1 Timothy 3 Elders Shine!

1 Timothy 3 NIV
No, not everyone within a congregation should be on the slate of elections as an overseer (council member, elder, etc.) of the congregation or denomination. It is not always easy to find potential willing candidates for some of these positions of leadership; but, that does not mean that we should not be discerning in whom we choose to lead and serve our communities of faith. They must be faithful to God, willing to set aside their personal desires and ambitions in this world. Jesus comes first, always!

St. Paul outlines some basic guidelines for Timothy to use in his position as a leader of the church at Ephesus. They must be faithful to their spouse, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, not given to drunkenness, not violent but, gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money.

It is necessary for our servant leaders to be able to conduct their personal lives in a way that the light of Christ and not deeds of darkness is seen by others. We are not; after all, a social club. We are the Body of Christ. Let your light so shine!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 77 - Fiscal Cliff

Lots of people thinking about the "fiscal cliff" as the year 2012 comes to a close. There is no doubt that going over the edge is going to hurt a lot of people. I know that it will cost me a bit.  I tried to deposit a third party check earlier this month (same check I've sent every month for years) to a charge account.  They put a hold on it for seven days.  When I asked why, I was told that it's due to the financial state of this country. They wanted to make sure the check cleared before they deposited it.  In the meantime, I got charged for seven extra days of interest. The financial status of this country is on pretty shaky ground. But, the closer we get to that day, the less I seem to worry about it. It will be what it will be.  Our elected officials don't seem to be able to do or want to do much about it so there is nothing left except to remember that it is the LORD who is Almighty. He is in charge. Let Him be.

He will not reject us forever. Look back to where you have been, where we have all been, and we shall see that the LORD has been with us.  We have had some pretty murky times in the past.  He has led us through some turbulent waters and it is He who will save us even now.  Of course, we also have to remember, that sometimes, in order to save us, we have to go through some even more troubled waters. There may be a positive side to this "fiscal cliff" - to remind us of who God is and it is not us - it is not the elected leadership of this country. That lesson might hurt a bit, but in the end, His people will follow in His path through the sea, through the mighty waters, even though His footprints cannot be seen. He will lead His people like a flock to the other side and we will all meditate on and rejoice over His mighty deeds.

God's Peace - Pr. J