Sheep Food

  There is a statement I have heard made periodically over the years in various church circles I’ve crossed paths with; perhaps you are familiar with it as well? It sounds basically like this: “We have absolutely nothing…to do with our salvation.” As in: Not. A. Thing. Would you agree, or disagree? I'm not here to argue the point, but I do have questions. Clearly, we humans are incapable of ‘saving’ ourselves, which is the primary reason God sent us a ‘Savior’ in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus. I should also reiterate that if ‘salvation’ could be ‘earned’ or ‘worked for’ simply by ‘living better lives’, marked by ‘obeying rules and commandments’…then the death of Christ on the cross would have never needed to take place. Probably the most second often quoted verse I hear after John 3:16… might be Ephesians 2:8-9, where Paul writes: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”...

  “…and God will send them a strong and powerful delusion…” Beware…when God gives you what you want…it does not always end well (Ps. 106:15). But do keep in mind that God is unreasonably patient and long-suffering towards us, not wanting any…to perish but for us all to come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9). And yet, there will eventually come a time when this world as we know it will all come crashing down. (10) I don’t know of a more troubling portion of scripture found in the NT…than the one I quoted up front, found in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 2. He begins there speaking of the great apostasy that will unfold prior to ‘our gathering to Him (Jesus)’, admonishing us to ‘be not deceived by any means’ (2-3). He then explains that first …will come the ‘falling away’ and then the ‘man of lawlessness will be revealed’. Depending on what Bible version you read, that term ‘falling away’ might be translated as ‘apostasy’ or the ‘rebellion/revolt’…which summed up, sugg...

  I have reached a season in my life, along with my walk of faith…where I have zero interest in debating or arguing over church doctrines…or taking on the wide variety of beliefs and opinions held by many today who consider themselves to be sincere, believing ‘Christians’. I have nothing to prove to anyone, nor am I seeking a pulpit after stepping down from the one I occupied over 20 years ago. But I will continue to share here with anyone who ‘has ears to hear’… as long as I am compelled by the One who ‘opened my eyes’ and renewed a dead heart that had grown cold and stale…there are plenty of more verses and passages in our Bibles that we would do well to go back and re-examine once again…before it is too late. The ‘sower’, whom Jesus told us about in a parable, did not engage with crowds nor did he try to prove a point to anyone; he simply went out and shared the word of God, and let the seed fall where it may. (Matt. 13:3-9). Jesus later followed up with those closest to Him an...

  ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’…is a well-known phrase you have probably heard before. It is the idea that knowing a person, a place, or a situation, well... can cause you to  lose respect for them/it simply because you get bored or take them for granted. I would probably be more inclined to use a modifier in that statement and say ‘over… familiarity’…and would then include how it can also affect our ‘walk of faith’ …including God’s word. Hear me out on this one, if you would. I don’t believe that a person who has a genuine relationship with Jesus and is truly abiding in Him is in danger of becoming dissatisfied with God, but a person who is ‘walking in a form of godliness’…probably has already (2 Tim. 3:5). Let’s not forget that many who actually grew up around Jesus remained skeptical of Him, especially when Jesus went public with His ministry and they were actually offended by Him (Matt. 13:54-57). Some of his own family accused Him of having ‘lost His mind’ (Mark 3:21). ...

  The parable of the sower, as told by Jesus in 3 of the four gospels is one of His more insightful stories which He expounded upon, to me at least. And Jesus did point out that if we didn’t understand this particular parable…that we’d have a tough time understanding any of the other parables, for that matter. (Mark 4:13) Now it should be noted that unless He ‘reveals’ the meaning behind that simple metaphor …which on the surface sounds like a simple lesson in agriculture, then that is all it will remain to those who hear/read it – a simple story that tells us what happens when a seed of some sort is sown into the ground. But the key element here that can go easily unnoticed is ‘who’…Jesus actually ‘reveals the mysteries of the kingdom’ to. In Matthew’s account (13:1-22), Jesus first tells the parable to the ‘multitude’ who had gathered along the shoreline to listen to Him. It sounds as if it was pretty short sermon, which I’m sure delighted some in the crowd no doubt. There was...

  The very fact that Peter took the time to write and admonish believers everywhere that we should remain ‘vigilant…sober-minded and alert’…solely for the reason that we have a spiritual ‘enemy’ whom he identifies as the ‘devil’, and that this adversary remains on the prowl ‘roaming about seeking to devour’…should give us all pause and have us thinking of the implications here. (1 Peter 5:8). And he doesn’t advise us to ‘ignore him’; rather to ‘resist him’ (9). James offers up similar counsel as well, adding that when we do ‘resist the devil…he will flee’ (4:7). Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter, warning the believers there to forgive a certain individual who had repented of his sin…’lest Satan take advantage of them’…given we are ‘not ignorant of his schemes, or devices. (2 Cor. 2:10-11) You mean Satan has schemes or strategies which he employs against us? Well, Paul was pretty adamant in his convictions regarding this subject matter and expands in more detail ...

  It should come as no surprise to anyone …that the ‘world’ remains skeptical to believe the Bible is God’s ‘living word’ to us. Many will easily dismiss it, roll their eyes at those who do claim to believe in it, usually wanting to point out how it’s nothing but a collection of fables written by flawed men and ‘full of contradictions’. What can be surprising though, at times… is how many who profess to be a part of Christ’s church/body…tend to underestimate God’s word, simply based on their lack of hunger and interest to spend time feeding on it. But then, Jesus did point out how “Satan comes immediately…to snatch that word from our hearts lest we believe and are saved” (Mark 4:15; Luke 8:11-12). That would be the same ‘word of God’ that we are told is ‘living and powerful/active’, in Hebrews 4:12. This would also be the same ‘word of God’ that Paul declares “works effectively …IN those who believe” (1 Thess. 2:13). And this would also be the same ‘word of God’ that we are told ...