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Wednesday, April 08, 2009

21 Days to a closer walk with Thee (Day 10)

I apologize for not doing my summary and having this up earlier. I am dealing with some computer issues and preparing for holy week activities for this week. You should continue to read the daily chapter, pray every morning and evening and writing in your journal your thoughts about the scripture. Here are the key verses for today. I will post more later on day 9 and 10. Be blessed. Q

1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
There is only one way to the father and that's through the son. Don't be fooled into thinking there is another way because their isn't. Don't listen to the world and the father of this world, the devil. Listen to God and God alone. He is our shepherd. That means he leads us, guides us, cares for us and protects us from the wolf.


9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
If you don't have verse ten highlighted, you should do it now. It clearly states the devil's agenda for our lives. Don't ever forget it when dealing with him. Jesus like a good shepherd, gave His life for us, His sheep. Just like in Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. Do you see how Jesus once again connects back to the old testament? He is showing us who He is and that He is the same God and changes not.

16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Jesus had all power in His hands. At any moment, He could have escaped and avoided death. But he willingly laid down His life, for us, His sheep. He not only laid it down, but He reclaimed it again and lives today. No one can kill Him because He is God.

24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30I and my Father are one.
No man is able to pluck us out of the hands of the Father but know we have free will and we can let go of the Father's hand. Just like the song, hold to God's unchanging hand. Some of us get caught up and like sheep, we began to wander. Before we know it, we have drifted away from our shepherd and our protection. We turn away and refuse to follow His voice. If you miss heaven and make hell, it will because of YOUR actions alone. No one else can make the choice to serve the Lord for you. You have to do it for yourself.

37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42And many believed on him there.
John did no miracles but many believed him. John believed in Christ, who performed many miracles and is still doing them through us everyday. So if they believed John, they should have believed in Christ. Thank God for those many who believed and continue to do so, including us.

Tonight, I want you to look at Psalm 23 and write out how it connects to what we have read in this chapter in your journal. Be blessed ladies. Q

1 comment:

cbean said...

Verses 4-5 and 12-13.

Jesus says in these verses that his sheep follow him because they know his voice. He goes on to say that his sheep would never follow a stranger, but would, in fact, run from a strange voice that they do not recognize. I see this as how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. If we are saved and following the Good Shepard, then we will hear when he speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. Some times we call it a "gut feeling", "something just told me", "a small still voice", and various other attempts at rationalizing the prescence of the Holy Spirit. But to hear him validates your position as a child of God. So give credit where credit is due. On the flip side, if you can never recall an instance where you have heard the voice of God, then you might need to strengthen your relationship through prayer, quiet time, and/or scripture reading because the truth of the matter is that if you don't know the voice of God, then he probably doesn't know your voice either and that's a problem. The next thing Jesus says is that as his children we should run from the stranger's voice. Run from all the worldly confirmations that separate you from the will of God in your life. A true child of God will feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when he begins to listen to the voice of a stranger. But we must stop quenching the Spirit when he tries to correct us because he loves us. Verse 12-13 tell us that the stranger does not love us, but wants us to the listen to him so that he may trick us for personal gain. He does not care about our souls, but only the prestige associated with being the "hired hand" to say what the people want to hear and not what is of God.