Caring for the Sheep

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"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

I don't know where this quote came from, but it is an excellent quote and lesson for pastors in the ministry. I have been a Christian for almost ten years now and serving God's people for over six years. I have been preaching publicly for over five years at CFBC.  I have completed two master degrees (M.A. Philosophy, M.Div.) from both prestigious seminaries (Talbot, TMS). I thought that all God's people needed was good expository preaching to build the Church (1 Tim. 4:13, 2 Tim. 4:1-5). Don't get me wrong, I love preaching and I believe that preaching is foundational to building a healthy church. 

However, public ministry of the Word cannot be divorced from the private ministry of the Word (Acts 5:42). In other words, God's people need to be exhorted with the Word publicly from the pulpit and privately in the kitchen of my own home. The lesson I am learning time and time again is that "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." If the apostle Paul were to rephrase it, he would say, 

 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

If pastors could retrieve this important principle in the ministry, I believe our churches (included the Church I serve) would be healthier and holier. So here are some principles I have learned and am still learning in showing God's people you care for them:

1. Get to Know People 

One of the criticisms I have received in my ministry (to my shame) is that I don't know people. I can come across as intimidating or having it all together that people cannot relate to me.  I try to give biblical counsel and instructions before ever listening to what is really going on in people's lives. I need to know people by name and not just hang out with people who I am comfortable with.

2. Pray for People

Again (to my shame), I need to be lifting God's people up in prayer by name. How can a Shepherd shepherd his people if he is not praying for his people? In most of Paul's epistles, Paul begins his letters by thanking God for believers and praying for their spiritual growth, so that they would walk in a manner that pleases and glorifies God (See Col. 1:1-14). 

3. Open Your Home to People

Another way to care for people is to open your home to people. Biblical hospitality literally means a "love of strangers" (Rom. 12:13, Heb. 13:2). My home should be open to both Christians and non-Christians alike. I am glad I married a wife who loves being hospitable to people. One of the qualifications of an elder is that he is hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2). 

4. Go Out of Your Way to Meet People

I'm learning that people appreciate you more when you are willing to sacrifice your time and day to meet them. Meet them at a public place like a Starbucks and just get together to see how they are doing. Before I go meet people, I pray that I would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (Jam. 1:19). Listen well and pray for them. 

5. Be Available for People

Another weakness of mine is that people think that I am too busy for them. Of course, pastoral ministry has a lot of demands (preaching, counseling, visitation, administration, praying, reading, teaching) along with personal family commitments. But pastors do not have a normal schedule like other working professionals. Pastors can set their own hours and they must discipline themselves to make themselves available to people. I need to let my people know that I am available and am willing to make time for them. 

6. Get to the Heart of People

People with problems first have heart problems. What I mean is that people who are often struggling with a particular sin, are dealing with deeper root issues within their own hearts. A man who drinks a lot may drink because he is lonely. A person who watches pornography may watch because he has relational problems in the home or with other people. A person that eats a lot may be eating out of depression. A pastor must learn to get to the heart level and see what is really going on by asking good questions. 

7. Affirm Your Love for People

People need to know that you love them. Not only in action, but in word as well. A man can serve and provide for his wife well, but the wife may feel unloved because he never verbalizes his love for her. In the same way, God's people need to know that you love them not only with your actions, but with your words. Humble yourselves and tell people you love them from the heart. 

I wrote this because I have failed in all these areas to care for people, especially God's sheep. I ask the Lord's forgiveness for not caring more for God's sheep. By God's grace, I hope to be a good pastor someday by showing and verbalizing my love for God's people. I want God's people to know that I care for them. 

On Ministry Success

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Every now and then, God uses a book to encourage my soul in Him. Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome by Kent and Barbara Hughes was that book. I have been thinking a lot about ministry success lately, especially with an upcoming ministry transition in my life. It is sad to say, that the world has influenced the church in regards to what defines success in the ministry: a large budget, large attendance, man-centered programs, and charismatic personalities that focus ultimately on man's personal self-fulfillment rather than on God's glory.

In his early years in the ministry, Kent Hughes planted a new church with him as the founding pastor. The mother church sent him out with twenty families and a 50,000 dollar love gift. The church plant had a bright future. Kent Hughes had just finished Seminary and was in his prime. He expected the church to grow. But to his astonishment, it didn't. After considerable time and great labor, he had fewer regular attenders than during his first six months. He was a depressed man. He wanted out of the ministry and wanted to quit.

The turning point happened when his wife told him, "Hang on to my faith. Because I believe. I believe that God is good. I believe that he loves us and is going to work through this experience. So hang on to my faith. I have enough faith for both of us" (pg. 23). After going through this dark valley, the Hughes began asking questions regarding ministry success:

1. Can a man be a success in the ministry and pastor a small church?
2. What is failure in the ministry?
3. What is success in the ministry?

So here are the principles of ministry success that the Hughes discovered...

Success is Faithfulness 

 "Success, then, comes when we faithfully study God's Word and faithfully obey it, applying what we understand to all areas of our lives under the direction of the Holy Spirit. A growing knowledge of the Bible matched by a growing obedience is the path to faithfulness and success." (pg. 40)

"Success first begins with obedience to God's Word." (pg. 41)

Success is Service 

 "So here's one secret of successful ministry: When we keep our eyes upon the cross, we want to serve." (pg. 50)

"Servanthood, as we have seen, yields success--because in serving we become like Christ." (pg. 52)

Success is Loving 

 "Before all things, even service to God, we must love God with all our hearts." (pg. 58)

"Simply stated, we spend time with those whom we love. The more time we spend with God, the more we love him." (pg. 61)

Success is Believing 

 "Without faith, there is no success." (pg. 63)

Success is Praying 

 "Those who would minister for God, regardless of how well they have put on the gospel of peace, regardless of how well they wear salvation, truth, righteousness and faith, must make prayer the first thing." (pg. 78)

Success is Holiness 

 "Holiness is foundational to true success. No one can be regarded a success who pursues a life contrary to God's will." (pg. 84)

"When lust takes control, God is quite unreal to us." (pg. 89)

"The logic of Scripture cannot be circumvented: God's will for his people is to be holy, thus no one can be regarded a success who lives contrary to his will. Holiness is fundamental to true success. Holiness must be our preoccupation, our earnest pursuit." (pg. 92)

Success is Attitude 

"Attitude is everything." (pg. 96).

 "Two men looked through the bars. One saw the mud, the other, the stars." (pg. 99)

I loved this book. This is a book I am sure I will be returning to when I need to be reminded of what God defines as success. If you want to listen to these principles in a sermon, you can listen to it here.



Quotes from J.I. Packer's Rediscovering Holiness

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"Be Holy, for I am Holy" (1 Pet. 1:16)


I am currently reading J.I. Packer's Rediscovering Holiness in my devotions and I am finding so many pearls of wisdom. He argues that one of the main weaknesses of the Evangelical Western Church is its lack of holiness and I completely agree. Here are some nuggets I've gleaned so far:

"Holy in both biblical languages means separated and set apart for God, consecrated and made over to him." (p. 19)

"Genuine holiness is genuine Christ-likeness, and genuine Christ-likeness is genuine humanness-the only genuine humanness there is. Love in the service of God and others, humility and meekness under the divine hand, integrity of behavior expressing integration of character, wisdom with faithfulness, boldness with prayerfulness, sorrow at people's sins, joy at the Father's goodness, and single-mindedness in seeking to please the Father morning, noon, and night, were all qualities seen in Christ, the perfect man. Christians are meant to become human as Jesus was human." (p. 28)

"In reality holiness is the goal of our redemption." (p. 35)

"When we confess ourselves lost sinners and cast ourselves on Christ to save us, we are acknowledging by our action that we contribute nothing to our new relationship with God save our need of it, and this is the exact truth. We get into God's favor, not by paying our way, but by accepting his gift of a blood-bought amnesty. However, in sanctification, which is the work of God within us from which our holiness flows, we are called to cooperate actively with God." (p. 45)

A holy life begins with being awestruck at the greatness of my Maker, gratitude for the mercy of my God, being zealous for the glory of my Savior Jesus Christ, and being natural in the living of my life (being led by the Holy Spirit). (Chapter 3)

"A paradox of Christian holiness that mystifies outsiders is that, despite the privations that Jesus described as self-denial, cross-bearing, cutting off one's hand and foot, gouging out one's eye, leaving wealth and security for poverty and some measure of persecution, holiness is essentially a happy business." (p. 87)

"Holiness is every Christian's calling. It is not an option, but an requirement. God wants his children to live up to his standards and to do him credit in the eyes of the watching world, so he says explicitly to us all: 'Be holy, because I am holy' (1 Pet.1:16)." (p. 90-91)

"Holy people practice good works, not to earn God's present or future favor, but as a way of laying hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of them." (p. 105) 


A God who Judges

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One of my goals every year is to read the Bible entirely from cover to cover. This week, I have started reading the book of Jeremiah. When I read the Old Testament Prophets, I am reminded again that God is a judging God. Here are some verses that struck me this morning as I was reading:


1. God will Judge those who Refuse to Repent

"O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they reused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent" (Jer. 5:3). One of the reasons why God judges sin is so that His people would repent and acknowledge their wrongdoing. However, instead of repenting, Israel continues to harden their hearts against God. 

2. God will Judge those who Neglect Justice

"They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things?" (Jer. 5:28-29). Another reason why God judges sin is because people neglect to show justice to the orphan and the poor. God cares for the weak and calls His people to do likewise.

3. God will Judge those who Preach Falsely 

"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?" (Jer. 5:30-31).  The prophets in Jeremiah's time were preaching that judgment was not coming because God would not judge His own people. They were preaching peace, when there was no peace (Jer. 6:14). Not only were the prophets and priests preaching lies, but the people of God were loving the lies. Both the spiritual leaders and the people of God abandoned the truth for a lie. 

Jeremiah prophesies the coming judgment of Babylon. God did in fact use Babylon to judge Judah in 586 B.C. The Temple in Jerusalem was completely burned down and the people of God were driven into Exile. Why did God judge? God judged his people because they refused to repent, neglected justice, and the prophets were preaching lies. This is a good warning for us that God does not tolerate sin and will in fact judge sin. 

The Preacher's Calling and Commission

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[4] Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” [6] Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” [7] But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. [8] Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:4-8)

God sovereignly appoints before the foundation of the world whom He will use to proclaim His Word to the nations (v. 5). Jeremiah feels inadequate because he is young and knows that he is not exactly the most eloquent speaker that you would want to preach to the nations (v. 6). But God reminds Jeremiah to not rely on himself, but on the God who sends, and God who commands. Jeremiah is simply to obey by going and speaking (v. 7). Moreover, Jeremiah is not to be afraid of the people He is being called to speak to, because God is with Him to deliver Him (v. 8). 

I know in my own life, there are times where I feel completely inadequate because of my youth and my lack of eloquence to preach God's Word to God's People. But this passage reminds me to simply go to where God calls me to go, and speak to the people what God commands me to speak. In other words, go and preach the Word (Matt.28:18-20; 2 Tim. 4:2). And when I am afraid, I need to be reminded that God promises to be with me, "for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD" (Jer. 1:4-8). 

True Religion According to Isaiah

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I have been doing my devotions in the morning in the book of Isaiah. I pray that I would learn to be a doer of the Word, and not just a hearer (James 1:22). Here are some things that stuck out to me this morning:

1. God is Concerned about Internal Holiness, Not Just External Religiosity (Isa. 58:1-7)

The Israelites are asking God why He is not noticing their fasting, "Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?" (58:3). But God answers and says he does not acknowledge their fasting because they still seek their own pleasure (58:3), oppress their workers (58:3), fight and quarrel (58:4). True fasting according to the Lord is to "loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke" (58:6). Moreover, true fasting is being generous and hospitable to those who are in need (58:6-7). In other words, true fasting is concerned about justice.

2. God is Concerned about the Poor (Isa. 58:10)

God says, "If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday" (Isa. 58:19). Not only is God concerned about justice, but he is concerned about true generosity. I have been thinking about how this applies to me in my own context. I live in the Suburbs where it is reasonably comfortable and I do not exactly see many homeless people walking around the streets of West Covina. But I am sure there are poor saints in the local church who do not share their need because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. I'm also thinking about the saints in Iraq who are leaving their homes because of the terrorism of ISIS. Does this mean I need to give to a relief organization? Volunteer at a local homeless shelter? Be quick to give to someone who is asking for money on the streets? Lord, I need guidance on how to apply this in my own life.

3. God is Concerned about the Sabbath (Isa. 58:13-14)

Although we are not Israelites living under the Old Covenant anymore, I believe the principle of honoring the Lord's Day still applies. God rested on the Seventh Day after creating everything and He delighted in His Work. We too, must set aside a day, to rest and delight in the Lord. God says, "if you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the LORD honorable, if you honor it, not giving your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly, then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth" (Isa. 58:13-14). It is discouraging to me to see Christians who are not concerned about honoring the Lord's day. Often times, many people make excuses not to gather with God's people because the reality of the matter is that they do not make the Sabbath (or Lord's Day) a delight. For me, Sunday is one of the most exciting day of the week because I get to sing God's praises, hear God's Word, fellowship with His People, observe the ordinances that remind me of the glorious Gospel, and be reminded of the goodness of God. If only we understood the privilege of worshiping freely with God's people in this country. With the recent events in Iraq, I am reminded not to hold the Lord's Day in contempt.

True religion according to Isaiah 58 is doing justice, being generous to the poor, and delighting in God on a Day we set aside to honor Him with His people. Lord, teach me how to do this in my life. Amen.

Scott Kemp's Road Map to Getting Shredded

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            (Scott "Skemp" is the second person to my left. Taken from my wedding in 2012)

Ever since I got married in 2012 and became a father in 2013, I put on a lot of extra weight. I'm even scared for my wife to have another baby because I don't want to get even more fat! As I read Paul's epistle to Timothy, Paul says that a pastor must be "self-controlled" (1 Tim. 3:2). One of my personal confessions to the Lord has been my lack of self-control in regards to my exercise and eating habits. When I got married, I used to weigh 178 lbs. Today, I weigh about 205 lbs. I realize that this is not a good path to head down if I want to stay healthy and have a long-lasting pastoral ministry. My wife has reminded me many times that my body is a temple for the Holy Spirit and that I need to honor God with my body (1 Cor. 6:19). I confess to the Lord many times that I have lacked self-control in regards to eating only to fail again and again. But now I want to do something about it and start learning to eat better and live a healthy life not for my sake, but for God's sake and His glory.

I'm grateful to be blessed with amazing friends. I used to play professional paintball in my younger days, but left my paintball career because I believed God was calling me to serve Him in greater capacities in the local church.

However, many of the friends I grew up playing paintball with are now the top professional players in the league. One of my good friends, Scott Kemp, just recently won the 2013 PSP World Cup Paintball Championship. Not only is he a professional paintball player, but he is also a physical fitness model! I'm so proud of the accomplishments that friends like these have made and continue to cheer them on whenever I get the chance to watch paintball videos. My friend Scott also wrote a book called "A Road Map to Getting Shredded."  He graciously sent me his book to teach me some lessons he has learned over the past ten years.

In his introduction, he talks about how people need to have a clear destination and plan in regards to their fitness goals. In other words, losing weight is not randomly lost through some magical formula, but through hard work and knowledge (p. 8). He also informs his readers the need to understand which body type  they have (Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph). I would be a endormorph, which is someone "who has a thicker bone structure with a larger body mass. These people have a slow metabolism and will gain fat and muscle quite easily" (p. 9).

In the second chapter, he argues that a proper mindset is one of the essential tools to achieving one's fitness goals. He describes his personal experience regarding his paintball career and how a proper mindset led him to achieve a 2013 Pro Paintball championship. Simply put, if you want to lose weight or achieve success in any area of life, you need to train and strengthen your mind.

In his chapter on nutrition, he talks about how we need to avoid eating junk food and start eating clean. One way to eat clean is to prepare properly. I have personally seen Scott eat food in Tupperware multiple times a day so that he can meet his personal fitness goals. To lose weight, "you must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight, or vise versa to gain weight" (p. 24).

In his book, he continues to explain the "fuel" we all need to maintain our bodies: carbs, fats, and proteins. "Carbs are the body's main source of energy as well as the catalyst for efficient brain function" (p. 27). I'm a newbie concerning nutrition, so I'll probably have to reread this chapter to get familiar with the concepts.

In regards to training, he talks about cardio and weight training. Cardio can help a person burn calories quickly, but "weight training molds and shapes the physique" (p. 46).

In regards to supplementation, he says that "10 % is about how much of an impact supplements will have on your [fitness] results" (p. 57). I will not get into detail here, but supplements can help with what you are not getting from the foods you are eating.

On his chapter on recovery, proper sleep is essential to repairing the body. On average, a person will need 6-9 hours a day for his body to properly recover

Finally, Scott ends his book with some awesome quotes!

"Every one wants an easy way out, but there is no easy way out. The secret is hard work and consistency. Yes, it will be hard, but it will be worth it." (p. 59)

"We are creatures of habit and breaking the bad ones is the hardest part but once you create the good habits, it's cake from there." (p. 65)

"Education, proper time management, preparation, hard work, dedication, persistency, and progress are all key elements to success and anyone who has worked towards a goal knows this formula." (p. 66)

To summarize, if you want to lose weight, you need to have a plan, proper mindset, hard work, and dedication to achieve results. I believe this can be applied to any area of life as well: spirituality, finances, career, sports, etc. I know I won't be a fitness model like Scott, but his book did give me some great insights on working out and proper nutrition.