THE THIEF AND THE SHEPHERD 2

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 10:10 KJV” The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”

In the first part of this very topic, we looked at the thief, specifically the devil, and how he goes about taking advantage of the sheep. This time, we would consider the shepherd. He says He came that He might give life to the sheep. I wish to say to every shepherd of God’s people that your role is to give to the sheep. It involves giving sacrificially When the Lord Jesus showed Himself to His disciples who went back fishing, He met them at the shore and singled out Peter, asking Him three times, if he loved Him, then he asked him, to feed His sheep and the lambs. Feeding God’s people is one of the ways the pastor shows his love for the Lord.

The Lord said, He came to give us life, that we might have it in abundance. This is the dividing line between Christianity and other faiths. No other faith besides Christianity talks about giving life. They are all basically systems of doctrines and practices. There is no life in any other faith except in Christ. The life He gives us is a supernatural life. The Lord Jesus says it is eternal life (1 John 5:12). What is this eternal life? The gospel of John 1: 4,5 explains to us what this life is. John 1:4, 5 KJV “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” From these verses,we see that this abundant life is an overcoming life. It breaks the limits of darkness and brings liberty of expression to the child of God.

How would one activate this life? This could be done by operating the law faith. The following scriptures show us how the law of faith works. Rom 10:8, 10 KJV “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The law of faith functions  by  believing what the word Says with your heart and confessing it with your mouth. Get the abundant life into operation by activating your faith.

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly Father, for giving me life through your Son Jesus Christ. I have a conquering and an overcoming life. This life dominates all evil  and I keep shinning as I glorify the name of my Lord Jesus .

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 5:17 KJV” For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

1 Jn 5:11 KJV “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

John 10:10 KJV “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”

We continue with our study on the walk with Jesus. In light of our discussion, our key scripture is referring to the false teachers in this verse. He calls them thieves; The false teacher is consumed with a lust to enrich himself and so uses all kinds of cunning tricks to prey on the unsuspecting sheep. The thief in our key scripture could also be likened to the devil. Indeed, those actions revealed by the Lord Jesus describe him perfectly well. He comes only to steal, kill and destroy. The sad truth is that he does not overpower us as the lion forcefully attacks its prey, but uses schemes and cunning tricks to take hold of his victims. Remember that the bible said he is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. This statement means he cannot handle certain people but looks around for the weak ones to take advantage of.

Dear child of God, Satan is not supposed to succeed in taking ANY child of God captive. Our Lord Jesus has totally defeated and overpowered him for us. Heb 2:14 KJV” Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” The word’ destroy ‘ also means to be paralysed or to be made nothing. Unfortunately, many children of God have a very great fear of the devil. This is wrong. We must rather hate him, including everything he does and represents.

Please, understand also that the devil cannot continue his activities of destruction in your life without your permission. The Lord said in Mat 18:18 KJV Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

And again, He says in James 4:7, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. From the forgoing verse, it is up to us to either entertain the onslaught of the devil or say no, enough is enough. Arise and challenge that devil that seeks to mess your life.

PRAYER

Thank you, dear Father, for your love and victory through my Lord Jesus.I acknowledge your Lordship over my life and resist every activity of the devil in my life in the mighty name of Jesus Christ  I declare my absolute victory over the devil .Amen.

FURTHER STUDIES

Luke 10:19 KJV” Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Mat 28:18 KJV “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 10:7 KJV” Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”

Once again, our Lord Jesus makes an authoritative statement that gives no room for any other alternative. He said He is the only door of the sheep. To say you are the only door means no other person can be a door leading to salvation. Anyone who makes such statements, should either be a person with a very serious mental condition needing immediate help or attention. If such a one is not a liar or mentally derailed, then He should be the Lord of glory. Everything about Jesus showed that He was indeed Lord.

Now let’s consider certain things about Jesus that should distinguish Him above every other man, and makes Him the one who is the only door to the sheep.

1. If He is the only door or Saviour then His birth, life, and the outcome of His life should have been prophesied many years before His birth. This was clearly fulfilled about Jesus. Isa 9:6 KJV” For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

2. If He is the only Saviour then His birth or entry into this life should be unique and special. Jesus was born by a virgin without any human father. Mat 1:18 KJV” Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

3.  If He is to be the only Saviour then His life should be one of mighty outstanding miracles. Acts 2:22 KJV “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”

4. Fourthly, if Jesus is the only Saviour, then everything concerning His death should be miraculous. Jesus’ death attracted the attention of the whole city, He was crucified, and when He gave up the ghost, the whole earth became dark, for a moment and the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. Jesus was raised to life and was seen among His disciples for forty days. He ascended to heaven in the presence of over five hundred witnesses, Act 1:9 KJV” And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”

5. If He is the only Saviour, then the impact of His life should be so strong transforming men of different walks of life and at different locations on the earth. Indeed, He’s had the greatest impact in transforming humanity than any other person.

My life is a witness of the many He has transformed.

Jesus is indeed the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, but through Him.

CONFESSION

Jesus is the only Saviour of the world, He died to take away my sins, was raised to justify me, and is seated at the right hand of the Father to establish my glorification.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 14:6 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

1Co 15:3,4 KJV “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 10:5 KJV” And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

The Lord said His children know His voice and so will flee from that of a stranger.  Sheep will naturally respond very well to the voice, sounds, and certain actions of their shepherds. Sadly, there have been some children of God who somehow have been terribly deceived because they went after the voice of the stranger.

The book of beginnings shows us that sin commenced because Eve our first mother listened to the voice of the stranger and so ate the plant God warned them not to eat. They instantly died spiritually, became subjected to Satan, and had every evil thing coming at them. Do you know the voice of the chief shepherd? Where are you presently in your spiritual journey? Are you sailing high with the Lord, or you are sinking deep in quicksand.?

Why do people of God fall out and begin to listen to the voice of the enemy? Life experiences have taught us that, there are many who used to live in the joy of the Lord, yet are now nowhere to be found. Eve’s encounter can give us some answers to this dilemma. The devil first said to Eve has God said you should not eat of the tree which is in the midst of the garden?  Eve should have settled it in her mind that what God says was final and no other voice had to be considered. She should have quickly told the devil I hold God’s word above everything and cannot take any other voice. She listened further to Satan. No one gives attention to the devil and would not receive direction from him. Lastly, she gave thought to the stranger’s voice and fell for his deceit. 2Co 11:3 KJV” But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Her mind was corrupted because lust started developing within her.

Let’s compare this to how the Lord Jesus was able to overcome the subtility of the stranger. The Lord had made a firm decision never to listen to anyone’s voice besides the fathers. Anything that opposed the father’s voice had to be opposed. When the devil asked him to turn the stones to bread, He quickly refused by answering, ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God’. Remember, a decided mind cannot be tempted. The Lord Jesus at that instant and at every other moment ran away from the voice of the stranger.

Never become wiser than the Father. Trust in the Lord even when your action in trusting the Lord makes you look foolish.1Co 1:25 KJV “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” This is the truth and so no matter how a suggestion contrary to what God says seems to be foolish, please stick to it. All who do so are victors and champions at the end of the day.

CONFESSION

The voice of the Lord is always true and very powerful. The stranger’s voice comes sugar-coated with very lucrative enticements. I always know the Lord’s voice and quickly reject all the suggestions of the wicked.

FURTHER STUDIES

Prov 3:5, 6 KJV “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Prov 14:12 KJV “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 10:4 KJV” And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”

Our key scripture shows us how we walk with the master. He leads as we follow. He does not stay behind pushing us to move on as the Fulani herdsmen do. Our Lord leads us with His word. Psalms 23:3 KJV” He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” No child of God ought to be in the dark concerning the ways of God. He never leads us into error, failure or destruction. It may seem we are entering into danger or trouble, yet so long as it is He leading, then it would be alright in the long run He led the whole congregation of Israel  population to  the red sea. This appeared like a mistake, yet it was their deliverance.

Someone said God would lead you around but will lead you aright. Our part is to locate where He is going or walking and follow suit. The scripture said, He goes before us. This means no matter how fearful a condition or situation may appear; our Lord Jesus is the one actually confronting the thing. Psalms 114:3 KJV “The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.” The red sea was divided because it saw the Lord who was leading them. So long as His word tells us to follow or go forward, there should be no turning back. We are rather defeated when we turn back. The scripture says the Lord never leaves us, even  when there seem to be no victory in sight. Isaiah 43:2 KJV” When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Dear child of God, may you resolve to keep moving forward in line with the Lord’s promise. If He gave His word, then the word cannot fail because He is with you. Isaiah 43:2 says in the water He is with us, the rivers would not overwhelm us, neither would He leave us when passing through the fire. The fire would never consume you. Dear one, just keep going forward. In moments of trial, let the following be your words ” the Lord is with me, for He is leading me with His word. So long as I have His word He is with me, and victory is already mine in Jesus name. Glory be to God.”

CONFESSION

My Lord Jesus leads me in His path of righteousness. I am not moved by what I see. I only believe and so that seemingly impossible situation is turned into a miracle for me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 13:5 KJV “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Psalms 23:2 KJV” He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 10:1 KJV” Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

John chapter 10 is a direct continuation of chapter nine. He ended chapter 9 by saying these Pharisees who claim they see are indeed blind. He goes on to talk about the activities of such leaders or shepherds. Before we talk about their path or ways, the Lord says these are blind leaders. Mat 15:14 KJV “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” The bases for false teachers are the fact that they do not know the way. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but through Him.

Why would somebody in our days fail to know Jesus and as a result be a blind leader, leading many astray? This is a paradox, yet it can be easily unraveled. People who have heard about Jesus and read about Jesus yet do not know Him because of their SELF-SEEKING MOTIVES. To be a real follower of Jesus is to be sold out to Him. Such leaders live to seek the interest of Jesus and not theirs. These teachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing come with their egos. They prey on the ignorance of the people teaching morality yet use all kinds of means to get monies or enrich themselves. Some of them condemn free will offerings yet they make the people buy all kinds of Spiritual tokens for healing and blessings. Such people are wisely merchandising the gospel, yet they cover it with their teachings on morality. Their teachings always try to condemn other pastors so they will win the unsuspecting sheep to their domain. It is very sad most people are easily swayed into their fold.

I trust that people who have either been carried away by such craftiness or being carried away would have their eyes enlightened to the truth. Please mark the words of the master, He said such people are thieves or robbers. A thief takes from you from your blind side. They are just crafty and smart. There are those who are robbers. These take from you with violence. They use all kinds of high-sounding words and manage to take from the sheep. The more predominant ones are the thieves. They come to you working some miracles, yet these are what the bible calls lying wonders. They are normally not something that lasts because it is not the Spirit of Jesus that works with such men. Dear readers beware of such people. Any man of God who always condemns other preachers is a  thief or a robber, their aim is to gain people and use various ways of merchandising to take from them. A word to the wise is enough. Take this last clue, such teachers associate themselves with certain angels. Col 2:18, 20

CONFESSION

Thank you, father, for the revelations of your word. I stick to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and obedience to His teachings, in the face of false teachings that do not project the Lord Jesus.

FURTHER STUDIES

Col 2:18 KJV “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,”

Col 2:23 KJV “Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 9:41 KJV” Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”

The Pharisees heard Jesus’ conversation with the healed blind man, and they asked Him, are we also blind? The Lord interpreted their question that, they meant they were seeing. The Lord concluded that, since they claimed they see, then they were indeed blind. These were those that could be described as deceived. The sad truth is that most of the deceived are very religious people who are very sincere about their persuasions yet they are sincerely deceived.

Please let’s consider what Apostle Paul said about his people, the Jews. Rom 10:1,2 KJV “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” These people were very religious, zealous and sincere, yet they were lost. There are presently in our world very great multitudes of religious folks who make up a great number of our world population, who are very zealous about their beliefs yet they are sadly lost.

How can we claim they are lost? We can do so depending on whether the evidence of Christianity can ‘hold water or stand critical scrutiny.

1. Our Lord Jesus actually lived and walked this earth according to the bible and supported by classical history.

2. He claimed His death and resurrection would be the means of saving the world. These events happened and are fully supported by classical history and the bible.

3. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Him. Every other way is a deception.

4 Anyone who sincerely believed in Him is set free from sin, and satanic bondage, and a living witness of a changed life.

In light of the above, will you continue to be deceived? Repent of your ways and believe on Jesus to set you free from eternal death unto life.

PRAYER

DEAR Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, for I did not submit to your Lordship. I confess Jesus as Lord over my life.

THOUGHT: BEING SINCERE IS NIT ENOUGH TO SAVE YOU, BELIEVING JESUS IS WHAT SAVES YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

Act 4:12 KJV “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Rom 10:9 KJV That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 9:39 KJV And Jesus said, For judgment, I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

After the blind man who was healed expressed that prompt faith in the Lord, (Joh 9:39) the Lord Jesus said,  “For judgment, I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”  What He meant was that those who think they are wise in their understanding will be blinded by their own wisdom to His saving grace. The scriptures have revealed countless times that the worldly wise always cannot see that amazing grace of God. .1Co 1:26 KJV” For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:” This preceding verse simply means many who are wise in the sense of the world reject the simplicity of Christ Salvation., as a result, are lost in their sins.

Why would such people reject such salvation? The truth is it does not make sense to their understanding. They ask why God should kill to save us? You may be such a person arguing about salvation through the cross of Christ. Dearly beloved reader, Man sinned from the beginning. According to God’s law, the wages,  payment, or further still the results of man’s sins is death, but the gift of God is eternal life( Rom 6:23). Jesus gave us eternal life by giving His life on the cross. All who have humbly believed this great news are wonderfully saved and set free from whatever bondage that held them. The Lord said those who claim to be wise cannot accept it.

Just consider what God says.1Co 1:18 KJV” For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” My dear one, if you are rejecting this message, then according to the scriptures, you are perishing.

Can you consider the following questions?

1. Where would you go after you’ve died and left this body?

2. Do you have the peace that passes understanding?

3. Do you know there is life after death?

4. Since you are not certain about any of these questions why not play it safe by believing on Jesus, so you would not be shocked to know all these things were indeed true, yet it would be too late for you after your death?

BE WISE, AND ACCEPT JESUS TODAY.

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus , I do not know so much, yet I would not want to be a fool, at the end of the day, I accept you as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to you. Reveal yourself to me, that I may have  a sure faith and reliance in you. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 3:16 KJV” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Heb 2:3 KJV “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

Luke 12:20 KJV” But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?:”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 9:36 KJV “He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?”

The Lord met the man who was healed of blindness after he had been kicked out of the synagogue, and asked him,” Do you believe on the Son of God?” The man quickly responded, Who is He that I may believe Him. This man had a ready heart to respond and do what the Lord expected. This is the type of attitude God expects from His children.

In Genesis 12:1-3 the Lord appeared to Abraham, formerly called Abram and said the following to Him. Gen 12:1 KJV Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Abraham obeyed and indeed God made a great nation out of him. He left his father’s house meaning he lost his name, yet God made his name great and made Him a real blessing. Abraham attained to all these because He had a ready heart to obey.

How ready are you to do what God calls on you? Someone once said if Christians would obey and practice just a quarter of what they hear in church, our world would have received a very great transformation. God’s power is so great, yet, humanity has not been privy to it, because the agents of God’s glory are not taking their place of obedience. Daniel lived in a foreign land, and his name was changed, yet he made sure the whole land was made to recognise his God and even worship him. Dan 6:26 KJV” I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.”

The above was the decree of the king after Daniel had been obedient to God and survived the lion’s den. Have a ready heart to obey the Lord always.

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly father, for your love and mercies that you continually bestow on me. My heart reverences you above all thing, and I’m always ready to do what you tell me. My life is promoted as I do your word.

THOUGHT: FOLLOWING GOD ALWAYS LEADS TO THE LAND OF BLESSING.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 1:25 KJV” But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Gen 22:18 KJV “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 9:35 KJV’ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?”

We learnt from our previous discussion that follow-up is assuming a parent and child relationship to bring up the new convert in the Lord.  In this study, we would learn about how we go about doing the work of follow-up.

The first aspect of follow-up is to have a great love and concern for these converts. It is the care or concern that would drive you to do everything to make them established in the faith. 2Co 11:28 KJV “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” Apostle Paul was speaking about the many persecutions that came to him, yet he said, besides these challenges was the care of all the churches.

The next fact about follow-up is to pray for the souls. Remember the god of this world seeks to blind them so they would not believe. Paul said the following about the brethren in Galatia. Gal 4:19 KJV “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,” Establishing souls in the Lord is not about communicating words, but communicating the power and the Spirit of God to the people, and this cannot be realised without travailing prayers.

The next step in follow-up is to visit the souls or converts in person, ( yourself )

Acts 15:36 KJV “And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do.” Visitation is the main work of follow-up. The Lord Jesus Himself followed up on His disciples to establish and strengthen them to stand for Him.

We live in the days of information and have a lot of means to contact these converts. You can use your mobile phone to talk to them and even share a few things with them. You can also use other forms of social media, like WhatsApp, Facebook, and telegram to reach them and communicate truths of scripture with them. You can give the new Christian some good Christian literature to enlighten them further in the ways of God.

The next approach to follow up is to delegate others to visit these converts when you are not available. Apostle Paul was kept in prison and so He asked men like Timothy and Titus to visit these souls for him.2Co 12:18 KJV” I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?” Paul was in prison yet He was reaching these brethren through other men.

Every new Christian is like a new baby and must be properly taken care of, to stand in the Lord.

CONFESSION

Thank you, Lord, Jesus for calling us into your service. I commit my life to raising these converts until they become strong and stable in their faith.

FURTHER STUDIES

Col 4:12 KJV” Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

Col 4:13 KJV” For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.”