The Lost Sheep and The Shepherds
We are entering into the time of the end. The Good Shepherd is desiring His lost sheep to return to the Father. There are sheep that have drifted from Christ into the ways of the world, but Christ knows those who will choose to come back to Him. His intense focus is on those who He sees choosing to come back to Him. Shepherds who have scattered the Lord’s sheep will be replaced in the coming days with shepherds that are after the Lord’s heart. This will be discussed later in the article.
The Prodigal
Luke Chapter 15 gives us great insight into how the Father deals with His sons and daughters who have drifted away from Him. First off, the Father allows the son to leave if he chooses to do so. The Father will even give the son their spiritual inheritance if they persist. Some of these prodigal sons have been ministers who used their spiritual inheritance on wasteful living (their own plans, purpose, and ministry). They used the gifts of the Spirit to become famous and powerful, and some of these live a secret life of sin. These are the ones who never bore the true inward fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), but outwardly pretended to be righteous as the Pharisees did. These leaders fooled many believers, because believers focused on the gifts of the Spirit operating through them instead of the fruit of the Spirit like Jesus warned (Matthew 7:16-23).
Some prodigals have taken their inheritance from the Father before the proper time, and went away from the Lord in order to carry out their own ministry and will. When we cry loud enough to the Father for our spiritual inheritance before it’s proper time, sometimes the Father gives it to us so that we can learn a lesson. However while learning the lesson, we waste our inheritance. It would be better if we learned this lesson from the scriptures and from the lives of others. We must wait until the Father says we are ready for our inheritance.
The proper posture is pursuing the Father and relationship with Him, and He will release to us our spiritual inheritance when He sees that we are ready for it. Those sons that demand their inheritance before the proper time, have too much self-life and selfishness in them to steward the inheritance properly. They end up using their spiritual inheritance on themselves, instead of for the glory of their Father.
The prodigals who drift from the Father never chose to live by the life of the cross. This should be a warning to all of us. If we do not choose to pick up our own cross and follow after Jesus as His disciples, we are in great danger of being dragged away from the Father by the deceitful desires of our own souls. It’s the Father’s will that we know the truth, and that by His Spirit we would be prevented from drifting down the path of the ‘Prodigal Son.’
When the prodigal son went out on his own and wasted his inheritance, suddenly a famine struck the land (Luke 15:14). In the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness, He will allow circumstances in a person’s life that make it very difficult for them to remain in a backslidden state. This is also known as the judgment or discipline of God. The Father scourges those sons and daughters whom He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11). We should observe that the Father allowed the son to come to the point of starvation (Luke 15:16-17). This seems very drastic and even unloving, but was needed to create an opportunity for the son to choose to repent and return to the Father.
The Father will allow suffering for His children who have walked away from Him. He does this for their own good and restoration. What if another person (a believer) would have saw the prodigal son starving, and gave him food to eat on a continual basis (because their theological view was that it is always God’s will to be healthy and weathly)? Then the son would have been satisfied, and he would not have chosen to repent and return to the Father. Many believers, motivated by human compassion and human love, destroy the loving and merciful work of the Father by rendering aid to prodigals when the Lord is not helping them. We must only do what the Father is doing. When we do what we think seems right, we might end up fighting against the plan and will of God. Christians who are operating in human love and compassion think that they are demonstrating the love of God. In reality, they are tools of Satan.
A ‘well-meaning’ believer trying to help a prodigal, may actually cause years of setbacks in the prodigal’s life. If the aid is prolonged, the believer may even cause the prodigal to turn away from the Father completely. Believers need to be careful about ‘playing savior’ to others. There is only One Savior, and we must allow Him to do what He does best. Let us not get in His way and hinder His work. This will be important in the days ahead, as the Lord brings prodigals back to Himself.
The Father did not chase after the prodigal son, drop to His knees, and beg for the son to return. The Father allowed the son to suffer, come to his senses, and make the decision to repent and return. This reveals the ways of God, and how He deals with His children. It is important that we do not confuse our ways with His ways. Human compassion and human love will attempt to twist the ways of God.
When a backslidden believer chooses to repent with sorrow and humility, the Father welcomes, embraces, celebrates, and forgives. What a great joy it is to the Father when sheep that were lost, are found.
The Older Brother
The older brother of the prodigal son lost his focus, so he developed a bad attitude. Whenever we lose our focus on the Father and His will, we are vulnerable to the same thing. The older brother took his eyes off of the truth. The truth was, the older brother still had his spiritual inheritance, while the younger brother had wasted his. The older brother was still faithfully serving the Father, and when the time was right; the Father would commission and send His older son. The inheritance would be entrusted to the older son because he knew how to steward it properly.
The Father actually came out to the older son and pleaded with him (Luke 15:28). This is something that the Father never did when the younger son was off living in sin. The Father makes this amazing statement to the older son: “….Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (Luke 15:31 AMP)
The older son was always with the Father and never left Him. Therefore he passed the test of faithfulness. The test of faithfulness to the Lord will determine if we are fit to steward a spiritual inheritance. The Father told the older son, “all that is mine is yours.” This promise was not given to the younger son who had already wasted his inheritance. The faithful son received all that the Father had. The faithful son would be used by the Father to fulfill the purpose of the Father on the earth. However, the older son did need a rebuke from the loving Father, as we all do at times. The older son just needed to see the truth, and recognize the right time to show the love and mercy of God.
Even if a prodigal son or daughter has wasted their earthly spiritual inheritance, because they have been away from the Lord for an extended period of time; they still have the promise of the high calling. The high Heavenly calling is far greater than an earthly calling. The high call is to know the Lord intimately, and to be transformed and conformed to His image. This is an eternal call, while the call to earthly ministry is a temporal call. It can actually be an advantage to those who only have the high Heavenly call to focus on. Our relationship with the Lord in this life determines our eternal relationship with Him. Prodigals who have experienced great loss, and have repented; still have a great hope.
Forfeiting Your Calling
The Lord is speaking to His prodigal sons and daughters right now. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as Israel did in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:15). Please learn the lesson that the Lord taught us from Israel. He was very merciful and gave them many chances. However at a certain point, the Father decreed that His children would be stripped of their earthly spiritual inheritance; and that they would not enter the promise land. They would just wander through life until they died. This has happened to many believers in our day. They never fully repent of sin and turn to the Lord with their whole hearts, so the Lord lets them wander around without His purpose being fulfilled in them and through them.
I know believers like this. We cannot be one of them. It is not too late if you are reading this, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit is coming upon you. Turn to the Lord with all of your heart, and everything will change. I remember meeting someone who walked away from the Lord for a life of drugs, and came back to the Lord around 25 years later. Much of his earthly calling was wasted, but he found mercy. The Lord could still choose to use him and possibly is doing just that. But the man still had the hope of the high calling. If you have started down a path away from the Lord, then head back right now while it’s not too late. The Lord is releasing grace to help you right now. If you choose to continue down the path away from the Lord, know that you may forfeit your earthly calling, and maybe even your eternal salvation.
The False Shepherds
““Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:1-4 NKJV)
Judgment has already begun in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). The Lord has started exposing hidden sin of major leaders, and removing shepherds who don’t really care about the Lord’s sheep. Many of these prodigal shepherds have taken their spiritual inheritance before they were ready to steward it. They were never tested and approved by God, yet sent themselves as the ‘prodigal son’ did. These leaders demanded the Father give them their spiritual giftings, and used their anointing to build a ministry. Some of these pastors have fame and recognition, but not a deep inward life that comes from truly walking with the Lord.
Many sheep have been scattered by the enemy while sitting under the ministries of these hirelings. These shepherds have been concerning themselves with their own success, and not the maturity and protection of the sheep. Shepherds who fall into this category will be exposed and removed in the coming days. This will be the judgment coming against the worthless shepherds:
““Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”” Zechariah 11:17 NKJV
The Lord has shown great mercy to many shepherds and given them time to repent. However the Lord will not tolerate His precious sheep being scattered any longer. He died for them and does not want to lose them to the evil one. In His jealousy, He will rise up and protect them. The Lord will strike the spiritual sight of the worthless shepherds, and their spiritual strength (arm). Jesus tells of the judgment that will come upon shepherds who have been given a stewardship over His people, and then misused that office:
“But if that servant says in his heart, My master is late in coming, and begins to strike the menservants and the maids and to eat and drink and get drunk, The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he does not know, and will punish him and cut him off and assign his lot with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act as he would wish him to act shall be beaten with many [lashes]. But he who did not know and did things worthy of a beating shall be beaten with few [lashes]. For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more. (Luke 12:45-48 AMPC)
The True Shepherds
The Lord has been raising up shepherds after His own heart, who will care for and feed the sheep. The true shepherds are those who allow the Shepherd Himself to minister through them. Many of these pastors are already in the church and have been for some time. The Lord is about to commission a new wave of His shepherds to come along side these experienced shepherds. The hallmark of a true pastor is this characteristic:
“A broken reed He will not break [off] And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish [He will not harm those who are weak and suffering]; He will faithfully bring forth justice.” (Isaiah 42:3 AMP)
The Lord’s pastors will care for young and baby believers. Theses pastors will not break off the dimly burning wick of a new believer who is still trying to get free or sin. They will be gentle with the young ones in the Lord. Young believers are not in a stable place in Christ and need much care and nurturing. Real pastors will spend time with the Lord’s little ones, and take great care not to damage or hurt them. The spiritually young are much more vulnerable to offense, and spiritual damage. The Lord judges the young much differently than the mature. He has vastly different requirements for spiritual babies, then He does for believers who have been in the faith a long time and should be mature. There are lambs, and there are sheep.
The Lord will also release a shepherding anointing to leaders who are not pastors. Empowered by this grace, sheep will gather to the ministry of a leader and be cared for. This is similar to a leader who can teach, but does not walk in the office of a teacher. For example, an apostle could walk in a shepherding anointing, and not be a pastor. The Lord will anoint certain leaders with a shepherding anointing, and then minister through the vessel to his sheep. The Lord will use the anointing to bring together His remnant of sheep who have scattered because of ‘junk’ that has went on in the church. Many believers have even left the establishment Charismatic church, because of abuse, hurt, or other issues. But the gathering of the remnant is upon us!
Zechariah 10:10 and Isaiah 11:11, both speak (spiritually) of the gathering of God’s remnant. The Lord will bring His people (believers) into promised lands. Areas where He is choosing to flow like milk and honey in the Spirit. The Father will use the shepherding anointing to draw His sheep to a certain location. Believers will gather to a shepherd, but ultimately they are gathering so that the Lord can dwell among His people corporately in His holy fire and presence. These dwelling places of the Spirit of God, will be locations in which the Lord covers His sheep with the shadow (protection) of His hand (Isaiah 51:16 AMP).
The Father already has some shepherds, and some locations like this. In the days ahead, many gathering places with be established as sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd speak about locations to gather. The Good Shepherd is in the process of speaking to His true shepherds so that everything will be prepared for the gathering of His remnant bride. His heart is moving with love and compassion for His sheep:
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38 AMP)
The Lord of the harvest is the only One who can send someone into His harvest. Many missionaries have sent themselves, because they could. Just because we can go, doesn’t mean we should go. This warning aside, the Lord is preparing a great release of pastors, and leaders that carry a shepherding anointing for the sake of His remnant bride. He is now moving in compassion for His sheep who are without a shepherd. He is about to send His under-shepherds who will allow the Good Shepherd to be an Over-shepherd. The under-shepherds will allow the Over-shepherd to govern through them, and will be submitted to His authority. He will release and send these under-shepherds with the same command He gave Peter: “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)
The true shepherds will feed the Lord’s sheep with Christ Himself. He is true food and true drink (John 6:55). Christ is who we should be eating and drinking of in order to progress to the mature man. Spiritual knowledge can help us know a lot of things, but eating of Christ causes us to be transformed into His image.
The weakest new believer can grow up spiritually to be a great warrior for Christ. Many young believers who appear to be bound in sin, and struggling to hang on; will be set free by Christ and become a dread champion for the Lord. They will be a dread champion because they allow the Champion Himself to live through them. The Lords true pastors will understand that Jesus can take a ‘nobody’ and turn that person into a champion in the faith (Hebrews 11). We must see young believers like the Lord does. We must not just see who they currently are, but who they will become as Christ is formed in them. May the Lord unleash the next generation of shepherds for His wonderful sheep!
“And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful steward, the wise man whom his master will set over those in his household service to supply them their allowance of food at the appointed time? Blessed (happy and to be envied) is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will set him in charge over all his possessions.” (Luke 12:42-44 AMPC)
-Ty Unruh (2021)
