About 1,000 pastors will attend the Convention Baptist Ministers Association (CBMA) National Assembly on January 17 to 19 at Camp Higher Ground, Barotac Viejo. The pastors will learn from the Theme: “Unleashing the Minister’s Full Potential.” The current CBMA National President is Rev. Samuel G. Talha.
Matthew 9:35 to 39 has something to say to the ministers of today. Let me use CBMA as the outline as I reflect on the question: What attitudes and mindset should be unleashed by the minister?
C – Compassionate attitude.
Matthew 9:36 says, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
When our ministers have compassion, then they will surely look after and care for the people that they are ministering. If they have no compassion, then it is as if the sheep has no shepherd.
B – Broadminded in ministry perspective.
Matthew 9:37 tells us that the ministry is vast — “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.'”
This means that there is no shortage of ministry area. Thus, a minister must look in all places and think of what kind of ministry can be started in those places. The shortage is just in our narrow-mindedness. Further, there is only a shortage of workers. This means that a minister must not be idle but a worker, and must unite with some other workers.
M – Mission-focused.
Matthew 9:35 reminds us that “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
Jesus is reminding us that the basic three-pronged pattern of ministry should be present in our ministry — teaching, preaching and healing.
A – Active prayer life
Matthew 9:38 challenges us to pray — “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus is teaching the ministers to actively look for the next generation of harvesters, pray for them and mentor them.
May God bless the CBMA!
Sincerely,
Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on
#SeedsOfFaith
#BinhiSangPagtuo
January 16, 2017