Feed the Flock

The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:1 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;   Although he knew tough times were ahead, Peter encourages them to feed the flock that God had entrusted them with.   He is simply passing on what he was told by Jesus in John 21:15-17 during his restoration after denying the Lord.

 

The primary responsibility of the elder is to the feed the flock of God.  The apostles said in Acts 6:2 It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.  That is why deacons were selected.

 

Too many elders get sidetracked with other things.   I.e. counseling, church administration, etc…   These can be snares of the enemy if they are placed on par to or over the primary responsibility of the elder which is to the feed the flock of God.  I've seen way too many pastors who are guilty of this.

 

taking the oversight thereof : This literally means "Do your job!"  In the original it says, "Discharge your duties."  Sadly, too many pastors are lazy bums who are simply there for a paycheck.  The call to ministry is not a "career choice" but a calling from Almighty God Himself.  One old preacher told me once, Son, if you can do anything else, please do us all a favor and do it!

Can't Confine God

With the elections in Peru behind us and a new president in front of us, I found this on my son Brandon's Facebook this morning and I totally agree. 

iiii personally  don't see what the big deal is with the elections stuff....i don't think we can possibly confine God's ability to work within this box of who wins or not...God's gonna do what he does whether ollanta wins or mother teresa wins. good thing to know : )

The 23rd Psalm

Psalm 23:1 says The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

The purpose of the 23rd Psalm is to show that God is our shepherd.  As such, we can trust Him to provide and care for us.  The words I shall not want according to Albert Barnes,

as applied to the psalmist, would embrace everything that could be a proper object of desire, whether temporal or spiritual; whether pertaining to the body or the soul; whether having reference to time or to eternity.

I found Seventeen Promises from Psalm 23 years ago.  I have no idea from where, but it has been a blessing to me and the source of many messages.

The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!

I shall not want = That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!
For His name sake = That's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing!
I will fear no evil = That's Protection!
For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil = That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security!
Forever = That's Eternity!

Rainbow Flag over Government Building

How utterly sad that 1.7% of the total population can force their will on the other 98.3%.

Objections fly with rainbow flag (OneNewsNow.com)

What is a Friend

I read this many years ago.  I have no idea where it came from, but it is so true.  How many friends to we truly have?  Oh, we all have acquaintances, but I'm talking about true friends like described below.  I don't think most of us can name more than just a few, if that.  However, I believe that just one is a tremendous blessing.  My best friend is my wife.

"What is a friend? Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, pray with them. Through it all--and underneath--they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself."

Planted by Water

Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

A tree by a river has a continual source of water.  It will never wither away, because it is always getting what it needs.  If we are constantly needy, it may be worth examining if we are planted by the rivers of water or not.  This would also be a tree that is strong and stable, sinking down deep roots. The life of the righteous man is marked by strength and stability.

Love Never Fails

1 Cor. 13:4-8 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  (5)  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;  (6)  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;  (7)  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  (8)  Charity never faileth:….

This chapter is called the love chapter of the Bible.  Of course, the word love is from the Greek word agape.  It is translated “charity” in the KJV. 

In this chapter we find a display of love, not a definition.  We must remember that this chapter does follow chapter 12 which dealt with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, it is logical to assume that chapter 13 tells us that the energy or fuel of the gifts is love.

Thus, a good way to see how we’re doing is to simply replace the word “charity” with our own names.  Try it and you’ll understand as I do, that we fall so short, but thanks be to God who loves us still!

Paintballing

Went paintballing with some middle school students Saturday. I can barely move today!

Love Made Perfect

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Many times this verse is quoted out of context because the previous verse says, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.”  It’s primary interpretation is referring to the fact that as Christians we have no need to fear because we have already been judged at the Cross.  Of course, it can have secondary application to everyday life issues as well.

I read this illustration of the love of God several years ago, “A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on "The Love of God." As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the cross.  It illuminated the crown of thorns, the two wounded hands, the two wounded feet, the marks of the spear. A hush fell on the congregation.  He blew out the candle and left.  There was nothing else to say.”

Religious Liberties Concern

It's an absolute shame that our military chaplains have to be worried about this kind of thing. They definitely need our prayers. Either the government will give them an exemption or our military will end up with a group of religious leaders who do not believe the Bible.

Military's religious liberties a concern (OneNewsNow.com)