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Wednesday, March
19, 2008
Not a
Novice
1Timothy 3:5-7 (For if a man
know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of
God?) (6) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil. (7) Moreover he must have a good report of them
which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (KJV)
The above description is what
is required of those that desire the office of a deacon in the Church, one
who is an overseer of it. Those that are in Christ are those that have
learned to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit; simply put, they
practice what they preach. As we see in verse 6, it is pride that came
before the fall, someone that should have been operating in the liberty of
Christ had fallen back into the realm of the flesh and is now open season
to the devil and his workers who are seeking to make the mud stick to any
of God’s people. A novice is a new convert, someone who recently gave their
life to the Lord, or someone who hasn’t practiced what they preach, one who
is more apt to be in the process of learning than instructing. Remember how
a child is described in 1Cor 13:11, one that speaks like a child thinks
like a child and then understands what they had just spoken. Those that are
in Christ and have matured in Him will be the ones that take the time to
understand and then think about what they are going to speak before they do
speak it into existence; thus keeping themselves out of the condemnation
zone and realm of the devil. Sometimes people are elevated into the
position of bishops and deacons based more on their carnal stature rather
than the spiritual one; those that maybe are the sons of the pastor or
those that have the means to give more of a financial support than a
spiritual one. Whatever the case, God holds the overseers to a higher
standard; one which requires them to continue walking in the Spirit being
an example of the believers in walk as well as in talk.
1 Timothy 3:8-11 Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not
greedy of filthy lucre; (9) Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience. (10) And let these also first be proved; then let them use the
office of a deacon, being found blameless. (11) Even so must their wives be
grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. (KJV)
Doubletongued makes me think
of the term ‘someone that talks out of both sides of their mouth’. ‘They
smile in your face all the time they want to take your place, the backstabbers’,
an old song from the 70’s that seems quit fitting. Doesn’t it bother you to
hear someone always talking negatively about others and then smiling to
their face when they show up? Those that have matured in the Lord will be
the ones that have learned how to tame the tongue and not let it be an
unruly wildfire of slander and backbiting. If you notice in verse 11, that
if the wife isn’t grave, or stable, but running around slandering; that
doesn’t bode well for the husband either that is seeking to be a deacon of
the Church. What it basically tells me is that if she is running a smear
campaign on the brethren she obviously had that fire fueled at home, having
gotten it from the husband as well. So guys if you or your wives are out
there slandering others it won’t be long before you are going to take a
tumble into the abyss, having fallen back into the condemnation of the
devil you were once delivered from.
Proverbs 12:21-23 There shall
no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief. (22)
Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his
delight. (23) A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools
proclaimeth foolishness. (KJV)
There is no condemnation to
those in Christ; no evil shall happen to those that are justified in Him. A
fool will proclaim their foolishness by spreading slander against the
brethren, but the wise man will conceal it and pray one for another, not
prey on each other.
Galatians 6:1-3 Brethren, if
a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one
in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
(2) Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (3) For
if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself. (KJV)
How would you like it if you
had an issue that you were struggling with and rather than have it handled
in the Spirit it would be brought before a congregation that was willing to
stone first and take names later? Have you forgotten how you were saved and
brought into the realm of God, how longsuffering and patient God is and has
been with you? It’s those that are spiritual, those that are in Christ, who
are the ones God is going to use to oversee His congregation; so that if
someone has an issue it can be dealt with in love and not broadcast on CNN,
or a billboard. Are you more apt to pray and consider yourself and how God
handled you with your shortcoming and faults, or are you standing and
smoting your breast like the Pharisees thanking God you’re not like those
other sinners? When you think yourself to be something when according to
your own works or righteousness you are in reality nothing, then you
deceive yourself as well as others by spreading strife and contention, focusing
more on the problems than the solution.
Proverbs 26:20-22 Where no
wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the
strife ceaseth. (21) As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is
a contentious man to kindle strife. (22) The words of a talebearer are as
wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. (KJV)
You know it’s one thing that
the devil is the accuser of the brethren always looking for their
shortcomings and faults so that he can point the finger at them, it’s
another thing if you choose to be the vessel that he uses to be a launching
pad for his fiery darts that are being pointed at God’s people. Kind of
like a little tattle tale, a rat, ratting out the people just to make
yourself look better; like climbing the corporate ladder no matter who you
use or have to step over to get on top.
1 Corinthians 8:12 But when
ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin
against Christ. (KJV)
Rather than being an asset to
the body of Christ and lifting them up, you are now bringing them down and
actually sinning against Christ Himself. When you do it unto them, no
matter who they are, insomuch as it is done even to the least of our
brethren, or those that we think are the least important in the body,
Christ Himself takes it personal because we are doing it unto Him. Not a
good place to be and not one that is going to gain eternal access into His
kingdom.
Proverbs 22:10-11 Cast out
the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall
cease. (11) He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the
king shall be his friend. (KJV)
Instead of being the first
one to cast a stone why don’t you cast down those imaginations and every
high thing that comes against the knowledge of God? You want to end the
fire danger? Then get rid of the arsonist no matter through whom or how it
manifests. Grow up Church and don’t be a novice; rather than point the
finger at others, start pointing them to Christ so that they will not fall
back into the condemnation they were delivered from.
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