John 10:1-5 (Jesus speaking)

‘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.  But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep, follow him, for they know his voice.  yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’

John 10:7-15

Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door  if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd:  and I know My sheep and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so i know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

John 10:27-30

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

This is the authentic relationship each believer has with the living God when we knock on the finished work of Jesus at the cross and ask Him to dwell in us!  We could not reconcile ourselves to God so Jesus laid down His life for us.

Jesus opens the door when we knock and He fills us with His righteousness which is pure and always right and in right standing with the trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It replaces all our own self-righteousness.  The Christian name for the receipt of His righteousness is “justification”.  We should be judged guilty of sin but when we receive Jesus taking our place on the cross we are judged as, “not guilty”!

We then entrust our lives and depend on His righteousness to lead, guide, direct and instruct us through the mine fields of sin we experience on the earth.  The Christian language for this is “sanctification”.   We choose to learn to follow His Way in His Word on earth.  His Word actually helps wash our mind lives and renew them(Romans 12:1-2).

When Christ returns  our bodies will be “glorified” so that we will no longer sin.  But make no mistake!  Be assured there is no other way to eternal life, peace and right standing with God other than through the door of Jesus!

Believers in the finished work of Christ have a True and Good Shepherd always ready to lead His flock into the best pastures.  If the wolf scatters the sheep the True Shepherd comes to find them wherever they are scattered.  Listen to what God says about Himself as the Shepherd of His people:

Ezekiel 34: 11-16

For thus says the Lord God:  ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.  As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.  And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.  I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel.  There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.  I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,’ says the Lord God.  I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.’

What God says about His Sheep  

Duet. 32:9-12 

For the Lord’s portion is His people;  Jacob is the place of His inheritance. ‘He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness;  He encircled him, He instructed him, he kept him as the apple of His eye.  As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,   So the Lord alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him.

Acts 20:32  

So now, bretheren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 

Zechariah 9:16

The Lord their God will save them in that day, As the flock of His people for they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land. 

You are God’s inheritance and your inheritance is among all who are sanctified!  His inheritance is us and our inheritance is with all who love Him.  One in the same!  We are like jewels in His crown and a banner over His land!

What God says about the Nations: 

Isaiah 40:15

Behold the nations are as a drop in a bucket And are counted as the small dust on the scales;  Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. 

Isaiah 40:17

All nations before Him are as nothing And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. 

 A full read of Isaiah 40 will really bring this message home!

Did you know that your relationship to God is more important than all nations! God’s heart is always about the rightly aligned relationship He has with His children.  His children know His voice and are led, guided and instructed by His good counsel throughout their lives if they know His voice and listen for it and are willing to submit to His voice.

God wants relationship with you!  He wants you to know Him thru His Word.  He wants you to knock so that His door is opened to you that you may receive in full His gift of salvation and everlasting life!  That you may live a life on earth that is abundant and full of His peace because you choose to entrust your life and all problems, obstacles and joys with Him so He will walk you through it all in His victorious ways!  To have confidence in Him that He is able and willing to plough through the mine fields of your intellect, mind life and human reasoning so that the ground beneath your feet will flatten out before you, making a pathway for your feet to walk freely and without distress. Jesus helps us to separate out the truth from lies and the precious from the vile (Jeremiah 15:19).

Have you knocked on Jesus door and have you asked Him into your heart to dwell in you?  It is not about the church building or baptism or communion.  (https://maryellenboyle.com/ ) Those are all good things we do to remember the precious works Jesus has done for us so we may have relationship with Him.  The nations we inhabit are only as strong as the righteousness of God in each individual’s relationship with Jesus.  Will you tell others of Him and share the good news?  The nation God is looking to bring to earth is the one we share with Him.  His coming Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  The Kingdom of God that belong to all who have trusted and asked Jesus into their lives on earth.  Jesus will come again to establish the completeness of this Kingdom on earth when He returns again.

Gods Nation of Believers – His Kingdom Come!

The marriage of the government and the priesthood in perfect peace!

Isaiah 9:16-17 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end,  Upon the throne of David and over His Kingdom To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Romans 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 40:10-11

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for him;  Behold his reward is with Him, And His work before Him.  He will feed His flock like a shepherd;  he will gather the lambs in His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

The work at the cross is done!  Receive Jesus work by faith now for a peace unsurpassed on earth and for eternity with other sanctified believers an inheritance with glorified bodies that sin no more!  Look to the True Shepherd to carry you from this place to the next with utter peace that is grounded and founded in Him alone!

Let’s Pray:

Psalm 71:17-18 

O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wonderous works.  Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation , Your power to everyone who is to come.

2 Cor. 4:15 

For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to about to the glory of God!

Thank you Father,  Jesus and Holy Spirit!   Amen! Amen! and Halleluiah!

 Prayer to accept Christ into your life:

Jesus, thank you for bringing me to this place where I see how much I need you. I am knocking on your door and choose freely to ask You to dwell in me today and forevermore.  I receive the work of Jesus at the cross and His work of salvation on my behalf.  I turn away from of all sin in the past, present and future and nail it to the cross.  I want to live under the True Shepherd of my soul and be renewed in my mind, body and soul by following Your Ways and Your Word from now on.  Thank You Jesus for giving me right standing with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  I will hear the voice of the True Shepherd Jesus as He calls me by name and follow Him all the days of my life!

Welcome to the family of Jesus Christ!