Calvin Synod Herald, 2006 (107. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2006-09-01 / 9-10. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 7 B. Authority begins with character. “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous(1 Timothy 3:2-3) C. Leadership first displays itself in the home. “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ” (1 Timothy 3:4-5) D. Officers’ wives must meet congruent standards; church leadership is necessarily a family enterprise. “Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ” (1 Timothy 3:11-12) IV. Prepare the Church for What It Will Encounter A. False leaders with corrupt doctrine will come but they will demonstrate their evil through conflict with grace; false teaching does not generate Biblical holiness. “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; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:” (l Timothy 4: 1-4) B. Leaders must organize their minds and stay on message. “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:15-16) C. Have nothing to do with people who refuse to conform to the revealed way of leading the church. “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”(1 Timothy 6:3-5) Rev. Dr. Edwin Elliott Reformed Presbyterian Church Manassas, Virginia Is Gratefulness Old-fashioned? Scripture reading: Exodus 16:1-21. Text: “So they (the people) asked him (the Lord), ‘What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘Fie gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, T tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.’” John 6:30-32. May this meditation become a spiritual preparation for Thanksgiving Day. Do you think people feel nowadays that there is a valid reason to be thankful? A minister seeing a prospering farm said to the farmer: “Mister, is not it great what the good Lord and you can do?” The farmer replied: “Pastor, you should have seen this farm when only the good Lord took care of it!” ”OUR FATHERS ATE THE MANNA IN THE DESERT...” John 6:31. In our scripture reading, Exodus 16, we learn how God provided food for the Jewish people in the wilderness after they had left Egypt. “That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew (that is manna) around the camp.” Exodus 16:13. However, there was a string attached to the divine providence; people could not gather more manna than they could eat a day. If they gathered more than necessary, the extra portion became spoiled. See Exodus 16:18-21. The Israelites were expected to know and make distinction between the NEEDED AMOUNT and the SURPLUS. The Jews were proud of this miraculous divine providence and mentioned it to Jesus and the Master challenged them to notice the “true bread” what His Father gave them from heaven and to see the difference between the manna and Himself. “Then Jesus declared, T am the bread of life.’” John 6:35. “GOD! GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE, COURAGE TO CHANGE THINGS I CAN, AND WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.” Surely, you also read or heard this short and prudent prayer. Among the three requests, probably the third one is the most important: “God! Grant me the . . . wisdom to know the difference.” Let the distinction between these alternatives help us to see our obligation to be thankful and grateful to God.- How small or great is, or should be, the difference between these two? a. How much happiness, prosperity and wealth should God shower upon us so we would say, “God really has blessed us?” b. How little do we need that is enough for us to live on and with it we will be satisfied and still praise God?- What makes us more thankful? a. Big, valuable special gifts granted less frequently as a surprise? Continued on page 8
