Regular Ministry Problems!

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:35-40)


Not long ago, I attended a seminar and met another pastor named Jimmy. I met Jimmy during a prayer time at the invitation. While I was singing a verse of invitation, God began speaking to my heart about praying for the man standing beside me. I told God that I was sure this pastor would think I considered myself superior to him if I offered to pray with him, but God was not convinced. I bargained with God and told Him that if another verse of invitation was played, I would ask this man if I could pray with him. Since the invitation had already gone long, I felt pretty comfortable, until the next verse of the song began to play. At that point I told the Lord how crazy it was of me to not be willing to pray with another individual, especially another pastor.

I put my hand on this man’s shoulder and asked him if there was anything that I could pray with him about. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and with a refreshing countenance that simply stated, “Thanks for caring”, and said these words to me, “Just regular ministry problems”. I said to him that I knew what he meant and took his hand to pray with him. Later he introduced himself to me as Jimmy and I also was able to meet his wife. Throughout the rest of the conference, every time Jimmy walked by me, he just looked at me and smiled.

Later I got to thinking about what Jimmy said to me, “Just regular ministry problems”. I thought back to Bible times when men would be sent to jail, tortured or martyred. Regular ministry problems for the Apostle Paul were running away from town leaders to save his neck. He would face shipwreck and go without food as he shared the good news with unreached people groups. Throughout history we see the same type of things happening to our Baptist forefathers. But the regular ministry problems of today are quite different. Most problems today do not stem from the lost outside the church but from those inside the church. The ones that can’t get along with others. The ones that criticize our leadership. Those who would rather tell some bad news about someone instead of telling the good news of Jesus Christ.

Boy, haven’t times changed! Let’s do our best to be an encouragement to other pastors and even the members of our churches that cause the Regular Ministry Problems!