April 18, 2007
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A good Pastor is hard to find. When you find one stay put!
I got such a blessing last night in an unexpected way when I went to New York.
During a Friday Bible study Pastor Don was talking about an evangelist called W.V. Grant, from Dallas. He had, some time ago, gone to one of Pastor Grant’s revivals in Virginia. Right now W.V. Grant is doing a revival in Brooklyn, New York. Some of our church members have been going there to be blessed. I was able to ride with a few members of our church to Brooklyn last night.
I went there skeptical. Most of you know that with my background in the occult I am very careful about people with gifts of the Spirit because I want to know which spirit these gifts come from. Satan can imitate what God does, and when people come to a meeting needy and hungry, satan is aware of their needs and if the pastor is not really right on, what is given may not be of God. This pastor, W.V. Grant was the real thing.
What was astounding to me was how many of the people present who sit under pastors in churches had so many huge presenting problems. So many needs and demonic influences which were oppressing them (not possessing, but oppressing – big difference there).
In our group, when Pastor Grant spoke over the people I was with, it was blessings, and the problems faced were presented as done, resolved. When he spoke over me he recognized that I had been through some intense stuff in my past, and he said, “It is finished and God will use it to bless others.” I knew it was finished, it had been finished awhile ago and God is using me to bless others. It was a good confirmation of what Pastor Don has already told me.
But what I came away with is a bigger blessing than that. I came away realizing that Pastor Don is an incredible shepherd of his sheep. That he, through God, has really helped us to resolve the issues we came to church with when we first walked through these doors. We are not walking around with gaping sores of spiritual hurt and pain. He has taught us the Word of God, how to apply the Word of God in our lives, and I am certain he prays for us, blesses us with his teachings, and has brought us to a point where healing occurs. When told these things, Pastor Don always reminds us that it is God, not him who had done this work in us.
It is sometimes interesting and nice to go and see another person’s ministry, but I fully realize that not all are as blessed as we are to have a pastor who is such a good shepherd. And I want to encourage you to find such a pastor, and when you do, stay put under the teachings of your pastor.
What keeps going through my mind is the last scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy wants to go home and she is told to click her heels together and say, “There is no place like home, there is no place like home.” She realized that all that she needed was in her own back yard.
I used to not understand that movie when I was a kid, because with my past I would never have wanted to leave Oz, but truly right now I can say, “There is no place like my church home, there is no place like my church home.” I am so blessed and highly favored.
Praise God!
Heather
Comments (17)
You are truly blessed and highly favored. In my 30 years as a Christian I have sat under 2 men that were truly shepherds. They are very hard to find. Blessings..Vel
the only reason I stay at the church I attend is because of the pastor, he truly has a burden for teaching God’s Word properly. the fellowhip on the other hand, well it just isn’t there. it generally seems to be that way, either you get teaching or you get fellowship, but seldom ever both.
What a blessing and encouragement! Thanks for sharing this, Heather. You are blessed, and you are a blessing.
That is a good word. I am currently attending two churches, one I consider my home church and another that I sort of consider part of my ministry field. God has been doing good work in my life the last few weeks and has blessed with me the fellowship of other believers who are closer to Him and farther along in their faith walk. I am hoping to submit myself to the teaching of my pastor and support him as a shepherd appointed by God. Thank you for sharing! God bless you!
This is such a cool post.
Continue in the blessings today!
bryan
Gerald Crabb is great, too. After years of struggling I’m very pleased to find a church with a good pastor.
Our family is so blessed to be taught by our pastor as well. Our whole church body is just amazing. We have grown and learned and have been blessed so abundantly. God is awesome…
Chris
Our church family is Blessed with a Good Annointed Shephard as well!……..Have a Wonderful evening!…….In Christ’s Love……..Monic
Just wanted to stop by and thank you for the prayers, thoughts and comments the last few days they were greatly appreciated. We are on the mends. I finally walked into the house without crying. So thanks for everything.
Love ya, Darlena
Yes, dear Heather, you have been loving placed under Pastor Don’s teaching by God Himself. It is so obvious and divinely appointed that I Praise Him for the care He takes with you. It makes me so happy to know you have Pastor Don and that Pastor Don has you. I think God paired you up for such a time as this; when the world needs to hear the Word of God in as many ways possible-even xanga
I envy you your pastor, to be honest. I have no one, and yearn for ANYONE to do as this man did with you – someone to speak over me and confirm whether or not I’m in the Lord’s will. I have to trust that I am, because I don’t know of anyone who I could sit before and have speak over me about the ministry given to me. What I need is one of those airport scanners… that you walk through, and it tells you if you’re ‘clean’ or have something in the way of a ‘threat’ to your person. ((LoL!!))
I wish so much that I had what you have. Right now I am in the desert. I am slowly coming back into some joy, but the barrenness stays with me in many areas.
I know that God is just as close to me and just as much a part of my life as ever, I just feel very very tired and it is hard to have a lot of other emotions when you are just plain tuckered out inside.
And by the way…you are a blessing.
((hugs))
It is awesome that you are sitting under a good pastor. I attend a church with an awesome shepherd who is always on the alert for what might not be of God. Great post. catzndogz9
Heather, you are soooo blessed to attend a church like you do. : ) Many churches are just not there. I know what you mean by “I want to go home” God sure uses situations like you described to teach us what we have, doesn’t He? You too are a blessing Heather, and sometimes after visiting others sties and wondering what kind of popularity games they must be playing I sure am glad to see your site Heather. I enjoyed that last comment you left too. : )
Blessings and hugs, ~Amelia
How awesome, Heather!!! I thank God for my pastor too!!!!
love u….
What a blessing! Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings!
~Rebekah
Heather, you are a blessing! Thank you for sharing!
Thank God for Pastor Don too!!
Pam