On February 24th, 1980, I was awakened early in the morning by the distinct, inspirational and motivational presence of the Holy Spirit.  It was the words and music to the song, Sheep Shed and the vision of a musical relaying the story of the Good Shepherd that was placed into my heart and mind.  Within two hours I had the first two songs, Sheep Shed and Shadow’s Song.  That day I spent many hours just playing them over and over again on my upright piano.

However this is forty years later and again, it’s early morning.  While sitting with some tea in my recliner I have been reading the tenth chapter of John in the Bible. It has reminded me of how I heard the voice of the Lord on that day. This is what I read:    

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the gatekeeper opens.  The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.  A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers.”   John 10: 1-5.

It continues on, so you might enjoy reading the rest of this chapter.  But I will end this section with the 14th, 15th  and 16th verse.

“I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.”

Forty years ago, at the age of 25, was not the first time I heard His voice in the middle of the night.  I have another memory a couple of years before this when I woke up and I new I was suppose to pray.  I prayed for a couple of hours.  Now I am a person who needs sleep and I also had two little children, Heidi and Matthew.  Matthew wasn’t even a year old.  Just so you know, I am not a night person, especially with an infant.  So for me to hear His voice and to pray that long I knew it was for some reason, but I had no idea what that reason was.  I just obeyed and prayed in the Spirit.

The next morning, we found out.  Our Pastor and his wife had gone on a missionary journey to the Philippines, where they met up with Paul Adams and Mommy Olga, two missionaries.  These missionaries had brought Steve and Becky Riggle to the Bilibid Prison to do some ministry with the inmates.  While there, they were taken hostage and the prisoners used them to escape.  In their vehicle, a van, they were caught between two gates at the exit point, where gunfire broke out.  The prisoners did not make it, but during the struggle, Pastor Steve was stabbed several times, in vital organs and Becky’s knee was shattered from a ricochet of a bullet.  Almost every organ in Pastor’s body was hit.  He almost died.  They spent weeks in the hospital. Every night, during their critical moments in the Philippines, the church would gather together and pray.  We would receive reports of their well being via telephone calls.  Through some miraculous miracles they gradually were able to fly back to the states, Becky in a gurney and Steve in a wheel chair. 

Pastor Steve and Becky Riggle experienced God’s physical, saving grace. They are Founding Pastors of New Covenant Fellowship in Livermore, CA and Grace Church in Houston, TX. God has lead them on since those days of healing.

         But for me, it was the voice I heard in the middle of the night to get up and pray!  It profoundly influenced me to pay attention, when the Lord speaks to you, and obey.

My Sheep hear my voice and they follow me.

It was that same voice I heard when He gave me another assignment.  This was the Feb. 24th, 1980 Wake Up Call.  Within a matter of hours the first two songs were written, Sheep Shed and Shepherd’s Song.  The idea, dream, vision was there, but the full picture was far too big for me to even imagine ‘HOW’ it would be accomplished.  I was a quiet young lady, not very assertive. I did not even like to talk on the phone.  I was a bit introverted and shy, although I could be somewhat social at times.  But I knew my Shepherd’s voice and He had a plan and all I had to do was Follow. 

An old church chorus, I use to sing as a child, says it like this:

The Lord knows the way through the wilderness

All I have to do is follow

The Lord knows the way through the wilderness

All I have to do is follow

Strength for today, Is mine always

And all that I need for tomorrow

The Lord knows the way through the wilderness

All I have to do is follow.

         In the book of Revelations there are seven churches that are receiving words of discipline from Jesus.  In the third chapter verses 19 through 22 Jesus says:

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest and repent.  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

It’s not a popular message these days to hear that our Savior would rebuke and discipline us.  But He does because He loves us.  Just recently He reminded me that the ‘cares of this world’ can choke out the Word that He places in our hearts.  I receive that correction. 

He is knocking at our hearts door.  He wants to come in and talk with us, how else would we learn His voice.  Is Jesus calling you?  Is Jesus asking you to set aside the cares of this world and open up the door to His Spirit?  Are you like a little child that is pushing a grocery cart and bumping up on the heels of your momma trying your hardest just to Follow?  I pray your ears will be opened.  Listen carefully and follow hard after Him.

Know Him and Be Known By Him

                  Katrina Miller 9/20/20