Mar 9:25-27 LITV
(25) And seeing that a crowd is running together, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, Come out from him, and you may no more go into him!
(26) And crying out, and convulsing him very much, it came out. And he became as if dead, so as for many to say that he died.
(27) But taking hold of his hand, Jesus raised him up, and he stood up.
I fear this relays a fundamental truth to us. If the evil was eradicated from the world, much of the world would have no life or movement at all. Things would grow deathly quiet. The only life this person had was demonic - to the point when it was cast out, the person appeared dead.
But then Jesus raised him up, and he stood. This is the Hope of Glory, when we are all raised up and we stand. Right now, evil is a present reality. We coexist with it. Jesus did what He commands us to do - run it off. But once we do this, we have to ask the Spirit of God to fill the void. Jesus later offers a warning:
Mat 12:43-45 LITV
(43) But when the unclean spirit goes from a man, he goes through dry places seeking rest and does not find it.
(44) Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came out. And coming, he finds it standing empty, swept and decorated.
(45) Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and entering dwells there. And the last things of that man become worse than the first. So it will be also to this evil generation.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Very Little Things
Mat 10:30 KJV
(30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
This is a verse we could all memorize with little effort. It's good to remind ourselves that God does care about the details of our lives. He cares about the little things.
Science states that the average person (with hair...) loses 50 to 100 hairs per day. That is a LOT of accounting on God's part. He has to update the hair-ledger every single day on you. Meditate on this. It feels good.
(30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
This is a verse we could all memorize with little effort. It's good to remind ourselves that God does care about the details of our lives. He cares about the little things.
Science states that the average person (with hair...) loses 50 to 100 hairs per day. That is a LOT of accounting on God's part. He has to update the hair-ledger every single day on you. Meditate on this. It feels good.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Who Sustains Who?
1Ki 17:9 LITV
(9) Rise up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon; and you shall live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.
Elijah had been camping by a brook, being fed by birds, waiting for God to give him instruction. Have you ever been in that spot where you knew it wasn't a long-term deal? This was such a spot.
When Elijah arrived at Zarephath, he met the "commanded" one, the widow.
1Ki 17:11-12 LITV
(11) And she went to bring it. And he called to her and said, Please bring me a bit of bread in your hand.
(12) And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, only a handful of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a jar; and behold, I am gathering two sticks and will go in and prepare for myself and for my son; and we shall eat it, and die.
This brings a question to mind. Did she know she had been commanded to provide for Elijah? Did God make a mistake?
1Ki 17:13-14 LITV
(13) And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only first make me a little cake of it, and bring to me and afterward prepare for you and for your son.
(14) For so says Jehovah the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be consumed, and the jar of oil shall not fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the land.
Who provided for who? Did the widow provide for Elijah or the other way around?
When God puts it in our hearts to provide for someone, it just might be in our best interest to jump on it. This shouldn't motivate us beyond simple obedience, but a very notable thing happened to this widow. She didn't run out of bread - at all - during a period of time when NOBODY had any bread!
Let us recap: God commanded a widow that didn't know she had been commanded. God sent a prophet who had just been on a camping trip where all the hot dogs and buns were provided by the birds. The prophet operated out of faith because 'he had already' heard from God. The widow had to work a little, and gave her "widow's mites" to the prophet, so to speak. The little she gave became sustenance for her and her family during a famine.
By the way, Zarephath means 'refinement'. How does this refine us?
(9) Rise up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon; and you shall live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.
Elijah had been camping by a brook, being fed by birds, waiting for God to give him instruction. Have you ever been in that spot where you knew it wasn't a long-term deal? This was such a spot.
When Elijah arrived at Zarephath, he met the "commanded" one, the widow.
1Ki 17:11-12 LITV
(11) And she went to bring it. And he called to her and said, Please bring me a bit of bread in your hand.
(12) And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, only a handful of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a jar; and behold, I am gathering two sticks and will go in and prepare for myself and for my son; and we shall eat it, and die.
This brings a question to mind. Did she know she had been commanded to provide for Elijah? Did God make a mistake?
1Ki 17:13-14 LITV
(13) And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only first make me a little cake of it, and bring to me and afterward prepare for you and for your son.
(14) For so says Jehovah the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be consumed, and the jar of oil shall not fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the land.
Who provided for who? Did the widow provide for Elijah or the other way around?
When God puts it in our hearts to provide for someone, it just might be in our best interest to jump on it. This shouldn't motivate us beyond simple obedience, but a very notable thing happened to this widow. She didn't run out of bread - at all - during a period of time when NOBODY had any bread!
Let us recap: God commanded a widow that didn't know she had been commanded. God sent a prophet who had just been on a camping trip where all the hot dogs and buns were provided by the birds. The prophet operated out of faith because 'he had already' heard from God. The widow had to work a little, and gave her "widow's mites" to the prophet, so to speak. The little she gave became sustenance for her and her family during a famine.
By the way, Zarephath means 'refinement'. How does this refine us?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Are You In Revival?
Revival is such a great thing. Growing up, it really wasn't, so much. It meant going to church 6 times a week instead of 3. For a 10 year old, that's not necessarily great news. But revival has come to mean something different. It means people I see have a twinkle in their eye. It means life is spoken, not death. It means there is always hope.
Find a church that is having a 'revival', and ask a member how it's going. You might hear some different answers. "Well, we had 2 people healed!" Or, "we had 12 people confess their sin and repent." Hallelujah! That's all great stuff. But is that how we are defining revival?
Does revival depend on sin? Is sickness a prerequisite for revival? What if nobody at the meeting had needed to confess? What if everyone had been healthy? No revival?
Revival, by definition, means to bring into a state of living from a state of unresponsiveness. Ideally, a spirit-filled life should experience revival one time, and then continue perpetually in a state of Spirit-filled life. Ideally. It's no easy task when the enemy has your number.
That's why Jude told us to pursue the faith. Contend. Battle for it with the knowledge that the enemy wants to rip down what you have built.
Jud 1:3 LITV
(3) Having made all haste to write to you about the common salvation, beloved, I had need to write to you to exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
Living in revival means we have to be purposeful about placing ourselves in a position to receive spiritual nourishment. What does that mean for you?
Find a church that is having a 'revival', and ask a member how it's going. You might hear some different answers. "Well, we had 2 people healed!" Or, "we had 12 people confess their sin and repent." Hallelujah! That's all great stuff. But is that how we are defining revival?
Does revival depend on sin? Is sickness a prerequisite for revival? What if nobody at the meeting had needed to confess? What if everyone had been healthy? No revival?
Revival, by definition, means to bring into a state of living from a state of unresponsiveness. Ideally, a spirit-filled life should experience revival one time, and then continue perpetually in a state of Spirit-filled life. Ideally. It's no easy task when the enemy has your number.
That's why Jude told us to pursue the faith. Contend. Battle for it with the knowledge that the enemy wants to rip down what you have built.
Jud 1:3 LITV
(3) Having made all haste to write to you about the common salvation, beloved, I had need to write to you to exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.
Living in revival means we have to be purposeful about placing ourselves in a position to receive spiritual nourishment. What does that mean for you?
Friday, March 19, 2010
The World's Focus
Gen 41:15-17 ESV
(15) And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
(16) Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
(17) Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile.
God's Kingdom is a wonderful place in which to walk - a place to power, signs, and wonders. Christians who walk the Kingdom walk do so in authority and boldness - much like Joseph did. But as we see with Pharaoh, the world isn't really interested in God.
What the world is interested in... is the interpretation of its dream. "Before you tell me about the source of the solution to all my problems, give me the solution."
This is really how Kingdom works. In my best estimation, that was the design. If you love people unconditionally (yes, we are instructed to do this) then they are attracted to God, our source. If we flip it and preach to a world to come to Jesus in hopes that they will join our little Sunday club, with such perks as... Friday night bible studies and Tuesday night pizza followed by visitation!!! Sounds great. The world will NEVER be attracted to that.
Love - is what the world needs. Love is the only net that will hold. First interpret the dream. Then, tell them about the Interpreter.
(15) And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
(16) Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
(17) Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile.
God's Kingdom is a wonderful place in which to walk - a place to power, signs, and wonders. Christians who walk the Kingdom walk do so in authority and boldness - much like Joseph did. But as we see with Pharaoh, the world isn't really interested in God.
What the world is interested in... is the interpretation of its dream. "Before you tell me about the source of the solution to all my problems, give me the solution."
This is really how Kingdom works. In my best estimation, that was the design. If you love people unconditionally (yes, we are instructed to do this) then they are attracted to God, our source. If we flip it and preach to a world to come to Jesus in hopes that they will join our little Sunday club, with such perks as... Friday night bible studies and Tuesday night pizza followed by visitation!!! Sounds great. The world will NEVER be attracted to that.
Love - is what the world needs. Love is the only net that will hold. First interpret the dream. Then, tell them about the Interpreter.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
There Was A Day
There was a day when - if people were hurting, or scared, or downcast, they could go to a place where there was a tent set up. It was an elaborate tent, surrounded by curtains of rich color and meticulous workmanship. They could look upon the tent, see the priests coming and going, see the sacrificial smoke rise and the fire fall, and know that God lived there.
There was a day after that - if people were hurting, or scared, or downcast, they could go to a building made of hand-chiseled stone. It was adorned with marble and gold and it far out-classed any other dwelling known to mankind. Still, they could see the sacrificial smoke rising and the fire falling from heaven and they could know that despite all else, God had not abandoned them. He still lived there.
There was a day after that when people did hurt, and were scared and downcast. They were oppressed. Some were possessed. Some were dying of diseases and others were just being killed by occupying armies. And Jesus walked among them. And people could see His sacrifice... and people could tell that the fire of Heaven came down upon His life and they could know that despite all else, God was 'with them'.
There was a day soon after that... that God left. And people were scared and downcast, and they did not know what was going to happen.
Then God came back - on Pentecost. And EVERYONE who was waiting for Him, received Him in power and boldness and there was renewed faith and triumph.
And here we are today. People are scared and downcast, and God wants everyone to know that because His children walk the earth, that He is with them. He wants everyone we come into contact with to know just how GREAT Jesus is.... not because we are preaching incessantly, but because we are loving people as He loves them. The question is this: does the world realize that God loves them? If not, is it His fault?
There was a day after that - if people were hurting, or scared, or downcast, they could go to a building made of hand-chiseled stone. It was adorned with marble and gold and it far out-classed any other dwelling known to mankind. Still, they could see the sacrificial smoke rising and the fire falling from heaven and they could know that despite all else, God had not abandoned them. He still lived there.
There was a day after that when people did hurt, and were scared and downcast. They were oppressed. Some were possessed. Some were dying of diseases and others were just being killed by occupying armies. And Jesus walked among them. And people could see His sacrifice... and people could tell that the fire of Heaven came down upon His life and they could know that despite all else, God was 'with them'.
There was a day soon after that... that God left. And people were scared and downcast, and they did not know what was going to happen.
Then God came back - on Pentecost. And EVERYONE who was waiting for Him, received Him in power and boldness and there was renewed faith and triumph.
And here we are today. People are scared and downcast, and God wants everyone to know that because His children walk the earth, that He is with them. He wants everyone we come into contact with to know just how GREAT Jesus is.... not because we are preaching incessantly, but because we are loving people as He loves them. The question is this: does the world realize that God loves them? If not, is it His fault?
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Call of Leadership
Exo 34:30 JPS
(30) And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face sent forth beams; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
There are few things more frustrating than feeling the call of God on your life but not being able to act on it. So it is with leadership - for we are all called to lead in some capacity. Most of the frustration occurs at a young age, when the call is fresh and our experience is still small. This word is one that I hope will foster patience as well as reassurance.
Moses did not want to lead. He wasn't called to lead his son or daughter... or Sunday school class... he was called to lead all of God's people. That was no small thing! Now, Moses might not seem like a good comparison if you are really itching to lead. Here is the lesson:
Although Moses was an Egyptian prince, he wasn't wearing a crown when he led Israel. Had he worn a crown... they might-well have stoned him. He didn't have a diploma. He didn't have a kingly scepter or signet ring. He glowed. He glowed... and people were freaking out.
If you spend time with God, you will have your own glow. People will know it. If you don't spend time with the Lord, people will know that, too. It's not even difficult to discern. Beyond all the talk, people know by the glow. It's the glow that brings authority. It's the glow that fosters that leadership, whether you are 16 or 60.
Elijah stood in the presence of Ahab. Ahab had a crown, but Elijah had the glow. What was the result? Heartache and resentment from Ahab - authority and victory for Elijah. Seek first God and His Kingdom, and you will walk in ALL the authority that God has entrusted to you. It is God and God alone that promotes a man.
(30) And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face sent forth beams; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
There are few things more frustrating than feeling the call of God on your life but not being able to act on it. So it is with leadership - for we are all called to lead in some capacity. Most of the frustration occurs at a young age, when the call is fresh and our experience is still small. This word is one that I hope will foster patience as well as reassurance.
Moses did not want to lead. He wasn't called to lead his son or daughter... or Sunday school class... he was called to lead all of God's people. That was no small thing! Now, Moses might not seem like a good comparison if you are really itching to lead. Here is the lesson:
Although Moses was an Egyptian prince, he wasn't wearing a crown when he led Israel. Had he worn a crown... they might-well have stoned him. He didn't have a diploma. He didn't have a kingly scepter or signet ring. He glowed. He glowed... and people were freaking out.
If you spend time with God, you will have your own glow. People will know it. If you don't spend time with the Lord, people will know that, too. It's not even difficult to discern. Beyond all the talk, people know by the glow. It's the glow that brings authority. It's the glow that fosters that leadership, whether you are 16 or 60.
Elijah stood in the presence of Ahab. Ahab had a crown, but Elijah had the glow. What was the result? Heartache and resentment from Ahab - authority and victory for Elijah. Seek first God and His Kingdom, and you will walk in ALL the authority that God has entrusted to you. It is God and God alone that promotes a man.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Numb
I went to the dentist yesterday. That is always exhilarating. I had some fillings to get done, this time on both sides so I got shots on both sides. Needless to say... numb. That's a strange feeling - when your tongue goes to sleep and everything just seems to die in there. Like most dentists, mine allowed me to just sit there for a while, waiting for the drugs to kick in. During that time, my main concern was that someone was going to ask me a question. The last thing I wanted to do was say something.
Doin' okay? Yep.
How we doin'? Good.
Not going to warm up today, is it? Ummmm mmm.
The truth is... my mind was telling me that if I had to talk, things were going to get ugly. I can't feel my face. I'm pretty sure I'm drooling. Just leave me alone. But then a miracle happened - quite by accident. I don't even know what was said to me, but I spoke a complete sentence. It was almost unslurred to the extent that I wondered if the assistant even noticed. Then I spoke another one. That is CRAZY! I can still talk! I felt like Nicodemus. How can this be?
Our pastor says this, and I have found it to be invaluable. When we lose passion (ie. feeling) we fall back upon discipline. Our Christian walk should be about passion. It should be heart-driven! But there are times when the enemy gets a shot in. We deflate. We wear down and out. It's during these times when we fall back upon what we know how to do. Get up. Go to church. Pick up the bible and read a chapter. It doesn't seem meaningful at the time, but it keeps the spark alive - or perhaps even fans the flame to life again.
If you are numb, keep doing what you know how to do, even if you don't feel like it.
Doin' okay? Yep.
How we doin'? Good.
Not going to warm up today, is it? Ummmm mmm.
The truth is... my mind was telling me that if I had to talk, things were going to get ugly. I can't feel my face. I'm pretty sure I'm drooling. Just leave me alone. But then a miracle happened - quite by accident. I don't even know what was said to me, but I spoke a complete sentence. It was almost unslurred to the extent that I wondered if the assistant even noticed. Then I spoke another one. That is CRAZY! I can still talk! I felt like Nicodemus. How can this be?
Our pastor says this, and I have found it to be invaluable. When we lose passion (ie. feeling) we fall back upon discipline. Our Christian walk should be about passion. It should be heart-driven! But there are times when the enemy gets a shot in. We deflate. We wear down and out. It's during these times when we fall back upon what we know how to do. Get up. Go to church. Pick up the bible and read a chapter. It doesn't seem meaningful at the time, but it keeps the spark alive - or perhaps even fans the flame to life again.
If you are numb, keep doing what you know how to do, even if you don't feel like it.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Shaken and Stirred
Heb 12:25-26
(25) See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape, those who refused him that spoke on earth, much more we shall not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven,
(26) whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will not only shake the earth, but also the heavens."
Today is a day where things are being shaken. A CNN report just came in stating another 7.2 magnitude quake in Chile, with nearly a 7 aftershock just moments later. The earth is shaking like never before - don't let anyone kid you. This is significant as a sign of the times - a birth pain, and a physical representation of what is happening in the spirit.
People are being shaken to their spiritual core. The worldly are wondering. The spiritual are curious. The Godly are hungry.
Now is no time for passivity. Be deliberate in your spiritual walk. The Kingdom of Heaven is one that is ours by right - but must be taken by force (Matthew 11:12). You can not stumble into a throne room accidentally, sit down, wave a scepter and expect to be taken seriously even by your peers, much less your enemies. Someone with designs on the throne will come in and REMOVE YOU. Is this your plan?
Act 4:31
(31) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.
(25) See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape, those who refused him that spoke on earth, much more we shall not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven,
(26) whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will not only shake the earth, but also the heavens."
Today is a day where things are being shaken. A CNN report just came in stating another 7.2 magnitude quake in Chile, with nearly a 7 aftershock just moments later. The earth is shaking like never before - don't let anyone kid you. This is significant as a sign of the times - a birth pain, and a physical representation of what is happening in the spirit.
People are being shaken to their spiritual core. The worldly are wondering. The spiritual are curious. The Godly are hungry.
Now is no time for passivity. Be deliberate in your spiritual walk. The Kingdom of Heaven is one that is ours by right - but must be taken by force (Matthew 11:12). You can not stumble into a throne room accidentally, sit down, wave a scepter and expect to be taken seriously even by your peers, much less your enemies. Someone with designs on the throne will come in and REMOVE YOU. Is this your plan?
Act 4:31
(31) And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Quiet
One of the most challenging verses in all of scripture to me:
Psa 46:10a
(10) Be still, and know that I am God!
I often struggle with finding quiet. When my girls are sick, everything I hear is a baby crying. I hear it when the cat meows. I hear it when the ice maker knocks. I hear voices in the fan. I simply must learn... to be still.
Stillness is not easy to achieve. Honestly, there is for me a discipline to reaching it, which is why I'm not so good at it. Turn off the blasted TV. Or... at least turn off the world. Replace 'noise' with God. That can mean a book, a praise song, or a sermon. It's a conscious effort to do this, but boy does it bring peace!
Seek righteousness. It begins in the mind. It's not unlike a diet. If you haven't won the diet war in your mind, you can give up losing any weight. Look what righteousness brings:
Isa 32:17-18
(17) And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
(18) My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
When I think of eternity, I often think of the endless praise service, or the party, or the breaking of bread with brothers and sisters and with the King. But I can guarantee this about the coming, fulfilled Kingdom of Heaven: it will be peaceful. There will be places of silence. There will be places of awe and reverence. It will be a kingdom of rest.
Psa 46:10a
(10) Be still, and know that I am God!
I often struggle with finding quiet. When my girls are sick, everything I hear is a baby crying. I hear it when the cat meows. I hear it when the ice maker knocks. I hear voices in the fan. I simply must learn... to be still.
Stillness is not easy to achieve. Honestly, there is for me a discipline to reaching it, which is why I'm not so good at it. Turn off the blasted TV. Or... at least turn off the world. Replace 'noise' with God. That can mean a book, a praise song, or a sermon. It's a conscious effort to do this, but boy does it bring peace!
Seek righteousness. It begins in the mind. It's not unlike a diet. If you haven't won the diet war in your mind, you can give up losing any weight. Look what righteousness brings:
Isa 32:17-18
(17) And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
(18) My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
When I think of eternity, I often think of the endless praise service, or the party, or the breaking of bread with brothers and sisters and with the King. But I can guarantee this about the coming, fulfilled Kingdom of Heaven: it will be peaceful. There will be places of silence. There will be places of awe and reverence. It will be a kingdom of rest.
Monday, March 08, 2010
The Abominable Shepherd
Gen 46:33-34
(33) And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
(34) that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
There is a call going forth to those in the church to lead in a way that has been lacking for years. The call is to be shepherds - spiritual fathers. One of the last things Jesus told His newly restored disciple, Peter, was 'feed my sheep'. This lit a fire in Peter that still can be felt - as we are a result of that fire. The world despises a shepherd - let there be no mistake. The worldly view states that the strong survive and the weak are eliminated. The shepherd's view is that not a single sheep is lost. The world has not made it profitable to be a shepherd. Being a shepherd is a call to sacrifice for the sheep.
For Christians, this means a sacrifice of time, energy, resources... our very lives. We pour this into others so that others will surpass us in our own walk. The shepherd's walk is the servant's walk. Jesus lived it. Jesus expects us to do the same.
In our Christian walk, despite the "level" of maturity, if we are not pouring into someone else we are wasting the breath God gave us. We are ignoring His commission. There is no reward for playing it safe. The one who dies with the most bible verses memorized does NOT win. But the one who impacts others for the Kingdom of Heaven will revel in victory for all of eternity.
Egyptians despised shepherds. Yet Egyptians had cattle. Egyptians had a great need for that which they held in disdain. The world is no different. If we live our lives as we are called, the world will not likely sing us any praises, but at the same time, our mark will be indelibly felt.
Gen 47:5-6
(5) And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, Your father and your brothers have come in to you.
(6) The land of Egypt is before you; cause your father and your brothers to live in the best of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know men of ability among them, make them chiefs of livestock over what is mine.
(33) And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
(34) that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
There is a call going forth to those in the church to lead in a way that has been lacking for years. The call is to be shepherds - spiritual fathers. One of the last things Jesus told His newly restored disciple, Peter, was 'feed my sheep'. This lit a fire in Peter that still can be felt - as we are a result of that fire. The world despises a shepherd - let there be no mistake. The worldly view states that the strong survive and the weak are eliminated. The shepherd's view is that not a single sheep is lost. The world has not made it profitable to be a shepherd. Being a shepherd is a call to sacrifice for the sheep.
For Christians, this means a sacrifice of time, energy, resources... our very lives. We pour this into others so that others will surpass us in our own walk. The shepherd's walk is the servant's walk. Jesus lived it. Jesus expects us to do the same.
In our Christian walk, despite the "level" of maturity, if we are not pouring into someone else we are wasting the breath God gave us. We are ignoring His commission. There is no reward for playing it safe. The one who dies with the most bible verses memorized does NOT win. But the one who impacts others for the Kingdom of Heaven will revel in victory for all of eternity.
Egyptians despised shepherds. Yet Egyptians had cattle. Egyptians had a great need for that which they held in disdain. The world is no different. If we live our lives as we are called, the world will not likely sing us any praises, but at the same time, our mark will be indelibly felt.
Gen 47:5-6
(5) And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, Your father and your brothers have come in to you.
(6) The land of Egypt is before you; cause your father and your brothers to live in the best of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know men of ability among them, make them chiefs of livestock over what is mine.
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