What Big Teeth You Have

“Woe be unto the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1).

 

You remember the story of Little Red Robin Hood? She was speaking to the wolf who tried to disguise himself with her grandmother’s cap. Red Robin Hood kept mentioning body parts of the wolf until finally she said, “What big teeth you have.” Of course the reply came back from the wolf, “All the better to eat you with, my dear.”

There are a lot of shepherds out there who rather eat the sheep instead of feed and teach the sheep. The True Shepherd will come one day and sue for malpractice. God’s people are to be teachers and learners at the same time. Many are hirelings who flee at the intrusion of anything. The wolves in disguise cover themselves in religious overtures but reveal themselves for what they are in the day of trouble.

May we remember that God will set up in His kingdom teachers who will lead and not drive, visit and not be self-serving, and learners instead of just talkers. One of the reasons for the mess that many local churches are in is because of many who talk Bible but who do not incarnate the Word of God.

True Shepherds will feed the sheep so that they will not fear, nor be dismayed, neither lacking in their lives. Yes, Red Robin Hood saw correctly, but she was slow to see before it was too late.

Similar Posts

  • Good As The Book

    “God–His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 18:30).

    Are we as Good as the Book?

    God’s Word shields a believer with truth. To find refuge from a world of lies is of utmost importance to the believer. His Book has been proven and it is found perfect and true. When we know God’s Book we know the way home.

    Who proved it? Jesus did. The Lord Jesus walked in the midst of hostility, confusion, and lethargy. But He found the written Word pure and a refuge from the sweltering heat of a world gone mad. He used it against Satan. He walked with the Book. All Jesus did brought the Book of God out in the open. He stood strong against Pilate. He went to the cross triumphantly and rose out of the dead triumphantly, proving the Book of God is Good!

    When we follow the Lord Jesus we follow Him by this Book given by and from God. The Father above us, the Son beside us, and the Spirit impressing with the Book in us will guide us home. God’s Word is our arsenal against the lies of Satan. We are shielded from the attacks of untruth and led through the maze of confusion with confidence by using the time-tested Word of God.

  • The Light of the World

    “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden”  (Matthew 5:14). 

     

    God has called us to make Him known to a dark world lost without direction and a dynamic. Without light there is darkness. We have been changed within so that we would light the world. This is God’s purpose that we would enjoy our God and share Him with others.
    You and I are here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. As we know Him we will make Him known. God is not a secret to keep Him stowed away on the inside of us. He wants to be known to all.
    So why not become public about this? This is what the early disciples did. They came out of the upper room and out into the streets and began to shine into the hearts of those before them. As a matter of fact they turned their world upside down.
    God does not want us to hide our light under a bucket or a bed. He is not desirous of us hiding under our business or our bed. Business or laziness is not good when it comes to shining. While others are in darkness in their world of acquiring more we are to shine. While others are asleep in their sin we are to be awakened.
    Keep an open house; be generous with your lives. Open up to others, for you will prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

     

  • The Safety Net of Fear

    “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

    The fear of the Lord is the glue that holds a society together.  The fear of the Lord is the safety net that keeps a nation from falling into anarchy and great chaos.  And for the most part, unfortunately, we have lost the fear of the Lord in our nation.

    Here is a story of a public school teacher who retired early. When asked why, she responded:

    “The problem is really fear.  The teachers are now afraid of the principals.  The principals are afraid of the superintendents.  The superintendents are afraid of the school boards.  The boards are afraid of the parents.  And the parents are afraid of the children.  But the children?  They’re not afraid of anybody.”

    We have lost the fear of the Lord in our homes.  So what is the “fear of the Lord“?  I like what Proverbs 8:13 says to sum it all up:  “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil” (16:6).

    In Deuteronomy 6, fathers are instructed to teach their children the fear of the Lord.  How does a child learn the fear of the Lord?  This may surprise you, but a child learns the fear of the Lord by first experiencing the fear of a father.  They should fear their father in the biblical sense.  If a child never learns to “fear” his earthly father, then how is he ever going to learn to “fear” his Heavenly Father?

    Make no mistake about it.  We had a lot of fun with our dad.  And we knew that our dad loved us.  We didn’t shake when he walked into the room with fear, or even fear that he might lose control.  He did not beat us and he didn’t go into rages.  He was much in control, but he meant what he said.  There were consequences if not followed through.  They were “Meaningful Consequences.”  And those consequences had the effect of making you avoid the same behavior in the future.

  • Moving Away

    “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved” (Phil. 4:1).

    We as a society have been conditioned to believe in the big, the fast, the expensive and the far away.  Whatever is big, fast, expensive, and away is the life of joy and happiness.  I am convinced that if you have to move ten inches from where you are now in order to be happy, you never will be.

    Paul was in prison for Christ, yet he was content.  Joseph was indeed in a mess down in Egypt, yet he was aware that God was working.  John the Baptist had stumbled over the timeline that God had for him, but he was learning.  The Lord Jesus operated by faith and not by feelings, and never moved from where His true peace was located.

    One can live with joy in their present circumstances and still live with expectation.  Life becomes more precious and more special to us when we look for the little everyday miracles and get excited about the privilege of simply being human.

    There is a powerful story of a young man who was seeking God.  He sought out a wise man who lived in a nearby beach house and posed the question:  “Old man, how can I see God?”  The old man who knew God at a depth few experience, pondered the question.  At last he responded quietly:  “Young man, I am not sure that I can help you–for you see, I have a different problem. I cannot not see him.”

  • God’s Throne Rebuilds Us

    “And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the king” (Ezra 6:15).

    Remember that God is in control. When the words and actions of world leaders disturb you, remember that God is on His throne and has all things under control.

    Israel had rejected God’s warnings of judgment, but the prophet’s word came through. Jeremiah warned, cried, and the people ignored and rejected God’s warning to their own well being. The temples was torn down and the people of God were exiled in a land of idols.

    Yet, God still restored His people to the land as promised. He used a pagan ruler by the name of Cyrus to fulfill prophecy. The temple was rebuilt and great joy was found in the midst. Over seventy years in captivity, tears that soaked the clothing and the ground, God made a way for His people to get back into the land of His choosing.

    The trip was difficult for the Jews, life in the land was demanding; however, the courageous Jews paid the price to do God’s will. No matter how you and I may have failed in the past, God gives us the opportunity for a new beginning. God is still at work!

  • Mastering Emotions

    “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

    There is a lot out there that can bring sorrow to your heart and life. Sorrow can numb you and cause you to shut down from God and others. We can routinely go through the pain and yet become hardened at the same time. Not realizing that we can limit the Holy One of God in our daily lives, we live withdrawn and tired. We dream about places we love, we long for something to fill, and for people to understand, and we become forlorn and miserable on the inside and it shows.

    Some people are lonely and it’s their own fault. They can live so self-centeredly and become so wrapped up in their own little lives and live as if the world should revolve around them. When we are wrapped about our lives we become a small, tight package that is about us and others are not in the picture except for our criticism.

    The lonely wants friends but usually only has a few, if any. The selfish and lonely person can make a demigod out of himself and not even realize it. He desires a circle of admirers who will compliment and admire him but usually finds he is not surrounded by any. How sad and how lonely we become when it is about us and really no one else. We judge others by our hurt (imagined or real), and we aren’t aware of the real problem.

    There is no life so empty as the self-centered life. There is no life so centered as the self-emptied life. The Lord Jesus made Himself of no reputation. He was despised, rejected, and ridiculed. The only reason we can love others is that first God loved us. When we realize His grace for us and we accept His acceptance of us then we are free to love others and then fellowship happens freely. The life of the believer is free to love unconditionally. What freedom!

    Why do we try to impress others with our gifts that God has given to each of His born-again children? Why do we work so hard for a little slap on the back by someone who notices? Why are we so dissatisfied with life and with others? Could it be that we are not dependent upon the grace of God?

    Our Savior was faced with misunderstandings, false accusations of His character, insults on His person, chicanery against Him, threats, trumped up charges, torture, abuse, and finally a horrendous death and yet in His loneliness He never became selfish. No one has ever been as lonely as the Lord Jesus. He was cut off from Heaven and earth and yet He still was not selfish. He continued to reach out to the thief upon the cross and to those who heard Him as He suffered. And He is reaching out to you and me today.

    You and I need someone to love, someone who understands, and the need to be needed and wanted. Jesus is the One who fulfills these three needs. You say, “I need someone who is real.” That’s part of our problem. He is real. He lives in you, He walks with you, He goes with you, He is our living hope!

    You may have seasons of loneliness, but that feeling does not have to master you. Because Jesus is with you, you never need to be really lonely. Recognize your problem and go to Jesus and confess your need of Him so you can love others in Jesus.

    Father in Heaven I pray for each of us. We allow too much to knock us around and to keep us down. Forgive us for knowing the stories of the Bible and even teaching them to others while we ourselves forget that You love us, need us, and understands each of us. Forgive us for not allowing You to capture us so that we may capture others in this same out-flowing of Your love through us. Oh what love you give. Can’t wait for Your name to be glorified so that we may see revival. In Jesus’ name. Amen.