Change will bring Change!

Change will bring change! Evg. Babu T Thomas

How can pastors suffer for their daily bread. The Bible says The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger. But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Psalm : 34 :10 If your posting is true the word of God must be false. But God's word will never ever fail. I am writing this not to argue but to know and show the fact. Of course, what you have said is correct only, but there are reasons behind it. We must understand why such things are happening to God's people is the serious issue to talk, and which we ignore to correct in our way of life. Firstly, pastoral work is not an ordinary one but it is a calling based and when one who called to work in His vine yard will be paid or rewarded is the common factor for all. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, the laborer is worthy of His reward. I Timothy : 5 : 18. In a parable of the Laborers, for the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers in to his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourer for a penny a day, he sent them in to his vineyard. Matthew ; 20 : 1 -2. So when all the scripture verses speaks about the remunerations how can God leave His own servants to starve when He called them to work for His kingdom building is the million dollar question.

Everywhere the people of God speak about their need and their poverty. Today, a pastor called me and while we were in the conversation, he said he is traveling in an ordinary bus and not in A/c bus because he is poor. Some speaks for their food and shelter and some asks towards church needs is the common talk everywhere which is disgusting to hear. Because one must know three basic things and they are 1. The calling 2. The work is not ours but God’s 3. The provider is God alone. When these three things is clear and there is no need to worry for anything because the one who called us is faithful in His calling. So He will provide all our needs and in an appropriate appointed time and the quantum to serve the purpose etc. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew : 6 : 26 – 33. It is important for every Servant of God to remember the three things in mind will never worry for anything.

The Calling : Serving God is not a profession but pure calling. One must understand his calling clearly before stand to serve his Master. Serving God is not alone preaching or building a church. Serving God is all that about in need based nature and it varies from person to person and is purely on character building concept. Some needs to serve in full time basis and some are on part time basis and some need to serve God with his own earnings and some are on others support basis and some need to serve God by providing his wealth alone which ends his service to God. Likewise it differs and God made every one unique and their service to God is also unique to others. As the scripture speaks for the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. I Corinthians : 12 : 14 – 18. According to Paul’s narration though we all belong to one Body the Christ like the organs of the body has different roles to play and similarly every Servants of God will have different role to fulfil the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ in his capacity. So it is essential to find each one’s role and accordingly when we render our duties in line to His plan and then we presume that are doing His will.

God’s ministry: We are all the Servants of God and we are serving God and the missions we do are belong to God. All the provisions needed for the ministry is God’s and He will provide us all as and when it is needed. But 99.99% ministers are building their own kingdom and not God’s Kingdom. All are assuming that the church is their own and the congregational members are belongs to them. There the problem evolves and confusion erupt leads to difference of opinion, enmity, splitting and many more abnormal issues will surround and spoil the etiquette of the ministry. Though we all speak and teach the love of God and there will be no essence of loving nature will find with the people of God. This is the major cause prevailing in most of the congregation and even in the family levels. All the issues rising are because no one believes that the ministry they belong is of God’s. Many may spell in their lips and not from the bottom of their heart. But Job said in the Book of Job. And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. Job : 1 : 21. We would have mediated the words of love in so many occasions and would have taught to so many people but never ever we the servants of God practised in their own life is another biggest problem we face.

God the provider: If when all the servants of God think that they are in the ministry according to their calling and are rendering His will and doing His ministry then every servant will certainly believe that God will provide their day to day needs too. Because the pastor and the servants of God do not follow the calling and trust the ministry is of God’s naturally they fail in the third aspect and it is obvious to look for others and long from others for their every needs. And plan their own ways and means to attract people to mint wealth for their own kingdom building. Today we have so many pastors and so many churches and all are presuming that all are doing God’s ministry through many ways. There are literature ministry, TV ministry, Radio ministry, You Tube ministry, WhatsApp ministry and so many means of ministries around us. But nothing could win souls for Christ and still disciples for Christ is few and witness for Christ are very few because our talking and acting are different from the other. Once we all felt that the people around us are against us but today God Himself is against us. We never heard that the churches got collapsed at the time of tsunami but cyclone Gaja hit Tamil Nadu there were numerous churches got collapsed and many Servants of God around the globe died on account of pandemic in the recent past.

In fact we had a very bad experience with pastors from all over India and Andaman and especially in Punjab, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in particular. We are called in the year 2007 and God prepared us from prayer warrior to distributing word of God to preaching the word of God till 2016. In the mid of 2016 with a specific task, God wanted us to travel widely throughout India and prepare the churches and the congregation may be for the pandemic 2020. We took the assignment and engaged pastors to share the vision to meet all pastors and the church congregations of India. It was failed at the pastors’ level for want of gifts, food and money. However, by the grace of God we could travel in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Andaman and reach around 750 Churches only for the mission entrusted by God. Money was the only barrier which stopped to reach many churches that God wanted us to reach His vision to His people. Many prioritised for money than for the vision of God. It is high time that the change in pastors’ attitude will bring to see the working of God’s power for the growth in India. Let us all join to work for greatest miracle to happen in the coming days. The pandemic is one of the greatest examples for us all to see the wrath of God on His people. The mercy of God gave us life from the grim of pandemic to work for His glory to win souls for Christ in building His Kingdom in India and abroad in the coming days. O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man that truseth in Him. O fear the Lord, ye His saints, for there is no want to them that fear Him. Psalm : 34 : 8 -9, Amen.

Evg. Babu T Thomas, Our Shepherd’s Voice Foundation.