Mary Is a Little Lamb…

John 10:24-30 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Tell us plainly… Baaaa…

Quick, get ready, here comes the wolves! They won’t believe us either because they are not His sheep…

I don’t think most people intend on “killing sheep” but something happens when they are confronted by the idea that you KNOW something they will never know, and HAVE something they will never seek or receive. Instead of being satisfied with their enlightened choice, they insist they have to KILL the message, the messenger, and the addressee of the message, for the sake of HUMANITY. They are so sure of the truth (or maybe so unsure) that they must eradicate any hint in word or deed that they are wrong.

When I was the one with the little lamb that followed me everywhere I went… I was told the rules. My little lamb Jesus, could not come to school with me, this was against the rules. Oh, I tried to include Him… “See how cute”, “See how harmless”, “See”.  And the people rightfully judged me and my lamb… “He’s not real.” “He’s just a children’s rhythm.” “You need to grow up and stop depending on weak things that cannot save you, nor make you strong, nor provide for your future.”

And then I grew up (when I was 32)… and heard His voice… and became one of His flock… Baaaa! 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God… 

What does this have to do with the ministry of encouragement? It is… He is the foundation of encouragement… and we are… SHEEP!

I was praying (actually worrying before God) this morning, for a friend whom I think is under tremendous attack because she too is a sheep in His pen. I was declaring all the things that could be dangerous to her and all the pitfalls she could walk into if she is not careful. I was moaning that I did not know how to warn her or if she would even listen to such a laundry list of negative do’s and don’ts.

And Jesus said to me, “Just say Baaaa!” (My wording of the above Scripture I was given this morning.)“I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

He is the foundation and the substance of our Ministry of Encouragement. We are… the sheep of His pasture…

Psalm 23:4-6 Even though I we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I we fear no evil, for You are Jesus is with me us; Your His rod and Your His staff, they comfort me us. You He prepare a table before me us in the presence of my our enemies; You have He has anointed my our head with oil; My Our cup overflows,. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me us all the days of my our life, and I we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I hope… no, I pray… when our Holy Spirit prompts my fellow sheep to “worry ” in prayer over me, I pray they will pray this Psalm with my name substituted at all the appropriate places.

If… no… WHEN they do, I will have received their ultimate ministry. And I will be encouraged!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible