Woe To The Shepherds Destroying My Sheep

I found it very interesting that today's Lectionary reading for the last Sunday before Advent (Feast of Christ the King) was scriptures directed towards deviate ministers, particularly in light of the deviate behavior of the Philadelphia Church of God that has been exposed in the last few days and in the ongoing collapse of United Church of God.

Today reading is from Jeremiah 23:1-6

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (New International Version)

The Righteous Branch

 ¹ “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. ²³ “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴ I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.  ⁵ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,
   “when I will raise up for David^[a] a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
   and do what is just and right in the land.
⁶ In his days Judah will be saved
   and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
   The LORD Our Righteous Savior.

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (The Message)

Jeremiah 23

An Authentic David-Branch

 ^1-4 "Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!" God's Decree. "So here is what I, God, Israel's God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: 'You've scattered my sheep. You've driven them off. You haven't kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I'm keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I'll take over and gather what's left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I've driven them. I'll bring them back where they belong, and they'll recover and flourish. I'll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won't live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!' God's Decree."  ^5-6"Time's coming"—God's Decree—
   "when I'll establish a truly righteous David-Branch,
A ruler who knows how to rule justly.
   He'll make sure of justice and keep people united.
In his time Judah will be secure again
   and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name they'll give him:
   'God-Who-Puts-Everything-Right.'

These are pretty damning words directed at

The Message Bible version is rather plain in what God is going to do to these men and all other fools like them:

"Well, let me tell you, I'm keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I'll take over and gather what's left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I've driven them. I'll bring them back where they belong, and they'll recover and flourish"

The lost and damaged sheep will be gathered in and made safe.  They will have time to recover, heal and flourish without any ministurd of Armstrongism running their lives any more.

They will be like the frolicking calves in last weeks Lectionary reading. Malachi 3: 19-20.  Anyone who has ever seen calves running out of a barn into a wide open field will see them jumping and kicking in pure bliss.

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ²But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Great will be the day in the future when no Armstrongite ministurd will be around to influence and destroy peoples lives!

I will be a time like what is described in Adrian Plass's book and CD, "City of Gold".

When I'm in heaven
Tell me there'll be peace at last.
That in some meadow filled with sunshine
Filled with buttercups and filled with friends
You'll chew a straw and fill us in on how things really are...

That is the hope of things to come.  Sitting in conversation with a God who sits down with us and tells us how "things really are",  The pure bliss of frolicking calves and baby sheep.