LIGHT THAT DOES NOT HIDE: A TESTIMONY FROM AFRICA by Josimar Salum

 

LIGHT THAT DOES NOT HIDE: A TESTIMONY FROM AFRICA

Josimar Salum 

This message from a leader in Africa warmed my heart in these cold days of New England: 

Thank you very much for your day-and-night sacrifice to help remove the blindness from the eyes of those who think they already know God.

One important insight I have discovered is that you cannot claim to be spiritual while remaining irrelevant, nor can you claim consecration while being disconnected from life and responsibility. Light that hides itself is a contradiction.

I have come to a remarkable conclusion, one that is contrary to what I believed before. I am not an altar-called pastor; I am a policy maker and a transformational strategist in my country.

Thank you very much. These teachings were given to us free of charge, while we paid heavily for theological training that never transformed us, but only taught us how to structure churches.

May God bless you and grant you long life.

#ASONE

WHY I DON’T USE TITLES LIKE “PASTOR” OR “APOSTLE” TO DESCRIBE MYSELF By Dr. Josimar Salum

 

WHY I DON’T USE TITLES LIKE “PASTOR” OR “APOSTLE” TO DESCRIBE MYSELF

By Dr. Josimar Salum

It is not out of rejection of the ministerial calling, but out of biblical conviction and reverence before God. Titles such as “pastor” or “apostle” were not established in the Scriptures as forms of titling, self-affirmation, or personal exaltation, but rather as gifts and assignments of service within the Body of Christ. That’s why I choose to be identified by the fruit of the ministry and the testimony of my life, not by titles that can easily be distorted or misinterpreted.

1. JESUS TAUGHT US NOT TO SEEK HONORARY TITLES

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.” (Matthew 23:8)

Jesus warned His disciples against the desire to occupy positions of prominence through religious titles. He reminded us that we are all brothers, and that greatness in the Kingdom of God is expressed in serving, not in being called by an exalted name.

“The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)

“You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; what is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”

(Luke 16:15)

These words of Jesus are clear: titles and positions that exalt a person before others may be abominable to God.

2. NO MAN WAS EVER CALLED “PASTOR” IN THE BIBLE

Although the gift of shepherding is mentioned as one of the ministerial functions given by Christ (Ephesians 4:11), no man in the Scriptures is ever addressed by the title “Pastor” as a personal identifier.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

(1 Peter 5:4)

Only Jesus is called “the Good Shepherd” and “the Chief Shepherd.” Neither Paul, Peter, James, nor John were called “Pastor.”

• The function of shepherding appears in Scripture as a ministry of service, not as a social identity or hierarchical title.

• This reveals that the pastoral ministry is a gift, not a label for personal elevation.

3. TRUE AUTHORITY IS RECOGNIZED, NOT IMPOSED

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.”

(Romans 1:1)

Paul first presents himself as a servant—doulos, a willing slave—before mentioning his apostleship. His authority was not in a title, but in faithfulness to the mission received from Christ, the fruit of his labor, and the testimony of the Spirit and the Church.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

4. I AVOID THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF GIFTS

Ministerial gifts—whether apostolic or pastoral—do not grant status, but bring responsibility.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

• These are not positions of prestige, but manifestations of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Church.

• Choosing not to use titles is a conscious act to preserve the simplicity and purity of the Gospel, avoiding the idolatry of names and positions.

“If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.”(Galatians 6:3)

5. MY IDENTITY IS IN BEING A CHILD OF GOD

Above any function or ministerial gift, I am a child of God. That is my eternal identity. The ministerial roles I fulfill are merely temporal expressions of obedience to the divine vocation  

—never a definition of my value or position in the Kingdom.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1)

“The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11)

#ASONE

PASTOR’S DAY

PASTOR’S DAY 

Josimar Salum 

   It is common nowadays to criticize pastors who are church leaders. The reasons are varied and tend to touch on the sublimity of pastoring, trivializing the sublime vocation of God in the life of a man of God. Certainly there are pastors and pastors, but today being in Brazil pastor’s day I want to speak ONLY of those who heard the words of Jesus: “Feed my sheep.” John 21:16 KJV

   Pastors of God are men who ‘pasture the flock of God that is among us, taking care of them, not by force, but willingly; not out of filthy greed, but with a ready mind; nor as having dominion over the inheritance of God, but being an example to the flock.’ 1 Peter 5:2-3 KJV

   God’s pastor is “blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, honest, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy for filthy lucre, but temperate, not contentious, not covetous; who governs his own house well, having his children in subjection, with all modesty, who knows how to govern his own house taking care of the church of God, who also has a good testimony from those outside and thus does not fall into disgrace and in the snare of the devil.' 1 Timothy 3:2-5, 7 KJV

   There are those who make these qualities a checklist to disqualify some men, forgetting that we are all only in the ministry because of God's 'empowering' Grace. Even our Father God has children in rebellion against Him, and all of us like Him are challenged to have the same heart as His expressed in the story of the prodigal son, with love, mercy and grace in action. 

   Pastor, my friend, and woman of God who also exercises the shepherding of Ephesians 4:11, do not allow anyone to despise you in any way, for our Lord is the one who called us, gave us the gift and qualified us to obey the most sublime and worthy of all the services (ministries, businesses) in the world: “Feed My Sheep.”

   #ASONE 

   Photographs: my father Josias and my father-in-law Antônio Roberto, now with the Lord, pastors par excellence.

PASTOR: A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOU

PASTOR: A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOU

1- Perform your call with dedication and zeal, regardless of the number of listeners or participants.

2- Give your best every day, because each day you are first of all a partner of God to bless someone's life.

3- In the worst days of your life, you can still be a blessing to someone.

4- The day that you consider to be the most fruitless of your life on Earth, is actually the most productive day in the spirit world.

5- God uses the bad circumstances of your life to generate great victories and teachings.

6- Never say; today God did nothing, just because your eyes did not see.

Danielson Aniceto

 #JSalum

 #ASONE

Working with God

By Dr Paul Taylor

' For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 1:10

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It is so important to know your personal identity. Your identity is directly related to your purpose, but your identity is NOT what you do, or a title that you hold. Your identity is found in the love of Christ. Why? If your identity is in what you do (Pastor, teacher, etc.) and you lose your job or for some reason you can't perform your work any more, then you lose your identity. But if your identity is in the love of God who created you from the beginning, NOTHING CAN SEPARATE YOU FROM THE LOVE OF GOD and no matter what happens in life you remain confident in HIM!

I want to speak to you about a Kingdom principle that defines what and how we are to accomplish our purpose on the earth. POIEO! Poieo is the Greek word for "doing." Jesus said, “Not every one who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have wenot prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

"But he who does (poieo) the will of my Father in heaven." "Poieo" means to make or do; abide, agree, appoint, ordain. The emphasis here is on working with God! Not just doing things, all things, any thing, but doing the will of the Father or what you see the Father do. John 5:19 says,Then Jesus answeredand said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing or the will of the Father. They were in agreement!

According to Matthew 7:22, you can cast out demons, prophesy, and even do wonders in the name of Jesus, but be OUT OF THE WILL OF THE FATHER! I know this is very hard to understand, but what this reveals is that God is much more concerned with our obedience to Him, than to do things that He has not told us to do. Even if they are good things! Jesus even says, "Depart from Me, I never knew you!" The word "knew" in verse 23 means to absolutely understand, and reveals intimacy between the two people. It is the same word that Jesus uses to define eternal life in John 17:3. "This is eternal life, to know Him, the one true God and his Son, Jesus Christ whom He has sent."

Knowing God is instrumental to Kingdom living, because our "doing" flows out of our relationship with God. Our knowing Him will determine whether we hear what God is speaking to us to do. We can't agree with God if we don't know what He is saying. Our "doing" must be in partnership with what God is saying and doing. When we partner with Him we build a house (dwelling place) for God that no storm, tribulation or any thing that comes our way can destroy. We are built upon the Rock and are unshakeable.

Are you hearing the voice of God? Do you see what He is doing in your life or around you? It isn't about doing everything, but about doing (poieo) with God! DO WHAT GOD IS DOING AND YOU ARE BLESSED!

Email: ptaylor@flameoffire.net