Pastors

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Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,167
12,763
113
#41
I have a question or two what makes a good pastor, and what makes a bad one?
Surprisingly, it is in the Old Testament that we learn the difference between good shepherds (pastors) and evil shepherds. Good shepherds would do the exact opposite of what is shown below (and to be applied in the spiritual sense).

EZEKIEL 34
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed:but ye feed not the flock.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
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#42
That gave me a good laugh. I can just see the people responding to his sermons... "Jawohl, Herr Pastor! Wie ichs ein unterheiligenvolk!"
Ok, 10 minute time out for you kiddo...you didn't interpret! ☹️
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
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#43
Good answer...well..went to one church and the pastor was a former policeman. Kind of like a shepherd, but kinda not. More like a german shepherd at times. (The dog)

The other church I go to I actually not really sure what kind of jobs he did prior to becoming a pastor. I should ask actually. He cant have just gone to bible school and studied and then got appointed. He was involved with some missions work, but in what capacity, I dont know. And I have no clue how he earned his living.

Since I live in the city, its not likely that many pastors are or were shepherds. Maybe out in the countryside they are. But sheep farming here is very different from what it is in israel. People tend to delegate sheep farming to the dogs and barbed wire and not really be actual shepherds. And shearers often work in gangs contracting, they dont really look after sheep. Sometimes veterinarians go visit but I havent come across many vets becoming pastors.

I used to be a vet nurse. For a summer job. But in the city, so we had no sheep patients. mostly dogs, cats, mice and birds.
Uh.....mice?
 

Lafftur

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2017
6,732
3,559
113
#46
That gave me a good laugh. I can just see the people responding to his sermons... "Jawohl, Herr Pastor! Wie ichs ein unterheiligenvolk!"
Ok, 10 minute time out for you kiddo...you didn't interpret! ☹️
Here you go, @stonesoffire.....

"Jawohl, Herr Pastor! Wie ichs ein unterheiligenvolk!"

"Yes, Mr. Pastor! As ego under a sacred folk!"

heheheeee.......that was funny! :giggle:
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,173
113
#47
Has nobody heard of being 'as poor as church mice?' Ok.
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
13,320
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#48
Here you go, @stonesoffire.....

"Jawohl, Herr Pastor! Wie ichs ein unterheiligenvolk!"

"Yes, Mr. Pastor! As ego under a sacred folk!"

heheheeee.......that was funny! :giggle:
I was attempting "Yes, Mr. Pastor, we are an unholy people!" but yours works too.
 

Lafftur

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2017
6,732
3,559
113
#50
I was attempting "Yes, Mr. Pastor, we are an unholy people!" but yours works too.
I just copied and pasted what Google said.......Looks like some meaning got lost in the translation....lol! Sorry. :giggle:

I like your translation best....."Yes, Pastor! We are an unholy people!" lol! :giggle:
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,173
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#51
I have... and have been.
There was a church cat once although it might have been the neighbours, that always tried to come to our bible study, it came one time and tried to eat my bible. The cat was called Genesis.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,173
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#52
The church am at now, the secretary has a dog, its a chiuaha dog she brings him in when she works.

The pity is that Ive seen dead birds on the lawn on the church grounds cos they cut down most all their trees, and I suspect they now have nowhere to go, or being poisoned by bait or weedkiller.

A God who looks after all the animals and saves them in the ark, is the one we worship, but it breaks my heart to see professed christians carelessly mistreating animals.

The SPCA was orgiginally a christian organisation.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#53
Reverend Arthur Broome founded the first SPCA according to wikipedia.

A reverend is a pastor..? It says curate or priest, I get confused over the different titles.
 

Lafftur

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2017
6,732
3,559
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#54
Lanolin,

After reading all your posts, I'm thinking all the injustices in this world have got you upset a bit. No worries. God is not finished yet with everything.

When you see a dead bird, know that God is able to raise it up again. Scoop it up and bury it in a special place, if you are able to legally. It would not surprise me if God would give you that same bird as a pet in the new heaven and earth that is coming.

Maybe what I've said to you about the bird sounds silly but, couldn't God do it?! Sure, He could! I'm looking forward to the day when the enemy of Death has to give back to me all my sweet pets that it took from me.

Is there any Bible scripture proof to what I have said about our animals? Well not exactly but, if all the dead have to eventually rise and appear before the Great White Throne of Judgment and the final and last enemy that God destroys is Death.........isn't it possible that we can be reunited with our sweet pets? Can't they live again, too? Sure, they can!

As far as Pastors or injustice in leadership..........well, we're to pray for them so that we might live in peace. They actually need or prayers more than our judgments against them. If horrible oppression occurs from enemies or leadership, people usually cry out to God, God hears and raises up a deliverer. I've learned this by reading the Book of Judges.

Be encouraged and comforted. All these injustices, trials, tribulations must come. We are to endure and overcome. Keeping our focus on Christ............looking forward to His Kingdom that is coming..........
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
13,320
113
#55
I just copied and pasted what Google said.......Looks like some meaning got lost in the translation....lol! Sorry. :giggle:

I like your translation best....."Yes, Pastor! We are an unholy people!" lol! :giggle:
I should back-translate that to see what it should be in German....
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
#57
There was a church cat once although it might have been the neighbours, that always tried to come to our bible study, it came one time and tried to eat my bible. The cat was called Genesis.
Well, that's quite a revelation Lanolin!
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,173
113
#58
I dont know what the church secretaries dog is called though.
I had suggested we have sheep to eat the grass, but they prefer to pay a lawnmower man, who then mowed over the shrubs I planted in the lawn , they were meant to have flowers for the church.

I am so over noisy lawnmowers. If we had sheep, they could eat the grass and then we could also have wool and fettilizer for our garden.
 

tumeric

Junior Member
Apr 1, 2015
39
4
8
#59
does anyone know of any preacher that has given up everything to follow JESUS as HE required HIS apostles to do
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,173
113
#60
does anyone know of any preacher that has given up everything to follow JESUS as HE required HIS apostles to do
Good question I know of a few.
The thing with pastors is many want to stay in one place tied to one congregation which is not conducive to a lot of evangelism but it is feeding the sheep and being steadfast and loyal. But the thing is Jesus does tell us a good shepherd with 100 sheep will leave them to go after and find the one who went astray.