Do you have the Attitude of Christ! P2

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Biblical Guy

What does it mean to exemplify the attitude and conduct of Christ? What would that look like in your life?

We Are To Have the Attitude of Christ! Read 1 Peter 4: 1-11

This passage also gives us comfort in suffering because Christ Himself suffered. He, who is God incarnate, who totally did not deserve to suffer, suffered on our behalf. He endured great physical, mental, and spiritual pain on our behalf, and exemplified the attitude and conduct we are to have when we go through the tough stuff of life.

Thus the call for us in church leadership is to be focused upon Christ as LORD so to be prepared and equip ourselves for what lies ahead in life. We must have our expectations based on reality and in faith, so when something comes our way-whether it is a blessing or a problem-we can take it, handle it with excellence, learn, and grow from it. Then, in turn, we can pass it on as we lead and pastor His people. In this way you can be a blessing to others because of it.

Consider these key words:

“Christ suffered.” Our Lord withstood the full brunt of all human temptations needlessly, yet purposely (Mark 1:12-13, Heb. 2:12; 4:15). He was a man, subject to the power and enticement of sin. He did not need to do this, but for our sake He did. He was fully man and identified with us. He remained sinless and took our sins upon Himself. Now, sin has no power over Him or us other than what we allow on ourselves (Rom. 6:1-10; 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 5:14; 1 Pet. 2:22)!

“Regard to the Spirit.” We now have spiritual renewal and assurance because Christ has obtained for us victory and triumph over death and sin (Rom. 6:5-9; 1 Cor. 15:25-26).

 This applies to leadership as we are in union with other Christians as we are all bonded to Christ and we may suffer unfairly when we do good. Suffering also bonds and helps form us deeper in Him. It is not to be seen as shame. Rather, it is an honor to serve our King (Rom. 6:1-14; Phil. 2:5-11; 1 Pet. 3:21).

The challenge of leadership from 1 Peter is sin that calls us to the world’s ways. From lust and seduction to chasing a mindless trend so the focus is on what is new and not upon Who and what Christ has done. A Good leader needs to be aware that sin is so enticing we can easily slip anyone off God’s path. Thus, we need to be willing to suffer so sin does not entice us and lead our church off God’s purpose and plan. So, as a leader, we must set the tone and become more guarded against sin because a bigger picture is in our sight-Christ, His example, and our willingness and commitment to lead so others can follow. When we see Christ as LORD and not our personal viewpoints, pride and desires, we will grow, mature, and be prepared for anything! Then our church will grow healthy and secure in Christ.

When something comes your way, whether it is a blessing or a problem, how can you take it, handle it with excellence, and learn and grow from it? What would that do for your congregation?

 How would your walk with Christ grow and in turn be a blessing to your church if you did this?

 

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Do you have the Attitude of Christ! P1

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Biblical Guy

Are you chasing your desires or our Lord? How can the answer to this question help determine what direction you take in life?

We Are To Have the Attitude of Christ! Read 1 Peter 4: 1-11

This is essential in church leadership to remember who we are leading and to Whom we are leading them to! So, we must ask the question earnestly and honestly: Are you chasing your desires or our Lord?

The answer to this question will determine what direction your church goes. This will actually determine what direction in life you go as well. Consider the context of the 1 Peter passage in leadership and life, sin. When we fail to lead people to Christ as LORD, we sin, this, as if, when, and how sin will entice you to fall!

Consider these key words:

“Arm yourselves” refers to as soldiers train and prepare for battle, we are to be trained and are to be prepared with Christ’s attitude, outlook, knowledge, and experience. We are to prepare for injustice and suffering!

“God’s will” is the determining factor in life! It all comes down to this; will you follow His will, or yours and the world’s? Which one do you think brings the most blessings and contentment to your family and the church you lead?

“Debauchery” means unrestrained indulgence, seeking sinful, physical gratification, or giving into one’s desires. This leads to being merciless and unscrupulous in one’s dealings with others! When we fight against one another, especially in the church, it is hurtful and even pathetic in God’s eyes (Gen. 4:8; Duet. 25:17-19; Joshua 7; Matt. 21: 1-17; Luke 9:54; Rom. 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:21; Eph. 4:19).

“Lust” refers to sexual immorality, meaning evil desires that trap us and bring down others who are around us-the very opposite of God’s call for us.

We must be always aware that sin is coming. And our biggest problem is pride. As we lead; we can either draw near to God to stay clear, or draw near to sin and our pride and thus away from God and His best for us and the direction He wants His church to grow and go.

The great news is that Christ gives us the ability to stand firm in Him. The key is, we need to want to! Peter’s people were being slandered and taken advantage of, and they were becoming disillusioned. Peter’s call was to stand firm in faith and not worry what others do as long as we look to Christ wholeheartedly. Just as we are to do in our churches today. Thus, the best defense to sin, pride, wayward trends, past mistakes is the offense of righteousness and demonstrating the good life in Christ (1 Pet. 2:12,15, 23; 3:9, 16; 4:4,14)!

Sin has and unbelievable power to weigh us down so it defines who we are and traps us in the past. We all have past mistakes and wrong choices, but Christ freed us so we no longer need to be weighed down by them! Peter’s congregation had a pagan background that was very alluring; he is telling them (and us) not to let it draw them or become a part of their new life.

Be the leader who leads people to the Wonder of our Lord, not to sin, not to your pride and not to faulty trends (Rom. 1:12:13; 6:1-14, 19; Gal. 5:19-21)!

 

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Be caught up with Christ!

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Biblical Guy

Christ bears our stupidities. What are those for you and your church? 

How can you and your church do a better job at bringing out the best in your people, be a blessing, and not to seek self-gratification at the expense of others? 

The bottom line is this: God is in control of your church. His hand is intervening—in us, in time, in the situation—and in His timing. We will have the bad, and we will have our setbacks, trials, and our human frailties; but most important of all, we have the ultimate Good—we have Christ when we are in Christ! The application for us is what He seeks in us—the distinction of real, effectual faith that makes us able to lead and teach (if one is a Bible teacher). For a leader, it is discernment between good and false teaching, and/or good versus bad love, Fruit, and character, and/or a good versus a failing church.  

What do you think the honest reputation of your church and leadership in the pews and in your neighborhood is? 

One of the deficiencies and fickleness of character that we humans possess is the propensity of being shallow. We are like a charismatic speaker over being told the truth, a flashy dresser over something practical, and a celebrity over an intellectual or even a friend. We want a religion that does not convict or teach because we want to indulge ourselves with our desires and a pat on the back. We want our ears tickled and our problems solved; we want to feel good but we do not want to grow in faith or learn from adversity. We want comfort and not have to bother with the time and work that true spiritual formation takes. In the Gospels, Jesus walked away from the people who were flocking to Him to go after the pious, fraud leaders. 

The question we must ask, is how shallow am I? What about the people in my church? Where do I need conviction; in what areas do I need to grow? Then, we need to get up and follow Christ comforts us and assists us to do the same, to lead others out of their shallowness into the depths of His presence and Word. Jesus knows our thinking, motivations, will, and heart; this is something only God can know. Jesus has supernatural knowledge and will see through any pretentiousness and shallowness; He is not concerned with the fad and excitement, but rather how we are leading others in growing their faith. Jesus did not trust the people who were so eager because He knew they would be just as fleeting (1 Sam 16:7; Psalm 139; John 2:13-25; 4:29; Acts 1:24). 

What can be done to deepen one’s faith and life?  

What are the challenges indicated in this passage for us today? What is our true priority in how we do our church? Where is our focus, rational, and purpose? Is it all about God’s glory—or ours? Is it about what we want—or what He requires? What is the purpose of your church? 

Do not be caught up with the stimulation of trends, hype, and speculations; rather, be caught up with Christ. Do not ignore the veracity of God’s Word. His Word is explicit; He tells us what we need to know and that is that. It is a tragedy to chase what is meaningless and fleeting then miss His wonders and Truth! We have nothing to add to His Word and nothing about which to improve it; rather, it is we who need to be approved.

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How does your church glorify God?

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Biblical Guy

Why is it impossible to glorify God in the midst of envy and strife, or in anger and bitterness? 

We, as Christian leaders have a debt to pay out of our gratitude for what Christ has done. We must consider reaching others in our care as well as the lost as an opportunity to obey our call. The whole purpose of the Jewish nation was to model God’s redemptive plan to all of humanity. Now the baton has been passed to Christians—both as individuals and collectively as the Church (Gen. 12). 

Keep in mind this imperative from God’s Word. We are to be rooted in Christ and to display humility, as our Lord exemplified. This means mutual acceptance of others, even those whose culture and beliefs are different. Yet, it is amazing how we Christians exclude one another over trivial matters, causing many church splits and schisms. This is what causes a lot of our problems in the world; we have created a poor reputation in the world. We often are the butt of jokes that we have well earned. It is not always satan or worldliness; sometimes we can be our own worst enemies (Matt. 23; Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:20)! 

How do we as Christians cause church splits and schisms when we exclude one another over trivial items? 

God accepted you. You, in turn, must accept others! He did not save us to be self-centered; He saved us to be His ambassadors wherever we are, whatever we are, and whenever we can! 

What have you or your church done in the past six months to promote or model peace and unity? 

Consider that a bad leader is like a wild animal that will tear at another animal’s weakness and frailty. Do we do the same with others, and still praise the Lord? Yes, Christ bears our weakness and our stupidities, and He has patience with us when we are totally undeserving. But; what about our responsibilities? What about our call to be better? We need to make sure that when we lead, we are pointing others to Christ. We are to seek and bring out the good in others, as our Lord did with us, and be a blessing to others. We are not to seek self-gratification at the expense of others. Did you know that it is as impossible to be a Christian hypocrite as it is impossible to be half pregnant? Either you are—or you are not. The Fruit will show our true colors. We indeed have hope and purpose, as hope is the effect of obedience and trust in our Lord (Heb. 6:18). If you have no hope, then you have no vision and purpose, and no trust in the One who loves you ( Gen. 12:1-3; 17:7; 26:2-4; 28:14; 46:3; Ex. 29:45-46; 2 Sam. 7:9; Isa. 40:10; Mal. 3:1; John 1:14; 4:22; Gal. 3:8-16; 26-29; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 7-10; 13:20; Rev. 7:9; 21:1-3).

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Our debt to Christ

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Biblical Guy

As you lead, consider your debt to Christ for what He has done for you. Be careful not to put down others whose faith is not strong or whom you may not like. Be willing and able to disciple others in the faith with real guidance, support, and in prayer. In so doing, you can live your life as an encourager to others. A more experienced and mature Christian is called to walk alongside new and less mature Christians to help them grow so they can glorify Christ. This is leadership prime! In addition, Christian leaders are to remove all aspects of pride and arrogance from their thinking and actions! The leader or pastor has the obligation, the imperative command, to disciple others with time, love, and patience, not merely to exercise one’s own version or vision to the exclusion of Christ and His precepts. Additionally, we are not to flaunt ourselves because of our position or maturity—or lack of it.  

Have you been able to remove all aspects of pride and arrogance from your thinking and actions? If not, what do you still need to work on? 

Leaders are to be dedicated to unity rather than to strife and envy!  

There are major enemies and threats that will take down the best leaders and destroy the most fruitful churches. First is pride, which was discussed previously; now, consider that our Lord suffered for the benefit of others, and to the exclusion of Himself. Since Christ was able to deny Himself, it is ludicrous to think that our pride is bigger than Him, so that we do not need to be humble; without humility we will have envy, which is one of the most destructive forces on earth, and will bring down leaders and ministries faster than imagination can allow! How do we combat this? Look to our Lord! His focus was pleasing God and helping others. What is yours? If your vision and attitude are not about pleasing God, but you are in it for yourself, you are not a leader called by God; rather, you are in the wrong position at best or perhaps a parasite at worst who is a clear and present danger to the Kingdom and must step down until you are right with God! In real church leadership, no pretenders or phonies or prideful people are allowed! Get out and get help (Psalm 69:9; 1 Pet. 5)! 

Christ must be our model and pattern in our service to others, and the reason for the importance of being humble. Yet, many Christian leaders act as though this were not true! 

Do you acknowledge God’s Word the way you do money? 

From our studying, to our mentoring, to our governing, to our hospitality, or to our public encounters, all must be done with one mind and mouth. We must work as a body, maintaining our individual personalities, but having unified vision and purpose to glorify God. If this is not so, the result will be chaos and strife, Satan’s favorite playground. So, we must look to the Scriptures, which were written for us—for our benefit, for our learning, and for our growth—all by divine inspiration. We cannot glorify God in the midst of envy, pride, and strife, or in the presence of anger and bitterness. We cannot be known for our negatives, for they will accomplish nothing. Our focus must be on the positive; our focus must be on Christ as LORD (1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:10-12)!

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We have a Debt with Leadership

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Biblical Guy

The Apostle Paul gave us some essential guidelines from Romans 15:1- 13 in the leading of our churches. With Paul’s great manifesto complete, he finished with a personal note on how to better lead a church. Paul may have been apprehensive on how this letter would be received; therefore, he used many personal pronouns to reassure them of his love for them. People tend to lead from their own will, but God wants us to lead from His. So, Paul opened his heart to them, and became very vulnerable and candid. He sought their prayers and support as he both instructed and exemplified what they were to do. And, in his final closing, he was still overflowing with the magnitude of the greatness of God’s grace! Emperor Nero may have martyred him, but his voice prevails today, nearly 2000 years later, by the power of the Holy Spirit.   

In verse seven of Romans fifteen, we are asked to accept others. How can you do this? What barriers do you need to get over in order to do so? 

One of the major points of our lives is the debt we owe to Christ; we should give back to Him and His work in us with gratitude as we lead His Church. Thus, any condescension to those under our care and guidance is an extreme assault both on the character of our Lord and on His instruction to us. A Christian, especially a leader, must never, ever be so filled with pride that he/she is arrogant and callous toward others! The mature believer and leader should be able to give up his/her selfish desires and inclinations for the good of others, so to be an example of Christ.  

What have been your thoughts about our discussions of pride and arrogance? Have you been challenged? Or, do you feel we are “barking up the wrong tree” in our emphases? If so, have you studied the passages and prayed?  

The Bible was composed for our benefit and instruction, filled with hope, purpose, and meaning to enable us to live the Christian life. It is our written guide while Christ is our Personal guide from whose example we model and lead. In demonstration, Paul prayed for love and concord among the believers for the worship of God, who is the chief reason we are a church, coming together for the glory of God. We are passionately urged to know who we are in Christ, so our faith can be real and demonstrated in our relating to and management with others. We all are called to glorify Christ in all that we do—leaders as well as other believers. Thus, if we are called to be a leader, it will be exhibited by our passion and support in modeling, speaking, or writing, because of the urgency of the Gospel and the need for the world to hear it. As God desires our prayers and respect, He also calls us to offer the same to one another.  

Does this give you hope and encouragement? What about motivation?

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Do you Display God’s Splendor?

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Biblical Guy

 

When you lead, you are to display God’s splendor in the best means and words possible so that Christ is shown as the Supreme Head over the Church. He controls the Church. Does He control yours? Or, do you think you do (2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:13-15; 5:23; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)? 

Why does a Christian have the obligation, the imperative command, to disciple others in growth with time, love, and patience? What would be some excuses for not doing it? How would Christ receive these excuses?  

The purpose and intent of your church is to worship, and to instruct, model for, and excite others about the promises of our Lord Christ and challenge them to grow in faith and maturity by the perseverance of faith in Him. As a leader, you shepherd them in these paths. We are to long for Christ as LORD, but not only that; we are to know Him and seek Him so we will grow in Him with praise, prayer, study, and fellowship. If not, what are we doing? And if we negate our duty, we may be the ones on the outside of His love and care—both now and for eternity.  

In what ways do some Christian leaders present their own version(s) of lordship, to the exclusion of Christ? How do we see Jesus—as lord, or Lord, or LORD? 

Jesus invites us to partake of Him and His incredible wonders now and forever more! He wants us to be focused on Him and not to stray so we can be better used for His glory. If we do stray, His arms are open throughout our prodigal wanderings—arms which we do not deserve, yet they are there, nonetheless. He calls us to repent and proclaim Him. He continually exhorts us to maintain righteousness, and to upright leading and management of His Church by His Way and His methods. We do this by first managing our own spiritual formation, and then we can lead others toward spirituality in Christ. A leader cannot lead where he or she has not been, just as a church cannot grow when its leaders are not growing. Here is Christ—beckoning, warning, and even pleading for us to get it right and then do it right—both our lives and His Church in Him.  

How can you and your church realize a depth of gratitude for what Christ has done so you can see the lost as opportunities and recognize the call to reach them? 

The call is to know and be prepared by faith, to grow in our spiritual maturity, to develop godly character, and to be infused by the Spirit and His resulting Fruit. By so doing, we lead others by way of where we have been. Simply put, it is for this reason that Christ built His Church—that we might partake in the building of His Kingdom with the bricks of our faith, each one interlocking with another. How are your bricks being formed and baked? Never forget that your purpose is to inform with confidence and conviction, with clarity, and in truth that faith and loyalty to Christ matter. We have a hope and we can be assured He has a plan and will love and care for us into and throughout eternity.

 

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Our Light is Christ and we are called to display Him!

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Biblical Guy
Do you just want to preach to people or do you want to display Christ so others want what you have? The Church is called to be living out the faith in our lives and in our Church! How can you do this better? Jesus is proclaimed in the New Testament as the Priest, Judge, King, and Ruler of the Church. This is not a theory; rather, it is the reality of how we must connect with Him before we contact others and help them connect to Him. 
 
We are a “Work of God” that means we are made by Him for Him, even though we may suffer just to show and experience the greater wonder of God’s mercy and power. Because, God’s goodness and sovereignty will prevail and our call is to glorify God by our best efforts of faith, as we are His display cabinet (John 1:9-23; Gal. 5:19-22; Col. 1:9-14).  
Why would having no hope cause you and your church to have no vision and purpose, or to have doubts about the One who loves? 
As you shepherd, you properly lead, making a connection for God’s people so they can have hope and endurance through the sharing of his sufferings and experiences and so they will know He is still with them in spirit and in understanding. John was not living the good life while his people were being persecuted; he was in the frontlines of it all. He was a leader who led by example by going first in line to the destination to which he was leading others. After he had set the tone, he told them of his incredible vision of Christ and His call to the leadership of the Seven Churches. Jesus spoke to him in vivid imagery, commanding him to write it all down so it could be shared and used to further the Kingdom.  

Why is it important that when we run our churches, we do so with God’s power and precepts leading us and not our personal ways or trends?  

The purpose of a Christian leader, pastor/minister, deacon, elder, shepherd, or whatever you call yourself is to get your church lined up to God and His Way and precepts!

In addition, you are to facilitate yourself, your team, and the people with the development of faith, spiritual maturity, character, and Fruit so everyone is ready for His use and glory. We have a call to remain faithful and keep our trust in Christ no matter what comes our way in sufferings or temptations. We are to focus on His Way, even in persecution and stress. This theme is prominent in Revelation (Rev. 2:2-3, 13, 19; 3:10; 6:11; 13:10; 14:12; 16:15; 18:4; 20:4; 22:7, 11, 14). 

What are your thoughts now on what should be the essential framework to build your church into a healthier church?   …are they from the Bible or your will?

What is the image of Christ to you? How is His image proclaimed and demonstrated in your church? How can you use this information so you can have a better, healthier concept of who God is? How will this translate into your daily life? Remember; your duty is to reverence Him (Job 37:5-6; Ezek. 1:24; 43:2; Dan. 10:6).

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Are you and your church known for your negatives or positives?

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Biblical Guy

 

If so, what will you accomplish, or what will be your focus? 

A true Christian leader who is called by God will always point others to Christ and His fold, not to themselves, because, it is God’s power that leads¾not the ways or trends of the world. We will have the desire to learn, develop, and implement the skills of good leadership and gladly take the risk in doing so. The essential framework and prime purposes in building a healthy church are to glorify Christ, to worship and enjoy Him, and not to please our comforts or ideas. We are to shine before Him by knowing Him, by holding His truth, and by growing in Him so we can make Him known in a dark world! 

Jesus gathers us together as a church to be with one another for mutual support and protection. How can you be more careful not to follow bad shepherds and those who would hurt you? 

The Church is the body of believers whose duty it is to shine the Light of our Lord as a witness for Him. His character is the Light we follow and proclaim. Christ is the Priest, Head, Lord, and Prime Shepherd of the Church. He is the object of and reason for our gathering and functioning. It is all about Him, not about us as leaders; we merely point to Him! This is how God’s Glory descended into the Tabernacle of old and today into our churches. Our purpose now is to point to His glory, as the Church is the light of the world. Christ is the pattern we follow and emulate and the future for our lives. Proclaiming the Church as a lamp stand is saying the Church is significant as the true place of reverence to God, and Christianity is the true practice of Judaism (Gen. 1:3; Ex. 25:31-40; 1 Kings 7:49; Zech. 4:2; Matt. 5:14-16; 18:20; 28:20; John 1:4-5; 8:12; 14:18; Acts 26:13; Eph. 1:10; 5:8-13; Phil. 2:15; 1 John 1:4-5; Rev. 1:9-20; 2:9; 3:9). 

What does it mean to you to shine before God? How does holding His truth help you shine and make Him known in a dark world? How is your light shining before others?  

Here are some more questions to seek in prayer: As a leader, how do you connect, inspire and equip? How would others characterize you as such? What do you need to learn and overcome to be better for our Lord’s glory? Keep in mind that we all need renovation and renewal; I know I do!  

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Does Jesus control your church?

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Biblical Guy

Or, do you or others think you do? 

What characterizes leadership in the church? It follows pretty much the same concepts as those stated above with the addition of being godly, faithful, and Fruitful for our Lord’s glory. The best example is found in John, chapter ten, where Jesus is called our “Good Shepherd” (See the Bible study on this passage at www.intothyword.organd preach on it!). The Christian Leader is a Shepherd, the person whose job it was to guard and care for the sheep—in this case, indicating God’s people. Just as the actual sheepherder who owned the sheep had a vested interest in them and would do all it took to protect them, as his family’s livelihood depended on them, God anoints such leaders for His people. In contrast, a hired person had no vested interest and as soon as danger would come, they would scram (Gen. 31:39; Num. 27:15-23; 1 Sam. 17:34-37; 2 Sam. 5:2; Psalm 78:71-72; Isa. 63:11; Jer. 3:15; Ezek. 34:1-24; John 10:1-21). 

The question is, are you a sheep under His care or one that is out on the lamb (pun intended),on the run? 

Although the comparison is not meant to be condescending, nor are we ever to be arrogant, we are called sheep because they are notoriously stupid animals and need a good, caring leader. They can’t survive on their own; they show us that without God, we are just like them. They are totally dependent upon their caregiver, the shepherd. A sheep that gets out and lives on its own will starve or eat poisonous plants because it will not go where the gppd food is. It will hurt itself by rubbing itself to death on a tree or falling down and breaking its leg or falling off a cliff. Sheep need constant care and attention and the sheep that skips out on that care will die. As shepherds, we are the ones who are to graciously shield those for whom we are responsible, even laying our life on the line against predators and rustlers, which today indicate false teachers and egomaniac leaders.(Psalm 77:20; 78:52; 100:3). 

We shepherd others through our relationship with Jesus Christ! Why do we have a responsibility to be watchful and aware of people who would fleece and hurt the people in our churches? How can we do this better? 

We have life, joyful abundance, the personal favor of God and real fellowship with Him, a purpose and meaning for our daily lives, and eternal life to come. For us to be in the safety of His sheepfold, the “pen” for our faith, we not only need to be in Christ, but we also have to obey Him. This will be the result of our intimate relationship with Him. We know Him; He knows us, and we do what He says. We follow His example as we lead others for and to Him. We are concerned with what concerns Him, and we act accordingly. Like sheep, we cannot lead ourselves or others without being forever lost and unfed. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep (1 Sam. 17:34-36; John 2:19; 3: 1-16; 6:51).

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