FEED MY SHEEP

It seems that for the past couple of years, we have been “losing” church leaders at an alarming rate. Some have been lost in scandal, but many in death—not all have been sick, or elderly, either. It is mind-boggling to me just how often I hear of another death of pastors and leaders in the church—especially, the bishops. Somehow, I don’t think it’s coincidental or accidental. I don’t think there’s anything mystical about it; I think it’s all biblical.

It’s scary to me to see the learned men of God who know God’s Word, do the opposite thing that is taught in God’s Word, and seek to rationalize and justify it. There is a pervasive attitude in our churches among leaders that they must not be questioned and that they are in charge and have ownership of God’s people. Among God’s people, is an unwillingness to know God personally—through knowledge of His Word, prayer, study and meditation; choosing rather to be spoon-fed by men who are willing to tell you some Word, but omitting that which will jeopardize their pedestals. Our relationship with God must never be through any mediator—except Jesus Christ! Still, most of us, sadly, only know God as far as the pastor’s notepad and the pulpit. Too many of us cannot share the Word of God without parroting the words of pastors, rather than the words of Jesus, Himself.

The church—not the Church, has refused to hear the Voice of God’s prompting to repent and seek His face, and so correction is coming, now. If the Bishops want to continue with the traditions, legalism, respect of persons, rituals, and pharisaical behaviors, then God will remove them, because He will have His Church. His Church will not be devastated by divisions schisms, and contentions—His Church will be one, as Jesus prayed. His Church will know His Voice, and won’t follow the voice of manifold others who want to lord over His people and rule them by control and mind games. His Church will be led by humble shepherds who recognize that He is the Great Shepherd, and the people belong only to Him, and they are ALL precious and must be regarded as God’s best, not trash, easily disposed of, when it suits them. His Church will be marked by grace, mercy and truth, and known for love and compassion to all people regardless of their sins and failures. His Church won’t ever be known for big you’s and little I’s or the have’s and the have-not’s, but the New Testament way of giving and bearing the burdens of one another will prevail, rather than the bootstrap mentality that currently persists—and is anti-Christ. His Church will be led by preachers who preach the unadulterated truth of His Word, no matter how it affects attendance, the offering plate, or even their own skin. The Church of the True and Living God will have life-giving Word that sustains and teaches people how to live practically in a world marred irreparably by sin and its effects—and, be delivered safely Home.

The people of God cannot live on occasional prayer—even corporately. It’s time for prayer revivals—sackcloth and ashes! It is time for teaching people how to war effectively—which means they have to know God for themselves, and have to know the tactics of the enemy. It is time out for empty clichés and mindless hollering with no substance—we need the Word of God to survive. The needs of the whole man must be met in the Church, to keep us together—we must have true fellowship, regularly and on purpose. Everyone’s needs have to be addressed—not just one or two groups, but all—especially our youth—they will drown in this dastardly world that seeks to destroy them with illicit sex, the desire for excessive gain, without knowing contentment, witchcraft, New Age philosophies cleverly disguised as harmless. We all have to learn to delight in the Lord—not in things. The only time we should ever be discontented is in terms of having enough of God—then, we should never be satisfied.

The bishops. For too long, “the club” which now includes apostles and more, has missed the point. The problem isn’t with the office—the problem is with the things that man has added to the office. The office is godly, and right—and the Church needs the office. However, man has added the titles, and the pomp, prestige, and separation. The humility and servanthood towards God’s people (and the world) has disappeared (in lieu of being served), and it has made it easy for men in the office to live in sin and or offense without accountability or repentance, feeling as if they have to answer to no one other than God. Truthfully, if you don’t answer to those you offend (that you can see and touch) you haven’t begun to answer to God.  That spirit of offense is destroying us—from both sides. The greater responsibility has to begin with leadership.

Jesus said, “Feed MY sheep”. He never said, “Here, I am giving these sheep to you, to do with as you see fit”. He said, “Feed MY sheep”. He has not surrendered ownership to pastors and leaders, to treat God’s people however they choose or see fit. They have the same responsibility to God’s people that everyone else has—there is NO respect of persons in God’s Body.

It’s time for change.

Ezekiel 13

Amplified Bible (AMP)

13 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

² Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own mind and heart, Hear the word of the Lord!

³ Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit [and things they have not seen] and have seen nothing!

⁴ O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins and in waste places.

⁵ You have not gone up into the gaps or breeches, nor built up the wall for the house of Israel that it might stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.

⁶ They have seen falsehood and lying divination, saying, The Lord says; but the Lord has not sent them. Yet they have hoped and made men to hope for the confirmation of their word.

⁷ Have you not seen a false vision and have you not spoken a lying divination when you say, The Lord says, although I have not spoken?

⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have spoken empty, false, and delusive words and have seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord God.

⁹ And My hand shall be against the prophets who see empty, false, and delusive visions and who give lying prophecies. They shall not be in the secret council of My people, nor shall they be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord God.

¹⁰ Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace, and because when one builds a [flimsy] wall, behold, [these prophets] daub it over with whitewash,

¹¹ Say to them who daub it with whitewash that it shall fall! There shall be a downpour of rain; and you, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a violent wind shall tear apart [the whitewashed, flimsy wall].

¹² Behold, when the wall is fallen, will you not be asked, Where is the coating with which you [prophets] daubed it?

¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in My wrath, and there shall be an overwhelming rain in My anger and great hailstones in wrath to destroy [that wall].

¹⁴ So will I break down the wall that you have daubed with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundations will be exposed; when it falls, you will perish and be consumed in the midst of it. And you will know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord.

¹⁵ Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall and upon those who have daubed it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, neither are they who daubed it,

¹⁶ The [false] prophets of Israel who prophesied deceitfully about Jerusalem, seeing visions of peace for her when there is no peace, says the Lord God.

¹⁷ And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of [the wishful thinking of] their own minds and hearts; prophesy against them,

¹⁸ And say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew pillows to all armholes and fasten magic, protective charms to all wrists, and deceptive veils upon the heads of those of every stature to hunt and capture human lives! Will you snare the lives of My people to keep your own selves alive?

¹⁹ You have profaned Me among My people [in payment] for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, slaying persons who should not die and giving [a guaranty of] life to those who should not live, by your lying to My people, who give heed to lies.

²⁰ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your pillows and charms and veils with which you snare human lives like birds, and I will tear them from your arms and will let the lives you hunt go free, the lives you are snaring like birds.

²¹ Your [deceptive] veils also will I tear and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted and snared. Then you shall know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord.

²² Because with lies you have made the righteous sad and disheartened, whom I have not made sad or disheartened, and because you have encouraged and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way and be saved [in that you falsely promised him life],

²³ Therefore you will no more see false visions or practice divinations, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Then you will know (understand and realize) that I am the Lord.