Heed Your Shepherd's Voice

Jesus often taught in parables, sharing profound spiritual truths through simple stories and illustrations.  These parables were much more than metaphors or a literary device designed to cleverly disguise the truth:  for those who believed Jesus, it would reveal truth from God impossible for unbelievers to comprehend.  God is the author and sole source of all divine wisdom, and He is the One who reveals Himself and provides guidance to those who trust in Him.

Jesus said in John 10:1-6:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.   2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.   3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.   4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.   5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."   6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them."  Jesus is the exclusive Way; He is the Truth and the Life.  The only authorised way to be accepted in the flock of God and become a citizen of heaven is to come through the Door, entering through faith in Jesus Christ.  Because the people did not understand what Jesus meant (a very common occurrence - people often understood what Jesus said but had no concept of what He meant!), He went on to say in John 10:7-9, "Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

Jesus made an effort and took time to patiently teach people, and He offered explanations to those who didn't understand.  Often Jesus was approached by His disciples after the crowd dispersed and inquired into the meaning of His sayings and parables.  The Gospels all show Jesus was glad to answer these queries.  The passage above shows two major distinctions of the sheep in God's fold and those who have come another way:  they have entered it the correct way through Christ, and they follow Jesus because they know (or recognise) His voice.  These are good questions for self examination:  have I repented and trusted in Jesus as Saviour?  In my daily life do I obey the words of Jesus, fleeing from and rejecting all other voices I recognise are not Him?

As followers of Jesus and sheep of His pasture, we ought not be fooled by voices other than Christ which softly beckon for our attention.  They appeal to our good sense, sound reasonable and intelligent enough, and are attractive.  Yet if we will examine these various voices through the clear lens of scripture and the things Jesus Christ has already spoken, the messages of deceit are unmasked.  Comedy is all about good delivery, and good words are all about sound biblical content.  If the original message is lost, the messenger has failed in his task despite his polished speech and courtesy.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we must heed His voice and will almost instinctively flee from all others.  But as human beings we do not share the instincts of sheep.  We are allowed the freedom to weigh words and choose what we will believe and obey.  We can be led astray, and this world is filled with potential suitors.

If we will be saved, then we should listen to our Saviour.  This is only reasonable, and looking no further than myself I can say at times my feelings and ideas are completely unreasonable!  For this reason I must ensure I am listening for the voice of Christ and choosing to follow Him, not giving ear to imposters.  The most clever sheep are those who realise they are not so clever after all and choose to stay close to the Good Shepherd who loves them and leads them in an abundant life.

Value God's Gifts

Christmas is a wonderful celebration of the best gift ever given:  Jesus Christ.  He has brought forgiveness, eternal life, and liberty to all who believe.  All in this life we love and appreciate is a gift from God who graciously loves us.  The things God gives are beyond price.  Family, relationships, and a joyous future cannot be earned or be bought with money.  We can trade these things for money and stuff, but that is another post.  The question is, do we appreciate the value of what God has given us?

Placing value on gifts is very subjective.  There are gifts we appreciate more than others, perhaps because of the monetary resale value.  We can value gifts which were not expensive at all but show care and thoughtfulness of others toward us.  I have kept many gifts which have no monetary value at all but treasure them because they were given to me by a loved family member who has passed away.  Our memories of people can be perpetuated in little reminders like birthday or Christmas cards.  Other times we appreciate a gift because it is better quality than we would buy for ourselves.  And then we value gifts which are so useful or practical we wonder how we lived without it!

When it comes to gifts from God, some of these reasons for thanksgiving and appreciation are relevant.  The gifts God gives are beyond price and therefore are not for resale or trading in.  I would also say if we view spiritual gifts or priceless promises of God with a sentimental lens, this is indicative of a break of relationship with God.  Since we are to be in a presently growing, vibrant relationship with God, sentimental feelings likely suggest we are mourning current distance between us and God.  The gifts God gives are intensely practical, for there is no life apart from Him.  God gives us little reminders all the time of His presence and care for us.  We should treasure these.  How often God has given gifts better than we could have ever imagined!  Let us repent when we have treated gifts from God as common things.

Cards and heartfelt notes are commonly displayed for a season and then filed away or recycled.  Christmas and birthday gifts are used for a while and then can collect dust.  They were appreciated for a while, but for whatever reason lose their lustre.  Is it possible the gifts God gives us are treated in similar fashion?  Or is there found in us a heart of appreciation and gratefulness, remembering God's grace and thanking Him for the good gifts He has given?  It is good for us to maintain good works using the talents and gifts God has provided.  How healthy it is for us to do personal inventory, acknowledging what God has already given us.  We don't need to be afraid of being left out, for it is God's good pleasure to give the sheep of His flock the kingdom (Luke 12:32).  God gives us many things we can only use rightly when we give them back to Him.  I think of the twenty-four elders throwing their crowns at the feet of the Lamb.  That's the perfect response for Christians when we receive authority, wealth, and gifts from God

What is more practical than love, acceptance, and eternal life?  That's what God has given to us, and may our lives be a revelation of all this and more to others for the glory of God.

The Successful Soul

One thing I love after worshiping God with song is how a particular tune or lyric later will reverberate through my mind.  I often find myself unwittingly singing the song long after the service has ended.  Hailing from Southern California, it seems fitting to call this effect a "worship aftershock."  Experiencing communion and fellowship in the presence of God is a blessing beyond words.

I have found when I am impacted by something it tends to be rehearsed in my mind.  For example, these memories could be a scene from a movie, a statement a person makes during a conversation, or a quote from a book I am reading.  If I can watch a movie without later reflecting on it or after reading a book no specifics high points come to mind, it obviously had little impact on me.

There was a quote of J.C. Ryle in Zeal Without Burnout by Christopher Ash which did stick with me.  Ryle said concerning "successful" Christian ministry as it appears in Zeal Without Burnout:

"Success is what all faithful labourers in the gospel field desire...All long to see Satan's kingdom pulled down, and souls converted to God...The desire is right and good...Let it...never be forgotten that the time of success is a time of danger to the Christian's soul.  The very hearts that are depressed when all things seem against them, are often unduly exalted in the day of prosperity.  Few men are like Samson, and can kill a lion without telling others of it (Judges 14:6)...Most of Christ's labourers probably have as much success as their souls can bear." (Ash, Christopher. Zeal without Burnout. Good Book, 2016. 104-05. Print.)

It is the last line which hits home.  God is gracious and blesses us with great successes, but few of them are known or easily quantifiable.  God does miraculous wonders behind the scenes and in the hearts and minds of people continually, and because they escape notice our pride is not stirred which lurks within each one of us.  How good God is to allow success to open our eyes to our tendency to boast and pride, and yet restrains us in His grace to keep us from grave harm.  Our souls can handle only so much success, and the hard times are often the forging, strengthening times so we will be able to endure success without shipwreck upon a deadly reef of pride.

It is God who brings success.  This "success" is not the quantifiable increase or profitability others will appreciate or applaud, but denotes sure success in all God has ordained us to do in due time.  It is obedience to God's Word which brings this success, as God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:8:  "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."  When we meditate on God's Word and obey Him, we will be successful.  Many successful men and women of God were deemed utter wastes and complete failures by their contemporaries, yet they had good success and were prosperous in God's view.  God's definition of success is the one which counts for eternity!

Goodwill To Men

In my high school days, many perfect Saturday mornings were spent searching for lost treasures in thrift stores.  My mate Evan and I would troll El Cajon op shops looking for quality vinyl records and sweet polyester shirts.  It was the early 90's but we loved the music and clothes of the 70's!  We would always hit the Salvation Army, then head over to AMVETS, and finally Goodwill.  Goodwill Thrift Stores have an interesting history, dating back to 1902.  Founded by Reverend Edgar J. Helms, the organisation helped people through donations and provided opportunities for people to work.

With the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ rapidly approaching, I was reminded today of what the heavenly host proclaimed to shepherds who tended their flocks that night long ago in Luke 2:14:  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  It is one thing for a man to have "goodwill" to his fellow man, but how wondrous and lovely it is for the Almighty God to proclaim peace and goodwill toward men.  How utterly undeserving we are of such favour from God, that He will send His own Son to be the Saviour of the world.  God is holy, and for Him to show mercy and kindness to us really is phenomenal.  There is no good thing in man, but Jesus came to change that forever.  When people have offended us we don't want to visit or have anything to do with them, but God demonstrated love in the profound act by becoming a man and walking among us sinners.  God has His messengers, but He would deliver this message of love, grace, and salvation Himself.

How can we respond to so great a love, to such "peace, goodwill toward men?"  It is reasonable for us each to acknowledge and receive it.  Unless we acknowledge a gift is intended for us, we will not open or appropriate it.  Having goodwill towards God and towards others is another fitting response.  We can show gratitude to God with generosity towards others, being gracious and longsuffering to all.  Jesus came with goodwill toward all people, not just a select few.  The motto for the Goodwill Thrift Stores became, "Not a Charity - But a Chance."  God's charity (love) is the only chance we sinners have for salvation, for it is impossible for us to earn the righteous standing before God required.  Jesus came to this earth with His future death in mind, for it is written in Romans 5:8:  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  In dying for sin Jesus gave sinners a chance to obtain eternal life.  There is no chance of salvation apart from Christ, for He is "The Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Glory to God in the highest for bringing peace and goodwill toward men!