THE TRUE SHEPHERDS OF JESUS CHRIST

Empowered To Carry Out The Mandate Of The Great Commission

By Bishop Steven Liberty Sr.

     I am writing to all men and women who feel the call to serve the Lord Jesus Christ as a Shepherd of His flocks.  For the purpose of this work I am using the word Shepherd to refer to all those who serve as instruments to carry out the mandate of the great commission in any sector of life; be it Pastors, Apostles, Teachers, Lay Leaders, Prophets/Prophetess, Evangelist, Bishops, and to include all workers in the House of God.  The term refers to anyone serving in any capacity to carry out the mandate of God whether you are a doctor, lawyer or a house worker. 

     We will examine this high calling, one that is the most abused on earth today.  We will scrutinize this office from every possible aspect that we can visualize; it's advantages and disadvantages, what is true about it and what is not true about it.  We will look at what the call means, its qualifications, the charge, duties, what the hospitality of a Shepherd means and their ordination.  In the end, it is my purpose that this document serves as a lamp to direct, correct past mistakes, and help us distinguish between the true minister and false minister.  It should also serve as a guide to help the local congregation improve their discernment of their minister, not in a worldly way but in the biblical definition of what it means to serve in their high calling in Christ.

     As I desired to get the best results and facts regarding this topic my views come from the Holy Bible, discussions and writings from men and women of God who have written on this topic or who answered an inquiry from me.  I know that many of those critics who love to avoid facts and make excuses will want to see the texts I took from the Old Testament that refers to priests and ministers for the purpose of taking them out of context.  They usually say, we don't live by the law anymore and we don't do sacrifices and so the rules have changed.  Yes, the sacrifice has been paid once and for all by the blood sacrifice of Christ, but what about how we conduct ourselves in the place of worship?  What about the moral standards laid down for God's anointed ones?  What about congregation and the rules laid down by the New Testament, and what our relationship with Christ is supposed to be? Just because Christ paid the price with his blood doesn't mean we should do away with the Old Testament.  Jesus said he came to fulfill the law not do away it.  These are the excuses you most often hear from false and corrupt Shepherds who abuse the office that God has given them.

     Lastly, I will be using real life examples from our experiences in the church of today.  This document was not written for the purpose of criticism to any known individuals, but to bring light to a corrupt system that has sprung up in the last few decades because of the quest for power, wealth and materialism, and using the precious name of Jesus Christ to attain their evil desires.  May the Most High God open our eyes to see who the wolves are and to help us be able to separate the goats from the sheep.

     A SHEPHERD IS CALLED AND SEPARATED FOR THE  PURPOSE OF DOING A TASK FOR GOD CONCERNING HIS ELECT AND LOST SHEEP

     The Shepherd is directed by God himself and is to care for the flock and to deliver the true Word of God and is fully equipped by the Holy Spirit to carry out that task.  (Exodus 28:1, Numbers 3:5-12, 1 Sam 3:4-10)  We can see from Chronicles 23:13 and Exodus 28:1 that Shepherds are ministers to God.  This should be his or her first priority.  The fact that the Shepherd is called by God makes the office a very Holy one that is to be guarded, cared for and sanctioned.  It is an office that carries a high mandate on this earth and in the Kingdom of God.  Special powers are assigned to this office to bind and loose, to be a vessel or pathway for many things to and from heaven.  It's jurisdiction extends to the ends of the earth.  It's mandate states, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  (Matthew 29:18-20) So you can see that all power from heaven has been given in the hands of a true called minister.  That is why the vessel that handles such authority has to be selected by God, called and set apart for the task.  The task is not easy and has a lot of biblical mandates concerning their heavenly powers and earthly powers.  The number one criteria from God of ministers is obedience.  Everyone can not be a minister and God only selects certain ones who have consecrated themselves unto him and walk a righteous life.  His own life is buried in Christ's life.

     The next thing we should consider is that Shepherds are not only pastors but everyone who is called and set apart to minister to God fall under this mandate as we can see in Numbers 3:5-12.  Those who serve in the House of God are also Shepherds chosen by God which includes church leaders and teachers.  (1Sam 3:4-10 age is not a major factor)  Character and the willingness to stick to biblical principles laid down for Shepherds to live by and teach all of the word makes one a worthy vessel for God to be used and for God to  reveal his directives to.  There are those who carry the title of minister but have defiled themselves so much that God can not work through them.  Yet, in the eyes of men they are thought to be worthy vessels.  Those big titles like Pope, Arch Bishop, Bishop, His Excellency, just to name a few, certainly does not qualify one as a Shepherd of the flock.  The long white garments and so-called ministerial robes and neck bands does not make one a Shepherd chosen by God.  Degrees and doctorates in theology does not qualify you to be a Shepherd of God.  The number one thing that we must get in our heads is that God is the only one who puts a call on man to be a Shepherd and sets him aside and sanctifies him for that duty.

     We have a lot of ministers today who are far from being sanctified by God and who use their pulpits to rule over the congregation, who has become the Lord and Master of the people instead of God.  On the contrary we have some ministers who are afraid to teach all of the Word for fear of losing members or tithes, so all they preach is a feel good message while sin is rampant in their congregations.  A lot of ministers only promote their own ministry rather than the ministry of Christ.  Oh, but they do use In Christ's Name, but to what end?  To sell books and videos, to rake in the tithes of the rich, to raise money for nonexistent causes, or causes that are legitimate but the cause never sees a dime.  Then they claim to heal people in the name of Jesus but in fact are using props or magic.  This is because they do not give God first place.  They have the Holy Spirit alright but does the Holy Spirit have them?  A lot just don't understand the placement and responsibility God has put on their call.  The first responsibility is to be consecrated unto God.  Those who do not put God first in their personal life and their public service life are from the world and is not of the Holy Spirit.  Anointed, true worship is accompanied with praise and worship and the giving of the word in truth and spirit, and is guided and delivered so by the minister.  This is why it is so important to know the qualities of a true Shepherd called by the Most High God, ordained to carry out the worthy mandate of spreading the True Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. 

     A minister is called to take the message of truth as directed only from God to any part of the earth that God chooses and wills.   A lot of Christian networks are for the purpose of lifting up big name, public preachers, for the purpose of controlling and making money off of them instead of adding satellite after satellite to reach the lost from the four corners of the earth.  God has a particular assignment for those he calls into his truth to take to a certain people.  No one person's mission is the same and each one is carried out through different means but for the same purpose; to give the good news of Christ's saving grace and to show others how to partake of the redeeming blood that transforms, regenerates and washes us, and ushers us into the Kingdom life and gives us  eternal life.  That through his great love the  lost and dying world can be saved from an eternal hell.  If you study Jonah 1:1-2, 3:1-2, you will find a very important lesson and if you study that book carefully you will discover that the purpose of God is not diverted by man, not even by his Shepherds.  Most of time in today's world we see the same evil spirit of Satan that tried to convince Jonah his giving the truth of the word to Nineveh would be to no avail and so the best thing is to run from it and do our own thing.  How naive Jonah was!  Isn't that very interesting?  Don't we see the same thing in people today and lack of love toward the hurting and lost.  What they failed to do as directed by God will be their rough sea tomorrow and will have to account for the souls they did not attend to as God directed. The purposes of God can not be changed by man.  If it is a mission that God has called you to carry out and it will be accomplished even before your demise.

     God calls his Shepherds long before they know it themselves, even in their mother's wombs. (Jer. 1:5) But what God sees in a person and calls them to do does not always fit man's view on it.   We view and judge man's worth from a physical standpoint, God views and judges a man by the content of his heart.  He can and does call the worst crumbs of society to serve him.  He takes ashes and turns it into beauty.  He regenerates them into a new man by the blood so his glory can be seen in them.  Let's look at the calling of Jesus' disciples who would minister to him and remain on earth to carry out the task of establishing his church after he was resurrected into heaven.  The disciples were not called by the standards we choose minsters today.  For it was not of their social standing, intelligence or appearance that determined their calling but of divine intervention and purpose.  (Mat. 9:9) When we study the life of each disciple we see men who were transformed from nobodies with not a lot of knowledge or enfluence.  Jesus raised them up, perfected them in Him and they weren't on to establish His church. Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him three times and Thomas didn't believe half what he said.  But something happened with these called men.  They saw Jesus transformed into his heavenly glory, raise the dead, heal a leper, and free men from their physical and emotional bondage.  And when the Holy Spirit was sent to them, they were empowered to carry out the commission of the gospel.  They suffered and were killed for his name sake.  Yet, today ministers sit in comfort and too proud to go into a drug neighborhood to give the good news of Christ's redeeming power.  A lot are like Judas, they have sold him out for the love of money.  What does Matthew reveal to you about the call of a Shepherd and what standard Christ uses to call them out?  I leave it to you dear brother and sister in Christ to analyze this standard yourself.

     Isaiah 6:8-9 says, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I, Send me.  And He said, Go, and tell this people..."  Paul, a servant of Christ, called to be an Apostle, was separated unto the Gospel of Christ. (Rom1:1)  Romans 10:4 says, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent?  As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things."

     Paul says also in 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to Glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!  For if I do this thing willingly I have a reward, but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.  What is my reward then?  Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may speak the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.  For though I was made free from all men, yet have I made myself a servant unto all, that I might gain the more."

     We could go on and on but I think we have established enough that the true minister of God is called by God himself and not some trumped up greedy man or woman who is out for self glorification or get rich scheme under the disguised title of Minister of God.  Today, there are millions of Shepherds claiming to have been called and set apart by God for the task of caring for the flocks.  We see some seemingly spirit filled churches and men and women of God.  Certainly the buildings look wonderful, the members rich or well off as you can see from their expensive suits and the cars they drive.  Yet, is it possible that such churches lack a real called Shepherd set apart by God.  Some preach fiery sermons and the people are moved for a while by this logic.  When you dig a little deeper into their system and begin to examine the lives of the members you will discover that the entire church needs to be saved.  They are lost and heading to the darkest of pits in hell.  That is because the Pastor is not a qualified Shepherd.  They are not living by the scriptural principles laid out for a minister to operate in.

CHARACTER AND QUALIFICATIONS OF A SHEPHERD CALLED BY GOD INTO HIS KINGDOM

     How can we describe the true characteristics and qualifications of those called by God and set apart as His Shepherds to serve his flocks?  This is an important question to be answered for many reasons.  We need to be able to distinguish between the goats and the sheep, for many will be deceived in these end times by false teachers and false prophets claiming they are Jesus.  You see, goats and sheep both have horns, woolly hair, hooves, and look similiar in appearance at a distance.    But upon closer inspection we clearly see a difference.  Jesus had no problem discerning the difference and he rightly divided them from the left to the right.  They are those who enforce the traditions of man, put burdens of law upon man but can't live by it themselves.  Jesus warns us about wolves in sheep's clothing.  The difference in a wolf and a goat is that the wolf's character is plainly and openly of Satan.  On the other hand the goat mimicks the sheep but there is no fruit forthcoming.  Jesus also described it in a parable as the wheat and tares in the church.  They grow together and it's difficult to tell the difference until maturity.  One will produce fruit and the other one will produce weeds.  If the Shepherd is not leading his flock into the light and darkness characterizes his flock then  watch out, for you are under great deception.

     It is necessary to examine scripture in determining what kind of Shepherd is leading you.  The Shepherd needs to be clean, without sin, in word and deed.  He is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and gifted with the mind gifts of knowledge, wisdom and discernment of spirits.  Is his vessel clean?  Does he think with a carnal mind or a spiritual mind?  Does he engage in fleshly things or is his physical being consecrated for God's use?  Does he use God's word to convict, correct and chastise against  sin,  as well as to describe the inheritance and promises and empowerment to the body of Christ.  Does he teach the fruit of the spirit and how to use your weapons of war against evil.  Does he have a spirit of prophecy or any other evidence of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit that all called man of God are endued with.   Before God can use a minster he must be holy sanctified and empowered by the spirit.  Is he the mouth piece of God or for himself?  The Shepherd is to be bold in the Lord and without fear or consequences speak the truth of God's word.  God doesn't give the liberty of speaking to suit yourself but to speak the word in truth and spirit.  This a requirement in order for the word to change people's lives and the avenue by which the truine man; spirit, body and soul line up with the word.  Woe unto the Shepherd that leads the flock astray or causes one of these  little ones to stumble.  Jesus said  he would be better off to not have been born. You see Jesus has a crown of glory that never fades for the righteous Shepherd who follows Him will in leading the flock.  I'm afraid there will be many Shepherds stripped of this crown and told to go below, and hearing those dreadful words from the King, "I never knew you." A righteous Shepherd is a light that can pierce through darkness because he is equiped to rightly divide the word, precept upon precept and line upon line.  He is Holy before God and his presence is with him.

     In Leviticus 10:3,  Moses said unto Aaron, "This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me and before all people I will be glorified."  Lev. 21:6 says, "They shall be Holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer; therefore they shall be Holy. (2Chr. 29:11)

     In Numbers 16:9 it says, "Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the Lord God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near unto Himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister before them?"  1Sam 12:17  adds to this scripture by saying, "Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which He did to you and to your fathers."  Isaiah 52:11 says, "Be ye clean, that bears the vessels of the Lord."  Jeremiah 1:7-8 adds, "But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatever I command thee thou shalt speak.  Be not afraid of their faces; for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord."

     Isaiah says also in 6: 5-8, "Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Host.  Then flew one of the seraphim's unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken from the tongs from off the altar; And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched my lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I, send me."  In further search of the scripture we see Ezekiel say in 34:2, "Thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepherds; woe be to the Shepherds of Israel that do not feed themselves! Should not the Shepherds feed the flocks?"

     Before going into further details of the characteristics and qualifications of a Shepherd, I would like to discuss a few works I have read and admired from called men of God.  I would like to describe a man of God that I respect and love but have never met in person.  He contributes a lot of writings on ministers that I have found to be interesting, informative and worth analyzing.  His name is Pastor James Ellis of Ohio in the United States.  He tells of a woman evangelist who has served for more than 30 years, Rev. Gerri Janeway, who has been a Pastor, evangelist and is now a Bishop over a district conference in the State of Arizona.  He states that she is a powerful prayer warrior.  She is known simply as Sister Gerri but is known by the forces of hell as The kneebound Warrior.  Her motto is "How can I stand before men on God's behalf, if I have not stood before God on man's behalf?"

LIST OF THINGS EVERY MINISTER SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES

1.  Do I have a personal and daily prayer life? (Acts 3:1, Luke 5:15-16)

2.  Am I systematic and faithful in bible reading and study? (Ezr. 7:10, Luke 4:16-17)

3.  Are my thoughts pure and my meditations upon the things of God? Prov. 4:23, Mat. 15:18-19)

4.  Does my speech glorify God at all times?  (Js 3:1-2, Eph 5:4)

5.  Do I have self control?  (Prov. 23:1-2, 1Corth 6:12-13)

6.  Am I satisfied with a simple life style?  (1 Tim 6:6-8, Phil. 4:11-13)

7.  Am I faithful to my spouse? (1 Tim. 3:2, Rom. 2:22)

8.  Am I a responsible and Godly parent? 1 Tim. 3:4-5, Dt. 6:6-7)

9.  Am I obedient to civil laws? (Mt. 17:25-27)

10.  Am I transparent in money matters? (2 Corinth 8:20-22, Acts. 20:33-34)

11. Do I love the sheep as Christ does? (2 Corinth12:15, 1Corinth13:1-2)

12. Am I committed to training others? (Lk 11:1-1, Eph. 4:11-13)

13. Am I compassionate towards the poor? (Gal2:9-10, Acts 20:35)

14. Am I impartial without favortism? (1Tim. 5:21, 2 Chr. 19:5-9)

15. Am I dead to cate' ism, religion, nepotism, etc. (Col. 3:9-11, Rev. 7:9-10)

16. Am I enthusiastic in evangelism and missions? (Jn. 10:16, Mat. 9:36-38)

17. Am I true in reporting? (Rom. 15:18, Mrk. 6:5)

18. Am I accountable? (2 Corinth. 8:18, 19:22-24, Acts. 15:22)

19. Am I open to correction? (Gal. 2:11-14, Eccl. 4:13)

20. Am I meek and quiet when spoken against? (1 Pet. 2:21-23, Mat. 5:11-12)

21. Am I respectful of the reputation of others? (Prov. 17:9, 2 Sam. 1:19-20)

22. Am I friendly and kind to my coworkers? (1 Corinth. 15:15, Acts 20: 17, 36-38)

23. Am I cooperative with other ministers? (Lk 5: 5-7, Gal. 2: 7-9)

24. Do I give my all; not afraid of hard work? (1 Corinth. 15:10, 58, Jn. 9:4-5)

25. Am I practicing self-denial? (Lk. 9:23, Jn. 3:30)

     After reading over this list Pastor Ellis wrote, and with my personal experience and knowledge of the Word of God, I concluded that a lot of Shepherds do not meet these qualifications.  Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who honor in the word and doctrine.  I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality."  Can our churches today claim this honor?  Can most of our Pastors claim a life of prayer and seeking God before making decisions concerning the church?  Pastors bear the iniquities brought on by the people against God's House.  How many Pastor's homes are in better repair than their churches. (Num 18:1-7)

     It is the duty of the Shepherd to bring the church leadership into line with God's Word concerning his House.  God has given them charge to demand honor and to seek counsel from the Lord.  The Shepherd is authorized to lay hands on the people and to deliver his charge over them. (Num 27:18)  The Shepherd is to constantly seek the Lord and be filled with His Holy Spirit because the Lord can and does give a word or message whereby he must cancel his planned sermon for the purpose of the Holy Spirit upon the people. (Ezekiel 3:4) 

     The fact of the matter is that today's ministers are forbidden to correct church leadership for fear they might leave the church, or lose tithers.  Elder and deacon boards are filled with criminals and fornicators.  These are the types of people running our churches today.  They have lowered the standard of what churches are supposed to be according to scripture.  Where is the fruit in the churches? The trees of life have withered, and he that is mandated to win souls have forgotten the lost and hurting.  (Ezra 7:10, Chronicals 6:41, Prov. 11:30)  Remember that the Shepherd's call and mandate is not of this world.  Their mandate is of a world foreign to this earth that has dominion and authority way above the power of the flesh and carnal minds.  God calls us to be sanctified through the truth of the WORD. (John 17: 16-17)  The bible says, "The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)  Ezekiel 3: 3-10 says, "And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee.  Then did I eat it; and it was in my youth as honey for sweetness.  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my Words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart and hear with thine ears."

     Are there any other ways to stress the importance of studying and mastering the Word of God?  I do not know a better way than from the mouth of God Himself.  1 Timothy 6:11 tells us, "ministers should flee evil ways and with pure thoughts follow after righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness."  verses 13-14 says, "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, or blemish until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Verses 20-21 says, "O, Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called; which some professing has erred concerning the faith."  Paul stresses here that Shepherds of God should be one with pure thoughts regarding not only his/her fellowman or woman but also doctrines and other things concerning the work of God.  Yet we have heard of Shepherds swearing and fighting amongst each other in division and in their pulpits.  After conducting a research of churches in Africa I found that 99 percent of them eventually turn to drugs, sex, and crime and most times come out very useless to the church or to God.  It is so sad but it is actually the fact that the Shepherd neglects his home as well, which should be a solid foundation for ministers worldwide.  If they are not dutiful to their home imagine how neglected their duties in the church.  Churches rarely have a fund for the poor and needy, the alien, or the widows which the Scripture mandates.  Some churches haven't had a baptism in five years or more.  Yet they have a hundred lost souls at every service.  Tithes are being misused and put into the hands of criminals.

     I admire these words of Jesus in John 13:13-17, "Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well, for so I am. If I  then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than His Lord neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."  Jesus warns us not to be a mockery of His ministry in Romans 2:21-23: "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?  Thou that preaches a man should not steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultry? Thou that abhors idols, does thou commit sacriledge?  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonoreth thou God?"

     The Shepherd of God is warned about difficult times and persecution for the truth.  Shepherds are to be bold and outspoken but only speaking what the Holy Spirit commands.  That is one of the reasons the vessel being selected by God to Shepherd His flocks must be clean, honest, and of good reputation with both men and God and filled with the Holy Ghost and wisdom. (John 15:20, Acts, 6:3)  In today's world Shepherds are fighting over rich members that can bring in cash to support their ministries; but the bible says the contrary is true ministry.  We can not over emphasize the importance of the characteristics of the Shepherd, which qualifies him/her for the duty of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.  That is why I want to use these verses from the bible to close this section and summarize what I have been saying, "For every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself, to offer for sins.  For when for a time you ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need for milk, and not of strong meat.  For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:1-3, 12-14)

     "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.  Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.  Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines.  For it is a goood thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you."  (Hebrews 13:6,7,9,17)

     "My brethren, be not of many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?  Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.." (Jas. 3:1,13,16,17,18)

     "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it with the ability which God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ." (1Peter 4:10-11)

     In conclusion, it is necessary to restate the importance of the Shepherd who is put in charge of God's flocks.  Even so, let him be blameless before God Almighty and pleasing in His sight.  It is urgent that he be led by the Holy Spirit and seek God's will and not his own desires.  All ministers are required to adhere to Spiritual principles set forth in the Holy Bible.  A minister should have an open door to God to obtain the heavenly treasures for the purpose of glorifying God and be able to loose and bind things on earth and in heaven.  He is to teach and preach the Word as the Holy Spirit gives him understanding, wisdom, knowledge and discernment.    He will stand before the Lord one day and give an account of what he did for the flocks with the gifts God gave him.  Let all Shepherds run their race to be pleasing unto the Lord and not man or the world.