John 10:12 But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
Isn't it in this passage of scripture, how Jesus said the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them? That can be seen on many different levels. One that immediately comes to mind is how this passage relates to sheepfold Jesus describes in the parable of the great Shepherd in John 10. In this parable the sheepfold appears to be God's church here on earth, a place of safety and separation for the Shepherd's sheep, a place of protection from the hostile environment and wild animals outside of the sheepfold.
Scattering the sheep is a tactic of the enemy, because there is safety in numbers, even if it's nothing more than that a cry for help from a multitude is far greater than a cry for help from one in the same way, corporate prayer has different and more powerful anointing than the prayers of one person. Jesus eluded this in Matthew 18:19 teaching on what is commonly referred to as "the prayer of agreement" Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. In the Old Testament we see that God came to the rescue responding to the cry of His people. Exodus 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
Scattering the sheep, isolates and separates the weaker ones from the stronger ones, all in all making all of them more vulnerable and easier prey for the wolf. Instead of a quick meal for the moment, the enemy's strategy behind scattering the sheep would seem to in producing an ongoing supply of vulnerable sheep for days, weeks and years to come.
With numerous sheep isolated, alone and out of the protective covering of the Shepherd and the Sheepfold, the wolf can easily pick them off one by one. But thank God for the Great Shepherd, Jesus who comes to gather His Sheep, seeking to save them that are lost and bring them into a place of safety and security, back into the sheepfold under the watchful eye of the doorkeeper, The Holy Spirit!
Dear friends, don't be fooled! Don't allow the enemy to use "church hurt" offense and unforgiveness to keep you from seeking a good bible based church to attend. Sitting at home, watching Christian TV rather than finding a sheepfold to be a part of is another tactic the enemy uses to keep us isolated and alone. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about people who are home watching Christian TV because they can't make it to church for one reason or another. I'm talking about believers who have given up on the idea of church involvement altogether. There are no perfect people and no perfect churches so it's time we realize that we ever find a perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we enter.
We are not ignorant of the devil's devices so let us recognize the wolves that are busy in their efforts to show division, strife and tension among us and follow the voice of the Great Shepherd so that we do not fall for enemy's tactic of scattering the sheep.
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