Daily Bread 4-25-18

1 Timothy 3:1-4

1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour , given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

ref. - Ac 20:28 - Take heed therfore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased in his own blood.

Jos 24:15 - And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Ro 13:1 - Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

In our lives we have many desires. The desire to be healthy, the desire for a good family, the desire to be successful. All of these desires, if achieved, come at a cost. there are certain things that we have to follow to achieve any one of them. We have to change from the person that we are into the person that can achieve such goals. So, why do we think that it is not necessary to change to achieve the greatest desire of all? eternal life. If we feel that we are leaders then why do we not see it necessary to follow the guidelines that are necessary to lead? The misinterpretation and ignorance of many who are not led by the Holy Ghost has made a mockery out of the things of God. We follow priests and worship idols and call it Christianity. We try to take on jobs in the Church to which we are not qualified by God to take in hopes that someday he will qualify us. And we wonder why we are not receiving all of the promises that Christ told us we would receive. It all boils down to one thing, and this scripture today helps us to understand; We want a partial gospel. We love to read about the desire of a bishop is a good thing, but when the requirements come in the next verses, we want to skim over them and get to the next part that fluffs us up. Well, today is not only the day of Jesus Christ but it is also the days that we must understand the full gospel. The desire of a man, and it says man, to be a bishop, is a desire to do a good work. A bishop must be blameless. If we dont want to be blamed for the wrong thing we must refrain from doing the wrong things. He must be husband to one wife, this meaning that he is a follower of God and there are no other God's before him, he is a follower of one true doctrine, the Bible doctrine. He is attached to Jesus Christ as the husbandman and devoted to him over all other things. vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality meaning that he is willing to help others and to take care of those who are not as fortunate as himself in knowledge or the ways of God. Apt to teach, meaning that he is ready in or out of season to teach others what the meaning is of this great gospel. Not given to wine meaning that no alcohol, those that think that alcohol is just another part of daily life have not been informed of the scriptures. No striker, no fighter. not greedy to filthy lucre, if he is greedy his love for money will surpass his love for God and he will be unfruitful in the things of God. the Church will become a den of thieves rather than a house of worship. Patient, not a brawler, not covetous. Satisfied with what god has given him and where God has put him, not desiring the place or job of someone else. One that rules his own house. If we expect our Church to follow God, we must start with our own house. Not everyone will serve God, but the guidelines and the rules of the household must be in parallel with the rules and guidelines set forth by this gospel and in the Church. Having his children in subjection, or being able to handle or control his children, in the Church and at home. these are all things that we need to work on if we have a desire to lead in the Church, and it is not an overnight thing but it is possible. As well, there are may things that the word of God says that we need to follow if we are to serve God. There are no saints or mothers, not even disciples and apostles, that we are told to hear and follow. We are told to follow Christ and learn of him. The first sign of a good preacher is that he redirects our devotion and affection to God rather than man. Even when it concerns himself. So, let us take form this lesson what we will and let us find within ourselves the desires to serve God and to let Christ lead our way. And also let us seek for things that will help us to do so. It is written, it is forever, and it is in Jesus Christ. Have a great day!!!