December_31

SHARING BREAD

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:27-28 (NIV)

Hear and heed – listen and follow – harken and obey- the true sheep of the great Shepherd are indeed called by grace and enabled by grace demonstrating they belong in His pasture.  Those who are deaf to His voice are not of His flock.  Jesus’ Word of command has and always will be “Follow Me” – in vain do we listen to His voice if we do not follow Him.    The Shepherd’s true sheep discern and delight and do according to His leading:

“Grace begins the work:  they, through grace, obey His calling, and willingly do as He bids them.  The ears of unconverted people are deaf to Christ’s call, but true Christians hear and obey.”   J. C. Ryle

This would not have been a novel thought to the hearers in Jesus’ day.  Moses spoke clearly regarding the need to listen and follow.  We find the following Truth in Deuteronomy:

¹⁹ This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Deut 30:19-20 (NIV)

The prophet Isaiah also tells us we can be certain to hear if we are listening for the gentle whisper of His voice:

²¹ Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”   Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

 

We would all do well to heed the heavenly instructions given to Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration:

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”   Mark 9:7 (NIV)

Interestingly, Jesus’ mother gave us a wonderful piece of advice to follow as well through her instructions to the servants at the wedding feast Jesus attended:

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”   John 2:5 (NIV)

Our Lord states also in our verses for today that He knows who are His.  He is fully aware and familiar with all His sheep.  Paul writes to Timothy the following Truth regarding this stating also our responsibility in making every effort to turn from evil:

¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”   2 Tim 2:19 (NIV)

 

“Neglect, indifference, forgetfulness, ignorance, are all impossible to God.  He knows everything; He cares about everything; and He loves us!  Surely this is enough for a ‘fullness of joy’ beyond the power of words to express.”   Hannah Whitall Smith

In our rich and full and instructive verses for today we find great eternal Truths.  True sheep hear their Shepherd’s voice, follow their Shepherd’s leading and are eternally safe in their Shepherd’s care – He will not lose one – not even one.  True sheep will never be kept from eternal happiness with their Savior:

³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”   John 6:39-40 (NIV)

 

I love it that Scripture compares us to sheep.  Like the animal, we are helpless and often not very smart with our choices!  Sheep, like us, are dependent upon their shepherd.  Even at our best, as sheep, we tend to go astray, and are foolish and weak.  However, there is one interesting characteristic of sheep that remains superior to other animals – and of which we are promised as believers as well – sheep have a unique ability to discern the voice of their shepherd and will follow no other – seeking help and solace from him alone.  The sheep depend solely and wholly on the help of their shepherd for their care – in finding pasture, in healing and in guarding against savage wolves.   So too, we as God’s sheep are to depend solely and wholly on our Great Shepherd’s care – discerning His voice and following His ways.  

Lastly, our Savior tells us that those who hear His voice and follow Him are assured of never perishing but having eternal life.  It is His sheep alone that never perish and live eternally with Him.  The one who lives wickedly in habitual sin yet all the while claiming they shall never perish is a miserable self-deceiver.  Yet the humble penitent believer who puts his trust in Jesus may rest in this glorious and comfortable Truth that no matter how much Satan tries to snatch we remain safe in the hands of our Lord – our souls never to be lost though everything else may perish.  Our soul’s safety lies within the fact that it rests in His hands – it is in His securely holding us, not in our holding Him.    

What I glean from this:

•   As Jesus’ sheep, I am to hear and heed His voice.
•   I am to do what Jesus tells me.
•   I am dependent on my Shepherd.

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December_29

SHARING BREAD

²² Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. ²⁴ The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

John 10:22-26 (NIV)

Many times when wanting to know God’s will for a specific circumstance in my life, I have bluntly blurted out my wish for God to send me a letter or an e-mail designating exactly which direction He desired for me to go.  I am ignorant enough (and perhaps overly zealous) to believe that I would be totally obedient to this form of His revealed will.  How foolish of heart I am – like I am able to walk in total obedience to His revealed will now which I gingerly hold in my hand – The Bible????  (That statement rightly reeks of sarcasm!).  Scripture tells us of Scripture:

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Tim 3:16-17 (NIV)

 

“It is not for us to teach God how he should teach us, but to be thankful for divine revelation as we have it.”   Matthew Henry

 

“The doleful reality is that very few human beings really do concretely desire to hear what God has to say to them.  This is shown by how rarely we listen for his voice when we are not in trouble or when we are not being faced with a decision that we do not know how to handle.   People who understand and warmly desire to hear God’s voice will, by contrast, want to hear it when life is uneventful just as much as they want to hear it when they are facing trouble or big decisions.  This is a test that we should all apply to ourselves as we go in search of God’s word:  do we seek it only under uncomfortable circumstances?…..That we lack the desire to receive God’s word merely for what it is, just because we believe it is the best way to live, is also shown by a disregard of the plain directives in the Scriptures….   It is not wise to disregard these plain directives and then expect to hear a special message from God when we want it…..Anyone who rejects the general counsels of Scripture is in fact planning not to be guided by God and cannot then rely on being able to be delivered from their difficulties by obtaining God’s input on particular occasions.”     Dallas Willard    

Sadly, I appear to be no different from those Jewish hearers of Jesus’ Words in our verses for today.  Human nature never seems to change does it?  Jesus had already been abundantly clear – crystal clear – yet, His hearers desired more.  There was sufficient evidence that our Lord was the Christ yet they proclaim:  “Tell us plainly!”  “Don’t keep us in suspense!”  Don’t you know our Lord wanted to say, “Read my lips!”  “Enough of this!” Yet Jesus responds in kindness to their ill-will tease – a tease which came under pretence of seeking truth yet in reality, only to quarrel.  They struggled with their convictions which said He was Christ and their corruptions which said He was not because Jesus was neither what they were expecting nor desiring.  How often do we find ourselves in this same dilemma?  Convicted of Truth yet searching for reasons not to believe because we simply do not want to change? 

“Nothing is more common with hardened and wicked men than to allege a want of evidence, and to pretend willingness to believe, if only more evidence was supplied.”   J. C. Ryle

The evidence that Jesus was Whom He claimed to be was certainly not obscure.  He had not healed in a closet or veiled His miraculous works with smoke.  Indeed, our Lord had been forthright in His actions and Words.  The miracles He did openly were more than sufficient proof that He was the promised Messiah.  The works He did were also both commissioned and appointed by His Father.  He came as God’s Messenger to make God known to man.  He never acted independently of God’s will, rather always in unity and harmony.  Jesus was continually confidently appealing to the evidence of the miraculous signs He performed.  These miracles were not meant so much to convert as to show forth that our Lord was from God and deserved attention – He being Whom He claimed to be.  We find the following in John reflecting this point:

³⁶ “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.”  John 5:36 (NIV)

 

Yet, as God would have it, there were some who would believe albeit baby steps of faith: 

 

³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. ³¹ Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?”   John 7:30-31 (NIV)

 

When Peter addressed the Jewish crowds in Acts following our Lord’s resurrection we find this correct response among the hearers:  

²² “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴ But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him……. ³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” ³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”    Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)   Acts 2:36-39 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

• The Bible is God’s revealed will for my life equipping me for every good work.
•  The miracles Jesus performed pointed others to His Oneness with the Father.
• Those who are His sheep believe Him and listen to Him. 

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December_27

SHARING BREAD

²¹ But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

John 10:21 (NIV)

Jesus’ miracles spoke for themselves.  These signs were given in order for the people to ponder their significance and in turn recognize Jesus’ Oneness with the Father – His deeds carrying as much weight and being as important as His Words. Words have always been relatively easy to proclaim therefore people desire proof in the pudding – “Show me the money” or “Put your money where your mouth is” is the mantra of most.   He, therefore, backed up His Words by authenticating signs and wonders proving to be Whom He claimed to be.  Over and over again we find Jesus healing the sick, raising the dead, restoring sight to the blind – doing what only God can do – things impossible for man to accomplish.  We discover the following in Matthew regarding some of Jesus’ actions while His feet walked this earth:

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.   Matt 4:23-24 (NIV)

Indeed, in speaking of His miracles Jesus proclaimed they evidenced He was and is One with the Father.  We find in the gospel of John the following Words of our Lord:

³⁷ Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. ³⁸ But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”   John 10:37-38 (NIV)

 

All these actions should have convinced His Jewish hearers that God’s hand was moving towards accomplishing His purposes and they therefore should be readying themselves through repentance and subsequent acknowledgment and trust in Jesus as the coming Messiah.  Our Lord also stated this lack of belief in the miracles He performed was a demonstration that they did not belong to Him.  We find our Lord’s Words in John: 

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.   John 10:25-26 (NIV)

 

This poses a question for us to ponder as well.  Are we readying ourselves for Jesus’ ultimate return through repentance – our turning from sin to Him – and trusting in Him as our Savior and righteousness?  It matters you know.  Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.  Jesus tells us:

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.    John 14:1-3 (NIV)

 

Peter gives us the following admonitions to “have hope” and “be holy” in light of this Truth:

¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”  1 Peter 1:13-16 (NIV)

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  2 Peter 3:14 (NIV)

 

In our verses for today we see some of the Pharisees coming to the defense of our Lord. Though the stream of unbelief ran strong, they dared to swim against it. Two things they believed could not be refuted – the excellence of His doctrine and the power of the miracles He performed – His Word and His works both giving claim to His Deity.  It seemed nonsensical to them that people would call Jesus’ Words demonic.  Satan and his companions in harm never desire to do good towards any man nor do they desire to glorify God with their words.  Jesus’ God glorifying, loving language was anything but demoniac.  Our Lord’s works spoke for themselves.  Most Jews of that day subscribed to the fact that one of the special miracles of the coming Messiah would be to open the eyes of the blind.  The prophet Isaiah prophesized this Truth:

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.   Isaiah 35:5 (NIV)

“The only Christ for whom there is a shred of evidence is a miraculous figure making stupendous claims.”     C. S. Lewis

What I glean from this:

• Jesus’ miracles spoke for themselves – they had the finger marks of God all over them.
•  Jesus’ miracles pointed to the fact that He was and is One with the Father.
• Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people therefore I am to prepare myself. 

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December_24

SHARING BREAD

¹⁹ At these words the Jews were again divided. ²⁰ Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”

John 10:19-20 (NIV)

When our Lord’s feet walked this dusty earth He certainly experienced plenty of controversy and division, not only amongst the Jews but also amongst His own family.  Several times John expresses the hostile statements of these crowds toward our Savior.  In their desperate attempt to disparage our Lord Jesus, they were forever calling Him demonically possessed or simply out of His right mind.  Their normal course of action when confronted with the Truth of Jesus was to resort to rebuking and name calling in lieu of repenting and restoration.  It was much easier for them to say He was crazy than for them to change and be made whole – it seemed to flow so naturally from their hearts by way of their lips.  John tells us:

²⁰ “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”   John 7:20 (NIV)

 

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” ⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” ⁵² At this the Jews exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death.   John 8:48-52 (NIV)

 

Not much has changed in over 2,000 years has it?  Jesus continues to be a cause for contention due to the carnal mind of man.  Human nature seems ever to remain the same – as long as a soul is without Christ we can expect dissention.  The unregenerate mind is in enmity against the amazing grace of God.  Jesus told us this Truth Himself:

⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”   Luke 12:51-53 (NIV)

 

“The popular image of Christ as ‘gentle Jesus meek and mild’ simply will not do.  To be sure, He was full of love, compassion and tenderness.  But He was also uninhibited in exposing error and denouncing hypocrisy.  Christ was a controversialist.     John Stott

Paul confirms this Truth in Romans:

⁷ the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.   Romans 8:7-8 (NIV)

Mark also gives us the following insight in his gospel regarding the schism in Jesus’ own family:

 

²¹ When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”   Mark 3:21 (NIV)

 

It seems strange indeed that the One who came preaching peace between God and man should cause such contention – the fault not found in Christ rather in His hearers.  Paul writes of this in 1 Corinthians:

 ¹⁴ The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.   1 Cor 2:14 (NIV)

We should not be surprised if we experience the same treatment – being thought of as fool or full of folly for our faith.  If they treated our Master as such we are likely to go through the same experiences – reproached by ridicule or persecution or harsh words.  Jesus warns us of this:

²⁴ “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!   Matt 10:24-25 (NIV)

 Divisiveness among hearers of the Gospel is certainly not an argument against the Truth of it – moreover it would appear as an argument for it as it was foretold by the prophet Isaiah and quoted again in 1 Peter:

¹⁴ and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.  And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.   Isaiah 8:14 (NIV)

 

⁶ For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” ⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.  But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, ⁸ and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.   1 Peter 2:6-8 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

• Jesus experienced much controversy when His feet walked upon this dusty earth.
• I should expect controversy as a follower of Jesus.
• The sinful mind is hostile towards God.

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December_22

SHARING BREAD

¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to 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 authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

John 10:17-18 (NIV)

In our verses for today Jesus clearly states His death and resurrection was voluntary and sacrificial as well as obedient to His Father’s will.  It was planned.  It had purpose.  It was pleasing to the Father.  No one took our Lord’s life from Him; He lay it down on His own accord.  The prophet Isaiah had prophesized regarding this:

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.   Isaiah 53:10-11 (NIV)

 

John gives us the following Truth in Revelation:

⁸ All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast–all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.   Rev 13:8 (NIV)

 

God is not whimsical in His dealings.  He does not say and then not act.  He is faithful to His promises and loving toward all He has made.  Clearly the decision of Christ’s death and resurrection had been made from the creation of the world and was only awaiting the “fullness of time”.  Indeed, “slain from the creation of the world” – before the stars were in place, before the grass and trees and flowers grew, before the animals and even Adam, it was set in stone – Jesus would be the sacrificial Lamb to take away the sin of the world.  God is our source of stability as He is ever faithful to His message.  He can be trusted.  Every promise of God, therefore, is “yes” in Christ Jesus:

²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. ²¹ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.   2 Cor 1:20-22 (NIV)

 

Interestingly, our verses for today could be applied to our lives in regard to our Christian walk as well.  We are called to die to self and live for Christ – to lay down our lives only to take them up again through His power.  Paul puts it this way in Galatians:

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Gal 2:20 (NIV)

“God will be our compensation for every sacrifice we have made.”   F. B. Meyer

 

We are also told in Romans:

¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.   Romans 8:10-11 (NIV)

No one forces us to lay down our lives of selfish ambitions, vain conceits and sinfulness and take them up again to live for righteousness through His power – all for Christ’s sake and glory.  When we end the enthronement of self – our self-righteous, self-centered living – we then yield the throne of our life to Another – to Christ. Willingly choosing to take off the old man and put on the new, becoming a new creation in Him.  Paul’s life shines as a perfect example of this fleshed out.   He goes from persecutor of Christ to proclaimer of His Majesty- a miraculous transformation indeed.  All of his laurels – and he had many – he willingly lay aside, considering them loss for the sake of Christ.  He lived this new life by faith which released in him the divine power to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.  Considering all that Christ had done for him (and for us all), he urges believers to this same course of action of willingly choosing to be living sacrifices.  We find his following words in Romans 12:

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.   Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

“It pleases the Father that all fullness should be in Christ; therefore, there is nothing but emptiness anywhere else.”   William Gadsby

Faith, which releases the divine power, believes God.  Faith believes God has our best interest at heart.  Faith believes God knows best.  Faith believes God loves us and that we can rest secure in that love.  Faith believes God’s will for us is good and perfect and pleasing.  Faith reaches out and grabs hold of the Life God offers that is truly Life.  

“Faith is a living and unshakeable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.”   Martin Luther

What I glean from this:

• Jesus willingly lay down His life for my sin.
•  As a believer, I no longer live but Christ lives in me through the power of His Spirit.
• I am to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

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December_20

SHARING BREAD

¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

John 10:16 (NIV)

Hallelujah for this verse indeed!  The “other sheep” Jesus mentions in our verse for today refers to the Gentiles which must be brought in to His fold and which are not of the Jewish sheep pen.  Jesus maintains that this inclusion of the Gentiles is indeed a compulsory necessity – again, Hallelujah for that!  The actual wording Jesus uses here meaning “an unavoidable, urgent, compulsory necessity”.    Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible – New Testament Lexical Aids.  The fulfillments of all God’s promises are just that – unavoidable, urgent, compulsory necessities – not one of His good promises will every fail. The prophet Isaiah had prophesized the following promise in light of our verse for today:

⁶ And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant– ⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.  Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” ⁸ The Sovereign LORD declares–he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”   Isaiah 56:6-8 (NIV)

 

Of course this was in light of fulfilling the covenant promise given by God to Abraham all the way back in Genesis:

 

³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”   Gen 12:3 (NIV)

 

Paul puts it the following way in Galatians linking Abraham and his spiritual descendants – both Jew and Gentile alike – as being made righteous through faith.  Abraham was saved by faith and so too are all of his spiritual descendants:

 

⁸ The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.   Gal 3:8-9 (NIV)

 

Peter states this revolutionary Truth clearly in Acts:

 

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. ³⁶ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.   Acts 10:34-36 (NIV)

 

This is very sweet news for Gentiles indeed!  Paul brings this point home in Ephesians by telling us just how great this sweet news is by describing our condition prior to it:

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) — ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,   Eph 2:11-14 (NIV)

 

“We came into this world wretched, miserable, and undone creatures, in cruel bondage to sin and Satan, under guilt and under wrath, hostile toward God—the fountain of blessedness—and in a state of condemnation leading to everlasting destruction. But when a man is converted, he is brought out of that state of woe and misery into a sure title to glory, honor, and peace forever. When once a man is converted, all this blessedness that we have heard of is his; he has an absolute right to it. God’s work is accomplished for it; His faithful promise is given.”   Jonathan Edwards

 

All who are believers in Christ – Jew and Gentile alike – are now in one body – being one flock – with Christ the great Shepherd as the Head – and sharers together in all the promises of Christ.  We find this confirmed in Ephesians as Paul writes:

 

⁶ This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.    Eph 3:6 (NIV)

 

Interestingly, Jesus tells us that like His Jewish believers, we as His Gentile believers will listen to His voice as well.  Isaiah tells us we will bind ourselves to Him and serve and worship Him – not neglecting the Sabbath and holding fast to His covenant.  These are all appropriate responses for those who once were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners of the promise, without hope and without God.  I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans that present us with an acceptable response to what God has done for us through Jesus:

 

¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

 

Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.”  Oswald Chambers

What I glean from this:

• None of God’s promises will ever fail – not one.   ¹⁴ “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.  Josh 23:14 (NIV)
• Jesus’ sheep will listen to His voice.
• In view of God’s mercy towards me, I am to present my body as a living sacrifice – holy and pleasing to God. 

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December_17

SHARING BREAD

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:14-15 (NIV)

Isn’t it the most wonderful thing to be known completely and yet still be loved (smile)?  With all of our flaws and fooleries, with all of our pettiness and “little” peccadilloes not to mention our selfishness and propensity to sin, it is no wonder we find it amazing that we as believers can be both fully known and totally loved by our Lord.  In our verses for today Jesus states that He is intimately acquainted with His sheep – He is completely aware of their every detail with full and complete knowledge.  He knows how we are knit together, He knows our likes and our dislikes, He knows our strengths and our weaknesses – we never take Him by surprise.  He bears patiently with our infirmities and does not cast us aside because we are erring or wayward.  Even with all this knowledge of His fallen ones, He loved us enough to lay down His life for us.  God’s love is amazing to be sure – that the God of all creation would willingly die for you and for me is certainly beyond my limited comprehension.  It is a love that passes knowledge.  Scripture gives us the following Truths regarding this:

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

 

¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.   John 15:13 (NIV)

 

“O Love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.  O light that foll’west all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day May brighter, fairer be. O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain, That morn shall tearless be. O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust life’s glory dead, And from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be.”  George Mattheson

Our verses today also show that there is to be a close personal relationship between our Savior and all of His believing people. Just as He knows us, we are to seek to know Him – ever growing in His image – He being the firstborn among many brothers.  We are to know each other well connoting affection and intimacy.  This is an important point we do not want to miss.  Do we know our Lord well?  Are we familiar with His ways, with His desires, with His longings?  While our Lord certainly knows His people, His people, on the other hand, are to know Him.  They are to maintain a loving trust and confidence that quite frankly baffles the unbelieving world – indeed, onlookers dismiss it as foolishness.  Yet wisdom is proved right by her actions.   We as believers know Jesus as our friend, observing Him through the eyes of faith and therefore are able to rest our head between our Savior’s shoulders.  Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good only whets our appetites for more and more knowledge of Him. I am reminded of Paul’s fervent passion which fueled his every move stated clearly for us in Philippians:

 

⁷ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. ¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.   Phil 3:7-14 (NIV)

 

What were we made for? To know God.  What aim should we set ourselves in life?  To know God.  What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God.  What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else?  Knowledge of God.  What, of all the states God ever sees man in, gives Him most pleasure?  Knowledge of Himself.   J.I. Packer 

 

“If you wish to know God, you must know his Word.  If you wish to perceive His power,
you must see how He works by his Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word.”  C.H. Spurgeon

“And the only way to know the God of the Word is to know the Word of God.”  Donna Evans

 

Lastly, amazingly, Jesus likens His unity with us to the unity He has with the Father.  Let that sink in for just a minute – the Father knows Jesus just as Jesus knows the Father, indeed Jesus states they are One having the exact unity of purpose.  In like manner, Jesus knows the believer just as the believer knows Jesus – the believer seeking to achieve the exact unity of purpose with the Lord through the knowledge of Him who loved us and gave His life for us.  Scripture tells us:   

 

³⁰ “I and the Father are one.”   John 10:30 (NIV)

 

⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.  1 John 2:6 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

 

• Amazingly, I am completely known and completely loved by Jesus.
• I want to know everything I can know of Christ this side of heaven.
• I am to be one in purpose with Jesus – loving what He loves and hating what He hates.

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December_15

SHARING BREAD

¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

John 10:12-13 (NIV)

It is a general rule of thumb that nobody loves a baby like their own Momma and Daddy.  We tend to be more protective, more sacrificial as well as much more long suffering with our own than someone we would perhaps hire to watch them.  How much more so the Creator of all towards His children – the One who fashioned and formed us within our mother’s womb?  We are told in Isaiah:

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  ¹⁶ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.   Isaiah 49:15-16 (NIV)

 

In our verses for today our Lord sights an example of an unfaithful shepherd – a shepherd who cares nothing for the sheep he is paid to watch.  Jesus came down the hardest in Scripture on the religious leaders of His day – who claimed to be righteous shepherds but their walk proved them differently.  They were, in fact, anything but.  White washed tombs is how our Savior described them, dead men walking around in flowing robes leading the sheep down the same path of destruction they trod.  These unfaithful men cared more for their outward pompous display and honor than cleaning the inside of their own cups.  Regarding them, Jesus states forth many woes found in the gospel of Matthew and to which we should be red flagged as well – making sure they are not descriptive terms used of us:

• They do not practice what they preach:  ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.   Matt 23:2-4 (NIV)
• They do everything for men to see and honor:  ⁵ “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’   Matt 23:5-7 (NIV)
• They shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces:  ¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Matt 23:13 (NIV)
• They are hypocrites:  ¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Matt 23:15 (NIV)
• They are blind guides, blind fools, and blind men:   ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?   Matt 23:16-19 (NIV)
• They are greedy and self-indulgent:   You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.   Matt 23:25-26 (NIV)
• They are whitewashed tombs:  You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.   Matt 23:27-28 (NIV)

“Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.”  John Bunyan

It is distressing to be sure for leaders in our churches to neither teach nor practice the Truth found in God’s Word.  All of Scripture is a “paraklesis” – an exhortation, an encouragement, a comfort profitable for teaching and correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good and profitable work.  We do ourselves a great disfavor to sit under someone who does not esteem God’s Word as Truth and seeks neither to put it into practice nor write it upon his heart what he finds written upon its pages.  Sadly, there seems to be quite a famine of God’s Word in our land.  Biblical illiteracy is rampant and we have no one to blame but the person we see looking back at us in our mirrors.  Scripture exhorts us:

 

¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.   2 Tim 2:15 (NIV)

 

“If you wish to know God, you must know his Word.  If you wish to perceive His power,
you must see how He works by his Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word.”  C.H. Spurgeon

“When God calls you to do something, He provides the strength and wisdom you need to get it done. Therefore, you can step out in faith without fear or dread.”   Michael Youssef

What I glean from this:

 

• No one loves me like Jesus.
• I do not want to be unfaithful in my walk.  I desire to put my words into practice, to seek to please God rather than man, to lead others to the Lord, to be above hypocrisy, and to not be foolish or blind, or greedy or self-indulgent.
• I am to do my best to correctly handle God’s Word. 

      

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December_13

SHARING BREAD

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

John 10:11 (NIV)

Our Jesus is the good Shepherd – the Chief of all Shepherds – none so faithful, so gentle, so loving, so skillful, so tender and kind as He.  I am reminded of the words in Isaiah chapter 40 picturing God as the compassionate Shepherd gently caring for His flock – particularly the young:

¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.   Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)

Certainly, King David’s 23^rd Psalm comes to mind as he writes of the abundant provisions of the Lord – his great Shepherd:

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.   Psalms 23:1 (NIV)

 

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.   Psalms 23:5 (NIV)

 

Indeed believer, Jesus as our Shepherd is both our abundant sufficiency and our strength – withholding no good thing for His sheep.  The psalmist proclaims:

¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. ¹² O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.   Psalms 84:11-12 (NIV)

One of the principal offices Jesus fills for every believer is this one of Shepherd.  He leads and guides and comforts and protects all the sheep of His pasture.  This title would have been particularly rich in meaning to those following our Lord in His day – His hearers understanding both the comfort and instruction the term carried.  Just like a good shepherd, Christ knows all of His children.  He is intimately familiar with each one – knowing their names and families and circumstances and trials.  He is acquainted with their history, where they live, their experiences.  Nothing is a surprise or a secret to Him.  We are ever before Him as He tenderly watches over and guides us.  Indeed, a few verses later in this same chapter Jesus tells us that no one can snatch us out of His hand:

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.   John 10:27-28 (NIV)

 

“Like a good shepherd, Christ cares tenderly for all His believing people.  He provides for all their wants in the wilderness of this world, and leads them by the right way to a city of habitation.  He bears patiently with their many weaknesses and infirmities, and does not cast them off because they are wayward, erring, sick, footsore, or lame.  He guards and protects them against all their enemies, as Jacob did the flock of Laban; and of those that the father has given Him He will be found at last to have lost none.”  J.C. Ryle 

 

I love the words in Isaiah placing the love and care of God even above a mother and the baby she has borne:

¹³ Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains!  For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. ¹⁴ But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” ¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! ¹⁶ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.   Isaiah 49:13-16 (NIV)

 

“He who counts the stars and calls them by their names is in no danger of forgetting His own children.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

Lastly we see that Jesus is eminently qualified to be our good Shepherd as He willingly laid down His life for His sheep.  Aware that nothing but His blood could save us, He offers His body on the cross for our sins.  He offers all for all.  Believers are saved forevermore because the good Shepherd has died for us.  Let His death for us not be in vain.  It will not profit us anything on the last day if we never heard His voice during our lifetime or followed Him.  Paul tells us:

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Cor 5:20-21 (NIV)

¹ As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.  2 Cor 6:1-2 (NIV)

 

“Reader, is the Lord Jesus thy Shepherd?  Has He called thee out of the wilderness?  Called thy heart from the love of sin and the world, and brought thee into His fold and pastures; brought thee into a close attendance on His ordinances?  And does He feed and refresh thy soul with His Word?  Canst thou distinguish the Shepherd’s voice from the voice of an hireling?  And does thy heart cleave to the Shepherd in faith and love; adoring His person, and approving His laws, as well as admiring His doctrines?  Then fear not; the Lord is with thee; Jesus is thy Shepherd:  thou shalt want nothing that is really good.  Follow thy Shepherd till He bring thee to glory.”    K. H. Von Bogatzky

What I glean from this:

• Jesus is my good Shepherd.
• Christ cares tenderly for all His sheep.
• No one can snatch me out of Jesus’ hand.

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December_10

SHARING BREAD

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10 (NIV)

Make no bones about it; Satan is our vicious adversary whose mode of operandi is to seek and to destroy.  If he cannot keep us from being saved, he strives to keep us from being used.  Satan is ever seeking opportunities for his savage attacks therefore we are to not be fearful rather on our guard.  While Satan is most definitely out of our league in power, he is certainly not out of God’s – Hallelujah for that! 

“Only two things have ever changed the human soul: the fall and grace, the power of Satan and the power of God.  And God is infinitely more powerful.  Nothing is stronger than grace. Satan doesn’t have any. God is defined by it.”  Larry Crabb

Peter tells us quite plainly:

⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

 

“The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground.”    Warren Wiersbe

 

“Sin is a living, breathing organism with will and intent seeking to destroy us.”  It is referred to in the Bible as crouching at our door.  It is a roaring lion infecting and controlling natural man.  It is alive and well.   Dr. Omar Hamada 

Just as God has a wonderful plan for our lives, Scripture tells us Satan also has a plan for us albeit for our destruction and death.  We can be sure that whatever God does for our good, Satan counters for our harm   God comes to bless and give to the full while Satan comes to ravage and steal.  Peter tells us to “resist” him meaning to “withstand” him which is a term of defense rather than attack.  Christians are able to stand firm against Satan only if they depend totally upon the power of Christ.  Hence, we are told to don the full armor of God so that we can take our stand against all of his flaming arrows.  Paul writes in Ephesians:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.   Eph 6:10-13 (NIV)

 

The word translated “scheme” in verse ten is from the Greek word “Methodeia” meaning:  “Method, the following or pursuing of an orderly and technical procedure in the handling of a subject.”  Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids.  In other words, our adversary is not willy-nilly in the handling of his subjects (us), he has a plan.  And while he is certainly not omniscient, he is a careful study.  He seems to target his arrows at our weakest most vulnerable areas or breaches in our walls of self-defense.  Thankfully, Satan cannot possess believers – we are sealed with the precious Holy Spirit – yet, he can so oppress us that we may at times feel possessed!  How important it is for us to fortify our weakest areas – flee rather than remain dallying with our temptations.  We are foolish indeed to give him a foothold.  Proverbs tells us:

 ²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.   Prov 25:28 (NIV)

In ancient times the power of the city rested in the strength of its walls.  In like manner, Scripture tells us the wall surrounding us is our self-control and when breached causes us to collapse.  We are to be on our constant guard against our weaknesses and avoid putting ourselves in situations that are ripe for the taking of our “apples”.  Every Christian possesses the gift of self-control by the way (albeit this gift unfortunately remains oftentimes unused) – it is a fruit of the Spirit:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal 5:22-25 (NIV) 

“Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you.”  Richard Baxter

Lastly, Jesus tells us that He has not only come to give us life but give it to the full.  No half measures will do – He has come to overflow our cups.  He is all about bestowing exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine through the power that is at work within us.  Paul tells us in Ephesians:

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.   Eph 3:20-21 (NIV)

 

“Christ came to give life and something more, something better, life with advantage.  Life in abundance is eternal life, life and much more.”   Matthew Henry

 

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.   Psalms 23:5-6 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

• Satan desires to destroy me but Jesus desires to give me life.
• I must be self-controlled and alert particularly in the areas of my weaknesses.
• Jesus came to overflow my cup.

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