Human being, prophesy against the shepherds of Isra’el. Prophesy! Tell them, the shepherds, that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Isra’el who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep?

Book of Ezekiel

34 The word of Adonai came to me: ² “Human being, prophesy against the shepherds of Isra’el. Prophesy! Tell them, the shepherds, that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Isra’el who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep? ³ You eat the choice meat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, and you slaughter the best of the herd; but you don’t feed the sheep! ⁴ You don’t strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bandage the broken, bring back the outcasts or seek the lost; on the contrary, you tyrannize them with crushing force. ⁵ So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal — they were scattered. ⁶ My sheep wandered around aimlessly on every mountain and hill; yes, my sheep were scattered all over the land, with no one to search for them or look after them.

⁷ “‘Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Adonai: ⁸ “As I live,” Adonai Elohim swears, “because my sheep have become prey, my sheep have become food for every wild animal, since there was no shepherd, since my shepherds didn’t look for my sheep, and instead my shepherds fed themselves but not my sheep,” ⁹ therefore, shepherds, hear the word of Adonai! ¹⁰ Adonai Elohim says, “I am against the shepherds. I demand that they hand my sheep back to me. I will not allow them to feed the sheep, and they won’t feed themselves either. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will be food for them no longer.”
¹¹ “‘For here is what Adonai Elohim says: “I am taking over! I will search for my sheep and look after them, myself. ¹² Just as a shepherd looks after his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. ¹³ I will bring them back from those peoples, gather them from those countries and return them to their own land. Then I will let them feed on the mountains of Isra’el, by the streams and in all the liveable places of the land. ¹⁴ I will have them feed in good pastures; their grazing ground will be on the high mountains of Isra’el. They will rest in good grazing grounds and feed in rich pastures on Isra’el’s mountains. ¹⁵ Yes, I will pasture my sheep; and I will let them rest” says Adonai Elohim. ¹⁶ “I will seek the lost, bring back the outcasts, bandage the broken, and strengthen the sick. But the fat and the strong I will destroy — I will feed them with judgment.”
¹⁷ “‘As for you, my flock,’ Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I will judge between sheep and other sheep, between rams and billy-goats. ¹⁸ Wasn’t it enough for you to feed on the best pasture and drink from the clearest water? Did you have to trample the rest of the pasture and foul the remaining water with your feet? ¹⁹ So now my sheep eat what you have trampled with your feet and drink water fouled by your feet.’ ²⁰ Therefore here is what Adonai Elohim says to them: ‘I will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep. ²¹ Because you push them with your flanks and shoulders and butt all the weak ones with your horns, till you scatter them in every direction; ²² therefore I will save my flock; they will no longer be prey; and I will judge between sheep and other sheep.
²³ “‘I will raise up one shepherd to be in charge of them, and he will let them feed — my servant David. He will pasture them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ I, Adonai, will be their God; and my servant David will be prince among them. I, Adonai, have spoken. ²⁵ I will make a covenant of peace with them; I will rid the land of wild animals; and they will live securely in the desert and sleep in the forests. ²⁶ I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing, and I will cause the rain to fall when it should — there will be showers of blessing. ²⁷ The trees in the field will bear their fruit and the soil its produce, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am Adonai, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who turned them into slaves. ²⁸ No longer will they be prey for the Goyim, nor will the wild animals devour them; but they will live securely, with no one to make them afraid. ²⁹ I will make the productivity of their crops famous, and they will no longer be consumed by hunger in the land or bear the shame of the Goyim any more. ³⁰ They will know that I, Adonai their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Isra’el, are my people,’ says Adonai Elohim. ³¹ ‘You, my sheep, the sheep in my pasture, are human beings; and I am your God,’ says Adonai Elohim.”

WE can praise God that he has risen up a shepherd whom we can trust  Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah.

We can trust the words of his testimony and life as he lived according to Gods Holy ways, and kept Gods Holy days, and was very much a man who walked and talked the way that God had ordained him to do.  Withouth his precious life and death and resuurection we would have not gateway back to the Father.

We have all been taught to follow the teaching of the various denominations and sects, whatever and wherever you are coming from I do not try to say follow me, I offer you my thoughts and my understanding of the scriptures.

When I first came to know the Lord when I was 21 I was a sceptic and unbeliever who although I did have some notion that there must be a supreme being who was in control of the whole universe as it did not make sense to me not have a Intelligence in control.  For me even before I got sick I was looking a life and wondering how was it all made possible.  There was so much in the scientific community that were discovering new things especially in archaeology and there was so much that was so incredible man could not duplicate no matter how much they have tried.

As a child I had some experiences which were hard to share – as I would probably have been classed as a nutter.  I can remember a time I was in the bath when as I lay there soaking in the water I noticed the window frame made the shape of the cross in the water as I pondered on this I was led on to see a beach scene with Jesus in white coming towards me – as I was watching I could see how lovely he was and how friendly he was and much pain he must have suffered.  I did not fully appreciate this gift I had been given till much later.

When I was dying at 21 with an illness brought on from stress and fear, chronic nervous indigestion – today people take gaviscon and other remedies to soothe the tension and relax the muscles – but it does not take away the underlying cause – anyway, I was seeing a doctor who had prescribed Aslione Suspension which was supposed to relax my stomach cramps and help with the pain I was undergoing.  However, it did not work for me, because it was not meant to as it was a way that God had used to bring me to my knees to reach out and touch the skirt of the Jew – to call upon Him for my help.  I was lying in bed suffering great weight on my chest as if my life was being pushed out of me, when I cried to God  - acknowledging my unbelief in Him.  Yet at the same time something in side of me was crying out to God for Help.  As I acknowledge my unbelief and asked for him to deliver me and help me the weight lifted off and I was able to sleep.  I needed God’s help I had no-one else to help me. I was alone with a young baby who needed me.  I was really scared I was going to die and she too would have died as there was no way anyone could have come in to help us.   I cried to God and He rescued me.  He can rescue you too.  

The only thing I can remember doing before this incredible event happened in my life – I had been reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in a bible I had had since I was a child. It was the only reading of any value in my home at the time.  I can remember reading it and thinking how could this amazing God possibly help me.  How does this relate to my life.

However since that time, I have been reading the scriptures and learning much about How God does care, How He does want to help us – yet because of our unbelief and actually denying he even exists and changing His word to suit our Ideas – the softening of the word for the flock has actually done people more harm.

For me the scriptures are a joy and a great way to get know the Heavenly Father.  Not only that as you read the scriptures you can see how throughout all of history Yeshua/Jesus was also very much in evidence.  Throughout the books of the prophets you can see that his coming is announced both the first and second coming.  For me the adventure of knowing Yeshua/Jesus as my lord and saviour has been an ever increasing source of joy and pleasure.  In all the scriptures I can see that without Gods ways we are doomed, by following in Gods ways and footsteps we can see that we would be blessed.  So when he says seek the Lord while he may be found, and seek you first the kingdom of heaven, we can see that he has a way of life that is different to the way we live our lives now.

For me seeking the Kingdom of Heaven – that has meant the discovery of how would we live in the kingdom of Heaven – under his teachings and His laws.  Learning from the scriptures exactly that has meant has been a real journey of joy and expectation.  I would that you too would open your Word and discover the great pleasure is in store for you.

For me starting in genesis and working my way through the Bible has been a real eye opener.  Reading about the times when the kings of Israel and Judah who kept Gods teachings and His ways, His feasts and His commandments they flourished and were living in peace with their neighbours.

However when the kings who chose to not obey, who lived their lives their own way and taught the people to do the same, following after the lusts of their own flesh and offering up their children to Molech and sacrificing their children in the fires to the pagan gods who were not gods at all. We can see that their kingdoms were shattered and full of battles and wars and slavery.  

Which would you choose.  Learn to live Gods way or keep living the way of the society is today. Making a choice to change is clearly in your own best interests.  For me, the scriptures and the words of Yeshua/Jesus are very clear.  Come back to the father, repent of our sins and unbelief and turn to him for him to teach us and lead us to life more abundantly.

If you like what I have written and think it would help your friends then please pass this on.