result of a priesthood that has lowered God's standards (Ezek. 22:26, 44:12, Lam. 2:14).

A river cannot rise any higher than its source, and neither can a congregation rise any higher than the shepherd who is leading them. When the minister has limited vision, he produces a church with limited vision. It is an irrevocable law of our Creator that every living thing reproduces “after his kind” (Gen.1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25;  5:3). A horse reproduces a horse, a cow reproduces a cow, an oak tree reproduces an oak tree, a black person reproduces a black child, a short person reproduces a son or daughter who is short in stature, and a lax leader reproduces a congregation that is mediocre. Contrariwise, the godly leader who has an ongoing vision produces followers who are moving on in their walk with God.

Not long ago, there was a pastors' seminar that was attended by 350 leaders. Each shepherd spoke of expanding his sphere of influence and enlarging his church, but not one of them expressed a concern for having a new meeting with God in his personal life.

“Draw me, we will run after thee”

(Song 1:4)

When the shepherd has a fresh encounter with God, it is equivalent to the whole congregation having a new meeting with God. The spirit that overshadows the pastor will overflow and cover the entire church. Followers truly become like their leaders and mentors. This is the reason it is so important for the shepherd to continue to grow and expand in his own spiritual life, because with superior knowledge, he will produce superior Christians. The Apostle Paul could not be satisfied with ordinary, superficial knowledge.  He earnestly sought for “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

Superior Seed Produces Superior Fruit

Paul desired supreme knowledge for two major reasons: First of all, advanced, precise knowledge is needed to know Christ. Having been utterly transformed in his own life by this knowledge, Paul endeavored to plant these same truths in his converts. He understood that knowledge on a higher level would develop all the excellent fruits of the Spirit in his followers and bring them to perfection.

From Milk to Meat / From Babes to a Bride

The Lord desires to change the spiritual diet of His Church in these times. The milk of the Word [elementary truths] can only produce little children, but to grow into maturity and eventually into His Bride, it requires meat [or the deeper truths].

In some crusades, when the invitation is given to receive Christ, thousands raise their hands to accept God's gracious gift of salvation. At that moment, multitudes of spiritual infants are born, but these newborn babies are in need of much care and attention. Therefore, unless we teach them well and get them rooted and grounded in the truth, most of them will die and return to the world. This could be likened to the episode of Luke 5:4-6, when the young disciples threw out their net into the sea and “enclosed a great multitude of fish,” but then their net broke.

Preaching and Teaching Are Very Different

The Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ has two aspects: Mark 16:15-16 records the command to “preach” the gospel to every creature under heaven, while Matthew 28:19-20 is the command to “teach” all nations. Preaching involves getting the lost saved, but teaching involves getting the saved established.  In one day we could have 10,000 babies birthed into the kingdom, but it requires time, training, and growth to produce “kings and priests” unto our God (Rev. 5:9-10).

What is the Spiritual Level of our Flock?

When we stand before God, we will not only give account to Him for our personal life and family, the Lord will also examine the spiritual state of our flock. Are we going to present to the Lord “children” who have never grown, or a fully developed and glorious bride “without spot or blemish”  (2 Cor.11:2,  Prov. 27:23).

As a shepherd, we need to be several steps ahead of our congregation in order to lead them into God's purposes and into rest. Israel's Journey from Egypt unto Zion (including all the experiences in between) serves as a marvelous road map for the shepherd to help guide his flock into the ultimate purposes of God for their lives.

In this little book, we are looking at the inner-life of the leader. We will be considering the leader's personal life and marriage, his vision, the temptations he faces, God's view of success, the privileges and responsibilities of leaders, and the eternal rewards and honors that are given to those who are faithful.

In the closing chapters, we have a message especially designed to challenge the young people in your church, and then we want to look at the end-time harvest God has promised the Church in our times. For after the greatest revival ever known to man, a great test will come in order to separate the wheat from the tares.

It is our prayer that the following pages will enrich and bless your life, through Christ our Lord. Amen!

VISION

Vision Determines Our Steadfastness

Why are some believers up and down, but others are constant and steadfast in their walk with the Lord? Even some ministers are ready to retire in their forties, while fellow colleagues continue to press on to their dying breath. What is it that decides whether a man is going to be slack or ongoing? — It depends upon his vision!

What is Vision?

Vision is the result of God opening our eyes and giving us a glimpse of our future and His plan for our life and eternity. Suddenly, we are struck with awe and a holy fear of coming short of that divine plan. There is a defined mark to press toward, and we are overwhelmed with a sense of destiny. A man with real vision has a new focus; he is not looking at this short, fleeting life with all of its lures and attractions. His gaze is fixed upon an eternal goal, especially a position in heaven near the feet of the Lord Jesus.

Abraham Saw Beyond — He Saw New Jerusalem

Why would Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and their wives) be willing to live in tents in a strange land? It was because of something they saw beyond this mortal life (Heb.11:9-10). Abraham saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, and his eternal reward in heaven. Most of all, the Lord Himself was “his exceeding great reward” (Gen.15:1). Abraham's nephew, Lot, did not have the same vision. Therefore, he would naturally be more enticed with the things of this life. Without inquiring of God, Lot used his natural eyes to determine where he would dwell. Thus, he chose to settle in Sodom, a land that looked so beautiful, but was ripe for judgment (Gen.13:10-13).

Joseph Had Vision — But His Brethren Did Not

There is a reason Joseph succeeded and his brethren failed. Joseph had a dream (Gen. 37:5-10), and without knowing all the details, he understood that he had a destiny to fulfill. This brought a holy fear into his heart not to come short of the divine plan. Joseph's dream also supplied him with supernatural strength to endure many years of injustices, delays, difficulties and disappointments.

Promises and Vision Keep Us On Course

According to Peter, “great and precious promises” enable us to partake of His divine nature, and to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Pet.1:4). What caused Joseph to run from adultery when he was tempted by his master's wife?  He had “great and precious promises” from God!  Joseph had a dream, a destiny, and holy fear. He knew that he must not come short of God's important plan for his life (Gen. 39:7-12). Thus, Joseph fled from temptation, but his brothers fell into many hurtful snares and sins.

Joseph possessed three major things that his brethren did not have, and therefore, they failed. Many ministers fail because of the lack of these three essential things:

1.) An Eternal Vision—(promises, a defined goal, and a destiny). I am not speaking of promises of having a bigger church or more influence, but of having eternal promises that go beyond this life.

2.) Holy Fear — A holy fear results when we have promises, a fear to not come short of God's purposes. Holy fear keeps us on course and urges us to flee from temptation and pride as did Joseph.

3.) Captivity —Joseph first had to pass through years of difficulty. These trials developed iron in his soul and deep humility, thus preparing him to be a world harvester. People fail when they have not passed through captivity.

Esau Had No Long-Range Vision

Esau was shortsighted. He was a man who lived only for present appetites (Gen. 25:29-34). Hebrews 12:16 terms him a “profane” person. This means he treated sacred things lightly. Esau was also a fornicator, an indication that he was only living for the present time, not with eternity in view. The sale of his birthright for one morsel of food is mentioned in the New Testament to warn every one of us not to sell eternal rewards for a short, temporary pleasure.  Sometimes a minister is tempted to compromise and lower God's standards in order to have a bigger church and wider acceptance, but in the final analysis, he will lose it all, including God's favor (see Mt. 5:19).

Jesus Endured the Cross Because of the Joy Set Before Him

We are commanded to “Look unto Jesus,” the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2). Jesus is our role model. Therefore, we are to adapt His mentality in every situation. How could the Lord Jesus ever have endured such contradiction of sinners and unbelievable injustices, humiliation, and pain? It was “the joy set before Him” that enabled Him to endure! His eyes [or vision] were upon the eternal reward awaiting Him. He “despised” [or scoffed at] the shame. Jesus compared those six cruel hours upon the cross with eternity and esteemed the price of the cross to be nothing.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ...while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen ...”(2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Without a Vision, People Dwell Carelessly

“Where there is no vision, the people perish [or cast off all restraint]” (Prov. 29:18). When there is no clearly defined mark to press toward, people live recklessly. Many believers are unaware that eternal rewards can be lost, and that there can be severe demotions in the kingdom of heaven if we are not faithful to our call or life's work. When people waste most of their lives and barely make it into heaven, the Lord cannot say to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This can only be said to the faithful (Mt. 25:21,23).

The Loss of One's Crown

If we, as ministers, are unfaithful to our task, God will have to raise up someone else to do our work, and our crown will be given to another (Rev. 3:11). There is an example of this in the life of a good man named Barnabas. After a very intense argument with Paul in Acts 15:36-40, Barnabas left Paul, and also vanished from the narrative of the Book of Acts. This is a lesson to us to always guard our hearts and never leave the place where God has planted us in anger or exasperation (cf. Isa. 52:12). Barnabas should have been the co-founder of the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, and many others. However, instead of Paul and Barnabas, it is henceforth Paul and Silas. In a very real sense, Silas took the crown that should have been given to Barnabas  (See Rev. 3:11).

Investing and Building in the Invisible

We are commanded to “seek those things which are above” and to “set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). Jesus taught us to “Lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven” where thieves cannot break through and steal.  He is telling us to invest in our heavenly home, and to build in the invisible realm.

A Vision of Our Heavenly Mansion

One night, a fifteen-year-old pastor's daughter was taken to heaven in a dream. Here in heaven she was shown the mansions of her father and mother, who were very godly people. Their mansions were very beautiful. Then the angel that escorted her said, “Now I am going to show you your mansion.” When they arrived at the site, all she could see was a few building materials laying on the ground. Then the angel explained, “This is all the material you have provided the builders to construct your home.” At that moment, her life was changed forever. She realized that the resources that are used to build our heavenly home are made from the works we do here on earth. By our works and acts of obedience here on earth, we are literally sending up materials to build in the unseen world. By doing the will of God for our lives, we are “laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where thieves cannot break through and steal.” In heaven there are many mansions. When we get to heaven, what kind of home will be awaiting us there?  Is our earthly home more important than our eternal habitation?

Vision of a Better Resurrection

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Heb.11:35b). A “better resurrection” suggests that there is an ordinary resurrection as well. Those great men of history who had the vision of “a better resurrection” were willing to not always choose the easiest path in life, a path which much of today's prosperity message emphasizes.

Paul wanted to raised in the First Resurrection, an event mentioned in Revelation 20:4-6. This is a special resurrection, and it is reserved only for qualified believers who will rule and reign with Christ when He returns. Paul wanted to participate in this, declaring, “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection [from among] the dead” (Phil. 3:11). All of the other saints who do not qualify for this are resurrected at the end of the Millennial Age (Rev. 20:7-15).

Job Saw the First Resurrection and Millennium

To summarize the Book of Job, we could say that God was testing a very good man to make him even more righteous and holy. In his trial, Job was being made fit to be in the First Resurrection and to rule and reign with Christ. Job had visions of the Millennial Age, and he saw himself resurrected and standing with Christ during His thousand-year reign upon earth (cf. Job 19:25-27;  Isa. 24:23).

Job realized that he was like gold being tried [or purified] in the furnace of affliction (Job 23:10). Job was passing through his own personal “great tribulation” to be eligible for the Millennial Age. The purpose of tribulation is to purify the saints (Rev. 7:13,14).

If We Listen Carefully, God Will Tell Us More

What is the secret to receiving more understanding and vision?  It really depends upon what kind of heart we have. I believe the key to receiving new understanding lies in how we respond to God when He speaks to us. When an individual highly values what God is saying, the Lord will continue to speak more and more to him. But when a man treats fresh truth frivolously, God stops speaking to him, and that man will lose even what he already knows.

“Take heed [how] you hear” (Mk. 4:24, Lk. 8:18).  Mark 4:24-25 is God's unit of measure. “Unto you that hear shall more be given.” If a man is listening to God, God will listen to him, and speak more to him. But when a man closes his ears to God, God will close His ears to him, and give him no further light. In actual fact, how we deal with God is ultimately how God will deal with us.

Hosea 4:6 warns: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no more priest unto me.”

The Danger of Loving Only the Superficial

Wisdom cries out in Proverbs 1:20-23. Wisdom is actually Christ Himself, for He is the very personification of Wisdom. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). He is our wisdom (1 Cor.1:30).

Thus, Christ is crying out—“How long will you love simplicity? … Turn you at my reproof: behold I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you” (Prov.1:22,23). Christ has a tremendous longing to show unto man the pathways of life. He yearns to reveal the treasures of His mysteries. He cries out even to His shepherds and beseeches them not to love simplicity and not to be satisfied with the elementary basics of the Gospel.

As shepherds, we must feed our flock with rich spiritual food that will transform them into kings and priests. It is our responsibility to array our people with the beautiful garments of righteousness, meekness, humility, and wisdom. We are to present our churches to the Lord as a glorious Bride without spot or defect (2 Cor.11:2).

It is a solemn thing to keep our people in an infancy stage by only preaching the simple message of salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and prosperity. These are only elementary truths (see Heb. 6:1-3). Instead, we must impart to them a vision and take them on to maturity and glory, and make them fully conformed to the image of Christ.

As God's representatives, it is our duty to know the Word of God in depth and to teach our people “the difference between the holy and the profane and the clean and the unclean.” Otherwise, they will be held back by many of their bondages and never enter rest (Ezek. 22:26, 44:23). Today, there is much sin in the Church because its ministers have failed to make a difference between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable to God.

Great or Least in the Kingdom of Heaven

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least [important] in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:19a).

Matthew 5:19 determines the eternal rank or position of a minister when he gets to heaven. It is very crucial, therefore, that a shepherd teach his followers precepts that are perfectly balanced and true. For when a minister omits other parts of Scripture or bends the Word of God to make it say something it does not mean, he produces something that is false in the hearers which mars the image of Christ in them. This leader is producing a blemished people, and he is deflecting and hindering them from reaching the goal.

James 3:1 warns that teachers will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity than other people. A teacher is more accountable to God than others, for when he teaches a precept that is erroneous, he places the feet of many listeners on a wrong path.

One Christian leader wrote in his book that he was never happy in his first marriage, and he could never grow in his spiritual life and ministry. But now that he has divorced his first wife and married someone else, he states that he is happy and blessed, and his spiritual life and ministry are flourishing immensely.

What effect do you think a book like this is having on thousands of struggling marriages, on people who secretly in their hearts would like to get out of their unpleasant circumstances and start another marriage? A teaching such as the one we just mentioned encourages couples to violate their vows and disregard God's laws on the permanence of marriage (Lk.16:17-18; Mk.10:11-12). Unfortunately, this leader is not only breaking one of the least commandments, he is breaking a major commandment, and teaching men to do so.

Two Kinds of Ministers

Ezekiel 44:10-16 is a comparison of two different kinds of priests; those who were faithful during a time of moral declension in the nation, and those who were not faithful. Verses 10-14 is an indictment of the unfaithful Levites who “caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity” (44:12). This resulted in terrible judgments coming upon the whole nation; and then they were exiled into Babylon.

In 44:12, the Lord places the blame for the nation's condition upon its spiritual leaders. “They ministered unto them before their idols.” The sin of the priests would not be blotted out. They would “bear their iniquity.” As a result of their unfaithfulness, the Lord would not allow them to come into His presence. They would be limited in their approach to God.

“They shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place; but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed” (44:13).  The judgment upon the ministers who let down the standards of God and caused the nation to fall into iniquity was that “they shall not come near unto me.”

Different Proximities to God

In heaven, some are closer to God than others. Ezekiel 44:10-14 makes it clear that the unfaithful shepherds have limited access to God. These are “the least important in the kingdom of heaven.” However, there was a family of faithful priests, “the sons of Zadok,” who maintained God's standards when the others went astray (44:15,16). Their reward is this: “They shall come near to me to minister unto me, and to stand before me … they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me” (44:15-16). These are welcomed into God's presence, and the Lord Himself is their inheritance (44:28).

Our Ministry is Eternal

In the Old Testament, the priests descended from Aaron, and their ministry ended at death (Heb. 7:23-24); but in the New Testament age, the priesthood is patterned after Christ's Melchisedec order, and our ministry continues on after death (Heb. 5:6). In eternity, we will be continually expanding and growing, and teaching those of lesser maturity. Actually, we never stop learning and growing.

Our life here on earth is conditioning us for our eternal ministry. If we are unfaithful to our task during our earthly journey, there will be certain elements in our heart that are not developed, and our ministry in heaven will be limited. This is one of the reasons it is so important to fulfill our course here on earth, a task which many fail to accomplish.

David Continues to be a Shepherd After This Life

The Lord chose young David when he was a shepherd tending sheep. David was being trained in his “secular” work to be gentle with lambs, but it was actually preparation to be a spiritual shepherd to a whole nation. He was chosen to feed Israel with spiritual food, and to gently guide them into God's purposes (Psa. 78:70-72).

David was not only a shepherd / king to Israel during his brief life on earth, he will also be resurrected to be a shepherd and a king to Israel during the thousand year reign of Christ when He comes. (See Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 34:23-25, 37:24-25, and Hosea 3:5.)

We can see from the life of David and others that our earthly task is preparing us for our eternal ministry and function in the next life. “All of these things are written” to make us cautious and wise, and also to produce hope and understanding (Rom.15:4, 1 Cor.10:11). Let us not be deflected from our calling by earthly distractions, and thus, lose our crown  (See Colossians 4:17,  Revelation 3:11).

The Anguish of Dying With an Unfinished Mission

Many years ago, the honorable Brian J. Bailey had an extraordinary encounter with eternity. One night, he literally experienced death. Wearied for many months as a young minister by slander and persecutions, he asked the Lord to take him home to heaven. That night God answered his prayer and allowed him to experience death.

Having come out of his body, he stood there for a few moments looking down at his body and his wife who was asleep beside him. An angel of God who had come for him, was standing nearby, but did not speak. Then, with enormous speed, they departed from this world with a swiftness that far exceeded the speed of light. Yet, the closer they came to heaven, the greater the sadness he felt.