Ezekiel 34:31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.
Let’s say ‘Glory Hallelujah’ and ‘Amen’ to that my Friends! Why? Cause it’s the most wonderful group to belong to in this whole wide world! Oh how excited that scripture makes me! I was looking at some other stuff on the same page, but every time my eyes beheld it, it energized me. Finally I got the message that it was meant to be Today’s Bit. Oh people, you have to excuse the ole fella, for in his advanced age, it does take a little longer to read these signs and signals. (smile) But the important thing is that I do get them eventually. And what better gift can we ask than being men in God’s flock eh? None really my brethren! But please remember, it’s all a gift. It’s nothing that we did, or could ever do to earn it. It’s just the goodness and mercy of our ever-LOVING God that blesses us with being numbered amongst His people. We only need to believe what He says, and live obedient to His rules. As Bruh David declares in Psalm 100: ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’ Hallelujah! ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.’ Praise His Holy Name my people! ‘For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth for all generations.’ (Ps.100:3-5) Selah! Oh my Friends, if those few words of Bruh David don’t touch your heart, and just fill it full of joy, praise, thanksgiving, LOVE, peace and all the other good emotions, then I don’t know what will. It’s certainly a moving testimony to our God, but also puts forth things we should make habit forming; entering His gates with thanks, his courts with praise, just being thankful to Him, and blessing His Holy Name. It’s that attitude of gratitude we’re always talking about, which sadly, a lot of us believers either don’t have, or don’t display. But Friends, how can we not have or display a thankful attitude when our main purpose is to praise, worship and revere Him, then spread His Word? So if we’re not being properly grateful, can we call ourselves true believers? I don’t think so. After becoming a believer, our first task is to be sincerely thankful for what the Lord and His Son Jesus, our Saviour, has done for us poor, undeserving sinners. Now let’s turn back to Ezekiel, Chap.34, which begins with the Lord instructing Zeke to prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. ‘Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherd feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe ye with wool, ye kill them that are fed: (fatlings) but ye feed not the flock.’ (Ezek.34:2-3) What does that indictment say of those leaders Friends? That they’re no good, only in it for themselves, have no real interest in the flock they’re supposed to lead, guide and care for. What did Jesus say? ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Now that’s how a shepherd should behave my people; protecting his sheep, even if it means losing his life on their behalf. But did any of Israel’s leaders, or do our own today, really give a hoot about the people placed under their leadership? No sir! They were, and are more concerned with consuming the sheep, rather than nurturing them. We see it all over the world Friends, where the leaders think they rule in their own right, and not as servants of the people. And we the people, like the proverbial lambs led quietly to the slaughter, let them get away with that disgusting attitude. Nowadays the political forum is no longer about the people, but about the politicians and their parties, about being re-elected and staying in power. Isn’t it strange that we claim not to trust them, yet we believe their empty, hypocritical promises come election time? I guess right now they’re even more distrusted than lawyers, (keep quiet daughter) and that’s saying a lot. But my people, I exhort you, hn, a favourite word of Bruh Paul, I exhort you to remember that our God Jehovah is still on the throne, and once He is there, there is always hope. Moreover, He’s declared: ‘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 anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.’ (Ezek.34:10) Oh happy day my people! Then hear this astonishing promise of our wonderful, magnanimous God: ‘I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord. 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 strong; I will feed them with judgement.’ (Ezek.34:15-16) Beware, you fat and strong, for justice is forthcoming! Oh Friends, under what other ruler can we find such heartening and encouraging promises eh? None, my people, none! So I again exhort us to put our sincere trust and faith in the Lord and His Son, Jesus, who did what a shepherd should do for his sheep; die to protect them. No other wannabe shepherd has ever done that, only Jesus Christ! He walked His talk and died that ugly, unjust, innocent death for us on Calvary. Even though we didn’t deserve it, He redeemed out lost, sinful souls, and made us right with the Father. There can be no greater gift than that my Friends. So let’s give much heartfelt thanks and praise, let’s bless His Holy name forever, for He is indeed the One and Only, the True Good Shepherd, and we’re unbelievably fortunate, blessed and grateful to be in is flock. Much LOVE!….only in Jesus’ flock….are the sheep…. safe, secure, assured of salvation and eternal life…
Let’s say ‘Glory Hallelujah’ and ‘Amen’ to that my Friends! Why? Cause it’s the most wonderful group to belong to in this whole wide world! Oh how excited that scripture makes me! I was looking at some other stuff on the same page, but every time my eyes beheld it, it energized me. Finally I got the message that it was meant to be Today’s Bit. Oh people, you have to excuse the ole fella, for in his advanced age, it does take a little longer to read these signs and signals. (smile) But the important thing is that I do get them eventually. And what better gift can we ask than being men in God’s flock eh? None really my brethren! But please remember, it’s all a gift. It’s nothing that we did, or could ever do to earn it. It’s just the goodness and mercy of our ever-LOVING God that blesses us with being numbered amongst His people. We only need to believe what He says, and live obedient to His rules. As Bruh David declares in Psalm 100: ‘Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.’ Hallelujah! ‘Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.’ Praise His Holy Name my people! ‘For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth for all generations.’ (Ps.100:3-5) Selah! Oh my Friends, if those few words of Bruh David don’t touch your heart, and just fill it full of joy, praise, thanksgiving, LOVE, peace and all the other good emotions, then I don’t know what will. It’s certainly a moving testimony to our God, but also puts forth things we should make habit forming; entering His gates with thanks, his courts with praise, just being thankful to Him, and blessing His Holy Name. It’s that attitude of gratitude we’re always talking about, which sadly, a lot of us believers either don’t have, or don’t display. But Friends, how can we not have or display a thankful attitude when our main purpose is to praise, worship and revere Him, then spread His Word? So if we’re not being properly grateful, can we call ourselves true believers? I don’t think so. After becoming a believer, our first task is to be sincerely thankful for what the Lord and His Son Jesus, our Saviour, has done for us poor, undeserving sinners. Now let’s turn back to Ezekiel, Chap.34, which begins with the Lord instructing Zeke to prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. ‘Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherd feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe ye with wool, ye kill them that are fed: (fatlings) but ye feed not the flock.’ (Ezek.34:2-3) What does that indictment say of those leaders Friends? That they’re no good, only in it for themselves, have no real interest in the flock they’re supposed to lead, guide and care for. What did Jesus say? ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Now that’s how a shepherd should behave my people; protecting his sheep, even if it means losing his life on their behalf. But did any of Israel’s leaders, or do our own today, really give a hoot about the people placed under their leadership? No sir! They were, and are more concerned with consuming the sheep, rather than nurturing them. We see it all over the world Friends, where the leaders think they rule in their own right, and not as servants of the people. And we the people, like the proverbial lambs led quietly to the slaughter, let them get away with that disgusting attitude. Nowadays the political forum is no longer about the people, but about the politicians and their parties, about being re-elected and staying in power. Isn’t it strange that we claim not to trust them, yet we believe their empty, hypocritical promises come election time? I guess right now they’re even more distrusted than lawyers, (keep quiet daughter) and that’s saying a lot. But my people, I exhort you, hn, a favourite word of Bruh Paul, I exhort you to remember that our God Jehovah is still on the throne, and once He is there, there is always hope. Moreover, He’s declared: ‘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 anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.’ (Ezek.34:10) Oh happy day my people! Then hear this astonishing promise of our wonderful, magnanimous God: ‘I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord. 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 strong; I will feed them with judgement.’ (Ezek.34:15-16) Beware, you fat and strong, for justice is forthcoming! Oh Friends, under what other ruler can we find such heartening and encouraging promises eh? None, my people, none! So I again exhort us to put our sincere trust and faith in the Lord and His Son, Jesus, who did what a shepherd should do for his sheep; die to protect them. No other wannabe shepherd has ever done that, only Jesus Christ! He walked His talk and died that ugly, unjust, innocent death for us on Calvary. Even though we didn’t deserve it, He redeemed out lost, sinful souls, and made us right with the Father. There can be no greater gift than that my Friends. So let’s give much heartfelt thanks and praise, let’s bless His Holy name forever, for He is indeed the One and Only, the True Good Shepherd, and we’re unbelievably fortunate, blessed and grateful to be in is flock. Much LOVE!….only in Jesus’ flock….are the sheep…. safe, secure, assured of salvation and eternal life…
SCRIP-BITS 