Poimen

by Dag Heward-Mills

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Copyright 2008 Dag Heward-Mills

Published by Dag Heward-Mills on Smashwords.

E mail Dag Heward-Mills

info@daghewardmillsbooks.org

evangelist@daghewardmills.org

Find out more about Dag Heward-Mills at:

http://www.daghewardmills.org

http://www.daghewardmills.org/healingjesuscrusade/

http://www.daghewardmills.org/lci/

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Contents

Chapter 1 - What Is Poimen?

Chapter 2 - The Gift of Government

Chapter 3 - Seven Ministries of Poimen

Chapter 4 - The Ruling Ministry

Chapter 5 - The Way-Making Ministry

Chapter 6 - The Territory-Taking Ministry

Chapter 7 - The Comforting Ministry

Chapter 8 - The Measurement Ministry

Chapter 9 - The Ministry of Correction

Chapter 10 - The Feeding Ministry

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Chapter - What Is Poimen?

Jesus Christ was many things to us. He called himself different things at different times. At one time He said He was the way, the truth and the life. He announced that He was the door. He declared that He was the bread of life and the light of the world.

Who Was Jesus Christ?

...I am the bread of life…

John 6:35

…I am from above…

John 8:23

…Before Abraham was, I am.

John 8:58

…I am the light of the world.

John 9:5

I am the door…

John 10:9

I am the good shepherd…

John 10:11

...I am the Son of God?

John 10:36

...I am the resurrection, and the life…

John 11:25

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

John 13:13

…I am the way, the truth, and the life…

John 14:6

I am the vine…

John 15:5

…Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born…

John 18:37

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending…

Revelation 1:8

…I am the first and the last...

Revelation 1:17

But one of the most important things that Jesus proclaimed was that He was the good shepherd.

I am the good shepherd...

John 10:11

What did Jesus mean when He said He was a good shepherd? The word “shepherd” in John 10:11 is translated from the Greek word poimen (pronounced “poy-mane”). The same word, poimen, is translated pastor in Ephesians 4:11.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors [poimen] and teachers;

Ephesians 4:11

This shows us that the word shepherd is interchangeable with the word pastor. So the Lord was really saying, “I am the good pastor.” Throughout the Bible, Jesus referred to himself as a shepherd or a pastor.

No Shepherd - No Direction!

The pastoral office is very important because without it many things cannot work. Remember that the sheep were scattered and lost not because they didn’t have an apostle or prophet, but because they didn’t have a pastor. The Bible says that sheep without shepherds fainted. This means they were distressed and harassed.

...he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd [pastor].

Matthew 9:36

I am not saying that prophets and apostles are not important. They are! But without a good pastor there will be no gathering of God’s people.

I’m Having a Heart Attack…Somebody Call a Dentist!

In the medical arena there are ophthalmologists (eye doctors), cardiothoracic surgeons (heart doctors), and dentists (teeth doctors). If you ever had a heart problem, you would certainly not want a dentist to operate on your heart! Neither would I! Dentists are specialists for the teeth and not for the heart.

In the secular world, people have grown to respect these different specialties and have allowed them to function well within their own field. Specialists increase the individual’s safety and allow for the special needs of everyone to be met.

We must learn to accord similar specialties to Christian ministers. Today, everyone in the ministry is called “pastor”. However, many of those who claim to be pastors are no more a pastor than I am the heavyweight boxing champion of the world!

So, You Say You’re a Pastor! Are You Sure?

In the Old Testament, anyone who intruded into a holy place or office, where they had not been called, were struck dead by a Holy God who does not accept such intrusions. In my few years of ministry, I have noticed many people without the shepherding gift standing in the office of pastor. Consequently, some of these people either have failed in ministry or are experiencing a gradual disintegration of their ministries.

This is not because they are evil, but simply because a dentist cannot operate on a heart. God gives different gifts to everyone. It is time for us to discover our gifts and stay with our special callings. One of the key roles of a shepherd is to lead sheep.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE LEADETH ME…

Psalm 23:1,2

Chapter 2 - The Gift of Government

In 1 Corinthians 12:28, the Bible talks about the gifts of governments. The word “government” is translated from the Greek word, kubernesis, which means a steering, pilotage, or guiding. I believe that this gift of governments is the same thing as the office of a shepherd or pastor.

Essentially the gift of government is used to lead and guide people. The shepherd is to use this gifting to guide the sheep to good places (green pastures).

This gift of governments is a special gift from God and is therefore not to be enterprised nor taken in hand wantonly, or unadvisedly by anybody.

We need to soberly reflect on the implications of leading people. When someone does not have the ability to govern in the natural world, the whole nation can be thrown into chaos. There are bad governments everywhere. This is obvious by the state of poverty, war, and instability that exist in such countries.

That is the reason why there is so much fuss about who is elected into the seat of government. The government means so much to everyone. It may mean the difference between death and life, poverty and prosperity. That is why there is so much commotion over which government will come into power.

There must be equal concern in the church about who is allowed to become a pastor. With poor government, and incapable people at the helm of affairs in the church, we are headed for anarchy and chaos. It is time for evangelists to leave the church and go out where the sinners are. It is time for prophets to leave the governing of local bodies to pastors.

It is time for pastors to make budgetary allocations for the support of other ministers like evangelists, prophets and teachers.

Who Should Govern, Prophet or Pastor?

You will notice certain peculiar things when an evangelist or prophet is in charge of a church. On your first visit, the charisma and the inspiration of the leader may impress you. Apostles, prophets and evangelists are very inspirational and impressive speakers. But remember, a church is not governed on impressive speeches and powerful prophecies.

A church is not sustained by miracles. A local church is to be run by a pastor, a good shepherd (poimen); someone with the ability to govern a local body of people, somebody with the ability

to lead people successfully to a good place (green pastures); someone with the gift of governments (1 Corinthians 12:28).

They Don’t Know That They Don’t Know!

As you continue attending a church that is pastored by an evangelist, you will probably notice some amount of disorganization and mismanagement.

I have noticed that church heads, who are obviously not pastors, struggle with the day- to-day administration of their churches.

Often these out-of-place ministers are accused of evil deeds. Knowing some of them personally, I realize that they have no evil intentions. It is just that they simply do not have the gift of governments (administration, management). The sad thing is that sometimes they don’t even know that they don’t have the ability.

The Broken Amplifier

I remember once visiting a church headed by someone, obviously called to be an evangelist. After I finished ministering, I heard the minister chide the whole church about an amplifier and other equipment that had not been repaired. The question I asked myself was this, “What does the repairing of equipment have to do with the whole congregation?” The maintenance of the equipment should have nothing to do with the congregation, but rather with the administration of the church. A church must be able to run its affairs properly.

This man of God spoke to the congregation about money matters and other intricate details that had nothing to do with the general crowd. They were matters of internal management.

At a point, tears came to my eyes as I watched this evangelist, helplessly and hopelessly struggle to govern the local body. Dear reader, his rightful place was out on the harvest fields,bringing multitudes to Christ, performing miracles, signs and wonders (not governing a local assembly). As soon as such a person sits in the seat of government, he becomes an oddity. In fact, you can become a byword and a laughing stock after a while!

The Evangelist Was Feeding Them

“Junk Food”

Churches not run by called pastors are sustained by waves of inspirational meetings. The sheep are not systematically taught Bible principles and doctrines. Rather, they are fed on a diet of inspirational, highly motivating and emotional meals every week.

No Christian can survive on eating “junk food” everyday; they need a well-balanced diet!

These churches are full of babies who are not interested in the Bible. Therefore, there is no stability in the membership. They have what Icall a floating crowd. Every week you will see an entirely different group of people attending their services. In order to grow, people need a regular diet of the Word of God.

And Jesus [the Word] said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

Motivation is different from feeding. There are churches that are full of highly motivated but empty shells.

What am I trying to say? It is time for us to allow the church to be governed by individuals with the gift of governments. It is time for shepherds to take their rightful place at the helm of the local church.

Chapter 3 - Seven Ministries of Poimen

Now, I want to show you a very important revelation concerning all of the ministry offices. Each office of the Body of Christ: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher, has several different ministries under it.

A pastor will have several ministries operating under his office. A prophet will also have different ministries operating under his office. For example, a minister standing in the office of a prophet will primarily function in the ministry of preaching and teaching. Beware of so-called prophets who do not preach the Word of God but onlygive personal prophecies.

I believe in personal prophecies. However, let it be very clear that anything that does not put the Word of God in its proper place is doomed to failure with the passage of time. Anything without the Word is in darkness and is not of God.

In the beginning was the Word…

Let the Wordof Christ dwell in you richly…

Thy Wordis a light unto my path…

The entrance of thy wordsgiveth light…

All offices of the ministry have a primary function of teaching and preaching. The Word comes first and is of paramount importance in every ministerial office.

After this, a prophet may operate in the ministry of healing, and other revelation gifts like “word of knowledge” and “word of wisdom”.

The prophet may also flow in the ministry of predictive prophesying or exhortative prophesying.

From Scripture, you will see that Jesus was a great prophet.

…and they glorified God, saying, That a GREAT PROPHET is risen up among us…

Luke 7:16

His principal ministry was to go about preaching and teaching the Word of God.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel…

Matthew 9:35

He also had a healing ministry.

How God anointed Jesus… who went about doing good, and HEALING all that were oppressed of the devil…

Acts 10:38

He also operated in the gifts of revelation. Standing in the office of a prophet, he ministered to the woman of Samaria.

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband…

John 4:18

The woman of Samaria immediately realized she had met someone standing in the office of a prophet. Look at her response to Jesus’ ministration.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I PERCEIVE THAT THOU ART A PROPHET.

John 4:19

Jesus also operated in the ministry of predictive prophesying. In Matthew 24 he predicted the destruction of Solomon’s temple (70 AD) when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Speaking of the temple he said,

…There shall not be left here one stone upon another…

Matthew 24:2

Jesus gave extensive predictions concerning the end of the world. We would do well to take note of these prophecies because Jesus was a great prophet. I have used the office of a prophet to illustrate how different ministries flow from one office in the church. Just as there is one Holy Spirit with different operations, manifestations and administrations, there can be one office with different ministries emanating from it. It is important that lay pastors and shepherds flow in all aspects of the ministry. God does not want an imbalance in ministry.

A false balance is abomination to the Lord...

Proverbs 11:1

We may naturally flow in certain areas but be weaker in others. It is important to develop your weak areas so that you have a balanced ministry. Every profession has a symbol. The symbol of the medical profession is a staff with a snake around it.

The symbol of a king is a sceptre. The symbol of a shepherd is a staff. For example, a soldier’s symbol is a rifle. It symbolizes his ability to killand to destroy. By studying the symbol of the shepherd, we can see more clearly the different ministries of the pastor.

The Lord is my shepherd…thy ROD and thy STAFF they comfort me.

Psalm 23:1,4

Let us now study the different ministries that flow from the office of the pastor (poimen): the ruling ministry, the way-making ministry, the territory-taking ministry, the comforting ministry, the measurement ministry, the correction ministry, and the feeding ministry.

Chapter 4 - The Ruling Ministry

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword… and he shall rule them with a ROD OF IRON…

Revelation 19:15

The first ministry of a pastor is the ruling ministry. The traditional perception of a pastor is of someone who is soft, kind-hearted, compassionate, poorly paid, available at all times, and a never-complaining doormat.

This picture is not one of a ruler but rather a picture of one who is ruled.

I believe that a pastor must be kind-hearted and patient, but one of his cardinal roles is to lead and to rule. A pastor is the head of the local church. A head must take decisions.

The Lord is my shepherd…HE LEADETH ME beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:1,2

A true shepherd leads sheep to the place where they need to go. You cannot be a good leader if you are weak. Every church needs a strong voice that is confident and bold in the Lord. The sheep are looking for someone with direction, who knows where he is going. A pastor must lead the people spiritually and in other areas such as in the family and social dimensions. When the church does not have a strong capable leader, something is wrong. You may be surprised to discover what the prophet Isaiah described as a curse.

When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, BE THOU OUR RULER, and let this ruin be under thine hand: In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in mine house is neither bread nor clothing: MAKE ME NOT A RULER of the people.

Isaiah 3:6,7

It is a curse to have weak and spineless leadership. Learn to speak to your sheep with authority. When I say authority I do not mean you should dominate their lives. Lead them with a high level of confidence and control. Sheep are meant to be led.

You have authority over the sheep God has placed in your care. You will answer for their souls one day.

A leader who refuses to take important decisions is doomed to failure. A good leader takes decisions when all necessary information has come to him! These decisions may be hard and painful. If you, as the shepherd do not take them your church is doomed to wither.

Just look around and see how many churches are dead and lifeless. They are a far cry from what their founders had envisaged. This is often because as wrong things began to creep in, the leaders were afraid to rock the boat and take important decisions. Things will get out of hand.

When I look at some hopelessly incompetent government corporations and agencies, I just marvel. They make huge losses, and generate a lot of waste in the system. I have been to government offices where I see everyone reading newspapers. You may see twenty secretaries in one office with one typewriter. They have nothing to do, but they are paid with the taxpayers’ money every month. What a pity! They sleep, eat and chat all day. Their managers are afraid to take the decision that nineteen out of the twenty typists must be laid off.

The country becomes poorer and poorer and people wonder why. The reason is simple. The leaders have refused to assess the situation and take a strong but hard decision. They are refusing to rule. The fear of losing political power makes democratic leaders become liars and hypocrites.

I am not afraid of taking such decisions because I realize that the church will deteriorate if I do not. I teach lay pastors to remove stagnating leaders and replace them with willing and capable workers. I make the necessary changes in my staff and with my lay pastors when I realize a change must be made.

Don’t be afraid of changes. Sometimes, it is only a big change that will lead to a big breakthrough.

A minor transformation will take place when you take minor decisions. But a major transformation will occur when you are bold enough to take a major decision. Be a strong ruler and lead your sheep to green pastures.

Even lady pastors can learn to be strong firm leaders without being ill-natured and quarrelsome. Lady shepherds should be gentle and effective, without being cantankerous.

Chapter 5 - The Way-Making Ministry

And the Lord said unto Moses…But LIFT THOU

UP THY ROD, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Exodus 14:15,16

As a leader, God will tell you to speak to His people, giving them many instructions. There is something I call the way-making ministry. After you have given instructions to the sheep, help them to obey the Word. A true shepherd loves his sheep and tries to help them to obey God.

Moses was the shepherd of the people of Israel. His instructions were to cross the RedSea. After receiving that command he stretched forth his rod and made a way where there was no way. That is what I call the way-making ministry of the pastor.

Every full-time minister or lay pastor must learn to make a way where there seems to be no way for the people of God.

When some of your sheep think that their house is too far away from the church, go and visit them at whichever corner they live. This will prove to them that their homes are not too far.

My Visit Produced a Pastor

I knew a family that lived about a two-hour train ride from one of our churches. When I called them, they said it was too far to attend church. So one Saturday, I took a car and together with another pastor, we drove all the way to their house. They were so surprised to see us visiting them. This is one thing that a visit does. It establishes the fact that people are not too far for me to visit them. From that day, the entire family decided to come to church, taking the train and travelling two hours to church.

They did this for a number of years, and today one of them is a pastor of one of the branches of our church. Make a way for your sheep. Help them to see that it is possible to obey the Word of God. At times when they don’t have money, tell them to come to church and give them some money to help them attend church. You may not be able to give them money all of the time, but the fact that you did it once or twice encourages them and shows that you really care. This is the pastor’s heart.

Make a Way for Marriage

As a pastor, you often see that your sheep are looking for husbands or wives. Don’t just look on unconcerned and preach about how good it is to be married. Discuss the practical concerns of choosing a partner with them.

Help them to notice one another. I call that shepherdorial linking. Teach your members that they can find a good partner within the church. Some people may not like that idea, but it works and stabilizes the sheep. Of course, do not force people to marry each other; you should not guarantee them happiness if they choose someone you have recommended.

Marriage is very complicated and they may curse you for the rest of their lives for influencing them to marry someone. They will think to themselves, “I would never have married this person. It was pastor who made me marry her.”

Make a Way for Employment

I preach to my members about prosperity and about how they should work. After I’ve done that, the way-making anointing comes upon me and I help them to get jobs. If one of my church members is strategically positioned as an employer, I would speak to them about a sheep who needs employment.

Now and again, a person you have recommended will disgrace you. But do not let that deter you from making a way for other good sheep. It is not good enough to say, “Cross the Red Sea”, you must make a way for them to cross!

Make a Way for Attendance

I have often changed meeting times or rehearsal times just so that one person could attend. I am a pastor and I want all of my sheep to attend the meetings. Schedule reasonable meeting times. Make things convenient for people. That is the way-making ministry in action.

Schedule fewer meeting times without compromising the number of meetings. Sunday is a good time to meet and counsel your sheep. For example, when a person already has a service he attends, you can always combine it with another meeting; don’t let him travel to church twice when he could do it once.

Be an expert at overcoming the excuses of church members. When they say that church services are too long, point out to them how many hours they spend watching video. When they say that the church is too far from their homes, ask them how far their jobs are from their homes. When the church member doesn’t have shoes, get him a pair. Be a way-maker.

Chapter 6 - The Territory-Taking Ministry

The territory-taking ministry of a pastor is embodied in his vision. If the pastor is a visionary, he will always want to take more territory for Christ. The way you can take more territory for God is through prayer and fasting. A pastor must lead his sheep into spiritual warfare.

I always have a new vision for my church. When I had twenty members, I had a vision to have fifty. When I had fifty people at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, I dreamed of the day when I would see a hundred people sitting in church on Sunday morning.

When I had five hundred, I dreamt of a thousand. It is the duty of the pastor to dream about greater territories for the kingdom of God. We are not a social club. We are not fighting a psychological warfare. We are into spiritual warfare.

And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the ROD OF GOD in mine hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

Exodus 17:9,11

People who take new territories are people who fast and pray. I believe in praying for long periods. I believe in fasting as the Spirit leads. Moses, the shepherd of God’s people, stretched out his rod in warfare against Amalek. Moses’ rod symbolized the power of intercessory prayer. It is the art of travailing in prayer for the ministry.

What you see happening in the physical is only a manifestation of what has taken place in the spiritual realm. Anyone who calls himself a pastor must learn to fight with prayer in the realm of the spirit. If you want to have a big church, you must learn to fight for it in the spiritual realm.

Every physical territory is occupied by evil spirits who dominate the area. Africa is dominated by territorial spirits of poverty, superstition and war. That is why the continent, although blessed with human and natural resources, is plagued with backwardness and under-development.

Europe is dominated by territorial spirits of atheism, homosexuality, and immorality. That is why there are ministers who are homosexual and millions who do not believe in God. There are even gay clubs within churches now. This is the return of Sodom and Gomorrah! It certainly signals imminent destruction.

Any shepherd who wants to do the work of the ministry will come face to face with the territorial spirits of that area. When I travel from place to place, I can virtually feel the difference in the spiritual atmosphere. When I am in Ghana, I sense a lighter and easier spiritual climate than when I am in a place like Switzerland. Develop the art of intercession for taking more territories for God. That means you must develop several important prayer skills.

Four Important Prayer Skills for Effective Intercession

1. The art of praying alone for several hours

Jesus did that! If we want to have the results that He had we must use the methods He used.

And it came to pass, as he was ALONE PRAYING, his disciples were with him…

Luke 9:18

2. The art of leading people into long hours of advancement prayer

Whenever we have fasting and long hours of prayer, I often lead the church myself. I do not delegate it to anybody. Sometimes we have prayer meetings from 8 o’clock in the morning until 8 o’clock in the evening. Teach people to pray in tongues for hours, it is a very important practice.

Many times, I take my pastoral staff to the mountains to wait on God. We pray from morning until evening every day until we return. Jesus often took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane.

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, [as his custom was] to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. AND WHEN HE WAS AT THE PLACE, HE SAID UNTO THEM, PRAY…

Luke 22:39,40

Lead your church to pray for church growth. Lead your sheep to ask God for increase. There are many ways that the increase will benefit all ofthe church members. So tell them that it is for their own good to take new territories for Christ.

3. The art of praying with the spirit and with your understanding

In 1 Corinthians 14:15, Paul asked a question, “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also.” He also said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18). The apostle was very happy about exercising the gift of tongues but he also prayed with his understanding.

In taking new territories, you must learn both aspects of the prayer weapon. Praying in tongues is a powerful tool to defeat the enemy. Use it and spend hours speaking in the spirit concerning your future and your ministry.

Pray with the understanding also. As you pray with your understanding, you will find yourself praying out the prophetic for your life. You will find yourself speaking words of faith concerning church growth and ministry.

I can pray continuously with my understanding for several hours, if necessary. Today, there are many Christians who cannot pray for more than one minute with their understanding. They can only pray in tongues. It is a sign that they are shallow and don’t really know God.

Every pastor must be able to stand up and pray for at least one hour in their understanding.

I remember when I was in Geneva praying for church growth. I remember praying with my understanding for long periods. It was a powerful time of fighting the devil and taking territory for God.

4. The art of travailing in prayer

There is something called travailing prayer. It is the art of prayer that results in the giving birth of a new spiritual baby. It may be a baby church, it may be a new Christian, it may be a new ministry, it may be a new fellowship. It may even involve the giving birth to a mature Christian from a baby Christian. The Apostle Paul travailed twice for the Christians in Galatia. The first time was to give birth to the Galatian church. The second time was to give birth to Christ-like maturity in the church.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you...

Galatians 4:19

How will you know that you are practising travailing (birth-giving) prayer? It is very simple. Until your prayers have begun to resemble what happens in the labour ward, you have not begun to pray travailing (birth-giving) prayers. Let me give you three characteristics of travailing prayer.

…Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for AS SOON AS ZION TRAVAILED, SHE BROUGHT FORTH her children.

Isaiah 66:8

a. Long hours

Women in labour spend hours and sometimes days in the labour ward trying to give birth to a new baby. You cannot claim that a three-minute prayer is travailing prayer. Nobody gives birth to a baby in three minutes. When you pray travailing prayers, you will give birth to a bigger church, new ministries and new things in God.

b. Suffering and shame

Every normal woman suffers in the process of having a baby. That is why it is called a labour ward and not a playingward. It is a ward of struggles and pain.

Doctor, When?

One day in 1988, I had an experience in the labour ward. I was a medical student who was assigned to deliver at least twenty-three babies.

That night I was hoping to catch a couple more babies. I was sitting on a chair when a woman in labour came up behind me and gripped my shoulder, shouting, “Doctor, when? Doctor, when?”

I turned round to see who it was. To my surprise, here was a stark naked woman in labour. She was walking around the ward to help ease her pain. She was in such pain that she could not be bothered about wearing clothes or anything like that. She felt no shame at all and neither did many of the women on the labour ward. I realized this woman was struggling and agonizing for a new life to come into this world.

Dear friend, labour involves pain, suffering

and shame. It is no joke. Travailing prayer is just the same, it involves both pain and suffering. Another form of suffering comes when you fast. Fasting is not easy. The only part of fasting I enjoy is the breaking of the fast. It is so nice to break a fast. However, fasting is part of the Christian experience.

Paul said that he fasted often.

…in hunger and thirst, in FASTINGS OFTEN…

2 Corinthians 11:27

You may lose weight and people may ask you whether you are sick. One time, someone asked me if I thought I would enter Heaven by being a skeleton. I was so skinny because I fasted so much. Nevertheless, that didn’t prevent me from getting a good wife. The anointing is more powerful than good looks!

c. Hunger and tiredness

Charismatic Christians want everything easy. The Bible says that whatsoever a man sows he will also reap. Travailing prayer will make you tired. Epaphras was a labourer. He toiled in prayer. He laboured in prayer for the Colossian church.

Epaphras…always labouring fervently for you in prayers...

Colossians 4:12

When women deliver babies they are often hungry and tired. It is natural to be hungry and tired after hours of hard work. Do not tell me that your ten-minute prayer is something that can make you hungry and tired. Do not tell me that your ten-minute prayer is travailing prayer. It is not!

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing…

Psalm 126:5,6

After many hours of labour and suffering you can expect to have something tangible in your hand. Every woman looks forward to that baby. That is why it is such a terrible experience for a woman to go to the labour ward and to come back without a baby.

Expect a new baby of ministry in your life. The Word of God cannot be broken. If you are not prepared to travail in prayer, then you are not prepared to have your baby.

Under the ministry of Jesus, we see travailing prayer in action. To every success story there are hours of hidden preparatory work that no one sees. People marvelled at Jesus’ ministry. They said, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46).

They glorified God saying, “We never saw it on this fashion” (Mark 2:12). Multitudes were converted under his ministry.

The big question in town was, “Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” (Matthew 13:54). The secret of Jesus Christ’s ministry was long private prayer times.

…he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued ALL NIGHT in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12

…A GREAT WHILE BEFORE DAY, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Mark 1:35

Even when multitudes thronged Him (His church was growing, the crowds were there) and when He became famous, He still made time to pray alone.

But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And HE WITHDREW HIMSELF into the wilderness, AND PRAYED.

Luke 5:15,16

Sometimes when He had friends around Him, He would send them away and pray.

And when he had SENT THEM AWAY, he departed into a mountain to pray.

Mark 6:46

Decide to pray like Jesus prayed. I laugh to myself when people say I am a strategist. Many people think I am just a good administrator - that is why my church is growing. If you want me to share with you the real secret to the success, I will. It is prayer!

Chapter 7 - The Comforting Ministry

…thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

One of the principal ministries of a shepherd is to comfort the sheep. Every sheep should be able to say to his shepherd, “Your rod and your staff comfort me.” Some people do not know why their churches do not grow.

The shepherd must genuinely love the sheep and care for them when they are in trouble. Never lose the opportunity to be by your sheep’s side in their time of difficulty.

The duty of the lay pastor is to stand by his sheep in the time of their greatest need and greatest joy. It is not an option! Remember, that sorrow shared is half sorrow, and joy shared is double joy. The sheep want to share their sorrows and their joys with their pastor.

It is the duty of the shepherd to comfort the sheep. The comforting ministry starts by showing interest in things that are important to the sheep. Be interested in all of their major events; especially the birth of a child, marriages, sickness and funerals. God expects you to be there!

What is important to your sheep must be important to you. If you claim to be a pastor, what are you doing to show real love to your sheep?

Shepherds, if you genuinely do not love your people, they will not respond to your preaching. The Bible says that God is angry with the shepherds because they have not ministered to the sheep under the comforting ministry.

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

Ezekiel 34:4

The sheep often know the Word before you preach. What they want is some love. Everybody responds to love. It is only demons that cannot be loved! Remember that love never fails. The Bible does not say, “Preaching never fails” or “Teaching never fails”. The Bible says, “Love never fails”. The comforting ministry is love in action.

Chapter 8 - The Measurement Ministry

One of the principal duties of a shepherd is to do what I call measuring the temple. Measuring the temple helps you to know where you stand.

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and MEASURE the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Revelation 11:1

This involves a critical analysis of the way things are going. Pastors need to take time off to analyze themselves and to see whether things are being done according to the call of God and the vision God gave.

The first thing you must constantly measure is yourself. Ask yourself, “Am I doing what God called me to do?” The reason why I am writing books now is because I believe it is in obedience to the ministry God gave me to teach His Word. No matter what additional ministry I have, I am constantly trying to fulfil the call of God on my life according to His specifications.

Even when I had over fifty churches to oversee, my self-analysis (measurement ministry) made me see that I had to keep on pastoring the church and teaching the Word of God. If pastors and ministers were to analyze their ministry, it would help them to take important decisions.

Only Twenty-Five Members after Twelve Years

I was chatting with a pastor who had been in the ministry for twelve years. After being in the ministry for twelve years, he only had twenty- five members in his church. His church was in a city where there are many large churches. By analyzing the reality of the situation, this pastor would have been helped to take an important decision for his life and ministry.

Surely, after some years there must be some growth. Anything that is alive and healthy grows naturally. If this pastor were to analyze his ministry, he may conclude that perhaps he was supposed to be an assistant and not the head. Perhaps he had to learn something new. Perhaps he needed to even close down the church. Analysis is very important in ministry.

He Returned to the Ministry

Some years ago, I spoke to a pastor friend of mine. I had known this pastor for several years. He had been actively pastoring a church in a large city of the world. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he found himself in another city. There he just attended a dead church. He was no longer actively involved in the ministry. He was just a church attendee.

I spoke to him and said, “If you are called of God to the ministry, then wherever you are and whatever your circumstances you must fulfil your ministry.” I impressed upon him to analyze his condition (measuring ministry) as a pastor and take the important decisions that would bring him to a place where he was fulfilling his divine call. I’m happy to say that he did. Today, he is pastoring and overseeing many churches.

EXAMINE YOURSELVES, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…

2 Corinthians 13:5

In other words, examine yourselves to see whether you are within your call and whether there is anything that you have to change. One thing that people marvel at when they haven’t visited the Lighthouse Cathedral for some time is the number of dynamic changes that have taken place. There are always improvements taking place. Many things remain the same, but many things continually undergo enhancement.

Can you imagine if the Mercedes-Benz car that is being sold today was exactly the same as it was fifteen years ago? It would be a very different car. The Mercedes-Benz of today is still a Benz but it is a much improved version of the 1950 model. That is how our churches and ministries must be - continually upgraded and improved.

We must compare what we are doing to what is in the Bible. If you see something in the Bible that is not in your church, strive to attain that biblical standard. I always marvel at people who fight against miracles and prophecies. Prophecies and prophets are in the Bible. The entire Bible is full of testimonies of supernatural and spectacular miracles.

If you have no miracles in your church please do not say that the day of miracles has passed. Just work on yourself until you have the miraculous operating through your ministry.

If people helped the poor in the Bible days, strive to have a church which ministers to the poor. Do not say that people who minister to the poor do so because they do not have anointing to win souls. Accept the fact that it is a biblical standard that you must attain! It is because we don’t measure what we are doing, that we continue in the wrong thing for a long time.

Ask yourself, “Am I a good person?” Ask your wife or husband what he thinks about your character.

Ask yourself, “How many should we be at this stage?” Measure your performance and analyze your duties!

Don’t be like a husband or wife who appears so glorious on the outside. They call each other “sweetheart” and “honey” in public, but are brewing a stormy divorce at home. If you assess and judge yourself, God will not have to deal with you.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

1 Corinthians 2:15

Chapter 9 - The Ministry of Correction

...SHALL I COME UNTO YOU WITH A ROD, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

1 Corinthians 4:21

Some people think that the pastor must be so soft that he cannot point out evil and correct it. The worst type of pastor is the one who cannot correct things that are going out of line. It is important to purge out certain tendencies from the flock. When your sheep realize that you are a weak leader, they will take

Black Beauty

Many years ago, I went for a ride on a horse called Black Beauty. This was at Burma Camp, at a military riding school in the city of Accra. I was a new rider, and the horse soon realized that I was a novice. Our instructor would take us on a ride through various fields in the countryside.

When we got to the boundary of the riding school, the horse didn’t feel like going out for the ride so it stopped at the gate. I had a whip in my hand so I hit the horse several times and the horse began to kick and jump. It knew that I was afraid of it.

Some of the more experienced riders in the group came along and encouraged me to put the horse in line and bring it out of the school and into the field. Would you believe that the horse calmly turned around and took me back to the stable? It utterly refused to go out on a ride that afternoon. I would say that the horse rode me, I didn’t ride it!

Some months later after I became experienced, this horse was no match for me. I could make it do anything I wanted it to do. That is how the pastor is with his sheep. If the people you are leading feel that you are weak, they will go out of line and do wrong things. When they realize that you are strong, they will stay in check. Identify disloyal people and remove them from the fold. Rebuke people publicly when you have to.

A Pastoral Introduction?

I remember, during a Tuesday night service, my associate pastor called to the stage a church member who was notorious for stealing. The boy probably thought he was going to be introduced to the church. However, the pastor announced to the church that this young man was a dangerous thief who was going about taking things from church members. He went on to say that everybody in the church should be careful of him and not believe his lies anymore.

The church was dead calm for a second and then suddenly burst out in thunderous applause. This young man thought that he could take us for granted. He thought that because we are a church we would allow him to do anything he wanted. That was his biggest mistake! The sheep will appreciate your strong leadership.

…Know ye not that a little leaven leaventh the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven…

1 Corinthians 5:6,7

To some of the sheep, you must be gentle and say things like: “I am disappointed in you.” “I wasn’t expecting this from you.” “I was expecting something better from you.” “Let this never happen again.” “Shame.” “I give you 20% for your Christianity.”

And of some have compassion, making a difference:

Jude 22

Correcting the sheep does not mean you

should disgrace them. You can correct them without disgracing them. If you do not correct them, that thing will begin to spread among the congregation.

The “Ruby, Walk Out!” (RWO) Treatment

To some of the sheep, you must be rough and hard; with others, you must actually dismiss them from the church. I remember one pastor who stood in the pulpit and looked at two giggling girls and shouted from the pulpit, “Ruby, Walk Out!” She had no choice but to walk out, never to return.

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

Proverbs 22:10

I call this the RWO treatment. Some people need to be dismissed from the church; their presence in the church is not desirable or helpful, so get rid of them. It’s as simple as that!

Chapter 10 - The Feeding Ministry

The importance of the feeding ministry of a shepherd cannot be overemphasized. It is a principal duty of a shepherd to feed his sheep.

Everything else comes after he has done this principal duty. The authority to lead, is given to those with the ability to feed.

FEED THY PEOPLE WITH THY ROD, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Micah 7:14

I have people in my church who are older and wiser than I am in many respects. However, in the church, I am their leader and I minister to them. Where would I get the authority to advise someone who could be my father or my mother? This authority is found in the ability to feed. Where does your earthly father get his authority to tell you to come home or what to do with your life? It comes from the fact that he has fed you for years and continues to feed you. When your parents no longer feed you, the authority they have over your life drastically reduces.

Jesus said to Peter three times, “...Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). It is very important to the Lord that His sheep are well-fed on the Word of God. The principal duty of all ministry offices is to preach and to teach the Word of God.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, TEACHING in their synagogues, and PREACHING the gospel of the kingdom...

Matthew 9:35

Paul was an apostle and a prophet. He called himself an apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul, AN APOSTLE of Jesus Christ by the will of God…

2 Timothy 1:1

Paul went on to say in verse eleven,

Whereunto I am appointed a PREACHER, and an apostle, and a TEACHER of the Gentiles.

2 Timothy 1:11

It should be clear to every minister that our main resolve is to preach and teach the Word. What did Paul tell Timothy?

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ…PREACH THE WORD…

2 Timothy 4:1,2

Paul predicted that a time would come when people would not want the Bible to be preached.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

2 Timothy 4:3,4

I believe that time has come now! Many prefer to be prophesied to. They want a quick, “bless me” prayer and some anointing with oil. Pastors, develop your ability to feed and to preach. It is your greatest asset. Look around you and observe the great men of God you know. You will soon discover that every one of them has a strong ability to deliver the Word.

God’s Word must be our guiding post. Things not based on the Word of God have a limited life span.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of a good pastor. It is time for people to be able to say like the Lord Jesus: I am a good shepherd or pastor.

*******

Other Best-Selling Books by Dag Heward-Mills:

Loyalty and Disloyalty

Leaders and Loyalty

Transform Your Pastoral Ministry

The Art of Leadership

Model Marriage

Church Planting

The Mega Church

Lay People and the Ministry

These titles are also available in Spanish and/or French. Information about other foreign translations of some of the titles above may be obtained by writing to our email address.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - What Is Poimen?

Chapter 2 - The Gift of Government

Chapter 4 - The Ruling Ministry

Chapter 5 - The Way-Making Ministry

Chapter 6 - The Territory-Taking Ministry

Chapter 7 - The Comforting Ministry

Chapter 8 - The Measurement Ministry

Chapter 9 - The Ministry of Correction

Chapter 10 - The Feeding Ministry

Chapter - What Is Poimen?