We, like sheep, can so easily go astray. I wrote in December 2016 of the perils that face sheep in Shaken Sheep Syndrome Part 2. *I’ve included a link where this can be accessed at the bottom of this post. What I heard then has become much more dire. The Lord woke me at 6:15 A.M. Friday, 2/12/21 with the words, “Woe to the shepherds and prophets who destroy and scatter my sheep.” I wrote it down as it’s so easy to go back to sleep and then forget. Chapter 23 of Jeremiah speaks to this. These shepherds scatter the sheep of His pasture. They cause the people to be in error. They speak visions of their own heart and say things are good when they completely contradict what the Lord said. God said He did not send these shepherds and prophets who caused His people to hear words and listen to false dreams that led them down a wrong path. Because of these false words, visions, and dreams, the Lord said He is against these shepherds and prophets. And this is exactly what has been coming forth from the mouths of so many shepherds and prophets today. The words of these leaders can cause a sheep to be in danger.
A cast sheep is one that has gone astray and has gotten stuck in something that will eventually kill it. Rescuing the sheep is called “Righting It” and setting it back on its feet. They can become weighed down from the weight of their own wool. When wet, it becomes quite heavy and they can fall because they are off balance and then are unable to right themselves. A good shepherd makes sure the sheep are healthy and the wool shaved. Some today are only concerned with fleecing the sheep. Take the money but don’t look after the flock. Some sheep are just like people in that they have an appetite for things that will cause distress when ingested. This can cause bloating and sickness, leading to death. A sheep’s stomach is similar to a cow’s and has four chambers. If it is stuck on its back, gasses build up and their air supply can be cut off and they can die. We can ingest things in our spirit that lead to all sorts of noxious ailments causing destruction. Wrong ideas. False doctrines. Following those who we know we should walk away from as we’ll end up in a ditch like the wayward sheep. Sticks and all sorts of debris can get stuck in a sheep’s wool, further weighing them down. Much like the lies that are fed to us as a steady diet which many believe. Hate, racism, elitism, unforgiveness, Christian nationalism are all like the sticks and debris in the sheep’s wool that weigh us down. We eventually will wander off on a path of destruction, or like a sheep purposely rolling over on its back on a hollow in the ground, only to get stuck in a rut. They thought it was soft grass, but didn’t see what was underneath, and the weight of their wool and things stuck to them now has them trapped. We too can think something isn’t harmful. We know the person or have read or followed them for years and now something is off. Do we still follow or pay attention when what they speak doesn’t line up with what Christ spoke?
Following wrong doctrine or bad advice and leadings can cause us to be cast down just like a cast sheep. Psalm 42 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why are you so disquieted? Hope in God, the help of my countenance.” In Chapter 9 of Matthew, Jesus saw the people and had compassion for them, for they were like sheep that were weary and cast down and were scattered as those having no shepherd. When we’re like this, we feel as if there is no direction. Turmoil and chaos are evidenced wherever we go. It fills the air. We can become depressed and lose hope. Feel we’ll be stuck in a rut forever. But a good shepherd listens for the voice of their sheep. They can hear distress in the sound of their bleating. And the good shepherd has a sheepdog that alerts him to the lost sheep or when they are in danger or lost. Right now, both the shepherd and the prophet are too interested in the sounds of their own voice. They are consumed with how many sheep they have or how many follow them. And they are too interested in the value of the wool once fleeced. A good shepherd will lift the sheep from the hole it’s stuck in and then massage them until the circulation returns and they regain their equilibrium. Right about now, how many sheep do you feel have lost their equilibrium? They’re out of balance. So, what can we do to address this properly?
What we listen to can be either nutritious or cause indigestion. It is incumbent upon us to make sure what is presented lines up with what Jesus spoke. If not, reject it. If a shepherd does not put his sheep first, or is too concerned with their own standing, it may be time to address it or move on. If a shepherd speaks things that add to hate and discord and prophesies things that are not true, they must be confronted. Right now, apologies for the 2020 election only speak to that one issue. The last five years are not addressed. What led them to come under this wrong spirit in the first place? Are they going ahead with more new ministerial programs and classes they want you to follow or are they stopping to listen and ask Him for correction? Today, shepherds and prophets are still speaking to the same problem. Rather than defending the past administration, they’re attacking the new one. They are stuck like the cast sheep and they have not asked for help with contrition. Yet, they still attempt to lead. I fear many of these shepherds will not change from their nationalistic fervor. Some may have to die off to be quieted, living out their lives espousing a doctrine contrary to what Jesus taught. Instead, I pray they truly embrace the work of the Cross or just fade away. They do great damage to His Kingdom. The division in our country is growing. Jesus has an answer. Love your fellow man. Teach only what He taught, not your own concoction. Jesus laid His life down for His sheep. Following that mindset is a good place to start. Rather than trying to speak things that just rile people up and create more disagreement, look to see the condition your sheep are in. Care for them. Love them. The Lord says in Psalm 107 that He will pour contempt on those who arrogantly abuse power, but those who are diminished and brought low, He will raise up, show them His favor, and put them in a safe place where no one can touch them. We need to get on the right page. There are so many pages we can turn to in His book.
Jesus said My sheep know My voice and the voice of another they will not follow. We must know His voice. Listen for it. Right now, sheep are hurting. They are lost, angry and confused. We must look to “right those cast sheep.” So, ask directions. He will say this is the way, walk in it. Believe He will make you to lie in green pastures. That He will restore your soul. He will feed you and anoint you and provide a dwelling for you. Embrace that. Rest in it. Do not allow anything to cause you to be cast down. He is your provision. Blessings.
Stand My Watch 