Monday, March 27, 2006
The Story of Cult
Enclosed is a short story that reflects a long tale
David Lynch
INTRODUCTION
One thing is certain in this world of uncertainty, and it is this, someday Jesus will return, and we, His faithful people are to expect His return at all times and at any time.
Part of being ready is remaining steadfast in the good things that He has already shown us, and the Apostle Peter in his second epistle does just this. Peter calls the early church to steadfastness in the promises of God.
Reflecting on the flood and the lessons contained therein, Peter warns that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Completely by surprise in its timing for masses of people, but for the faithful watchers, maybe not in its season.
The apostle urges us to look forward with diligence, being found in peace, spotless and blameless. He encourages us to grow in grace and knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
As with any growth, time is required, and part of what follows deals with man’s impatience in contrast with God’s unending long-suffering and tolerant nature.
The Lord is after all the Supreme Gardener, and He will see that all spiritual growth is in His perfect timing. If the cultivation of men’s hearts was left for man to oversee, I dare say we would aim for 365 days of bloom. In contrast, the Lord’s garden has its season’s, a time to bloom and a time to prune, a time to die and a time to rise. The Lord is not looking for a quick flush of colour, but sustained and long lasting growth, refreshed and revived by the life giving watering of His Holy Spirit.
Peter then goes on to speak about the difficulty of understanding some of the Apostle Paul’s teachings. He says that unstable and unlearned people easily twist these teachings.
All down through Church history we find these so called ‘twisters’, no more so than in our present day. Both on and off the World Wide Web, and in and out of churches, these ‘twisters’ blow with stormy violence across the plains of sound doctrine. Many a once faithful saint is swept away from the safety of their ‘Kansas’ only to find themselves in a spiritually strange land, ruled by a self-styled wizard of Oz. Like the wizard in the film, it is often a little man with a big voice, hiding behind a huge facade.
Peter does not deal directly with these ‘religious wizards’ with all their deceit and trickery, but what he does, is speak with love to those who would be in danger of being led away, saying..........
Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 2 Peter 3:17
Now it came to mind recently, as I was taking a contemplative stroll through a damp and misty Scottish evening, that from time to time, men and women could be prone to extremes of behaviour. Okay, not exactly an astounding revelation, but what it did was focus my thinking on what caused my own rapid move from stability to the outer limits of rationality.
It is apparent that an ongoing religious faith does not necessarily make one exempt from extremism, even if that faith is in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Likewise the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit will not guarantee exclusivity from a leap into over zealous fanaticism. The danger signs and alarm bells that the Spirit of God sounds at these times of excessiveness, can often be ignored as one pushes the bounds of reason to the furthest position.
Within man, there is a need to worship; it is inherent within the human psyche. How, why, when and where are all legitimate questions in regard to worship, but these are secondary questions. The primary question(s) we must ask ourselves is ‘what or who do we worship?’ For one thing is certain in life, all mankind worships something.
Take for instance the ‘great’ football institution that is Manchester United. For many this is a religion, why the club even claim on some posters to be ‘a new religion’. One of the latest club book titles is entitled ‘Beyond the Promised Land’, surely a take on God’s miraculous salvation of the Jews through the Exodus, and their subsequent eternal inheritance of
Football is an easy example of idolatry though. Maybe the worshipped object is more subtle, a car, a career, a diet, a fitness programme. We can even exalt our own family to a place where we leave the Lord out of the construction work (Psalm 127), thereby turning what may be seemingly good intentions into a form of idolatry.
More dangerous and damaging than all these though, but altogether more common, is the worship of self that can come through the denial of self. The adversary of all believers roams the earth seeking whom he may devour. So how subtle that he should use the denial of self to ensnare an unsuspecting sheep. Now many great men have laboured hard over the subject of ‘denial of self’, and some have produced fine, balanced work.
I believe though that this one subject alone, can (if we are not mature and balanced in our faith), start to undermine all the work the Lord may have already undertaken. If our goal is the complete denial of self, without any checks or accountability, then this very pursuit can be the jagged rock on which our faith becomes shipwrecked.
The following verse could, and maybe should be the basis for all our worship. For without a seeking after God, and His righteousness, our ‘spiritual worship’ can become an insidious idolatry.
Jesus said ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31.
So the questions that began forming in my mind were these. Is it possible, in an attempt to completely and totally deny self that we go to an extreme from which only the lifeline of God’s grace can rescue us? What happens when the outer edges of devotional and personal worship are pushed to breaking point? What happens when the worship that should be bringing freedom and joy, brings bondage and misery?
Instead of a ‘church without walls’ vision, we can develop a bunker or siege mentality. The attitude that the Bereans had, their liberty to seek the scriptures to ascertain the validity of even Paul’s words, is incorrectly perceived as persecution. This in turn will drive us deeper into an ascetic exclusivity. Instead of breaking down barriers and walls, the very thing that should liberate, begins to construct a mask that cleverly enslaves its victim.
We can come to a place where we strive to worship God so much with all our heart and soul, that we ignore Mark
To work tirelessly at denying self and living out the message of the cross in our own strength is to completely cast aside the substituionary atonement of Christ at
Roy Hession, speaking of the New Covenant says this...
So now we come to the new covenant of which Jesus, our heavenly High Priest, is both Surety and Mediator. It was prophesied long before in the Old Testament, even in the days when the old covenant was in force. It was as if God sighed and said, “If my purposes for
This covenant, like the first, is not arrived at by mutual agreement, but is a disposition, or testament, whereby certain benefits are conferred on other parties on conditions stated by the the covenant-maker - only this time we do not seem able to find what the conditions are, and that for the simple reason, there are none. No conditions at all - save the obviously implied one that the beneficiary confesses his total lack of the blessings promised and his desperate need of them. In other words, it is a covenant of grace whereby God loves us as we are and does not require worthiness or attainments from us before He blesses us, because He knows we cannot produce them. It is a blessed one-sided covenant of love without strings and the responsibility for the implementation of the terms is put in the hands of the Mediator, the Lord Jesus, who is going to be faithful to Him who has appointed Him to act for us.[1]
The chief protagonist in all denial of self-ministries is pride. For the saint waging war against self, pride is the enemy they must do war with. Pride is the field commander sat in the war operations room of our heart directing the soldiers of envy, jealousy, selfish ambition, idolatry and hatred into battle, and care needs to be taken, for pride has the measure of many an unbalanced recruit.
The pride that we deconstruct by our own efforts gets reconstructed into a false humility, fooling the heart with its cleverly disguised deception. God will not to be mocked, and He sees the heart.
Without balance and spiritual maturity, denial of self will eventually require a need to control others in an effort to further enhance spirituality. Only by the putting down of others can we lift ourselves higher enough to meet the expectations that we place on ourselves, expectations that are not to be found or implied in God’s Holy Word.
Now this may or may not make a lot of sense, therefore I have tried to explain further in story form below for the purpose of clarity. I have used the imagery of shepherds and sheep, and the sheep that is portrayed in the tale below is a prime example of this headlong dive into an over zealous life and the devastation it can cause.
Firstly though, let me just side step for a moment to mention the will of God. For not knowing God’s will is a prime cause for wandering from the safe and narrow path and onto the very precipice of our secure position.
You see there are two verses in Scripture that say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death”. Proverbs
We have no need to walk the way that leads to death, and why?
For in our day we have a sure prophecy, revealed through the Son, and through the writings of the apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and surely with such a glorious revelation at our disposal, we would not, could not, go astray.
Sadly some of us do, and therefore that leaves us with the possibility that at times we may sacrifice the revealed, Holy and true word of God for something that is a kind of Divine Lottery.
Take for example a Christian who is applying for a new job. In an effort to save many hours in fervent prayer seeking God, and searching His word for the truth contained therein, a believer may resort to a spiritual lucky dip. They may say...
“I will apply anyway, if I get the job then it must be the Lord’s will, and if not, then I can trust that the Lord has closed the door”.
How often do we hear that the Lord has ‘closed this door’, but ‘opened this one instead’, well so often that it seems that the Lord has become the doorkeeper in His own house?
Have we abandoned the perseverance that His glorious gospel demands? Are we in danger of moving so fast, that we abandon the discipline of seeking the Lord with patience and steadfastness?
Not knowing the will of the Lord is sure to leave us off guard and thereby vulnerable to being carried away by lawless men. Not only is seeking God’s will through patient perseverance and prayer a diminishing facet, but the reading of His word has seemingly lost it’s appeal in some quarters.
The blessed man in Psalm 1, who meditates day and night in His word, has been replaced by the man who seeks after an answer in the writings of other men. Whilst it is true that many faithful teachers have, with diligence, left us a sound inheritance to learn from, and many faithful saints are still laying down a fine carpet of sound doctrine, woven with cords of wisdom, for us to tread safely upon, there abound false teachers who are nothing more than self-seeking egotists, driven by the need to have pre-eminence rather than seeking the lowly place of true humility and servant hood.
Let us always seek the true teacher, the teacher who is shown in all His Glory by the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails -- given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Eccl 12:10-12
That passage alone could inspire a thousand sermons, for its beauty and depth are great. Oh how sweet it is to see in a short portion of Scripture the intimate relationship between Father, Son and Spirit.
We see the Holy Spirit as the Divine Teacher, writing indelibly on the hearts of men. His classroom is a place of limitless joy, may we answer the register with delight as we enroll each morning.
We see Jesus, the One Shepherd, thoroughly acquainted with ‘firmly embedded’ nails, His words like goads, keeping us ploughing a straight furrow in His service.
The Teacher and the Shepherd together, completely and utterly united in a single purpose, working in the Father’s field to bring about a bountiful harvest of righteousness. Praise be to God the Father, Son and Spirit.
So let me tell to you then a short cautionary tale of what can happen when God’s Holy word is laid down for the opinions and teachings of unstable men.
THE GRASS IS NEVER GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE
We start with a King, but let us lay aside our earthly conceptions of a King, for this King was unlike any King you could ever imagine. It had been written of Him the following...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. So highly was He esteemed by His faithful and loyal followers that it will suffice for us to call Him The Shepherd King. That is to say, all the other shepherds were under His rule, authority, love and compassion.
Our story begins this way...There was a shepherd who had given up much to travel to a foreign land, obeying the call from the Shepherd King. Cutting his ties, and leaving family behind, this shepherd, his wife and children moved to a far off land.
This was a land that had been visited by the Shepherd King many times in former years, and many times the Shepherd King had led the sheep by His own rod and staff in this land. Sadly, this land now laid dry and almost barren, in need of water and good pasture.
Whilst the shepherd was in this foreign land the Shepherd King placed First Journey (for that was his name) as an overseer for the sheep of a small pasture. It was a new pasture, and required much work. Fences needed to be erected, and food and water provided. First Journey was young in his trade, but his youth was not to be despised, the Shepherd King could see that this young shepherd tried with all that was within him to please the Shepherd King. Through many trials and temptations First Journey served well the Shepherd King. The great ruler was pleased with this young shepherd, for he saw that he served the Shepherd King well, and not for selfish gain.
As the Little Flock grew, the Shepherd King sent another sheep with a young family to be part of the Little Flock. With great enthusiasm the new sheep travelled with his family to be with the Little Flock. He thanked the Shepherd King for sending him to this pasture, fulfilling a desire to live in this great land. The Shepherd King had sent him to help First Journey cultivate the pasture, and care for the Little Flock.
He was at first a good and faithful friend, enjoying the unity and fellowship that comes as brothers’ dwell in unity and harmony. He worked hard to help FirstJourney, looking for opportunities to serve and to learn, but gradually and over time he grew impatient and intolerant. He began casting aside the need to always esteem his brothers and sisters higher than himself. Slowly he began to think that he was greater than FirstJourney, and set his heart on seeking a higher place. He spent much of his time studying the King’s Book and he knew the King’s ways well.
Sadly, regardless of how well he knew the ways of the Shepherd King, he desired to be greater still in knowledge, and was not content with all things, as the Shepherd King had told him. The scales began to grow over his self-seeking eyes, but he could not see his partial blindness.
The Shepherd King encouraged him with the knowledge that there was a time and season for everything under the sun, but his impatience and zeal was to be his undoing. His desire to know more began to entangle him as he made vows he could never keep in his own strength. He ran hard after knowledge, but it made him none the wiser, for the more he thought he knew, the more headstrong he became. The more he believed he could see, the blinder he became as his heart began to deceive him.
Hard Heart (as he had become) was convinced that he was full of wisdom and knowledge. The book the Shepherd King had given him to keep him on the true path was now being discarded. He started to listen to his own opinions, but more dangerous than this, he began to rejoice at the sound and opinions of other so called ‘wiser’ shepherds. Never did HardHeart check that what these others were saying was the same voice he heard within the King’s book.
There was another shepherd who had long walked with HardHeart and had been a loyal and faithful friend to HardHeart. His name was GoodFriend.
Now GoodFriend knew the ways of the Shepherd King well, He always encouraged HardHeart, and often tried to bring HardHeart back to the Kings book for guidance. Oh how GoodFriend wished he could just grab hold of HardHeart and cause him to slow down and sit at the King’s feet. The Shepherd King though would not let him, but he did give him some words to say. One day GoodFriend was told by the Shepherd King to send a letter to HardHeart as a warning to not stray away from the pasture, to beware of wolves. GoodFriend told HardHeart that ultimately he would end up fighting against the Shepherd King, and what futility this would be. HardHeart was true to his name, not wanting to listen to reason, so the day approached when the Shepherd King released the reins, and let HardHeart have his own way. GoodFriend was deeply hurt and upset for he knew what lay ahead.
It was a fine summers day, and HardHeart was wandering around the pasture. He was so proud of how much he had grown. He had on a number of occasions met up with a different shepherd whose name was StrongArm. This shepherd seemed wise beyond all HardHeart had ever known, and everything he said made HardHeart feel closer to the Shepherd King. On this particular day, HardHeart was seeking hard after greener grass and possibly new pastures, he wanted more food, but not wanting to humble himself and tell this to his FirstJourney, maybe asking for help and showing patience, he wandered further. His walk had an element of disdain about it, some may have said a ‘haughty swagger’, they would have been correct, for HardHeart was becoming self-righteous. “Why do the Little Flock not see the things I do,” he often mused to himself, becoming resentful, “ maybe they were holding him back, maybe he was one of the chosen ones who would receive special privileges from the Shepherd King”.
What he failed to realise that not all sheep walk at the same pace. He had become so blind that he could not see that there were some sheep that were lame and injured, some were with lambs and could not move quickly. Had he really looked hard he would have seen that his own pace was not quick anyway.
Still he thought he was so fast, and wished the others would keep up.
He tried to force them with strong words from the Kings book, but no amount of pushing or butting would hasten any walk. Had he heeded the Shepherd Kings example he would have seen that a few gentle words of love and encouragement could have added many a spring to a weakened step.
FirstJourney had been given the task by the Shepherd King of placing this Little Flock on the road that would take them to the Greenest of all Pastures. The Greenest of all Pastures were far away, over many hills and through many valleys, FirstJourney needed HardHeart to help him tend the flock. He needed him to help watch out for beasts that roamed the hills, to help him lift the chains from those who had been oppressed, and most of all he needed HardHeart to help bear him up if he grew tired and weary.
HardHeart was by now in too much of a rush to help anyone, he just wanted to fill his own belly with the best pasture. Gradually he wandered further and further in the pasture, till eventually, and with the Little Flock almost out of sight, he found a field just on the other side of the pasture he was in. Oh how green the grass looked in this field, greener than in any other field he had ever seen. It was new, fresh grass and this made him excited, so much more exciting than watching over the Little Flock.
The sheep who grazed it all appeared to be so well fed, they all spoke with one voice. They had learnt many of the words from the book written by the Shepherd King, and they repeated them well together, using them in a way that mesmerised HardHeart. He knew the shepherd of this pasture, and StrongArm knew HardHeart well. In his excitement and enthusiasm HardHeart desired that StrongArm could meet with FirstJourney and GoodFriend, but StrongArm did not want this. Instead he spoke of new things, weaving cords around HardHeart. Slowly he was introduced to the other flock. This unusual flock spoke of great things, and it seemed that they were the only ones who were going to the Greenest of all Pastures. They had all once belonged to other flocks, but now they were with the ‘true shepherd’ and together they all huddled in one corner of the field. They did not care much for other pastures, as the sheep in all the other pastures were blind and being misled. That is what StrongArm told them, and oh how they loved their simple ways.
There was a fence that divided the two pastures, and that fence had been built by the Shepherd King to keep the wolves and beasts at bay.
HardHeart now desired to move pastures, he knew well that the grass seemed greener on the other side. So all he had learned, all reason and sense were jettisoned, all thought of safety disregarded. He knew what he wanted and he was going to have his way. With force he broke through the fence, and using his newly gained wisdom and guile he dragged his family through the forced opening.
There were some other sheep who followed along as well, but they had long wanted to depart the pasture they were in as they thought themselves more highly as well. Actually the LiitleFlock were just not spiritual enough for them, and they certainly had little time to spend on anyone else. They were just thankful that someone else had broken the fence, that would save them ever facing the wrath of the Shepherd King should he visit they thought.
StrongArm and the small flock told HardHeart to pull as many from the Little Flock as he could, HardHeart tried with all his might, but the Shepherd King had already sent his messengers to repair the broken fence. FirstJourney and the faithful men around him saw to it that no more would be leaving this Little Flock. StrongArm though said that this was because FirstJourneys flock was happy but blind in it’s sin.
Before long HardHeart was grazing in the new pasture, but not yet with the flock huddled in the corner. FirstJourney gazed at HardHeart over the fence and was hurt deeply, for he still loved him and remembered times past when they had laughed together like true brothers. He remembered how he had given HardHeart all he had, and opened his heart to him and his family. When they were hungry he fed them, when they had no shelter, he, and others, built a shelter for him. The other sheep in the Little Flock were confused as they saw HardHeart’s lack of loyalty for their shepherd. As one flock they were upset, for they had lost friends whom they loved. From that time on their was a deep hurt in the Little Flock, and they all hoped that one day the Shepherd King would bring HardHeart and his family back.
There was to be no going back though, HardHeart now revelled in his new found ‘wisdom’. Not content with his new pasture, he would come to the fence around the LittleFlock and hurl abuse at the other sheep. He would bring some of them to the fence with a soft voice, and then with harshness and severity he would pull at them, entangling and binding them up in the barbed wire of his words. Oh how he lashed the Little Flock with the ‘new words’ he had learned from the Shepherd King’s book. With taunts and ridicule he mocked them, his shouts of derision grew louder as the huddled flock laughed and encouraged him. Oh HardHeart was loud alright, shepherds in neighbouring fields could hear him, his voice and the crack of his whip was so loud that it carried all the way to the Greenest of all Pastures. His brutality and abusive manner, along with his shouts of mocking had grown so loud that they now reached the Shepherd King, and in His wrath, he arose and set out to give His full attention to HardHeart.
HardHeart now went back from the fence, sure he was right, his proud strut still evident. There he sat, unaware that even as he rested, the Shepherd King was making his way across the hills and mountains to visit him. In complete self-satisfaction and self-righteousness, he began to settle with the UnusualFlock and try to enjoy the pasture.
The UnusualFlock had moved away from him slightly though, and the pasture that seemed so green had now changed. For StrongArm, who had once carried a rod and staff, now held a whip and brand. He had been watching HardHeart and seen how he still listened to other shepherds, including GoodFriend, and he did not like it.
StrongArm did not like the independence that he saw in HardHeart, all his sheep were to listen to him alone and must never stray away. StrongArm even stopped the people listening to the Shepherd King, for he said the Shepherd King spoke through him, and he was the one who could interpret the Shepherd King’s book. Before devouring HardHeart, StrongArm whipped him with all his might, and in full view of all the other sheep, StrongArm made a spectacle that would keep the other sheep in check.
Had HardHeart not become so blind, he would have seen what Little Red Riding Hood’s granny failed to see. With HardHeart whipped so hard that the wool begun to fall from his back. StrongArm took the red hot iron from the fire and strove to brand him as his forever, but HardHeart struggled and kicked out of fear. Wanting so much to do what was right, but confused and dazed he staggered in his blindness.
Seeing all this, the other sheep in the huddled flock, including those who had come through the fence with him, turned on HardHeart. As one flock they began to rip and tear at him. Circling around him they despised and beat him with words of condemnation and judgement. The other sheep had turned against him out of fear, for StrongArm was forcing them with abusive and intoxicatingly manipulative words. StrongArm even began to spread false accusations amongst the flock about HardHeart. Oh how they loved their power, and once they had separated HardHeart from his family they drove him away. HardHeart ran in terror, forced to flee for his life.
All day he ran, not knowing where he was going, but inside he felt sure that he was probably headed for the Dark Abattoir that was beyond all the hills and valleys, and as far as east is from west from the Greenest of all Pastures.
HardHeart now realised the folly of his ways and started to come to his right mind, and at once began to weep for all he had done. All alone he cried out for mercy, but never knowing if that mercy would come. He knew that he had angered the Shepherd King, though he still did not know that the Shepherd King was on his way to meet him. Falling flat on his face he cried out in anguish, telling the Shepherd King all he had done against Him and Him alone. For many hours HardHeart sat or kneeled or lay, he cannot remember which, for this was the darkest day and night in HardHearts life. He waited, sometimes in terror, sometimes in nothingness, but always in deep remorse. He was convinced the Shepherd King was going to take him straight to the Dark Abattoir, and this caused his heart to almost fail. How great the fear then when eventually he heard the footsteps of the Shepherd King echoing down the valleys. Trembling he fell to his knees and lifted up his eyes, ever closer the footfalls rang out.
More and more he remembered the evil he had devised and carried out, and all the while the booming echoes of the approaching King rang with a sound that seemed to echo through HardHearts entire soul.
The Shepherd King appeared as HardHeart looked to face Him, and what he saw changed his heart forever.
For the Shepherd King was not walking anymore, but with outstretched arms He was running to meet this once proud sheep.
With compassion in His eyes the Shepherd King embraced and kissed the neck of the sorrowful sheep and lifted him high into His powerful arms.
A sorrowful and repentant HardHeart was drowning in an ocean of love and compassion that filled his whole being, wave after wave of mercy washed upon his sinful body, and he was cleansed and washed whiter than snow, and now the tears really fell.
Like torrents they flowed as he saw his actions placed alongside the Shepherd King’s compassion. That night he slept in the arms of the Shepherd King, and as dawn broke he rose up, listening carefully to exactly what the Shepherd King told him to do, for his family were still with StrongArm.
The paragraph or two that should be here have not been written. They tell of HardHearts last meeting with StrongArm. Maybe this will be added in time, but then again, maybe some things are not to be written.
Releasing the family, the Shepherd King sent them back to the old pasture, but not before the once proud sheep had paid a price that seemed impossible to bear.
The Shepherd King took him aside for a time and showed him all he had done, and all those he had hurt, and then the Shepherd King showed him those things which were His will for the shepherds that He called.
He showed him how a true shepherd will search and look for the scattered flock, and will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered to. It should be the desire of the shepherd to seek out good pasture in which His sheep can lie down. If one is straying, then bring that one back, if it is injured, bind it up, and if weak, strengthen it.
Then to the once HardHeart He measured him a cup that was bitter to the very end, and with tears NewHeart drank. The Shepherd King reminded him of His words in His book saying
“How did all the things you exacted ever loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords that bound, how did your actions set the oppressed free, breaking their yokes. Now go in my name and in my strength, pursue and destroy the hunger of the hungry man, and satisfy the needs of the oppressed. Then like the son who squandered his inheritance you will find restoration and sustenance in time of famine. You will be strong, like a well-watered garden, a never failing spring of life giving water, and you will be a Repairer of Broken Walls and a Restorer of Streets with Dwellings”.
Newheart was at that point in time more sorry than any other sheep before him, and with all his heart he loved FirstJourney and the sheep that had remained faithful. Newheart desired and purposed in his heart to serve faithfully from this time on.
Now he saw the hearts of those he had mocked, and how they were looking to serve the Shepherd King. It was only now that he saw through very different eyes, eyes that wanted to believe and hope for the best in the flock, to love all those sheep and if need ever arose, to lay down his life for them.
For the Shepherd King had shown him compassion that was immeasurable and a depth of love that went beyond all comprehension. How could he ever love another with anything less than the love of the Shepherd King.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
David Lynch Monday, July 7, 2003
As you are a follower of Moses and the law, maybe you can answer me these two question
Why does religion start wars?
Why does God allow suffering?
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