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"As the hart panteth afler the water brook, so panteth rnv soul after
thee. O God. My soul thristeth for God. for the lis ing God; when shall I
come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and
night. While they continually say unto me. where is thy God?
"When I remember these things. 1 pour out my soul in me "
David compared his life to a deer. A deer is one who is fond of feeding
near water. When hunted he will take to the river, stay submerged as
long as his breath permits, then swim down stream in the middle so as
not to touch branches or trees on either side. It was here that David was
safe from the hounds that were unable to pick up his scent. (Psalms 42:1 4)
David knew where to abide "I 'nto deep at the noise of thy water spout"
(Psalms 42:7) It was a desire of John the Revelator who declared and as
the voice of many waters. (Revelation 19:5)
"Unto them living fountain of waters." (Revelation 7:17)
David had a desire to serve God. Some of you have pastors who have
this desire, to he as such as one should be. It is that one thing above all
others. He is a man with a strong conscious that always beside him is a
i living fountain. It is ant impulse to have or to be God's man He is a man
who has a feel and respect to the ordinance of God's word. This kind of
person is one who has been stimulated, one who has been aroused by the
sound of thy waterspouts He feels the surge of mass waters refreshing
his soul.
Brother Paul recognized this great desire for a Bishop. "This is a true
saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work."
(I Timothy 3:1)
The very sound of the word desire ought to stir, us all up. To feel the
inspiration to be up at work, doing things, succeeding, creating and accomplishing.
Oh. my friend, do you have this inspiration? This desire
which is more than eagerness for things, but its prayer to be deep seated,
to materialize, to develop a picture of your mind?
David cried out "As the hart panteth after the water..." Oh. my friend,
the rich man in hell desired to have the tip of Lazarus' finger in water.
(Luke 16:24) But David said. "My soul thirsts for the living God " Peter
cried out. "Bid me to come unto thee on the water." (Matthew 14:28)
John the Revelator said, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain
of the water of life freely." (Revelation 21:6)
Many church members have never been able to recognize a pastor
who has this desire. He is a man who desired the "office of a bishop."
With a strong will, one who has been aroused by a strong desire to do
God's will. Many of you want a thing, or something from God. Oh, my
friend, you may want a thing very much but if it does not arouse your
will strongly enough to actively cooperate with your desire, your ambition
will die.
There are many churches today who change preaches like birds. They
want a new nest every year. The reason is they don't understand a bishop
who has a desire, one who has ambition, a man with an impulse, a preacher
with a feel to live holy before God.
Paul preached "he'that hath a desire.." Brother Paul; knew there are
great things to be had in God's kingdom, but Paul knew it consisted of a
strong desire of a pastor who will demand of them to live holy, to be
consecrated to the cause of Christ, to reach out. Brother Paul knew a
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demand will cause a supply in or under the law.
A Bishop is an overseer and will not be afraid . He knows that in the
times ot trouble that the same God who gave him his desire is the same
God who will become his hiding place. A Bishop with a desire is like
the deer, he walks and lives beside the water of life, knowing that a
bishop is always being hunted "They shall put you out of the Synagogues;
yeah time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he
doth God's service." (John 16.1-2) In the Book of Matthew Jesus declared
a person who has a strong desire to build his kingdom that "They
will deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and ye shall be
hated of all nations." (Matthew 24;9)
Brother Paul went on to say "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher
and an apostle. I speak the truth and lie not." (1 Timothy 2:7)
David declared to such a man to "Preach the word, be instant in season.
out of season, reprove, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."
(II Timothy 4:2)
You can tell a preacher with a strong desire. You can also recognize
leaders who have this desire. "A Bishop who desires the office must be
blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, of good behavior, one that
ruleth well is own house, having all his children in subjection with all
gravity."
A preacher with this desire will know how to rule his own house. If
not. then he has no business making an attempt to rule God's house. (I
Timothy 3:1-5)
Paul went on to say that desire that is in a person that his or their
wives will be grave, not slanderous, they are to be sober."
A pastor will preach to a deacon board and tell them that their wives
are to be grave, also that deacons must have a good report of them which
are without. (I Timothy 3:70
So. you see. my friend, some folks can't keep a preacher who has a
desire, one that has been ordained of God and not of man.
Behind the pulpit now are those who are not to be found with this
desire. The wife is gone and they attempt to carry on, even though the
family is split and the children are no where to be seen on the Sabbatrh.
No more do we have many who have grave wives. No more of those
with good report. No more a man with a desire who can rule his own
house. Oh. we go by the name preacher, bishop, deacon, but where is
that desire, that stimulation? Where is that demand that we are to follow
God and not man? Where is that ambition? Could it be that we have
become a shamed to urge it on, to feel it, to stimulate our growth?
No wonder we have become bored, disillusioned and it seems nothing
satisfies the church any longer. The taste buds of the church have had
it stuffed, nauseated, so full of life or self, full of sell pleasure, ready to
throw up. for years the church has a buffet life. So long have we seen the
dirt of the Bakers. Swaggarts, Lyons, the Jacksons, the singing, selling
and one person said it so well "All this has lead us to a worldly heart
burn." What we need is a preacher with a strong desire. We need a change
in our dirt, habit, man now is no longer satisfied on bread alone. What
has gone wrong? Brother Paul was saying this. A preacher without a
desire is a bed that is too short that a man can stretch himself on it. And
the covering is narrower than he can wrap himself in. (Isaiah 28:20)
have you ever wondered why anyone wants to be a bishop, elder, or
overseer when we know that Jesus has said "Neither will they be persuaded
though one rose from the dead." In fact, Jesus said they wouldn't
believe us either. The cry of those who did not want a preacher with a
desire are those who said "Save thyself if you are God."
Oh. my friend, I have seen men wit this desire that so often they neglected
their own families. I have seen them so busy they lose their own
while in hot pursuit to help save your own. I have seen them who have
this desire to work lor the church without decent salaries, seen them at
the close of their years without funds to purchase much needed medicine.
Seen and met them in far away places try ing to comfort a dying soul
who was near the gate of eternity.
A true bishop will not neglect his calling and will not lose the opportunity
to witness to a dying soul who is without God as their savior. He
is a bishop who knows what opportunities are lost today cannot return n
the future. He is a bishop who knows you cannot escape reaping a harvest
of lost opportunities of the law s of God which will not return.
He is a bishop who knows that an opportunity lost or turned down is
gone forever. He is a bishop who knows others may came and they may
not. He knows there is no guarantee, one things's for sure, the one you
turn down today and yesterday will never return. Do you have this kind
of pastor who has these desires? One who will tell you that your opportunities
are like spilled water upon the ground which cannot be gathered
up?
A bishop is one who must tell you that neglect means no escape from
a mis spent life. If you neglect this harvest, you cannot escape reaping a
harvest of that. You can't go back to last week. Today is the day of salvation.
You cannot come when you decide. It is always been now. not tomorrow.
Let me say this to you who think that music will re invent God back to
the church. Some of that which is called contemporary, sounding brass,
tinkling cymbals, a result of modem times.
No, my sweet friend. what we need today in this society who feels like
integrity has been swept under the rugs is not to curse God but to be
noble in death. And we are not afraid to check our prayer life. We are
those who refuse to select sin and will permit integrity to rule the path of
the church. We need church folks with a desire to honor God. not to
count the things of this world. David's desire was to have communion
with God, It was always an urgent need for his soul. David viewed his
communion with God not as a luxury but his communion was absolute,
like water was to a dry creek of dying fish. David cried "As an hart
panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee,." Like a
parched traveler in a wilderness whose bottle of water is empty and who
finds the well empty. He must drink or die. He must have God or faint.
So you see. my friend, a preacher must depend upon God. It is his
deepest desire as a hart that nas been wounded, he seekest that river of
God. There he will submerge himself beneath the word of God. He is
one who loved the place where God has called us all to assemble where
his name is adored.
A bishop is up front with urim and thurrriin, one who has you on his
heart. A bishop knows there is going to be a roll call in the future. He is
as Jeremiah prophecy "To whom shall I speak and give warning that they
may hear?" (Jeremiah 6:11) A bishop sees the corruption and violence.
A bishop or preacher will offer himself a living sacrifice to the deity, to
sail the bloody seas. A bishop has a longing of God.
Yet there are those among us with a "bed shorter than a man can stretch
himself in and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in."
(Isaiah 28:20) this man has an exposure of sin. His wife is gone. Chil
dren are unwed mothers. There is a feeling of sorrow, but no matter how
you feel, his or her bed is shorter than they are and you cannot justify a
man to stand and preach whose wife is not grave nor will he find space
to stretch when he or she is unable to rule his own house.
No, my friend, it is not a modern era we need, it is a bishop who has
fellowship with God.
It is not contemporary music we need. We need a desire to serve
God. We need integrity back in the church. A church who is not afraid to
check one's prayer life. We need Christian persons who would rather
die a noble death than to die as one who despises the ordinances of God.
We need bishops who will rise up with integrity and begin to get their
marching orders from God. We need deacons who will not attempt to
lay hands on those who are select among sin. I say again we need a
strong desire to arouse us up from a deadly sleep, to say as Paul "For
this cause I, Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 3:1) "Wherefore
I was made a minister according to the gift of the Grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me who am,
least among then, the least of all saints. (Ephesians 3:1-8) Paul was saying.
to paraphrase, I don't know why Jesus selected me, but 1 do know
that I have been chosen and ordained of God to preacher. There are
others who could do better, but he has chosen me and 1 am a prisoner of
Christ,.
Preacher, do you not feel this desire? Do you not feel this urgency to
tell the news to a dying world? Could it be you have no integrity and
now you live a life as a beggar? Are you afraid to check your prayer
life? Are you afraid to check the length of your spiritual bed? Are you
afraid to check the covering to see how narrow it is? What you see is an
exposure of sin. Let me help you. Are you one that ruleth well his own
house? Your wife, is she grave, not slanderous? Are you ruling your
children? Better yet, is she still with you? When Paul finished these
words, he added "For they that have used the office of a deacon well
purchases to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith
which is Christ Jesus."
"These things 1 write unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But
if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself
in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth." (I Timothy 3:1-16) Let me close now with this
thought. Jesus declared his Kingdom of heaven to be like unto a treasure.
When a man found it he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and
selleth all he hath for it. Like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearl
of great price went and sold and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-48)
When I was a very young boy 1 heard such strange talk like come
com time I will give a wagon load of com. Another would say come
cotton picking time I will give a bale. You see, my friend^ there was a
time God's church of truth was bought and paid for, not in some back
room of politics. Our forefathers knew the value of a church. They knew
it was of great price. A pearl and those who desire it work and sweat for
the pillar and grounds. They fill their pulpit with the L. W. Jacobs, Watler
Smiths, Bro. D. F. Lowry, H.L. Moore, Martin L. Lowry and others that
are too numerous to tell.
But if you fail to check your bed and covering and see they are not the
ground of the truth, the church of the living God, the pillar of faith. But
it ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure
your sins will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)
Next week: How Did You Build the Church?
r- ?? , . ... ^
toy AHa Nye Oicendine
Many-Sided Issues
HOW MANY SIDES OF AN ISSUE DO EACH OF YOU READERS
STUDY. OR LISTEN TO?
I am still trying to study at LEAST two sides (the way I was taught in
courses I took in the forties like sociology, public opinion and propaganda).
One TV program that attempts to present two sides is "The
Newshour with Jim Lehrer" on UNC-TV (a PBS channel). I also try to
catch news ori the three major networks.
The reason I study and save newspaper and magazine articles is to
compare, and file, as many facts and varying opinions as I can. Over the
past several years I have not been able to find the time or money to
spend studying as many BOOKS as I did during my initial research into
what is really going on in our country and world.
I still want EVERYBODY in this country to get involved in studying
as many sides of current political issues as you can, FOR YOURSELF,
using your OWN MIND! Sometimes I've felt that others were counting
on people like me (who at some point decided they must take time
out for serious study) to do THEIR research for them. In fact, I used to
do just THAT myself
THINKING FOR OURSELVES
But, just as we have long cherished the right to vote (which has apparently
been compromised to some extent by outdated and/or confusing
ballots in our recent election and likely in other elections as well) we
still have the right to read, study, and/or THINK for ourselves on a regular
basis between elections! In the past I've been involved in helping
persons.of all ages learn to read. But I have also known NON-readers
who were able to THINK for themselves!
Who knows? Even though I expect to at least reach the age my mother
did (over 98), I know (at 73) that my days could be numbered. The
unexpected death of my cousin Gladys and all the 70-somcthings listed
in the obituary columns have reminded me of this.
I believe that EACH one of us has both the RIGHT and the RESPONSIBILITY
to learn ALL we can before we make decisions that can affect
the future of ourselves, our family members, our descendants, and others
in our communities and the planet as a whole!
I have a LOT more to do before leaving this world. But I'd like to
know that I can pass the torch of Truth-SEEKING, Truth-LEARNING,
and Truth-SHARING on to others who will still be here when I can no
longer carry on.
AT SRMC We're Serious
About /our Health.
Teamwork. That's the bottom
line at Southeastern Regional
Medical Center and Duke
University Medical Center
From administration, to our
nurses, physicians and
specialists, we pull together
as a team to assure quality and
efficiency throughout every facet
of your care Plus, our staff
consults and interacts regularly
with that of Duke University
Medical Center to improve our
ability to provide care in the
areas of cardiac, cancer, neurosurgical
and other healthcare services
Together, we're working to
assure the very best of care
for you and your family
SOUTHEASTERN
I REGIONAL
MEDICAL CENTER
We've Gone Out Of Our Way So Yon Don t Hate To.'
300 West 27th Street. Lumberton, North Carolina 28359 (910)671-5000 www.srmc.org