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Good
Monday Mornin!
I went to a cattle sorting this past weekend, it was a two man sorting.
For
those of you who do not know what a cattle sorting is they put eleven cows
in a pen together and then there is another pen connected to that pen by a
space wide enough for a gate to be. One horse guards the place where the
gate should be, and the other goes in and sorts the cows. Now the cows are
numbered zero through nine and then there is one cow without a number. As
you walk into the pen on your horse they give you a number and that is
where
you start. So if they give you five then your sort the cows five, six,
seven, eight, nine, zero, one, two, three and four. The cows have to go
through to the other pen in sequence or your team is disqualified.
Now when you go in to start, the hardest cow to get is that first one.
Once
you have the first one, the hardest part is to get them in sequence
because
all of the others want to go to where that one is. And another thing you
have to watch out for is the one that is by himself does not run back by
because he wants to be with his buddies. This is because cows are herd
animals. They are prey animals and they find protection in the herd. So
when
they are away from the herd they will do whatever it takes to get back to
the herd. I have seen them jump, slam their bodies into panels and crawl
under panels to get back to that herd.
I was sitting on my horse watching people sort and it occurred to me that
I
am like that cow. What I mean is I am a "prey animal" and satan
wants to
kill me. When I am away from the "herd" I feel vulnerable and
scared, but
when I am with the "herd" I feel safe and peaceful. You see the
herd
represents the Body of Christ, which is the church, and I am meant to be
connected to that herd.
Paul wrote in Romans 8. . .
We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as
we
wait eagerly for our adoption as sons. . .
So what that tells me is that until you and I have been joined with Christ
and our bodies completely redeemed we have a groaning that is inside of us
to be joined to something. And that something that we are groaning to be
joined to is Christ, the one who made us and sustains us. And how does
Christ manifest Himself on earth now? Through His Body, the Church. I
think
this is why the author of Hebrews wrote, "Let us not give up meeting
together. . . " Because he knew the importance of being connected to
the
Body of Christ.
Guys one of the hardest things to do as a Christian is to stay connected
to
the Body. And I don't mean just coming to church, I also mean being in
each
others lives. The reason I know is because it is hard for me too! It hurts
sometimes to be in other peoples lives. I watch those cattle and they kick
each other, and even at times jump on each other, but they also find
comfort
in each other. If in fact you and I live as Christ has created us to live,
connected to His Body, we are going to have to intentionally stay
connected.
Because when we don't we are very vulnerable.
I love you guys, have a great week!
Pastor Jason Lyle
The Open Range Church of Henry County
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those
who
believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
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