I moved into this little corner of California last fall. It's in the country and I'm surrounded by huge fields with cows, goats, chickens and sheep roaming about. Mornings here are rarely quiet, evenings sometimes as well, sometimes into the very late hours of the night you are subject to hearing some animal of sorts uttering it's calls.
I was contemplating their behavior, and how often Christ talked about the human flock, in the same context as the sheep, and why he would pick that breed of animal over the others to use as an example.
If you look at their lives, they have plenty of pasture to graze from, they have access to shelter "though they might not remember it some times", they have their needs addressed in all areas, and they have pretty much all of their cares and worries attended to. Yet, often you hear them complain, moaning in their sheep language, and this is absolutely not communication, but merely making themselves heard that they are not content still. One would think, it's just a dumb animal, it is not starving, it's not thirsty, it's not sick, it has shelter, it's being tended to, what on earth would this animal have to complain about... Well, we look to ourselves, our own needs are addressed just the same, and yet, we still complain, we still moan and bicker when things don't go as we desire. Yet, the difference between the two, a sheep is not able to leave the confines of the fence, yet our fence is something made up in our minds.
Last night, I was a bit put off, this sheep would not stop carrying on. I opted to put up with it, I was tired, so was able to doze off unabated. The next morning, I heard it start up again, noticing now, the rest of the flock was not with it, so opted to investigate, thinking that it might have gotten out and was trying to get back in through the fence. As I approached it, I noticed it's head was caught in the fence, it had been trapped there, which was the reason it was carrying on. I had to grapple and push through some heavy thickets to get to it, knowing what I gotta do next.
Once I reached it, I freed it with relative ease, and it abruptly trotted away, back to the heard that left it. How many times have we been freed from God, and instead of remaining with the one that freed us, we opt to run back to the rest of the flock that abandoned us? How many thickets do we put in our way to make it more difficult for God to reach us? How easy is it for him to free us from our own fence we are trapped in? Look how easily that animal was snared, how easily are we as well?
Taking this further, why would the person in charge, neglect that there was one of his flock missing? Especially with the rantings this animal was making? I do say, this story itself is not at all a full description of Gods relation to the man, but more is Shepard he put in charge, related to the man, and this is why it's absolutely at all times important to know, absolutely no bad Shepard should sway your faith, put you off on worship and fellowship, and does NOT represent God's finest...!
The thing is, this guy was probably not taking his job seriously. What if your doctor wasn't taking his job seriously enough? What about any number of people and people that have mfg. things for you, all didn't take their job so seriously? That's all earthly, what about the forever aspect? You would think there would be significant priority over his job, to pastor, to preach, to read the scriptures, to pray, and serve others, yet far, far too many church leaders of all sorts, among all of the ranks are severely lacking!
Do we throw out the bath along with the bathwater? Absolutely not, but there is an urgency to have the average God fearing parishioner/member pick up the ball and run with it, even if it means plowing through the bloated bureaucracy. Does this sound like heard mentality??? Well, in the wild, actually, yes it is, the other side of the equation, was about where the lead animal was at, and a smaller sheep, smaller Shepard all together. We are down to assembling a heirachy and structure "just as done on all things", and if it requires men, that means schedule, exchanged data in print and digital form, and in general, there is one bigger sheep and Shepard in charge. Where is our's now? He's the Lord, the first, the ones under him, are suppose to follow his orders, so what is happening with the bad shepherds, they are turning a deaf ear, running back to that flock of sheep, giving into the status quo, and leading souls to the gates of hell itself.
Why do we put up with it? The majority rules, and the majority is putting up with it... The fact is, the status quo wants to water down, weaken, and in general, make their "obligation" to the Lord, as a once a week rock concert. Fire and brimstone...those are not talked about in those places, it's all about some personal rant, with perhaps some line or two of scripture put into it, or hours of elaboration along merely one tidbit of it as well. The saddest reality of it, that this is all of the scripture the average member will hear all week. I'm a street preacher, and there are very few of us these days, the sad reality is, more people here me, just reading out loud, proclaiming the gospel, with no elaboration, more of the word, then they do in these churches exponentially....this is clearly how we should be, no longer sheep in behavior, outside of the fact, we must find better pastures.
The thing is, if we do nothing, allow it all to complete as it see's fit, the rain will fall on us, just as it does them.
Matthew 5:45
That you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
So,.. what is the usual stance, Jesus, please come to us sooner then later, this world is so bad... And I'm thinking, why shortchange God, why not win over more souls to his kingdom, so the more that are born, the more that enter it and my prayer is Jesus, please refrain until there are no more new souls for you to love and to love you in return. God creates every single person, as an individual, and each individual is absolutely precious, this includes every one past, present and future! There was a time, even in the most hanous people that lived, where the person was not some souless monster, but innocent and worthy of Love, just as any other person. Where things changed and went wrong is man's focus, God's is about the heart, something that cannot be measured on his standards, even in the most sophisticated modern technology, it's beyond that aspect all together.
If one goes back to the flock, it means destruction, unless that flock is worthy, as in standing by you, even if helpless, next to that fence. Your Shepard, our Lord is in charge, and in my current case, where this are no church leaders I can confide in, I have my Lord to be my guide, caretaker and is the ultimate Shepard. Those that feel abandoned, left out, outcast, or in general cannot fit in, always know that you belong to his flock, my flock, the flock to be in. If there are other Shepard of his to bring others into your world and life, it is all good, just beware of the false Shepard, they may appear to be genuine, but clearly they are not, you will know by their fruits.
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