THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS!
Jesus said: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think you have eternal life: and they are which testify of me. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life.” John 5:39, 40 In the world today we have a lot of people carrying the bible here and there, and they profess to have found salvation. Some of them have indeed found salvation and have been delivered from their sins. But like Jesus told the people of his day, “But I know you that you have not the love of God in you.” John 5: 42 This is true for so many of the professing believers in this generation as well.
He went on to say, “ I am come in my Fathers’ name; and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? (John 5: 43,44) Jesus warned us, that in the last days, many false prophets would come in his name and there by deceive many. The false prophets only profess to come in his name however if we come in his name we must display in our lives the character of the one that sent us. Jesus truly came in the name of his Father he told Philip if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. (Col.1: 15) Today the image that is being displayed by most of the religious leaders is far from the image of Jesus.
The image that is being given is very similar to the image that was manifested by the Scribes and the Pharisees that Jesus spoke against very vehemently. It was these same Pharisees, who because of their jealousy, paid Judas thirty pieces of silver to betray Him.
Many of the “men of God” today come not in Jesus name only but in their own name as well. However they are not satisfied to simply give their names they want to add many flattering titles to their name, such as reverend, bishop, father, pastor, apostle, doctor, his highness, most excellent, etc
The man of God who simply comes in Jesus name is not well received therefore they come in their own name, and with many flattering titles. Even though Jesus was the Son of God he would not receive such titles.
There was one who came and said unto him; Good Master, what good
thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou
wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Mt.19: 16,17
Jesus was humble and would do nothing to bring honor to himself because his mission was to bring glory and honor to his Father. One of the most common titles taken is Reverend. Who is Reverend? The word of God declares. Holy and Reverend is his name (God). Ps.111: 9 As his name is so is he. The word reverend means (yare in Hebrew) to fear, revere, cause to frighten, or dread. God is the only one who should be reverenced.
The word reverenced means (shachah in Hebrew) to depress prostrate in homage (worship or honor) to royalty or God, bow down, crouch, fall down flat, make to stoop, worship. God-fearing people will not give such honor to men. The three Hebrew children were cast into the fiery furnace because they refused to bow down to the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, our Heavenly Father of course saved them from harm.
Then we have the example of Mordecai, we read in the book of Ester 3:2, “And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence” then
Haman purposed to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. Again our Heavenly Father protected the one who truly honored God and it was the wicked Haman who was hung on the gallows.” Then Mordecai was put second in command to the King. Why should men who claim to be “men of God” want to take such high titles for themselves when Jesus the Son of God never acted in such a way? The word of God teaches us that it is dangerous to do so. “Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person,
neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.”
Job 32:21,22
The conduct that was displayed by the Scribes and the Pharisees is the same given by the religious leaders of our time. They do their works to be seen of men and they like to dress with the very best suits and they love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the churches and to be greeted in the markets with high titles. They forget that Jesus said we are all brethren, and not to call any man Father upon earth nor Master for one is your Master, even Christ, and he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. (See Mt. 23: 5-12) Obviously Jesus wasn’t pleased with this attitude in his day, do you think he is pleased with it today?
Beware we are living in the last days and the deception is great, Jesus told us we would have many false prophets and we see them everywhere. Thanks be to God he also told us how to know them; he said, you shall know them by their fruits. Is, pride and arrogance and the love of the praises of men the fruit of the Spirit? Is, having great riches the fruit of the Spirit?
Most of these who come in their own name insist that the proof of Gods blessing is having a great amount of material things, most of the religious leaders today have a lot of money. Yet they continue to beg week after week. King David said; “ I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Ps.37: 25 It seems they do not read the word of God, or respect the teaching of our wonderful Lord Jesus. Do you remember what Jesus said to the rich ruler? “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich And when Jesus saw that he was
very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. How about the rich man and the poor man that laid at his gate; they both died, which one of them opened his eyes in hell? (See Lu.16:19-31)
It is amazing that so many people are being deceived with the material wealth. Let us take a good look at, Jesus we know that he was the perfect example of a true “man of God”. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Cor.8: 9 Jesus Christ the creator of heaven and earth held all things in his possession but he choose to become poor that we might be made rich in Christ, the riches we have in Jesus are greater than all the riches of the world, the one who loves the riches of the world have not the love of the Father in them. (See 1 John 2:15.) Look where Jesus was born, in a smelly barn where they keep animals, because there was no place for Joseph and Mary in the inn. If Jesis’ parents were of high social status I am sure there would have been a room for them. We know that they were poor because when Jesus was eight days old they took him to Jerusalem to have him circumcised and they offered a sacrifice of two turtledoves (birds) or two young pigeons, for the purification of Mary. (See Luke 2:24.) Most people would bring a lamb but there was a consideration in the law for those who could not afford a lamb. “And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” Lev.12: 8
After Jesus was raised from the dead and the gospel was going out many were saved and set free from the law of Moses. The law was now written in their hearts (See Heb 8: 10) and they didn’t need any man to tell them about giving (See Acts 4: 31-37) they gave freely with a willing heart. We do not see any of the apostles of our Lord Jesus begging for money, they followed the same humble example that their Master had given. When the ministers of the gospel are good Shepherds (See John 10: 11-13) and not hirelings (one who works for money) they are willing to lay down their lives for the sheep and the believers are insisting for then to receive their love offerings. Paul writes about the Saints from Macedonia how they were suffering but they had such joy of salvation that even in their poverty they were giving unto him.
“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on
the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the
abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches
of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their
power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much in treaty
that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” (2 Cor. 8:1-4)
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him
shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the
King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I
was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee
a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we
thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I
was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed
me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall
go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Ma.25: 31-46.)
Are you a goat or a sheep? Have you been giving to bring honor and glory unto the Lord Jesus or unto men? The poor are always before us and if we cannot love our neighbor who we can see, how can we say we love God who we cannot see? If you can only honor those who come in their own name and do not have a genuine need but you give unto them simply because they demand it of you. But at the same time you are denying the ones who are in genuine need. Then you are a goat, and the love of God is not in you. Who is more guilty the ones who come in their own name or those that support them. Beloved they are equally guilty.
