Jeremiah 3:15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

What a succinct description of a true minister of the Lord! Once again the Japanese gives fresh insight. Where the NIV says “lead,” and the ESV says “feed,” the Japanese says “raise,” as in raising children. To me that really captures what I’m sure the Lord is saying here. In the first place, ministers need to be people after God’s own heart. I’m reminded of my experience in seminary. Many of the students were indeed called and sent by God, but a sad percentage were “Mama called and Papa sent,” and there were even those who were there out of personal ambition. Anything less than submission to the Lord does not produce a genuine minister. Then we have the two factors of knowledge and understanding. These cut both ways. The minister needs to have knowledge and understanding, and they need to impart knowledge and understanding to their flock. Some go overboard on the knowledge side, producing an academic, theoretical exercise of religion, and that is dry and empty. There must be understanding that we are powerless without God, but that He is totally gracious and loving and delights to work in and through us. Both knowledge and understanding are areas in which we can and should keep growing as long as we are on this earth, and that is the commission of the minister. Talk about life-long education! Even in our moment of taking our last breath we are learning more about the God who created and loves us. Titles and degrees are meaningless in all of this. What matters is a heart that continually seeks after God.

As a missionary pastor, this certainly gets my attention! How well I meet this description is for God to decide, but I do know that it is my personal ambition and goal. I have told people for many years that pretending to be a minister, without the calling and anointing of God, is the most dangerous thing anyone could do. That automatically makes someone a false prophet, however well they might mouth platitudes and truisms. A minister should always be a prophet, in the sense of speaking out what God is saying. That has always been my desire and goal. I have been used in predictive prophecy a few times, and even in prescriptive prophecy, telling someone what God wants them to do, but very seldom have I done either of those things in this church. That said, I pray and hope never to say anything from the pulpit that God is not saying. I don’t want to impart knowledge without understanding! Recently we have started having a sharing time after every service where believers can share what the Lord has said to them, particularly through the message that day but sometimes in other ways as well. I have been touched and grateful as even mature believers have shared fresh insights, and I give glory to God that He would use even me to bring that about. I want to raise up strong, obedient children for my Heavenly Father, and every evidence I see of that happening gives me peace and joy.

Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of being Your minister. Thank You for all You have done to prepare and use me. May I indeed fulfill all of Your plans and intentions for me, so that the Body of Christ may be built up and Your name glorified. Thank You. Hallelujah!