The test of the true shepherd is how he reacts when the wolf comes.
 
  During a recent worship service, one of our songs was This Joy That I Have. The lyric includes the lines, "The world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away."

As we worshipped with this song, the Lord gave me a word for Pastors.

First I imagined that Jesus was singing the song. This is fitting since He endured the Cross because of the Joy He saw ahead. Then the lyric changed to This Church that I have, the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away.

This brought to mind a passage from scripture:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John 10:27-29 (KJV) Now the sheep are the church, and they are given to Jesus by the Father and no one can pluck them out of His hand. So He can say the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away!

Next thing is to apply this to each pastor in the church. His flock is given to him by the Lord, not the world, not his own efforts. And the world can’t take them away. They may leave on their own, but if they are hearing the voice of Great Shepherd through their pastor, they will follow.

The test of the true shepherd is how he reacts when the wolf comes.

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. John 10:12-13 (KJV) The hireling flees while the true shepherd remains faithful.

What else does the bible have to say about hirelings?

And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee:
And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. Leviticus 25:39-41 This tells us that a hired servant shall serve until the year of jubilee, and then he shall depart. In other words the hireling will depart during the year of jubilee. And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. Jer 3:15 (KJV) Now jubilee is a time of great rejoicing and celebrating. It speaks of End Time Revival and Harvest. But as we read in the passage from John above, The Hireling only flees when he sees the Wolf coming.

In other words The Hireling doesn’t flee till he sees the Wolf coming.!

Now put two and two together and you will see that in the jubilee {Revival] you can expect a visit from the wolf [Judgment].

This idea of joy in the midst of judgment is expressed in many various ways in scripture. For instance.

But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. Ezra 3:12-13 (KJV) And He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Ps 126:6 (KJV) This last verse is a picture of the true and faithful pastor. [Previous Article] [Next Article]

Support Gateways of His Light by sharing this page on social media