Psalm 8:1
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures this morning in 1Timothy 3-4. The Mind of the Spirit met the spirit of my mind in 3:1 and 4:1:
1Timothy 3:1 ¶ This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1Timothy 4:1 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils
I thought it good to think through the qualifications for my office and to reflect on my calling in connection with my responsibility to feed the flock of God, over which He made me an overseer (Acts 20:28). My purpose being to edify the body of Christ to ground them in Truth (Ephesian 4:12-13). So, I did! Then I thought about the prophecy that some would depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1-3). So I did.
I noticed that the Bishop must not be a novice, so he must “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2Timothy 2:15). And I noticed that what follows the warning about those who follow seducing spirits, teaching doctrines of devils, seems an incongruous exhortation: “For every creature of God of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5). And I remembered the tendency of some to guilt believers into submission to the Old Testament restrictions concerning diet and days (Romans 14:1-7). Among the markers that identify those who depart from the faith once delivered are errors concerning marriage, meats, and days.
Along the still waters, as I reflected on these things, the Spirit told me, from Scripture, that while some want us to dismiss the Old Testament, others want to deny the New. We should neither dismiss the Old Testament nor deny the New. What was written then was written for our learning and admonition (1 Corinthians 10:11). At the same time, any who refuse the authority of the New Testament, and deny that Christ has come into the world, and fulfilled the Law, and refuse to acknowledge the plain teaching of Jesus and His Spirit regarding the matters of marriage, meat, and days, is denying the New Covenant.
Jesus spoke of Moses’ law concerning divorce and said, “In the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 5:31-32). Concerning meat, the Spirit said “every creature of God is good” (1 Timothy 4:4), and concerning days, He said, “let every man be persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5-6). The Spirit of the New Testament says leave the Gentiles alone regarding the ordinances of the Law (Acts 15:19).
I understood that the departure from the faith begins here. In refusing to acknowledge the GOD of the Old Testament and/or refusing the authority of the Spirit of Liberty in the New Testament. We must heed the Head, Christ, and submit to the Spirit of the Word and His words.
In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, the Spirit spoke to my heart, saying the pivot was the Cross. To dismiss the Old Testament is to reject the Christ who fulfilled it. To deny the New Testament is to deny the efficacy of the Cross, where God provided the sacrifice that satisfied the Law, and freed us to serve under the Spirit of liberty, no longer under the tyranny of sin and death. I realized anew the pivot point of my own life continues to be the Cross. He called to me: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). So I did!
At the table, He anointed my head with His oil, filled my cup with His grace, and called me into His Harvest. So I went!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live as soon as I can set up a livestream. Today was very unusual, and I must combine my Shepherd’s Pasture with Brain Massage® LIVE.
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