Oh! I'm a Sheep…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/jhn/10/1/s_1007001>

 

I have always struggled to understand how God could care about me. How I a sinner, a fallen man, could ever be desirable to Adonai Elohim. What is there about me that merits His love and forgiveness. Especially, when you factor in that repentance is a daily struggle for me and one that I am seldom the victor in.

 

I have always appreciated that Jesus said He was the good shepherd in a kind of 'That's so cool God kind of way.' You know, soft woolly feelings of cuteness and warm fuzzy hearts. I just didn't understand what He was actually saying here. I almost completely missed the most important thing in John's gospel.

 

You see Jesus is saying here He is the Good Shepherd. He's saying I know my sheep and they know me. We're talking people with sheep like characteristics. If you know sheep they have many endearing characteristics. Lambs are cute and playful. Ewes are maternal, protective and loving of their offspring and family groups. Rams are dominant and show leadership of the flock. Sheep are loyal and loving and can be wise, gracious, obedient and worthy of admiration just like people.

 

Sheep can also be rebellious, obstinate, independent, arrogant, angry, violent, aggressive, impulsive, unwise, foolish and stupid creatures, just like people. If God can love sheep so completely that he would give His life to find one of the flock that is lost. I can finally understand how God can love me. I completely associate with all of the characteristics of sheep. I can be stupid and sinful and make the worst and most impulsive decisions and yet Jesus Christ is my Lord, my Savior and my Good Shepherd. I am His sheep and I know Him and He knows me. He loves me and I love Him. My beloved Adonai Elohim. I'll be a sheep in His flock any day and forever.

 

Sin and Salvation

 

 

Romans 6:23

'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' ESV

 

Every human being has sinned and all have fallen short of the glory of God.

 

Definition of Sin in Merriam Webster

 

1         a : an offense against religious or moral law

 b : an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible

it's a sin to waste food

 c : an often serious shortcoming : fault

2         a : transgression of the law of God

           b : a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

 

From <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sin>

 

The impact of sin and need for reconciliation with the Creator God - Yahweh Elohim.

 

Colossians 1:20-22

'And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him…'

 

From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_impact_of_sin_and_the_need_for_reconciliation_with_god>

 

All of creation bares the effects of sin and needs to be reconciled to God whether here on Earth or in Heaven. Christ Jesus has made peace through the blood of His cross and has made a path to salvation and reconciliation firstly through the justification of those who believe on Him unto eternal life. Then, through the sanctification of those same believers in the waters of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. So that, they might have the forgiveness of sins and receive the Holy Spirit who puts God's Law in their hearts and minds while working in their hearts a process of life long sanctification.

 

Thus, the impact of sin from the Garden of Eden and the fall of Adam and Eve and subsequently all of mankind is atoned for in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross at Calvary. This is through the shedding of His blood for the sins of all men. So, that those who believe on Him are cleansed of sin, atoned for, receive salvation in His name, Jesus Christ, and are reconciled unto the creator God, Yahweh Elohim.

 

In the future that God has planned for mankind there can be no sin and no sinners. Therefore it remains up to you that when you hear the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. When you understand that He shed His, pure and perfect, blood on the cross as the Lamb of God. He did this that you might be saved and receive eternal life. Your purpose in this life is to choose. Will you believe on Jesus Christ, the Messiah and the Savior or, will you perish out of eternity and die in your sins?

Matthew Chapter One Study

 

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. ESV

 

Verse One to Seventeen: This genealogy is the family tree of Jesus adoptive father Joseph and primarily addresses prophecy regarding the lineage of Jesus as a descendant of King David of Israel. This line of family also establishes Jesus legal right to claim to be the Messiah through the genealogy of His adoptive father Joseph.

 

The genealogy is notable in that it includes women in line of descent which was unusual but shows God's mercy and intent to include women and gentiles in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah. Indicating perhaps, that God always had a greater scope in mind for the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary.

 

The genealogy mentions the generational duration from His promise and covenant with Abraham through to David ascending the throne of Israel. Then from David to the deportation to Babylon where Israel were taken as punishment for taking on other Gods. after seventy years in captivity, Israel were restored to their homeland. Then from the restoration in Israel to the birth of the Messiah, Christ Jesus. The period between each event being fourteen generations and the total length from the promise to Abraham to the birth of Jesus being forty two generations. This shows God's faithfulness to His people as He honored the promises He made and the covenants that He set in place culminating in the birth of the Messiah.

 

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. ESV

 

Verses Eighteen to Twenty Five: This section of the passage tells the story of Jesus birth. The important facts are that Mary was a virgin; That the baby was conceived of the Holy Spirit; That God appeared to Joseph, Mary's betrothed, and told him not to fear to marry Mary as the baby in her womb was conceived of the Holy Spirit; The baby would be a son and Joseph was to name Him Jesus; Jesus would save His people from their sins; That the prophecy that a virgin shall conceive and they shall call His name Immanuel would be fulfilled (Isaiah 7:14); Joseph did as the angel commanded and did not sleep with Mary until after the baby was born; He called the child Jesus.

Walking With Jesus – Matthew Chapter Three Verses One to Ten

 

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

 

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

make his paths straight.’”

 

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/mat/3/1/s_932001>

 

Verses One to Four: John the Baptist came to Judea and preached the gospel of the Kingdom. This was a gospel of repentance and the coming Kingdom of God. John preached that this was spoken of by Isaiah the Prophet when he spoke of one crying in the wilderness crying ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ By saying this he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Verse Five to Six: All of the peoples from the region of Jerusalem and Judea came to hear John preach and were baptized by him in the river Jordan. They confessed their sins unto repentance. By preaching repentance John was instructing them to turn from unrighteousness and to stop sinning. Instead to obey the Law and to walk in righteousness in obedience to God.

 

Verses Eight to Ten: The Pharisees and Sadducees came out to observe John, probably to see what all the commotion was about and whether John represented a threat to their rule. He immediately confronted them accusing them of being a brood of vipers and expressing dismay that they would come to hear him preach that they might escape the wrath of God. He noted that they claimed to be the children of Abraham but because they were not repentant and did not truly understand the Law the rulers were not really truly the sons of God. John told them God could raise children for Abraham from the stones around them. He told them that if they were not careful God would take the axe and cut them out of spiritual Israel.

 

John's preaching in here matches the preaching of Jesus Christ to the rulers of Israel in Matthew chapter twenty three verses thirteen to thirty six and his preaching about the vine dresser in John chapter fifteen verses one to ten. The apostle Paul also speaks of the olive tree and the unproductive branches being torn out and new Christian branches being grafted in Romans chapter eleven verses seventeen to twenty four. John the Baptist was laying a common foundational theme for how God viewed the Pharisees, Sadducees and other rulers of Israel at the time of Christ and what God would achieve through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary. 

The Rapture

 

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

 

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

From <https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_rapture>

There is so much controversy about whether there will be a Rapture. The Rapture is an event which will take place to remove the Christians who would otherwise go through the coming time of Tribulation that is to happen at the end of the Church Age.

 

A lot of Christians do not believe that such an event will happen. The scriptures are not really very clear about the matter.  It is one of those topics where there are scriptures and theological opinions which can be used to make a case for, or against, the Rapture.

 

I think myself, that Hebrews 9 verse 28 is one of the stronger verses in support of the Rapture. It tells us that Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.

 

Now many would say that Christ will appear a second time to resurrect that living, and the dead, saints of the Church Age. This will occur, I believe, immediately at the end of Tribulation Judgement. No question about it and it is not the Rapture.

 

The Rapture, is to evacuate the living saints before the Tribulation begins. The reason is to spare them the time of judgement (Revelation 3:10). Another reason is found in Revelation 7:1-8, where God is consecrating 144,000 Jewish persons, 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This group of people are set aside to take the gospel to the nations in the Tribulation time along with the Two Witnesses.

The question here is why? Where is the Church? I would suggest that there are three possibilities. First, the Church for some reason no longer exists, second, all of the Christians have been martyred, third, the Church has been raptured to allow Israel to take the batten back. Messianic Jewish Christians consecrated to take the gospel to nations in the Tribulation.

 

So, whatever you believe about the Rapture. There is a valid argument that it will happen and it could be said that the literal fulfillment of several prophetic scriptures depend upon the Rapture taking place. It could also be said the parable of the Foolish Virgins would not even make sense unless Jesus was returning to take his Church out of harm's way. My thoughts only but I believe there will be a Rapture.

 

A John 3:16 Christian

 

How getting saved works for me.

 

 So, attending a Calvinist Church I have struggled for a while to accept the idea that God elects each Christian and through Grace Alone. That the whole process takes place automatically. No personal input required. As you can imagine this created a backlash back in the day. It created and entire counter movement called Arminianism which completely opposes Calvinism. Instead of Grace doing it all, Grace enables YOU to do it all. Prevenient Grace enables you to accept or reject the gospel and then it enables you to accept or reject the sanctifying acts of the Holy Spirit on a piece by piece basis.

 

Honestly, my opinion of all of this is that Calvinism has some of it right. We are elected from the foundation of the world and we are totally depraved. We are justified by our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. We are entirely sanctified by the Holy Spirit over the course of our lives and presented to the Almighty God perfect in the resurrection.

The Arminians also have some of it right that we are elected by being foreseen rather than predestined. We are drawn to Christ through the hearing of the gospel under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Through grace we have the choice to believe on Christ Jesus or to reject Him as our Savior. As to whether we are sanctified on choice by choice basis. I don't believe so personally. As I mentioned before I believe the Holy Spirit sanctifies us during the course of our lives. We don't inherently have that ability as fallen men ourselves

 

However, other than justification in Christ Jesus and sanctification by the Holy Spirit. I don't really think the contentions of the Calvinists and the Arminians matter all that much. Some people get very agitated over it all and I have to confess to being profoundly caught up in the controversy about election and double predestination myself but it is just a storm in a tea cup compared to the real battle for the hearts and minds of men and women, between God and Satan.

 

Hence the great commission of Matthew 28 verses 19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/mat/28/1/s_957001>

 

So, in the end I'm just a John 3:16 Christian, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." I believe in the redemptive work of Christ Jesus on the Cross and I shall not perish but inherit eternal life. My sins are washed away by His blood, the blood of the Lamb of God shed on that Cross at Calvary.

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/jhn/3/16/p0/t_bibles_1000016>

 

It's a simple gospel and a simple faith both of which are gifts of God. You should try it.

Matthew Chapter Seven Study

 

Judging Others

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

 

Jesus warns us here not to judge others because as we pronounce judgement on another, so the same standards that we employ to judge them will be the very ones that God uses to judge us in turn. If we measure the achievements of another then in the same way God will measure our achievements. It belies that we should instead be merciful to our brother, or sister, that God might in turn be merciful to us.

 

How often do we see the faults in our brother, or sister, and become furious with them. How can they do this or that which upsets us. How can they so casually break the law of God and injure those we love? Yet their wrongdoing is a mere speak in their eye compared to the beam in our own eye which we don't even seem to know is there.

 

The judgement that we are giving to them is in its own way a large part of our wrong doing, a part of the beam in our own eye. H

 

ow many other sins do we commit that are just as bad as those we see in others, or maybe much worse. What are we doing in our lives. Are withholding tithes or committing some infraction of the law of God that is far worse than our brother, or sister, are doing. So we need to look into our own hearts and do some housekeeping of a cleansing and repentant nature so that we can see with clear eyes to assist our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

 

There are times to share your faith but there are times when your audience will not be worthy of the pearls of knowledge that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you. Times when the wisdom of God would be so rejected as to be metaphorically trampled underfoot.

 

Ask, and It Will Be Given

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

 

Here Jesus tells us to pray earnestly and to spend time in prayer. Ask God specifically for your needs and tell Him what you seek and He will see that you find it. Knock and He will open the wisdom of heaven to you. Be determined, be diligent to pursue the things you need from God. For God is our heavenly Father and just as we know how to give good gifts to our children and will not give bad or dangerous gifts neither will God give us bad gifts. In fact, God will give us much more wonderful gifts and things that will help us in every aspect of our Christian life and walk.

 

The Golden Rule

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

 

Jesus starts this short passage with the commandment "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" This commandment fits with another well-known scripture "Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is the Law of the Prophets and Jesus came to fulfill the Law.

 

There are two gates in the this world in which we live. One is wide and the path to it is wide and easy and those who make their way to perdition are many. Just follow your fallen nature and listen to the lies of the devil and the path of least resistance will carry you straight through the wide gate on the road to hell.

 

Narrow is the second gate and the road that leads to it is steep, rough, difficult and sometimes near impossible to negotiate.  Few find it and those who do are the children of God. You have to really love God and follow Him closely to enter by the narrow gate. It means fighting the fallen nature. It means believing on Jesus Christ unto eternal life and being baptized into His death and coming out of the waters into His resurrection and to the newness of life. It means being sanctified by Holy Spirit and finally being resurrected perfect, and holy, into the Kingdom of God.

 

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

 

In this passage Jesus warns of false prophets who come to deceive you. Usually, they come seeming  to be shepherds of the flock. Pastors of the children of God. False prophets though have false teachings and lead the flock away from God and from the word of God. In our time there have been cult leaders who have led their flocks even to death and many who have established Churches based on false teaching just as in earlier church periods entire libraries of false doctrine have included into the wisdom of the Church which impact us to this day.

 

Jesus says here that we can recognize these false prophets by their fruit. If they seem to be focused on wealth rather than the betterment of the Church for God's will. If they have the wrong attitudes to those who question their motives or if they tend to accumulate beautiful things and to gather beautiful women around themselves. If they don't stand when their witness and testimony are compared to the word of God. Anything that counts as fruit can be assessed to see whether it is from God and of the Holy Spirit, or is it from the world and the devil.

 

Jesus tells us that those trees which don't bare good fruit will be cut down and burned. Thus they can be recognised by their fruit.

 

I Never Knew You

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

 

Jesus warns here that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven requires obedience to the will of God. It requires that you believe on Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and genuine repentance as the Holy Spirit sanctifies your heart. Some people will attempt a form of token worship and not commit to the narrow way. You cannot continue in your sins as you walk with the Savior. Repentance is a prerequisite.

 

On the last day if you are not genuinely converted then Jesus will tell you "I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness."

 

Build Your House on the Rock

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

 

A wise man ensures that the house he is about to build is built on the rock whereas the foolish man builds his house upon the sand. When the rains come and there are floods the house built on the rock stands fast whereas the house built on the sand is undermined and swept away in a great catastrophe. Thus, those who build their house upon the rock are those who listen to the wise council of Jesus in the word of God and who listen to the Holy Spirit in their hearts. They have eternal life. Those who build their houses on the sand are those who turn their backs on God and refuse to listen to His wise council from the bible. They lose everything including their souls and the second death is theirs for eternity.

 

The Authority of Jesus

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

 

The people who came to listen to Jesus began to realize that they were in the presence of a Prophet of God and started to see that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah, the Son of God and their deliverer.

 

From <https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/mat/7/1/s_936001>