Author: imikemedia

ALMOST 1,400 YEARS before Jesus came to earth in the flesh, Moses told the Israelites:

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Centuries later, after the Lord fed the five thousand with loaves and fish, the people realized the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy.

“Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world’” (John 6:14).

The apostle Peter later confirmed this when he preached at Solomon’s porch:

“For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people’” (Acts 3:22-23).

The martyr, Stephen, also declared this truth (cf. Acts 7:37-38).

But how was Jesus a prophet like Moses? Study the following passages and note the striking parallels:

1. Both were sent from God (Exodus 3:1ff; John 8:42).

2. Both were born under foreign rule (Exodus 1:8-14; Luke 2:1).

3. Both, as infants, were threatened by wicked monarchs (Exodus 1:15-16; Matthew 2:16).

4. Both spent their early years in Egypt and were miraculously protected from harm (Exodus 2:10; Matthew 2:14-15).

5. Both rejected the offer and opportunity to become world rulers (Hebrews 11:24; Matthew 4:8-9).

6. Both were initially rejected by their peers (Exodus 32:1; Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 27:21-22; John 1:11).

7. Both suffered disrespect (Numbers 16; John 12:37; Mark 6:4).

8. Both had family who let them down (Numbers 12:1; John 7:5).

9. Both were teachers (Deuteronomy 4:1-5; Matthew 22:16; John 3:2).

10. Both were prophets and spoke on behalf of God (Exodus 4:15; John 8:26).

11. Both knew God on an intimate level (Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10; John 1:18).

12. Both spoke directly to God (Exodus 3:1-10; Deuteronomy 34:10; Luke 9:34-36).

13. Both gave the people bread from heaven (Exodus 16:14-15; John 6).

14. Both performed miracles (Exodus 4:1ff; Deuteronomy 34:10-12; John 5:36).

15. Both were deliverers–Moses delivered Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh; Jesus delivered spiritual Israel, the church, from the bondage of Satan.

16. Both were shepherds (Exodus 3:1; John 10:10-11; Matthew 9:36).

17. Both were baptized (1 Corinthians 10:1-2; Matthew 3:13-17).

18. Both fasted forty days in the wilderness (Exodus 34:28; Matthew 4:2).

19. Both were mediators (Deuteronomy 4:5; Exodus 32; Hebrews 8:6; 1 Timothy 2:5).

20. Both of their faces shone with the glory of heaven (Exodus 34:34-35; Matthew 17:12).

21. As Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness to heal the people, so Jesus was lifted up on the cross to  heal obedient believers from their sins (Numbers 21:8-9; John 3:14; 12:32).

22. As Moses sent out twelve spies to explore Canaan, Jesus sent out twelve apostles to reach the world (Numbers 13; Matthew 10:1).

Even though there are many other similarities which the two have in common, God made it clear whom we are to follow and obey:

“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him’” (Matthew  17:5).

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

I’M NOT COMPLAINING. I’m not crying for help.  I’m not necessarily describing you or your local church. I’m certainly not trying to start a debate (please don’t take this there).  Still, I wanted to share some important (though hard) observations that have been on my mind for a long time.

One of my greatest fears is that the church has been operating under a warped view of the preacher and his work for several generations.  We confidently boast that our preachers are not “pastors,” yet we treat them like they are in daily practice. We teach that the work of the preacher is to “preach the word” as a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, yet we often drench our ministers with unrealistic and excessive expectations that we ourselves are unwilling to practice.

We create a rigid and exhaustive job description which few can actually meet.  Then, we hire an outside man to come into our area, become a part of our local church, and do “church things” for us.  He becomes the shepherd and the savior of the church.  He’s the silver bullet that will turn things around! 

If he works well, brings good results, and is liked by the church, then we will keep him around.  But, if he doesn’t measure up to our expectations, if we don’t get the results we hoped for, or if the members become unhappy, then we will just find a new preacher. Another family will be uprooted, another wanted bulletin will be posted, and another preacher will come along to step into his place.

In many ways, the preacher has become like a mere employee of the church who’s job is to simply serve the needs and wants of the local church consumer.  This faulty system has turned God’s ministers into professional holy men and Christians for hire.  He becomes a tool to use for our purposes and objectives.  He is depreciated to the status of a hired hand instead of held high as a brother and fellow laborer in Christ.

Is this current setup really what God intended?  Is this system a healthy recipe for church success?  Does this fit the preacher/local church model we read about in the New Testament?

Could this be why so many good men “leave the ministry” each year?  Is this problem more prevalent than we would like to admit?

I write this as a Christian who has made a commitment to preach the Gospel.  I love preaching, I deeply love the church, and I love preachers.

I know things will never be perfect, but I believe we have a lot of room for improvement when it comes to how we view and treat our preachers.  I also know that I am not alone in observing these sobering and all too common scenarios.  I pray that we can all try to acknowledge the cracks in our current setup.  Let’s start now by making a resolution to do what we can as preachers, elders, and church members to move forward in a better direction, even if it is just one small step at a time.

Brandon preaches for the North Lownes church of Christ in Montgomery, AL.

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

Lie #1:  “I married the wrong person.”

Lie #2:  “He/she should make me feel loved.”

Lie #3:  “There is someone else better out there.”

Three marriage truths we should live by:

• Having a good marriage is more about BEING the right partner than having the right partner.
• Love is a decision.
• The grass isn’t greener on the other side.  It’s greener where you water and fertilize it.

Guest writer – Lisa Terkurst, shared on Facebook by Kathy Pollard

^“Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”  Eph. 5:33

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike