Trick or Treat?

[Christsfreeservant]

An Original Work / January 16, 2020

Trick or treat? What’s in store?
Do you love? Or, folks abhor?
Is your kindness all for you?
Do you lie, or walk in truth?

What’s your motive all about?
Are you honest, without doubt?
Do you mask hidden intent?
And, your motives you invent?

Trusted friend – does that role fit?
Loving husband? – that’s your bit?
Faithful leader, you’re about?
Kindly man, without a doubt?

Gentle servant of the Lord?
Following Christ in one accord?
Walk by the Spirit? – Is this you?
Telling others the Word of Truth?

Viewing inappropriate content, behind closed doors?
While Word of God you ignore?
Following idols – worship them?
Claiming you live in freedom?

What is the truth about you?
Are you a trickster? Fakes the truth?
Or do you treat folks with true love,
Which truly comes from heaven above?

Are you a wolf and not a sheep?
The laws of God you do not keep?
Pretending kindness, but not true?
Is this a true picture of you?

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 ESV (cf. Jude 1; 2 Peter 2)​

*This is not intended to exclude women, but this is intended to be addressed to male leaders within the gatherings of the church whom God has given the primary responsibility to lead the church and to shepherd the Lord’s flock.

 

[Jeshu]

Regrettably the Churches of God will always harbour hypocrites. The real problems happen when they get in positions of power within the Church, devouring the sheep often in broad day light, with the sheep all confused as to whom to believe.

True believers called to leadership will lead by example and serve God's people, however small their imprint might be.

Peace.

 

[hopego]

Some leaders they serve the real God and with love and tend their flocks, other leaders love false idols: money becomes their focus, power that money gives, and the friends they make from their power and money, some leaders do bad things from their power, money and friends and hurt others and punish others and one day they realise as does everyone else that they have lost their faith, that money is now their God and not even God's gifts of music and worship nor prayer can bring it back, they retire and go off and spend others moneys and worship their new Gods of wealth, ill gotten gains with their new friends and the underworld, with the blood of their victims on their hands.

Then there is leaders that truely love God and serve him and their flocks and care about their flocks as Jesus did and leads them to loving and caring for others with the love of God in their hearts, minds and souls. The bland ones whose examples of teaching and truefulness and kindness will always be remembered and respected as they continue to serve. Not so uninteresting nor mild nor boring but revitalising teaching that God loves us too, just as we love God. Amen.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

Regrettably the Churches of God will always harbour hypocrites. The real problems happen when they get in positions of power within the Church, devouring the sheep often in broad day light, with the sheep all confused as to whom to believe.

True believers called to leadership will lead by example and serve God's people, however small their imprint might be.

Peace.

Jeshu, Thank you for your comment. Yes, we will always have hypocrites in this world. That is a fact of life. But, it should not be a fact of life within the body of Christ. God forbid that it should! So, the real problems don't just happen when people get into positions of power. They happen in families, in marriages, at work places, in communities and within the body of Christ when those who profess faith in Jesus Christ live the opposite of what they profess, and when, instead of loving others with Christ's love, they bite and devour one another.

But, you are correct when you say that when hypocritical professers of faith in Jesus Christ get into positions of power and rule and authority within the body of Christ, that the situation escalates, because now they are influencing many many people to potentially follow suit. And, because they are now in such positions of power and authority, they can/may abuse that authority by abusing those under their care. I have seen that happen far too many times to count.

Yes, true leaders who lead in the power of the Spirit of God will lead by example and will serve God's people in love, though not perfectly, though they be few in number.

Again, thank you so much for your comment here. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

Some leaders they serve the real God and with love and tend their flocks, other leaders love false idols: money becomes their focus, power that money gives, and the friends they make from their power and money, some leaders do bad things from their power, money and friends and hurt others and punish others and one day they realise as does everyone else that they have lost their faith, that money is now their God and not even God's gifts of music and worship nor prayer can bring it back, they retire and go off and spend others moneys and worship their new Gods of wealth, ill gotten gains with their new friends and the underworld, with the blood of their victims on their hands.

Then there is leaders that truely love God and serve him and their flocks and care about their flocks as Jesus did and leads them to loving and caring for others with the love of God in their hearts, minds and souls. The bland ones whose examples of teaching and truefulness and kindness will always be remembered and respected as they continue to serve. Not so uninteresting nor mild nor boring but revitalising teaching that God loves us too, just as we love God. Amen.

Hopego - Thank you for this comment. Yes, there are always going to be bad leaders and good leaders, but the bad ones seem to outnumber the good ones these days, sad to say. I recently heard about a church whose pastor left to take on a different ministry, which was good thing, I think, and the church was without a pastor for maybe 6 months, and so many people left the church during that time. Then, the new pastor came and more people left because this pastor was "boring" to them because he didn't entertain them. He wasn't a dynamic speaker. He didn't try to charm the people. And, he spoke the truth of God's Word. So, some families left to go where they could find preachers who would charm them, entertain them, make them laugh, and who wouldn't get "too deep" spiritually. And, this isn't just this one church, I know. This is the sign of the times in which we now live, and it is very sad indeed. Thank you for your comment.