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

2 Chronicles 18 - Itching Ears

Ahab, the king of Israel, has itching ears...  He wants to hear only what will benefit him.  He's heard from 400 prophets and likes what he hears.  Israel and Judah will be successful in their attack on Ramoth Gilead.  Still, they are not sure.  Jehoshaphat wants to hear from a prophet of the LORD, not any old prophet.  Well, yes there is one. But, Micaiah isn't one of Ahab's favorites.  The word he brings is usually not favorable to Ahab and Ahab really doesn't want to hear it.  He knows it's probably a word of disaster for him.  And, it is.

I can't help but wonder how often we (preachers) preach to please the people, to soothe their itching ears rather than tell the truth and this done in order that they will continue to like us.  Ahab did not like Micaiah one bit.  But, Micaiah still told the truth.  That is what we are suppose to be doing:  preaching the truth.

We are not called to please people, but to proclaim the good news of the kingdom through Jesus the Christ.  I can think of innumerable voices in recent times that have proclaimed another gospel, a prosperity gospel or a social gospel, and all this done to please itching ears, to make members of a church, rather than the Church, which is the Body of Christ.