Study and learn. Be changed. Ephesians 2 Made Alive in Christ 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not
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Shearing us..because He Loves us...
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Did you know that
sheep must be sheared for its own good? Why? They are easily cast down when they
have MUCK all tangled in their fleece, weighing them down. Why is this a
problem? If a sheep is cast down, a
sheep can not get up on its
own.If they fall down..become
“cast down”, they must have a shepherd to lift them up or they will die.
' Cast down' sheep is an old
English shepherd's term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot
get up again by itself. A 'cast' sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its
back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up,
without success. And guess what? A sheep can not help another sheep get up.
..they must have a shepherd to help them up. (just like I can’t heal you or help
you, but I can take you to Jesus, the good shepherd who can). So what is the
remedy to keep from being cast down ? A good sheering...
(We don’t like when “bad” things (our sheering) happen
to us, but we must trust that it is for our own good).
Whenever a shepherd finds that a sheep is cast down because its fleece is too long and heavy from dirt, burrs, sticks, etc.., he soon takes swift steps to remedy the situation.
In short order he would shear it clean, not an enjoyable process for either of them. Sheep do not really enjoy being sheared and it represents some hard work for the shepherd, but it must be done
. Actually when it is all over, both sheep and shepherd are relieved. There is no longer the threat of being cast down. And...for the sheep, there is the pleasure of being set free from a hot, heavy coat that was cumbersome, uncomfortable, and down right dangerous. The fleece is clogged with filthy manure, mud, burrs, sticks and ticks. What a relief to be rid of it all! Thank goodness that God shears us of our muck (sin) and isn’t willing to letting us hold on to our sin habits. Even though the sanctification process can be painful, the end product feels so good. We feel lighter , happier, and oh so more free....because he has freed us from a specific sin habit or sinful thoughts. Welcome the times of "shearing"..because you KNOW that He loves you. It is amazing that Christ looks at us, dirty, stinky, stubborn, stupid sheep, and takes pity on us. More than pity... he loves us. It so reminds me of David Crowder's song. "How He loves us"
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than
snow. Psalm 51:7
The lyrics say: He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realise just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so, Oh how He loves us, How He loves us all
Sometimes because of His great love.. the weight of His love can feel like a hurricane while we are the tree... "bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.". Why does the shepherd shear the sheep? Not because the shepherd needs it..but because the shepherd knows that the sheep needs it. It is out of love that the shepherd sees how beautiful the sheep will be.. he knows. He knows what the sheep need ..even as the sheep fight the weight of the good shepherd. ..while the shepherd is trying to help the stubborn sheep. Why doesn't the shepherd just give up? Why fight with this stubborn, dirty, creature? That is His unrelenting love and mercy towards us. .. Praise His name!
Isn't it just amazing how God has illustrations in basic life events that can represent spiritual things? Incredible! Thanks for sharing. I plan to show my kids this blog later. :)
Before you jump to the conclusion that I am saying Christian are "brainless" sheep, read this post completely. If you still aren't sure, read this post: Are Christians brainless? Why does He call us SHEEP? ( The Bible makes reference to sheep no less than 220 times). A few of the more notable passages that come to mind are the 23 rd Psalm, Isa. 53:6 and John 10. There are many references to His People being sheep. So why not something more powerful, like a ram or horse? Why not something more graceful and valued, like a prized bird? Well, God chose to use the word sheep to identify His followers, as we are "His sheep." Our shepherd, Jesus, is leading the way, so let's look at the facts about sheep-the nature of sheep. Let's look at the facts about sheep- *Sheep aren’t intelligent . Sheep are not known to be smart or cunning animals when it comes to safety; rather, they are susceptible and tend to wander away from the prote
I hit a milestone. I turned 50 years old. I am thankful that I don't feel 50. I am thankful for things God has taught me throughout those 50 years. . I have learned that God loves mercy and when I feel a sense that justice needs to happen over mercy, all I need to do is remember that I am thankful for when God gives me mercy instead of a just punishment. (Micah 6:8 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.) ( Luke 6: 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ) I have learned that hurt people end up hurting people. When I am able to see that I didn't hurt them but I am bearing the results of that persons hurt inflicted by other people, it helps me forgive whatever hurt they pushed onto me and move on. (Romans 12 : 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ) I have learned that anyone who thinks they have God
At a certain age... I suppose 18 or so... half-birthdays are no longer as important to you as when you are young. Right now, the kids love having their 1/2 birthdays celebrated. We don't do much. We tell them "Happy half-birthday!"... and they are allowed to choose what we have for dinner (within reason... no super expensive choices .. like crab legs or sushi). And, they do get to have a cake. John-Michael is 8 1/2 today. I haven't had any of my children ask for a character-cake in quite some time...until last night. We were out very late watching the laser light show at Stone Mountain Park. A few hours before... John-Michael springs on me that he wants a Rayman Rabbids cake for his half-birthday. Now, I have church in the morning and knew I wouldn't get home before midnight last night... not much time to figure our how to make that kind of cake. So, like most things...I just went for it. I bought Twinkies ...pretty sure the first Twinkies ,,,. th
Isn't it just amazing how God has illustrations in basic life events that can represent spiritual things? Incredible! Thanks for sharing. I plan to show my kids this blog later. :)
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