FARMVILLE PASTORING

I've never liked video games so much. When I was little I had a videogame of ten sets of stick and square figures on the TV set. It was a beep beep,  and soon it became uninteresting. Or was I too small to like it? Oh how many mornings I preferred the company of Lewis' Edward, Lucy Susan and Edmund. I lived their adventures many times. I also enjoyed learning about strong character traits in Di Amici's while reading Heart - A student diary. Later, A wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle made me laugh, while Harper Lee made me cry in To kill a mockingbird. I enjoyed reading about character. I enjoyed grooming and watching my own character traits being shaped. Growing barefoot on the grass, I spent my time learning from books, keeping pets, drawing, doing my chores, and actually being blessed to learn from the company of my family. The weather in Jaú, where the earth is purple, or in the farm in Bocaina, where the people talk funny, or even in the young Brasilia, which has the widest skyline in the world, and widened my horizon as I grew from small to a less small. So, the adolescence in the States - ah, how I loved the Bend Terrace, at 301 Bent Road, often called the Greenwood Estate. Always playing, always happy. Always accompanied by animals and pets.

As a pastor, many years later, fully grown, and yet not fully mature, I learned to play a social media game - which had a version of me living on a fictional farm. He had to click on the screen to plant seeds, harvest the crops and build houses and sheds. Ah! I had gifts to send to friends. And cows to milk, and goats to brush, and pigs to look for truffles ... And I had so many friends in that vile farm ... I can even bet there's someone reading this article that was my farm friend ... It was fun, but it took a lot of time. I already lived in the Refúgio, which is rural property and at that time I even began to neglect my work on the farm.

One morning, on the real farm, Marcia woke me with terrible news that in the night our dogs attacked the sheep, wounded a few, and killed the most. What happened was that our neighbor's dog (the children called him Crú- Portuguese for RAW) broke free and chased our sheep and taught our German shepherds to "hunt and mutilate the flock." Some of the wounded sheep were so torn that they did not survive all day. The few who remained unharmed were so frightened that they could not even stay close to our place. So what do video games, books, and pets have in common? They are all great activities that can take our time and even teach a little wisdom. Go there...

In the last years of my ministry, being sent to the mission field in Japan, I have learned some very real lessons.  How to care for my flock and to prepare their hearts, there are two verses that are central to the shepherd's heart in order to relieve the pain inflicted on all of us by the neighbor's dog as he breaks our fences and even teaches our own shepherds to hurt the sheep.

These verses are from Jesus, and from the great and first shepherd, Peter. Every shepherd carries these words in his heart.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. But the mercenary, and that which is not a shepherd, of whom the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters the sheep. Now the mercenary fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and of them I am known. "John 10: 11-14

Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking care of him, not by force, but willingly; nor out of greedy greed, but out of spirit; Not as having dominion over the inheritance of God, but as an example to the flock. And when the High Shepherd appears, you will attain to the incorruptible crown of glory. 1 Peter 5.2-4.

SHEPHERDS HAVE
PASSION FOR THEIR FLOCK - "I am the good shepherd ..." Like the heroes in my books, who love what they do, being a shepherd means loving the sheep. The simple fact is: to serve faithfully and to love the church.

Pastors care about you! You are in your mind and in your heart day and night. A true shepherd understands what Paul said: "In addition to outward things, the care of all churches oppresses me every day." 2 Corinthians 11.28.

You are important not only because of what you do in ministry, but because of who you are. You value them because they see you through the eyes of Jesus. True shepherds are not the servants of whom Jesus spoke, "When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and flees ... The man flees because he is an employee and does not care for the sheep." John 10: 12-13. They love it a lot to do this.

SHEPHERDS WANT SO
MUCH MORE FOR YOU - A pastor waits, prays and works because he believes he is the best for you. They get hurt when those they love make the wrong decisions and face the consequences that can accompany them for years. They hurt because many have an informational understanding, but not an understanding of the heart of the scriptures. People know the contents of the Bible, the stories and the main teachings, and they can quote the scriptures. But they are often like the priest and the Levite in the story of the good Samaritan. They were the most highly trained religious people in their day, but they left the man dead. They have lost the purpose of living.

A good shepherd wants you to experience a life transformation, not just to become religious. They yearn for the Word of God to transform their lives. They want Romans 12: 1-2 to become alive in you. They want that: "... present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your understanding, that you may prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. "

SHEPHERDS LIKE
BEING THEMSELVES - A shepherd's life is almost like an aquarium. As the old song says, "We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl. Year after year. Running over the same old ground" Unfortunately, there are well-meaning people in the same aquarium who think they know what's best for them. They have an attitude that betrays the thought that it is a mission to break, mold or tame the spirit of shepherds. There were people in the churches where I pastored, claiming to have the ministry of breaking the pastor. To this day, it seems that some sheep think so.

Instead, give them the gift of freedom to be themselves, to talk in a funny way, to have a bald head or not, a big fat old belly or a ripped body, and whether he is tall or short, he is the shepherd whom God gave him. Each pastor has a unique personality and a set of talents. If it is biblical and God-fearing, it may be a little less like what you have in mind for a pastor.

Never forget that your pastor is not what you want him to be. He will never be the shepherd of the internet. He will not be the shepherd on the other side of the fence. He is the one that God created, and if you allow him, he will feed you, bring you water, protect you and take care of your wounds. This is a great gift that will bring great dividends. This is material from very productive ministries.

SHEPHERDS WANT
PROTECTION FOR THEMSELVES 
AND THEIR FAMILIES - Pastors may say that there is a huge difference between the feeling of the person firing the weapon and the one being shot. They can because most of them have already been shot. Imagine telling a person all that bad you see in her being while in front of his wife and children. Yes, until today this has been happening in several places. It happened to me last week. Be careful that you are not the critic on duty.

When I started my first chicken coop about twenty-five years ago, I learned a little about chickens. If one of them has a wound, the others will peck at the wound until the chicken turns to chick-a-fillet  (the expression of the field indicating the death of the chicken) and the chicken is ready for the pot. You could say that the one who killed her was the last to peck at the wound. The reality is that all who pecked had a share in their death. The sad fact is that pastors leave churches and ministries because they were pecked to death.

If you have problems with your pastor (and this can happen), go personally to him, with kindness, humility and love. Do not take your problems to others. I often hear pastors say, "I wish they would know that I am human. I get hurt, I get discouraged and I do not have all the answers. " Above all, give them the benefit of the doubt. 1 Timothy 5:19 says, "Do not accept an accusation against the priest, but with two or three witnesses." Be a shelter for them and your family. Do not give space to the enemy!

SHEPHERDS ARE IN NEED
OF ENCOURAGEMENT - At Refugio, every time my dogs bark, I go out to check what is happening. As my watchdogs rush back and forth to warn me of any disturbance, I always stroke their necks, as if to say, "Thank you, friend, your warning means the world to me," even if seemingly useless barking becomes a nuisance . I'd rather be bothered by my shepherds twenty times in a single night, than having the thief, the invader, or even the neighbor's dog doing what and whom I love.

Encouragement is one of the greatest gifts you can give a pastor. Prayer, encouragement, and acts of kindness mean more than you will ever know. When criticism comes, do not be quiet, but speak in the name of the pastor. Defend your pastor! High doses of encouragement counteract the incessant flight that comes to those who shepherd. Today, on my mission in Japan, I feel very encouraged when I receive this from several people. Our church's administrative board usually says to me, just as I tell my dogs, "Thank you, pastor" (I'm crying when I write, so I'm going to put a joke here) If they scratch my neck, I think I might as well wag a tail a little bit! (Oh Boy!)

Pastoral ministry is a complicated and difficult profession. Pastors are expected to be well-informed about scripture, leadership, conflict management, psychology and sociology, accounting, project design and construction, counseling, current events, history, politics, ethics and technology, medicine (seriously, people ask for medical advice); can be overwhelming. Your words of encouragement will help your pastor feel that you are making a difference to the kingdom.

There is no real way of describing the ministry. It is demanding. It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many try to rest on Monday, but they simply can not! It involves things that can't be shared. Most pastors will not go around and say what they all did this week because it seems so selfish.

Let me share what a friend in the ministry faced during a normal ministry week. He said, "I made a funeral for a man I did not know, but I herd his family. I preached on Sunday. That takes everything from me. I had several meetings (one was not well, so I was tense all day). When I got to the office on Tuesday, someone was waiting to talk to me. They told me everything that was wrong in the church. I felt drained. Later that day, I had a counseling session with a woman whose marriage is not going well. Wednesday I discovered that a church leader had a moral failure. It's my daughter's birthday and I have to find a way to file it. "

Then he went on to share how he loved his people. Do you think this pastor could use some encouragement? Make sure your pastor takes a vacation, has time to recharge and has learning opportunities. These things not only encourage, they also benefit you.

There is a Brazilian saying that motherhood is like dying in paradise. This is also true in the sacred ministry. Pastoral ministry is a kind of sweet agony. We love and hate sometimes. However, for those who are called, there is no escape. It's not a video game; it is not a favorite pastime of a child mind. What we pastors do in the ministry is the orientation to life and death. There are friends to share our spiritual gifts and they are not virtual avatars. They are people with bodies and hearts. 

They are sheep that suffer at the hands of the enemy. Sheep that in a single night are broken and murdered to the crooked and the right. They are the treasures to be sought in heaven, not in man made of cybernetic clouds. For there is where we have to keep our minds. We are obliged to follow the call of the Good Shepherd. We feel like Jeremiah 20: 9: "... but it was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones; and I am weary of suffering, and I can not do it. "And to those who are guided in the Word of God, this same Word says in Hebrews 13.7,17" Remember your shepherds who spoke to you the word of God, of which he imitates, looking at his way of life. Obey your shepherds, and submit yourselves to them; because they watch over your souls, as those who will give account of them; that they may do it with joy and not with grief, because it would not be helpful to you. "

THE SHEPHERD PLAYING
FARMVILLE - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but, wishing to tickle their ears, they will accumulate teachers according to their own desires, and turn their ears from the truth, and they will turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4: 3-4).

Scratching the ear is very profitable and popular. If you doubt it, wait outside a typical church on a Sunday morning and listen. "I like the way he preaches." "He makes me feel good." "I do not like what I hear." "I'm not sure what it is about that preacher, but I do not like him." carapuça. "" I felt that was sent to me! "I like it, I do not like it, I feel it, I do not feel it.

What I want in a church. What we're looking for. Why do we think about leaving?

And so on, ad infinitum. People want what they want. And with the availability of churches of all stripes and colors - varieties of sizes, architecture, programs, music, preaching, doctrine - no one needs to stay where they are unhappy. So they keep moving. With enough time and practice, such as a computer click, we want to see our own CHURCHVILLE thrive by following our recipes, relating well to friends. While I did this, my real sheep suffered and were mutilated.

In a classroom, the children wrote an essay about summer vacation. Johnny was giving a dorn hard time to do well on it. The final essay came out like this: "Although my holidays were so much fun - on the beach, going to the movies, playing ball and spending time with my family and my cousins on the farm - I could not wait to go back to the learning rooms. I missed my amazing school, my wonderful books and my excellent teacher. I'm very happy to be back. "He handed it to her, then stood there while the teacher read. She says, "A-PLUS!" To which Johnny responds, "Thank you, ma'am." When he leaves the room, he turns to his little friend and says, "As the years come and go, we learn to do what he sells." (Oh Boy)

And so pastors continue to study "what people want in a church." And lay leadership continues to ask the congregation, "What do you want in a pastor?" Click here for a pastor more like that on the internet!

Many pastors have discovered what they sell and have decided to offer a constant menu to their congregations. This is driven by many things: personal ambition, job security, attracting crowds, increasing budget, being noticed and admired.

The flesh longs for what it wants. The Gospel of Scratching Ears says that shepherds should speak beautiful words, never rock the boat, and choose only the doctrines with which the hearers agree. Or better yet, completely avoid doctrine and stick to topics that will surely draw a crowd. "How to be a winner in a losing world." "How to overcome your low self-esteem." "How to be popular and still please God." "How to romance your spouse." "How to have perfect children."

A SHEPHERD'S  MESSAGE
IS SOMETIMES SO NASTY - In his last warning to the church - specifically to the young pastor Timothy, but through him to us - Paul suggests that sound doctrine can be unpleasant to the ears. The truth of God preached by a faithful disciple of the Lord Jesus does many things ...

"It rebukes our egocentrism.
"It holds us to a higher standard."
"It's like surgery or medicine, because in the short term it can be painful, but the result is health.

That is why only courageous leaders should be chosen by the churches. They understand these things and are willing to pay the price. Others are not. Do you know when you say something in confidence and the preacher goes and reveals to everyone what was said in secrecy? Horrible, right! There is a difference between what one should treated in the pulpit and what one should suffer in secrecy. Dr. Jorge M. Johnson, PhD in Homiletics, taught in the classroom:

Knowing firsthand failures in the financial, professional, and family hopes of your sheep. Knowing the pains and afflictions of those entrusted to you is the factors that will help you know how to preach. This will help you choose the right texts and the right emphases in explaining these texts. It is rather too,  make a public treatment of what you have been told in private. NEVER mentioning names and giving no indication of who it is, but treating from the altar of the pulpit that wound that seems to have no cure. This is what makes preaching a ministry, not simply an exercise.

No one likes to listen to their particularities spoken of in the pulpit ... It is not to tell the story of others, nor to give examples, but to apply the measure of the Bible to the specific wound ... TO TREAT does not mean to speak or expose, or to wash dirty laundry in public ... It's not reporting someone's actions. TO TREAT means to biblically diagnose a disease. It is to apply remedy and recommendations coming from diligent studies and honoring the Word of God. It is to be the innkeeper on the road to Jericho.

"Master," the disciples said, "are you aware that the Pharisees were offended by what you said?" (Matthew 15) "Leave them alone," said the Lord.

BOLD LEADERS
WANTED - Needless to say, pastors and other ministers must be men of courage. But in the same way, lay leaders, elders, deacons must be people of strength and steadfastness.

-These leaders will encourage the pastor to preach the truth, even if it hurts.

"These leaders will support the pastor when he preaches the truth without a veneer and is receiving criticism. They should remind God's people that "no correction for the present time seems pleasing ... but then produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Hebrews 12: 11).

-These leaders will tell members of the congregation that they are causing conflict over what the pastor is preaching. If the man of God is telling the truth and being faithful, the lay leadership must have the courage to be with him.

"These leaders will even allow some unhappy members of the church to leave when they can not get what they want." They will not blame the pastor for driving them away. Anyone who does a quick reading of the Gospels will see our Lord let people leave him because they could not accept his truth. And he did not blame himself or question the message he was preaching.

The Lord God has given me great honor in allowing me to speak to the lives of my congregation in Japan in the last four years. I am grateful for the privilege I have of serving Jesus Christ with them. I am praying that we may have great days ahead as we march in difficult times.

Accept these words, which I shared with my heart as I prepare the flock to meet the GOOD SHEPHERD, Jesus Christ the Lord. Pray for your leaders, my friend. And stand by them, especially when they are criticized. If they are faithful then be faithful too.