Where Are the Shepherds?

Dad
May 28, 2003

—MOJanuary 6, 1978DO NO.662

—Who Lay Down Their Lives for the Sheep! (John 10:11-15.)

1. IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THE VOICE OF SOMEONE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE RANKS and a little bit closer to the people than we are. Sometimes it's difficult for us to get the pulse of our Nation at the grassroots level unless we get it from someone who's there.

2. IN TENERIFE WE WERE LIVING RIGHT AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL and we were thickly involved with everything that went on, right amongst the people and the sheep and the fish and the bait and the whole works. But since we have left there we have been more involved with simply hearing from the Lord and passing it on to you.

3. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN HEARING SOME THINGS WHICH HAVE OPENED OUR EYES to the dire need for some drastic changes in the whole handling of the sheep, and the need for changes in our governmental structure in order to try to solve some of these problems.

4. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A CHAMPION OF THE UNDERDOG and the little fellow, the handicapped and the poor guys who are getting a raw deal and who are not treated fairly, and who are being fleeced or abused and mistreated. So I became furious when I began to hear of some of the things that have been going on.

5. THE PRACTICES OF SOME OF THESE FALSE SHEPHERDS SHOW THEY WERE NOTHING BUT HIRELINGS, apparently out for the money. They were not interested in caring for the sheep nor their physical or spiritual welfare, or hardly any kind of welfare‚ just as long as they drove their galley slaves into the galleys and it produced the power!

6. IT'S EVERY KING'S PROBLEM TO TRY TO LEARN THE TRUTH FROM THE PEOPLE AT THE GROUND LEVEL. Many a king had to disguise himself as a peasant or laborer and go out alone or with a bodyguard to talk to the people themselves to find out the truth. He couldn't get the truth through his own superior officers who were giving him a completely distorted picture of what was going on‚ a rosy–glow scene which was not actually true.

7. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE LITTLE FELLOWS DOWN THERE WHO WORK HARD on the pavements, on the front lines litnessing. To me, they are our greatest soldiers and heroes—not the bigshots who sit in their offices on their fannies and do nothing but "supervise on paper"!

8. I WISH I COULD SUPERVISE THEM IN PERSON. I wish I could go visiting and see just how they do. I would love that, because that's what I used to do when I was at TSC in our first great Colony of 250 to 300 people.

9. WHILE THE MEETINGS WERE GOING ON I USED TO GO AROUND AND INSPECT the dormitories and the cabins and see what condition the kids were living in. I used to insist that my meals came straight out of the kitchen so I would know exactly what the kids were eating, and if it was decent healthful food.

10. I SUPERVISED MY SHEEP CLOSELY. I tried my best to see what state my flocks and fields were in before I built my own house. (Pro.27:23; 24:27.)

11. AND I THINK I WAS A FAITHFUL SHEPHERD, EVEN WHEN WE WERE ON THE ROAD. I used to go around at night and visit all the vehicles and cars and trailers that the people were sleeping in, making sure that they had ventilation if they had heaters inside. I made sure they had a comfortable place to sleep, were warm, had enough blankets, clothes‚ etc.

12. I BELIEVE I WAS A FAITHFUL SHEPHERD EVEN WHEN I WAS JUST A NOBODY‚ just a humble shepherd of a little flock of stray sheep running around the country together. I did my best to take good care of them. Thank God!

13. I BELIEVE THEY KNEW THAT I LOVED THEM and was concerned about their welfare, as much if not more than my own. Way back in our first little Soul Clinic schools, I was always checking on the students to make sure that they were comfortable and cozy.

14. I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO MAKE SURE IN MY OWN LITTLE HOME colony that everybody is comfortable and has sufficient furniture, clothing, covers, etc.

15. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHEEP and particularly those with whom I was in direct contact, where I could be a direct observer and investigate in person to see how they do. So I have really tried.

16. BUT AT THIS LEVEL IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW THE TRUTH unless you can actually visit the Homes yourself in person. Most information comes from reports and upper officers, some of whom have been hiding the facts.

17. THEY STILL DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND that the whole thing is for the sake of the little people at the bottom—not for the sake of the "lords over God's heritage" at the top. (1Pet.5:3.)

18. THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR, set at liberty them which are bound, heal the sick, cast out devils, deliver the little people, the people that are right down there at pavement level.

19. THEREFORE CAN YOU IMAGINE MY HORROR AND SORROW AT SOME OF THE TALES THAT I HAVE HEARD of late since we've been able to hear directly from some of these poor oppressed people at the bottom about the way their leaders have been treating them!

20. SOME OF THE FIRST SHOCKING REVELATIONS WERE ABOUT THE LITERATURE. We've taken care of that now with the new "Lit Laws".

21. THEIR SINS WILL SURELY EVENTUALLY FIND THEM OUT, those who have been hirelings and false shepherds and have not really cared for the sheep nor the Word.

22. THE CHAIN OF COOPERATION WAS INTENDED TO GIVE THE SHEEP EVEN BETTER CARE. Instead of that it turned out in many cases to simply give the leaders better care and develop a lot of top-heavy leadership that wasn't even needed, didn't care for the sheep, fleecing them to the bare skin!

23. BUT I'M CERTAINLY GLAD THAT WHEN YOU GOT IN WITH US YOU STUCK TO IT in spite of some bad leadership.—In spite of some bad experiences and trials and tribulations which the Lord allows you to go through to test your love for Him and your sincerity and your determination to serve Him and stick to it no matter what. I thank God that you did‚ and that's why you're still here!

24. I WANT YOU TO HELP ME because I feel almost like you're a voice of one crying from the wilderness, from the grass level out there with the sheep.

25. I THINK YOU CAN SPEAK AS ONE COMING IN FROM THE FIELD, and not just as some bigshot sitting around at the top who really is out of touch and out of tune with the colony level and has long been away from the pavement level. You can help influence the course of our history!

26. SO I WANT TO WARN YOU THAT THE WORDS THAT YOU SAY AND THE THINGS YOU SUGGEST MAY HAVE A DEFINITE INFLUENCE in directing the course that we take. I'm relying on you to speak for those below, a voice from the people.

27. YOU HAVE THE EAR OF THE KING!-NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO USE IT! I appreciate your reports, but you must be more honest and candid about things and your own personal feelings.

28. I NOTICE YOU ARE A LITTLE RELUCTANT AND HESITANT ABOUT CRITICIZING YOUR SUPERIORS and telling me the whole truth about some of the gory details. But I want to hear more of the gory details about the situations you've been in, the people you've been working with‚ what you like and what you don't like.

29. I WANT YOU TO BE A LITTLE MORE OPEN, a little more candid and not afraid to talk, because I have to hear. I need to hear not only the good things but I need to hear the bad things too, because we're now in the process of trying to change things.

30. WE WANT TO CHANGE THE BAD THINGS TO GOOD THINGS, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT UNLESS WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING and what's going on or been going on. You need to be honest with us and tell us exactly what you feel and think and some of the things that you have hinted at regarding leadership.

31. I AM FURIOUS WITH THE HIRELINGS AND TYRANTS who are unconcerned about their sheep!

32. I'M READY TO THROW OUT ALL THE LEADERS and start from scratch to find those with true shepherd's hearts who love the sheep!

33. THE LAST MESSAGE THAT JESUS GAVE TO HIS DISCIPLES WAS "LOVEST THOU ME?" They said, "Well of course, Lord, You know we love You!" He said, "Then feed My sheep!" (Jn.21:15-17.) Some of these leaders have gotten the idea that the sheep are to take care of them!

34. IF YOU TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR SHEEP THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU, that's true. But it will be in love and because they appreciate the good care that they are getting. They know that you love them because you care for them, and are more concerned for their welfare than your own.

35. THAT'S THE KIND OF SHEPHERDS WE NEED, that's the kind of leaders we need. That's the kind of people we are seeking.

36. WELL, YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE, YOU KNOW SOME OF THESE PEOPLE‚ these colonies and leadership, and I'm very interested in your opinions.

37. I WANT YOU TO GET DOWN TO THE NITTY-GRITTY OF THE AWFUL TRUTH about some of the things that have been going on. I want to know more facts and more about what is really happening.

38. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HURTING ANYBODY'S FEELINGS. You don't have to worry about so-called "speaking against leaders" or being afraid to tell me the truth about what's going on.

39. I HAVE BAWLED OUT SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING WITH ME BEFORE BECAUSE THEY REFUSED OR FAILED TO TELL ME THE TRUTH, but they said, "Well‚ we didn't want to tell on them or be a troublemaker." So they let the trouble go on until it was almost beyond remedy! So I said:

40. "YOU KNEW THIS WAS GOING ON AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME, SO THAT MAKES YOU JUST AS GUILTY as they are because you protected them and made it possible for them to get away with it!"

41. FAILURE TO REPORT A CRIME IS A CRIME! If you see a man being robbed or you see his house being broken into, you see the thief entering in or the car being burglarized‚ and you do not report it to the police‚ the police consider you also guilty!

42. SO I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH, I want you to tell me more than you've been telling me. You've been protecting your leaders. I appreciate your loyalty, but I want to tell you:

43. YOU OWE ME AND THE LORD AND THE SHEEP MORE THAN YOU OWE THEM! YOU OWE ME THE TRUTH, the naked unvarnished awful truth, more than you owe them any feeling of protection for their sins! Tell me more of the facts.

44. IT'S A VERY COMMENDABLE VIRTUE WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO STICK IT OUT THROUGH THICK AND THIN no matter what, faithfulness, sticktoitiveness, determination‚ see it through, muddle through no matter what‚ because you know it's the Lord's will and His work and God's calling for you.

45. SO ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE HAD MANY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS and discouragements and put-downs and a few put-ups, and probably some shut-ups, at least you've learned a lot. God's way up is down!—And some of you have taken these demotions and scoldings and put-downs well.

46. SOMETIMES IT'S HARDER TO TAKE PROMOTION THAN IT IS DEMOTION. We can manage to survive it better and it doesn't influence us as much. As Rudyard Kipling's old poem said:

47. "IF YOU CAN TAKE SUCCESS AND FAILURE

And treat these two impostors both the same,

Then you'll be a man my son!"

And God Himself through Jesus said almost the same thing when He said,

48. "WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT." (Mt.25:21.) He didn't say failure servant and He didn't say successful servant, but He just said faithful servant. And "one thing is required of a servant," as Paul says, "and that is that he be faithful," that we be faithful. (1Cor.4:2.) And we are all servants.

49. "HE THAT IS GREATEST AMONG YOU MUST BE SERVANT OF ALL." (Mt.23:11.) He must be the lowliest servant of all and serving the most people and really a servant, a slave.

50. EVERY GOOD LEADER IS A SLAVE TO HIS PEOPLE. Every good public servant is a real servant of the people. Those who are not is the thing we're trying to cure in our own ranks now.

51. SOME LEADERS INSTEAD OF BEING PUBLIC SERVANTS AND REALIZING THEY ARE TO BE THE SLAVES OF THE PEOPLE have gotten the idea that the sheep exist for their benefit to serve them!

52. WELL, IF WE HAVE TO DESTROY THE WHOLE SET-UP IN ORDER TO REBUILD THE RIGHT KIND of a building, I am ready to do it. I have done it before in some respects with the New Revolution.

53. THE POLICY OF SOME PEOPLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN GET AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND GIVE AS LITTLE IN RETURN AS POSSIBLE. Well‚ that's maybe good business policy with some people, but that's not the way the Lord does things.

54. GOD'S WAY TO PLENTY IS TO GIVE IT AWAY, "He that scattereth abroad it increaseth." (Pr.11:24.) Most selfish businessmen don't look at it that way. They figure the more they can withhold, the more it's going to increase. But God's Word says:

55. "HE THAT WITHHOLDETH IT TENDETH TO POVERTY" (Pro.11:24), and as far as I'm concerned, that 25% levy and in some places 45-to-50%, was withholding from the sheep! God's Word says‚

56. "WOE UNTO YOU RICH MEN who have withheld the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields." (Jam.5:1-6.)

57. THE LEADERS WERE LIVING IN LUXURY WHILE THE POOR SHEEP WERE RUNNING AROUND WITH HUGE HOLES IN THEIR SHOES and having to hitchhike to their fields because they wouldn't let them use the money for transportation or even for food or anything!

58. WERE YOU PRIVY TO SOME OF THESE ABUSES OF POWER and fleecing of the sheep, the mistreatment and lack of concern for the welfare of the sheep?

59. YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE EVEN BEEN RUN OUT OF THE FAMILY like some very good men have been because they told the truth and revealed some of these things.

60. SO MUCH GOOD MANPOWER AND GOOD LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN LOST THROUGH MISTREATMENT and evil dealing by selfish leaders who were only concerned about protecting themselves.

61. BUT IT'S RIDICULOUS TO PUT UP WITH THESE ABUSES and keep your mouth shut and don't say anything just because you're afraid you'll be dealt with by your leaders if you tell on them!

62. NOW I WANT TO WARN YOU AGAIN if you protect these people and you don't tell me the whole truth, you are just as guilty!

63. YOU ARE PARTY TO THEIR CRIMES BY NOT REVEALING WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING and the things that you know are not right!

64. I WANT YOU TO TELL ME THE TRUTH! I want to know about these people. I want to hear the truth however sad or horrible it may be.

65. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HOUSECLEANING. We're going to get rid of these tyrants and abusers of the sheep, these hirelings!

66. WE'RE GOING TO SEND THEM OUT AND MAKE SHEEP OUT OF THEM, God helping us! We're going to put them on the road or let them pioneer of hit the streets litnessing and see what it's like!

67. I WANT TO FIND THOSE WHO REALLY LOVE THE SHEEP and are concerned for them and have a heart!

68. WE NEED TO FIND SHEPHERDS. WE NEED TO PUT THEM IN POSITIONS WHERE THEY CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE and better able to care for the sheep and have the power to do so.

69. WE WANT TO KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. We want to hear the knowledge of both good and evil. We want truth! Stop covering for them! "It's better to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psa.84:10.)

70. SOME LEADERS HAVE ONLY BEEN CONCERNED THAT THE MONEY GETS IN to pay the bills. That's an important concern and you have to be concerned about that. But some are not concerned how they get it as long as they get it.

71. SUCH LEADERS ARE NOT SHEPHERDS, THEY ARE HIRELINGS! Their main concern is monetary, materialistic, their own welfare and not that of the sheep.

72. WE'RE LOOKING NOW FOR REAL SHEPHERDS: I WANT TO KNOW, WHERE ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHEEP? Where are those who are willing to lay down their lives for the sheep, as Jesus said? "The hireling fleeth but the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (Jn.10:11–13.)

73. I WANT TO KNOW‚ WHERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LAYING DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR THE SHEEP? I don't want any more of these I've heard about who insist that the sheep lay down their lives for their tyrants' comfort!

74. IT REMINDS ME OF WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT NIXON: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his friends for his life."—A switch on John 15:13!

75. WE NEED THE KIND OF LOVE OF SOME OF GOD'S GOOD SHEPHERDS WHO ARE WILLING TO LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR THE SHEEP, not lay down the sheep for their lives!

76. I DON'T WANT YOU COVERING UP ANYMORE! That's not love!—To throw the veil over all the evil they're doing to the sheep!

77. I WANT TO KNOW WHO'S BEEN ABUSING THEIR POWER and position and padding their own nest while stripping the poor sheep!

78. I HONESTLY WANT TO KNOW YOUR OWN PERSONAL OPINION: HOW WOULD YOU DO IT? You've been there, bottom man on the totem pole, a lowly Litnesser washing dishes‚ sweeping floors, etc.

79. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? HOW WOULD YOU MAKE THE CHANGE? I don't know whether you've ever had humble positions or not, but I have, and our top leaders should have, to really know the work from top to bottom.

80. YOU ARE IN A SPECIFIC SITUATION IN A SPECIFIC AREA and you know the specific conditions involved. If you had your way, or God's way‚ how would you do it?

81. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WHO WOULD YOU PUT IN? Now I want you to be honest: Who do you consider, of all the people you know, has the greatest love and concern for the poor sheep?

82. WHO DO YOU KNOW HAS THE GREATEST CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF THE LITTLE ONES, their comfort, their protection, their will-being, their food, their clothing, their housing, their little bed, their heat etc.?

83. I AM SO FAR REMOVED FROM THE COLONIES RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PERSONALLY SUPERVISE THEM ALL, but I want to find those who would supervise them the way I supervised them.

84. I WANT TO FIND MEN WITH MY LOVE AND MY CONCERN AND GOD'S LOVE AND HIS CONCERN FOR THE SHEEP who are willing to get out there as Visiting Servants.

85. YOU NEED SERVANTS, SERVANTS OF GOD'S SHEEP, as true shepherds should be, willing to lay down their lives for sheep!

86. IF YOU HAD YOUR WAY, IF YOU WERE KING FOR A DAY, IF YOU WERE I, WHO WOULD YOU APPOINT? Who would you put into a place of responsibility?—People that you know really love the sheep!

87. I WANT TO FIND THE KIND OF SHEPHERDS AND UNDERSHEPHERDS WHO WILL LIVE AND DIE FOR THE SHEEP!—Not just sit around fleecing them and living in luxury while the sheep are dying!

88. WHO WOULD YOU PUT IN CHARGE OF THE SPRINT CENTER THAT HAS A REAL BURDEN AND WOULD DIE FOR THE WORD? Who would you put in charge as the Service Center Servants with both the Sprint Center and the Home Visitors who themselves have a love and a great concern for the sheep and would get out there and visit them personally and will if they can. Whom would you choose for the Home Servants?

89. WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR THE HOME VISITING SERVANTS to get out there and visit the Homes and really be concerned about the sheep, every one!—Every little one, every baby‚ every child, every poor mother, every pregnant woman, every poor little Litnesser! Who would you choose? Who would you put in?

90. WHOM WOULD YOU SEND OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SHEEP WERE BEING WELL CARED FOR and loved and given tender loving care and concern and properly provided for? How would you do it?

91. I WANT YOU TO TAKE YOUR SPECIFIC AREA that you are familiar with and even perhaps the ones that you have been familiar with. I want you to name names of the people that you feel would be the right kind for those jobs.

92. AND I WANT YOU NOT TO BE AFRAID TO NAME THE PEOPLE which you feel are not and should not be caring for the sheep because they don't care for the sheep.

93. I WANT YOU TO TELL ME, if you were going to reorganize your area according to the plan that the Lord has given us, how would you do it, with whom would you do it, and what do you suggest in making the transition? How would you handle the finances? What would you do about needs, quotas, etc.?

94. DON'T FORGET OUR MAILING ADDRESS!: B. CANEVARO, C.P. 800‚ 50100 FIRENZE, ITALIA! We'd love to hear from you and how you'd do it and with whom! WHERE ARE THE SHEPHERDS!?

95. SEND IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHOICE OF CANDIDATES FOR TRUE SHEPHERDS—and your own list of those culprits whom you think oughtta get the ax and why! GBY!

96. HELP US FIND TRUE SHEPHERDS FOR THE SHEEP! WHERE ARE THEY? DO YOU KNOW?

(P.S. Please keep your reply down to one page if you can—or a postcard!—Ha! We'll be sure to read those first! Thanks! )

97. P.P.S.—DON'T FORGET YOU ARE ALREADY SUPPOSED TO HAVE ELECTED YOUR HOME SERVANTS when you received "New Colony Rules" and certainly no later than Feb. 18! Do not wait for your new Visitors!

98. ALSO YOU'LL BE NOTIFIED BY YOUR KQS's WHO YOUR NEW VISITORS ARE!—Accept no others! Some of the old guard are pretending to be!—What'll they try next! HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY!—Let's hope and pray for a better year! GBY! Love,—M&M.