Truly, truly I say to you, the one not entering in by the door to the fold of the sheep but is climbing up another way, he is the thief and a robber.1
Jesus warns that any who do not enter by him are thieves and robbers. He says, truly, truly listen to me. I am the door, any that enter by me will be saved. If they do not enter to the fold, the Church, by him through the doorkeeper, the Holy Spirit, then they are not of God. This is a basic principle of Christianity, this new covenant God has with man is through Jesus Christ, the name above all names. God through his spirit draws all men to Jesus. Jesus said, I the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Him.2 The door to God's people is through Jesus, to compromise on this principle is to allow thieves and robbers access to his people.
Jesus was of the Father, the words he spoke were of authority from God. He only spoke words of the Father. It was the Father speaking through him that gave Him power, the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Jesus came to show us how God really was and how we could live out his principles. It is still the same for us today. How we live and the words that we speak should be of the Father, through the Holy Spirit he writes these words on our hearts, through his word the spirit teaches and reminds us of the things of the Father. The works alone proved that Jesus was from God, Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.3
Jesus warns that any who do not enter by him are thieves and robbers. He says, truly, truly listen to me. I am the door, any that enter by me will be saved. If they do not enter to the fold, the Church, by him through the doorkeeper, the Holy Spirit, then they are not of God. This is a basic principle of Christianity, this new covenant God has with man is through Jesus Christ, the name above all names. God through his spirit draws all men to Jesus. Jesus said, I the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Him.2 The door to God's people is through Jesus, to compromise on this principle is to allow thieves and robbers access to his people.
Jesus was of the Father, the words he spoke were of authority from God. He only spoke words of the Father. It was the Father speaking through him that gave Him power, the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Jesus came to show us how God really was and how we could live out his principles. It is still the same for us today. How we live and the words that we speak should be of the Father, through the Holy Spirit he writes these words on our hearts, through his word the spirit teaches and reminds us of the things of the Father. The works alone proved that Jesus was from God, Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.3
One December a church came down under the bridge where the homeless live, they did a cook out and a concert. They left clothing there, so we went to take them to a thrift store and as I was putting them in the truck a young girl surprised me, she was in the clothes using them to keep warm. As she told me her story she reminded me of Sissy Spacek in Cold Miners Daughter. Her story was sad, she did not feel loved, she cried, and we prayed. She went home that night but when I got home I fell on my knees, my spirit moaned. I did not know why then but I do now, there are many hurt and lonely people, they are desperately seeking the door to God but are treated as discarded things, despised and overlooked by strangers.
Many children will grow up without love, affection, and trust in an earthly father. They will find it hard to trust the heavenly Father and they will not trust hirelings and strangers. When an orphan sees God's love through someone they know it is true, they have this sense of it, maybe it is because they know what evil is, what love is not and what people have done to them in the name of love. When they see truth they recognize it as such. This is what Jesus said of his children, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Feeding the sheep is giving them food and water of eternal life, abundant life here today, it is loving them, which is analogous to loving Jesus. Do you love me Peter? Feed my sheep.
We are under an worldly organizational structure, this was put in place because God's people rejected his rule over them, they wanted a king like the other nations. God warns them of the type of organizational structure they would be under.4 The king will take the best of your sons and daughters to serve him. He will appoint captains over you, over your thousands and fifties. He will take 10% of all of yours to give to his. You shall be his servants! And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.6 The people said, we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.
While we work in an worldly organizational structure the operations and principles of God's kingdom are still the same.5 We are to live to these principles where Jesus is the way to God and head of the church. A basic principle of the Army is leading by example, the Infantry has the motto follow me, they understand that to lead men into a battle you must be willing to be up front. Jesus said to his disciples come follow me, he set the example and by his example we can live to his principles and by such confidently say to others follow me. Jesus is the door to God, seek, ask, and knock. He is the way. He was an example for us. An example is a powerful thing.
He Knows My Name
Many children will grow up without love, affection, and trust in an earthly father. They will find it hard to trust the heavenly Father and they will not trust hirelings and strangers. When an orphan sees God's love through someone they know it is true, they have this sense of it, maybe it is because they know what evil is, what love is not and what people have done to them in the name of love. When they see truth they recognize it as such. This is what Jesus said of his children, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Feeding the sheep is giving them food and water of eternal life, abundant life here today, it is loving them, which is analogous to loving Jesus. Do you love me Peter? Feed my sheep.
We are under an worldly organizational structure, this was put in place because God's people rejected his rule over them, they wanted a king like the other nations. God warns them of the type of organizational structure they would be under.4 The king will take the best of your sons and daughters to serve him. He will appoint captains over you, over your thousands and fifties. He will take 10% of all of yours to give to his. You shall be his servants! And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.6 The people said, we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.
While we work in an worldly organizational structure the operations and principles of God's kingdom are still the same.5 We are to live to these principles where Jesus is the way to God and head of the church. A basic principle of the Army is leading by example, the Infantry has the motto follow me, they understand that to lead men into a battle you must be willing to be up front. Jesus said to his disciples come follow me, he set the example and by his example we can live to his principles and by such confidently say to others follow me. Jesus is the door to God, seek, ask, and knock. He is the way. He was an example for us. An example is a powerful thing.
Saul was the tallest and most handsome man in all Israel. God gave them what they wanted, a king like that of the world. And Saul had an worldly heart. God would give Saul specific instructions but he would not wait on God nor follow His instructions. He would try to lead the flock his way, he would give rules and decrees that where not from God, though the people thought so. He almost had to kill his son Jonathan because of such a rule and he put the people of God in harms way, to be destroyed by wolves. He became a stranger to the flock and it cost him the kingship. But God was raising up a king after His heart, one that would lead His way. And the sheep would follow this shepherd, he proved he would lay down his life for the sheep. So would Jesus...
He Knows My Name