Hi y’all:
Hope you are good, and still got your swag…I got it.
It’s been a CWAZY week!
It seems Rev 12 7:-11 is coming to pass before our eyes ... Even so, Maranatha!
Allow me to share with you a message that has kept The Shepherd in mind in the midst of my life's storms of late. Even in this season of war, I thank God for His good plans: HE is our refuge! It is important that we don’t focus on the storm, but no HIM that stills the storms. And He still speaks 'Peace be still" to every tempest...Let Him speak in yours, won't you?
The following blog was adapted from a Message preached by Rev. Julian Kyula from the Purpose Centre, Nairobi, while he was holding brief at Bishop J.B Masinde’s Church ( @ D.C Umoja) on 9th April, 2011.
To me, it was not only a “wow” Word, it is a “Now” word!
Barikiwa.
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We are living in the greatest dispensation of the kingdom of God. It is in this season that we will stand and go further than we have ever gone before. This is a dispensation of discovery. People that did not know your phone number will seek to find you coz of God’s calling and election on your life. You are about to become a defining point in your family, no matter where you fit in the family line. This time you will be a brand (such that when people travel on Mombasa Road it is your name they will see.)You best believe it!
In Psalms 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm, you will see the sheep talking about the Shepherd. This Psalm was penned by King David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, in his struggles before he was enthroned as the King of Israel and Judah:
“The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
The sheep says to the Shepherd, “I know I belong to you”. This is a declaration of Faith, a statement of ownership. Even from the beginning, the sheep is confident on whom his Shepherd is, knowing that no matter what circumstance or situation that might surround them, the Shepherd will provide. Child of God, no matter what economic situation you are facing, the Shepherd will surround you and keep you in His charge. Every morning, rise up and declare into the atmosphere, ‘The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” All trials come to test your faith. God’s word can never fail, so keep your faith in Him!
“He makes me lie down in green pastures”
A sheep is a ruminant animal: it regurgitates the excess undigested food to chew it again. They naturally eat more than they can handle. The Shepherd taps each and every sheep with his staff, calling them by name, and makes them lie down so as to chew on the grass around them and rest. This is such a good thing: so many times we bite more than we can chew and at best may end up with’ indigestion’, to say the least. We have such a loving shepherd that keeps us within our capacity. Child of God, take rest in Christ…
“He leads me besides still waters”
We like sheep need to go through a season of rest and refreshing. God leads us through such places. Y’all know that sheep are dumb (yep, I said it again). Flowing rapid waters tend to confuse the sheep in the same way that new doctrine misleads man. The adage goes: “ if it is new, it isn’t true, if it’s true it isn’t new”. This especially refers to the Word of God. What God wills to speak to you is the same Ancient Word that is ever true, but with a fresh taste, He doesn’t read the Harvard Business Review or the American Journal of Medicine to inform His counsel. His counsel stands in all generations. Let him lead you.
“He restores my soul”
God sees when you have been wounded, he sees your quarrels with other sheep and how they have hurt you. Not only is he your Shepherd, he is your healer. Not only does he restore your soul, which is your mind, your will and your emotions, he restores your entire being.
“He leads me in paths of righteousness…”
Seasons change. That is why the Shepherd has to move his sheep from one place to another. But as the seasons change, the ground cracks up and this is a great threat to the sheep which might have their feet stuck in the cracked earth and broken. Child of God, you won’t break your foot, no matter what season you are in. God will take care of you. He will keep you from all evil circumstances on your path. Amen.
“For His names sake.”
When David was penning this Psalm, the shepherd would take care of his sheep not just to reproduce and get more, but also to sell at the market so as to be able to purchase other sheep. Now, the Shepherd’s reputation rested solely on the condition of his sheep when it got to the marketplace: if the legs were broken up and the sheep were all scrawny and smelly, dude might as well look for another career, maybe as a soldier (even they also might not enlist him.) His reputation was irredeemeable. If the sheep were all nice, healthy and clean, he would get high honor and his sheep would go for a high price.A good name is better than riches…
And so it is with God. If you and I get to the marketplace in a not so desirable condition, then we would soil His reputation. (And trust you me, God cares for what the heathen think about Him!) That’s why He takes care of us, both spiritually and physically, and in every other way, so that all the honor and glory would go back to Him. He loves us! “Blessed be the LORD who daily loads us with benefits, who delights in the prosperity of his servant: God is our salvation”!
“When you arrive you will look great for the sake of God’s name. You are about to overtake quickly! When you get to the marketplace, even those who never could not give you a hearing at the boardroom will fall silent the moment you clear your throat. Child of God, walk with a majestic walk. Take over with confidence. Understand that we are not survivors, and” just as Isaac was, so are we children of the covenant.” (Gal 4:28) All this will happen until they begin asking, Is this that Kenyan?”
“Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me”
As the Shepherd moves the sheep move to higher ground, they will go through a narrow cliffy path, that rises up to 750 feet from the ground with the mountain they climb casting a shadow on the valley below. The sheep follow the Shepherd up this path, and can clearly view the dark valley below, but are not afraid, for they trust the shepherd to take care of them through this way.
Jesus said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” He will be with you physically (never leave you) and emotionally (nor forsake you). Truly, you will never walk alone (Hata kama you are an Arsenal dude!).
“Thy rod and staff they comfort me.“
Sheep are perfectly defenseless (apart from being dumb, ha!) Snakes are rebuked by the rod, the very “snakes” that dare raise their heads against the sheep on the way, and try to consume them. They are met with a death blow by the Shepherd. No wonder Paul says in Romans 12 “My brethren, do not avenge yourselves, but give place for wrath, for the LORD says, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay…’ “
The staff deals with unruly sheep. The Shepherd uses the staff to ‘build’ a relationship with such sheep. Y’all know sheep are dumb(again), so when one runs away from the Shepherd and gets lost in the wilderness, true, he leaves the ninety-nine for the one. What you aren’t told is what happens to the one once it is found: he hits its forelegs with the staff just enough to make them unable to walk. Then he places them on his shoulders and carry’s them until they are able to walk again. The result of this initially painful act is that the sheep becomes bonded to the shepherd, he does not need to follow her from behind lest she gets lost, he would just walk ahead of her and the relationship would ensure she follows (So, yeah, the comfort is not a sofa, fluffy- kinda comfortable, but a comfort that begins with pain.)
God is deliberate with us with his rod and staff, so that you don’t get to where you are meant to go prematurely. He makes you lie down so that you are at the level of maturity. Trust me, when he does so, God is checking your heart until you are ready to be elevated. When he enables you to lie down, you have no stress. Take rest with him.
”Thou prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies…”
As the sheep go up the rock crag, they would go in single file, and obviously, the strongest would be at the head with the weakest at the back. The Shepherd would carry the weakest sheep on his shoulders...its small wonder that the first will be last, and the last, first. Hallelujah!
Not only so, the weak might be weak coz of a fight with others or an ailment. Sheep are able to sense which sheep are sick: when they smell the blood of an unwell sheep, they would eat up the grass around the sick until they die.(Btw, this is so like chicken, who would peck the sick until the die!) The shepherd would demarcate a section of the pasture for the sick and weak sheep away from his ‘bloodthirsty’ brothers and allows them to feed until they recuperate. God, your shepherd will mark territory for you to eat and be nourished and grow back to health. Wow!!!The place of rest is not a place of debt. And better still, the whole flock will have to wait until this one sheep heals (That is why we should take care of the hurting among us, rather than eat the grass around them. Check the fellowship or church you attend; are you progressing? How are you handling the sick and the weak among you? Notice, until the Shepherd has restored them to health, y’all have to wait till they are well….selah.)
“The enemy who came to steal, kill or destroy will be killed, stolen from and destroyed! Amen.”
“Thou anoint my head with oil”
Oil has a soothing effect. The Shepherd anoints the heads of the sheep so that when they head-butt, for males would be males, they don’t hurt each other too much but would simply slide off each other. Again, sheep are often plagued by flies and worms which seek to go up their nostrils, a great irritation! The oil ensures that they slide off. Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, wants to anoint your head with the balm of Gilead. He wants to anoint you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. He wants you to shine! He wants to release something in you that is exuberant! This is the year for the Church to arise and shine for our light has come, and the glory of the LORD has arisen upon us. The word of God is that nations will come to your light, and kings to the light of your rising. The Church of Christ in Kenya is to get ready for business partners from the East and West…the business that will come to them will be great! “The wealth of the nation will be turned to thee.” Amen.
“And my cup overflows….”
In their journey through the wilderness, they would come to watering points with a well. A hollow cup in the wilderness would be where the sheep would drink from. This cup would be of stone, 1 foot wide and 1.5 foot long. Now, coz of the scorching sun, even when the cup will be filled with water, the water would be lukewarm if not hot. The shepherd would fetch more and more water until the cup is filled and overflowed. As the cup overflows, the water is cool so the sheep can drink cool waters, in the from the front wilderness. The Shepherd wants to take you into the overflow dimension! It is in this dimension where you will partake of his goodness until you are fully refreshed. Move into the overflow!
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever”
The Shepherd led his flock from the front, with his guard dogs watching at the back .The psalmist used this in his imagery to should what even if you are at the back of the pack, the weak of the flock that lags behind, goodness and mercy, the guards of the flock will keep you in the way of the LORD and keep you in all His paths!!!
Isn’t God great!
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All the best as you witness the Shepherd’s presence in your life.
The LORD bless you and keep you…
Shalom.
