The Old Wineskins And The Foolish Shepherds Of Zechariah     By Luz Cintrón August 23, 2002 Web Site:http://www.thepearlsofwisdom.net

 
 
 
 

 On Wednesday the Lord started to speak to me through Zechariah. You all know that the community in which the Lord placed me 14 years ago, we are going through a radical change. In this change judgment is all one see at times, though His presence is there and His guidance remains in the still small voice that confronts the loud speaking of our flesh and its own will. When we were praying last Wednesday, the Lord caused me to go into the book of Zechariah  and open it to me under this light. Well that is what I think, lets see together.

“Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, “Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich; and their shepherds do not pity them. Zechariah 11:4

When I started to share with the brethren we found in these words strength from the Lord.  How blind have we been because of the lack of understanding! But isn't this exactly the way the flock is being treated today? The bigger the ministry the more obvious the slaughter is.  It is the hand of the Lord pulling blinders from our eyes. What Christ is has not changed nor will it ever become different or adopt another standard than the one in which He was revealed. His nature is not subjected to cultural scenarios either.  The seal of the discipleship remains the bonds of love that keep unity and one accord in the spirit. Where is it today?

When I look around I can see big names ministries with its buildings, I wonder if they will slowly phase out as the flock responds to the call of the Shepherd. A man of God comes and his testimony impact many lives and then what do we do with him?  A tower of Babel unto his name?

Why do we run from one corner to the other seeking what the Lord have placed in our deepest parts? The flock has been fed for slaughter and they are slaughtered as shepherds feed themselves without any guilt and some not even conscientious of what they do. Why they don’t feel guilt, why is it so hard to see what is evident before the Lord? Because that is the way it has been for a long time (Traditions of man above the word of the Lord?). They are taught and expected to do like that. More so, it has become and indication for the failure or success of their ministry. Awful, isn’t it? Meanwhile the system is geared to fleece the flock instead of feeding it and at the same time condemns the one who seek to serve as pastors to become something completely opposed to what they were called to be.

But they do feed the flock, one would say, what are you talking about? They preach and they distribute their messages in print and in tape and in videos and as soon as it will be made possible it will come in DVDs too. The walls become full of the word like the shelves of a bookstore. But a question remains, how come the primitive church which lacked all of these resources was able to impact a completely pagan world and we struggle to change one single law on abortion in our own country “whose trust is in the Lord”? What are we missing? We are missing the power of God, and His glory for we have separated ourselves from Him, place Him on a shelf and expect to be saved through of our lack of knowledge because of the tithes, offerings,  financial support we have given “the kingdom” message to go forth. We see the miracles performed by those ministries and we feel satisfied of the support we have given them and inspired to write another check and put it on its way. Beware of big projects unless you know the root and hear the call. Even then, it still does not exempt us from what is our reasonable service unto the Lord. and it can not take preeminence upon it.

The Lord is missing from our walk. Don’t you know that everything that man touches he can corrupt? (Haggai 2:12-14) Where does it come in us the confidence to think we don’t? But He remains missing because we deny His power and we really do not seek His face. We like the Hebrews by the mountain want Moses to speak to us instead of hearing His voice. The fear of death in us is real, because His voice will kill us. The One whose voice splinters the cedars of Lebanon, speaks and tears the flesh out of our motives and intentions. Who would want that? The flock has been fed for slaughter and can not see where life is. It is easier to run to man and easier to give him the money to do what remains our responsibility, our yoke and our burden.

“So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. Zechariah 11:7

“In particular the poor of the flock”, how can we appease our consciences? What is of the poor among us? O it is easy to go into a disaster area, but there are the poor among us too, and what have we done about them? Our lifestyle is one geared into individualism. We show sympathy, bless them and then go home while they are left out. Where is the kingdom in the church? That is why the flock has to be fed for slaughter. Because the Lord is faithful and as the prophet took for himself two staffs so it has been among us in the midst of the slaughter. For the name of one was Beauty and isn’t it so, that the first thing that goes out the door at this hour of judgment is Beauty? As soon as the process starts, things tend to get “ugly”. So it is in the breaking of the Beauty staff. The believer must take courage and hold onto their firm foundation. And the second staff to be broken was Bonds in which our bonds with man’s system are broken and the system persecutes you, but that also works His will for it sets you free to follow Him.

Jesus went through that, isn’t it written there was no beauty in Him for us to desire Him out of beauty? And the staff of Bonds, wasn’t it broken the night of His betrayal “smite the shepherd and scatter the flock”? In their actions the rulers of those days were judged. Jesus presence tore the old wineskins of the system in His day and brought the new for the new wine to be poured. What remains today among us in what became a system in the hands of man is very old wineskins with a wine that for old seems more like vinegar instead of wine, for it has been spoiled, defiled by man’s hand..

When He hung on the cross they gave Him to drink a “mixture” with vinegar which He refused. I have heard it was used to mitigate the pain, but He refused it. Who has not walk in pain and all that has been offered by the system is the vinegar mixture that dulls pain? He did not drink it, and we also must refuse it out of love for Him. Let both staffs be broken and His flock delivered from the slaughter. Let His kingdom come unhindered and untainted from the hand of man.

Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.”

Let the staffs be broken and let it start with what we esteemed as beautiful and let us know it is from the Lord.

“So it was broken on the day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord.” Zech 11:11

The poor among us they know. The ones that chose to ignore it, mostly are sitting in leather chairs and air conditioned rooms paid by the fleece of the flock Even though loyalty has been stressed above truthfulness, the poor, they know because they have lived under it, and they are the first to recognize it is the judgment of the Lord. They know in their guts even if they have been made afraid to understand it.

Where is the Lord, and where is our hope is the cry in the heart of those caught in there. Here He is:

“Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”_ that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.”
Zechariah 11:12-13

This almost speaks for itself. This is so evident I feel afraid to abound in it, it would be better to leave His word speak and touch where it may touch to the one who reads. But out of obedience I will speak and may the Lord bring what He may and what He chooses out of all that is in there.

Did not the Lord say He came to bring the sword and not peace, to divide and not otherwise, to put members of a family against each other? Was He not betrayed for thirty pieces of silver? Was not that the wage of His ministry and travail at the hand of the system of His day? Did not His life and ministry fed the flock for slaughter and even today remains the same, for He revealed the secrets hidden in the hearts of men who posed as holy in His presence? For when the light is unfolded, darkness get revealed as dark and He is the light that show us the way and brings us to life. The sentence was handled and the sign was the princely price thrown in the house of the Lord for the potter. For it was the price upon the Prince Of Peace that made the thirty pieces a princely price.

Those who feel there is no peace when the staff of beauty is broken, look unto Him and find your peace, He paid the price to set you free to pursue Him. You are being set free through it all, and once free, go to Him and know He made Himself accessible to you. He labored for the thirty pieces of silver so that in His suffering you could be set free and your true  self revealed at the hands of the potter, and not only that but leaving the system of men you could enter in the release of His kingdom. Lift up your heads o eternal doors, the King of glory is coming!

The Beauty staff broken in two is a witness of it, for with it, the cross was formed in which He hung, from it the key of David that opened and nobody can close. It is set before you, look and see. And there is the power that looks like foolishness unto those who perish in the pride of the wisdom of this world. To us, to you, little flock, it is the power of God revealed and active.

“Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.” Zech 11:14

The staff of Bond has been broken, the heir has been chosen, and the foundation has been laid for their jealousy as it is written: “ Esau I abhorred and Jacob I loved”. The old system is abhorred in the presence of the Lord, and the new which is eternal is chosen and established in Christ for us to enter. Come buy without money, be fed.  The staff of Bond have been broken, come, that is what the Lord says. Do not waste your money in what is not food and will not nourish you. Come and dine with Him. Eat of His flesh and drink of His blood into everlasting life. For in the fellowship of His suffering is the fellowship of life eternal as the old is put away and the new (which is eternal) is received from above. And that which is holy remains holy but that which is filthy will keep being filthy until the end.

New patches can not be put in old garments, what is destined to the fire will be consumed by it and that is also for His glory. In all of this He remains faithful and He is proven truthful. For we know that from the beginning He has had our best in heart, and all of His thoughts toward us have been for good and not evil as Satan wanted us to believe.

To the prisoners of Hope, hear what the Lord says today. Look upon Him, He has become your hope, and He is not deferred from you through all you have suffered. But He has accomplished this great deliverance on your behalf.

“return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.”
Zechariah 9:12

The potter has been paid a princely price to work with His clay. Are we not clay and He our potter? Stand still then, under His hand and see His power, witness His deliverance that He has done and will still do for you today. He has not abandoned you, but He went ahead of you to set you free and establish you in His kingdom and His kingdom in you. Come, draw near Him, the hour is now when the ax is placed at the root of the trees. Find the vine of the Lord and allow Him to graft you there. Witness His fruit through you unto His glory. Take courage and be strong in the Lord your God. This is about to start. For the Lord our God, He has dismissed the three shepherds in one month for His soul hath loathed them and their soul also abhorred Him. (Zech 11:8)

Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Zech 11:8
 

Then shall the lame [man] leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert

And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, [shall be] grass with reeds and rushes

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it [shall be] for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err [therein].

No lion shall be there, nor [any] ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk [there]:

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:6-10

And again:

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts
Mal 4:2-3
 
 

Your servant in His love;

Luz Cintrón
Let us be glad and rejoice,
and give honour to Him: for
the marriage of the Lamb is come
and His wife hath made herself ready
...Revelation 19:7.