Thread by @glprater

#GeraldsDevotional
Sheep and Goats – The Separation

As we have discussed before, the bible clearly describes that there are two distinct and powerful spiritual kingdoms actively at work in the world today. There is the kingdom of light with the LORD Jesus as its King. There is also the kingdom of darkness where Satan is really a

puppet master who pulls the strings of his followers (I am reluctant to call him a king).

It is important to also understand that there are two distinct groups of people in the world… sheep and goats. The difference between these two lies in their attitude or behavior. Sheep

are docile and content to follow their master and goats are stubborn and insist on doing what they want to do. A great way to look at this is that sheep are content to be led and goats must be dragged along against their will. They have a determination of what they want to do

based on their own experience, disposition or understanding (BASED ON THEIR OWN KNOWLEDGE). We all fall into only ONE of these categories of people.

As Christians, we all like to think that we fall into the category of sheep as described by Jesus (John 10:27 – my sheep hear my

voice, and I know them, and they follow me). But this brings us back to that problem with knowledge that we have talked about so much in for the past few days. You see, Satan uses that carrot of knowledge to manipulate a vulnerability that we all have. As previously stated, we

all have this tendency to want knowledge so that we can be self-sufficient, self-focused and in control. These things are all the definition of goats. Just as he has done from the beginning, Satan manipulates people (pulling our strings… a true king does not do that) to make us

want to follow his example. The insidious part of his effort is that he makes us think that we are sheep when in reality we are in fact goats all the time (doing and saying what we want based on our views, desires and traditions… needing to be dragged along all the time).

Satan does this through control and knowledge (again manipulation or pulling our strings). The things that we watch, listen to, or expose ourselves to manipulate what we think and truly believe. They affect what we believe and embrace to be the truth. What Satan has been selling

us as knowledge for centuries now (since the age of enlightenment) has been indoctrination that we are capable of knowing and understanding everything. This has led us all to this struggle with pride that has made us want to be god while pushing the LORD away at a distance, or

worse completely out of our lives (e.g, Science has proven there is no God”).

We see all of the above in the world today all around us. But the sad thing and one of the points of this message today is that we also see a lot of this in the church as well. This is not me being

hard or condemning on our religious institutions, this is what the bible describes will in fact happen in these days. Jesus said there will be MANY who will think they had been following Him when they had in fact not been doing so at all. I think He is describing many of us who

go to church still caught up in religious activity based on tradition or what every one else is doing (social clubs), but at the end of the day we still do and say what we want. We call Him LORD but He is really not our King 24/7. We really have our own agenda. This is a picture

of a goat that is dressed up to look like a sheep (or a wolf in sheep’s clothing).

The LORD knows the difference and promises to separate the two when He comes to take His children home. The good news is that it is still not too late. The LORD is very active today trying to get

the attention of His people to warn them about what’s going on around them. Are you paying attention and open to His calls or are you set in your ways? He is still waiting and it’s not too late.

Daily scriptures

The Final Judgment
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was

thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you

hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of

the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was

thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or

a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” - Matthew 25:31-46
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