Obedience

I think there is a lesson here for many of us in God’s communities, or churches, today.  It seems like we lean on our own understanding far too often and we rebel against the Lord for lack of knowledge.  God’s Word says my people perish for lack of knowledge.  The reason this happens is not because people don’t know, but that people rejected the knowledge that they possessed for they rejected God’s laws and didn’t live by them.  

We need to study to show ourselves approved then we need to live what 2 Timothy 2:14-15 says, “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

This is what the Bereans did, read Acts 17:10-12, “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”  These people didn’t just study but thy lived what they found to be truth.  

Now please read chapter 7:1 in that same book, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Question: are you putting the things you read and learn into practice or are you rejecting the things that the Word of God says?

Read what Jeremiah 7:21-23 says about obedience, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’”  Obedience is far more important than sacrifice, but how will you be obedient if you don’t know what you are to do?

Now read 1 Samuel 15:22, “So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’”

This is just a reminder and we all can use a reminder now and then, it is just a reminder that we need to try our best to be obedient to the Word of God.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you all have a super day!!  Don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!

Elders and Shepherds

If you are an Elder or Shepherd, you have a great responsibility before the Lord.  Your responsibility is to love the sheep that you preside over and to feed the sheep the truth and not to devour the sheep.  If you are proud and overbearing, then you are out of the will of God.  True Shepherds will guide and lead and be an example and watch over the flock and care for them and not run rough shod over them.

What did Jesus say to Peter in John 21:15-17, “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”

Jesus was speaking to Peter about his future ministry as a Shepherd and what he needed to do in that role as a leader and Shepherd of God’s people.  Peter needed to feed God’s sheep and His lambs.  What would Peter feed them?  He would feed them the milk of the Word for the young ones and the meat of the Word for those who were more mature.  Peter would also need to be an example before them, because Shepherds must lead by example.

Please read 1 Peter 5:1-11, “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul was a good example of an overseer, you will never go wrong if you follow his example.  

Read what Paul said in Acts 20:25-28, “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

Now read verses 29-37 in that same chapter as Paul tells them why this is so important, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’  And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him.”

If a Shepherd or leader is haughty, arrogant, proud, unteachable and greedy they have no business in a leadership role.  Something to think about.  May the good Lord bless you all and may all of you have a great and blessed day!!  

Repentant Sinner

This is an extension of my last Tidbit on forgiveness.  This is such an important subject that so many have a problem with that to be reminded of it is so important and it is healing if done correctly and a witness to others that grace is real, and forgiving is also good medicine.  

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this also, please read 2 Corinthians 2:1-11, “But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

When we grieve before the Lord over sin, it is a good thing.  Godly sorrow over sin, which includes un-forgiveness, leads to repentance unto salvation, but worldly sorrow brings forth death.  When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and we grieve because of it, it is a good thing regardless of what the sin is; we will benefit by it if we respond to it in a positive way by repenting and confessing and turning from it.

Read some of the benefits that Paul spoke of in his second letter about repentance and godly sorrow to the Corinthian Church in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, “For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Now read what Paul said this repentance and godly sorrow did for them in verses 11-13 in that same chapter, “For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you. Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.”

Like I said, repentance and forgiveness are a good, plus, heathy thing that helps both parties; the one that was sinned against and the one responsible that needs to repent.  I think we have all been on one side of this or the other and we all need to repent at times.  So instead of allowing a bitter root to spring up in our lives that may destroy others plus even ourselves, do what Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to do.

I think you got the message and my prayer is that this is an encouragement and not condemnation for whoever reads it or hears about it.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you all have a blessed day!!