Enter the Door

 John 10:9
I am the door: by me if any man enters, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

There are many who will claim that there is more than one way to have eternal life, to have life more abundantly. Religions throughout history have pointed people to a way of life that will bring peace and life. Jesus says that all these religions are false, and are like thieves and robbers, deceiving people to follow them. To the Pharisees, He tells them that He alone is the true way to God. Following all of their forms and rituals will not bring fullness of life. Christ is the only gate (door) that a sheep can use to find pasture to feed and live life to the full. Those who listen to His voice and respond to His calling will be saved. There are many voices out in the world that call, and Satan will do all he can to lead the sheep to follow him, but those that heed God’s word, listen to what God has to say and follow it, will find that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and Life. Don’t be fooled by those who say there is more than one way. They have been deceived and the devil uses them to destroy life. They are out to steal and rob your soul. Follow the voice of Jesus, heed His calling and enter the door that leads to green pasture.

Bleeding of the Sheep

1 Samuel 15:14  
And Samuel said, What meaning then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

Doing good deeds to cover up sin will not work. Saul was given direct instructions to destroy the enemy and all they possessed. His ambition to save the best for himself backed fired on him.  He thought he fooled God and got away with his actions by justifying his actions by saying he was doing it to honor God. Good intentions are not good if they go against the commandments of the Lord. Giving offerings to the church or some charitable organization does not do away with committing sin. Eternity is not determine by the balance of good deeds out weighing evil deeds. When God speaks, it is best to trust and obey. The word of God makes it clear that the only way to eternal life is through Christ. Seeking the approbation of God by any other means is futile. Walk in the light, follow Christ, and obey His voice, and the bleating of the sheep will have eternal benefits.

The Good Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:12, 16  As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep…I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick:

All we like sheep have gone astray. The good Shepherd seeks out the sheep to gather them under His protection. The sheep are so easily lead away by other shepherds that don’t really care about the well being of their sheep. Satan tempts the sheep by showing greener pastures, but fails to reveal that there are wolves that linger near by.  Sin is enticing and gratifies and bring temporary pleasure to the flesh, but the end always ends up in destruction. The Good Shepherd in love and mercy will seeks out the lost, the broken in heart, those that have been trapped by sin’s allure. Let us hear the call of the Good Shepherd and let Him bind us and make us whole again.

The Sheep and Goats

Matt. 25: 40 …Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

What separates the goats from the sheep? The goats put themselves 1st before anyone else. They will do it their way, no matter who it hurts or how it is done. They have little regard to the needs of others because they are engross with their own needs. They have not humbled themselves at the feet of Jesus and allowed Christ to become Lord of their lives. The sheep see humanity through the eyes of God. Helpless and needy. Their righteous exceeds that of the pharisee, their hearts live to please God in everything they do. They treat people with kindness and understanding, going the second mile without expecting compensation. These are the sheep who follow the shepherd. They will hear the call at the day of judgment, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

I Am The Door

John 10:9 “I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”-

To enter into the Kingdom of God one must pass through the door. Heaven’s gates are open only to those who have right of passage. Many will attempt to find their way to God through some other way. They will claim that the way to eternal life and peace is to be a good person and treat people with respect, others will say that as long as you are sincere in your worship to a god, you will be allowed to enter into heaven. Those who don’t want to offend anyone, will say that their are many ways to God and that Jesus is not the only way. There are those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but require that getting through the doors of heaven one must follow all the rules of the church, rules that were man written. Jesus is the only Shepherd that stands at the door of heaven’s gate and all who desire to enter into the shepherd fold must do so through Christ. For those who enter, they listen to the voice of the shepherd and desire to obey His word. It is a witness of God  that the sheep know their shepherd because they hear His voice and follow. All who refuse to listen and follow do not belong to the Shepherd. They are pretenders and they will be revealed as the black sheep in the day of judgment.

On His Shoulders

Luke 15: “And when he hath found it, he layeth it on His shoulders, rejoicing.”-

 Often when am in a large crowd where there are thousands of people, I ask myself, “Does God really care about every single person on this earth?” History has recorded tens of millions of people have come and gone from this world, and to think that God took interest in each one of them. Humanity born into this world lost in sin are like sheep who have gone astray to do their own thing. Christ came to seek all who are lost in sin, to bring them into the kingdom of God. It matters not who you are or how insignificant you may feel, Jesus cares about your life and the problems you face. He desires to pick you up and carry you on His shoulders and bring you safely home. 

There are times as Christians that we need Jesus to take special notice of our situation, and we may wonder if this is just “life” and like everyone else we need to deal with it. We start to look at our circumstances and wonder how we will find our way out. Everyone has problems, and what makes us so special that God will take the time to rescue us. But, Jesus who is omnipresent and all knowing reaches down into our little world and carries us on His shoulders. On His shoulders, we can rejoice that He loves and cares for us individually and knows exactly what we need. Yes, it may seem at times that we are all alone and no one around to help, but I’m so glad we serve a God who take special note of our needs and He rejoices when we call on Him for help. Thank God, He carries us on His shoulders.