The Daily Word of Righteousness

The First Four Feasts, #28

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (I Peter 5:2,3)

We realize by teaching spiritual oversight we are opening the door for a fleshly elder to drive the Presence of God from an assembly until there are only human activities that please those who do not know the Lord.

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. (III John 1:9)

However, the greatest revival of all time is at hand. During the outpouring to come, the elders must take charge of the assembly of saints; otherwise strange and unfruitful manifestations will occur simultaneously with the genuine demonstration of the Holy Spirit.

It is the responsibility of the leaders of the assemblies to pray until they know the mind of the Spirit! They will be held accountable to God for the administration of their office.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. (I Timothy 5:17)

Antichrist and the False Prophet will seek to persuade the believers to use their ministries and gifts to better the condition of mankind. The ministries and gifts are not given by the Holy Spirit to better the condition of mankind but to bring to maturity the Body of Christ.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11-13)

The true, cross-carrying saint will resist all pressure, whether from the outside or from his own ambition, to use his gifts to support a humanly-organized endeavor, even though the objectives of the endeavor may be worthy and honorable, or even religious in character. The ministries and gifts are always to be administrated by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The saint can continue to move under the administration of the Lord Jesus by continually presenting his body as a whole burnt offering to God.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1,2) (from The Feasts of the Lord)