Why become a Shepherd?

It was the custom in the middle-east for the least man to be given charge of the flocks. The shepherd had responsibility to lead the sheep to new pastures and fresh water, defend them from predators, and find the lost ones when they strayed. However, it was a humble job because it was a dirty job.

The shepherd lived amongst the flock and slept across the doorway of the fold to keep the sheep in and the wolves out. It was filthy, smelly, and thankless work. Yet Jesus willingly declared, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14). Let’s not miss the impact of these words.

God humbled Himself and got His hands dirty working directly with errant, willful, and dumb sheep (we humans are often pretty dumb).

The shepherd lies across the doorway of the sheep pen - Jesus became the door for us. He sacrificed His life for us (the flock) so that anyone who chooses to believe in Him may enter God's fold (John 3:16).

Once inside the fold, we are provided for, sought when we wander, and protected from enemies.

Victorious Living

You want strength to defeat your enemies? Who are your enemies?
Struggling with feelings of inadequacy? read on

Waiting faith

Read and be encouraged about waiting faith in my post by the same title here.

Time to Change Direction

Finding praising God in the assembly difficult? Stop grumbling and complaining about people, circumstances and God in your private life and work.

As you discipline yourself to a life of gratitude and praise, the God of High praises will come and entrone himself on your praises and you will recognise that all things do work for your best.

Lets Call a Spade a Spade

These days we see witchcraft often portrayed as helpful, good, or neutral. This is deceptive and misleading. The Lord condemns witchcraft and sorcery of any type. Witchcraft is truly evil and unrighteous. Not just “dark” magic, but rather all magic is evil. Some believe that there is good or “white” magic, and bad or “black” or “dark” magic. Still others believe that magic is not real, and witchcraft is all a big hoax. Let me tell you, witchcraft is very real, and does work and involves demonic spirits.

The reason why some children of God are adamant that witchcraft is fake is because, such things do not work against the children of God. None of these curses, neither “white” magic nor “black” work against us is because “Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world”. We have been given authority over the spirits of darkness, not the other way around, so they can do nothing to us (except oppress or tempt us and we willfully give in).

However, even though things (spells and incantations etc) cannot prevail against the children of God, it still is very real and is practiced throughout the world. Do not associate with it in any forms.

Be of Good Courage

Courage is a gift of God's Holy Spirit. Courage means ‘strength, power'. The equivalent of the Hebrew word for courage (hazaq) means "to show oneself strong."

In Isaiah 11 we're told that the Spirit of God rests upon messiah, helping Him to do His part in the messianic kingdom.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

This word power is also translated as strength and might, derivatives of courage. The gift of fortitude or courage allows people "firmness of mind’ that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil. As a matter of fact, the gift of courage compels a Christian's will toward doing God's will here and now.

Types of Guilt

There are two types of guilt: biblical and false.

The first originates with the violation of a scriptural law. This is not a feeling but a reality: we have sinned and should repent.

The second, which includes feeling guilty after confessing a sin, is not based in truth or supported by the Word. This kind of guilt leads to doubt God's love and salvation, which paves the way for fear, insecurity, and inability to enjoy life. It can also open the door for physical symptoms like depression.

‘Jesus wept’ , Why?

Mary, Martha and the others were blinded by their perceptions to the fact that he really was "the resurrection and the life" despite all his plain words to them: "25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this? 27 She said to him, Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." (Joh 11:25-27) Obviously Martha did not believe that Jesus could resurrect her dead brother dead by four days for she said: "… I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (John 11:24) So Jesus was troubled and He groaned in the spirit, He wept.

To read the full post

To read the full reference John 11.1-44

Learn to Stay Afloat

Jesus was preaching nearby, but Peter did not care. His heart was troubled and his purse was empty. He could care less if the new teacher in town was drawing great crowds (they have nothing better to do, anyway). He had no time to stop and listen. He must wash the nets and indulge in a pity–party. Peter was sinking but soon He was floating shares. To learn How you too can succeed Click Here

To Have Hope

1 Cor 10 1-6, 11 -- For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did 11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Romans 15. 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

To read the full reference passage Click here

Why Lord, Why?

Has God called you to ministry? Have you failed ? Do you feel that God deliberately thwarts your every efforts to achieve your goals?

Lets observe Moses. In obedience to God, Moses told Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" The Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." Again and again, Moses returned and demanded freedom for his people. Again and again, Pharaoh refused. God sent plague after plague upon the Egyptians. In response, Pharaoh hardened his heart and persecuted Moses and the people of Israel. A paradox? No, God was teaching Moses and the people of Israel to persevere, to obey, and to wait upon the Lord in patient trust for God's perfect time for deliverance.

What is God teaching you? Be learnable.

Quit being a Rat

Our culture scoffs at both the Father and Jesus Christ. As believers what will be our stand? Confronted by the Philistines and mocking Goliath, David believed that someone had to wipe away from Israel the reproach caused by Goliath's insults. David determined that someone was himself. Will you like David determine that someone is yourself? Will you stand up for God’s honor like young David? Will you turn and run or stand and fight in God's name?

You don't need a sound theological understanding to combat those who would mock God. The "smooth stones" are the truths you pull out from the Bible. The battle and the outcome belong to the Lord. Ref 1 Samuel 17:1-53

FATHER

Father - it is the most beautiful name in all universe. Sure satan has done his best to twist and pervert this positional name. But it continues to be the foremost name that evokes the most passionate response in the soul of a human being. Those unfortunates who associate the name with neglect or abuse feel a void so deep that nothing, not even the love of Jesus seems to fill it to the full. But there is hope, for Jesus came to reveal God as the Father (Jn 1.18 - No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.)

Jesus revealed the Name of God as Father (Jn 17.6, 26). In this Name and all that it stood for, all disciples of Jesus were to find security (Jn 17.11,12). The Holy Spirit continues to reveal the Father to all who would follow Jesus and seek to know the Father.

There is no love like the Love of God as Father that can keep you going. Secure in His fatherly love we get the courage to face the world and all that it can throw at you. However, this is revelation knowledge that must quicken within each individual.

I spent years as a child of God who knew not her Father! I loved Jesus, and depended on the Holy Spirit for everything I could think of. Nevertheless, the Father continued to be a veiled figure. Occasional glimpses tantalized but I continued complacently with my love affair with Jesus. People who loved and spoke of the Father with an intense passion crossed my path far too often to be ignored. Finally one day it penetrated my hard coconut that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were in the business of revealing the Father to the children. Mal 4.6 As the desire to know the Father and His love began to grow within me He began to reveal Himself to me slowly but persistently. And I started to grasp the meaning of the verse that says that God the Father so loved the world (me) that he gave his one and only Son…. so that I may have eternal life(be with Him forever) Jn 3.16

Words are inadequate to describe the manner of Love the Father has for me. He patiently teaches me of the depth and width of His Love. He is gentle as only a Father can be.

Be not content with the love of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Go for the full measure. Get to know your Father. Ask and He shall repond. Seek, He desires to be found. Knock and He will open the floodgates of Love upon you, and you will be swept away.

Beloved, the Father beckons you.

Yoke of Grace

Are you living under condemnation? If you are, Jesus says, "Come to me . . . and I will give you rest."

In a sense, this is what Jesus is saying: "Why don't we do this . . . why don't we take that heavy yoke of guilt that you're carrying, take it off and put it down over here. Instead, let me put on you my light yoke of grace. Get rid of the guilt and let's replace it with grace. You see how much better this fits; how much more comfortable it is?"

"Take off this yoke of perfectionism, where you're always trying to prove yourself and toss it over to be burned. Put on the yoke of God’s plan for your life; his purpose.When you do that, your confidence will soar. "

No Investment. Cent Percent Profit

Jesus came proclaiming, “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because [God] has anointed Me …………….. to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],..” Luke 4.18

Israelites were no strangers to burdens and yokes that weighed them down. Often God came to their rescue when they cried out for relief, but their obstinate ways of turning to other gods brought more trouble upon their neck. So God made a promise through Isaiah of a day that will come when the yoke of burden shall be permanently lifted off their back.

Isaiah 10.27 reads, “..it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. (KJV)

The Israelites were bound by strict Laws concerning every aspect of their life. And in addition to the various oppressors, including the Romans, they were further burdened by their own religious leaders (Pharisees) Luke 11.46 The people were weary of trying to please God, under the law. Jesus compassionately calls out to such people to come to him and find rest for their souls. He urges them to come and exchange their yoke for his light one. Matt 11.28-30 The yoke is a symbol of partnership – whether in marriage or in business. 2 Cor 6.14 Jesus invites us to a partnership with Him where He supplies the capital and we get the profit!

Lend not your shoulder to any yokes.

My Yoke is Easy

A Peek into the Garden

Open your Bible to Romans 7 and read it slowly. Here Paul is addressing those ‘who know the law” (verse 1). Verse 7 says, “I would not have known what sin was except through the law”. Paul continues, “through the commandment sin became utterly sinful” verse 13.

When God placed Adam and Eve in the Eden Garden, He told them not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In other words, God did not intend man to live by a rule book of ‘good and evil’, avoiding all that was evil and doing all that was good. God intended man to live by the Tree of Life – the Holy Spirit who would tell them what was pleasing to God and what was not. To live by the knowledge of good and evil is to live by the law. This would bring us into bondage.

It was never God’s intention that man should live by rule and regulations. The law was not given to man to lead man to life, but rather to show man’s impotency and to test his honesty. Therefore, after Jesus came, the Law was set aside and a new covenant was ushered in. it is written, “you …. died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to him who was raised from the dead, ……………..and have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. Romans 7.4-6 (ref Ezekiel 36:25-27, Romans 2:28-29)

For further reading and study: Romans 7-8, and Galatians 3-5