Category: Believe in Jesus and Live

“It’s Me”

Re: Verse reading–John 10:1-21 (day five)

Ever answer a phone call (without caller ID) and the person on the other end says just two words, “It’s Me”?  Based on the ability to recognize the voice, the listener immediately is in a state of confusion or comfort.

John 10  vs 3 “and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ” vs 4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

This scripture teaches at least two amazing truths.  1) Jesus calls to His sheep by name.  2) His sheep have the opportunity and capacity to recognize His voice.

When Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd, He is promising to faithfully call and lead His sheep.  Are we (His Sheep) ready and willing to listen and follow?

Challenge for 2015:  Every day we would spend time faithfully praying and meditating on the scripture so that we could understand and recognize the voice of Jesus.

The goal- We might find peace and comfort when the conversation begins by Him saying, “It’s Me”.

Green Pastures

Re: Verse reading–John 10:1-21 (day four)
Happy New Year!  If you planned to do something in 2014, you are too late!  New Year’s is traditionally a time to start over…to do new things…to make course corrections.  John tells us in chapter 10 that good things happen when the sheep follow the shepherd.  Anyone other than the shepherd is there to steal, kill, and destroy.  The shepherd protects the sheep, provides for the sheep and lays down his life for the sheep.  Jesus says that if His sheep enter through His door, they will be saved…they will find rest and provision.  Jesus has the authority to bring about these new things in our lives.  Only our shepherd can do them.  As you consider those New Year’s resolutions, allow the Good Shepherd to direct your steps.  He will give you protection and find you green pastures.  Only He can do it.

Mind

Re: Verse reading–John 10:1-21 (day three)
“He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”  A not-for-profit organization years ago used the slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”  That’s for sure.  God gave human beings a mind, and its unused potential is one of the great stewardship failures of a sinful human race.  The religious leaders confronting Jesus demonstrated this abdication of responsibility when they refused to engage Jesus on the merits of his claims, and instead resorted to name-calling and diversionary tactics.  When you are spiritually bankrupt, that’s all you’ve got.  God gave you a mind as well.  Jesus says to you, “Follow me.”  Do you enter into conversation with the Savior, or do you change the subject?

Relational Shepherd

Re: Verse reading–John 10:1-21 (day two)
“All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” (‭vs 8).

Jesus is very clear in this illustration about the sheep and their shepherd. Every shepherd must spend time with the animals. That time spent builds trust and familiarity. Anyone who would try to lead them astray would fail because there was no relationship. Jesus in his divine nature could stand apart from creation, but instead he has a deep desire to foster a loving relationship with those he came to save. Every other escape or path we may be tempted to follow will ultimately fail because that can be no greater intimacy and understandingthan with the the shepherd who knows us so well.

The leaders we need

Re: Verse reading–John 10:1-21 (day one)
“He who does not enter by the door. . .is a thief and a robber”–v 1.  Jesus had harsh words for the so-called leaders of the Jewish nation.  He was constantly puzzled by their low-insight, low-impact lives.  In John chapter 10, the Lord uses two metaphors.  First, He is the door into the sheep fold (v 7).  Then, He is the good shepherd (v 11).  Confusing?  In both instances, Jesus is setting the standard for leadership in God’s family.  First, leaders must come to the church THROUGH Jesus.  Sent to us by His assignment and will.  Those who don’t come through the door, are thieves.  Secondly, they must be LIKE Jesus in moral quality.  He is the GOOD SHEPHERD.  Others are “under shepherds”  (See 1 Peter 5)  If Jesus is sacrificial and courageous, our leaders must be as well.  No question, the LORD shepherds His people.  And one of the ways He does so is by choosing and sending us leaders.

Land of the free?

Re: Verse reading – John 8:31-47 (day seven)
“If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed”–v 36.
Our experience is often disappointing.  With every singing of the national anthem we DECLARE it.  “The land of the free and the home of the brave.”  But, living in the land of the free has not given us true liberty.  We have more AND worry more.  We declare marriage dead and then find ourselves CAPTIVE to the very real consequences.  We WANT to do better, DECIDE we will do better (every New Year’s day), but the same habits and tendencies return with power.  Only in Christ, in His power, in constant and honest fellowship with Him can the chains be broken.  No part-time follower will know this promise.  If the Son makes you free (“if you continue in my word”, says the Master) you will experience this promise.  FREE. . . not to do what I CHOOSE, but what I SHOULD.  What-I-was-made-to-be-FREE!  Only in Christ.

Enslaved

Re: Verse reading – John 8:31-47 (Six)
“We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves to anyone.  How can you say that we shall be set free?”—v 33.  We don’t see what God sees.  Even about ourselves.  Jesus saw the Jews as slaves needing liberation.  “The Spirit is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim release to the captives.”—Luke 4:18.  They immediately imagined political captivity.  His focus was spiritual slavery.  If society controls what kind of house I buy, what kind of car I drive, where my kids go to school, am I a slave?  If fears dictate how many hours I work, or desire shapes what I buy or watch, can I claim to be free?  If, when I pledge to live by the higher purposes of God, I then fall back into sinful habit, isn’t it because there is a power operating in my life that even I don’t control? Jesus sees this situation very clearly.  Do we?

“What Did You Get?”

Re: Verse reading – John 8:31-47 (Day Five)
It is a question that floated around yesterday at our house.  From instagram to text messages, from facebook to phone calls, I looked and listened with curiosity as my kids answered the question “What did you get?”  Their responses revealed their evaluation of importance, significance, and relevance.

Jesus teaches that the ability and capacity to hear, understand, and apply the Word of God is invaluable.  Look at verse 47- “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”  It is a gift given to every true believer.  Do we perceive its importance, significance, and relevance?  R.C Sproul says, “There is no greater gift we could ever receive from God than to have our ears opened, to have the scales taken from our eyes, to have our stony hearts softened so that they become beating, pulsating, responding hearts of love as we hear the Word of God.”