Monday June 04, 2018

 

Some years ago, when my father was the Senior Pastor at Casa de Alabanza and I was the youth pastor, I was sitting in the church office when the phone suddenly rang. I picked up the phone and answered by saying, House of Praise how may I help you? A man sounding surprised to hear my voice responded, Bobby, I am so glad you answered the phone. Before I could say another word, the man began to confess some very disturbing things. I tried more than once to get a word in, but each time I did, the man spoke louder and would say, please let me finish. Once the man finished, I said to him, I don’t think you meant to talk to me. I think you wanted to speak with my father.  To which he asked, I am speaking to Bobby right? I answered, yes but you are speaking to Bobby Jr. not Bobby Sr.

 

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrificemy life for the sheep.” – John 10:14:15 NLT

 

In today’s culture, sheepdogs, men on horses, and even helicopters, guide sheep. In ancient Israel, shepherds guided sheep. On those occasions when the shepherds kept their flock in the field, once the sun went down, they would lead them to an area called the sheepfold. This area consisted of a circle of rooks with a single opening through which the sheep entered and exited. The number of sheep that would spend the night there could at times reach into the hundreds. Once all the sheep entered the fold, a doorkeeper, usually a shepherd would lay across the opening so that if a wolf tried to attack them, or if one of the sheep tried to get out, they could only do so by going through him.

 

My sheep listento my voice; I know them, and they followme. – John 10:27 NIV

 

Early in the morning, one by one, the shepherds would walk up to the opening of the sheepfold and call out his sheep; he knew exactly which of them belonged to his fold and the sheep instantly recognized the voice of their shepherd. The sheep developed the ability to listen to their shepherd, to distinguishhis voice from all other voices, to understandhis commands, and to apply the commands of the good shepherd.

 

The most important factor in our lives is to develop through prayer, the reading of God’s word, and the gatheringof the church the ability to hear and to distinguish God’s voice from all other voices.