Feed My Sheep

Jesus said, "Feed My sheep". He did NOT say, "Hang out with other sheep wearing bright white coats and look away from those sheep with muddy coats, who looked like they had been somewhere they shouldn't have gone.: All members of His flock are valuable to Him, although not all are identical in knowledge or experience. What He did say was that we grow as we nourish and teach the young lambs who are just learning how to walk. 

He said a rope of three strands woven together is superior in strength; as unity strengthens a family or group. Unity does not mean identical; indeed each strand may have some unique difference in his experience, knowledge. Some may be stronger, some more flexible, some more durable, yet each unique attribute strengthens the group.

We have more than enough enemies in this world around us. Indeed, they now show a new strength in their unity to destroy us. The tale of a wolf in sheep's clothing tells me to expect to find one sitting in a pew nearby, sowing the serpent's seed, right next to a lamb. This babe in Christ, watches the behavior of older sheep, more experienced in hearing the Shepherd's firm, quiet voice, more confident in their walk following their Master. The innocent babe desires and needs this training, and only God knows, but the wolf could possibly hear God's Truth and some leopards do change their spots. 

Discerning needy lambs from goats (or hungry wolves) is not for me, but for my Shepherd. If we can't approach others freely,  with love, we don't need a wolf to sow discord. Sharing our walk, encouraging one another, rescuing lost sheep is our job. Feeding His sheep blesses us as well.

Far too long, I was reluctant to speak out and expose my pitiful knowledge of the Scripture, believing I had nothing to offer. Years of growing, during everything He carried me through, enable me, encourage me, to boldly share from my experience. I know I have far to go to reach my goal, but looking back, I can see growth and changes I would never have believed possible. This river is moving!  No more a stagnant pool hoarding gifts from God's bounty as if He could run short.

Evangelism Explosion, a training program which enables a layman learn to effectively share his faith gave me freedom from failure. If the listener refuses what I offer, he isn't refusing me, but Christ.  

There will always be many who know the Bible far better than I do. but in this world, there will always be younger saints with many questions, lost sheep without a shepherd, who do not yet know they are lost.  As I benefitted in hearing how others navigated their way through some of my same problems,, I gained confidence in sharing my own experiences to encourage others who cross my path.

A stream, or stagnant pool? As we share, God replenishes us daily and blesses both the speaker and listener. God will provide a listener for every speaker who needs to share:  a speaker for every searcher.

We need each other now, perhaps more than any generation before. A basic truth: We must hang together or we are doomed to be hanged alone.  We each were created, purposely assigned for this day in history, assigned to walk this road surrounded by deep muddy ditches. Praise  Jesus for keeping us on the right road and holding our hands as we reach a particularly rough patch of rocky road.

evangelism Explosion 

The Loneliness Of Separation

"This hurts me more than it does you."  Have you said those words to a child you love? Do you remember hearing them from your own parent? It's a painful memory, either way.

I remember hearing them from my mother at about 4 or 5 years of age, with dread in my heart. The worst was not a couple of half-hearted swipes received. It was that cold feeling of separation, perhaps the warm feeling of being loved was lost forever.  I remember the terrible desolation as she walked away. Sobbing, I would follow her, crying, assuring her I loved her, holding my breath until she picked me up and hugged me and said she loved me. Only then would my world be okay.

I was just beginning to understand my freedom to entertain myself had limits/ When I did something I knew was wrong, there would be a reminder. I thank God for her teaching me the way this world works. Even as an adult, there would always be penalties or rewards, sooner or later. I needed to learn to avoid those tempting things displeasing to her, and later, to God. 

The difference is that as adults, after we ignore His warnings of dangerous places or behaviors, God often waits patiently while we dig ourselves such a deep hole we can't get out without His help.  And when all else fails, we repent, promising we have learned that lesson.  He will forgive us, knowing we mean well but also knowing that more enticing temptations wait ahead, when next we stumble into another of Satan's traps. Like any teacher, He will allow tests occasionally to help us to see how well we do at avoiding that loss of companionship with our Heavenly Father.

Remember the parental warning you never believed as a child?  "This hurts me more than it does you"  

Remember the coldness of your separation from your Father until your close relationship is resolved?

Remember the cross where He suffered the penalty you earned?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.                                                                                         Romans 3:23

HUMAN NATURE

I've lived a long time and have a few memories almost from the beginning of my time. I have realized that many people perhaps remember nothing of their early years and my flashes and glimpses of the tiny me must surely have some permanent value and perhaps I finally have discerned their purpose.

flash!   I was standing at the window, stretching to see outside, yearning to see the passing fire truck screaming past our house on its way to some unknown, exciting destination and I wanted to go too. Anger at being confined inside, perhaps also, as Mother explained a few years later, after I questioned her--possibly due to resentment or self-pity at being denied further bottle feedings, hungry but defiantly refusing to drink milk from a hateful cup.

flash!   I was crying over my skinned nose, after falling yet again as I sneaked next door to try again  to climb up into our neighbor's big porch swing. When Mrs. Cook or Mama found me screaming and rescued me, she reminded me I had been told to wait for grown-up help to lift ne up  so it wouldn't topple over backward, dropping me face-first  into a nose dive. But I thought surely this time----

flash!   I was in the front yard alone, with a new goal. Half a block away on Vickery Boulevard there was a street car! Mama and I must have ridden it before--I don't remember, but I knew it would be exciting.  Toddling to the sidewalk in my high top black patent leather Roman sandals buckled up to my ankles, I faced a formidable foe: the giant red ant nest straddled the sidewalk I must get past that on my way to adventure.  Quandary: Whether to run very fast on my wobbly legs before the little warriors  swarmed up my legs  or to tiptoe quietly, slowly past so they wouldn't be angry and sting me. I opted for the stealth approach and became frozen in fear and pain as they began to attack, which alerted Mama to run to the rescue, again. If not for those pesky pests, I surely would have gotten to the bigger street where the street car waited--or the heavy traffic there. Foiled again, but maybe next time-----

Common factor of these memories? I knew I was doing something wrong because my mother had told me not to do those things. Even if I didn't know why it was wrong, I knew by age two not to do them. Just in case you doubted what the Bible said about our inherited sin nature and still believe the fashionable fable about natural man reaching for the stars, always moving upward toward perfection--which they somehow expect to happen despite the  daily headlines to the contrary. Come on now! With all the unstoppable evil around us in this world?  Really?

Our Father often needs to get our attention quickly lest we fall into some danger or destructive behavior. He promises we will understand later (or much later) and will be grateful for His restraining hand. And since we've been adopted, redeemed, into His Holy Family and have become Children of the King of All There Is, how can we disregard His guidance?

            For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall be like Him, as He is.     1 John 3:23

Master Mind

 Whatever you do, don't think of a purple  hippopotamus. Nope, not likely. He's right there in living color, big as life.      

You have just learned a Priority One lesson, the gateway to understanding a Law of the Universe. which can change your life forever. and that's the truth.

No  two  different objects can ever occupy the same space at the same time.

"Well, duh!" you say, " "That's obvious to a first grader, so what?"  But-----wait!  There's more.

You know, we Jesus Followers desire, or should desire above all else,  to follow Him closely. After all, isn't that why we bear His name? Jesus Followers. But often, with the best intentions, whenever we discover an area of our lives that doesn't measure up, we tend to feel frustrated at how stubbornly it clings to us. So what do we do?  We keep a close eye on it, hoping to avoid stumbling over it again. Or NOT?

 

That brings us to another Axiom of Life that can increase our success rate, that most of us are slower to learn.

Perspective: Items seen in the rear view window may be closer than they appear. Thoughts concentrated on appear closer, bigger, more important than those held at a distance.

    Remember, you are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.        Colossians 3-:9-10

 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

  Do not conform 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   12:2

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

 

 Do not conform 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   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 

have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

 

 Do not conform 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   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 SEt your minds in thibngs VOCWM NOR ON EARTHLY THINGS, cOLOSSIANS 3:2

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is lovely,                               whatsoever is  admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think on such things.                                      Philippians 4:8

 3

 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

2

I  Do not conform 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   12:2

 Do not conform 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   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 

5

Settinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 4

 Do not conform 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 12:2

  

Keeping Score

When you were a kid, you learned on the playground that life is not fair—big kids picked on little kids because they could. They didn’t need a reason. I guess it made them feel better, recalling how it was when they were little and got picked on and now figured it was their turn to be the boss. If you were like me, you probably gritted your teeth and promised to get even with them someday, somehow.

But then, also like me, your mom probably took you to Sunday school and bought you a Bible of your own and encouraged you to read it. Passages like “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord” and “Judgment day will come for evil-doers” found their way into my heart and soothed my ruffled feelings, and I waited eagerly for my tormentors “to reap what they sowed”.

As I grew older, I occasionally ran into other adults who I figured had been that kind of bad kids, who still thought they were more important, more fun, members of the “in-crowd” who seemed to consider me and my friend out of step, a source of entertainment at our expense. They huddled in a private group, whispering and laughing if we ordinary folk passed by. A puzzling situation best ignored; other people in the workplace- (and the church) considered us normal—We may have been a few years older, not wearing the newest styles, but still?

Embarrassed and hurt, I asked God why He permitted us to be so abused and when was He going to handle this hateful treatment.

Now, I’m sure you have learned as I did, that God doesn’t feel obliged to let us enjoy His “handling the problem”, but bless His Holy Name, this time He pulled back His curtain for me to see. One of these young women fell in the office and broke her hip, had surgery and their group seemed to lose their focus. Months later, she returned to work, leaning on her cane. No longer carefree. No longer looking young.

She sought me out to tell me of the changes in her life. Doctors had replaced her hip but told her it was good for 10-15 years before needing another replacement surgery, and due to being bedfast so long, her other hip must also be replaced periodically. Now in her early 30s and no fun, her husband left to find someone else to party with. She told me she had finally understood what her mother had told her: “Sometimes God has to get us flat on our backs before we look up to Him” and her life forward was with her mother and with her God.

I was happy now. Not glad because of all she had lost, but for all she gained. And grateful that God showed me the difference in revenge and forgiveness. She found the difference in fun and peace.

Just Imagine

 History tells us that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Can you picture this? As flames approached his palace, did he feel immune from harm, with smoke circling around his head?

Imagine with me a sunlit community where one lovely house, bigger than the rest, crowned the neighborhood in its brilliant white splendor, envied by many,  and perfect in every way--except for a wisp of smoke rising into the summer sky from its chimney.

Alarmed, a neighbor called the fire department and soon they arrived in their big red truck, axes in hand, and knocked on the door. The cloud of smoke was now bigger and much darker, but the lady who opened her door seemed unaware and questioned the firemen, refusing to let him in to check. "With those boots. on my lovely carpet? You are NOT going to swarm all over my clean house, breaking things with that huge axe!  Goo away! Leave me alone."

They tried to reason with her, but she refused to listen, so they sadly left her to her delusion and retreated to the street to wait, in case the fire spread beyond her house and endangered others.

Now, imagine two people from a local church, Bible in hand, knocking on your door. You weigh your options: let them in and listen to them tell you all the things you must change in your life in the hope of some reward later? Or send them away--you're happy and enjoying your life, doing as you please?    

Still, isn't it possible they know something you don't know? Isn't it worth checking out--just in case?

Behold I stand and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

         I will come in  to him and will dine with him , and he with me.

                                                                              Revelations 3:20

Digging for Gold

 Wisdom can come from various places, sometimes surprising places. Take gold miners for example. There are a few TV shows featuring their frenzied efforts to get rich quick. One thing they learn quickly is that it doesn’t promise riches quickly (or ever); it requires a hunger, hard work, team work, perseverance, and the ability to learn from experience. 

He learns to “read” the ground, to negotiate with owners for permission to mine, bring in his faithful crew and work hard to find the treasure he seeks. Now, I can look at a green hillside beside a river and see a lovely place created by God—he visualizes a future based on successfully probing the earth for the riches below. 

I have evaluated the Bible and believe there are riches beyond measure deep inside, which I can own if I am willing to search. (Actually, my name is in the Title Book, so they belong to me whether I ever find them and hold them); Since age and infirmity limit my reach, I have enlisted a team of ministers like Dr. Jeremiah, Dr. Jeffress, and others  I meet with weekly or daily via television to direct my search for gold nuggets inside, which cannot be consumed by fire, blown away by the wind, or stolen. 

Many people live their lives, never considering any attempt to mine for gold—they believe the gold story is a fable, the work is too hard, don’t know how, don’t want to learn. There are those who believe they can succeed quickly, but fail and walk away disappointed, a few who find a few grains or a gold nugget and walk away, satisfied. 

But a hunger consumes a true treasure hunter, keeping him searching for more, knowing in his heart he will find the mother load--Father load?) of shining promises from his Creator and Savior, who loves and rewards his faithfulness.