Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sunday, October 25, 2015

Valuable Resource:

For a fuller understanding of God’s final warning for His people to separate from the deceptions of false teachings before He returns, please enjoy the Bible study titled, “The Other Woman” brought to you by Amazingfacts.org.

Here’s a direct link to the study: http://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4999/t/the-other-woman

Today’s Scripture:

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:14–16).

Today’s Observation:

Jesus is obviously using words that resonate in the culture He chose to inhabit—Jewish. So many of God’s people were either sheepherders, or knew sheepherders.

The children of Abraham (Jews by physical birth) were considered God’s people. He especially selected, nurtured, and protected them. From their bloodline would come the most precious promises and the blueprint of faith and salvation. Incidentally, the Bible says that they were selected, not because they were so wonderful, but because of God’s great love. For His own reasons, not their pedigree or unique [you fill-in the blank], He selected them.

Now, in this special calling was embedded a mission that they often forgot/neglected—to represent Yahweh to the fullest, and lead others into a lasting relationship with Him. They were to be the model of loving obedience to the God of heaven, which would lead others into a similar experience. They were the sheep of the fold! There were obviously multitudes of people who lived on earth that were not direct descendants of Abraham. Inherent in that fact was the reality that the pure religion of Yahweh may not have been fully understood, but some of those “others” (called Gentiles, among other terms) loved God with all their hearts inasmuch as they understood Him. Their understanding was not always so tidy like God fully revealed through the prophets, but these truehearted people continued to grow in their love and understanding of God in their context. They were sheep of the “other” fold.

This is the really cool part: As I mentioned before, embedded in the Jewish calling was a way to reach out to these sheep, so they could get the brightest view of the Shepherd and be in full fellowship with the fold. Many times in the book of Isaiah, God referenced calling the “others” into the brightest light of relationship with Him. Matthew 22 makes allusion to a similar concept. One of my favorite references to illustrate the point is found in Isaiah 56:1-5. The Bible teaches that anybody who chooses to keep covenant with God, including those Gentiles, eunuchs (considered unworthy to some), strangers, etc., and keep the Sabbath from polluting it, along with staying away from doing evil (this is a faith experience), they should realize that they, too will have special names. Special? Yes! God said that they would not only have the name of sons and daughters, which is what we become when we accept Him by faith according to John chapter one, but we will have a better name that will last forever. John says in the book of Revelation that those who remain in faith with God will receive the new name of their God written in their foreheads that nobody will know except them. This is good! God is saying that anybody at all who hears His voice, and listens to Him, and follows what He says, they will receive new names after Jesus returns. But wait; there’s more! Since Jesus went back to heaven more than 2,000 years ago, we have had the privilege of living in the fullness of the concept I described. It’s called the New Covenant, which was referenced long before Christ’s birth. According to Galatians chapter three, anybody who has saving faith in...