February 19th One Year Bible Readings

Leviticus 7:28-9:6 ~ Mark 3:31-4:25 ~ Psalm 37:12-29 ~ Proverbs 10:5
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Old Testament - I found Leviticus chapter 7 verse 36 to be powerful as we read about a portion of the offerings going to the priests: "The LORD commanded that the Israelites were to give these portions to the priests as their regular share from the time of the priests' anointing. This regulation applies throughout the generations to come." I think this is something for us to consider today - most of us realize that a portion of our tithes and offerings to our churches goes to support our pastors, priests, ministers, clergy.  And I believe this is rightly so.  These clergy are doing holy work in our churches today.  And I know from first hand experience from my past that church ministry work is not easy work.  Yes, oftentimes it is joyful work and the most amazing & fulfilling work you can imagine.  But, other times it can be really tough work as you can find yourselves on the front lines of spiritual warfare and working with people at very low points in their lives.  So - I guess I say all of this to encourage you to not begrudge your clergy in your church for getting paid for their work.  Aaron and his sons were "paid" here in Leviticus - and I think it is still proper for clergy to be paid today.  (and trust me - most clergy that I know do not get paid an exorbitant amount by a long shot... :)   I guess, while I am on this subject, I am also a bit familiar with the house church model today - and I do believe there are some leaders in this movement that are probably not getting "paid" financially.  And I think this is great if you can sustain the model.  But, personally, I wouldn't fault house church leaders for receiving compensation either.  It is holy work that our clergy do. I think fair compensation for this work is fair.  What do you think?

Today in Leviticus chapter 8 we read about the Ordination of the Priests.  Many of you will recall that we read something very similar to this chapter earlier this year in Exodus chapter 29 - click on this link to review Exodus 29.  In verse 14 today we read: "Then Moses brought in the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head."

Great commentary about Priesthood in the Old Testament is online at bible.org at this link.

New Testament - Mark chapter 3 verses 33-35 make an impact on me each time I read it: "Jesus replied, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Then he looked at those around him and said, "These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."  This last sentence is a powerful proclamation from Jesus.  If we are obedient to God's will in our life we are brothers and sisters and mothers of Jesus.  Pretty amazing to think about!  Jesus is not only our savior - but our brother.  And later he calls us friends.  Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary puts it this way - "It is a great comfort to all true Christians, that they are dearer to Christ than mother, brother, or sister as such, merely as relations in the flesh would have been, even had they been holy. Blessed be God, this great and gracious privilege is ours even now; for though Christ's bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, his spiritual presence is not denied us."

Mark chapter 4's parable of the Farmer scattering seed is a parable that I am sure can convict each of us in various ways.  Verses 16 through 18 I am afraid can sometimes represent all too well the "soil" of our hearts... "The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced."  The crowding out of the Good News by the cares of this life and the desire for nice things is where I am afraid we miss the mark too often.  And when we succumb to theses cares & desires, indeed, no crop is produced.  However - I do pray that there are moments in life where we can see the amazing power & truth in verse 20: "But the good soil represents those who hear and accept God's message and produce a huge harvest--thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."   I just pray for more consistency in our lives to live in verse 20 than in the previous verses...  How is the soil of your heart?  Which verses in this parable are you living in these days?  Are you receiving God's Word into your heart?  Will you allowing God's Word in your heart to produce a huge harvest?

Psalms - Psalm 37 verse 16 is powerful today - "It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and possess much."  I don't know what I can add to this.... I think you probably get it.  :)  Do you live it?  Verse 23 is so amazing... "The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives."  I don't mean to infer that I am godly here... but, I will admit that there are times in my life where I really sense that God is directing my steps - and taking care of every detail.  And basically, it feels like I am sort of just going with God's flow.  Things are just happening beautifully.  And I do sense the Spirit often during these times.  My sadness in this area is that I don't realize that God is directing my steps all of the time.  And that he is delighting in every detail of my life - most of the time...  :)  I pray you and I will come to a greater awareness of this in our lives each and every moment: "The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives."

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 10 verse 5 - "A wise youth works hard all summer; a youth who sleeps away the hour of opportunity brings shame" - for some reason reminds me of Paul's writings in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 2: "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."   Is the hour of opportunity upon you now?  Will you stay awake for it?  Is now the favorable time?  Is now the day of salvation?  Are you awake?

Worship God: Psalm 37 verse 23 reminded me of the great song by Rich Mullins called "Step By Step!" Here's Michael W. Smith performing this song live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ2OMoFuHQQ

Is God leading you step by step?  Click here to get in step!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich." Psalm 37:16 NLT

Prayer Point: Pray that you will lead a godly life. Pray that you will pursue righteousness over riches.

Comments from You & Question of the Day - I realize that my reflections above in the OT section on clergy at churches receiving compensation might be controversial in some ways.  What are your thoughts on your clergy receiving compensation?  What are your thoughts on others in other types of ministry receiving compensation?   Where do we draw the line of when ministry should be done with compensation or without compensation?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Love, Trust, and Obey Jesus,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

Leviticus 7:28-9:6

Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire. [Deut. 25:4; Luke 10:7.] (1 Timothy 5:17-18 AMP)

And,

For in the Law of Moses it is written, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the corn. Is it [only] for oxen that God cares? [Deut. 25:4.] Or does He speak certainly and entirely for our sakes? [Assuredly] it is written for our sakes, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in expectation of partaking of the harvest. If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits? (1 Corinthians 9:9-11 AMP)

As I read today’s text, the thoughts that are expressed in the above verses came into my mind. God is concerned about those amongst us who are charged with Feeding His Sheep with Spiritual Food, the Word. No cheap pieces of meat were to be given for the support of the ministry and those assigned to minister. Only the best was to be offered, fine flour, the choice cuts of meat, fine linen.

Too often we give our leftovers, our rummage to those who are scraping together, working second and third jobs to provide for their families so that they can do what God has called them to do, minister the Gospel.

Jan, you speak of the compensation given to those who minister in so-called Mega-Churches. I don’t know of any church that at its roots, its beginning, started out as a Mega-Church. We speak of large churches as if we were walking by one day and, “Oops, where did that building come from with all those folks.”

I attend a church that 28 years ago began as a storefront with four members, the pastor his wife and two of their kids, membership is now 25,000 plus. It is a mega-church because the numbers showing up for worship began to exceed the number of seats available. Abuse of power or authority can happen in any church, even a house church. I live in Brooklyn, NYC, a borough that has as one of its nicknames, The Borough of Churches. I attend my church despite the cracks I see, the problem people, the things that “appear” to be abuse of power because the pastor is devoted to teaching the unadulterated Word of God. And like King David, if one is open for rebuke, God will send a Nathan to rebuke and correct, and if need be bring judgment.

Compensation is always a sticky item to discuss for ministry and paid staff because how much is too much or too little is all relative based on the person doing the evaluation point of reference and background. In the end the person will have to answer to God and those giving to a Church that is not a “Store-house” as stated in Malachi 3:10. The bottom line is this, no matter where you attend Church or have your fellowship, if you are giving to God He will reward you, if you are giving to the Pastor, the Church or a Denomination or Ministry, well, you will be looking toward them and not God for your reward.

There are great old edifices in NYC, magnificent buildings that once held thriving congregations over one-hundred years ago, that are now in disrepair because membership cannot sustain the ministry. Why? Why is it that a part of NYC known as the Borough of Churches, has a church where 25,000 plus people pass by on Sunday and Tuesdays on their way to worship? If you grow grass, the sheep will come, not grass no sheep or you have a congregation of week emaciated sheep. There are blocks in Brooklyn where every building on the block is a church, and across the street are three-four liquor stores. I dare say that people are looking for a “spirit” of some kind even if it is only “bottle spirits” but are they finding the true Holy Spirit?

If people are flocking to a church that is not of God, that is on them based on a passage in Jeremiah (14:16), because people who are being deceived are a party to their own deception. If one is looking for Truth, it will be found (Knock, Seek, Ask …). Truth cannot hang around deception or falsehood.

If leadership is demanding more then you think is appropriate, then walk, find another pastor. No one can do to you what you don’t allow. If you can’t see an accounting of how the monies are spent, run don’t walk to another sheepfold because the one you are in has a hireling for an overseer.

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Raeann]

The clergy DO so much in the church that they should recieve benefits to help them live a more comfortable life.

[Luch]

Re finding a church where there is a singular 'senior or lead pastor' is something i find woefully lacking in the New testament. In fact, i wonder if a lot of our distress in our churches these days is that we have put a weight on singular leaders that the Lord never intended but now we have become so dependent on this 'model' or 'approach' that we have made it 'the way' to church growth (another distressing term)

Amazing to me how we tend to resort to old covenant models of leadership. I have no doubt we can learn in a descriptive way about leadership from the OT. Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, Esther, so many examples but not one of them is laid down as being 'prescriptive leadership models for new covenant folks'.

in any case, I don't want to argue about this. I think it's safer to live in an imperfect church context with a plurality of leaders as I believe we see most of in NT as opposed to an approach that identifies a church by 'its pastor'. I have yet to see one example in the NT of a church that was led by a MAN or WOMAN. oh ya, there is one i think in 3 john. His name is Diotrephes(3 John 9) and all it says is that 'he loves to be first'.

People will argue that Peter was like a lead pastor. Maybe those folks should read 1 peter 5:1-4 where peter addresses the elders "to the elders among you I appeal as a fellow elder.."
Operative phrase "as a fellow elder' not 'chief elder'. He says later 'when the Chief Shepherd' appears..." There is really only one Head of the Church and it's not your pastor or my pastor. It's the Lord Jesus Christ and the rest of us are his 'under shepherds'. Having said that, Hebrews 13:7 speaks of Obeying your leaders. Doesn't say 'leader'. Plural.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 says to respect
our leaders and hold 'them' in high regard because of 'their work'. Often the terminology is in the 'plural'. I don't believe the apostle Paul was the 'lead or senior pastor' of anything.

And having said all this, I do believe that 'elders who work hard at preaching and teaching are worthy of double honour' which means 'pay those those who are investing the majority of their time in a vocational way to ministry. But this doesn't mean that their 'work' is more important than anyone else's. It's all ministry if we are doing it in Jesus' name and doing it in a way where 'whether we eat or drink, do whatever you do to the glory of God.'

[pat]

i don't care how the pastor lives or is blessed, my issue is covteous in the heart because then it becomes an issue sometimes in the members hearts.

[Christina Simms]

Mike, in regards to the OT reading today, in my heart
if God instituted it then that is the way it should be. God never changes. He knew back then that this could be abused but He made this His rule! Personally, I'm sure that there is greed out there but I have never known a "rich" pastor personally. God bless you! You are doing such a great job and I really appreciate all your hard work!