| Author | Message | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1286 Registered: 9-2006  |
There has been something stewing in my gut the past weeks, one of those things which go on in ones mind and conscious in a rather subliminal way. Questions that bother you deep down inside but you don’t want to deal with, ever had that happen? The questions keep trying to make their way to your attention, but you sort of stuff it back down because it is something that you really don’t want to consider, so the questions just lay there, nag, nag, nag. I related earlier about the soul wrenching statement one of my friends made one morning, I don’t remember exactly what was said but we were talking about Salvation, I said something about that I was thankful for salvation or something to that effect, as I said I don’t remember all the words that were said but I do remember the heartfelt thing my friend said with such a deep longing in his voice “Oh, I hope so, I do so hope so” speaking of his own salvation. What was there in that voice was an uncertain hope, and what I heard in that person was the pitiful “bleating of the sheep”, a longing of the soul that is not comforted, I believe God gave me the depth of perception to hear it. It is a picture of a sheep that has caught in the tangle, he eats briars for sustenance, his wool is stained with blood, his mouth bleeds from feeding on briars to obtain sustenance, there is green pastors with other sheep feeding peacefully nearby, but he is caught in the tangle, and gives his out a pitiful bleat, longing for those green pastors, he has been there a long time and his time is almost gone. This is what I saw and I can’t forget it, a peak into the soul of another person as I believe God might see them, I saw no condemnation for the sheep, just longing pity. As I saw this picture form in my mind, the niggling thing that would not go away is this question “Where is the shepherd?” Jesus told Peter before went away, ”feed my sheep” he said this three times in the account of John 21:15,16, and 17, as I read this account I get the idea of Jesus thoughts, “I must go to my Father” so he wanted to impress on Peter’s mind “feed my sheep”, Jesus loved his “Sheep” and he is called “the good Shepard”. When Jesus went away he began to appoint shepherds to feed and watch over his “flocks”. Since I am very apparently not a cessation-ist I believe the Lord calls certain people today to feed and guard his flocks, it is a special calling of certain people with the right temperament, we call them Pastor’s. This ability is not created by theological training although that helps tremendously, it is a deep seated call of God, “Peter, feed my sheep” and these are called and qualified of God himself and are not just a product of some theological seminary. If a man selects the title of “Pastor” out of a seminary as a job, he may well study hard and come out with the job, but that will not make him a Pastor and he very well may find himself in a lot of hot water, both with the flock and also with the “Master shepherd” I am thinking. This carries a responsibly and a laying aside of self and demands a study of Gods word and much supplication before the Lord like no other. So now I have put up with the niggling question that I have suppressed long enough and I just must deal with this thing. I have heard the bleating of the sheep and it has pierced my soul and where are the shepherds, the Pastors? I believe it was Pastor Mark Martin who stated that he was told not to preach the Gospel, preach Adventism, preach anything else but not the gospel of grace. There has been others, I am just picking on Mark, just to pick a pea out of the pile and save room to write. What excuse do these Pastors have to offer, “Well, I was raised in Adventism, a fourth generation”, no, no, no, he does not have a responsibility to his ancestors; he has a responsibility to his flock and to God. “Well, I did have cognitive dissonance, but after all, I had my assignment” Brother I got news for you, when you took the job of Pasturing a little flock it was more than an assignment and a furnished house and a steady income. Jeremiah 50:5 They shall ask the way to Zion, With their faces toward it, saying, 'Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord In a perpetual covenant That will not be forgotten.' Jeremiah 50:6 "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place. This scripture came to mind even though out of context, it carries the thought. And this scripture: Ezekiel 34:2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ezekiel 34:3 "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. Ezekiel 34:4 "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. Ezekiel 34:5 "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. Ezekiel 34:6 "My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them." Ezekiel 34:7 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Ezekiel 34:8 "as I live," says the Lord God, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock" Ezekiel 34:9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! Ezekiel 34:10 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them." Ezekiel 34:11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. Look at verse 34:10, I have heard the bleating of the sheep and as I look at this thing that I kept putting off looking at and I can’t help but think that those Pastor’s better get to paying a lot more attention to those Bibles he/she has got laying under those red books, pay attention to the niggling cognitive dissonance and begin to find out what thus saith the Lord or find himself a rock to crawl under, those Pastor’s better find out where Doug’s cave is and go crawl into it and have a prayer meeting in there cause they are going to need that cave. There now, I have looked at it and wrote about it! River | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 553 Registered: 5-2007 |
Amen, River! What a great observation. I so agree with what you said. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6556 Registered: 12-2003  |
River, thank you for sharing your picture of the bleating sheep whose time is almost over. It makes me feel tearful... You are right about the pastors—in this case even Adventist pastors who claim to speak for God even while teaching a false gospel—having a huge responsibility before God. We all are responsible for availing ourselves of the Scriptures, but I know that those who teach carry receive a stricter judgment (James 3:1). Very sobering, River—and those Ezekiel texts are poignant. Thank you again for sharing what you have seen. Colleen | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 139 Registered: 7-2007 |
That reminds me of the last time I went to Sabbath School at an SDA church (to try to point out something that would make them think - using their lesson quarterly). The Sabbath School teacher said something to the effect of hoping he would be saved. His sad eyes still haunt me. I wish I could say: "If you only had the Holy Spirit instead of the Sabbath - then you could be SURE of your salvation!" But they would close their ears to that. A person has to give them the reasons from the Bible that lead up to that knowledge, and that takes opportunity. I've been getting the quarterly each quarter to look for opportunities to witness to them in their Sabbath Schools, but the quarterlies have offered scant opportunity since the one on the investigative judgment in the summer of '06. (Back during that time, I was too new though, having just barely gotten out of Adventism myself) I'm hoping and praying for more opportunities though. | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 976 Registered: 10-2002  |
Amen. |
