FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you ."

It is always a danger to allow ourselves to become impatient in trying to accomplish something which we feel the Lord wants accomplished. There is a safety which comes from a proper understanding of scripture. If Saul had not overstepped his scriptural authority he would have waited just a little longer, Samuel would have accomplished what he had come to do, and Saul would have received blessings rather than loss. In contrast, the Saul of the New Testament called himself “ A Hebrew of the Hebrews ” (Philippians 3:5) a Pharisee, a master of the Law of Moses. He was extremely well educated in the scriptures. He was blameless in his understanding of the Law. He was zealous toward God (Acts 22:3). Yet in spite of his qualifications in doctrinal teaching and understanding, he still could not put it into proper application and was guilty of his own sins due to an imbalance of application and doctrine. He persecuted the Church and even was a witness to and assisted in the murder of Stephen, recorded in Acts 7. His doctrine was impeccable, but his application was an affront to God. It is so important for all of us to walk a balanced and worthy walk before the Lord. Ministers have an even greater responsibility to walk in balance because our influence is so great and our judgment will be stricter. Jesus was the ultimate example of balance in understanding and application. Yet not one of us can hope to attain perfect balance in our life separate from others. It is together that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and in this we can take heart. There is a great example of balancing extremes in the presidency and cabinet of George Washington. As the first president of the United States of America, George Washington was painfully aware that each move he made in this new office was setting precedent for all who would follow into the office of the President of the United States. He was very conscious of the fact that he was treading on new ground, no one in history having been in the position in which he then found himself. He had as cabinet members the famous duo of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. These two men were at political extremes from one another, almost poles apart. While Jefferson was

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