THE SHEPHERD CHRISTIANS ARE A SHEPHERDING COMMUNITY
YOUNG GIRLS ARE THE REAL SHEPHERDS
Interestingly, we have a picture of an old man with a gray beard as a shepherd. This is only partly true. The reality is that in Eastern countries, it is mostly young girls who lead the animals out to graze, whilst boys go with their fathers to do heavier work. Some of the patriarchs, including Isaac, Jacob and Moses, found their future wives while watering their animals at a well. In the last days, it is young men and women, even servant boys and girls, who will prophesy, and shepherd the community (Joel 2:28-30). We are chosen, not only to be biological parents, but also to serve as spiritual fathers and mothers to non-Christian poor children who are not in schools and are working as forced laborers. We must redeem them and motivate them to liberate others in bondage.
TWO KINDS OF SHEPHERDS
There are two types of shepherds:
(1) The hireling is a mercenary who works for money. When he sees danger coming, he abandons the sheep at the mercy of the wolf and runs away. Paul prophesied the birth of denominationalism, “Savage wolves will come from among you and not spare the flock; to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29,30).
(2) The caring shepherd takes ownership and is ready to lay down his life for the sheep (John 10:11-15). Yeshua commanded Peter, “Feed my lambs and tend (protect) my sheep.” Feeding vulnerable lambs with the spiritual food till they reach reproductive maturity, protecting them from wolves, remains the primary responsibility of every shepherd. There are many shepherds and many sheep, but only one flock and only one Chief Shepherd (John 10:16; 21:15-17).
QUALIFICATION OF ELDERS
Paul normally appointed not one but several elders in every Ekklesia to avoid concentration of power in the hands of one man. He also did not appoint elders a second time in an Ekklesia that could assume this responsibility. A plurality of elders provided the most successful leadership, leading to exponential growth of the early Ekklesia. Several character traits are mentioned in the Scriptures for choosing elders, for eldership is not a profession but a high calling with godly passion (1 Tim. 3:1). Elders lead and instruct (1 Tim. 5:17), shepherd (1 Pet. 5:2), pray for the sick (Jam. 4:14), hear accusations against believers and admonish (1 Tim.5:19-20). They teach sound doctrine with ability to convict those who contradict, whilst serving as sound stewards of money and extending hospitality (Titus 1:5-9).
Though elders are eligible for double honor, they should earn their own living and support the weak (Acts 20:17; 34-35). Even their children and wives are expected to prove blameless. They should manage their families well, before being asked to lead the corporate Ekklesia (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-7, 11). Elders are the core of the core, stakeholders in the success or failure of the Ekklesia, which depends on their quality and their quantity. Capacity building in elders remains a key to success, for they must be continuously mentored, envisioned, encouraged, taught communication skills and team building, and how to handle sensitive cultural, ethical, moral and spiritual issues. This will keep their Ekklesia healthy and fertile.
DO NOT CALL YOURSELF A DOCTOR
Denominational ministers are ordained based on their academic tags rather than on their spiritual and soul-winning track record. Yeshua objected when one man called Him “Good Teacher” (a teacher is called “doctor” in the Greek language), whereas we today strive to earn a Ph.D. to be called a Doctor (Mark 10:1718). “And do not be called teachers, for One is your teacher, the Messiah, and you are all brethren” (Matt. 23:8-10). Ministers with academic credentials speak to folks’ head, whilst the born again write epistles on human hearts (2 Cor. 3:2-3). The clergy are not the sole interpreters of Scripture, nor are they arbiters of our salvation. There is no mention of clergy as an office in the NT. Eldership was neither an office nor a title but a function, being accountable for the souls under one’s watch (Heb.13:17).
NO POVERTY IN THE CARING AND SHARING EKKLESIA
Paul says, “And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself (2Cor.12:15). Elders were volunteers who contributed their time and other resources. There were no costs involved in building and maintenance, as the Ekklesia met in the homes of the believers. All their offerings could therefore be used to help the poor and needy as well as for the support of missionaries. Absence of poverty among believers, combined with rapid multiplication, is the sign of a healthy Ekklesia (1 Cor. 16:13; Rom. 15:26-28; Acts 4:34-35; 16:5).
PASTORS ARE A GIFT FROM MARTIN LUTHER
In the NT, the phrase “pastors or shepherds” appears only once, and that in fourth place in a list of the fivefold ministry gifts (Eph. 4:11). Significantly, it is not in the singular but in the plural. The apostles nowhere else mention pastors in their letters to the Ekklesias. Diotrephes was the first recorded person to suffer from preeminence syndrome, which was greatly resented by the Apostle John (3 John 9). This insignificant post of Pastor in the church came into prominence after Luther’s reformation to distinguish it from that of Catholic priests. The word “priest” comes four times in the NT, where it applies to every believer, never to the celibate Vatican variety (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6).
YESHUA WILL COME WEARING SAFFRON
Saffron robes are not the monopoly of Hindu priests. The temple priests in Jerusalem wore white gowns made of fine linen, but as they offered sacrifices, they became splattered with red blood. When the robes were washed, they assumed various hues from saffron to ochre. One day Yeshua will come, riding on a white horse, wearing clothes dyed with the blood of His enemies. Upon His red robe will be written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Isa. 63:13; Rev. 19:11-16).
YESHUA HATES CHURCH HIERARCHY
Nicolas, presumably one of six deacons chosen along with Stephen, went into house Ekklesias wrecking them by dividing them into “speaking brothers” and “listening brothers.” Greek “nicos” means “conquering” and “laos” means “ordinary people”, hence Nicolaitans came to mean “conquering the laity.” Yeshua hates such clerical hierarchy, because it drives a wedge between the religious elite and the ordinary believer (Rev. 2:6; 1 Pet. 5:23), for all believers are “royal priests” (1 Peter 2:9). Yeshua hates it when the authority of ordinary believers is usurped, and they are turned into mere spectators. The history of the Ekklesia is a record of systematically violating the speaking rights of believers. Yeshua says, “The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and exercise control over them. It shall not be so among you, but whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 20:25-26).
THE EKKLESIA MUST GROW IN QUALITY AND QUANTITY
The Ekklesia is the Body of royal priests who proclaim the light of the gospel to those who are still in demonic darkness. If Christians are encouraged to know their true identity and authority by giving them opportunities to participate fully in the deliberations of the Ekklesia, then the Ekklesia will be strengthened in faith and will grow daily in numbers (Acts 16:5). Every member — men, women and even children — must find and shepherd the lost sheep into the fold. Only then will the kingdom go ballistic as it did in New Testament times (Acts 6:7).
FEEDING AND TENDING THE SHEEP
Yeshua instructed Peter to feed His lambs and to tend His sheep. The first duty of a shepherd is to feed the lambs and protect them from the predators, so that they mature quickly and reproduce more sheep (John 21:15-17). If sheep do not reproduce, then they are of no use to the shepherd, who sells them off to the butcher. If you really love Yeshua, then you will feed His sheep, “not with bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4), so that they can quickly come to reproductive maturity. Only sheep can reproduce sheep. Sheep are not fed once a week in their stall (church building) but must be taken out daily to graze in the pasture.
FINDING LOST SHEEP
The second duty of a shepherd is to seek and find any lost sheep that are not yet in the sheepfold. Even if ninety-nine sheep are safe, searching for any lost sheep must remain the highest priority. Like the shepherd in the parable who leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep to find the lost one, any farmer owning sheep will cancel everything else until he finds the lost sheep (John 10:16; Luke 19:10; 15:3–7).
HATCHING, MATCHING AND DISPATCHING
Solemnizing marriage is not a role of the church, as exemplified by our Lord at the wedding in Cana, which took place in a house, not in a synagogue. A pastor may solemnize marriages in his capacity as a Registrar of the government, for which he is given a license. Couples can get married in a government office and receive a proper certificate, without the services of a pastor. Then they can celebrate and receive blessings in their Household Ekklesia.
LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD; YOU, GO RAISE THE DEAD
In the OT, if a priest accidentally touched a dead body, he had to undergo a bath of purification (Lev. 21:1-4; Num. 19:11-14). Aaron, the High Priest, was not even allowed to attend the funeral of his sons (Lev. 10:1-7; 21:1-4, 10-12). When Yeshua was buried, no religious ceremony took place. When the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was stoned to death, devout men carried his body and buried it (Acts 8:2). Many Christians of the first century were killed, sawn asunder or fed to the lions. There was no burial ceremony for them, yet we are sure that they are resting in Paradise.
Yeshua unkindly replied to the man who wanted to first bury his father and then follow Him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). When poor Lazarus died, there was nobody to bury him, yet he went straight to Paradise. On the other hand, the rich man was buried with great pomp and show but it was of no use. He was already baking in hell while the ceremony was going on. Anybody can bury the dead, like Peter’s young men who buried Ananias without even informing his wife Sapphira whom they also buried a little later. We have been sent into the world to raise the dead, especially the spiritually dead (Matt. 11:5; Acts 5:5-10).
BISHOPS ARE NO DIGNITARIES
Paul called together the Ephesian elders and told them that the Holy Spirit has made them bishops to shepherd together “one flock”, which belongs to Yeshua (Acts 20:28). Ignoring this biblical instruction, Ignatius of Antioch (AD 35-107) instituted the bishop as the sole ruling authority. He equated the bishop with God and the presbyters as subordinates, based on the Roman centralized power structure. This act forever destroyed the process of shared decision making by local elders.
Modern-day clergy continue to dominate because of this unscriptural edict of Ignatius. ‘Bishop’ means ‘organizer’ or ‘overseer’ or ‘supervisor.’ As a local elder the bishop’s job was to organize meetings for which he was often persecuted and therefore much respected. When this office became corrupted, the bishop became a dignitary and a dictator, controlling people and property. In the NT, every elder (presbyteros) of a local Ekklesia is either a bishop (episkopos) or a deacon. While Bishop was a mature leader with organizational and teaching abilities, the Deacon was a serving learner on his way to become a Bishop eventually.
RIGHT REVEREND OR WRONG REVEREND
Later, priests assumed the illegitimate title of “Reverend” meaning “worthy of reverence.” This title should be used only for God (Psa. 111:9 KJV), for only God is worthy of reverence. This title has been inherited by Protestants from the Roman Catholic Church. It is wrong to call anyone “Reverend,” because to do so usurps God’s authority and mocks Him who cannot be mocked (Gal. 6:7). Fact is, in the NT there is no difference in rank between bishop, deacon, elder, and brethren. In the Ekklesia of Yeshua, there are no dignitaries, “for you are all brethren” (Matt. 23:8). We are all co-laborers. “Yeshua did not come to be served but to serve” (Acts 20:28; Matt. 23:11-13; 20:28).
NO PADRES EITHER
Padre is a Latin word that means “father” or “master.” Yeshua expressly forbade anyone to call Himself a father or master, “for one is your Father in heaven.” Yeshua said, “He who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 23:4-12; Luke 16:15). He also said, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” The highest title given to us is that of bond servant (Mark 9:35). This does not mean that we should not be spiritual fathers to seekers of the faith. The Scripture is only against using this title to exalt ourselves.
YESHUA IS OUR MOBILE MODEL
Yeshua is our Chief Shepherd and Bishop (1 Pet. 5:4). Every day He went out to heal the sick, comfort the broken hearted, set the captives free and to bring the kingdom of God into the hearts and homes of the people (Luke 4:18-19). Sadly, many Christians have no connections with the people of their city. Their non-caring attitude for the lost has consequences. Yeshua loved and cried over His city, Jerusalem. He tried to gather her people under His wings, as a hen protects her brood. Because they refused, the city became desolate (Luke 13:34,35).
A BOND SLAVE
A worker receives wages for his labor, but a slave does not. The master takes care of his needs. A slave is bought and sold without his consent. According to Torah, a Hebrew slave was allowed to go free in the seventh year. A bond-slave was one who loved his master so much that he chose to remain slave to him for the rest of his life. His ears were pierced with an awl against the door as a sign (Exo. 21:1-6). Paul (Rom. 1:1); Peter (2Pet. 2:1); (Jude 1:1); James (1:1) loved their Master so much that they called themselves His doulos (bond-slaves), totally submitting themselves for His service for the rest of their lives.
IMITATE MESSIAH, NOT THE CURSED TRADITIONS
The term “Messiah” means simply “Bringer of the Kingdom. Every Christian must imitate Yeshua Messiah, the Bringer of the Kingdom (Matt. 15:3). Paul says, “Imitate me just as I also imitate Messiah, keeping the traditions just as I have delivered them to you” (1 Cor.11:1-2; Phil. 4:9). “If we, or even an angel from heaven preach another gospel to you, then let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:89). Every shepherd must equip the flock to be bringers of the Kingdom, otherwise, we are in danger of being accursed. (Acts 20:28)
MULTITUDES IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION
“When Yeshua saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Even today, many people of other expressions are desperately searching for truth. Some go on long pilgrimages, experiencing many difficulties; some give alms, whilst others fast and organize religious gatherings. Still others offer gold, silver, money, coconuts, flowers, or animals, and sometimes even human sacrifice.
God wants us to be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:3). Yeshua wants us to bless all of them with the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14). Yeshua, our Chief Shepherd, had compassion on the multitudes. The Devil (the deceiver) is unhindered in his work of deceiving the multitudes, consuming them with a passion for idolatry (Acts 17:16). Sad to say, that instead of pow-wowing with the devil and dislodging and dispatching him, the church is hiding behind the holy huddles. (Joel 3:13-14).
THE JEWS AND THEIR HOLY COW
Jews are still waiting for their Messiah to come and to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. Before they can enter that temple, they will have to go outside the camp and smear themselves with the ashes of a red heifer, and then take a Bath of Purification in running water. Otherwise, they cannot enter the temple (Num. Chap. 19). So, a search is on for a pure red heifer. Some Christians smear ash shaped like a cross on their foreheads, on Ash Wednesday, the first day of the 40-day Lenten season. Hindus also smear themselves with ash, taking purifying baths. They believe that when they die, they must swim across Vaitarni river, which is infested with crocodiles. To cross it safely, they must hang on to the tail of a heifer.
We must warn our brothers that crocodiles love beef, and the safest way to go to heaven is to hang on to the Tallit of Yeshua’s followers. A Tallit is a fringed garment traditionally worn as a prayer shawl by religious Jews. The tallit has special twined and knotted fringes known as Tzitzit attached to its four corners. They represent the 613 Mosaic Laws. A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came, touched Jesus Tzizit and got healed (Heb. 9:11-15; Zech. 8:23; Mark 5:34).
OFFER YOUR HAIR AND TAKE A VOW
Thirupathi in Andhra Pradesh, the richest temple in the world, tonsures tens of thousands of people every day, who take some sort of vow. The temple makes Rs 300 million annually from the sale of hair. Paul shaved his consecrated head at Cenchrea and made a vow. On the way to Jerusalem, he was shipwrecked and lost everything, except the bag of hair tied to his waist, which he offered at the temple. A Nazirite vow could not be completed outside Judea (Num. 6:18). We do not know the vow. Perhaps it was thanksgiving or maybe prayer for his third missionary journey that he was about to undertake (Acts 18:18, 23).
Even today, Pentecost is celebrated in many places with a display of saffron clothes and flowers to represent the Fire of the Holy Spirit. Heads shaven or unshaven, it is time to put our consecrated egg heads together and take a vow to complete the mission to carry the message of Pentecost, to reap a mega harvest of souls.
THE WHOLE CREATION IS GROANING
The groaning world means the lost world (Rom. 8:19-22). Today, 90 percent of the sheep are lost while the church spends 90 percent of its resources on itself. Our Lord spent 90 percent of His ministry time among the lost folk. We need to introspect and evaluate how much of our time and resources we are investing on the redeeming of lost souls (Luke 15:7; Acts 18:24-28).
GEMS:
- A true Ekklesia will not be known for its wonderful worship, profound sermons or even nickels and noses, but for the harvest of souls.
- Lucifer sends his angels of light to give false visions, false prophecies and false leadership that give blind eyes, deaf ears and mute lips leading to wrong decisions that make the church a counterfeit Bride.
- The Lord is crying out to give Him back His much-abused barren Bride, so He can remove all her spots and wrinkles, restoring her to fill the earth with reproducing Brides.
- The Ekklesia was not designed for Christians but exists for the lost. A church that has no heart for the unsaved needs a heart transplant because the heart of God bleeds for the perishing (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:9).
- If I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood (Ezek. 3:18).
- God said my house shall be called “Beth Zebach”, the “House of sacrifice.” Animals were offered as holocaust (Greek: hólos, “whole” and kaustós, “burnt”). Solomon once offered 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep (2 Chron. 7:5,12).
- Yeshua said, “My house shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations.” Prayer (bakkashot in Hebrew) is the prayer that the Priest prayed after offering incense on sacrifice-soaked fire on the Golden Altar in the Holy place.
- Peter and his colleagues offered 3000 repentant souls as a living sacrifice thereby planting hundreds of Houses of prayer, on the Day of the Pentecost.
- Beth Shalom, “house of peace” is where broken and contrite hearts are offered as a minchah (often a bloodless sacrifice) (Luke 10:58; Rom. 15:16; Psa. 51:17). A house of peace is where you eat what is laid before you and gossip the gospel, then detox, dunk, and disciple those who differ.
- If your house is a house of peace, then Yeshua will come, knock on your door to eat supper with you (Mark 11:17; Rev. 3: 20).
- Yeshua said to a Samaritan woman, “Neither here nor there”, but worship in truth and spirit can take place “anywhere and everywhere” (John 4:21-24).
- We praise God with our lips (Psa. 51:15; Heb.13:15). We glorify by bringing abundant fruit (John 15:8). We worship by offering up lost souls as living sacrifices (Rom. 15:16; Psa. 51:17).
- To grab a guitar, dim the lights, sing, dance and gyrate to a happy, clappy crowd is not the “worship” mentioned 254 times in the Scriptures. The offering of broken, contrite hearts as living sacrifices remains central to worship. (Psalm 51:16,17; 96:8; Mark 12:33)
- If you are a businessperson selling peanuts or whatever, anoint all your wares with the Holy Spirit and go as a royal priest praying that anyone consuming your product will be instantly transformed.
- Equally if you go to buy anything from a shop owned by a person of another faith, the chances are that wares have already been dedicated to their favorite god by burning incense and spreading it around. So first break the curses in the name of Yeshua before you purchase anything (1Cor. 10:20).
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