Sheep Food

  How does one even truly know? I mean…is it possible to just know…that you know…that you know…you are ‘inside the ark’, or ‘In Christ?” Let’s be honest…anyone can say the words that they are ‘in Christ’ or verbally affirm they are ‘abiding’ in Him. But just because you say it is so does not always mean it is so, correct?   I remember years ago when the ‘Word-Faith-Healing’ movement was in full gear. Much emphasis was placed on our ‘believing and confessing’. And while there is good to be said about believing and confessing, some things can be taken to extremes. For example, a person who was visibly ill or afflicted might come down to the front of a church altar to be prayed over, even anointed with oil for a physical healing. Many would be instructed to get ‘filled up with the word’ and say it and confess it over and over. I can remember people being rebuked for even verbalizing something contrary to what they had been prayed over for. It was as if they ‘undid’ the prayer and

  “My sheep…hear my voice…and I know them…and they follow Me.” - Jesus (John 10:27)   As I typed those words out just now, I found myself shaking my head and asking…”how many times have we read that verse…are familiar with it and yet…so totally miss out on all that is packed in that one line?”   Do yourself a favor…and go read that again right now…   “My sheep…”   You do realize that not everyone out there whom you see, know, interact with, run into and even attend church with…are ‘God’s sheep’, yes?   Jesus sounded very specific here…when He said...’My sheep’.   I mean, if we want to get technical here…not everyone are ‘sheep’, period. There are a few goats running around the mix as well. I’ve shot a few ag events over the years where kids raise and then show them in competition…everything from rabbits to steer. Now I am not a ‘farm/ag’ guy and was never raised in that environment, but I do know the difference between a rabbit and a steer. I’m also pretty good about spotting a pi

  I came across a short video clip the other day where a widely popular TV preacher made this emphatic statement: “I’m absolutely convinced that 99.9% of all people are good and have good hearts.”   Sigh...to each their own. Believe what you want to believe...preach what you want to preach. I am not even going to take that one on. I mean...where do you even get ‘data’ to come up with a percentage number like that? Another Sigh....   IF there was any remote possibility of that statement being true, I really cannot see why there would have been a need for Jesus to even come and ‘save’ us and in the dramatic and costly manner in which He did. (Which is what He came to do- John 3:17)   All I can do is share with you in a spirit of love...and tell you what the bible has to say and you can do with that whatever you please.   As I stated yesterday, ...the ‘heart of this issue’ of all this with God and sending Jesus is...we have a heart problem. A big one. And according to the data I re

  The roller-coaster of disappointment continues. (The picture I posted should explain)  I simply share that with you here as several have inquired hoping to hear back from me that the kids and grandkids all finally arrived, and the hope for those asking is to hear we are basking in all the delayed joy and love we have been looking forward to doing now for a long time.   You probably have heard in the news that while all the airlines have struggled this past week, one in particular is having an end-of-the-year meltdown of a nightmare. One, you can rightly conclude now, is a nightmare that has included my family.   But this post is not about my disappointment or seeking comforting words to make me feel better, nor is it to vent whatever frustrations or anger I may have over this week not going the way I had planned and hoped for. This simply has been another lesson in the mandatory class of ‘Life 101’ that we all take. I never did like this class nor did I ever do that great in this c

  “Hey....whatever happened to ‘Ole-So and So’...?”   I’m guessing we’ve all asked that question on more than one occasion in the past, have we not?   In fact, I would not be surprised if you heard that inquiry made over this past week while getting together and visiting with family and friends whom you have not been with for a while. It’s a common question that comes up when folks gather and riminess about old times. Granted, social media usually is a quick resource to track folks down that you had not thought of recently. A quick ‘search’ on FB or Google usually provides some up to date answers rather quickly.   But have you ever wondered if that question will arise some day in heaven? I am inclined to think not for two reasons. (I can’t say that I spend much time thinking about ‘heaven’ and life after here, given I believe I already found ‘eternal life’.)   We do tend to think of eternal life as this ‘reward’ that awaits ‘good people’ when they die; but there is this matter of ‘wa

  Merry Christmas.   I won’t lie...when I went to bed last night, my heart was not feeling very ‘merry’.   There is only one word that comes to mind to describe what I felt I was being swallowed up by, and that would be ‘disappointment’.   The past 48 hours have been a tad brutal on the hearts of my family. As most are aware, the winter storm that came and crashed the party this week wreaked havoc on travel plans, which also meant disrupting Christmas plans for who knows how many thousands of people.   Last count I heard, between 10-12 thousand flights were cancelled this past several days due to weather and staffing challenges.   All three of our daughters were among those cancelations.   Yeah...once again....I won’t lie. The weight of disappointment has been quite heavy here. It has been years since we were all together at our home for a Christmas. This year, was going to be extra special with the twin grandsons being a part of the mix. IFKYK.   We went all out on decorations th

  Imagine being well versed in scripture...and feeling like you have a pretty solid understanding of what the bible teaches and then ...be told by Jesus Himself: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matt. 22:29)   Yeah....there was a group of Sadducees, one of the religious sects of that day, who were often trying to undermine Jesus with their ‘theological traps”. In this particular exchange, they wanted to present a possible scenario having to do with a married man who died having no children, and so his brother married the wife and then he died...and so on...with seven brothers in all going through this. Seems to me that after the third death...the other brothers would have been a tad hesitant to marry this woman.   Isn’t it interesting...that tendency to want to dream up these ‘what if’ cases when we hear scripture that doesn’t fit with our particular brand of theology. It’s as if we feel a need to ‘shoot it down’ or discredit it. This is nothin

  “Good news...for All people”.   That was the message the angels delivered to the shepherds that night announcing the birth of Christ in the City of David, a.k.a. Bethlehem. (You might read my post from yesterday first if you missed it. I have some ‘bad news’ to deliver here today)   I was making the case in my post yesterday that it is hard to truly appreciate and grasp why news is ‘good news’ without first hearing and understanding the ‘bad news’.    But for all the possible words those angels could have delivered that night to the shepherds, they wanted them clearly to know...what they were proclaiming was ‘good news for ALL people”. (Luke 2:10)   Christ, the Savior of all the world, had been born.   Nine months previously, Joseph, Mary’s soon to be husband, had also been brought ‘into the loop’ being informed that Mary was with child and that God was in the middle of all this and that “His name would be called Jesus and that He would save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21

  There are so many little details woven through the well-known ‘Christmas story’ that can get lost on us so easily. Don’t misunderstand me...there is nothing wrong with just taking in the ‘big picture’ and having a true, heart-felt appreciation for it all without having to break it down and analyze every detail. But...there is one particular line that does stand out to me that I feel compelled to share with any of you reading here today.   Who of us can still hear Linus’s voice etched in our memory banks as he shares the passage from the Gospel of Luke standing on that huge stage in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.   “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields...keeping watch over their flock by night.   And behold, and angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid.   Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all peopl