Only a true Shepherd can offer "Shepherding Words".
John 10:1-6 10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
Entering the sheepfold by some other way
Witness Lee tried to enter the sheepfold by another way...himself. His own "ministry." For awhile, we may have heard the voice of Witness Lee, but eventually, through spiritual discernment (which we're not given credit for having), we realized that this is not the voice of our Shepherd.
Even though I met Witness Lee personally once (woo-hoo!) he likely forgot my name as soon as he heard it. I no longer, by any means, follow this stranger. I run from his words. I don't know his voice. In the same way, I don't know the voices (or the names) of those who are anonymously speaking on shepherdingwords.org.
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know 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 will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
There are shepherds and there are hirelings. The hirelings do not own the sheep, though they sometimes act like they do. The hirelings speak to us as though we belong to them...condescending...dismissive ...rebuke ... bullying. In this case, the hirelings behave like the wolves. They don't protect us as they would have us believe. They defend themselves and their history of following someone who is not the Good Shepherd.
What the hirelings don't understand is that ... we can't hear them. We don't believe them. Or maybe, just the opposite... we DO hear them, and we DO see them for what they are...hirelings.
What do shepherdingwords sound like?
Grace and Truth
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
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16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Good Shepherd was graceful and merciful even to His death.
Nell
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