Pastor to Pastor

 

My friend, Pastor Ray Mirly, is both teacher and preacher.  Now he serves as District President.  He is ready to encourage in each issue of his "Pastor to Pastor."  His encouragement is biblically based; his church worker experience is a rich resource deserving of a wider circulation to encourage church workers across our beloved LCMS.  To that end, we offer his messages to you for your encouragement as you serve the Lord and His Church.   (just scroll down)

PEACE!
L. Dean Hempelmann, S.T.M., Ph.D., D.D.
Director, What a Way 
Encouragement (based on Mt 10:32)
The words above are preceded by Jesus telling us to “fear not.” In the fear not statements He tells us that God knows so much about us and the world in which we live that he counts the number of hairs on our head and even knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. He watches over every little detail regarding things we do not pay much attention. For me, this is an important section of Holy Scripture, especially when I am struggling in my ministry, in my personal life or with all that is happening in the world. To think, God knows all about me and you!
In verse 31, Jesus tells us we are more valued than a sparrow. This is His way of encouraging us, strengthening us and pointing us to the only one who, as Luther says, “provides us with all that we need to support this body and life.”
Fellow pastors, we are never outside of God’s grace! We are always enveloped in His mercy! Through Christ we have His forgiveness for all of our sins of omission and commission.  Even when we are weak, He makes us strong.

PEACE!
L. Dean Hempelmann, S.T.M., Ph.D., D.D.
Director, What a Way

 

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1 ESV). 

Encouragement -
 
That They May Be Saved
 
Romans 10:1 ends a section of Paul’s letter to the Romans in which he quotes from Hosea, “Those who are not my people, I will call my people and her who was not beloved I will call beloved.” The context of Hosea’s words is that Jews believed that Gentiles were not chosen by God to be members of His family. There was a time in the LCMS when many felt German was the only language God spoke. We realize this perception is no longer widely held, but how easy it is to develop a wrong picture of what God wants the church to look like.

The critical message of the concluding verses of Romans 9 and first several verses of Romans 10 is summarized in 10:1, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” Paul’s point is that it doesn’t make any difference whether one is a Jew or Gentile, God’s desire is for their salvation. The message of the Gospel is that Christ died for all.

My encouragement this week is that each of us church workers be open to all of the opportunities God gives us to share the Gospel. We are not responsible for the work of conversion, but Jesus has given us the responsibility of plowing the field, sowing the seed, watering the plants and going about the harvest. It is true that we do not know who will believe, but we are promised “God’s word will not return unto Him empty.”

No matter who lives around the congregations we serve, they are included in Jesus’ Great Commission. “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” May the Holy Spirit bless our preaching, teaching and evangelizing.

Prayer
“Dear Jesus, you lived, bled, died and rose again for the salvation of all people. Lay the souls of the people of our communities upon our hearts. Give us lips to speak the Gospel and the blessing.” Amen.