Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Affirmations from God:
There are many things that take
precedence in our lives, and sadly, God is not usually at the top of our list.
However, for all Christians for we are all called to be role models, there is
but One God, and we must love God unreservedly and entirely.
We say we want our spiritual leaders
to be men of God, however, too
often we ask them to twist and turn the scriptures so that we can
cuddle and stroke the hidden sins in our lives. We want them to skip around and choose
scripture, taking it our of context to make it say what we want it to say. Then, when they uphold the scriptures, refusing to misrepresent God and his Word, we argue with them, and often form posse groups to chastise them or to quieten them.
Through our actions and behaviors we
challenge them to “forsake their first love.” Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God... which is the first and chief commandment in the law, the sum and
substance includes or at least has connected with it, knowledge of God, esteem
of him, delight in him, faith and trust in him, fear and worship of him, and
obedience to him.
God forbid that we would persecute
the men and women who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and might. We are to pray for and encourage each in our Christian walk that none of us will forsake our first love.
Personal Application:
- What takes priority in your life? What do you delight in?
- Do your words or action imply that you want your leaders to forsake God and his ways?
- Seek God allowing Him to reveal the condition of your heart toward him.
Prayer:
Prayer for yourself: Ask God to grow your desire to know him in an intimate way, to make him first priority in your life. Ask God to show you how to affirm your spiritual leaders. Then join them in devotion to God and his Word and to growing His Church.
Prayer for spiritual leaders: Pray that your spiritual leader(s) will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities.
Prayer for the lost: Pray that God will continue in his love and mercy to draw the lost to him and to provide opportunities so that we may witness to them.
Prayer for spiritual leaders: Pray that your spiritual leader(s) will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities.
Prayer for the lost: Pray that God will continue in his love and mercy to draw the lost to him and to provide opportunities so that we may witness to them.
Some leaders fall short, as the Catholic clergyman in the news right now. We are obligated to hold them accountable and question walks when they appear to stray from the Light. Men are called to marry. A man can love the Lord and his wife without conflict. The Catholic leader I mentioned may have been able to stay on the right path if Christians had been praying for him instead of just with him.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, and hope you will put a face and name to yourself next time. I am not familiar with this situation but, too often we place our spiritual leaders at "arms length" not wanting to get too close for different reasons, and I am afraid that too often it is because "Christians" are not comfortable with their own lifestyles and fear the Reverend knowing about it. However, walking together on this Christian helps us to hold each other accountable and, if and when we fall, to pick us up and set us on the right track. It is scriptural to have a plurality of elders in a church. This group is then able to provide the spiritual support needed to help the pastor and other leaders other stay accountable. As congregation members we should surround ourselves with Godly people to hold us accountable and to set us on the right path.
ReplyDeleteWe agree. Life is not a game of horse shoes where close is good enough.We have to redirect as many souls as possible as we Walk.It is exciting to see Gods Work. Sometimes the Work of God seems hundreds of miles away when it has already gotten closer.
ReplyDeleteI do believe love is the key. To love God and to love all others. Thank you
ReplyDeleteYes Tom. There is a book called, Spirit Wars, Winning The Invisible Battle Against Sin And The Enemy...on page 198 it says this , '...punishing people for their mistakes creates self- destructive ecosystems that invite demonic oppression..'
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is
2Timothy 1:5-7
' For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind.'
I once was blind, but now I see.