The Lord's Kindness in Spite of My Foolishness

I've been on the job hunt for awhile now and last week, I came upon the perfect job. It was great pay, great opportunity, and if that wasn't enough it seemed fun and exciting. I wanted it badly. I aggressively pursued this job meaning I called several times, emailed my resume and called again until I got an interview, and prayed diligently.

The first interview went great. They said they would call me that evening IF I was chosen for the 2nd interview. I spent much of the rest of the day praying, no, pleading that the Lord would put it into their hearts to call me. I thought of all the things I could get with my huge paycheck, the bills I'd pay down, and a bunch of extras. So.....

They called and I was ecstatic! I thanked the Lord for His generosity. So I went on the 'interview' which was really working 'in the field' for a day and it was just awful! Without getting into details, the job was short of slave labor for very little pay and no benefits. They grossly misrepresented themselves in the ad and the first interview and then expected me to be excited about it. My high hopes were dashed! I came down off of my 'high' with lightening speed and was a little more than miffed! They wanted me to interview for the 3rd and final time before hiring me but I promptly declined.

So later I was thinking about the events and I thanked the Lord for showing me that this job was not for me. So that's when it hit me....if I didn't get the call for the 2nd interview, I would have played the "if" game. I would have thought IF they would have called me, my life would have been different. IF they called me I'd have a brighter future and so on. I would have thought that the Lord, for whatever reason, did not want me to have this excess of money because it would corrupt me so He wanted to keep me in check. I would have been upset and always wondering 'what if'.

He didn't have to grant me a 2nd interview. He could have let me go on believing that I missed an opportunity of a lifetime and play that 'what if' game over and over in my head. But the Lord didn't leave me hanging. He allowed me to get the call, go through a grueling day, and see for myself that I wasn't missing anything. He didn't owe me an explanation yet He chose to give me one in spite of my foolishness. He cared enough about me to let me know the truth and then put my mind at rest. Praise Jesus!!!

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Words I plan to live by.

Help Wanted! Pastors!

I look at these want ads and I compare it to the apostles who first established the church and I see very little similarities. Sure, there is a mention of Jesus but the focus seems to be on business, leadership skills, communication, music, church growth, and furthering their church's vision. So when did pastors become so specialized? There seems to be as many different pastoral positions as there are doctoral positions. And when did a bachelor degree (in anything) become a criteria?

Here are a few want ads for pastors...

Executive Pastor

MCC is looking for an Executive Pastor (i.e. acting as the Chief Operating Officer) who will manage the operations of the church and will report to the Senior Pastor. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of effective staff leadership and development and will be a person of integrity committed to the mission and vision of the church. The individual will possess exceptional organizational skills and excellent oral and written communications skills. He/she will be able to manage multiple priorities. The Executive Pastor will supervise all senior staff at MCC and will lead the development of integrated plans across ministries/staff to deliver the church vision. This candidate will have a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. MCC is a 2300 member church that is mission oriented and has a passion to reach the community and the world with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Executive Pastor will embrace this mission and share this passion. This is a full time position with a full benefit package. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelors degree and a strong background in business and organization management. A minimum of 10 years experience in a leadership capacity with responsibility for delivering a vision is required. Executive Pastor Experience desirable (but not required).

Worship Pastor

Emmanuel Baptist Church is seeking a man to serve as full-time Worship Pastor. Candidates must be comfortable leading a "blended" style service. EBC leans toward the contemporary side of "blended," but we need someone who truly loves and uses both traditional and contemporary music to unite people of all age categories in worship. A little history of our church may help... EBC has more than doubled in worship attendance over the past 5 years to a weekly attendance of 600+. Last year, we saw 251 salvations, 50 baptisms, and 136 new members added to our church family. EBC has grown at an average of 100 people per year in a small town setting. In addition, Emmanuel Christian School has 450+/- students enrolled in grades PreK-12. We also opened a School of Fine Arts teaching music, voice and drama. Emmanuel Baptist Church is balanced, growing, financially sound, and known as "A Place of Grace" in our community. Emmanuel is truly experiencing a modern-day miracle! Candidates for this position should have at least a Bachelor's degree in Music, a minimum of 3 years experience, and be proficient in piano.

Senior Pastor – Life Groups
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION
This purpose of this position is to create "Raving Fan" small groups where people can learn, change, grow, connect, support and experience God together.

PRIMARY STRENGTHS/GIFTS/TALENTS REQUIRED

o Vision Caster - Able to communicate the LG vision effectively so that people buy in and embrace it.
o Strategic & Systems Thinking - Able to develop effective systems (both administrative & leadership) to make sure the LG's are on track and achieving their goals.
o Up Front Teaching Gifts - Able to design and deliver effective leadership training in a way that creates Raving Fans.

What's God's criteria for being a pastor or leader?

He must posses a desire to serve.
1 Tim 3:1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

Must be vigilant, sober, good behavior, apt to teach, patient...
1 Tim 3:2,3 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

Titus 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Blameless.
1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Good report from others.
1 Tim 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Rule over is house along with his children.
1 Tim 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(how can you 'rule' or lead others if you cannot rule or lead your own house?)

Hold fast the Word of God.
Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

It seems like anyone holding a Masters (in anything) could easily make the transition into a pastoral position. Even though these positions require degrees, they have severely lowered their standards!

The 23rd Psalm - Let's Look at This Again....

The Lord is my Shepherd --- That's Relationship!
I shall not want --- That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures --- That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul --- That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness --- That's Guidance!
For His name sake --- That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death --- That's Testing!
I will fear no evil --- That's Protection!
For Thou art with me --- That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me --- That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies --- That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil --- That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over --- That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life --- That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord --- That's Security!
Forever --- That's Eternity!

Heinz Ad Pushes Gay Marriage

Heinz ad pushes gay marriage and family, features homosexuals kissing

The ad features a "homosexual family," referring to one of the men as "Mom."

We suggest you forward this to all your family and friends letting them know of the push for homosexual marriage by Heinz. This ad is currently running in England, but no doubt can be expected in the U.S. soon. It is the kind of ad which we can expect to see in California as they prepare to vote on homosexual marriage. Homosexual marriage is illegal in England.

Take Action

Send an email letter to Heinz.

Make a phone call to Heinz. Their corporate headquarters' phone number is 412-456-5700 and their toll-free number is 800-255-5750.

Send Your Letter Now


Source: http://www.afa.net/Petitions/Issuedetail.asp?id=324