The Rivers Edge Bible Teaching Study

Happy February! With February comes the hope that soon it will be spring for us northern hemisphere types, and for those of you in the southern hemisphere a beautiful summer is still warming your souls, and soles. I myself am looking forward to visiting my favorite Sierra Nevada Mountains this weekend, if I don't have to pile through the snow to get there.
Two bits of business today, Our regular bible study and a response to a question asked.

Bible Study
John 6: 1-14

And now we begin a section of John chronicling the Miracles of Jesus

Feeding the Five Thousand
1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

This was no small journey from Jerusalem. 70 miles. This is journey took many days during this time Jesus was teaching and ministering.

2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.

People always follow the exciting and the new.

3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.

Since John was not worried about keeping a timeline, the fact that passover is near, and the subject is bread, harkins forward to the fact that Jesus is our bread of life and soon (perhaps by the next passover) His death would be symbolized by the breaking of that bread.

5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

God always knows the answers to our problems, but He does test us to help mature us and cause growth (James 1:2-4)
7Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

Phillip, ever the pragmatist saw that physically there was not enough money in the coffers to buy food for those people.
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

Andrew, ever the optimist was both inspired, and baffled by his inspiration. Like many of us when calls us to a task, You want me to do what? But there are only five loaves and two fish. But God always has a plan.

10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

And this is the secret of Faith. There is no mumbo jumbo, there is not “working it up” Jesus simply believed that the Holy Spirit would do this miracle and He did. Now Jesus tell us that He only does what He see’s His Father in heaven doing, so the Father proclaimed the miracle, the Holy Spirit empowered it and Jesus (although very much God) as a man simply obeyed the leading of the Father and the miracle occur. Everything proceeding this, the multitude the remoteness, the loaves and fishes, were all put in place by God, for this purpose.

12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

12 baskets, 12 disciples, I often wonder why Jesus was adamant about every scrap. I suppose it is to reveal the the completeness of God’s miracle, but my mind is niggling at me that there might be something more to that. The number 12 is said to be one of governmental perfection. 12 elders, 12 Apostles, 12 Tribes, et al. So having 12 baskets of left overs, for twelve apostles, must be apropos of something, if you have a thought on this, please e-mail me.

14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

And as always the purpose is to establish the Divinity of Christ. They didn’t quite get it, but they are on the way.

Question : Who is my shepherd?
Just a note in response to some things I have been hearing from you.

Is any man your shepherd? No. The Lord is your shepherd. I have heard a few pastor’s call themselves shepherds as if they were responsible for the sheep. They are not, As with all ministers, pastors are merely facilitators put in place to help guide you in your relationship with the Good Shepherd.

The word shepherd in the bible is used exclusively in the new testament to refer to Jesus or actual sheep herders. Never is it used to portray any other man or ministry,

Ephesians 4 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God
That’s it. That is the sum total of the purpose of a minister. All any of us are are guides, someone to help you in your relationship with God. We are nothing more than hirelings. Let no man take the place of your Good Shepherd, Let no man tell you, you need HIM to hear from God.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus is our Shepherd, The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and The Father is OUR Father. We have no need of men to insinuate themselves between us and God. It is a great sin for a man to place himself as a shepherd of God, when he is only a hireling. It puts the sheep in great danger. Pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers and even apostles were given to the church to set them up, top equip them for their own work of ministry. They were given to facilitate OUR relationship to God, not to be the source, (which is the Holy Spirit) not to be the shepherd (which is Jesus Christ) and most definitely not to be the director of our wills (which is the Father) A man who places himself in this place and seeks the accolades, has made himself a god and they will demand the obedience of a god. These men will be argumentative, pressuring and manipulating. Much of what they say will be about themselves, and they will require you call them “pastor” or “reverend”.

Avoid such as these children of God. Do not be entangled in their self serving web of deceit which “sounds right, but only leads to bondage and spiritual abandonment (loneliness). Judge all ministers by their fruit. From the biggest ministries, to the lowliest internet blog (like mine) and God’s truth will out. God’s burden is easy and His yoke is light, and so will be a ministry in His name .

If you are caught up in a ministry like this and see no way out, please e-mail me. Or contact your local minister.