I Am, and I Will

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

8/19 

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message, we shared from John, Chapter 9, which is the account of Jesus opening the eyes of the man who had been blind from birth. Just prior to that miracle, Jesus said, 

John 9:4-5, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 

The night cometh, when no man can work. I believe that means that after the death and resurrection of Jesus, all natural works of the flesh are but wood, hay, and stubble. Only the Christ within man can now work the works of the Father. 

John, Chapter 10 is a continuation of John, Chapter 9. There are no chapters in the original Greek texts. 

The Gospel according to John records seven (7) self-descriptions of Jesus which are introduced by the phrase, "I am." 

(1) John 6: I am the bread of life

(2) John 8 and 9: I am the light of the world

(3) John 10: I am the door

(4) John 10: I am the good shepherd

(5) John 11: I am the resurrection and the life

(6) John14:  I am the way, the truth, and the life 

(7) John 15: I am the true vine

The last public discourse of Jesus that the Apostle John records is found in John, Chapter 10, Verses 1-18, which proclaim that our good Shepherd will take care of us after we are born again.

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enterth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter [doorkeeper] openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

The porter apparently was in charge of a large fold, where several flocks were kept. The porter speaks of God the Father. The shepherd did not call sheep randomly, but only those that belonged to him.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

The Palestinian shepherd led his sheep; he did not drive them, and the sheep followed because they knew his voice. Likewise, any minister of the Gospel must be an example to other believers. Actions speak louder than words.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Today hundreds of thousands if not millions of professing Christians are following the voice of strangers ... those in positional leadership who have soothing voices and tell people what they want to hear, rather than preach "repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand."


6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which He spake unto them.

7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

9 I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12 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.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

Many hirelings have become multi-millionaires by telling people what they want to hear. I can only assume those hirelings rationalize their plush mansions, cars, planes, bank accounts, etc. by saying that the Lord is blessing their "work." Some have already been exposed, a few put in jail, and the rest of the hirelings sooner or later will experience the judgment of God.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.

15 As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold ['flock' is the correct translation here], and one shepherd.

17 Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father. John 10

In the East, a fold is an enclosure, hedge, or fence, either a stone wall crowned with thorns to keep out plundering animals or, higher up the mountains, for use during the summer months, a stout stake or post of briars and thorn bushes. The term "fold" applied first to the structure built to contain the sheep and then, by extension, to the sheep inside it. The fold is designed to contain and safeguard the sheep; it is a safety of the status quo, but has almost no room and opportunity for sheep to move freely and develop. Adequate room to exercise and develop spiritually and healthy food for growth can only be found out in the open on the mountain slopes with the good Shepherd.

The term "flock" on the other hand, relates only to the sheep, which, having no structure around them for security, trust solely upon their shepherd for protection. The flock is exposed on the mountain side and vulnerable from every direction but free to move, under the guidance of and protection of the shepherd, to those areas where there is good pasture. Never in the New Testament is the Church called a fold.

We live in a day when, unfortunately, the representation of the flock is extremely rare. There are many folds ... the Baptist fold, the Methodist fold, the Episcopal fold, the Catholic fold, the charismatic fold, the house church fold, and on and on. Moreover, the ecumenical movement, which is man-made and inspired by the enemy, is busy trying to incorporate them into one huge fold. In a few years they will have succeeded. At that time no one can buy or sell except they have received the mark of the beast. Before Jesus was crucified, Peter vigorously said that he would never deny Jesus. We all know Jesus' answer to Peter: He said, Before the cock crow tonight you will deny me three times. (Have you ever considered that roosters crow in the early morning, not at night?) When that actually happened, Peter went out and wept bitterly. I believe that it will be the grace and mercy of God to take some of His people home before they have an opportunity to deny Him.

The flock is simply a starting point; but with the Kingdom come other issues: order, authority, and responsibility ... a qualifying. Even Paul said 

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to other, I myself should be a castaway ..." (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Sheep are dumb, dirty, and smelly. They are timid, defenseless, and helpless. They are always getting lost and hurt. They literally do not know enough to come in out of the rain. Sheep are gregarious; they will usually stay together in a group while grazing. A sheep will become highly agitated if it is separated from the group. It is the banding together in large groups which protects sheep from predators which will go after the outliers in the flock. Sheep have a strong instinct to follow the sheep in front of them. When one sheep decides to go somewhere, the rest of the flock usually follows, even if it is not a good "decision." For example, sheep will follow each other to slaughter. If one sheep jumps over a cliff, the others are likely to follow.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. Isaiah 53:6-7

The Lord says that we are all like sheep. If we are honest with ourselves we know it is true. We all have a tendency toward going our own way, doing our own thing, and clinging to our own understanding based on our traditions, our experiences, and what we have been taught. We are like birds of a feather which flock together. No one likes to be "different." But if Jesus Christ is to be our Shepherd, we have to admit that we are a sheep and need a shepherd. Once it becomes a reality within us that we need, not a human shepherd, but the only true Shepherd, we discover the truth of what David is saying. We shall not want.

Ezekiel 34 is another good set of verses about sheep and shepherds to read and reflect on. That chapter is relevant for us today because human nature has never changed. I urge you to read all of Ezekiel, Chapter 34.

In that chapter, the Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. The Lord's indictment against the shepherds of Israel was that they: feed themselves but not the flock; do not heal the sick; do not seek that which was lost; and rule with force and cruelty.

Nothing has changed in the spiritual Israel community or the church today. The time has changed and the culture has changed, but human nature has never changed. Therefore is it time to once more prophesy against the shepherds of the church community? A number of years ago I heard with my natural ears a man, who many thought was an apostle, say, "Now it is time to take up an offering for me." I heard another man, who many thought was an apostle, say, "If I don't travel, the money doesn't come in." When a traveling teacher came to our area many years ago, one elder said, "Let's set up a meeting for him at such and such a place. I hear they give good offerings."

Back to Ezekiel 34, as a result, the Lord's people were scattered, wandered through all the mountains, and none did seek after them. The Lord's flock became a prey, and became meat to every beast of the field, [Only the Lord knows how many thousands of professing Christians have eagerly run after one false movement after another.]

Therefore the Lord said: 

• I will cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; for 
• I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
• I will both search my sheep, and seek them out, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
• I will feed them in a good and fat pasture, and cause them to lie down.
• I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up the broken-hearted, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong;
• I will feed them with judgment.
• I will judge between the sheep and the goats.
• I will save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey;
• And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David.

Another way to say that is Psalm 23.

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psalm 23:1-6

I want to emphasize only one thing about Psalm 23. EVERYTHING in that Psalm after the words "the Lord is my shepherd" is conditional upon the Lord really IS my shepherd. We like verses 2-6, which speak of what we get. But all of those things are conditional upon what the Lord first gets, namely our self.

Some similar verses are warnings to pastors in 7 different chapters in the Book of Jeremiah. The Hebrew word translated as "pastor" in Jeremiah is the same word translated as "shepherd" in Ezekiel. Those chapters in Ezekiel and Jeremiah proclaim the awesome responsibility of a shepherd. It is enough to keep every pastor in the fear of the Lord ... fear that they might fall short and grieve the Lord. The purpose and function of a pastor is to lead the flock to green pastures, not to teach them what he has been taught. The purpose and function of ANY minister is to point us to the Lord Himself, who is our good Shepherd, our chief Shepherd, and our great Shepherd.

The bottom line is we must get to know the Lord and get to know His voice. Otherwise we will continue to be "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians 4:14).

Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11