Shepherding Souls

The healthy Christian life is one of continuing spiritual, emotional, and relational growth. But so many of us feel stuck or stagnated at one stage of the journey. It's not always clear to us where or why we are stuck, making it difficult to take the next step on our journey of the soul. That's where Bill and Kristi Gaultiere come in. After decades in private practice as counselors and therapists, they have developed a unique model for growing in grace. In Journey of the Soul, they draw on more than 70,000 hours of providing therapy and spiritual direction to show you how to identify your current stage of faith and the next steps to take based on your unique needs and struggles. With Scripture, self-assessments, and soul care practices to support your progress along the way, this insightful and inspiring book will be a treasured companion on your journey no matter where you are or how long you've been following Jesus.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Shepherd Of My Soul" by Charles J. Callan. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

This issue of The Ministry contains a complete record of the eight messages given during the International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones in Anaheim, California, held March 30--April 1, 2007. The general subject of the training was "Shepherding the Church of God as a Slave of God," which comes from Acts 20:28, where Paul charges the elders to "shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood." This is also our charge. Paul says that God purchased the church with His own blood and that we need to shepherd the church of God. In verse 19 Paul said that he served "the Lord as a slave with all humility and tears and trials." This is the pattern that we should follow. We need to shepherd the church of God as a slave of God, serving the Lord with all humility in all trials and even with tears so that we could be dispensing stewards of the grace of God for the building up of the Body. We also include a report concerning the 2007 European Young People's Conference held in Male Ciche, Poland.

Shepherding is one of the important functions in the church. It is not only one of the gifted people whom God gives to the church for the perfecting of the saints (see Ephesians 4:11-12 where pastors should be shepherds) It is also one of the main functions of the elders of the church (see I Peter 5:1). Indeed, it is expected of all the spiritual members of the church to be engaged in such a work. Our Lord’s words to Peter were “feed my lambs”, “shepherd my sheep”, and “feed my sheep” (see John 21:15-17). For this reason, it is required of us to know what the functions of shepherding are and also the qualifications. This series of three messages on shepherding is prepared for the promoting of God’s work and the strengthening of this important but sadly lacking ministry in the church. May God use it for His glory

This issue of The Ministry of the Word contains a complete record of the twelve messages given as a webcast from Anaheim, California, for the June 2020 semiannual training on the crystallization-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations. The key statements in the following section embody and summarize the crucial truths and main burdens in these twelve messages. The Reports and Announcements section contains “A Mass Distri­bution Update: How to Preach the Gospel in a Time of Pandemic.” Also included is information concerning upcoming conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry and a website link for information related to similar events in Europe.

This issue of The Ministry of the Word contains a complete record of the twelve messages given during the July 2023 semiannual training, held in Anaheim, California. The Key Statements on the following page embody and summarize the crucial truths and main burdens covered in these twelve messages. The Reports and Announcements section contains "An Update concerning Europe," a "Summer 2023 Mass Distribution Update," and important information concerning upcoming conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry plus a website link to information on similar events in Europe and Israel.

This field-tested guidebook presents Benedictine spirituality and monastic spiritual practices as a source of wisdom and practical guidance for Christian formation today.

This issue of The Ministry of the Word contains the final nine messages given during the spring 2019 term of the full-time training in Anaheim, California. The general subject of this series of messages is "The Wonderful Christ in the Canon of the New Testament." In these nine messages we continue to consider aspects of the wonderful Christ in the New Testament. In Message 9 we see that Christ is our new Husband. Our old man has been crucified to the law through the body of Christ so that we might marry another husband, Christ, who has been raised from the dead. This joining indicates that in our new status as a wife, we have an organic union in person, name, life, and existence with Christ in His resurrection; now we are married to Christ, our new Husband. Since Christ is our Husband, we must depend on Him and take Him as our Head, our person, and our life. In Message 10 we see that the Man-Savior's ascension was His inauguration into His heavenly office. In His heavenly ministry in ascension, Christ is serving us by dispensing Himself as the reality of the New Testament jubilee into us for our enjoyment. In Message 11 we see that because Christ is the reality of God with the divine attributes, the reality of humanity with all the human virtues, and the reality of every positive thing in the universe, God's intention in His economy is that this Christ would become everything to us. The will of God is one person--Christ; one way--the cross; and one goal--the church as the Body of Christ and the one new man. The way we should take is the way of opening our being to the all-inclusive, extensive Christ and allowing Him to make His home in us, saturate us, permeate us, reproduce Himself in us, and fill us to overflowing until we put off our culture and every natural element so that Christ is all and in all. In Message 12 we see that we need to know and experience Christ as our kingly and divine High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. As the King, He has the scepter to rule over the earth and to manage our affairs, and as the High Priest, He is interceding for us and taking care of our case before God. As the kingly High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, Christ ministers to us the Triune God, who was processed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection, signified by the bread and the wine, as our life supply so that we may be saved to the uttermost in order to fulfill God's eternal purpose. In Message 13 we see that we should live a Christian life under the government of God. It is Christ who enables us to take God's governmental dealings administered through sufferings. As we live the Christian life under the government of God, we experience the pneumatic Christ as the Shepherd of our souls, who oversees our inward condition, caring for the situation of our inner being--our mind, emotion, and will and our problems, needs, and wounds; restoring our soul; and giving rest to our soul so that we may have the full enjoyment of Him. In Message 14 we see that Christ as the faithful Witness of God, the testimony and expression of God, is for the testimony of Jesus, the church as the corporate expression of the Triune God. As such, the church is the reproduction of the testimony and expression of God in Christ. The testimony of Jesus is the seven golden lampstands. The golden lampstand symbolizes the Triune God--the Father as the substance is embodied in the Son, the Son as the embodiment is expressed through the Spirit, the Spirit is fully realized and expressed as the churches, and the churches are the testimony of Jesus. Hence, the seven golden lampstands are the enlarged, corporate expression of the Triune God. In Message 15 we see that Christ is the Lamb whom the firstfruits, the living overcomers, follow. The firstfruits are the earliest among God's crop to reach maturity and will be raptured to the house of God in Zion for God's satisfaction and enjoyment. In order for us to follow the Lamb and go on to maturity to become the firstfruits, we must walk with God by faith to escape death and obtain the testimony of being well pleasing to God. In Message 16 we see the Lamb-God on the throne within the holy city. The throne of God and of the Lamb is the center of the New Jerusalem. Out of the throne of the Lamb-God flows the river of water of life. When we are under Christ's kingship, headship, lordship, and authority, we enjoy the river of water of life and the tree of life. The highest point in our spiritual experience is having a clear sky with God's throne above it; to reach this point means that we allow God to have the preeminence in everything and are completely submissive to His authority and administration. In Message 17 we see the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ and the vision of the enthroned Christ as the Administrator in God's universal government. As those who seek to know Christ and experience Him, we have not only Christ but also the revelation of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation unveils a vision of the enthroned Christ as the Administrator in God's universal government. Christ is the center of God's administration according to God's eternal economy. In His economy God administrates the universe to fulfill His purpose. The unveiling of God's universal administration shows that the will, the purpose, of God in His creation is to have an eternal habitation--the New Jerusalem--for His satisfaction and expression. The Lord Jesus has been enthroned to execute God's governmental administration in the universe. The Announcements section at the end of this issue contains a list of upcoming conferences and trainings hosted by Living Stream Ministry and a website link for information related to similar events in Europe.