http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_vW7BFOG-o

I know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as my Father and I know I am called to pray for peace in Jerusalem, however, I am beginning to wonder at the ease at which we abandon what is ours for theirs.

While there is a clear danger of error in this by the bringing back of traditions and rituals which have no place in the New Covenant, what bugs me most is that I suspect that our “foreign is better than anything local” mentality is behind this more than any leading of the Holy Spirit.

This mentality has made us play host to “ministers” whom we would not have the time of the day for if it were not for the color of their skin or for the fact that they were “foreign”.

Israel is the promised land, but this is my homeland. God put me here for a purpose. Anything I do for anyone else, spiritual or natural, can come only after my obligations at home are fully satisfied.

This talk is a continuation of “A Matter of Motives Part 2″

A healing move of the Holy Spirit lead us to study on how we need liberty from life’s bruises to have a heart to live with untainted motives.

The end of the Bible study on April 07, 2011 – Thursday, Ooty.

This talk is a continuation of “A Matter of Motives Part 1″

God cares about why we do what we do, and we as believers will be judged on our motives. The first part of a study on this most neglected area.
April 07, 2011 – Thursday, Ooty.

God cares about why we do what we do, and we as believers will be judged on our motives. The first part of a study on this most neglected area.

April 07, 2011 – Thursday, Ooty.

The illustration which follows establishes in allegorical form the relationship between the Chief Shepherd and the sheep. The Lord Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and the sheep. The Lord Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and we are His sheep. (Remember, we are to avoid those who claim the sheep as their own.).

1. The Flock Must Be Gathered Together

In Genesis we read the story of Jacob and his first meeting with Rachel, Laban’s daughter.

Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked them where they lived. ‘At Haran,’ they said. ‘Do you know a fellow there named Laban, the son of Nahor?’ ‘We sure do.’ ‘How is he? ‘He’s well and prosperous. Look there comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.’

“Why don’t you water the flocks so they can get back to grazing?’ Jacob asked. ‘They’ll be hungry, if you stop so early in the day!’ ‘We don’t roll away the stone [covering the well] and begin the watering until all the flocks and shepherds are gathered here,’ they replied. As this conversation was going on, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess’” (Gen 29:4-9 tlb).

This is the story of Jacob’s first journey when he encounters the shepherds and daughters of Laban who were tending the sheep which belonged to their father, Jacob then offered to help with the watering. They said that the flocks first had to be gathered together before they could be watered.

Do you know what is keeping God’s sheep from being watered? the under-shepherds are not bringing the flocks together. They are claiming the sheep for themselves. To follow the allegory, they are not recognizing Laban’s (the father’s ) claim to the sheep.

Rachel kept her father’s sheep. Even though she was a shepherdess, she recognized that the sheep belonged to her father. Leaders would do well to do the same.

Until all the flocks are gathered together in one place, you will find God’s blessing upon them. When you go to meetings where the people come together from many church groups, that are beng conducted under the guidance of good leadership, you will find the presence and favour of God.

When God began a fresh outpouring of His spirit in 1966-67, it was characterized by Protestant and Catholic people coming together. In those gatherings the people met in neutral locations, and God poured out His spirit in showers of blessings.

Of late, that is not happening so much. the walls of separation are being raised again, and alienation of believers is taking place because leaders are afraid to have their people ministered to outside the denomination.

Unless we reject this trend and repent of this denominationalizing of the revival movement, we will see God lift His blessings completely from the churches. God will by-pass us and start over again unless we repent of our carnality, immaturity and divisive tendencies (making idols of our denominations). God will raise up another people if we do not come together in unity and love. God wants to bring all the sheep together so He can roll away the stone and give them water.

Recognize God’s claim on the sheep. Recognize that His banner over us is love. Recognize that when we come together under His leadership, He will cause spiritual and numerical growth to take place by the abundance of His blessings.

When Jacob was dying, he gave this prophecy: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh [another name for Jesus] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”(Gen 49:10). When we gather to Him, the stone is rolled away and waters are made available, and the sheep’s thirst is quenched.

Perhaps Gideon of old said it best: “The men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son and thy son’s son also; for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian; And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: THE LORD SHALL RULE OVER YOU” (Judg 8:22,23).

Gideon’s attitude is the one every leader should emulate. That’s the right attitude. Let’s follow that kind of leadership. We are God’s sheep – bought with a price; we are not our own, or anyone else’s – but God’s.

A look at 5 tests mentioned in the Bible.

1. Praise
2. Obedience
3. Character
4. Commitment
5. Faith

4. Do They Recognize God’s Claim On The Sheep?

A good leader recognizes God’s claim to the sheep.

A bad leader claims the sheep for himself.

a. Wicked Leaders Claim The Sheep For Themselves. The true shepherd recognizes God’s claim to the sheep – the false shepherd makes his own claim on the sheep. He claims the sheep are his and issues a warning that they are his private property.

There is absolutely no scripture to support this claim of false shepherds. Instead the Bible states clearly that the sheep belong solely to God, and not to any under-shepherd.

b. Godly Leaders Know The Sheep Belong To God. The Bible states, “….we are HIS people, and the sheep of HIS pasture” (Ps 100:3). Again, “The Lord is MY pasture, are men, and I ham your God, saith the Lord God…” (Eze 34:23,30,31).

God claims the sheep. They are His alone and He wants us to know that. They do not belong to the church leader or his denomination. They belong to God.

Paul reminds us, “Fr ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:20).The principle is simple. Jesus bought us and we are not our own – we belong to Him; therefore we are to glorify God in our bodies and our spirits which now belong to Him.

He has put His claim upon us and marked us with His brand. No one has the authority to put his brand on a sheep who is already branded.

Paul writes, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Gal 6:17). Paul was glad that he didn’t have anyone else’s brand on him except the marks of the Lord Jesus. He wanted to be free from all, that he might be the servant of all (1 Cor 9:19), That’s the way God wants His people.

True shepherds are those who recognize God’s claim. Those who wish to claim the sheep for their own possession are claiming property that belongs to God . That is lawlessness.

c. God Appoints Under-Shepherds. Make no mistake about this: it is certainly within the design of God that we have a church home with a good church leader.

Further, we should faithfully attend the services and pray, work and give to advance the goals and objectives of that fellowship.

God appoints under-shepherds (leaders) but we don’t belong to them – we belong to the Chief Shepherd. Peter writes, “And when the CHIEF SHEPHERD [Jesus] shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away” (1 Pet 5:4).

d. Sheep Must Follow Their Chief Shepherd. As previously pointed out, the problem isn’t just with the shepherds; it is also a problem with the sheep. The sheep frequently seek glory for themselves by identification with some prominent ministry. This prideful attitude breeds sectarianism and division .

Paul rebuked the believers in Corinth for this carnal-minded propensity to want a prideful identity with some prominent leader. ‘…there are contentions among you… every one of you saith, I am of Paul,… I of Apollos, I of Cephas [Peter]…Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Cor 11-13).

Paul forcibly reminds the Corinthians that they belong to the One Who paid the price for them.”… was Paul crucified for you? ” The answer is obvious. No! Paul didn’t die for them, Christ did. Hence, they belong to Him and should follow only Him.

It is a sad commentary on the spiritual immaturity of anyone who would leave Christ to follow under-shepherds.

Paul says to this church in Corinth, “…I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men”? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of apollos; are ye not carnal?

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? so the, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1Cor 3:2-5,7).

Paul rebukes this propensity in men which seeks a prideful identity with leaders. He calls it carnality and immaturity.

3. Do They Gather Or Scatter The Flock?

Follow leaders who gather the flock.

Avoid leaders who scatter the flock.

a. Godly Leaders Gather The Flock.

“Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand… He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall GATHER the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall GENTLY LEAD those that are with young” (Isa 40:10,11).

That’s the picture of the true shepherd – one who will gather the lambs, God wants us to follow those leaders who are devoted to gathering the flock. Take notice: The main attitude of those who gather is gentleness. God’s true leaders are gentle people.

David, the great shepherd of Israel, said, “Thy gentleness hath made me great” (Ps 18:35. Gentleness and meekness are not weakness.

Gentleness is the capacity to identify and empathize with those who are weak and needy in order to encourage and lift them up and help them become strong.

It was said of our Lord Jesus Jesus, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench..” (Isa 42:3). Why?

He was a gentle shepherd. If He saw some one who was bruised. He would heal him, not break him. If He saw one who was struggling to get a ministry going, He would come along and fan the smoking flax (which typifies sincere effort) until it began to burn brightly and clearly in truth and purity.

Jesus works with our feeble efforts in ministry to bring them into full maturity.

There are many sincere people who are struggling to express their gifts. They are like smoking flax. Leadership should not quench them, Leaders should fan the smoking flax. This will turn it into a burning flame. That’s what is meant by gentle leadership. That’s the kind of shepherd who will gather the flock.

b. Wicked Leaders Scatter The Flock. Now, on the other hand, there are bad leaders who scatter the flock. this is what the Lord says of them, “Woe be unto the shepherds [pastors] that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture… therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds [pastors] that feed my people;

“Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord” (Jer 23:1,2).

Every true shepherd gathers – the false shepherd scatters, creates confusion, division and reaction. This kind of leader we must avoid.

2. Do They Feed Or Fleece The Flock?

A good leader is concerned about FEEDING the flock.

A bad leader is concerned about “FLEECING” the flock.

a. Godly Leaders Feed The Flock.

Jeremiah was a prophet to church leaders.

Jeremiah knew that God had promised, “.. I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3:15). If you are truly a church leader after God’s heart, you will be concerned first of all with feeding the flock.

God continues His promise, “And I will gather the remant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord” (Jer 23:3,4).

Those leaders who feed their flocks are the ones we want to follow.

b. Wicked Leaders Fleece The Flock . Jeremiah saw that problems arose as a result of errant leadership. He rebuked bad leaders. We are instructed to avoid those church leaders who mistreat the flock.

“And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

“My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

“Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:

“Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth that they may not be food for them” (Eze 34:1-10).

A few years ago,I listened to a message from a well-known religious leader who was teaching the “proper” relationship between pastor and people.

He believed that the people existed to serve the leadership. I remember his exact words, “When I need my house painted, I just call some of my flock in and they paint the house. When I need my fields harvested, I just call some of my flock and they harvest my rice.”

I found it difficult to believe that one who had known God’s ways and walked in His paths could now say that the flock existed to serve him, rather than be existing to serve the flock.

God says loud and clear, “AVOID THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP… those that fleece the flock, those that use the sheep to serve their own ends and needs.”

The prophet Micah shows how both the spiritual and the political leadership corrupt themselves. “They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof divine for money (Mic 3:10,11).

The leadership of Micah’s day was serving for one thing – money. Watch out when money becomes the motivation and the preoccupation of leadership. The love of money is clearly the root of all evil and whenever that becomes the motive for wanting a leadership role, destruction will follow.

The prophet further pointed out, “..yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say. Is not the Lord among us? No evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps…” (vss 11,12).

God tells us if we allow false leadership to remain in power, both leaders and people will be cast down into destruction God sends judgment on whole nations for leadership errors.

We are to refuse to follow leaders who fleece the sheep. “Beloved, follow not that which is evil…” (3 Jn 11).

c. Jesus Established Qualifications. Jesus established the qualifications for church leadership when He said, “But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd , whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep (John 10:12,13).

What does the hireling care for? The hire (the money)! That’s his only motivation, just what he can get out of it. He doesn’t care for the sheep. As far as he is concerned, they are just “dumb sheep” to be taken advantage of. That’s the attitude of the hireling.

The true shepherd cares for the sheep, is willing to lay his life down for their protection and go hungry, if necessary, to see that the sheep are fed. He never makes a decision on the basis of how much is in it for him, how much the salary is or how big the title may be.

This doesn’t mean that the true and faithful shepherd has no right to receive financial support. The Scripture uses an allegory to teach us our responsibility to give financial support to true shepherds.

“Do not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn.” As oxen work at the tread mill, the Bible gives them the right to eat some of the corn they are treading out.

By this, God teaches us that church leaders must be cared for financially. However, if an ox is eating everything he treads out, muzzling him or getting another ox might be the farmer’s only alternative. The ox must tread out more than he consumes or the corn grower will go out of business.

d. Satan Tempts Leaders. These things are difficult to say. But, we would be remiss if we did not point out that Satan tempts leadership with four things:

1. Lust for money (covetousness),
2. Lust for position,
3. Lust for power (pride), and
4. Lust for women (adultery).

It is only the grace of God that keeps leaders from falling prey to one or more of these sins.

A leader should regularly, carefully and prayerfully examine his motives. Then he should allow the Holy Spirit to shed light on areas that need repentance. Victory over these temptations will be the result.

Satan will come in through the open door of false or impure motives and take a leader captive. This fact underscores the need to cover the leadership with much prayer and intercession.

We’re instructed to pray for ALL in authority. This includes spiritual as well as secular leaders. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions… be made for… all that are in authority…” (1 Tim 2:1,2).

1. Do They Reach For Responsibility Or Authority?

A godly leader is one who seeks responsibility. A wicked leader is one who seeks authority.

Leaders who reach for responsibility may be followed, while those who reach for authority are to be avoided.

a. Godly Leaders Seek Responsibility The Apostle Paul writes, “But I hope to send Timothy shortly to you, so that I can be comforted by knowing that all is well with you. I have no other leader who has your welfare uppermost in his mind.

“For most put their own personal interests ahead of Jesus Christ’s. But you know that Timothy, as a son with the father, has served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him to you as soon as I can” (Phil 2:19-23 pph).

Timothy had a sense of responsibility and cared for the people. He was not seeking his own interests, but those of the people of God. He was not seeking pompous titles and prestige, but an opportunity to be of service and take responsibility for God’s work and His people.

Some of the saddest words in the Bible are these of Paul, “I have no other leader who has your welfare uppermost in his mind. For most put their own personal interests ahead of Jesus Christ’s.” How sad! Paul only had one church leader he could trust to put the welfare of the people ahead of his own personal interest.

b. Wicked Leaders Seek Authority. The Apostle Peter admonishes leadership who might be tempted to reach for authority. “Don’t think you are a lord over God’s heritage, but be examples to the flock” (1 Pet 5:2,3 pph).

Peter’s message is clear. Leadership is not lordship. Spiritual leaders are to willingly take responsibility for the flock of God as a shepherd would for the sheep. “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the responsibility thereof; don’t do this because you are forced to, do it willingly, not for the money you receive but because you want to ” (1 Pet 5:2,3) pph).

Church leaders are not appointed by God to exercise autocratic powers over the Church.

c. Two Examples:

1) Diotrephes – Bad Leader. The Apostle John said, “I wrote unto the church; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence, won’t receive us.” Here was a leader who was reaching for authority because of the prestige that went with it. So John warns, “Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, speaking against us with malicious words: and not being content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbids them that would..”(3 Jn 9,10).

Have you ever been forbidden to have fellowship with some of God’s people in another church and were told that you would be disloyal if you did?

Remember, our first loyalty belongs to God and His Word (the Bible). After that, we owe loyalty to all born-again believers, whether they be found in Catholic, Protestant or Pentecostal churches. We also owe loyalty to our church leaders. If they are not asking us to disobey God, or His Word, or to lessen our commitment to support the whole Body of Christ, we can follow them.

If a leader tells you that you cannot have fellowship with anyone outside your church, you have encountered the “Diotrephes spirit,” This is the spirit that won’t receive other brethren. If you violate their restrictions on who you can have fellowship with, this kind of leader will try to excommunicate you from the church.

What does John tell the Christians to do about this? “BELOVED, FOLLOW NOT THAT WHICH IS EVIL, but that which is good…”

You are under no obligation to follow an evil leader. When a leader starts grasping for authority, quit following and he will lose his leadership. Ask God to deal with him and bring him to repentance.

One of the ways God disciplines an erring leader is when the people stop following. “FOLLOW THAT WHICH IS GOOD…He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil has not seen God” (3 Jn 11).

2) Demetrius – Good Leader. God always provides us with a choice of leadership in the Body of Christ. John commends Demetrius as a leader worthy of following.

“Demetrius hath good report of all men and of the truth itself…” (3 Jn12).

We have an option to follow good leadership and to reject evil leaders. Don’t follow the leadership that is reaching for authority, seeking to dominate those around them.

Philippians 4:5
Let your gentleness be known to all men.
How do we let our gentleness be known to all men?
An excerpt from Jan 07, 2011 cell group meeting in Ooty.

Introduction

A nation (or church) will invariably end up with the kind of leadership it deserves. The Old Testament bears this out. The people who did not accept and follow the God-ordained leadership ended up with profligate and foolish leaders.

Isaiah said, “And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest…” (Isa 24:2).

“The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by doing what they prophesy, and my people love to have it so” (Jer 5:31 pph).

Notice that the problem is two-fold. It is a problem of LEADERSHIP (prophet and priest) and the PEOPLE. God doesn’t hold just the leadership responsible; He also holds those “who love to have it so” responsible. God disciplines His people for following false leaders.

God not only condemns those who sell in the Temple, but also those who buy. If I accept some church leader’s offer to pray for me provided I give him an offering of money, I am as responsible as he for thinking I can purchase God’s gifts for money (Acts 8:18-23).

A. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DISCERN PROPER LEADERSHIP

Since God holds all of us accountable, we need to be aware of our obligation to discern proper leadership that is worthy of our following.

1. A Church Or Nation Rises Of Falls By Leaders

The prophet Jeremiah pointed out, “Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

“They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart” (Jer 12:10,11).

God was speaking through the prophet about the religious leadership of the nation of Israel. They had mistreated the people and brought destruction on the land.

The leadership you follow is going to govern what you are and who you are. You will rise or fall depending on the leadership you follow.

2. Spiritual Growth Limited By Leadership

Church leader! Most people will not develop beyond the level of your spiritual maturity. The leadership role is given you by God to set the example for the people to follow.

In discussing leadership responsibilities with Timothy, Paul wrote, “The farmer must be the first to eat the fruit he raises” (2 Tim 2:6 pph).

This means that, before church leaders call the people to pray, they must be intercessors themselves. If they want the people to be dedicated, they must be dedicated. They must first eat the fruit of which they want the people to partake.

a. Israel Condemned To Wandering.

Do you remember Israel in the wilderness? It was the leaders that kept the people out of the Promised Land.

When God called them out of Egypt. He intended for them to enter Canaan forty days later. A fast-walking person could easily travel from Egypt to the Promised Land in a week – but it took them forty years. Why? Because of the leadership.

A leader was chosen from each of the twelve tribes to go in to spy out the promised land and bring back a report (Num 13:2-17).

Of the twelve leaders, only Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report. The other ten refused to believe that God would do what He had promised. Because the giants in the land appeared to be over whelming, ten leaders gave an evil report – a report that canceled out God’s promise.

What result did their denial have upon their 2,500,000 followers?

‘The Bible tells us, “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put me to the test now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice:

“Surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it” (Num 14:22,23).

The leaders sealed the destiny of two and a half million people. They were condemned to wilderness wandering for forty years. God’s plan to take His people onward into new and greater blessings was destroyed.

Do you see how important leadership is? Do you now realize how essential it is to know the signs and attributes of a leader worthy of following?

“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”  – Brennan Manning

I’d replace atheism with rejection of the message of our Lord Jesus Christ thus: “The single greatest cause of the message of the rejection of the message of Jesus Christ in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”

Greetings mighty saints of God.

Exodus 20:7 tells us to “not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain;” . We’ve been taught that this means to not use the name of God in common language as swear words or even expressions. The word vain is shäv in Hebrew. The Blue Letter Bible defines its Biblical usage as:
emptiness, vanity, falsehood
a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity
b) emptiness of speech, lying
c) worthlessness (of conduct)

Without discounting any of the above usages, I believe that passage has more to do with worthlessness of conduct than emptiness of speech, lying etc. We are called to be Ambassador’s of our Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20), we represent and enforce His Kingdom on Earth. Our conduct has to be worthy of this calling.

Is there a specific order of conduct prescribed by which we can stand without error in our representation of our Lord Jesus? In John 13:34-35 Lord Jesus said ” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

By this ALL will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another

This is a commandment and not a suggestion.

I have three children. When they fight, I get irritated, but God forbid, if I ever find that they have no love for each other, that would break my heart. Our heavenly Father feels no different. A long time ago, He asked Cain about the whereabouts of his brother Abel, to which Cain replied “I know not, am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Earlier, both Cain and Abel had made an offering to the LORD. He was pleased with Abel’s but not Cain’s. Abel had offered a better sacrifice by faith (Heb 11:4). Then the LORD asked a sulking Cain “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6)

King James Version says “… sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

I find the similarity between that and the passage in Genesis 3:16 where the LORD says to Eve “…  Your desire shall be for your husband,  And he shall rule over you.” curious.

Coming back to the Cain, we understand that he succumbs to sin and kills his brother. It is when God confronts him that we get the famous reply “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Let us analyze this

Cain starts by saying “I know not”. This is the first lie said by a human recorded  in the bible. Even when Adam and Eve fell, they did not lie, but just pointed the finger and passed on the blame.

Genesis 3: 9-13

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

We can say that rather than lying, it can be said that Adam accused Eve and she in turn accuses the serpent of tricking her.  This too is an inherited trait of Satan, who is the accuser of the brothers (Revelation 12:10).

In Cain’s case, the LORD had warned him that sin desires to consume him, and it is interesting to note that the KJV personifies sin as him. Once consumed by sin, the first thing that comes out Cain’s mouth is a lie. In John 8:44, Jesus tells us that Satan is the father of lies.

In other words, after declaring to the LORD who he was with now, Cain goes on and asks “Am I my brother’s keeper?”. What he is asking is

• Is this my concern?
• After all, aren’t you and him good buddies now?
• Aren’t you supposed to take care of him?
• What does all this have to do with me?

Sin had turned Cain against Able and God, as a result he neither had love, care or concern for his brother, not had any regard about what his Heavenly father’s concerns for his brother were.

Coming back to our times, do we have a responsibility to watch out and care for our “brethren”? We read earlier that Lord Jesus commanded us to love another, and that the world will know that we are his disciple by seeing the love we have for one another.

Paul writes to the Romans stating that they must owe nothing to no man but love; that love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:18). Love one another fervently, writes Peter in 1 Peter 1:22.

Other than what Jesus said in John 13:35-35, what touched me most was Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 13:1-3

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

So it is clear that the Lord Jesus tells us that we MUST be known for our love for each other.

It would be dangerous to stop at that without understanding how He expects us to fulfill this command.

This is no “free love”; the belief in or practice of sexual relations outside of marriage. Jesus was no hippy with a harem.

In the Bible, there are specific instruction given to express this love.

Four commands to “Love”:

1. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27,35).
2. Love your fellow Christians (John 13:34; John 15:12,17;  1 Peter 2:17; 1 John 3:23; 2 John 1:5; Galatians 5:14).
3. Love the brotherhood (1 Peter 2:17).
4. Love your brother (1 John 4:21).

Two things not to love:

1. The world (1 John 2:15)
2. Things in the world (1 John 2:15)

Three ways to love:

1. Fervently (1 Peter 2:22)
2. With a pure heart (1 Peter 2:22)
3. As brethren (1 Peter 3:8)

Ways to show our love to one another.

1. be reconciled to one another  – Matt 5:24)
2. “receive one another” – Rom 15:7
3. “edify another” – Rom 14:19
4. “serve one another” – Gal 5:13
5. “bear one another’s burdens” – Gal 6:1-2
6. “forgiving one another” – Eph 4:32
7. “submitting to one another” – Eph 5:21
8. “exhort one another” – Heb 3:12-13
9. “consider one another” – Heb 10:24-25
10. “hospitable to one another” – 1 Pet 4:8-10

Remember

1. All will know we are disciples of Christ by our love for one another
2. This is the fulfillment of the Old Testament
3. It is a new commandment (not a suggestion) given by the Lord Jesus
4. Without love expressed Biblicaly by faith, we are nothing but a clanging cymbal, or full of hot air
5. Without this, we are nothing.

An interesting point to note is that all the 10 ways  is addressed to believers, the Church. We are called to be Ambassador’s of our Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20), we represent and enforce His Kingdom on Earth. Our conduct has to be worthy of this calling. Let us not cause the message of Jesus Christ  to be rejected by the world through our denial of Him in our lifestyle.

with love in Jesus

J.S.Kodiyil
Pastor
The Father’s House Church, Cochin & Ooty

Click here to watch a video of this teaching or visit: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL088F15C0C2F6CC23

“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison” Henry David Thoreau.

Thoreau wrote this on an essay on non violent civil disobedience that inspired a certain lawyer in South Africa about a 100 years later. This lawyer, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, took this to heart and went on to become the father of my nation.

Being resurrection Sunday, my meditation took me to the time right after Pentecost in Acts 5. The freshly anointed apostles had already been in jail once for preaching about Jesus, had then been sprung out of jail by an angel, got caught again for talking about this Jesus and now are in front of the Jewish authorities who decide not to throw them in jail but order them never to say Jesus’ name in public.

We live in a world warped by the influence of sin. The Devil has put in systems in place which ensure that it becomes very unpleasant for anyone to open their mouth and talk about Jesus. In some countries, he has made it illegal, punishable by death, and in others, he has made it culturally irrelevant where people have heard of this Jesus and it is nothing new to them. They do not know the power behind the name. How can they?

The very people who are supposed to be called to demonstrate this power sit passively thinking only about what God can do for us and not what we can do for the one who purchased us with his very own blood.

The truth is that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only access to eternal life with our father in heaven. We can not apply the six degrees of separation theory to this.

This means that people are going to perish unless they get a chance to know him. As Paul said in Romans 10:14, how can they believe in the one of who they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

The fact is that we live in a culture which makes us feel bad or which even make us a criminal if we say that the ‘unsaved’ who does not know Jesus is bound for hell.

However unpleasant or socially unacceptable that might sound, that simply is the truth.

This was the message the apostles preached in Acts and nearly all of them ended up in jail for that.

When we who have been justified and made the righteousness of God, the temples of the Holy Ghost and the custodians the spiritual truths of the victory that is in Jesus, proclaim to a world blinded, bound and ruled by the god of this age, we will quickly find that there is no part for us in this system.

From not being given the freedom to speak about the solution that can save mankind from eternal death, to being killed for proclaiming the one who died for us, we will find that there is no welcome mat from those who now rule this world (I am referring primarily to those authorities mentioned by Paul in Eph 6: 10-18). How can there be? What fellowship is there between darkeness and light? 2 Cor 6:14

“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison”

Prison need not mean just behind bars, but it could mean anything from that to being a social outcast or to just not being invited to the neighbor’s BBQ. If that is the outcome of our preaching Christ, then why am I trying so hard to stay out of that predicament?

What am I conforming to? Whose law, written or unwritten, am I trying to adhere to for social acceptance?

Who am I trying to not offend by not talking about the consequences of denying Jesus?

To me that is like saying “I’m not really a Christian, but I did see one on TV once”.

–

This is an excerpt from my 2005 resurrection Sunday sermon.

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us…

We are all familiar with this mnemonic for planets in the Solar system.

After Pluto’s demotion some years back, I read this:

“My! Very educated morons just screwed up numerous planetariums.”

My take on this is that humans, educated morons or not, came up with this classification system in the first place, and therefore inherently have the right to change it as necessary.

CRIRES model-based computer-generated impression of the Plutonian surface by ESO—L. Calçada, with atmospheric haze, and Charon and the Sun in the sky

Sentimentalism is another thing, but that is not the issue here.

Officially a “planet” is a celestial body that:

1. is in orbit around a star or stellar remnants;
2. has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape;
3. is not massive enough to initiate thermonuclear fusion of deuterium in its core; and,
4. has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

Change any of these parameters, and that celestial body ceases to be classified as a planet.

In January 2007, the American Dialect Society chose “plutoed” as its 2006 Word of the Year, defining “to pluto” as “to demote or devalue someone or something“, “as happened to the former planet Pluto.”

Don’t get plutoed!!!

God has set down some parameters too. It is all in the Bible.

The difference here is that God does not need to hold a referendum to adopt a new resolution because he has discovered something new, or because he now has a deeper revelation of something which he did not have before.

If we choose to live according to God’s parameters, then we qualify to receive what he has to give; both now and eternally, and I gladly add that he is only too happy and willing to give to those who comply and ask.

If we do not live according to God’s parameters, then we get to live with and as others who don’t; both now and eternally.

Another point to note here is that we are composed of materials that disintegrate if we choose to change the parameters set by our creator.”

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This entry first appeared on my old blog site on Sept. 05, 2006