Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Wednesday November 4, 2009 and we are continuing our studies in the book of John, please read chapters 9-10 in your Bible or Click Here to read them http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-november-4

Today's Message: Our Good Shepherd
Christians are not second class citizens, we carry the power and authority of God. Every person that seeks after Jesus Christ are one of Christ's sheep and need not fear because our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ is with us.

People who live in the world often wonder if God is real or if He is such a loving God then why is there so much pain and suffering placed on people. At the same time, many Christian's will see someone suffering and wonder what sin this person committed to be in such pain. I had a child in my Sunday school class ask me, “Why does God let good people get hurt and not the bad people?” The truth is this, while we are all subject to judgment (conviction) of sins, those whom believe in and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior are forgiven children of the One and Only Living God. Therefore, not everything we go through in life is happening because we have sinned or someone sinned against us. To prove this, Jesus answers His disciples whom were questioning why a man was born blind. “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” - John 9:1-3. God uses infirmities or suffering to strengthen us and show us that God is true and alive, not to convict us. His blindness was given so that the works of God may be illustrated through him. This man was predestined by God to be blind for the purpose of fulfilling this illustration given here by Jesus. His blindness happened so that we could have this lesson given by Jesus to help us understand that not all suffering is caused by sin and that God can do the impossible. Jesus Said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” - Mark 10:27.

God has given us all the free will to decide whether or not we want Him in our lives. He will not cause anything to come upon a person or force a person into accepting Jesus Christ into their lives. He will not cause anything to come upon a person to force that person into His service, until that person has committed himself to the Father, through Jesus Christ. That person of free will volunteers into God's service, after receiving salvation through Jesus Christ, and then while in the service of the Lord, God will lead and protect. For those that have free will, God will not intercede in their lives until they do repent and come to Christ, for on judgment day when a soul stands before the Father there will be no excuse that God caused them to fall, and prohibited them from being saved. Every person on this earth will have the opportunity to know who Jesus is and accept Him into their lives and they will see where they lost that opportunity on judgment day. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” - Matthew 24:13,14.

One of the distinguishing marks of a Christian is recognizing the need for guidance and a desire to follow the Good Shepherd. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.......Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.” - John 10:1,2,7-12. Christ is the door. If any person tries to enter into God's sheepfold by any other way other then going through the true Christ, he is a thief and a robber. The sheepfold is a holding place where the shepherd houses the sheep in for the night. It was a place of protection. When the Shepherd would open the gate, the shepherd would hold his rod out, and count the sheep as they passed under the rod. Then when all the sheep had entered in, the gate was shut, and the shepherd stood watch for the night.

Christians today are short changed by there lack of understanding of this. They are afraid to go "in and out", meaning you can have peace of mind anywhere in this world. You are safe not only inside the sheepfold, but outside the sheepfold. You can go out into the world, and you don't have to be afraid of someone taking away your salvation. You don't have to fear what will be said of you if you see the Word is not being taught and you voice your opinion. You don't have to be afraid of anything. When Jesus went to the cross, and died and rose again; He did that for each person that has the eyes to see and the ears to hear the voice of our Good Shepherd. Friend, every day is a good day when you are in the Lord. We should learn to know the discipline that the Lord might bring upon us and thank Him for that correction, and when the blessings come thank Him also for them. The Lord is pleased when you try to please Him.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night
God Bless You,
Christina

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Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Tuesday November 3, 2009 and we are continuing our studies in the book of John, please read chapters 6-8 in your Bible or Click Here to read them http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-november-3

Today's Message: Worth Working For
The word work is defined as exertion (action) or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. Without work not much would get accomplished. However, some work is beneficial while other work is not. It is important to realize what is worth working for and what is not.

Jesus had just fed 5000 men plus women and children on 5 loaves of bread and two fish and the people marveled and rejoiced at the miracle they had witnessed. Immediately those who believed in Him wanted to make Him king, but He knew that was not the will of God so He left, not even telling the disciples where He was going. “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” - John 6:14,15. These people wanted to make Jesus the King for the wrong reason. Because Jesus filled their stomachs and healed their children from sickness and diseases. Jesus provided them with a welfare system, food and medical, and their minds were not on Jesus as the Son of God, but one that could satisfy their physical needs. This is the very nature of many Christians in our country today. They will follow anyone that pampers their physical needs, often doing the wrong kind of work to get it. Many times when blessings are given to people to be a sign, they just don't see it. They watch the special healings, of intercessions in financial matters, or even impossible things that have come to pass. Even though they call themselves Christians, and witnessed these things comes to pass, they still are amazed when Jesus does a work in their lives. They call it luck. There is no such thing as luck, for you set your own pace. Luck is the blessings of God, and giving any form of worship of devotion to luck is idolatry.

After the people found Jesus they recognized that He was teaching something different, a different way of obtaining favor with God. “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” - John 6:26-29. After Jesus told these people that simply feeding them was not what God had intended the miracle to be for, these men then wanted to know what works they had to do to please God. Jesus is telling them, to please the Father, the one who sent the Son, you must believe on the Son, Jesus Christ. If you want to please God the Father, then listen to the Son. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” - Galatians 2:16. It is not by works that we obtain favor from God, it is by believing in and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into their lives. Stop trying to buy God's affection, no amount of work we do for Him will matter unless we know who Jesus is.

The meat of the Word, is the spiritual food which builds our faith to know that Jesus paid the price for us, that keeps His Word fresh in our minds. It allows the Holy Spirit to lead in our lives after repentance, whereby through faith we can do the Will of the Father. That faith and hope in Christ is what will see you through the dangers of this life. These people still cannot see that the miracle of the massive feeding was to document that Christ was not just another man, but that He was Messiah, sealed by the almighty Father. Jesus Said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” - John 6:47-51.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night
God Bless You,
Christina

Need More Inspiration?
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com/

Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study

Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation