THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My [sheep], and am known by My own. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:14,27. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him. If they follow Paul, they are not His sheep. If they follow Isaiah, they are not His sheep. If they follow Moses, they are not His sheep. If they follow Ezekiel, they are not His sheep. His sheep follow Jesus only. Why do we want to follow Paul, Isaiah, Moses, Ezekiel, and the other prophets in the Bible while those prophets worship Yahweh? Don’t we know that Yahweh = Jesus? The prophets worship Jesus. Why do we worship them when they worship Jesus? Why don’t we worship Jesus directly, and avoid the confusion of worshiping the prophets? Brothers and Sisters, let me assure you that Jesus is our God. Don’t waste our time worshiping the prophets and other idols. That makes God unhappy, and we will gain nothing by making Him unhappy. We worship God (Jesus) only, and no one else. I have no doubt that Jesus or YAHWEH is our God. I first learned about God when I read the Old Testament Bible. One characteristic of God that I remember is that He demands total obedience from us. And if we are not, He will punish us like what He did to Adam and Eve, Lucifer and His angels, and millions or billions of souls during the big flood. The punishment can be immediate, or it can come years or decades later when He decides to hand us over to Satan, or when He Jesus returns for the second time with His angels to give us what we deserve. God will give us nothing that we do not deserve, eternal life or hell. He will, however, help us if we ask Him to help us to do His will. This I know this for certain.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
Let me introduce you to the Jesus that I know. Jesus said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29;30. This is not hyperbole. He meant what He said. Jesus is not a politician. He meant what He said. And He does what He teaches. He is the good Shepherd. He protects His sheep. He defends His sheep. What does Jesus expect from His sheep? He expects His sheep to obey Him. He wants His sheep to follow Him. Do we follow Him? No, we follow other shepherds. We follow other shepherds who can tickle our ears.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
Let me introduce you to the Jesus that I know. Jesus said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29;30. This is not hyperbole. He meant what He said. Jesus is not a politician. He meant what He said. And He does what He teaches. He is the good Shepherd. He protects His sheep. He defends His sheep. What does Jesus expect from His sheep? He expects His sheep to obey Him. He wants His sheep to follow Him. Do we follow Him? No, we follow other shepherds. We follow other shepherds who can tickle our ears.
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