The Lord’s Command

Posted on by korgrocker

“Don’t you realise that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge.”
1 Corinthians 9:13-15 NLT

It seems like a logical idea that the preacher of Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. The same principle should surely be applied to teachers and lecturers and anyone else who has knowledge of a particular subject and can help those around them with his or her knowledge. Of course, knowledge of anything can be acquired in several different ways, not just by listening to someone expounding what they know. To take a simple example, I could ask a bus driver the time of the next bus to a particular town, a piece of knowledge that he would probably have in his head. However, I could acquire the same information by consulting a bus timetable, which may exist in various forms, including both paper and internet versions. However, Paul was someone special, and he possessed knowledge that would have been unique in his time. He travelled to cities everywhere in the Middle East and mostly found virgin territory for his knowledge and understanding of the Good News about Christ, where people had never heard about Jesus and His saving grace, and had no means to get that knowledge in any other way, because the New Testament had not yet been written. 

Of course, the message of the Gospel is a free gift from God, and the priceless treasure that is available to all who believe in Jesus is eternal life. We know that from Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord“. We also know that because Jesus made no reference to cost when He said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life“. Responding to the Gospel is not a monetary transaction. Instead, it is one where Jesus Himself bore the cost on our behalf. 

There is an account in Acts 8 of Peter and John visiting the town of Samaria and the converts there who had only been baptised in the name of Jesus. We pick up the story in verse 19, “Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit”. However, a man named Simon, who had previously been a sorcerer but was now a Christian, made a request of the Apostles. We read in verses 18 and 19, “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”” Peter’s response was emphatic. Verse 20, “But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!”

There is a convergence between the two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. A person who shares the Gospel is a human being with basic needs that include food, drink, clothing and shelter. Most Christians work to earn a living and so do not need to be supported with the basics of life while we share the Gospel with those around us.  However, there are men and women whose occupation is in a full-time capacity as a minister, pastor or missionary, and they still have to be paid somehow. Paul was in that capacity, and, for some reason, it appears that the Corinthian church was reluctant to support him. He also said something that would have resonated with the Jewish members of the congregation, in that the priests who served in the temple were able to live based on the gifts brought to the temple and its altar. Paul then suggested that he should have the same benefits.

The challenge for all church members is providing financial support to our leaders. They work tirelessly, supporting the people, with visits to the lonely, the sick, and the wayward. They prepare sermons and support other church activities, such as children’s work and youth clubs. In fact, if our leaders withdrew their labour, the church would soon descend into chaos, as many find when they are unable to replace their pastors or ministers after they leave or retire. Although such financial support is not mandatory, it is a recognition that our leaders need some form of reward. Near the end of his life, Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’” (1 Timothy 5:17-18). 

We pilgrims thank God for His servants who give up so much for the Gospel. It is neither a well-paid nor an easy vocation to be a pastor. They often get little in the way of thanks, but nevertheless persevere in building their churches and fellowships as God leads and guides them. And so we pray for them and support them with our finances. As a result, a thriving fellowship of believers will see the grace of God manifested in their lives, and new members will join as they hear the Good News about Christ.

Dear Father God. We pray for our leaders that their needs will be met in every way, spiritually and physically. And we pray that you show us how we can support them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Eldership Qualities

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

We continue our examination of who elders are and the qualities required for this job. We have considered how an elder is entrusted with looking after the “flock”, the members of the congregation in the churches that they lead. And we also ventured into the contentious area of eldership gender. But moving on, we find that an elder must be above reproach. Titus 1:7, “A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money”. Nothing contentious there, I would think. An elder is someone who believers in his church will look up to and whose behaviour they will emulate. After all, the elders pastor those in the church, and bad behaviour or poor leadership will hardly be of value in accomplishing their core mission.

Another quality of an elder is that he must be hospitable. Titus 1:8a, “Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home … ”. Being hospitable is mentioned in several places in the Bible, and the Greek word for hospitality is, apparently, “love of strangers”. To be hospitable to anyone is often not a convenient act but one that nevertheless is something Christians are encouraged to do. When Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, he, and his colleagues and captors, were looked after through the hospitality of a local landowner called Publius, and in Acts 28:7 we read, “Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days“. That’s hospitality. We also note from Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” An angel in my home? Amazing? Jesus also taught on hospitality, as we read in Matthew 24:35, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home”.

‭‭‭‭Paul added the requirement of being able to teach to the role of an elder,  “ …  and he must be able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2b). To teach in a church context means having the ability to take and read the Scriptures and expound them in a way that imparts knowledge to the listeners. The Apostles and elders in the church in Jerusalem appointed deacons so ” … we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word“. 

‭Being an elder is sometimes a thankless task but one that can also be very rewarding. We pilgrims, who sit under the ministry of elders must pray for them. Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit“. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We do indeed pray for our church leaders, those whom You have appointed to oversee Your local expression of the Church. Please be with them, keeping them safe, we pray. Amen.

Elders Are Male?

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

Peter’s main concern for the “elders in the churches” was that they cared for the people within them, that they weren’t being overbearing leaders, “lording” it over people, and that they led the church by their own good example. They were then eligible for a reward of a “crown of never-ending glory and honour”. But the Apostle Paul provided more details of the qualities required by an elder. We can read what he wrote in his letters to Timothy and Titus in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. And the question for all elders in the Christian church today, regardless of their denomination, is how they measure up against the criteria Paul set out. There are those who take a liberal, “what was written in the Bible doesn’t always apply today”, attitude, and those who believe fundamentally that the Scriptures are the inspired Words of God through His Spirit and are to be followed to the letter. 

But whatever we believe, the first requirement of an elder, according to Paul, is that he is a man, married, and someone who manages his family well. We read in 1 Timothy 3:2a, 4-5, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. … He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” The in-your-face issue here is the fact that the Bible only talks about male elders, who are married and have a family. So, where does that put the women ministers and elders who populate established denominations such as Anglicans or Presbyterians? Or the Methodists who, as I read this morning, have a transgender minister? There will be many responses I’m sure, but in the end this is a matter of personal conscience and belief, and the denominations concerned.

Some years ago I grappled with this problem, and concluded that if God can’t find a man to be a leader, He would appoint a woman. This happened in the Old Testament, and we can read about a woman called Deborah. Her story appears in Judges 4 and 5. She was Israel’s only female judge, and was a prophetess who “judged” Israel during those turbulent times when God’s people constantly flip-flopped between doing good and doing evil. Deborah emerged in a time when the Israelites were doing “evil in the Lord’s sight” (Judges 4:1). But through her leadership and willingness to hear the Spirit’s Word, she led the people to a victory over their Canaanite oppressors. And it was another woman, called Jael, who courageously stepped up to the mark and killed the Canaanite commander, Sisera. 

Why did Deborah become a judge in Israel? Some say it was to shame the men who refused to step up and take responsibility for the dire situation that the Israelites were in. Others are kinder in their opinion, and wonder if, perhaps, this was a picture of God’s gentle and compassionate care for His people, as a mother cares for her children. We should also be aware that God will use both men and women to be instruments of His power. But God’s preferred model, as communicated through Paul, was that elders should be male. Why is that, do you think? Perhaps a question for God one day.

Dear Father. It appears the You appointed men to be leaders in the Church. We pray for more Godly men with Your anointing upon them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Elders

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

Peter starts the next chapter in his first letter by writing directly to the “elders in the churches”. These men (always men in those days) are the church leaders, the “pastors and spiritual leaders” as the Amplified Bible version explains. What these church leaders are named today depends on which denomination we belong to, but every fellowship of believers will have a leader or leaders. Peter himself explains that he was an elder as well, but one with a special qualification. He walked with Jesus for three years and was “a witness to the sufferings of Christ”. 

The work of an elder hasn’t changed over the years since the first appointments in the First Century. It is a role that can be very demanding and time consuming. It involves interactions, sometimes painful, with the church members, dealing with issues, good and bad. But the elder’s role is essential for the discipline and spiritual growth of pilgrims everywhere. Elders can be involved in decision-making, as we read in Acts 15. In verses 1 and 2, we read how a dispute over circumcision was settled by a meeting of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. An elder is also required to minister and pray for the sick people in the fellowship. We read in James 5:14, “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.” In our verses from 1 Peter today, we read an elder should, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to [them]”. So an elder can end up taking services and preaching and teaching, leading Bible studies and prayer meetings, and generally building up the believers in their church. The role of an elder is an essential appointment in a church, as we can see.

Do we pilgrims know an elder? Are we in a church with one or more of them? We may even be elders ourselves. But we must always pray for our elders, because they have a heavy responsibility. We read in James 3:1, “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly”. Many believers have been led astray by false teaching, and even Christian sects have been established and built on a wrong foundation. To take an extreme example, I read about a church that emphasised Mark 16:18a, “They will be able to handle snakes with safety … ”, with apparently disastrous results when they brought snakes into the meetings.

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is always on hand to lead and guide us. He cares for His children, and we believers must always remember that we have direct access straight to His throne. 

Dear Lord. We pray for the leaders in our churches today, that You will lead and guide them in Your paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It Is Time

Posted on by korgrocker

“The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshipped him. And they said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.””
Revelation‬ ‭11:16-18‬ NLT

The last trumpet has sounded. Loud voices are heard shouting in Heaven. At last, the Messiah’s rule and reign over His Kingdom will be established for ever. No more sinful world under the devil’s jurisdiction. No more curses striking mankind. No wonder that the twenty-four elders fall on their faces before God. And they offer Him a prayer of thankfulness. Their prayer is full of relief, full of “at-last” sentiments, as though all mankind’s pent up frustrations are finally going to be dealt with.

The elders’ prayer is in five parts. The first acknowledges who God is and always has been. There is a fashionable phrase that goes something like “live for the moment”. But such a sentiment has no roots. It floats in a hedonistic haze, soon to return to reality with a bump. We pilgrims always keep in mind that our loving Heavenly Father has always been around. We live in His design, in a world full of His created wonders. A moment in God’s presence extends on and on and …

The second part expresses the elders’ gratitude that, after a lifetime of grieving over a fallen, devil-controlled, world, God is finally calling time and is about to adopt His rightful place as Ruler over all He has made. The elders refer to God finally being about to use His “great power”, all that is needed to reign over His Kingdom.

The third part of the elders’ prayer thanks God for exchanging the world’s wrath for His wrath. No longer will mankind’s anger, stoked up by the devil, have any place. Instead God’s wrath will prevail. Sometimes I wonder, when speaking to people, about their propensity to angrily wave their fists in God’s face. As though their puny efforts will matter. I’m reminded of Psalm 2, where we read, “Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭2:1, 4). And it is not as though mankind has had no warning about what is to come – Psalm 2:5-6 continues, “Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.””

The fourth part of the prayer contains the ominous phrase “it is time to judge the dead”. One day everyone who has ever lived will have to face into the reality that mankind will face a time of judgement. The grave will in no way be a place where God’s wrath can be avoided. All those who have declined God’s invitation to join His family will soon realise what that means. If they don’t want to live in Heaven, there is only one other place where eternity can be spent. And the elders’ prayer ends with the ominous statement that “It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth”. 

Thankfully there is a fifth part to the elder’s prayer. A time of reward is coming for God’s prophets, holy people and those who fear His name. The elders must have been ecstatic. No wonder they were on their faces before God.

Where do we pilgrims find ourselves this morning? On our faces before God or biting our nails in fearful anticipation of what is to come? While there is still time we must embrace God’s Son, Jesus. He warned His generation and, because of God’s grace, the warning still stands today. We read His words in John 12:35-36, “Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.”

While there is time, while we can, we pilgrims must extend Jesus’ invitation, to trust in His light, to the generation in which we live. A brief examination of the news on the media soon exposes the fact that that there is an awful lot going on that has no eternal consequence at all. The psalmist was certainly right in Psalm 2 when he said, “Why do they waste their time with futile plans?” I summed it up recently, when discussing the pros and cons of Scottish independence, by saying that Scotland needs revival not independence. The adherents to worldly plans will find that they have no value at all, compared with a life to be spent in eternity. So we pilgrims have an opportunity, during this season of God’s grace, to reset the agenda, to remind those around us, while we still can, that “now the time of [God’s] wrath has come“.

Father God. With the elders we fall on our faces before You, giving thanks for who You are, and for the coming period of Your rule and reign on earth. Please help us to get ready. Amen.

Falling Down

Posted on by korgrocker

“Whenever the living beings give glory and honour and thanks to the One sitting on the throne (the One who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the One sitting on the throne (the One who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.””
Revelation‬ ‭4:9-11‬ NLT

How do we worship God? With our thoughts? Or with an extravagance of gestures or postures? There were no doubts in the minds of the twenty four elders – they fell down before God. And they selflessly handed over their precious crowns, laying them before His throne. 

I often think it a shame that many people like me, who yearn for the ability to be unconsciously uninhibited in their worship of God, find it so hard to break through the conditioning of those early years, when we were taught that emotion, particularly in men and boys, was not to be displayed. The “stiff upper lip” prevailed. Pain and tears must be suppressed. And, sadly, it is very difficult to cast all that aside. In my morning prayer walks through the West Fife woods in Scotland, I would often wish to cry out to God in praise and worship, overcome by the beauty and awesomeness of God’s creation. But what if someone heard me? Happily, one day all the inhibitions will be discarded, because there will be no choice. God has to be worshipped with every fibre of our beings. 

Worship of God can take many forms. We sing and shout. We compose lyrics for songs. We write poems and prose. We raise our hands in times of praising God, as exhorted in Psalm 134:2, “Lift your hands toward the sanctuary, and praise the Lord“. Incidentally, do we do that? The Christian church has adopted the pose of two hands clasped together at chest height. A safe way of raising our hands? Perhaps. But was the psalmist proposing that we stretch out our arms and hands towards Heaven? The unsafe way?

But with a sigh, we pilgrims reach out to God, who understands our difficulties. We thank Him for His encouragement as He walks and talks with us through our lives. Step by step. Day by day. Responding to His grace and love in the way that we can. Looking forward to that day when the worship of God will be as natural as breathing.

Dear Heavenly Father. We praise and worship You today. We’re so deeply grateful for Your presence, Your loving kindness, and graciousness. What else can we do but worship You? Amen.

Elders

Posted on by korgrocker

“Twenty-four thrones surrounded Him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.”
Revelation‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

John’s vision expands, as though he was seeing through a lens with an increasing field of view. And he sees thrones and people sat on them. The scene’s detail is such that he can count the number of thrones. And he notices that each of the people who were sitting on the thrones – he calls them elders – were wearing white with gold crowns on their heads. The fact that he could identify them as being elders in the church must have meant he had some extra-visionary revelation, something that allowed him to identify them. So we must ask ourselves why were they there, was there anything significant about the number twenty four, and why were they dressed that way.

The easy answer is – we don’t know. But there are perhaps a few hints. Taking the crown first, the Apostle Paul said we would receive a crown of righteousness one day. In 2 Timothy 4:8 we read, “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing”. James takes up the same theme in James 1:12, referring to a crown of life. There are also several Old Testament references to crowns. So we shouldn’t be puzzled if we receive a crown when we get to Heaven. And it will be a presentation to us from Jesus Himself (think about receiving an honour from the British Queen, a knighthood or something – it will be an infinitely greater occasion than that!). 

And then we have the white clothes. References to white garments appear throughout the Book of Revelation, so I think white is the colour (is white a colour?) that will be almost ubiquitous in Heaven. It signifies purity, and is the opposite to the devil’s favourite – a black darkness. Jesus promised the church in Sardis clothes of white if they overcame what was holding them back in their faith. The words of Jesus in Revelation 3:5, “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments…”. Another enigmatic Scripture that comes to mind is from Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” 1 John 1:7 reads, “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin”. When we repent of our sins and believe in faith that Jesus shed His blood for us, then our sins are washed away and we are left white and pure. 

So why were there twenty four elders and why were they sitting on thrones surrounding God’s throne? We don’t really know for sure, though theologians over the centuries have tried to come up with a few theories. But I’m wondering if the “24” refers to the universality and inclusiveness of the Gospel. God’s grace extends both to the twelve tribes of Israel and to everyone else, non-Jews represented by the second twelve. 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 reads, “For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. And so the body is not made up of one part but of many”. 

So to today’s pilgrims, this glimpse into Heaven showing the twenty four elders, and reveals the importance of perseverance, because there awaits for each one of us a personalised reward, and an eternity close to God’s throne. We won’t all be elders I’m sure but there will be a role for each one of us, as eternity plays out in boundless lives of purity. 

Dear Lord. Thank You once again for this glimpse inside Heaven, Please help us to keep our final goal, our final home, firmly in our sights. Amen.