Morning Devotional April 22, 2017

1 Timothy 4:1-6

“1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

As part of Paul's training of the young preacher and soon to be pastor Timothy, we see Paul instructing Timothy how and what to look for in the near future and what to do about it when it comes. In the early churches as it is in the Lord's churches today we see many who are trying to and are leading the Lord's people off into false doctrines. Paul refers to it here as the “doctrines of devils” and refers to these false teachers as “seducing spirits”. Those are pretty strong accusations.

Yet we hear people today say that the preacher just needs to preach the gospel and nothing else. Or all we need to be concerned with is preaching the gospel to the lost. But what about those whom the Lord has saved? Are we not to teach them too? Did not Christ instruct Peter to “Feed my sheep”?

Even Paul here tells Timothy to bring these things to the remembrance of the brethren. Yes we need to be reminded of the gospel. Even the saved need that. But we also must preach the whole council of God. God's people need to be feed the truth or they will follow after every false doctrine that comes along. And that is what we see happening now. Many of the Lord's churches have fallen the way of the world and the way of organized religion. Our pastors and teaches have forgotten the feeding of the Lord's sheep. Many false teaches and preaches have deceived the Lord's people. All because they were not reminded of the whole council of God.

Preachers/teachers, preach the gospel. But forsake not the feeding of the sheep in the process.

Praise ye the Lord!!!