Coming & Going

[Bro K]

[Pastor Matt]

That pretty much sums it up.

[John81]

Even in this small community there are some folks like that.

 

Our pastor shocked a man one day when he was visiting our church and kept complaining about all the different area churches he had attended over the years. Our pastor was tired of his complaining and when the man finally took a breath our pastor asked him what was the one thing in common with each church he had attended. When the man hesitated our pastor answered for him, "you!".

 

The man wasn't very pleased with that and even less pleased when our pastor pointed out that if we move from place to place trying to find perfection we need to remember that wherever we go, there we are.

 

Our pastor wasn't being mean, he spoke with a friendly tone and it was clear he was using humor in his approach of pointing out an important truth.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

A man was shipwrecked on a deserted island. 10 years later a ship passed near and he got their attention with a flare. When the ship's launch landed, the head of the detail asked who else was there.

 

"Why nobody" the man replied. "What are those huts? he was asked.

 

"Simple" says he, "That is my home and that one is my church."

 

Came the inquiry, "What is the third?" To this the man wore an exasperated expression and harshly stated, "That's where I used to go to church!"

[OLD fashioned preacher]

Years ago this country had circuit riding preachers, now they have circuit riding members.

[Bro K]

Years ago this country had circuit riding preachers, now they have circuit riding members.

Once the head is on straight; the body usually follows.

[The Glory Land]

I thinking about starting The Eighth Baptist Church, The tithe only eight percent, this might keep them.  

[heartstrings]

I attended the same Baptist church for 34 years; 25 of those years as a saved member. But after my family was meddled with by other members, including the pastor, I was threatened by the pastor, and falsely accused, I felt it was time to leave.......False shepherds say...they left because they couldn't take MY preaching. But the Good Shepherd says. "come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.........I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls".

 

I just finished feeding my sheep this morning and watched as the little lambs, just days old, were already eating peanut hay. It's amazing how food oriented they are. I guess we're all that way too. Sheep are not all the same. The ones who trust me the most, come the closest to me, the ones who don't stay far away....but they're all still sheep; scared, skittish sheep. You have to treat them kindly, treat them well to get them to come near. The bolder sheep push the weaker, more timid ones (some of those sit in the back pews) aside with horn, with head and with shoulder. And when the bold ones are through eating what they want, the sometimes foul the residue with their feet. Their feet carry manure, which harbors parasites and when the timid, weak sheep eat it, they only get weaker and sicker. If the shepherd puts out dirty, contaminated feed, they won't eat it at all. .Sheep have to be watched diligently because one can get sick or weak in a heartbeat. And sheep cannot be herded by a shepherd...they only follow. Only a dog can herd them (same species as a wolf), if the shepherd gets abusive, or neglects them further they keep their distance, and scatter....Can't fool them either; they tell when I don't have feed in my bucket, or if it's dirty, because they stop following and just wander away. Don't get me wrong; even good sheep can get lost....but a good shepherd always searches and tries to bring it back.

 

Ezekiel 34 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;

8 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;

10 Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

11 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.

16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.

18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;