October 25 – Keeping the Commandments on the Outside

        1 Kings 15:5 – " For David had done what was right in the eyes of Yahweh and had not failed to keep any of Yahweh's commands all the days of his life – except in the case of Uriah the Hittite." © 1973, NIV

        On the surface, this verse sounds as if it implies that King David was nearly perfect all his life, only failing to keep two commands from the law of Moses – adultery and murder. Well, David knew his heart better than that. Including the obscure sin of taking a census of the army in 2 Samuel 24, David repeatedly in the Psalms, both claims reliance on his own uprightness as well as confesses his own sinfulness, which was in him at birth (the concept of an inherited sinful nature). Is it possible that the above verse was written instead as an example of David's otherwise lifelong devotion to God as a man who "pursued God's heart" (Acts 13:22)?

        One can also look at this verse in light of how Jesus explained how our motives were part of keeping God's commands. The Pharisees were known for their penchant for obeying the letter of the law, but their hearts were far from pleasing God. In Matthew 5 Jesus gives us several examples of keeping the letter of the law, but utterly failing to do so, when the real motives of the heart are revealed. He mentions adultery of the eyes, murder of the heart, loving others in the smallest way possible, divorcing quietly, and bringing gifts to God's altar, while a dispute is still brewing with a brother. In verse 20, Jesus states, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

        Pleasing God is more than just keeping his commands. It requires a change of heart, a desire to go beyond keeping the letter of the law, and to possibly sacrificing, in order to keep the spirit of the law.

March 1 – Shepherds of the Body of Christ

        1 Peter 5:1, 2 – "To the elders among you....be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must, but because you are willing...."

        I have always been an idealist, someone who looks for that slice of utopia in certains aspects of life. I want to see the picture of a perfect world, or at least a piece of perfection in our skewed perception. One of those aspects has to do with the worldwide church's tradition of "the pastor". I use the word "tradition" because the "real-world" pastor and his role, do not necessarily meet the instructions thereof, found in the New Testament. On the flip side, God is so patient with his children, that he allows many things that are not in his perfect will. I am not referring to sinful ways, as they never receive his blessing. Reference 2 Thessalonians 1:11, where Paul prays for blessings on good intentions and purposes, whether they be from God's perfect will or from not knowing his perfect will in a situation. God will work through anyone whose heart is desirous to please him.

        Nonetheless, let us look at a few scriptures that describe a scenario where the broader church might not get things right. In English translations of the Bible, the word "pastor" usually shows up only once in the New Testament. This started in part with the Geneva Bible translation and carried over to the long-overused King James Version. Eph. 4:11 states, "It was [Christ] who gave gifts to people in order to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service...." The word "pastor" in this verse simply means shepherd in Greek. Therefore, let's look at a few pertinent verses about shepherds. Three pieces of this puzzle will suffice to get a clearer picture. Refer to the main verse above where Peter ties together the words "shepherd, overseer, and elder". In Titus 1:5, Paul tells Titus, "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might organize what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." In Acts 20:28, Paul tells the Ephesian elders, "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God...." In the early church, there was no structure where one man was the leader of a local body of believers. There was a plurality of elders, who humbly led the flock into God's truth. They were the overseers who taught the people God's ways and directed the affairs of the local body.

        In 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul does state that the elders who direct well are worthy of double honor. However, I see leaders all the time who call themselves pastors in a possibly elevated manner. Jesus gives us a warning for such arrogant attitudes. In Matthew 23, especially in verse 7, he describes the wrongful actions of the scribes and Pharisees in this regard.

        For further study, 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 give the qualifications for elders/overseers. May God bless our efforts to serve him, even if those efforts are not in line with his ideal plan, or our perceptions thereof. That wish, however, does not mean that we should not strive to know God's perfect ways. We are all guilty of sometimes settling for God's 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th best, instead of desiring his 1^st best. Let us strive for God's best in everything.