Daily Bread - Oct 4 2006

Acts 20:28 - "Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseer to shepherd the church of God which He purchased though His own blood."

Paul issues a command and a warning to the Pastors, they must be on guard against the violent predators that are ready to destroy what God has purchased with His own blood. In this one verse the Pastor of a church is called shepherd and overseer and carries the unique responsibility of being the one given charge to protect that which God owns. If the Pastors should fail to be vigilant then violent wolves would creep in and destroy the flock.

When we recognize the role of the church not only as the light of the world but as The Cooperate body of Christ and fullness of God we may then come to realize the priority that the demonic realm has given to its destruction. Although a boundary has been set so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church, the craft of Satan can render it ineffective unless there are vigilant shepherds. The direction in which the shepherds are to lead the flock of God is not a subjective one but one clearly revealed by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Anything that would disrupt or challenge that direction must be regarded as a predator of God's sheep and dealt with accordingly.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org