ORDINATION!               DFO 337A                  3/75

         1. THERE ARE MANY YOUNG LEADERS THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INITIATED INTO NEW JOBS & some others that have the same job with a new title & more work, so we thought we'd share with you these Scriptures that might help you & remind you of your responsibilities & that they are after all pretty serious.
         2. PAUL HAD A LOT OF GOOD ADVICE TO GIVE TO YOUNG MINISTERS & LEADERS so I thought I'd read with you a few things that he had to say as father in the Lord to them, from 1st & 2nd Timothy. I trust they were inspired of the Holy Spirit & I believe they're good advice & good for you to remember.
         3. "CHARGE SOME THAT THEY TEACH NO OTHER DOCTRINE," a very important responsibility, "neither give heed to fables & endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith; so do." In other words, stay out of theological arguments & hair splitting.
         4. "From which some having swerved, have turned aside unto vain janglings; desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." I'm glad we've gotten away from so many classes. We had so many teachers & some of them were teaching some of the craziest stuff you ever heard. So we just practically cut all that & advised everyone to just read the MO Letters. That way we can be pretty sure that they're getting the right information, at least as much as possible.
         5. "BUT WE KNOW THAT THE LAW IS GOOD IF A MAN USE IT LAWFULLY. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless & disobedient, for the ungodly & for sinners."--In other words, these people who want to keep splitting hairs over the law all the time. The law's all right, but LOVE is MORE important!
         6. "IF THERE BE ANY OTHER THING THAT IS CONTRARY TO SOUND DOCTRINE, according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." Are you glad you've been put into the ministry?--Not only the ministry but in some cases given an officership.
         7. "THIS CHARGE I COMMIT UNTO THEE, SONS & DAUGHTERS, ACCORDING TO THE PROPHECIES which went before on thee", I've written plenty of them, "that thou by them might war a good warfare, holding faith & a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck."
         8. WE'RE NOT JUST PLAYING GAMES, ARE WE? Even our littlest Home is a part of our warfare, battle front. We're attacking the hearts & minds of men with the Truth. But when they get involved in other things they shipwreck faith, which is not good.
         9. "THIS IS A TRUE SAYING, IF A MAN DESIRE THE OFFICE OF A BISHOP, he desireth a good work." Do you have a job to do? "Work", it says, but it's a GOOD work. Wouldn't you rather be doing that work than working in a defence plant making bombs or something?
         10. "A BISHOP THEN MUST BE BLAMELESS, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach."
         11. "NOT GIVEN TO WINE, NO STRIKER, NOR GREEDY OF FILTHY LUCRE; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity." If we find any of our leaders can't even control their own wives & children, watch out. If they cannot rule their own house they've got no business ruling the house of God. If I did anything in those days when there was just our little family, I at least ruled my own house & they knew it.
         12. "NOT A NOVICE," ANYBODY CAN BE A NOVICE IF YOU GIVE THEM MORE THAN THEY CAN HANDLE, "lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil." If any job you get makes you proud then you're a novice. If it ministers to your pride & you think, "Ah, now what a big shot am I!" that's sure proof you're a novice!
         13. IF A REAL SEASONED LEADER IS GIVEN A JOB HE'S NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE PROUD OF IT. He just knows it means more work, more responsibility, more serious blame & all the rest, & he knows he'll get very little credit. I just thought I ought to try to impress upon you the seriousness of your work, Beloved.
         14. "LIKEWISE MUST THE DEACONS BE GRAVE, NOT DOUBLE TONGUED, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." Deacons are those of you who take care of the "tables", the practical things & the finances & so on (See Acts 6:2-4). You may have to deal with other things sometimes, but we're trying to impress on you ALL that you have a SPIRITUAL ministry & you need to take good care of it. Praise God?
         15. "LET NO MAN DESPISE THY YOUTH, BUT BE THOU AN EXAMPLE of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of hands of the presbytery.
         16. "MEDITATE UPON THESE THINGS, GIVE THYSELF WHOLLY TO THEM that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself & unto the doctrine; continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself & them that hear thee.
         17. "LET THE ELDERS THAT RULE WELL BE COUNTED WORTHY OF DOUBLE HONOUR, especially they who labour in the Word & doctrine." When they want to honour you, don't refuse it. God says, "Honour unto whom honour is due."--Rom.13:7. Your people will love you & want to honour you if you're shepherding them as you should be, but don't accept worship.
         18. "THESE THINGS TEACH & EXHORT. If any man teach otherwise & consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, & to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions & strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, & destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness--from such withdraw thyself." Every time one of those preachers used to want to get me into an argument I knew he was the wrong kind of person.--Especially if it was before others, like babes.
         19. "FOR WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD & IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING OUT. Having food & raiment let us therewith be content." Praise God! That's all we need, amen? He doesn't even promise you a roof over your head, but He's usually pretty good to us, He gives us one anyhow--pretty nice, huh?
         20. "BUT THEY THAT WILL BE RICH FALL INTO TEMPTATION & A SNARE & many foolish & hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction & perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith & pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
         21. "BUT THOU, O MAN OF GOD, FLEE THESE THINGS & FOLLOW AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called & hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."
         22. "CHARGE THEM THAT ARE RICH IN THIS WORLD THAT THEY BE NOT HIGHMINDED."--You mean we're apt to have a few kings & rich people? He didn't say we're not going to have ANY, but does He say it's wrong to be rich? Not really, He just says watch out what it does to you. If you've got the right attitude you can even be rich 'cause you're always sharing what you've got.
         23. "BE NOT HIGHMINDED NOR TRUST IN UNCERTAIN RICHES." Now see, those apparently show what the two great temptations of the rich are, to be highminded & to trust in money instead of the Lord.--So watch out!
         24. IF GOD BLESSES YOU WITH MONEY, DON'T TRUST IN MONEY, trust in God & don't let it fill your head, to be highminded. He'll give us money if we need it, even more than we need. Praise the Lord! He gives us a lot of things we don't even NEED but we just WANT. He's so good to us, He sometimes spoils us. And that's a good place to say that, because it says here:
         25. "BUT (TRUST) IN THE LIVING GOD, WHO GIVETH US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY!" Hallelujah! "That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
         26. "O TIMOTHY (YOUNG PEOPLE), KEEP THAT WHICH IS COMMITTED TO THY TRUST, avoiding profane & vain babblings & opposition of science falsely so-called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.
         27. "HOLD FAST THE FORM OF SOUND WORDS, WHICH THOU HAST HEARD OF ME, in faith & love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
         28. "AND THE THINGS THAT THOU HAST HEARD OF ME AMONG MANY WITNESSES, THE SAME COMMIT THOU TO FAITHFUL MEN, who shall be able to teach others also." Praise God? Pass it on! Teach others to teach others to teach others to teach others! That is supposed to be our basic principle, isn't it? Are we doing it? I hope so. If so we're going to have some good young leaders to follow right in your footsteps & take your place as you go on.
         29. "THEREFORE THOU ENDURE HARDNESS AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST." You have to endure hardness too sometimes, right? "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him Who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully.
         30. "CONSIDER WHAT I SAY & THE LORD GIVE THEE UNDERSTANDING IN ALL THINGS." That's something we need--understanding in all things, amen? "Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. And study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
         31. "IN A GREAT HOUSE THERE ARE NOT ONLY VESSELS OF GOLD & OF SILVER BUT ALSO OF WOOD & of earth, some to honour & some to dishonour." Don't reject the guy who can only empty the pot or be a pot, everybody's got his place. But don't put the ugly potty on the mantlepiece & stick the beautiful Cloisonne vase under the bed! Have a little sense!
         32. "IF A MAN THEREFORE PURGE HIMSELF FROM THESE HE SHALL BE A VESSEL UNTO HONOUR, sanctified & meet for the Master's use & prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
         33. "BUT FOOLISH & UNLEARNED QUESTIONS AVOID, knowing that they do gender strifes. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men."--Don't get yourselves tricked into arguments, especially these things on television & newspaper interviews. Just refuse to argue & split hairs & be put on the defensive.--Attack! Attack! Attack!
         34. PREACH LOVE! JUST IGNORE THE RIDICULOUS FOOLISH QUESTIONS & PREACH LOVE, AMEN? Preach Christ! "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth, & that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." Praise God.
         35. "I CHARGE THEE THEREFORE BEFORE GOD & THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who shall judge the quick & the dead at His appearing & His Kingdom. Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering & doctrine."
         36. "FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth & shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." Praise God, amen?
         37. IF YOU LEADERS WILL DO THE GOOD JOB YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, I WON'T HAVE TO WORRY about the Revolution. I'll know that the Lord has got it in good hands, & even if I don't stick around you'll be able to carry it on, praise the Lord! I hope to stick around as long as I can & I'm not planning to leave, but just in case, I'd like to make sure everything's the way it ought to be. So praise the Lord!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family