Pastor Appreciation Month: Day #22

Pastor Appreciation Month: Day #22

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.
Take time today to express to your pastor how much he means to you.

The Man of God and His Ministry (Jude 22)
Jude 22, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.”

The world is full of people that are hurting and many of these folk suppose that nobody cares. Psalm 142:4, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” This man seemed to be in a hopeless and desperate situation. The pastor looks for opportunities to offer help to those that have encountered hurt. Here are five examples:

1. Ministry of Help.
1) Pastor’s Vision.
In going about his business, the man of God can find opportunity to help people if he opens his eyes. The position of a man of God allows various options to help the hurting. We must be constantly looking to help the hurting.
2) Pastor’s Visitation.
The life of many suffering people has been uplifted from the visitation of a minister. The pastor must never allow himself to become calloused or cold in this area of ministry. Your labor in the Lord will not be in vain, therefore, never get weary in your well doing. Your labor for the Lord will be recorded, remembered, and rewarded.

2. Ministry of Healing.
The pastor not only has the opportunity to help people; with the Word of God, he can actually help bring about their spiritual, mental, and emotional healing. The man of God has a unique role in the lives of people, which opens up many doors.

1. The Healing of the Secluded.
   In visiting lonely people, God may allow His man to kindle a friendship that helps produce healing in their heart. Loneliness may be the silent killer of our age.
2. The Healing of the Shattered.
   Whereas a visit to the physician may bring healing to a broken hand, but will it heal a broken heart? The man of God encounters opportunities that very well could mend the broken hearted.
3. The Healing of the Sinful.
   The greatest encounter a minister will ever have is the one that leads a lost sinner to a loving Saviour.
4. The Healing of the Stray.
   In bringing healing to this lonely world, the pastor ministers to the wayward wanderer that has fled from the flock. The man of God can love them back to the fold.

3. A Ministry of Hope.
The called man of God can shed hope upon the dark dreary despair that faces those he encounters in his everyday affairs. The daily affairs of God's man should evolve into opportunities for his ministry. It should be taken as a blessing to offer mercy and grace to those that are hurting.

1. Pastor offers Hope for the Hostile Hour.
   The alarmist has proclaimed mass failure and futility upon all of mankind. The man of God must profess hope for this bitter hour. Hope is free and abundant at the feet of our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ. In this day of struggles and suffering, a glimmer of hope that shines forth from the darkness would help many a people.

1. Pastor offers Hope For the Hurting Home.
   In a world of mass divorce and monetary doom, the man of God must offer hope to the home. The leaders of our homes need a word of hope. The loved ones of our homes need a well-placed word of hope and encouragement. The home has been abused, abandoned; and seemingly abhorred by society; the man of God must offer hope to the home. The home must have a friend that tenderly breathes a word of hope into the lives of those grasping for anything to help them survive.

4. Ministry of Honor.
In Jude, we find that the writer challenges us to display compassion upon the sinner. In displaying this compassion, we could win him or her to Christ. The difference between heaven and hell could be the man of God doing the right thing concerning a lost soul. It would do us well to consider the people that God places upon our path; it is a ministry of compassion, not mere suggestion.

1. Pastor Personally Practices Mercy
   It is one thing to preach about mercy and compassion; it is another to actually put it into practice. Practicing mercy will allow the man of God to preach mercy.
2. Pastor Powerfully Promotes Mercy
   In practicing mercy, God's man can powerfully proclaim it from the pulpit. The man can boldly proceed with a message to his flock to embrace the practice of mercy. Mercy bids the believer to freely embrace its potential.
3. Pastor Passionately Prioritizes Mercy
   It is easy to recognize a man that allows mercy to run its free course; he is a man of love. A man of mercy is man that unshackles those that are hurting. Mercy is the healing balm for many of the problems facing mankind.

5. A Ministry of Heaven.
The pastor can make a difference in the lives of many people. The saint may need the words of encouragement concerning Heaven; while the sinner may need to hear the words of the Saviour and His offer of salvation. The pastor has a heavenly ministry in his daily ministrations. The pastor should see the guidance of God as he embraces this ministry of compassion.

1. Chosen Destination
   In dealing with people, it would do the pastor well to tactfully allow a person to declare the eternal destination of his soul. The pastor has certain entitlement to ask this heart wrenching question.
2. Compelling Decision
   A man will make a decision for Jesus Christ in this world. The decision will be made for Christ or against Christ, but it will be made. The pastor should offer opportunity and occasion for this compelling decision.
3. Crucial Determination
   Often times the pastor will be the only one standing between hell and a lost soul. How will we handle this grave occasion; with eternal gloom or eternal gladness?

PRAYER: Father, I come before You with a heart full of gratitude for the gift of my pastor and his family. Thank You for his dedication, love, and service to You and to our church. Surround them with Your peace, joy, and protection. May Your joy be their strength as You dwell in their hearts and teach them daily. Provide for their every need, Lord, and grant them favor in all they do. May their home be a place of rest and renewal, filled with Your presence and love. Thank You, for their faithfulness. May they continue to walk in Your light and fulfill the purpose You have for their lives. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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