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THE NEXT MOVE OF CHRIST IS BEING BIRTHED,  IT'S TIME TO ASK ABOUT THE SHEPHERDS ABIDING IN THE FIELD!
Steve Shultz
Dec 27, 2002
The Baby was already born, and
they must have called him Emmanuel ---because
the Angel prophesied it. Others knew him as Jesus, but perhaps
only inside the house (because it would
have been too embarrassing to say it
outside) they called him, "God with us," -- that is,
"Emmanuel"-- Which MEANS, God with us."
But while he thought about these things,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph,
son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.21 And she will bring forth a Son,
and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their
sins."
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord
through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be
with child, and bear a Son, and they SHALL
call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
Matt 1:20-23
Joseph and Mary knew he was "God
with us".
. .
But God in HEAVEN wanted
another group to know it...and to
know it now--BEFORE the rest of the world
became aware!
But first, the LORD let the
birth occur..the new "MOVE" of God in
the "one-horse"
town called BETHLEHEM. . .. Because
the Word says, there was no room for him in "THE"
Inn. There was Just ONE
INN. I'm always amazed at the
Lord's delight in small beginnings. He goes where least expected. TO whom
others least expect.
Shepherds were just outside the town ----
just doing their job in the field.
Here's how the word says it:
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the
inn. And there were in
the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
flock by night.
Luke 2:7-8
THE LORD NEVER WASTED EVEN A WORD .
. . OR A MEANING
The thing is . . . .later in life Jesus would tell his friends many stories.
He never wasted a word. And he never wasted a meaning. Everything that Jesus
said and did had specific meaning.
Jesus told them, that the "field" represented represented "the world"
("The field is the world. . . "
Matt 13:38)
And The Word says the Jesus had compassion on people who came to Him
because they seemed to have no shepherd . . .
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them
many things. Mark 6:34
Jesus knew His people needed shepherds.
The Pastors today are the shepherds. Peter,
the one who "blew it" the most was a shepherd. How do I know? Because Jesus
referred to him as such by this conversation with Peter. Shepherds . . .
pastors, tend to God's sheep . . .
Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love
me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of
my sheep," Jesus said. Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do
you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time.
He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said,
"Then feed my sheep. John 21:16-18
Back to the Shepherds in the field
Are you like me?
Do you find it at
least fascinating that the Angels appeared first
to the "Shepherds" who were "abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night?"
When God does an amazing
thing...it's not just the apostles and prophets He talks to about it to . .
. He appears to the shepherds . . .
the pastors....those who simply and humbly, even unrepentantly TEND TO THE
NEEDS OF THE SHEEP ----those who are out in their own field, WATCHING
THEIR OWN FLOCK BY NIGHT.
Have you noticed how dark . . .how much like NIGHT things are in the world
right now?
And the shepherds?
They're watching their own flocks today....by
night. Sounds like a
contradiction, doesn't it, watching their flocks today... BY NIGHT. God
wastes no analogy, no moments to teach.
NOT ALWAYS ALL THAT GIFTED...JUST TENDING SHEEP
Sometimes, like shepherds of
old, some pastors today are not all
that gifted (though many are, of course).
The gifts would come later--
to Jesus--- by the Magi. Shepherds didn't
have much money.. The money came from the Magi. The shepherds weren't
royalty, nor were they considered those who were wise . . . but they
WERE faithful shepherds, and
they WERE watching their flocks!
Sounds like some pastors today, doesn't it?
"But Steve, you don't understand my pastor,"
many are saying. "He (or she) is controlling. He hems me in. He doesn't see
my potential!"
I've always known that God has a sense of
humor. He must laugh at times. Who would have felt, in the days of
Bethlehem, that the shepherds were supposed to understand the sheep's
potential?? Ha! They had one job.
Pastors, shepherds feed sheep. They tend to
them. They guard them from wolves and wild animals. And by so doing, they
sometimes, hem them in. Sounds a bit like Scripture doesn't it?
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
NKJV Ps 139:5-6
Another version puts it . . .
You hem me in--behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
(from New International
Version)
GOD IS ABOUT TO APPEAR TO SHEPHERDS
The Lord and the Angels of Heaven are watching the
shepherds ABIDING IN THE FIELD, WATCHING THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT.
. . . And he's about to appear to them and
announce something very new--because HE'S
DOING SOMETHING NEW.
This is not the time to be against God's shepherds. You may feel there is
not a lot of gifting there. You may feel that all they do is "pen the sheep
in," but the Lord knows that his shepherds need to protect the sheep "at
night."
Do you want to find a place of grace with the Lord? Do you need mercy in
your life right now? Do you wish someone would show you mercy?
Are you having a problem with shepherds right now? This would be a good
time to resolve the problem because God, and the Hosts of Heaven are about
to appear to God's shepherd and announce the birth of the next Move of God!
God LOVES SHEPHERDS. It's not because of their wealth, or their wisdom or
their gifting.
It's because they take care of HIS SHEEP.
If you are offended by a pastor ---a shepherd,
regardless of their guilt or innocence, this would be a good time to make
things right. Because according to Scripture, when God announces a new move
of God, he appears to the shepherds first. And all they are doing to be
worthy of this appearance----- is to be watching (guarding, feeding,
tending) their flocks by night.
Find yourself a good shepherd
and become his friend.
I say this as a word from the
Lord. Because the LORD is about to appear to them and pronounce:
"Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Luke 2:14-15
and when the announcement occurs, shepherds are going to rush into action
(and take many of you with them) as . . .
" . . . the shepherds
say one to another, "Let us now go ... and see this thing which is come to
pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
AND WHEN THE SHEPHERDS SEE THE NEW THING BIRTHED THIS YEAR-----
THIS WILL HAPPEN . . .
"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen" Luke 2:20
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