MEMORISE:
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. Isaiah 3:12
READ: Matthew 15:12-14
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
MESSAGE
There is scarcity in the Body of Christ today, which only those who are sensitive to the Spirit will discern. This scarcity is neither a scarcity of food or drink, nor of ministers or workers, rather, it is a scarcity of mature leaders. This is a source of concern to those who are awaiting the Lord’s second coming, because we need mature leaders to prepare the bride for the bridegroom. We have a crop of leaders in the Church today who can best be described as babes. As perfectly captured by Prophet Isaiah in today’s memory verse, these are causing spiritual oppression in the Body of Christ. The current situation at hand can be likened to the situation Jesus met during the first advent, captured in the Bible reading. When the Lord exposed the ignorance and hypocrisy of the religious “baby leaders” of His time, His disciples were afraid, and they came to let Him know that the Pharisees were offended by His teaching. In Matthew 15:13-14, Jesus responded to their fears with these words:
“…Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch”.
Furthermore, in His encounter with Nicodemus, the Lord lamented his ignorance of spiritual matters, even though he was a top religious leader. In John 3:10, Jesus said to him:
“…Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things"?
Thank God Nicodemus was humble enough to learn from the Lord, and he eventually became a disciple of Christ (John 19:39-40). This is the response expected of the baby-leaders in the Church today.
There was an unmarried young man in our church many years ago. Although he had no marital experience, there was almost nothing he would not teach concerning marriage and childbearing. One of his opinions at that time was that when a woman was in labor, all you need to do was to bind the devil, loose the baby and the child will just come forth! With his untested spirituality, he intimidated many married brothers and sisters. He then got married and his wife got pregnant. On the day of delivery, this brother did what he had taught others to do: he bound the devil and loosed the baby, but his baby refused to come forth. After some days of agonizing labor in which his wife still could not deliver the baby, he ran into the bush, lay flat on his face and pleaded with God for mercy. After this, his wife delivered the baby. He then understood that his wife’s delivery was only by God’s mercy. It is always dangerous to be under the ministration of baby pastors because more often than not, their exuberance does not yield results when push comes to shove.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, as I grow in knowledge, let me grow in grace to correctly apply this knowledge wisely, in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 69-72
Matthew 26: 6-25
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!
Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!
There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!
Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!
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