The elders which are among you I exhort...
Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for filthy lucre (greedy
for gain), but of a ready mind.
I Peter 5:1-2
I thank the Lord for allowing me to be a part of a prison church where the congregation is regularly being instructed and encouraged to look out for each other...
Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking oversight thereof, not by constraint,
but willingly; not for filthy lucre (greedy
for gain), but of a ready mind.
I Peter 5:1-2
I thank the Lord for allowing me to be a part of a prison church where the congregation is regularly being instructed and encouraged to look out for each other...
We're learning to be ever watchful because we don't want to see any of us, most of whom are new believers in Christ, wander back into the world. We do not want anyone to fall into the arms of a hungry wolf.
New Christians generally lack spiritual maturity. They're yet to become deeply rooted in a working knowledge of the Bible and in sound doctrine. Thus they are easy prey for a host of wolves, of which there are many. In here we have aggressive Jehovah's Witnesses, followers of the Nation of Islam and other religious groups, and even street gangs. They're like sharks in the water who are always on the prowl for a stray soul to devour.
Tellingly, we're not immune from having some of our members being unwittingly entangled by false teachers, or from getting involved in other dangerous areas where their faith will be challenged, and where they could be caused to doubt their beliefs, or when it comes to a gang, to be tempted to participate in unlawful activities. Correctional facilities can be deadly mine fields for the unalert and unwary.
Therefore, as an elder in my congregation who's been serving the Lord for more than twenty years, along with my fellow elders, we try our best to stay vigilant. We're protective of the flock. And it is a big responsibility as well as a daily challenge to watch for those who would lure away our young and harm them. It is nothing to take lightly, especially in an environment where spiritual predators abound.
Frankly, the elders do as much rescuing as we do witnessing. We need a lot of prayer, too.
D.B.
New Christians generally lack spiritual maturity. They're yet to become deeply rooted in a working knowledge of the Bible and in sound doctrine. Thus they are easy prey for a host of wolves, of which there are many. In here we have aggressive Jehovah's Witnesses, followers of the Nation of Islam and other religious groups, and even street gangs. They're like sharks in the water who are always on the prowl for a stray soul to devour.
Tellingly, we're not immune from having some of our members being unwittingly entangled by false teachers, or from getting involved in other dangerous areas where their faith will be challenged, and where they could be caused to doubt their beliefs, or when it comes to a gang, to be tempted to participate in unlawful activities. Correctional facilities can be deadly mine fields for the unalert and unwary.
Therefore, as an elder in my congregation who's been serving the Lord for more than twenty years, along with my fellow elders, we try our best to stay vigilant. We're protective of the flock. And it is a big responsibility as well as a daily challenge to watch for those who would lure away our young and harm them. It is nothing to take lightly, especially in an environment where spiritual predators abound.
Frankly, the elders do as much rescuing as we do witnessing. We need a lot of prayer, too.
D.B.
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