A Pastor Teacher Person

A Pastor/Teacher Person

(My Purpose Statement)

Who am I?

To know who I am as a person is of little value or is it of any great importance. Only to know I am a sinner saved by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ will suffice. Many years ago the Lord laid on my heart the truth of John 3:30 with such conviction that this verse has become my "Verse for Life". "He (Jesus) must increase, but I (self) must decrease."

Often, as small groups, Christians may discuss as to whom their favorite character in the Bible might be – or – If you had your choice, what character would you like to personify from the Bible? My choice for many years has been, "If I could be any character in the Bible I desired to be, I would like to have been the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem at the triumphal entry". Why? Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Obscured from the multitude, and covered by the robes of the disciples, his only responsibility was to lift up Christ. The donkey only appeared on the scene of history for a short period of time, but he fulfilled the commission God for him and passed from the scene into obscurity, but God has remembered. My only desire is to life up Christ and when my task is complete to pass from the scenes of history into the presence of God to hear the words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).

An interesting sidelight on this incident should be presented at this point. Note: the Bible states of the animal Jesus rode "on which yet never man sat" (Luke 19:30). Jesus was placed on this little animal and rode triumphantly into the holy city. What should have been the natural instinct of this colt? - Revolt, rebellion, stubbornness? Did the colt know his Master Creator was riding on his back and thus he was totally submissive? By being that little colt I desire to be unseen, only lifting up my Lord and Savior.

A Pastor/Teacher Person, known only to God, is the only recognition I need. You ask, "How did you select this name? In Ephesians 4:11, 12 Paul writes "and he gave some … pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ …." I think it is difficult for these two gifts to be separated. Every pastor should be pasturing his flock through his teaching ministry as well as through his preaching ministry. These two gifts were given for three specific purposes – For the perfecting of the saints (to bring Christians, Believer to maturing growth); "for the work of ministry (bringing these to a more efficient and effective ministry) for the work of edifying (maturing, growth, building) of the believers)." This has been the fulfillment of my ministry as "A Pastor/Teacher Person" for over sixty years. I trust to continue this ministry for Christ through this new and enlarged ministry.

Two illustrations will suffice to emphasize my point.

One Sunday morning after the worship service my wife asked me this question, "When are you going to stop teaching and start preaching?" She had seen me as teaching through my preaching ministry.

A short time later, a layman in the same church said to me, "I love to hear you preach because I learn something new every time I hear you preach." He, too, was learning through my preaching ministry.

Notice I have called myself A Pastor/Teacher Person; I am not The Pastor/Teacher

Person. There are many others, but I am one whom I trust the Lord can use in this new ministry.

What are my credentials?

I am, with my wife of 63 years, "A Pastor/Teacher Person". We have three sons, fifteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.

We both attended Northwestern Bible Institute (now Northwestern College) in Minneapolis, MN during the early nineteen forties. I graduated from Northwestern Seminary in 1945.

I am an ordained Baptist Minister, and we have pastured churches in Minnesota, Texas, Iowa and South Dakota retiring after fifty three years of active pastoral service. Since then I have continued my ministry as a teacher until September 2008 when my health began to slow me down.

As I memorized all my scriptures from them KJV and have used it as the basis of much of my teaching and preaching, all my quotations will be from the KJV of the Bible.

What is my purpose?

While praying as to how I might continue the Lord's ministry, I received a letter from a family member suggesting that I continue my teaching through writing sermons and lessons for others to use. These could be placed on line to encourage others in their Christian faith. Also, fellow pastors, missionaries, teachers and devotional leaders could use these to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What is my plan?

I will be sharing sermons and Bible studies for pastors, teachers and other Christian leaders for use to glorify Christ. These will be available for any individual wanting to walk in a closer fellowship with Christ. There may be someone reading these articles that does not have a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. These, too, are invited to read and find such a new life changing experience.

I am writing from a conservative viewpoint that the Bible in the inerrant Word of God, Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the only way to heaven comes through a personal faith in His finished work on the cross of Calvary. I believe in the security of the believer from the moment of salvation to the soon return of Christ to set up His millennial kingdom here upon earth. We will reign with Him and live with Him for all eternity.

I will not get into any doctrinal controversy with any of my readers. These articles are written for anyone to read and use to glorify our Lord. You may disagree with some of my doctrines; may the Lord bless you if you are seeking to serve Him and Him alone. Accept whatever you can use as you minister for Him and set aside the remainder. May He be praised!

I am sure that many of these thoughts may be entirely new to some of my readers; they may be "old hat" to others. When I first read some of these lessons from the Bible, I was challenged and questioned whether they were my thoughts or whether they were from God. If they are new, please do not set them aside and not be challenged by them. Study them, see how many of them will clarify the criticisms that people have leveled against the Bible and its inerrancy. Some of them will certainly clarify many of these criticisms. These are the results of sixty years of in depth research through the scriptures.

All the thoughts I may offer will be as I feel the Lord has given them to me, therefore, these thoughts and truths belong to Him. To copyright this material would be to copyright God's thoughts, therefore, I do not want this material copyrighted. I desire that it be used openly and freely for Christ's glory as widely as possible

If you disagree with my findings, one thing I request, "Please do not use this material to discredit the work of God. Just set it aside and continue your activities for God without disclaiming His majesty and glory."