John 10:1-18 ~ His Voice

John 10:1-18

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 

8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

We know the Gate Jesus entered into during Palm Sunday was the amazingly, rarely open, "Beautiful Gate" or "Sheep Gate."  We know Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us this Day." 

A real Sheep Gate is a day to day, every day, thing. Easy to seek and find.

God does Have His Plan.

The usual door for sheep is really very ordinary and not very noticeable.  Jesus sometimes taught with Parables, but behind His Words, we find literal truth. 

Look at the world around us, Jesus teaches, to find Joy.

Psalm 19:2-3

Day after day, they pour forth speech, night after night they reveal knowledge. Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard.

The Seed Parables encourages us to look at the world around us and see the message in literal growth. The Yeast Parable encourages us the same way. Sheep are the newest animal more and more people bring into their homes. Sheep are interesting.

Jesus is found in the ordinary portions of Life.  Mostly sheep will enter one Gate, and this leads to another field, probably similar to the last field.

Similar to, "Give us this Day." And Jesus found Joy in each Day. Talent, we would say, is gifted in the extraordinary.  Give us This Living Water, Lord Jesus!

Joy to take delight in life by observation.

Psalm 24:7-10

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors,

and

The King of Glory shall come in

So many days do what other days do. If we don't remain diligent, we become unprepared to see

what surprises we might find. We might fail to find the delight hidden in the day. If we are rusty without fresh gratitude. We have to have a reason to jump around a bit.

Jesus turned the world around. 

Today, when we walk behind Jesus, we are filled with the awe of His Light.

By the end of Mark 1, Jesus' miracles have drawn so much attention, Jesus is not freely moving about:

Yes, the blind see, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 
Luke 7:22

41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; 

and 

they came to Him from every direction.

Jesus 

John 15:11 

These things I have spoken to you so that My Joy may be in you

and that your Joy

may be made Full.

 In Mark 4, Jesus is telling what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. His disciples say this about Him:

41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

A Suburban Family in Lincoln, California put up Christmas Lights in their backyard.

200 Sheep come in and refused to leave! When they did leave, the small suburban gate was left unharmed!

Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live."

Jesus responds: 24So Jesus went with him.
41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). 

42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

A woman from the crowd, feels if she can just reach out to Him:

7When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Jesus' disciples see Him every day:
They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 51Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed

They had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,

 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."

And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people.

Jesus ask His disciples, who do you say I am?

29 Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."

Abba, Our Father,

We long for You to Speak, "Peace." "Calm."

Dwell in us, help us to be a welcome and joyous people to You.

Dwell in those we Love.

Heal us in Your Love.

Help us to seek You first.

And to finish well.

Strengthen us to do the good works You have for us to walk in. In this time of great worry and emotion, hasty words may be spoken. Inadvisable decisions can be made and, then. with Your Help and Holy Spirit, strengthened into becoming Peace and Love. Jesus frequently told His People to hush. We will Stand Firm and be Strong. Knowing in this season, stand not be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.

Let Love be genuine with Mercy.

Jesus had been carefully placed in History, in Situation and with Mary and Joseph. The parents knew the feeling of being lost and shuffled as part of a great crowd. Jesus had been missing and now was realized He was needed. Jesus was found to be working. The Son of God was merciful to His Family. Jesus was Merciful to the crowd looking on during this time of Jesus thought to be Lost. His Parents were given time to regroup and they headed home to quiet lives.

John 5:17

Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

John 6:29

Jesus told them, “This is the work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.”

We long for Your Love and help, Father God, to have Your Kingdom, Power and Glory upon Your Throne. The Fringe of Your Robe placed upon all of Your Good Creation. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. We pray more of Your Good Will filling the whole earth with Your Glory.

We will remember our answered Prayers. And live this Day. Looking in expectation You will strengthen us to Seek You first and find Your Kingdom being glimpsed enfolding us in Your Good Creation.

You are our hope now, always and in the coming weeks.

Covering us with the Name and Power of Jesus, 

God with the people of Afghanistan in such upheaval.

GOD of All, Covering the worldwide Doctors, Nurses, Hospital Staffs and their prayers.The young people bewildered by the world's upheaval.  People with troubles.

Brave people. Holding up Life for one another.

Bless this Nation.

Help Your Good Creation with Healing and Hope.

Love flowing from the Light of Jesus Christ.

We pray for Louisiana to recover from Hurricane Ida

with new plans for housing to be strong like

Bolivar Peninsula, Texas' yellow house.

More Hope in Safe Dwellings.

More innovation in roofing.

My Cousin Maxine's roof was tarred on and still lasting half a century later.

Please, Father, Be Gracious and Merciful

to Louisiana for their amazing

Cajun Navy and their Great Heart.

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Giving Great Thanks,

the bird die off has stopped and

we are encouraged to feed the birds again.

We pray, Father, You will

heal the world as the birds have seen Your Mercy.

Just like Houston, a few months of sick birds

and then the illness is defeated.

Thank God.

We ask for Protection in the 

Highest Name of Jesus

Amen.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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