en. I have boxes of stuff out in the garage, keep sakes that take me back in time. I have things that I have purchased from all of the world on my journeys, decorating my office at work and at home. Some things especially have deep meaning & I connect them to some important event that took place.
I am known for wearing boots and a cowboy hat. I really can’t explain it, except that I just never wanted to grow up. I wanted to be a cowboy. I think I was born a century too late.
At our first church in Kernville, California we were up in the mountains about 3,000 feet off Lake Isabella. It was an old cowboy town and people went there out of LA to retire. It was just natural in that environment to wear cowboy hats & boots. When we left Kernville, I decided to take my boots and hats with me & we have been connected ever since.
Here in Sacramento it can bring some confusion to people. They aren’t used to seeing a pastor in boots and a hat. So when I meet a stranger and they ask what I do for a living, I simply tell them that I am a rancher.
They say, ”Do you mean you have steers?”
And I say, “No, I have sheep”.
“How many sheep do you have?” they ask.
And I tell them that I have about 200 head of sheep.
That always intrigues them and they say,
“It must be a hassle to keep so many sheep in line and cared for”.
And I say, “You have no idea how difficult it is!”
Depending on the situation I can keep the charade up for quite a while.
But eventually I tell them that I am a pastor and my sheep are the members of the flock of which God has put me in charge. It can be a lot of fun.
They say, ”Do you mean you have steers?”
And I say, “No, I have sheep”.
“How many sheep do you have?” they ask.
And I tell them that I have about 200 head of sheep.
That always intrigues them and they say,
“It must be a hassle to keep so many sheep in line and cared for”.
And I say, “You have no idea how difficult it is!”
Depending on the situation I can keep the charade up for quite a while.
But eventually I tell them that I am a pastor and my sheep are the members of the flock of which God has put me in charge. It can be a lot of fun.
In John 10:1-10 Jesus gives us a parable about the sheep in the sheep fold. At night, the sheep were ushered into a barricaded area, where they could not wander off and the Shepherd could watch over them to keep them from harm. There is great danger out in the world for unprotected sheep. They have no way of defending themselves and cannot run very fast. Hence they are easy prey for mountain lions, coyotes, wolves etc. For their own good and safety the sheep need to be penned in from the dangers of the world.
But the sheep aren’t the smartest of animals. The sheep do not know that they are penned in for their own safety. They do not appreciate the fence at all. They want to be free to graze and roam wherever they would like. They are not content with the food provided in the enclosure, they are more interested in getting out, getting free. They are oblivious to the dangers of the world. So they spend their time looking for a hole in the fence, even the tiniest crack were they might be able to squeeze through and escape their captivity.
But the sheep aren’t the smartest of animals. The sheep do not know that they are penned in for their own safety. They do not appreciate the fence at all. They want to be free to graze and roam wherever they would like. They are not content with the food provided in the enclosure, they are more interested in getting out, getting free. They are oblivious to the dangers of the world. So they spend their time looking for a hole in the fence, even the tiniest crack were they might be able to squeeze through and escape their captivity.
And so it is with the people of the world. They don’t like the “sheep-fold” that God has created for their own good. They think they know better than the Good Shepherd. They want to set their own fences. rules and guidelines. In essence, they don’t like God and His way, they want to be god and create their own way. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, God gave them everything but one thing. But they wanted to be like God and have that one thing. We see the results of their fatal mistake in the world today.
Why is there so much unrest and anger and hatred and crime in the world? Basically it is because people aren’t happy with God’s rules, they want to be free and establish their own way of life totally ignoring the ways of God.
They genuinely dislike the God of the Scriptures. They detest Jesus and His claims as the Savior Messiah who came to deliver them from evil. In fact they are so rebellious that they have taken what God has called bad and malevolent, and they call it good and glorious. There can only be one tragic end to such a scenario. The wolves of the world will devour them. They have sown the wind and now are about to reap the whirlwind. It is only a matter of time.
May God have mercy on them and their misguided lives. May God have mercy on America, for those rebelling against God will take the whole country down.
They genuinely dislike the God of the Scriptures. They detest Jesus and His claims as the Savior Messiah who came to deliver them from evil. In fact they are so rebellious that they have taken what God has called bad and malevolent, and they call it good and glorious. There can only be one tragic end to such a scenario. The wolves of the world will devour them. They have sown the wind and now are about to reap the whirlwind. It is only a matter of time.
May God have mercy on them and their misguided lives. May God have mercy on America, for those rebelling against God will take the whole country down.
Praise God that our first allegiance is to His Country, His Kingdom and His Glory. Regardless of what happens to this country, the very best is yet to be for those sheep who are content to live in the fold of the Good Shepherd.
May He come back soon and straighten things out.
Maranatha, Pastor