I have had requests to write more about my childhood experiences with the sheep. Birthing of the lambs was a special time for my Dad and me. It was always uncertain timing and a little messy.
Most lambs were born in the winter and a few in the springtime. On cold winter nights my Dad and I would ride the old farm truck up to an old log barn. This is where my Dad would put the most expectant sheep. He could always tell which ones were closer to giving birth. Some births were natural but several weren’t. When the mother sheep could not deliver in her own strength, my Dad would have to go up in her and pull the lamb out. This was really messy. Sometimes the lamb or the mother would die in the process. If a mother sheep died, we ended up with an orphan lamb. If a lamb died, we would sometimes skin the dead lamb and put it on another orphan lamb hoping the mother sheep would adopt the orphan lamb. The mother sheep wasn’t easily fooled but the skin helped. Otherwise the orphan lamb became mine…. to raise on a bottle. It became what I called…. a pet lamb.
It has been prophesied that a billion youth will be saved in the next few years. This prophecy has been accepted as valid by almost everyone involved in the revival movement of our times. Giving of the prophecy is the easy part. Some of the birthing may be a little messy but most of it will come natural. The goodness of God and the truth proclaimed will lead millions to Christ. The love and compassion of older Believers will also touch the world. The hardest part will be the raising of the new believers. They will need fathers and mothers to bottle-feed and mentor them into full grown sons and daughters of God.
Paul said that there are not many fathers. There was a shortage in his day and there is a shortage today. One billion new souls brought into the kingdom will require millions of new pastors and at least a 100 million small group leaders if we use the ration of one leader for every ten. Where will these leaders come from? When nations are saved in a day, are we ready for them? There is a call for all of us to prepare to become fathers and mothers of the faith.
How to bring children into the world is easily understood, but fathering isn’t. Most of us didn’t know much about fathering when our children were born. We just had to do it. In our western society we have been taught that being a good provider is the key to fathering. It is not. It often leaves children confused and in need of mentoring to guide them into life. Just provision alone will not be enough for the new kids brought into the kingdom of God. Church services and bible classes will not be enough for the new spiritual children that are being born. They will need one-on-one experiences with older believers. They will need small group interaction where they can learn from the experiences of others. This will help them avoid major stumbling blocks and pits in the path before them.
Older believers can begin preparing for this great harvest by allowing God to judge their hearts. Like Paul we can allow them to imitate us as we follow Jesus passionately with all of our heart. We can also ask the Father of all fathers to teach us how to father and mother these new believers that are coming. It is a challenge, but it is exciting. It is the kingdom of Heaven coming to invade the earth. To become like our Heavenly Father is a challenge but it is His ultimate will for us. In the process of fathering we become more like Him.
A few nuggets gained along the way about fathering: first of all they just need to feel loved. They also need someone to believe in them. Their dreams and visions are important and they need encouragement in them. No matter how unique their vision may seem, we must allow them to be trained as such. When we try to bend them towards our desire for them, we can hinder them. Allow the branch to bend the way it needs to bend. Let’s stop trying to make images of ourselves in everyone. Finally, let’s pursue God with all our hearts and grab the young ones to walk with us on this precious journey of faith.
One of the most precious memories of springtime is how the lambs would jump and play in the new green fields. The winter was past. The mothers would just graze on the new grass while the little ones would play endlessly along beside them. The spring days became longer and as the sun would set, the lambs would gather around the mother for the cool nights. The barn was no longer needed because the ground was getting warmer. The warmth of the mother was enough. We can never under estimate the importance fathering and mothering will play in the coming harvest of the lambs. When the barn (church building) is no longer the most important place and the green fields beckon…. where will the fathers and mothers of the faith be?
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