Now thanks be unto God, which always
causeth us to triumph in Christ...
2 Corinthians 2:14a
Yesterday I wrote about the revival service which I went to on September 30th...
causeth us to triumph in Christ...
2 Corinthians 2:14a
Yesterday I wrote about the revival service which I went to on September 30th...
It was an enjoyable and spiritually refreshing event. It was also a time for my soul to become more sensitive and increasingly fine-tuned to what the Lord has for my life.
And along this line, I made a decision to do something that God had placed in my heart to carry out. That was to appoint an "assistant pastor" for the congregation. I'd been wanting to do this for a long time. I had to wait upon the Lord, however, for the right moment. I also had to get permission from my chaplain as well as obtain confirmations from the elders of our prison church.
So with the okay from our guests, shortly after six o'clock in the evening I approached the pulpit, gathered the elder men around me, read a Scripture passage from Psalm 75 about promotion coming from the Lord, and then we all encircled our brother, Phillip, placed our hands on him, and anointed Phillip as a pastor of the flock.
I'd written about Phillip in my July 2006 journal, in an entry called "Philip's Message." He has been a blessing to the men here, as well as a good encourager for our guests and ministers who enter the chapel. Now, thank God, it was his turn to be elevated to this office, not before men, but before the presence of the God who has called Phillip while he was still in his mother's womb.
The best part to all this, I must say, is that not only was I able to be used by the Lord to be a special blessing to my friend and brother, but now I will have additional help with shepherding the flock. Phillip was doing this already. But now he has a recognized position within the church body here. And I may, at some point in the future, allow him to become the pastor while I step down for a long season in order to do more writing and other kinds of work for the Lord.
D.B.
And along this line, I made a decision to do something that God had placed in my heart to carry out. That was to appoint an "assistant pastor" for the congregation. I'd been wanting to do this for a long time. I had to wait upon the Lord, however, for the right moment. I also had to get permission from my chaplain as well as obtain confirmations from the elders of our prison church.
So with the okay from our guests, shortly after six o'clock in the evening I approached the pulpit, gathered the elder men around me, read a Scripture passage from Psalm 75 about promotion coming from the Lord, and then we all encircled our brother, Phillip, placed our hands on him, and anointed Phillip as a pastor of the flock.
I'd written about Phillip in my July 2006 journal, in an entry called "Philip's Message." He has been a blessing to the men here, as well as a good encourager for our guests and ministers who enter the chapel. Now, thank God, it was his turn to be elevated to this office, not before men, but before the presence of the God who has called Phillip while he was still in his mother's womb.
The best part to all this, I must say, is that not only was I able to be used by the Lord to be a special blessing to my friend and brother, but now I will have additional help with shepherding the flock. Phillip was doing this already. But now he has a recognized position within the church body here. And I may, at some point in the future, allow him to become the pastor while I step down for a long season in order to do more writing and other kinds of work for the Lord.
D.B.
