IN PURSUIT……

As a person who is raising sheep, you often run into the similarities between Goats and Sheep. Those who raise these two breeds can easily converse regarding the nature and activities of these animals. It is not unusual for someone to use the word “goats” when referring to my sheep. These animals can so easily confuse someone because of their similarities. However, there are also so very big differences between the two.

The most common discussion one will find themselves in when discussing these two breeds is the knack for “getting out.” As a shepherd, I would have to admit I have rarely run into the case of any sheep leaving their pasture I have them in. And in the cases I know of, it was a set of sheep that were crossed with goats at some point to create a mixed breed. (needless to say, I no longer have any of those breed on our farm.) The other cases were a rare situation when a mother is gone off to lamb or it has been chased out by an over protective guard dog who can sense if a sheep is sick or getting very old. Every now and again I will catch a sheep sticking its head through a fence to try and gather grass from the other side, but only if it is penned up and the only grass available is on the other side of the fence. In other words, if the sheep feels it is starving, it will strive to reach grass not currently in its pen.  Besides that, I really cannot remember my sheep leaving the field I put them in. They will even stay if it appears it is time to move on. They only go when and where I tell them to.

Now goats on the other hand are much different when it comes to this. Anyone who has raised goats will tell you of the troubles they have encountered keeping the goats in. Goats LOVE to find a hole in a fence or simply a way to get to the “other side.” If no way is there, many a goat will put there head through and fence to get to the nibble presenting itself on the other side only to get their head caught and need to be rescued. To a goat, the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side.

So what does this have to do with us?

Well, Father has been speaking to me about this lately. Here is a passage that will set the tone. Matthew 25:31-46

31“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’37“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’40“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’41“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.43I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’44“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’45“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’46“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

So, although sheep and goats may look alike and even share the same pasture, there is a separation made between them. And how can one tell the difference between the two? One way is by seeing if the sheep is content in the pasture provided, or are they striving for the “greener grass” on the other side. Those who strive for the other side are either starving sheep or just plain old goats. Let me explain further….

You see, His sheep know Him and trust him. They know that their Shepherd will give them the pasture they need and they simply choose to remain there until he says move. They can relax in his presence and trust that He will only do what is best for them and provide them the green pastures and still water their souls require. Every so often He is required to put a sheep up in a enclosed area and that sheep only has limited food available to it. It can see grass just on the other side of the pen, yet all it has to eat is exactly the portions the Shepherd gives it. It can strive and wrestle and may even find a few blades of grass just on the other side of the fence, but, that is all they can reach and eventually,  when all that is gone, they are left to solely rely on the provision of the Shepherd. I will have to admit, this pen the sheep finds itself in is not comfortable, especially if in the view are the other sheep and goats out grazing the pastures, however, the Shepherd has a plan, a reason, and the sheep MUST come to trust its Master or it will literally run itself in circles in the pen and can create numerous health problems, or even death, in the process.  (usually it is penned up because it needs special attention and care and maybe some even stouter food sources because of parasite troubles or it just has not been taking very good care of itself. So the Shepherd will gather it in for some alone time and special care, but a sheep so desperately wants to be with the other sheep, therefore it struggles to accept its place alone with the Shepherd.)

Now a goat, that goat is might near impossible to keep in. The goat is ALWAYS looking and striving to find a way to get to the other side on its own. The shepherd may have plans to move that goat in the coming days to the other side of the fence, but that goat is not willing to wait. It is going to find a way to cross over on its own. It sees what the other side has to offer and the goat does not trust in the Shepherd to provide, and therefore goes out and tries to make its own provisions. The goat will even resort to getting its head stuck in a fence and possibly die if not rescued just to taste what is sees beyond the fence even though it has the same meal available to it now. No, that goat is not going to wait because that goat does not Trust the Shepherd to provide. Goats want to make their own way! They kind of have the “My way or the Highway” mentality and through that they think they have peace and can survive.

What a goat does not understand is that the Shepherd is carefully planning and timing the move from one field to the next. The Shepherd knows what is best and simply ask for his flocks to trust Him.

Here is another kicker though. If a sheep is not careful, it will soon find itself immersed in the ways of the goat. Goats and Sheep are so similar, a sheep can easily be drawn away by the ways of the goat and suddenly, that sheep is out looking for its own greener pastures alongside the goat and wondering why the Shepherd would try and hold it back from such wonderful foliage. That sheep when finally caught and brought back in the fold now has an extremely difficult time accepting the fields its Master has provided and always seems to dream of what is just on the “other side.”

What neither sheep nor goat realize is that the Shepherd knows of the dangers on the other side. Predators, poisons, and parasites. The while its flocks are enjoying what He has currently provided, the Shepherd often goes ahead of the flocks to check what is lying in wait. He is carefully examining to be certain there is nothing that will cause pain or even death to his precious flocks, both sheep and goats. He is constantly watching over not only the pasture they are in to protect from those who seek to enter, destroy, and devour, but also the pastures that lie ahead to be certain they are suitable for his flocks.

So why not just separate the sheep and goats and let the goats roam wild? Why not take away the temptation from the sheep of following a goat and being led astray?

I am not certain of His reasons, but I can tell you from my perspective. Two things. There are some things in a field that a sheep will not, and does not need to eat that a goat will devour and remove from the field for future use making it more suitable for the sheep and the lambs to follow. Also, a Shepherd longs to be trusted and for that trust to be nurtured. There is nothing more exciting to me as a shepherd than walking out through his shepp and them sitting there peaceably awaiting his words and leadership, or just sitting there hanging out.

As a sheep, it can be very difficult, because it appears the goats are getting the best of everything offered, However, it is the Shepherd who knows what is best and it is He who will one day separate the Sheep from the Goats, and well, you can read how that turns out.

From a sheep who has been eyeing the goats too much and struggling in its pen alone with his Shepherd….

In Pursuit……..

Recently I was traveling with my 3 yr old son down the road. He has this funny habit of noticing a-lot of side distractions. One of his biggest things is to want to veer off course and take side roads or cross bridges. To him it just looks like fun or an interesting way to travel. And to let me know about that he first points it out, then he begs, then he whines, then he cries. That particular way is what seems best to him and he believes it is the best way for us to get home. However, none of those ways are the way home. SO, I recently said to him during one of his rants, “Son, you are going to have to trust daddy because I know the way home. ”

Immediately upon saying those words, I heard the “whisper” of my Father and he said, “Son, so many times you see path that seems to go in the right direction and you often beg me to go that way. In your eyes it is an attractive path that will lead you where you want to go, but what I have been teaching you is exactly what you told your son. You are going to have to trust your Daddy, because I am driving your life and I know the way home.”

In Pursuit…….

You ever have a dream, hope, or aspiration and wondered why it seems so far away? I have and do.

I recently was speaking to God, wondering why He has yet to do with me what I supposed was His plan. I want to be used by Him and to help others. I have that aspiration.

God then gave me a simple answer. “You are not ready yet. You still have a desire for your name to be known and until My name being known is what you ultimately desire over your own popularity, then you are not yet ready.”

Now, I did not quite think this was fair of God. After all, my job requires by its very nature that my name be well known or my kids will starve eventually. SO day in and day out I strive to make my name known so I can earn a living. aka Money. But after further thought, I realize how the deceptions of this world are so easy to fall prey to. Jesus very clearly said that I am not to worry about my provisions as my Father has already promised to provide my needs (and I can say that He has NEVER failed to keep that promise), therefore, it is not important for my name to be known, but rather His name to be known in all things and for me to FULLY rely on Him to supply my needs, which includes my work.

Still got a lot to learn….

In Pursuit……

I know. That title is not all that lovely and politically correct, but I have a point to make and hopefully you are still reading.

Now, I sat through these past elections and I did not for a second listen to any media hype. Not one moment in front of even Fox news. I heard no debates. I did not wrestle over any issues or stances either candidate had. My vote was based simply on one fact, I did not approve of who was, and is, currently our president.  His winds of hope and change were not blowing in the right direction in my opinion. AND, thankfully we are stilled allowed to have those in America.

However, mere days before the election, after my vote had already been cast, I heard a snippet on the local talk radio that there was a slight chance we might have an unexpected change again in the White House. I admit, my hopes arose a little. As a few days past, I got to wondering where a guy I used to watch had gone, Glenn Beck. I had not seen him in awhile, so I looked him up. I find he has a new place to broadcast of his own, The Blaze.  Suddenly, I found myself interested in hearing what he had to say, and not only was he convinced that Mitt Romney was going to win, he predicted a landslide. A “Chic-fil-a” day he called it. And he kept quoting “Divine Providence.” He was certain God was going to have Mitt elected because, “God cares about the Constitution (a document some say is divinely inspired) and the freedom of mankind.”

Then, it all came crashing down and I slowly watched Glenn’s hopes dash on live broadcast from his network as he ended a well known fast he was doing for 40 days, and had him some sweets. The following days I watched as people aired their disappointments and grievances and some even cried. “America as we know it is GONE!” they said.  ”God has turned his back on us as a nation for our sins!” others said. And then the pleading started! “Go home and prepare and defend your local government. Don’t let your watch down! And ps. send us some money so we can keep you informed about how bad things are and where the little light of hope will exist.”

I honestly stepped back and took a second evaluation of myself. Have I been so disconnected from the media that I was blind to what was going on? Had I let my country down by not staying informed on the issues at hand. For a brief moment I even allowed myself to become angry and hurt over what kind of future my kids will face in America because of what we have become as a nation. Then…….

Then I remembered:

1. I am not of this world, but rather a nomad passing through. On the day I was saved, my citizenship here expired and my home is with God and His son Jesus. I may reside in a Republic, but I am branded as a child of God (which by the way comes with problems of its own in the world run by the “Prince of Darkness masquerading as a Prince of Light!”)

2. Freedom of mankind has never been God’s Agenda. I hate to argue with Glann Beck, but if God was most interested in Mans freedom, then Jesus would have overthrown Rome. He would have stopped the stories listed in Foxe’s book of Martyrs by overthrowing the governments run by the Roman Catholic Church. God is not about the freedom of the body, rather the freedom of the soul. Glenn, I think you should focus your attentions on that rather than saving a nation. God is interested in your neighbors soul, not the country that hates Him and His children (proven through history!)

3. God never once declared America his chosen people. That is a title He only gave to Israel and He has never changed or broadened that. We fancy ourselves His chosen people because of how we have stood by Israel and because we were built on the supposed foundation of Religious Freedom. Actually, America was founded for profit of England. Why do you think they fought so hard to keep the land. Also, we came here and slaughtered the natives and pushed them back to make this land ours, a land of opportunity. We are not founded on God’s principles. Our nation runs on Money, the very thing God said was his opposite. “You will either serve God or Money!” No, we have been duped into thinking we are owed something from God because we stuck His name on our money. Sorry to burst the bubble, but we are not, and never were a Country chosen by God, rather we tried to adopt Him. All was well until we slowly turned our backs and allowed money, the foundation of our nation, to become our true god.

4. God never left His throne. He clearly states in Scripture that the “king is in his hand” and rulers have been set up and thrown down by his hand. God was intimately involved in how our nation got to where it is and where it is going. He has a plan and purpose. To redeem His people by any means necessary. And, if that means our country must fall so His people will be redeemed, then that will happen. If it means our country must stand for his people to be redeemed, then that will happen. God so clearly displayed His purposes as far back a Job and He has never changed. America is a tool in His pouch to be used at his disposal to accomplish His purposes.  Nothing more or less. we cannot swerve his intentions just because we are scared of what our children will face. Rather, we are told to prepare our children by ingraining on their hearts the Ways of God.

Now, before you blow your top. YES, I love America! And even more. I love the concept of America, the land of the free.  But when our hearts are more swayed with emotion over the direction of our nation than it is over the direction of lost souls around us, then we have already lost course and usually courses are changed through a severe storm. (see the Roman Empire, Babylon captivity, Reformation, and the list goes on…) So, in on sense I agree with Glenn, GET READY! But maybe instead of using our own logic to make plans of preparation, might I suggest this:

Children of God, humble yourselves and pray, repent, and turn from your wicked ways, and turn your hearts toward God and CALL on HIS Name….Then HE WILL DO THE HEALING!!!!!! or how about, Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean not on your own understanding, but in ALL your ways acknowledge (realize your decision needs to be based on His decision) Him and HE will direct your paths.

Folks, The art of waiting and hearing God and following his directions has died a slow and painful death. People assume a pastor or teacher, or broadcaster has the answer. They assume God does not talk directly to his children in a personal, one on one way anymore. And through that assumption, we have become lost and no longer are able to stand in the FREEDOM he did give us. The freedom to be in this world but not controlled by it.

I could talk more, but I feel the heat already….

In Pursuit……

No, this is not a post about sheep. Yes, this is a “soap box” I am getting on. So, if your not interested in a little ranting, then click the back arrow and go back to your previously viewed page.

So, yesterday I get a forwarded email from a family member. It is one of those emails about some “Chrisitan” company in America who is crying over how they are being discriminated against by the world and it’s governmental policies. The title of the email was “what is happening to us” and the content was about how they started their company with a prayer and God has blessed it beyond measure. They applauded themselves over how they treat their employees so great and pay higher wages and have grown in a down economy. They patted themselves on the back then began their whining over how a new government policy was going to cause them to go against their moral beliefs. They were shocked at how this was going to hurt their bottom line and complained that other companies were not being held to the same standard. Basically they were saying, “We are being discriminated against by the world!”

Well, what did you expect? I am so tired of “Christians” whining and complaining about how bad they have it here in America. Someone or some company feels pressure from a worldly government and we go up in arms over how we are being mistreated. Come on people! Are you not familiar with the words of Jesus, “in this world you will have much trouble, but do not fret, I have overcome the world!” or how about this one, “do you see how they have treated me, your master? You should expect the same, and even worse.”

So what do you expect from a world led by our opposition? We have become so complacent and fat in our over indulgence of the comforts of the world that we have forgotten that we are not of this world but only strangers that are passing through. So yes, the world is going to be against us and fighting back, filing lawsuits, and demanding our rights is the OPPOSITE of what Jesus did. So I say, either act like Jesus or quit claiming his name!

2. I am tired of our demand for our freedoms as Christians. We expect that we should be treated the same as a Muslim group or Jewish group. We think because we are a “religion” we deserve the same rights as any other religion! Again, did you not get the point of the words “you will be HATED by the world.” we were never to expect the same treatment as the rest of the world, yet today, we demand it. And, we think bashing one group in the political realm and lifting up another politician will change our fate. If what we needed was a politician, God would have sent one. But rather, he sent a Savior, or have you forgotten?

As for our freedoms. I constantly hear, “look out, we are losing our freedoms as Americans.” Well, that might be so. It is true that America is falling apart into a world of sin and degradation. And no politician will change that. However, my freedom is not based on the status of a country, it is based on the word of God. In God I am free and nothing and no one can change that. And remember, we are children of God by rebirth, thus citizens of heaven. No longer of this world. Therefore, my status as an American is only valid in the eyes of those still yet unredeemed and my true freedom is in Christ. They can, and may take away my freedom to be a follower of Christ Jesus, condemning one who does to death. However, they can never take away my freedom to be the child of God as that right has been given to me permanently.

So, quit all your whining and fussing about what freedoms you have or are losing as an American. Begin to proclaim what freedom you have been given in Christ and allow God to direct the course of the Prince of this world and his servants trusting that God’s outcome is for his glory and your ULTIMATE good. Basically, Grow Up in your birthright as a son or daughter of God and die to your birthright as a citizen of this world.

3. I am tired of acts of servitude. I am speaking of those things people do because they feel they have to versus doing what they want to. In other words, people act in certain ways because that is what is expected of them. I.e. “I am a Christian therefore I have to act like this or that because that is what is expected of me.” Where is the love in that? Where is the passion in that? It does not exist.

Ask any husband or wife who feels their partner does things out of servitude whether they feel loved and they will say no. They may admit to being cared for and watched after, but where there is no passion, there is no love.

The same thing holds true in our relationship with God. We were created in His image and carry his emotions as well. Don’t believe me, then explain God’s compassion, anger, wrath, and love. They are similar to those we carry in our heart. So, going to church, or serving in missions, or leading worship, or tithing, or any other act that we can do ” for God” that is done with the emotion of servitude “I am doing this because it is expected of me” vs doing it because you want to please your Lover is nothing more than a slap in His face. It is like that luke warm water He spews from his mouth. What God desires is passion, intense passion.

So stop your servitude. Lay aside your heartless acts of obedience to rules and regulations. Get intense with God and those you claim to love. Serve them out of pure passion and love them with intensity. Stop your careless acts of Luke warm appreciation and lay aside your fruitless worship and just sit with God or your mate until the passion overflows. When that happens, those who look on will stop, stare, and say, “Now that is someone real, something that I want,” and they will be drawn to your passion and they will be open to your Savior.

Okay, done for now….

In Pursuit……

No, this is not a lesson from the sheep, just some rambling thoughts in my mind.

Whether you know it or not, you are the subject of a war. You are the prize being fought over by two bitter Rivals. On the one hand, there is God, Father of the Universe. On the other side is The Angel of Darkness dressed as the Angel of light. They both have massive scars and wounds from this long drawn out battle, and both are unwilling to surrender because the prize is too great.

We have heard of this battle throughout the ages. Always knowing that ultimately God will win. But maybe we have failed to realize the amount of suffering He has endured due to the battle. Something has not clicked because our appreciation for this sacrifice on His part seemingly has faded to a mere act of service in a form of thanks for all He has done. Yes, at times we allow the emotions to grasp us for a short time, but the gravity of the story has not set in fully, maybe because we do not know the whole story.

And I would be the first to say, “Who am I to tell the story?” to which I would answer, I am no one. However, this story will not leave me alone, therefore, I feel compelled to share it.  The story of the best con, the greatest deception of all time which has led to the greatest sacrifice ever made. It is the story of the War of Religion.

Today I was walking in the field with my sheep, just merely spending time with them. It was the time of the morning that they tend to gather in a shady spot for a little rest. As I came closer, I stopped one tree away, approx 50 feet. I was talking to them and said “I would like to come sit with you guys, but every time I get close, you run away.”

As soon as I said it, I heard Father’s whisper say, “Ray, that is how it is with my sheep. Every time I come close, they run off, afraid to simply just sit with Me.”

Moments later, something happened that forced me to go to where they were. Of course they all jumped up to run, however, one, named Sweet Heart, stood up and came toward me. As I took care of the issue at hand, I turned and sat under the tree where the sheep were. Sweet Heart came and laid down a few feet from me, and slowly, the rest of the sheep followed suit. I was able to sit with them for about 30 minutes and just talk to them, each by name. That is when Father said….

“It only takes one who is willing to sit close to me for the rest to follow!”

In Pursuit!!!!!

As a routine, I typically give our sheep a little bite of grain to keep them following me to the barn. We call this practice “creep feeding.”

Usually all the sheep come running when they see that white bucket and hear my voice. However, a few weeks ago, one sheep stopped coming to the call. As each day passed, I noticed more and more sheep staying up the hill instead of coming for the feed they love so much. Eventually it turned into an affair to get these sheep to come as about 8-10 were now choosing to ignore the call.

As I watched this happen, I also noticed something. Some of my faithful followers would every so often get caught behind the initial strayer and would not come themselves. In other words, whatever they saw happening, they did.

I wondered about this a little as I knew all these sheep loved this feed I was offering.i also knew how much they prefer to stay together as a flock. But, this one who was for some reason choosing to stay away had now led them astray and they were quickly forgetting what it is like to enjoy the food that was offered.

Now, there are tons of cheesy applications one can derive from this, but I have asked and asked what Father was trying to get across to me. What it boiled down to is this.

If you ignore the call for food and fellowship, you will soon forget the simple pleasure that practice brings. And, when one goes astray, all those caught behind that one will likely follow.

So when Father calls, do not ignore that call, rather, run to embrace the opportunity to sit and dine with him, even if it is in the middle of the night. And, be careful about ignoring the call, for others behind you will do the same.

If only I pursued God with the same passion that I pursue status through money, position, and popularity.

If only I pursued the name of Christ being made known with the same effort I put into My name being known.

If only I pursued His love with the same intensity that I pursue the love of my wife.

If only I pursued perfection with Him with the same diligence I give to perfecting my skills in my trade.

If only I pursued Him with the same desire, love, and passion that He pursued me!

If Only……

For these to happen I must pursue the death of all I am in order to become all He is. My old man fights, strives, and clings to life, feeding off the things I give him. The person who I am longs to live while the person I want to be struggles to take a breath. Crushed under the weight of the world that I pile on, the legs with which I long to Pursue Him are weighed down and buried in cement. My new eyes look longingly at the goal of Him while my old eyes flirt with the lust of the flesh. My new heart aches for my Lover while the old one clings to what it has always known. There is a war, and my efforts fall short, so I look even more longingly into His eyes and cry “Set me Free!”

In Pursuit……

In Genesis 3:19, God made a declaration to man. He said, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.” This of course was a portion of “the curse” brought upon man, woman, and the serpent after the “fall” into sin.

Amazingly, being as rebellious as we can be, we have been trying to beat this curse ever since. Man has striven to rise above this and earn his food with the least amount of work as possible. It is not really a surprise if you think about our nature. We want to come by all the things we need with the least amount of effort. If we had our way, we would enjoy down time all the time and have our needs fed to us on a silv platter.

However, God is not to be trifled with and He remains true to His promises. No matter what we try, we still have to earn our food by the sweat of our brow. Trying to use our logic to make that process easier is fine, however, there is a rub to it.

You see, trying to come by our goal in the easiest fashion can set a very troubling trend. That mentality has a habit of pouring over into the rest of our lives. Trying to use our logic to obtain our goals with the least amount of effort or sweat. The greatest issue from this is when we allow that mentality to come into our pursuit of God.

We all want to have that “closer walk” with God, but we don’t really want to put in the effort. Like everything else, we attempt to put in the minimum work necessary, but we expect great results. Just like a body builder would love to have evy muscle bulge without working out a second, we tend to desire an extremely close relationship with God without doing anything to make it happen. Our desire to “avoid the sweat” for our food can easily translate into “fat and lazy” approach to being one with God.

I know this because it is how I am. I, like most people, prefer to have my food and bounty to spare without breaking a huge sweat. I constantly think of ways to make money that will require less of my time. Wrong? NO! But that mentality can be dangerous as I approach God. Expecting a deep relationship by simply saying a morning prayer, reading a little Bible each day, going to meetings with fellow believers, but no real sweat. God requires our ALL in order to be one with Him.

Look at the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37. “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind!” these words imply “sweating!” They imply giving yourself to the act of loving, which we all know requires great effort. I cannot earn my wife’s affection by putting in the minimum required. I have to go all out to earn her every day. This is the same effort God requires in our walk with Him.

It is so amazing how a simple fact of our nature to try and “beat the curse” and make things easier can spill over into our walk with God. We must be careful not to allow the mentality of getting the most with the smallest amount of effort to overtake our pursuit of Him.

In Pursuit…….