Comments on: When Sheep Fight Back https://parables.blog/when-sheep-fight-back/ Sat, 26 Sep 2020 07:19:32 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 By: LJS https://parables.blog/when-sheep-fight-back/#comment-1868 Tue, 10 May 2011 14:52:27 +0000 #comment-1868 GBS You brought up some great points!

Brother Herrin, I am in full agreement with you concerning these issues. The problem is that most American Christians have believed the lie that Jesus only wants to bless us and make us feel good. Christians have been suffering for the faith since the stoning of Stephen. All one has to do is take a look around the world and see that right now Christians are being imprisoned, brutalized, marginalized, persecuted, and even murdered for keeping the testimony of Jesus.

By not embracing the sufferings God would have us endure for our own growth, Christians are remaining in a state of perpetual immaturity, never progressing beyond the basics of the faith. When God would have us grow into trees of righteousness, most are still nothing but stumps. Early in my walk with Christ, I was introduced to the reality that suffering was part of God's plan to bring us into the image and character of Christ. Is the servant greater than his master? If the Master suffered in the flesh, we can expect nothing less. However, these present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will soon be revealed in those who have obeyed the call to suffer.

I'll be praying for you as you enter your legal battles.

]]> By: GBS https://parables.blog/when-sheep-fight-back/#comment-1867 Mon, 09 May 2011 20:37:17 +0000 #comment-1867 Brother Herrin, the experience of the Apostle Peter is a clear confirmation of the truths that you have been presenting in your last 3 blog posts. Peter's denial of the Lord 3 times before the cock sounded is most often mistaken as fear. However, that is not the case. Peter was the most bold of the 12 Apostles. Peter was the only one that walked on the water. Peter was the one vocal enough to become an “adversary” to the plan of the Father and advised Christ that allowing himself to be turned over by the Jews to the Romans unto death was a really “bad idea”. (This lack of understanding is a preview of his later denial.) Peter was the only one that took up arms to protect Jesus at the Garden at the time of His arrest, cutting off Malchus' ear. Peter was the one bold enough to burst into the empty tomb when the word of Jesus' missing body was received. Peter was no coward nor was he fearful. Peter was well prepared to fight and die protecting Christ and his message (and he explicitly stated so). Unfortunately, he was only prepared in the flesh and not in the spirit. He still had the Old Testament theological thought in him that brought pictures to mind of the Messiah coming to bring a physical kingdom to the earth and overpowering Rome and bringing back the “good old days” of David and Solomon. Peter was quite prepared to brandish his sword and get this show on the road. God had a different plan. When Peter received the revelation in the garden that “this time” is wasn’t going to work that way, that Jesus was not going to resist or prevent His suffering, death, and resurrection, Peter was stopped in his mental tracks. “Whoa”, “oh–oh”, “wait Lord, I signed up for the other plan” – this thing about being a Lamb led to the slaughter is a whole other concept – I’m going to have to think about this for a while. And Peter couldn’t handle it – just as so many pastors and church attenders can’t handle it even now. Unfortunately, the “Millennium version” of this story hasn’t yet come to pass regardless of how much we would like to fast-forward the tape to the “good part”. After Peter’s reinstatement (“Lord, you know I love you” – “Feed my sheep”) he had finally perceived that the suffering comes first, to be followed by the glory. In Acts 12, after the first martyr James was put to death by Herod and immediately Herod put Peter in jail, he is sitting chained between two soldiers and facing the likelihood of having his head removed the following morning. Is Peter filing on the chains trying to break out of jail? No, he is so sound in sleep that the angel has to hit him on the side to wake him up. Peter had learned to turn over ALL consequences to his Lord and Master. The Bible clearly teaches that the defense of the Father is what is in order not self-defense. All human defense has limitations. Putting on asbestos fireman suits was not going to save Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. This is not to say that total silence is always what is called for. The word teaches not to prepare beforehand what to say – the word of the Father will be given at the time – the Holy Spirit will be the one speaking, not us. If God gives a gift of the spirit called the “Word of Wisdom” to speak at that hour, so be it. However, no fleshly defense will be required. God doesn’t need our help to guard His sheep.

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