THE HEIGHTENER
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you." -James 4:10
| Volume XXVIII |
February 14, 2006 |
Number 7 |
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VIEWPOINT Spiritual
shepherding is a work which dates back to the relationship between God and
Israel. The Almighty desired
spiritual leaders who would effectively care for the spiritual needs of
his people. Consider these
statements: “I myself
will gather the remnant of my flock . . . and will bring them back to
their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.
I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will
no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the
Lord” (Jer. 23:3, 4). “I myself
will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind
up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I
will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice” (Ezek. 34:15-16). Jesus
continued this thought in John 10, and the New Testament authors make it
clear that the organization of the church is built on a plurality of
elders who still tend to the spiritual needs of God’s people.
Ministers, preachers and evangelists help with the teaching, but it
is the elders who are the pastors or shepherds.
Some of the work involved could be summarized with these points: ·
Keep the
flock together in fellowship with God – leading them in the paths of
righteousness. ·
Attend to
the spiritual needs of the flock with kindness and gentleness. ·
Feed the
flock. · Strengthen the weak and attend to the sick. ·
Find and
restore those who have wandered away and those who are lost. · Protect the sheep from evil influences that would harm or destroy them. ·
Lead the
sheep (not drive them). The
good shepherd is personally acquainted with each sheep, is able to call
each by name, and the sheep know his voice and follow. Our Cedar
Grove family has been blessed since its commencement with outstanding
leadership. We give thanks
for our capable shepherds: Keith
Bearden, Jim Warren, and Jimmy Pulliam.
We are thankful for the addition of Phil Hamby.
We anticipate positive action as our church body carries out the
mission of Jesus. I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile and a positive word! RA |
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Who’s First? A
man knelt at the foot of his bed and prayed God would grant him an opportunity
for a personal chat, so he could ask a few questions.
God honored his
request. “Lord,
who is first in the kingdom?” “Who’s
last”
(Luke 13:30). “No,
who’s first?” “Who’s
last.” “Okay,
who is last?” “Who’s
first.” “Let
me go back to the beginning.” “Oh,
the word”
(John 1:1). “Right,
my choice of words seems to be creating a communication problem here.
How do I speak so I may be clearly understood by you?” “Call
things that are not as though they were”
(Rom. 4:17). “Huh? I don’t get it. Speaking
of calling things, what should I call you?
What is your
name?” “I
Am”
(Exodus 3:13, 14). “Right,
that’s what I’m asking. Who
are you?” “I
Am.” “Yes? You are? Who?” “I
Am.” The
man stood to his feet, and left his room frustrated with God.
He wondered why God did not answer him.
He thought the replies he received were in the form of questions,
yet they were biblically correct explanations. The key to understanding God in relation to our dilemmas is to acquaint ourselves with His vocabulary. Our study time in the Bible enables us to have the wisdom to discern and rightly divide His words (2 Tim. 2:15).
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PEACHTREE CITY CHURCH