John 10:1 "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."
It seems as though healing a man blind since birth would earn you at least a little props. Instead, Jesus was driven out of the Temple, along with the blind man He healed. And why? Because of the day He chose to heal. It was the Sabbath.
It was the day in which He saw the man who was in need. Jesus healed the man as He passed by. There is a good chance He may not have passed by again. After all, Jesus was passing by after having the Pharisees take up stones to stone Him. (John 8:59)
Shepherds have an eye for the sheep. Thieves and robbers have an eye for themselves.
Jesus healed one of His sheep, who was in trouble. The Pharisees condemned Jesus for the healing because it threatened their idea of how to religiously maintain the Sabbath. They had their eye on themselves, and how their authority might be undermined if “a work” was performed on a day when no works are allowed. Not even good works. Not even works of love for the sheep.
In a short period of time, hirelings, thieves and robbers will turn the sheep against them, and then eventually the owner of the sheep whom they supposedly represent. They are false, evil misrepresentations of the Owner of the sheep. The sheep see they are fake.
Jesus makes this patently clear. Yet still the Pharisees do not see His clarity because He is directing it at them. In Jesus’ words, the Pharisees are hirelings, thieves, and robbers because they rip off the sheep, and in so doing they rip off the Father, who is the Owner of the sheep. They grossly mismanage the flock which belongs to God - and worse – it appears intentional.
Jesus willingly calls Himself a shepherd, and then describes the attributes which comprise a good shepherd. He enters through the door. His desire is apparent. He says what He means. He means what He says. He loves the sheep, and His concern is for the sheep because that is the concern of His Father in Heaven, Who is the Owner. The Pharisees have no such stake. Their god is their belly. Jesus is clearly indicating what a personal relationship with God looks like. It is, above all, genuine.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
- Pastor Bill
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Stormy Tuesday
Psalm 107:23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders.
The only way to understand the emotions humans experience in the approach of a dangerous storm is to live in a place where dangerous storms approach.
This past week, we all collectively experienced the same thing at the same time. We were all thinking the same sorts of thoughts. We were all in the run-up to the storm at the same time, we were all IN the storm at the same time, and we were all in the aftermath of the storm at the same time.
We are all closer to each other as a result of facing danger and potential difficulty together. In terms of human fellowship, there is nothing that draws us closer than going through the storms of life at the same time, with each other alongside. A shared sense of anticipation. A shared fear. A shared sense of relief afterwards.
This is what God had in mind in Psalm 107. We are, in a sense, “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters.” We could live somewhere else. God has called us to Naples, Florida. And so we collectively encounter what comes with life, “on the ships,” or by the seashore, if you will. There is an inherent danger in living here, just as there is an inherent danger in going down to the sea in ships. It goes with the territory.
But only those who go down to the sea in ships fully understand God’s care in the storm. You can’t read about it in the paper, or tell your friends in California about it. It must be lived and experienced. You can’t even read about God’s care in the Bible and truly understand what it means to be under God’s care.
And so those who “live on ships” see both the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. There is a power there which melts the soul because of the trouble, and there is a genuine crying out to the Lord which only takes place at such times. And then He guides them to His desired haven – which may even be Heaven. Only those who live on ships truly understand this.
- Pastor Bill
The only way to understand the emotions humans experience in the approach of a dangerous storm is to live in a place where dangerous storms approach.
This past week, we all collectively experienced the same thing at the same time. We were all thinking the same sorts of thoughts. We were all in the run-up to the storm at the same time, we were all IN the storm at the same time, and we were all in the aftermath of the storm at the same time.
We are all closer to each other as a result of facing danger and potential difficulty together. In terms of human fellowship, there is nothing that draws us closer than going through the storms of life at the same time, with each other alongside. A shared sense of anticipation. A shared fear. A shared sense of relief afterwards.
This is what God had in mind in Psalm 107. We are, in a sense, “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters.” We could live somewhere else. God has called us to Naples, Florida. And so we collectively encounter what comes with life, “on the ships,” or by the seashore, if you will. There is an inherent danger in living here, just as there is an inherent danger in going down to the sea in ships. It goes with the territory.
But only those who go down to the sea in ships fully understand God’s care in the storm. You can’t read about it in the paper, or tell your friends in California about it. It must be lived and experienced. You can’t even read about God’s care in the Bible and truly understand what it means to be under God’s care.
And so those who “live on ships” see both the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. There is a power there which melts the soul because of the trouble, and there is a genuine crying out to the Lord which only takes place at such times. And then He guides them to His desired haven – which may even be Heaven. Only those who live on ships truly understand this.
- Pastor Bill
Thursday, August 14, 2008
On the Waterfront
I live on a piece of “waterfront” property. Not that I sought it out or anything – it was the only piece left when I bought my house. (I did have to pay a hefty surcharge for the “bonus” of living “on the waterfront.”)
What “waterfront” means in my case is that I live alongside a water-retention pond. The south Florida method of building is to scoop out a bunch of dirt in order to raise the houses built above sea level. When they scoop out the dirt, it makes a big hole in the ground that eventually fills up with water. They arrange the houses around the perimeter of the hole, and they call that “waterfront living.” No wonder we have to pay extra for that privilege – as everyone wants to live by the water. It’s an exclusive address.
John 8:6 …But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."
How a water-retention pond works is by rainfall run-off. Since the ground surrounding the pond has been raised up, all the rainwater runs into the pond and fills it up. Then we sit on our lanai and gaze out at the water and get far-away looks on our faces as we relax.
Our lives are like that. From cradle to grave, our lives are filled with sins because we are sinners. We are not sinners because we sin – we sin because we are sinners. There is a huge difference.
The sins rain down daily and come so frequently and so often we forget all about them. Easily, readily, so many, so often, our sins slip right by into the pond of our forgetfulness.
And then the sprinkler system comes on to water the grass and we are suddenly reminded where the water for the sprinkler system comes from. It comes from the water-retention pond. All the water that ran off into the pond and was forgotten has suddenly reappeared in our lives, and we cannot help but see it. Sin long-forgotten is just like that. It reappears when we least expect it.
John 8:8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.
Do you realize the Lord keeps track of ALL of your sins, from cradle to grave? He can recall them in an instant, and will in the Day of Judgment, should you choose to be judged rather than forgiven. In the same way Jesus recalls your sin by etching them in the ground – even publicly if necessary – He can also just as readily wash them all away with His blood. When is the last time you were convicted in your conscience, and instead of melting away with the crowd you ran to the Lord for His forgiveness and cleansing?
- Pastor Bill
What “waterfront” means in my case is that I live alongside a water-retention pond. The south Florida method of building is to scoop out a bunch of dirt in order to raise the houses built above sea level. When they scoop out the dirt, it makes a big hole in the ground that eventually fills up with water. They arrange the houses around the perimeter of the hole, and they call that “waterfront living.” No wonder we have to pay extra for that privilege – as everyone wants to live by the water. It’s an exclusive address.
John 8:6 …But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."
How a water-retention pond works is by rainfall run-off. Since the ground surrounding the pond has been raised up, all the rainwater runs into the pond and fills it up. Then we sit on our lanai and gaze out at the water and get far-away looks on our faces as we relax.
Our lives are like that. From cradle to grave, our lives are filled with sins because we are sinners. We are not sinners because we sin – we sin because we are sinners. There is a huge difference.
The sins rain down daily and come so frequently and so often we forget all about them. Easily, readily, so many, so often, our sins slip right by into the pond of our forgetfulness.
And then the sprinkler system comes on to water the grass and we are suddenly reminded where the water for the sprinkler system comes from. It comes from the water-retention pond. All the water that ran off into the pond and was forgotten has suddenly reappeared in our lives, and we cannot help but see it. Sin long-forgotten is just like that. It reappears when we least expect it.
John 8:8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.
Do you realize the Lord keeps track of ALL of your sins, from cradle to grave? He can recall them in an instant, and will in the Day of Judgment, should you choose to be judged rather than forgiven. In the same way Jesus recalls your sin by etching them in the ground – even publicly if necessary – He can also just as readily wash them all away with His blood. When is the last time you were convicted in your conscience, and instead of melting away with the crowd you ran to the Lord for His forgiveness and cleansing?
- Pastor Bill
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Unpopularity
We measure our opinion by the opinion of others.
That this is true is undeniable. Especially in politics and entertainment, we are more like lemmings than independent thinkers, and we often find ourselves following the crowd. It is simply more comfortable being “part of something” rather than being independent. The irony of all of this is we are encouraged to be “independently minded” as we follow the crowd. Advertisers have recognized how we like to think ourselves renegades – and so the ads we follow tell us things like, “No rules, just right,” (Outback Steakhouse,) or, simply, “No rules.” (Dodge.)
I have just read an article in the London Times proclaiming it is now becoming “un-cool” to be ‘green.’ It seems the crowds are discovering the pain of the no-carbon-footprint lifestyle is not equal to the perceived former “coolness” of the position. Apparently living the green life is not as fun as thinking about living it or talking about it.
John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews* sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."
Dealing with unpopularity says a lot about who you are. Are you genuine? Are you sincere? No one has ever walked in the kind of unpopularity Jesus faced as He walked the earth. He had raised a crowd, but then chased it away by defining the sincerity required to remain part of it. (See John 6.) He would eventually go to the cross accompanied by only one disciple, His mother and a few other women who remained to support Him.
In a word, Jesus’ ministry had become about as unpopular as it could possibly be – and the reason is because of the sincerity of heart Jesus demanded of His followers. You could not just hang around as part of ‘the crowd.’ Jesus demanded more. And when those demands were stated, the crowd melted away in the “hard sayings.” Where will we go now? What’s the popular position?
Jesus’ brothers may have been earnestly concerned. He had a crowd and lost it. Could He win it back? Surely the possibility existed if He would go up to the Feast of Tabernacles and “show Himself.” Could He not win back a whole new crowd with some more “works?” Certainly, with the million or so folks piling into Jerusalem for the Feast, the opportunity of a lifetime was presenting itself. It was only a matter of time before Jesus would be back on the top of the popularity charts. All He had to do was please the crowd…
How did Jesus respond? (See John 7.)
- Pastor Bill
That this is true is undeniable. Especially in politics and entertainment, we are more like lemmings than independent thinkers, and we often find ourselves following the crowd. It is simply more comfortable being “part of something” rather than being independent. The irony of all of this is we are encouraged to be “independently minded” as we follow the crowd. Advertisers have recognized how we like to think ourselves renegades – and so the ads we follow tell us things like, “No rules, just right,” (Outback Steakhouse,) or, simply, “No rules.” (Dodge.)
I have just read an article in the London Times proclaiming it is now becoming “un-cool” to be ‘green.’ It seems the crowds are discovering the pain of the no-carbon-footprint lifestyle is not equal to the perceived former “coolness” of the position. Apparently living the green life is not as fun as thinking about living it or talking about it.
John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews* sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."
Dealing with unpopularity says a lot about who you are. Are you genuine? Are you sincere? No one has ever walked in the kind of unpopularity Jesus faced as He walked the earth. He had raised a crowd, but then chased it away by defining the sincerity required to remain part of it. (See John 6.) He would eventually go to the cross accompanied by only one disciple, His mother and a few other women who remained to support Him.
In a word, Jesus’ ministry had become about as unpopular as it could possibly be – and the reason is because of the sincerity of heart Jesus demanded of His followers. You could not just hang around as part of ‘the crowd.’ Jesus demanded more. And when those demands were stated, the crowd melted away in the “hard sayings.” Where will we go now? What’s the popular position?
Jesus’ brothers may have been earnestly concerned. He had a crowd and lost it. Could He win it back? Surely the possibility existed if He would go up to the Feast of Tabernacles and “show Himself.” Could He not win back a whole new crowd with some more “works?” Certainly, with the million or so folks piling into Jerusalem for the Feast, the opportunity of a lifetime was presenting itself. It was only a matter of time before Jesus would be back on the top of the popularity charts. All He had to do was please the crowd…
How did Jesus respond? (See John 7.)
- Pastor Bill
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