JC 101 May 1

April 30

... To feed the church of God ...
Acts 20:28

After shepherding sheep on the backside of the desert, the Lord called Moses to shepherd three million people through the wilderness. On their way to the Promised Land, his authority was questioned time after time. In Numbers 16, we read that Dathan, Abiram, and Korah brought 250 leaders of the nation of Israel to Moses, saying, ‘Who gave you authority to lead us?’

In response to their question, the Lord instructed Aaron to have one leader from each tribe place a rod in the tabernacle along with his. They did so, and the next morning, the rods looked just as they had left them — all except for Aaron’s, which had blossomed.

From whence comes authority in ministry or in your family? From the blossom of fruitfulness.

What is fruit? Galatians 5:22 defines it as love — love which is joy, love which is peace, love which is longsuffering, love which is gentle, good, faithful, meek, and temperate. If we truly love people, we will have authority to give direction to them because they will see the fruitfulness of the Lord’s love blossoming in us.

The story of Moses continues. The years passed and the people began complaining once again saying, ‘We’re out of water, Moses. You’ve brought us out here to die.’ In response to their complaint, the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock from which water would flow (Numbers 20:8). Instead of speaking to the rock, however, Moses struck it with the rod, while saying to the people, ‘You rebels. Must we fetch water for you?’

What happened to the rod as he smote the rock?

The blossoms fell off;
the fragrance was diminished;
the fruitfulness
Whenever I beat one of God’s people verbally or in my heart, I’m smiting Christ, the Rock of my salvation, and destroying the fruit of His Spirit in the process. Therefore it is not my job to beat the flock — to analyze, scrutinize, or criticize. It is my job to feed the flock — to encourage, nourish, and love. Certainly feeding includes warning and exhorting — but it does not include beating, bruising, or wounding.

‘Feed the flock,’ said Paul, not, ‘Beat the flock,’ because there has already been One Who was bloodied, bruised, and beaten on our behalf.

They beat His face.
They beat a crown of thorns into His scalp.
They beat Him with rods.
They beat Him with fists.
They beat Him with words.

Therefore, because He was beaten in our place, I must not beat myself or beat others.

Dux' THOUGHTS

Romans 5:20-21

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is but lovely to know that though we are constantly tempted by sin, it is by His grace that we overcome. Even at times we fall into sin, it is grace that we get restored again.

However, grace is not a license to sin because God is also a just God. The best thing to do is to acknowledge where we fall short, ask for His forgiveness and ask for His spirit to empower us that we will not do it again.

This grace is NOT exclusive between God and us but we must also extend it to others. Were we not called to love our enemies?

happy labor day and consider 1 Peter 4:8 which says,

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

love is the answer :-)