We Are Sheep in need...

And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” John 8:29

My Brothers, my Sisters,

Sheep need the shepherd. So too, we need our Shepherd. A stubborn sheep who frequently goes off on his own, places himself in danger and is in need of discipline.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21

In a Turkish village of Gevas on July 8, 2005, one sheep walked off a cliff dropping to his death. Dazed onlookers watched more than 1,500 fellow sheep follow suit plunging to their death. Such is the foolishness of sheep. They have no regard for the fact they need a Shepherd's protection. Often they do not  want to please the Shepherd. How like us! 

Reading in John 8:29, Jesus said all that He spoke and did pleased his Father. These words called my heart to attention!! 'I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.' My immediate thought was, "I cannot speak those words!" My next thought was: Because I am a sheep! I began to ask questions. 'What is God saying?' Jesus  just told the Pharisees God was His Father and they themselves did not know God. He said they would die in their sins because they would not believe! He as much as said they did NOT please the Father. I could understand this, but I did not understand His purpose for mentioning that He always pleased the Father? I raced to this conclusion: 'Jesus always pleased God the Father being He is God the Son! Divinity. Perfect. Sovereign. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are united in a Holiness indescribable and eternally pleasing. An intimate, infinite Oneness unalterable, impenetrable and Omnipotent! How could He not 'always' be pleasing to the Father. The Holy Trinity cannot do anything unpleasing! Right? Truly a pleasant conundrum. 

I realized Jesus must be speaking of His manhood being lived in perfect obedience to His Father. He came to live the perfect life on earth to fulfill all things. No man lives a fully acceptable or perfect life because he is a sheep (a sinner). We all like sheep have gone astray each of us has turned to his own way. Jesus tasted every difficulty, trial, loss, rejection and disappointment, being tempted in all ways as we are tempted. (Yet without sin!) He carried every sin and sorrow and loss of ours as He hung on the Cross. He lived his life to be the perfect sacrifice. He lived perfectly, He died perfectly, He rose perfectly, and He ascended perfectly and will return perfectly (in His time) in great power. He will not come to be tortured and abused for He is no longer the sacrifice but He is LORD of all and He will rule and reign forever in holiness.

Just as sheep are prey for lions, God refers to our enemy as a roaring lion. Our Shepherd has sacrificed Himself to bring eternal Victory. We are distracted, directionless and defenseless sheep. Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. Christ is our only defense against those attacks on our faith. Satan wants to replace our trust and joy with discouragement and deceit. We are never told to fight the devil, only resist him. Jesus Victory over satan was complete and we are to receive it from the Holy Spirit, not try and produce it.  As we drink from His word we are strengthened to stand strong in the LORD and in the power of His might, just as Daniel became prey when thrown in the lion pit to face a terrible hungry foe. 

This scripture fed me this week setting my feet to dance in delight, hands raised high! I could live for weeks just off the verbs and adjectives that describe our God, who is the same today as then. Let these words melt into your being, increasing your love for our amazing Shepherd who laid down His life for us.

For He is the living God and enduring forever,
And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,
And His dominion will be forever.  “He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:26-27

Are you dancing?

God, You are everything to me. I have no other possession, O my eternal inheritance! What I long for is not earthly consolations, pleasant feelings inside, brilliant enlightenment, or even extraordinary  inner graces. I am not asking for any of those gifts that come from you but which are still not you yourself. I hunger and thirst for you and you alone. I want to forget myself, to lose sight of myself. nothing else matters. I love you. F.F.

The perfect Lamb of God and yet the Shepherd. The Lamb, yet the Lion on the Throne. Do you long to glorify our great God? Your responsibility is to stay near the Shepherd and to stay near you must stay humble. His responsibility is to work by His Spirit, His glory! That frees us from the hard part. Staying near requires dying to your self in a complete surrender of your will and feeding on His Word.

My Shepherd, my Savior, You who love me to distraction. Again, I am in awe of who You are! Your Word is sweeter than honey creating hunger to be near You. You know I want to love you perfectly and do not, yet You love me, You love my brothers and Sisters with abandon and ferocity. We do not understand such love, but surrender to Love that hears and holds and hides and keeps. I long to be nearer and nearer You. Work Your glory in me so it spills out on others. Change me and continue the slow process of creating the likeness of Christ in me. You who deliver and rescue and do wonders, there are many in my family who need to be rescued and delivered from deceit and pride and self-righteousness and unbelief. Send wonders to work such glory no man will be able to claim any credit, but all the glory will be Yours Lamb of God, my Good Shepherd. I love you my God-Shepherd and pray in Jesus Name. amen

Dancing in praise of Him who poured out His love at Calvary for you and me!

az

Name Above All Names

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable  in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 Dear Brothers and Sisters in our LORD Jesus, What is in a name? Moses, Obama, the Beatles? A 7yr old boy was playing with his small dog nearby a cave and decided to explore when the earth caved in on him. The dog ran barking frantically until he attracted attention and led the man back to help the boy. He was rescued none too soon. The boy's name? Abe Lincoln. What a great difference this name has meant to America. But the most life changing Name ever to be spoken is the Name of Jesus. The name of God was so reverenced that Jewish priests would not speak the name aloud. When they copied the scriptures and they came to the name of God they stopped. They went and washed themselves and changed clothes before they would even write the consonants: YWH. Two Hebrew words 'the Lord' (Yaweh) and saves, work together to create His name: Jesus. The Lord saves. Even His name carries richness of who He is and the gift we are given. How we think about God's name will determine how we live. How we use His name in thought, word and deed will affect the whole of our life. When I hear someone say carelessly, "Oh my God", it hurts me. I have determined to immediately turn and praise God in my heart. The commandment given was in relation to taking oaths, making promises and sealing it with God's name, though it also covers cursing but that was not the main issue. To break your word was to have taken His name in vain or using His name without reverence, carelessly. The commandment says we will give account of how we speak the name of God. Question: What attitude precipitates using God's name carelessly? Is it not our constant enemy pride. Also we are told we are to give account of every idol word we speak. Ouch! This causes me to pray Psalm 141:3, "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."  I am humbled and my heart quickened by the Truth God sets forth for me to live by. May I never get used to hearing the precious name of God and of His Son Jesus, used to curse or used casually. Lord show me if I am guilty of using your holy name without reverence and change me! I want to speak words of life.  Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You. Psalm 119:38 I know a woman married over 40 years who was never called by her first name, nor were there any affectionate substitutes to fill in the gap. Many years went by before she realized he was refusing to call her by name. This passive aggressive behavior was the apex of disrespect. Even remembering a person's name is showing Christ's love, for He knows each one. I was shopping at a local store which hires many who are not citizens of this country. One man had an unusual name. I asked him to say it for me. He helped me put the accent in the right place. Then he shared how co-workers mocked him by saying something similar in sound, but degrading. We talked about the meaning of his name and he smiled as I wished him a good day. I felt I had spoken words of life, touched him with Christ's love and left a door open for a further witness for he was not a Christian. I want to share something that has often helped me. It is referred to as the Three Sieves. I shake my head in wonder at how easy it is to sing praise and worship or quote God's word then in the next instance speak other words that are hurtful and negative!  I am sorry when I have not remembered to use these sieves. You may have heard this before but it is a good reminder that all of our words should pass this test! 1. Is it true?     2: Is it kind?  3. Is it necessary? When you feel yourself being drawn into a conversation that is negative or gossip, resist! Begin to thank Him for delivering you from what would not please Him because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. The humorist Will Rogers is quoted as saying: Never miss an opportunity to shut-up! Good advice. Only by God's grace will sieves keep us from grieving the Spirit of love and speaking hurtful words to those we love. We know the old sin nature, our flesh is always ready to speak its mind! Refuse it permission and reckon it dead. For it has been crucified with Christ. The three sieves are only useful for keeping wrong words from being spoken. They do not give us right words, Love can fill the cup so full of love, that nothing can come out but love. AC For when He lives through us in the power of His Spirit we will love, we cannot help but love, for He is love. Pure and Holy One, You who are to be reverenced because You are worthy and Your holiness is beyond our ability to imagine! I bow in awe of You. Keep me sensitive to what is right and good and pleasing to You. May I never be overcome with ears calloused by dullness, until I no longer hear with my ears or my heart. I lift Your name high for You are majestic and righteous. Your loving-kindness is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear You! Your Sovereignty rules over all. You are very great, clothed in splendor and majesty. You cover yourself with light as with a cloak! You stretch out the heavens like a tent. How could I comprehend You? Glory to God in the highest. Glory and amen in the sweetest Name of all, name above all names, Jesus. Hallelujah. I stand in awe of Him,

Shepherd King

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, He walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. John 10:4-5,11

Fellow Believers, fellow sheep,

Still in Psalm 23, I am being blessed as I meditate on my Shepherd. This Psalm is so rich with promise and provision for us, His sheep, provoking awe and wonder. His leading is mentioned twice in Psalm 23 and John 10. This resonates in my spirit for I need leading and am so grateful He goes ahead of me. Stinky, needy, stubborn, raggedy, I am a sheep with nothing to recommend myself to the Shepherd.

 Also, like a sheep I have no sense of direction and admit I am directionally challenged. Coming out of a rest stop to continue a road trip, I repeatedly head in the wrong direction. Wasting fuel and time while getting farther and farther from my destination. Sin in my life also keeps me from my Shepherds will. I have come to realize things in this life will not be easy and I must stop trying to make everything perfect in life while waiting for it to become easier!  

Every Christian needs to embrace that the Christian life doesn't get easier; it gets better. TD

Because God leads, He is out in front through every trial, every valley or mountain we are required to climb. In I Chronicles 14, David is attacked by Philistines. He inquires of the LORD whether he should 'go up' against them. God's hand gives victory but again they raid the valley and again David inquires of God and God goes before David! I love this.

David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” David did just as God had commanded him  I Chronicles 14:14-16

Our God is Almighty and Holy, living in unapproachable light. If suddenly we were in the Presence of His glory we would be flat out on our faces unable to look or speak or stand. Could our physical body withstand His glory? His love comforts us in His word by revealing Himself as Shepherd. Knowable. Loving! Jesus once said 'only God is good' and in John 10, He calls Himself the good Shepherd (God-Shepherd). How amazing and wondrous, our Shepherd is God Himself! The thought of how truly awesome this is and yet I thought how casually we embrace life-altering truth such as this, carried me to New Testament scripture. I began moving OT truth (from Psalm 23) and happily fitting it into New Testament verses. Wow! I saw it expand the familiar, revealing deeper truths of our precious Savior-Shepherd's character. Read the following paraphrase and consider the greatness of our God-Shepherd:

 'For the God-Shepherd so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in the God-Shepherd will not perish but have eternal life.' John 3:16

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love the God-Shepherd, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of the God-Shepherd... Romans 8:28-29

[Not in your own strength] for it is the God-Shepherd Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against the Shepherd] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves], Phil 2:13-14 amp

... we must not ask for easy things for each other. But rather pray that we shall be so gloriously energized by the mighty power of God, that we shall do all things that come to be done, without a single inward grumble, making them our pleasure because they are His good pleasure. There is no promise of ease for soldiers of the Cross. The New Testament makes it clear things are not going to be made easy. To be surprised and troubled when they are difficult is foolish and unreasonable... our trials are not worthy to be compared to what is coming.AC

Even though the Lord makes His sheep lie down, He does not force us to. Because we require direction, we need to follow the God-Shepherd closely and keep our eyes fixed on Him. He wants us close because He loves us relentlessly. He does not want our patronage, but our fellowship. Go to your Quiet with Him, to be with Him. (read the last four words once more) Do not have your Quiet just to check it off your 'to do' list, or to gain your Shepherd's acceptance and receive a gold star on God's cosmic chart. Let us seek our Shepherd King with praise, for He is God!

My Shepherd King I come. Daily I am hungry and thirsty and You alone are the Bread of Life and the Living Water. Thank You for leading me to pastures green and still waters; enable me to find rest in You. Thank You for walking slowly so I can keep up. You know I want to walk as close to You as possible. Your nearness is my good; for You know how desperately I need to have my soul restored daily. Thank You for Your Word that feeds and strengthens me and leads my spirit to the Throne where I find grace and mercy to help in time of need. I love you my God-Shepherd and pray this in Your holy Name. amen

My God-Shepherd calls me by name!

az

If you want to know how to receive Christ as Savior click on this link:  http://www.campuscrusade.com/fourlawseng.htm

Lord, Teach Me to Let Go

He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. I Tim 6:15-17 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. Revelation 22:4-6 (NIV) Dear Lovers of God's word who follow the Crucified One, the Ancient of Days,  Night. Darkness. Absence of light.  Trials are dark times as we learn letting-go lessons from the LORD, our Everlasting Day He is purest Light and lives in unapproachable light. Wow! Let this truth move your heart! The first act of God and in the first recorded words of Genesis 1:1-3. He tempers the darkness by creating light. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God, in His Sovereignty, is teaching us to ‘Let Go’ in the dark and release into His hands the painful circumstances that we want to control. Our struggle may be our weight, an unfathful spouse, job loss or health crisis, but it drains us of energy and hope. We find ourselves standing in darkness, as if the sun has set and refuses to rise and gift us with light. Only those who have been locked into such a vise understand.  I have found myself stubbornly refusing to release the trial as I frantically look for a detour around it. This mirrors the process of our being like a kernal of seed corn; we may look beautiful on the outside like the shiney yellow kernel, but so hard. The germ of life is imprisoned within the shell and cannot get free thereby producing nothing. This is the reason so many ‘serving’ the Lord, be it pastor or layman, are so unfruitful. Few are soul winners.  Where there is no Cross there is no life. mjs When the grain of corn is buried in the dank, dark, earth, (circumstances which to the kernal seem unending and hopeless) it dies. The hard exterior softens and decays in order to give nutriment to the young sprout, which would die without it. We, like the kernel, must reckon ourself dead to the flesh, the selfish “I” before the softening influence of the Holy Spirit can operate, preparing the believer to serve God. The desire to serve God and do His work is wonderful, but most are unable because of the flesh controlling of their lives.  All that is not of Christ, no matter how nice in apparance and profession, is revealed for what it is- just self. mjs Our Savior understands and reveals there is much more to serving God than being saved and active. He is the Engineer bringing circumstances to bear to bring us to the end of our self-life and make us fruit-bearing. Some who are bright and clever are fooling others as they serve in the flesh, but it will all burn up, for it is not eternal unless it is God living through us. They have everything to make them saints except crucifixion, which would create the likeness of Jesus in them. Not until we accept our trial as part of our loving Father’s plan for us; is He free to employ it in shaping and changing us. Clutching it in angry hands, refusing to let go, we will continue to struggle without relief. Letting-go is acceptance and another way to say 'I am choosing to trust God'. At this point God sends exactly the trial designed to promote our growth. Whatever trial is our antagonist, it has been designed by our loving heavenly Father to work beauty in us and fit us to the purpose for which He saved us. So let Go, accept your trial for then the trial is not wasted. Rest in the One who is creating a hunger in you for Him and a beauty in you that will make a difference in this life and the one to come. He loves you so much immeasurably. Everlasting Day, Beautiful Light, I long for the day there will no longer be night. Trials will be over. You will be thee light. Will I miss the starry sky's beauty? I think not, for as beautiful as they are... greater, much greater is Your endless glory and astounding beauty, it is beauty beyond measure. I am in awe of You, Light of the world. You have so faithfully taken me through many a night and rewarded me with Yourself. Thank You for forgiving me for all the times I clutched my trial in self-dependence and stubborness. You are my Light and salvation and as I trust You there is no place for fear to rule my life, for You who carried me safely through these many years will carry me this day. Thank You. I lift up everyone who reads this, those You love and know intimately and I pray they will bump into Your amazing love and grace at every turn until they are in awe of who You are! I long for when I will see Your face. In Jesus most holy, beautiful Light, I pray. amen They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them. You are my King and my God. Psalm 44:2-4 Thank You for how You lift up Your children Lord, az