The Lord is My Shepherd

Perhaps Psalm 23 is the most beloved passage in the entire Bible, yea, within all of literature. Certainly it is a passage that has gone into every corner of the globe. It is special because of what it conveys, what it produces and what it means to our lives. The infamous psalm begins with the words, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psa. 23:1). What fascinates me is that the author (David) was a shepherd himself. As we are historically introduced to him in First Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel is at the home of Jesse to anoint the next king. As he has viewed the seven oldest sons of Jesse, God reveals to him that He has chosen none of them. Samuel asks Jesse, “Are here all thy children?” Jesse responds, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep” (1 Sam. 16:11). In the next chapter, we again see him tending to the sheep of his father (cf. 1 Sam. 17:15-20). Before he prepares to fight Goliath, we gain an insight to his life and dangers of shepherding when he recalls to Saul the times when he protected the sheep from both a lion and a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Several passages thereafter will refer to God calling David from his role of shepherding to be king after Saul (cf. 2 Sam. 7:8; Psa. 78:70). Therefore, what is significant is that this excellent shepherd realized that he himself needed a shepherd, and thus proclaimed, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The same is true even within the church today.

Teachers should say, “The Lord is my teacher.” All teachers, no matter how resourceful or excellent their skills, need Jesus to be their Master Teacher! The role of teachers is vital within the church, and all teachers can look to Jesus as their Supreme Role Model, just as David did in the role of shepherding. Christ manifested humility through His teachings (Matt. 11:28-30), and teachers should develop humility by looking to Jesus. When He taught, he exuded love to His disciples (John 13:1-13; 15:13). In like manner, teachers ought to love their students! As a teacher, He was unselfish with His time (cf. Mark 6:34-36), and teachers ought to look to Him and see their need to be unselfish with their time. In addition, He understood the worth of a single student, taking the time to teach Nicodemus, Zacchaeus, the rich young ruler, the Samaritan woman at the well and such like. In like manner, teachers need not to overlook the worth of a single student as they view their role over their entire class. Just as Jesus incorporated epigrams, questions and answers, object lessons and parables to his students, teachers may incorporate a number of methods and illustrations within their teaching.

Preachers should say, “The Lord is my preacher.” I know that many preachers have their favorite preacher to whom they refer as “my preacher.” Maybe it was the preacher who was influential in their youth. Maybe it was the preacher who taught and/or baptized them. Maybe it was the preacher who helped mold and influence them through their teaching and training. Maybe it is simply an older preacher who provides a good role model for us. Yet, the point is this—all preachers look to another preacher and say, “That is my preacher!” In this way, preachers should ultimately look to Jesus and say, “The Lord is my preacher.” Indeed, He is the Master Preacher!  As our role model, He was impartial in His preaching. Mark records, “And the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37). As our role model, He lived in perfect harmony with that which He preached (Acts 1:1; 1 Pet. 2:21-24). In like manner, preachers ought always to practice what they preach. As our role model, He knew the needs of the people to whom He preached (Matt. 19:21; Acts 1:24), and preachers need to recognize what the congregation needs.

Elders should say, “The Lord is my elder.” Since elders are given the role of overseeing and tending the flock (cf. Acts 20:28), the term “elder” is synonymous with the term “bishop” or “shepherd.” Thus, an inspired elder already made such a reference to this point at hand: “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Pet. 5:4). The Hebrew writer refers to Jesus as “that great shepherd of the sheep” (cf. Heb. 13:20). Therefore, all elders/shepherds should realize that they need an elder/shepherd themselves—the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ! In this way, they realize that they are not to become “lords over God’s heritage,” but rather serve as wonderful examples before the flock (cf. 1 Pet. 5:3). While elders carry a very serious responsibility, they humbly need to realize that Jesus provides a great role model for them as well.

All Christians may appreciate the same sentiment as David when he professed, “The Lord is my shepherd,” but may all who carry some special role within the church look to our Lord as our role model through our service to Him!

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I Do Not Do Broken Bones

We live in an age of specialists, and their presence complicates life. Who has not hear of the maid who proudly proclaims, “I do not do windows.” No longer can you just go to the doctor: you must find one who treats exactly what ails you. There are doctors who treat feet, those who work on the head, those who work on the nerves, and doctors who treat almost every part of the body. Believe it or not, such specialization has entered the realm of “faith healers.” Lewis Grizzard related an experience at one of the “healing” meetings he attended.

It seems that one of the faith healers (Ray Dodd Hembree) had come to his hometown, and a school teacher, Miss Inez Pickett, came to him with a kidney disorder. Following his prayer, she began to jump around the platform, rejoicing over her “cure.” She became so excited that she fell off the platform and broke her leg. When someone suggested that an ambulance be called, another remarked, “No need for that, just get Brother Dodd to heal her.” When they turned to him, his reply was, “I don’t do broken bones, just vital organs.” What a golden opportunity missed! One broken bone mended in the sight of the audience could be worth thousands of unseen kidney ailment cures.
What a contrast between modern “faith healers” and those of the first century: “All they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40).

Why cannot men see such difference? Will they ever learn the difference between the counterfeit and the genuine?

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Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

After the apostle John (the apostle of love) summed up the nature of God by writing, “…God is love” (1 John 4:8), he declared, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Literally, the original text asserts, “Fear is not in love!” It has no existence whatsoever.

Let us begin to notice this powerful passage by defining some terms. Of course, the fear of which John speaks is not the fear that God commands—it is not the godly, reverential fear that is the beginning of wisdom (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10) or the beginning of our ultimate fulfillment as servants of God (Eccl. 12:13). In fact, the Psalmist declared, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.” Rather, this fear that perfect love casts out is the terror and dread associated with wickedness, disobedience and rebellion against God (cf. Rom. 8:15). The love that John describes is the ultimate love that seeks the best of others—agape love. The term “perfect” originates from the Greek term telos, which refers to the conclusion or termination of an act and conveys a maturation process. The term “torment” is a faulty translation—the word literally refers to “punishment” [ASV, ESV & NASV] or penalty. In addition, because of the present tense of the verb, the punishment is presently ongoing. Thus, fear anticipates punishment even now!

Let us seek to put it all together. Because God supremely loved us, demonstrated by sending Jesus on our behalf (1 John 4:9-10), when we love one another, then we exhibit this same attribute of His deity. Love, of which God is the source, reaches its maturity when we love one another with the same love that God has for us! However, the love that God has for us is imperfect and incomplete unless we respond to that love by loving one another with the same type of love.

Consider a parallel. In James 2:22, James asked, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” In other words, just as the obedience of one brings his faith to maturity, the love that God has for us is of no benefit unless we draw from that love and allow it to dwell in us so that we love one another; by so doing, we bring the love of God to maturity in us.

In so doing, we understand that “perfect love casteth out fear.” The term “casteth out” is a strong expression. In fact, it literally means, “turneth out of doors.” In other words, God casts fear out of the very sphere of the fellowship of love. Thus, we do not have to be afraid when we stand in judgment before God. Why? We do not have to be afraid because we have come to partake of the nature of God—we actively love one another as God loves us. Therefore, we do not need to fear! We have the characteristic of God. Why should I be afraid of the judgment if I have the same type of love that God has? In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus gave the two greatest commandments, both of which hinge on love: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Finally, the apostle states that God demonstrated His love to us before we ever loved Him in return: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). It is as Marvin Vincent records in his Word Studies of the New Testament, “All human love is preceded and generated by the love of God” (p. 362).

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One Thing to Do in 2012

Paul saw Christians as being athletes for Jesus. They were competing in the arena while they were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). They were individuals in a race which must be run according to rules (2 Tim. 2:5). They were fighters/boxers who were not just “punching into the air” but had precise blows planned for the enemy (1 Cor. 9:24). Like Paul, they intended to run the race and finish the course, knowing that a crown awaited them (2 Tim. 4:7).

As we look ahead for the new year consider how Paul described the Christian’s race and how it should be run. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . . one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”  (Phil. 3:12-14). Herein lies the key to a successful life and a successful new year.

The success in the race involves dealing with the past. We all struggle with the past. Some never overcome the guilt of past mistakes, but the godly live knowing the magnitude of the His grace and casting all those concerns on the One who cares for them (1 Pet. 5:7).

Others struggle with the successes of the past and are filled with pride. Paul did not see himself as one who had reached perfection (maturity). He who brought the gospel to Europe and throughout Asia Minor did not glory in what had been accomplished. How foolishly many glory in what they have done for Him today!

How do you deal with the past? With its mistakes and accomplishments? Two words answer the question—forget it!

The success in the race involves dealing with the future. How did Paul deal with the unknown future. Look at his words. “I press on.” He also uses the expression “reaching forward,” which in the original Greek indicates the forward lean a runner gives as he approaches the finish line! Such an effort demanded the supreme exertion of energy. The past means nothing and the entire focus is on the prize promised by the Lord. Jesus has run the race and has finished it! He is waiting at the finish line to crown us.

Your race involves dealing with 2012. All this church has ever accomplished is past. The race has not been finished! Let us work together as never before and reach that finish line together. “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

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How Should We Live Life in 2012?

An old year has passed. Happy New Year! As we have ushered out 2011 and begin 2012, we make our resolutions and reflect upon how quickly time passes, especially as we grow older. Personally, I am looking forward to the opportunities that God will present to us here at Southwest, and have full assurance that great things can happen! Thus, as we begin a new year, let us examine how we should live life in 2012.

First, let us remember yesterday as if it had never happened. Of course, this does not mean that we should not reflect upon past failures to learn from them and such like. However, so much undue stress today happens when people bring their problems forward into the present. God did not make us to be able to deal with the problems of yesterday that we bring into the present challenges of the current, present day. This is why God encourages us through Peter, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). The apostle Paul understood this point quite well when he declared, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto things which are before” (Phil. 3:13). Jesus warned us, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Not only can clinging too tightly onto yesterday result in extra undue stress, but it can also lead to those who through pride “live in the past” and fail to grow. Therefore, let us remember yesterday as if it had never happened.

Second, let us live today as if it were our last day. Far too often, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives and fail to heed this important advice. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus discussed the worry of physical needs when he stated, “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven…” (Matt. 6:30; Luke 12:28). However, if we took this seriously and lived our lives as if there would be no tomorrow, how much more faithful would we be? How much more loving would we be? How much more forgiving would we be? How much more prepared would we be? Because of the approaching persecution, this is why the Hebrew writer no less than three times states in his epistle, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts…” (3:7-8, 15; 4:7). The Hebrew writer wrote, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-13). If we lived today as if it were our last, it would be much easier for us to “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). If we lived today as if it were our last, it would be much easier to “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (1 Pet. 2:11; cf. Heb. 11:13), because as Moses, it would be easier to choose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25). Think about how much more faithful we would be to the Lord and more opportunistic towards our family, friends and everyone with whom we encounter. Therefore, let us live today as if it were our last day.

Third, let us plan for tomorrow with the will of God in our mind. This is the absolute point James makes in James 4:13-17:

Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

As we make our plans for 2012, we should not ever make them without consideration for the will of God! If we are not careful, we can make future plans as if we are certain about the future, but such is not true! These people to whom James refers acted as if they knew what they were going to do, when they were going to do it, where they were going to go, how long they were staying and even how profitable their ventures would be. Yet, they did not say one thing about including God in their plans. While we know the end of this life is approaching, we do not know when such will take place (2 Pet. 3:10). Everyone who has ever faced any unseen adversity knows that we cannot anticipate when such will happen. In other words, the future is unclear! Let us be sure to understand that James is not condemning the act of making plans for the future at all. For example, the apostle Paul commended the Corinthians for their plans (2 Cor. 8:1-11; 9:1-7). Nevertheless, James is condemning the failure of including God and His will in our plans! Thus, the questions that ought to dominate our minds as we plan 2012 include, “What is the will of God in reference to this matter? What does God want me to do?” God is in control! At least, God ought to be in control of our lives!

Therefore, how should we live life in 2012? Let us remember yesterday as if it never happened, live today as if it were our last day to live, and plan for tomorrow with the will of God in our minds.

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