John 10:19-42 ~ I and the Father are one

John 10:19-42

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” 

22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me [What my Father has given to me], is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

At the Feast of Dedication, people would be brought to the Temple by the sounding of the shofar - a ram's horn. Jesus and the people would have heard the prayers called from Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 6:4-6
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your hearts.

How difficult it was for that generation to see Jesus as grace and truth dwelling with them.

HopePointe Sermon - August 2nd, 2015 by Preston Yancy, Age 26 years old, Cannon - Theologian - Author - Husband to Hilary, Father of Pre-born Jackson Yancy in 8 weeks. Currently in Seminary at Baylor University.

Today I picked an old Post to begin thinking of the Blog Post today. Which is a blessing of Father God upon hearing Preston's Sermon - I was wandering down the path of more thinking about Preston's Sermon. In 2008, Edward and I witnessed our 32 week old daughter as stillborn. Isabelle was born warm, pink and the most beautiful, happy girl. With a fantastically, beautiful go to Jesus look on her face. I don't think I've ever seen a happier infant. She never took a breathe, but she saw Jesus first among all of us - our Church family there to help that day.

Preston has been surprised in his first year of marriage and first year of Seminary with the good news of a pregnancy. At 20 weeks pregnancy, sonograms found the son, Preston had named Jackson for several years, and is called Jacks - that Jacks has severe  Cleft Palate running along his face and his right eye is involved. His chin has developed and underdeveloped as progress has gone on, to have concerns about his breathing. His right ear has some involvement. Preston states with vigor, he and Hilary know God has called them to continue to pray for Jacks' healing.

His sermon today was profound. To see Preston have the very usual emotions dealing, as a 26 year old man, with Very Serious Events. This man is on his Journey, on His Path, and stepping up in faith as a man of God. Preston is very pro-life and he spoke of our images of Jesus.

Preston correctly points out Jesus in His perfect Resurrection Body bore the scars of Grace. What is our image of God? The Biblically correct answer is - Adam - made in the image of God - with an extra set of ribs.

Yet God tells us - Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God the Father. When we have seen Jesus - we have seen God.  God has chosen to wear the scars of Sacrifice in His Resurrection Body - Grace to Fully Give us Eternity With God the Father.

The scars of Jesus are Beautiful. Powerful. Preston has very correctly opened our hearts to this aspect of God.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Jesus is the first born of all creation.
Time is an illusion to this world, a cage of this life. This could possibly. and very probably. suggest Jesus always knew these scars to exist.

What has God told us about Jesus' reaction to the scars Jesus bares, our Beloved Savior?

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give Gospel Testimony - Jesus would open His heart first to Mary Magdalene - repeating Jesus' last comments to John - we NOW have the same Father - Jesus' Father and ours!

John's Gospel - the 21st Chapter

Jesus would cook breakfast for the disciples who had left Him to bear those scars and mediate over a fuss up over longevity. The Work of Jesus continues in all days.

Preston presses on in his hope for Pro-Life - for Jacks, Preston's preborn son,  the planned lives God gives us - Preston asks us with a voice very similar to our Father God - to ask us what we would do about the cycle of poverty for unplanned pregnancies?

It's easier to find a $600 abortion than the $ multiple thousand down payment on Medicare helped pregnancies. I volunteer two days a week with PACN. Which only recently dawned on me - is PA sees in. Psalm 139. Where women can do homework brochures on Self Esteem, Relationships, Budgeting, Bible Study, Pregnancy Development, Infant Development to a year, Parenting to earn clothing and any form of equipment you could possibly imagine. One of our year long clients said she had earned thousands of dollars in the monthly earned formula, diapers, wipes, shampoo, 25 jars of food, cereal and pedialyte.

Why is the Congress interested in un-funding Planned Parenthood? We are morning after pill awaying live human beings for convenience. Our birth rate has plunged like that of Europe in 3 years. People we can point to, love and touch as adult unplanned pregnancies will be "missing." Perhaps many would be caretakers, best friends, favorite children, inventors of the internet or Salk Vaccines.

What could Texas do to increase the love these babies bring to the brave women who go from crying and huddled and scared to shining, noble, hard-working, grateful, brave and loving Moms? Texas can take a loop hole in our laws of medical liability and Make the Grace of Jesus - in Texas we are limiting the medical law suits to $250,000 to the physician and $250,000 to the medical facility and create a REAL non-profit providing mid-wifes, an OBY-GYN on call (Like Parkland Hospital in Dallas), and a sonogram with two blood tests to the natural process of giving birth for a grand total cost of $600. Forget Crown Dental chains, we need THIS BABY IS CROWNING - BIRTHING FACILITIES.

Why? Because giving birth is not like nuclear medicine - not cutting edge technology - PEOPLE GIVE BIRTH REGULARLY.

The Upward Call of God

Answering the upward call of God - is jumping in - when the laws and new developments in cultural environments suddenly CHANGE.

Father God, before Genesis was written down by Abraham, You Spoke the Word and JESUS is the First Born of ALL Creation. We ask for Your Glory, as Clark has prayed with our Church Family so many times. We know and Love Jesus our Lord. We honor Your Word and the Word of God. We know You are still Working and these are still Your Days. We ask to Honor You, Father God, seeking Your Glory. We gratefully Thank You for Your Grace and Gift of Eternity.

We lift up Jacks, Edward and Fred to You for Your mercy and healing. We ask Your comfort for the families who experience this: Preston, Hilary, Edward, me, Alexander, Cal, Mary. We pray for the unborn, Jacks and the other babies, the laws of the State, for Your Glory in our families, communities, Churches, neighborhoods, work places, schools and Nation.

We remember Cecil the lion killed by the American dentist and recall the need of the world for these animals to be protected and exist in far better zoos with far more land that previously ever thought possible, we remember the lions Elsa and Christian and the stories of animal personality and bravery in existence. We say this generation is called upward to provide these caged animals with better existence like Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas and say in Texas all people will be welcome in our birthing centers - even the Yankees. 

We Thank the African Continent for Holding up the Light of Christ to the Church of England and to the World. We thank Americans for their willingness to bring to Africa the love of the blessings of His Kingdom surrounding this Continent. 

We pray blessings on the helpers of these. And look to You with Expectation of Your Love, Mercy, Grace and Joy! Give us this day - these are still Your Working days. In Jesus, Amen.

 ♔ Lord Jesus Saves †