Sheep Food

  It’s kind of an interesting admission on the part of Jesus that He shared there in John 16:12 with His closest followers. I’d be curious to know if you have it marked in your Bible. He told them: “I still have many things to say to you...but you cannot bear them now.” Who here likes to be teased with such ‘hidden info’ when told...”I know things but I can’t tell you now because you wouldn’t be able to handle it!”? Paul said something similar in his first letter to the Corinthians (3:1-2) when he told them that he was unable to speak to them as ‘spiritual people’ ...but as ‘babies...because they were still carnal’. He goes on...I had to feed you ‘milk, and not solid food...because you were in no place to receive it; and even now...you are still not able because you are carnal’. He then lists some examples of the carnal ‘fruit’ they were bearing, like envy and strife and petty divisions that existed among them (3). And for those who want to make this about: “Yeah, but see, they ...

  For the life of me, I cannot imagine a plausible scenario in which I found myself riding some form of public transportation out here, be it a city bus, or the subway and then out of nowhere, blurt out loud to everyone within earshot: “Hey...God talks to me!” How nutty would that be? If I was sitting in on a college level class at some public university, maybe a philosophy class or even upper level science class, and the professor randomly asked the room full of 200+ students....”So, anyone here thinks God ‘talks’ to them?”, I might be reluctant to raise my hand, for several reasons. And even when I am in the company of other likeminded ‘believers’, whether a church setting, a small group gathering, or even sharing with any of you who read here regularly, you would be hard pressed to find many instances where I am constantly stating: “Well God told me this and God told me that and then the other day God was talking to me and shared this with me...etc...etc.” There is good reason ...

  “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me...These things you should do...(put into practice) and the God of peace will be with you.” – Paul (Phil. 4:9) You might scroll back a few verses and just read a few...of those ‘things’, beginning at vs. 4, where we are admonished to ‘rejoice in the Lord...always’...and to “let your gentleness be known to all men since the Lord is at hand”...(4-5). And make note of that promise in vs. 7...if we do what is encouraged there in vs. 6: how ‘the peace of God which surpasses all understanding...will guard/keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. From what I read, hear, and even see these days...there seems to be a genuine shortage of ‘peace of mind’ that eludes so many people; and yes...that would include many who grace our church pews weekly. I know I quote Hosea 4:6 here often, that statement where God said ‘His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge...”, but have you ever read His assessment of the peo...

  Who reading here today has never been guilty of this, as Ezekiel explained it:   “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, BUT... they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.” (33:30-31) I can ‘nod my head in agreement’ and then ‘Amen’ God's word...with the best of them. But it’s the following through and actually ‘doing it’...where we always get tripped up. We know those verses, we quote those verses, we post them on sticky-notes and social media; why some even have favorite Bible verses tattooed on their bodies. But if...we simply are hearers of the word...and not ‘doers’...we fall short...and ‘deceive ourselv...

  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it multiple times...repeatedly: We’ve been asking the ‘wrong question’ if it centers around whether you, or anyone else is ‘saved’...or not. I would even go as far to say that many sincere ‘believers’ today can’t clearly articulate ‘what’...it is they are actually ‘saved’ from, which doesn’t help. I continue to make the case that the question we all should be most concerned with asking ourselves, as we examine our hearts, which we are admonished to do in 2 Cor. 13:5...is this: Are we ‘abiding’ in Jesus? Clearly, there are many wonderful things we can be doing ‘in His name’, and still NOT be abiding in Him, let alone be known by Him (Matt. 7:23; John 10:27). If you are not truly abiding in Jesus, then it is impossible for genuine lasting ‘fruit’ to be produced in you (John 15:4-5), and that in itself presents some serious ramifications for us all...whether you are ‘saved’ or not. (John 15:6; Matt. 3:8-10; 7:19-20; Luke 13:6-9) But listen to what Jo...

  It’s your first day on the job, a job that really came out of nowhere for you, but in many ways was an ‘answer to prayer’... and has the potential to be life changing for you. Call it a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ if you will...but there you are and the trajectory of your life and career are on the threshold of something really good and promising. You were told to report to your supervisor in his office first thing upon arrival in the morning, and as you enter his office, you are greeted warmly and welcomed to the ‘company’. There is the usual ‘HR’ details to be covered, insurance paperwork to be signed and filed, and then you watch as he goes to a cabinet and pulls out a brand new, most up-to-date ‘smart’ phone, a new laptop computer and case, and then sets them on the desk in front of you along with a company credit card and keys to a new company car. A tad puzzled, you look up at the smiling supervisor who is motioning for you to gather up and take what apparently is no...

  Who would argue...that in most cases, the best milk for a newborn baby is the very milk its own mother produces from her breast? No wonder Peter admonished us: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Pet. 2:1-3) I do believe that a simple fact that is lost on us at times, as ‘believers’...is that God’s word actually ‘works effectively IN...those who believe’ (1 Thess. 2:13). So...if you are not feeding on God’s word regularly and often...then little is working in you and you are going to cease from growing. Then, it’s only a matter of time before you begin to ‘drift’ away, and it can sure be subtle (Heb.2:1); trust me on that one. And if you think the abundance of man-made ‘alternative food sources’ for newborns out there is eye-opening...have you walked into a ‘Christian’ book store lately? Now I don’t mean to suggest that reading anything other than your Bible is not good for you...

  “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15-16) I’ve heard it said in the past that the three greatest temptations known to man are money, sex, and power. I can see where that makes sense and clearly ties in with the scripture reference above where God makes it known how sin entered the world, and continues to do so with us even today. (Gen.3:6) Personally speaking, I guess I can relate more to that pull that money and sex may have (lust of eyes and lust of the flesh) more so than the lust for power. I can’t say that has ever been an area, that I’m aware of, that has ever had much pull on me, so I don’t understand or relate to it as much; but clearly...it is a ‘thing’ for a lot of people. And I suppose the case could be made that the more power one has, in ...

  (Part II) At some point in time, we all need to make a choice...which kingdom is going to be preeminent in our hearts; and then pursue that kingdom wholeheartedly without looking back; and for many...this will be painfully difficult to do. Jesus was quoted, reminding us that: “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) And can we place the emphasis there on ‘whose’ kingdom it is, please? Shortly after Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, died... and then was raised from the dead by Jesus, (John 11:44)... we’re told that “many of the Jews who saw these things Jesus did... believed in Him” (45). And this created a dilemma for the ruling religious class of the day. It prompted a council gathering of the chief priest and the Pharisees who were asking: “What shall we do? If we let Him (Jesus) alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (45-48). You might want...

  So when was the last time you had a better idea than God?   I’ll give you a moment with that one... ....Yeah...I thought so. And yet there are times throughout the history of God’s people, that He actually gave them what they suggested, desired, and even demanded; and it never ended well for them (Ps. 106:15). As the old saying goes...”The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” These past few days, we’ve been studying about the ‘promise’ that Jesus spoke of and how He was going to send the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and comfort His followers, not leaving them as ‘orphans’. He had assured them that while He had ‘been with them, He would soon be IN them’ (John 14:17-18). (That promise is for us today as well) You should drop back to Ezekiel 36:24-27 where God promised that He was going to gather His people...and give them a new heart... and put a new spirit within them”, adding: “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in...

  “My sheep hear My voice...and they follow Me.” – Jesus (John 10:27) “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” -Jesus (Matt. 7:21) “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord', and not do the things which I say?” -Jesus (Luke 6:46) “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice...and come forth...” -Jesus (John 5:28) Here’s a question to ponder – If we haven’t learned to hear and recognize His voice while claiming to be filled with His Spirit on ‘this side of the grave’...what makes one so confident they will hear and recognize His voice when we find ourselves on the ‘other side’ and in the grave? “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion...in the day of trial in the wilderness..” (Heb. 3:7-8) “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift aw...

  “You know Him for He dwells with you....and He will be IN you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:17-18)...”and from within your innermost being, your heart...shall flow rivers of living water...but this He (Jesus) spoke concerning the Spirit whom those who believed in Him (as the scripture has said)...will receive...for the Holy Spirit was not yet given...”(John 7:38-39) So...”have you, or did you...receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2) You should in no way...feel bad or even embarrassed or ashamed if you take pause here and hesitate to even answer that question. In fact, I would think it is a good idea for anyone who is reading this to take a moment and give serious consideration and look within and ask yourself...”Did I? Is the Holy Spirit of God truly dwelling in me, leading me, transforming me to walk just as Jesus walked?” Paul even admonishes us to look into that proverbial mirror (God’s word) and to ‘examine ourselves’ (2 Cor. ...