Have you ever seen a sheep herding contest? I saw my first one at the Fryeberg Fair in Maine. Half the time, the sheep ignored the dog, refusing to obey his lead. But the sheep dog just patiently waited for the shepherd to whistle his commands. Then like a shot, the dog would race across the field, nipping at the kneels of the sheep directing them towards the pen. I was amazed how many of the sheep fought entering one by one through a narrow gate. Eventually, the shepherd and his sheep dog herded them into the pen. The contest lasted about ten minutes. The shepherd and his dog, who were the fastest to herd their sheep into the pen and close the gate won.
This event was one of the most fascinating to watch, especially the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep dog. It reminded me of one of the glories of our Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
Jesus Christ is the Shepherd, we are the sheep and the Holy Spirit is the sheep dog. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world to bring us back through the NARROW GATE to the Good Shepherd. The Holy Spirit is often called the "the hound of heaven" and I can see why. He is determined to fulfill the glory of the Good Shepherd in His sheep even if we go astray, He will be nipping at our heels.
Sheep have such a mind of their own. How appropriate it is for the Lord to call us His SHEEP. By working together, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit hems us in on all sides leading us through the NARROW GATE on our journey home. If we are left to ourself, we would wander in this world without hope.
I am so grateful to be born again by the grace of God and able to confess that Jesus Christ is THE NARROW WAY: THE ONLY WAY BACK TO MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. John 14:6.
Showing posts with label analogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label analogy. Show all posts
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Thursday, February 16, 2017
LET THE SUNSHINE IN
Do you ever get tired of cold, rainy, cloudy days? It has been like that around here for the last few weeks. This morning I was complaining to the Lord about His weather, "Lord don't you think enough is enough? I am getting a little tired of the cold, damp rainy days." I no sooner spoke those words when a brilliant string of light flashed through my living room window. It got my attention. "Lord, You don't like my complaining. Who am I to question Your weather patterns. What about the people who have lost their homes with some much rain. Where is a grateful heart?"
Then this thought came to my mind, "The sun was there all the time, behind the clouds and rainy days. I didn't need to complain, just wait. The clouds will pass and the sun will shine again. I love my mother's saying, "rain is like liquid sunshine". She was a cheerful person.
The sun continued to intermittently shine between the clouds. It was a good feeling to know that the sun was again beginning to shine. Wait a minute. " Is this show and tell, Lord ? What are You really trying say. I get it."
There are days and seasons in my life when You allow the rain to pour and the clouds to cover the Son, wondering where You are? How foolish of me. You have been there all the time, right behind the clouds. The SON is always shining. You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Your presence is with me no matter what circumstances are effecting my life.
When the trials get long and it feels like it will never end, it is a good feeling to know that the SON is right behind those clouds. The clouds will lift and I will see the SON again.
Then this thought came to my mind, "The sun was there all the time, behind the clouds and rainy days. I didn't need to complain, just wait. The clouds will pass and the sun will shine again. I love my mother's saying, "rain is like liquid sunshine". She was a cheerful person.
The sun continued to intermittently shine between the clouds. It was a good feeling to know that the sun was again beginning to shine. Wait a minute. " Is this show and tell, Lord ? What are You really trying say. I get it."
There are days and seasons in my life when You allow the rain to pour and the clouds to cover the Son, wondering where You are? How foolish of me. You have been there all the time, right behind the clouds. The SON is always shining. You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Your presence is with me no matter what circumstances are effecting my life.
When the trials get long and it feels like it will never end, it is a good feeling to know that the SON is right behind those clouds. The clouds will lift and I will see the SON again.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
FOREVER GREEN
This winter has been particularly fierce with below freezing temperatures. There has been a great amount of ice, sleet and mounds of snow. Right after a snow storm, the landscape always looks so white and clean. There is something about softly falling snow that refreshes the air It's sweet smell permeates the air. Too cold for a walk outside, I just want to curl up and read a book for the day.
After one of our most recent snow storm, I did decide to go out for a walk. No cars were on the road and the sun was shining. It was rather warm. The silence was a touch of heaven. As I walked down the street I noticed several huge evergreen trees weighed down with snow and ice. The tree had survived harsh, below freezing weather.
This thought crossed my mind. What a great picture of a Christian's life. The Evergreen is forever green. The Christian has eternal life and is forever green. Trials and tribulations come into our lives, like the blustery winds of winter, often challenging the very foundations of our faith. Yet, the very life of our Lord in us keeps us 'forever' green, as we continue to mature and shed our needles.
I like to think that when our Heavenly Father looks down on His creation and sees the Evergreen, it reminds Him of His Bride that He is preparing for His son. She is alive, forever green, and healthy, amid the dead bare trees. Battered by trials and tribulations, amid the wintry storms of life, she stands strong and glorious. Resurrection life flows through her veins enabling Her to proclaim Her Bridegroom is alive, and coming again for Her soon.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Peas in a Strainer
One evening while I was cooking a package of frozen peas for our evening meal, the Lord unexpectedly revealed to me the most amazing analogy. Right before my eyes the Lord so clearly explained Calvary. I have never forgotten.
When the girls were young, peas were not their favorite vegetable. But now that our nest is empty, my husband and I do enjoy the small sweet peas that we can mix in with our mashed potatoes.This night when I poured the peas into the strainer, this revelation hit me ," The strainer was the cross of Jesus Christ, the peas were all my sins. They staysd in the strainer, while the water passed through Just as in my new birth. I was free from the power of my sin. That was it!!! The peas in the strainer represented all my sins and every time that I sinned, I could repent and be free from guilt and shame. The cross is a living power in my life that keeps me separate from my sin. I am so grateful for the gift of repentance and a new life in Christ..
I believe that Jesus doesn't want us to stand looking at the cross, but by faith to know that we have been consumed in His death, burial and resurrection. That he has separated us from our sins. As a new creation, we are no longer sinners, but saints that can choose to sin. It is quite a difference to think of yourself as a saint, one set apart to God being transformed into His image every day, rather than as a sinner in need of a Savior all of the time. That need has been satisfied in Christ Jesus. His sacrifice has produced in me a daily deep gratitude for the cross, because by faith through grace, Jesus has set me free from my physical birth in Adam to a new spiritual birth in Christ. If it cost Him His life, it will cost me my SELF-LIFE, my lower nature. It is no longer my will, but His will that is important to be done. It is all about Jesus and not about me. What a freedom I feel every day, as He is working out my salvation!!!
Every time I cook a pot of peas, and drain them in a strainer, I think of this analogy. We have been separated from the power of our sin by the grace of God. St. Paul acknowledges this struggle with his flesh in Romans 7 "Now if I do what I do not want, IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, but SIN ( my lower nature) that dwells in me." God's grace enables us to repent and turn from any sin that might entangle us. He finally concludes the answer in Chapter 8 verse 1, 2. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." We are the most BLESSED people in the whole universe.
When the girls were young, peas were not their favorite vegetable. But now that our nest is empty, my husband and I do enjoy the small sweet peas that we can mix in with our mashed potatoes.This night when I poured the peas into the strainer, this revelation hit me ," The strainer was the cross of Jesus Christ, the peas were all my sins. They staysd in the strainer, while the water passed through Just as in my new birth. I was free from the power of my sin. That was it!!! The peas in the strainer represented all my sins and every time that I sinned, I could repent and be free from guilt and shame. The cross is a living power in my life that keeps me separate from my sin. I am so grateful for the gift of repentance and a new life in Christ..
I believe that Jesus doesn't want us to stand looking at the cross, but by faith to know that we have been consumed in His death, burial and resurrection. That he has separated us from our sins. As a new creation, we are no longer sinners, but saints that can choose to sin. It is quite a difference to think of yourself as a saint, one set apart to God being transformed into His image every day, rather than as a sinner in need of a Savior all of the time. That need has been satisfied in Christ Jesus. His sacrifice has produced in me a daily deep gratitude for the cross, because by faith through grace, Jesus has set me free from my physical birth in Adam to a new spiritual birth in Christ. If it cost Him His life, it will cost me my SELF-LIFE, my lower nature. It is no longer my will, but His will that is important to be done. It is all about Jesus and not about me. What a freedom I feel every day, as He is working out my salvation!!!
Every time I cook a pot of peas, and drain them in a strainer, I think of this analogy. We have been separated from the power of our sin by the grace of God. St. Paul acknowledges this struggle with his flesh in Romans 7 "Now if I do what I do not want, IT IS NO LONGER I WHO DO IT, but SIN ( my lower nature) that dwells in me." God's grace enables us to repent and turn from any sin that might entangle us. He finally concludes the answer in Chapter 8 verse 1, 2. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." We are the most BLESSED people in the whole universe.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A Story Worth Reading
GOD'S GRACE
There once as a man named George Thomas, a preacher in a small Texas town. One Sunday morning he came to the church service carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, the Preacher began to speak....
"I was walking though town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.
I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"
"Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you going to do with them?" I asked
"Take 'em home and have fun with em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."
" But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The preacher was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !! Why, you don't want 'em birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds, They don't sing. They ain't even pretty."
"How much?" the preacher asked again.
The boy sized up the preacher as if he were crazy and said, "$10.00?" The preacher reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The preacher picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty cage on the pulpit, then the preacher began to tell this story:
"One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun. I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs to kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked,
"I'll kill em" Satan glared proudly.
"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They will spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"
"How much ? " He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life,"
Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.
The preacher picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.."
I pray this story blessed you as it did me. Jesus loves us and desires nothing more than to be with us. He is the joy of His Father and the lover of our souls. He is our great High Priest and forever lives to intercede for us.
There once as a man named George Thomas, a preacher in a small Texas town. One Sunday morning he came to the church service carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, the Preacher began to speak....
"I was walking though town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.
I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"
"Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you going to do with them?" I asked
"Take 'em home and have fun with em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."
" But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The preacher was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !! Why, you don't want 'em birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds, They don't sing. They ain't even pretty."
"How much?" the preacher asked again.
The boy sized up the preacher as if he were crazy and said, "$10.00?" The preacher reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The preacher picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty cage on the pulpit, then the preacher began to tell this story:
"One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun. I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs to kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked,
"I'll kill em" Satan glared proudly.
"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They will spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"
"How much ? " He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life,"
Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.
The preacher picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.."
I pray this story blessed you as it did me. Jesus loves us and desires nothing more than to be with us. He is the joy of His Father and the lover of our souls. He is our great High Priest and forever lives to intercede for us.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Who is the Holy Spirit?
I often have people ask me "Who is the Holy Spirit? Why was He sent?" Honestly, I can't wrap my mind completely around the Holy Spirit either, but this I do believe, He was sent to call out a bride to receive Jesus' love and to prepare her to reign with Him forever and ever.
There is a story in Genesis 24, where Abraham calls forth his most faithful servant Eleazar to find a bride for his son Isaac. Eleazar packs many gifts for Isaac's future bride and starts out on his long journey. After many days, he stops at a water hole to water his camels. A beautiful woman, Rebeka was watering her camels also and offered some water for Eleazar's camels. He knew then that she was the one for Isaac.
To make a long story short, ( a story worth reading) Rebeka agrees to leave her father and mother's home and to travel back to Isaac. On the way home all Rebeka wanted to talk about was Isaac, "What is he like?What color is his eyes? How old is he? Is he serious or funny?" These might of been a few of her curiosities.
This beautiful love story in Genesis 24 is a picture type of the calling out of the bride for Christ. The Father after the resurrection and ascension of His Son Jesus, sent the Holy Spirit back to earth bearing spiritual gifts for His bride. You and I, the bride of Christ, are own our way back to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit continuously reveals more and more to us, who Jesus Christ is in us,and the gifts that He sent to enable us to manifest His glory..
You and I have no idea how much Jesus really loves us and wants us to be with Him. He is ready for His bride. Are we ready for our bridegroom? This is the work of the Holy Spirit to SET US APART from the spirit of this world, our sin and to join us to Christ our bridegroom. The Holy Spirit is faithful to finish the good work He has started. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ. I have read the back of the book and Jesus WON!
There is a story in Genesis 24, where Abraham calls forth his most faithful servant Eleazar to find a bride for his son Isaac. Eleazar packs many gifts for Isaac's future bride and starts out on his long journey. After many days, he stops at a water hole to water his camels. A beautiful woman, Rebeka was watering her camels also and offered some water for Eleazar's camels. He knew then that she was the one for Isaac.
To make a long story short, ( a story worth reading) Rebeka agrees to leave her father and mother's home and to travel back to Isaac. On the way home all Rebeka wanted to talk about was Isaac, "What is he like?What color is his eyes? How old is he? Is he serious or funny?" These might of been a few of her curiosities.
This beautiful love story in Genesis 24 is a picture type of the calling out of the bride for Christ. The Father after the resurrection and ascension of His Son Jesus, sent the Holy Spirit back to earth bearing spiritual gifts for His bride. You and I, the bride of Christ, are own our way back to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit continuously reveals more and more to us, who Jesus Christ is in us,and the gifts that He sent to enable us to manifest His glory..
You and I have no idea how much Jesus really loves us and wants us to be with Him. He is ready for His bride. Are we ready for our bridegroom? This is the work of the Holy Spirit to SET US APART from the spirit of this world, our sin and to join us to Christ our bridegroom. The Holy Spirit is faithful to finish the good work He has started. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ. I have read the back of the book and Jesus WON!
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