Are you safe?

 Meditation John 10: 11-19

1. Jesus said he is the good shepherd and he gives his life for the sheep. (V11)

2. But the hireling, who is not the shepherd and the sheep are not his own, sees the wolf coming and flees from the sheep. The wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  (V12)

3. The hireling flees from the sheep because he is an hireling and does not care for his sheep. (V13)

4. Jesus said he is the good shepherd and he knows his sheep and the sheep knows him. (V14)

5. The father knows Christ and Christ knows the father and he lays down his life for the sheep. (V15)

6. Jesus said there are some other sheep outside that fold which are his. They shall hear his voice and them also he should bring in that there will be one fold and one shepherd. (V16)

7. Jesus said his father loves him because he lay down his own life that he might take it back again. (V17)

8. Jesus said no man takes his life from him, but he lay it down himself. For he has the
power to lay it down and to take it again. This commandment Christ has received from the father. (V18)

9. The Jews got divided because of these sayings. (V19)

 LIFE APPLICATION:

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John:10:11

But he that is a 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:10:12

In this passage, we see three personalities in the scene. Let us go through their nature one by one.

1. The RAVENOUS beast:

We have a devourer who comes to steal, kill and destroy and that is the devil. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy every blessing that God has for us.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John:10:10

B. We have an adversary, the devil who go about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.


Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter:5:8

C. The lion roars against the multitudes of the voices of the shepherds and is not afraid of them.

For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Isaiah:31:4

Dear Child of God,
This is how the enemy comes looking out for our souls. Are we safe from his hands? Let go further down and know more.

2. THE HIRELING:

The hireling is a shepherd who does not take responsibility for the sheep, as he was hired to work and the sheep are not his own.

A. They do not feed the flock but they feed themselves:

Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
Ezekiel:34:3

B. With cruelty, they rule over the sheep.

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
Ezekiel:34:4

C. They scatter the sheep but not gather them, that they become meat to the beasts of the field.

And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
Ezekiel:34:5

Dear children of God!
It is our responsibility to identify the hirelings from the true shepherds.

Hirelings rule over God's flock. They never work on keeping the flock of God together neither take responsibility for their souls. Hirelings save themselves at the cost of the flock.

Let us pray that as the flocks of the most high God, God will give us Christ-like shepherds to guide us and lead us in the ways of God.

3. Christ our good shepherd:

A. As a good shepherd, God searches for us and seeks us.

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
Ezekiel:34:11

He will deliver us out of all the places wherever we may be scattered, though it may be dark and cloudy.

As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Ezekiel:34:12

B. He will gather us to be his holy people.

And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
Ezekiel:34:13

C. He will feed us with good pastures.

I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel:34:14

D. He makes us to lie down and gives us rest.


I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel:34:15

E. He seeks the lost, binds our brokenness and heals our sickness.

I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Ezekiel:34:16

F. He carries us in his bosom and gently lead us.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah:40:11

G. He will have compassion over us.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew:9:36

H. He is the bishop of our souls.

For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 Peter:2:25

I. More than anything the good shepherd lays his life to save from the enemy, that by his blood we can live.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John:10:11

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Hebrews:13:20

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews:13:21

The wolf scatters the sheep from the flock and isolates them. Today, you may be a victim of the darts of the enemy.

He uses weapons like unforgiveness, shame, guilt, ego, self-centeredness, bitterness, misunderstandings,  to scatter us from the very flock of God. He isolates us and once he succeeds we become a meat to him.

We may be like the sheep gone astray. We may be trusting on to hirelings, be it money, friends, job and so on... for a false sense of comfort.

But today is the day, let us come back to our shepherd who will bind our wounds and make us whole. When he gave his himself to die on the cross he will make sure he will perfect everything that concerns us too.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah:53:6

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans:8:32

To GOD BE THE GLORY.... amen.

The Shepherd of my soul.

Meditation John chapter 10:1-10

1. Jesus said surely the one that does not enter through the door into the sheepfold but climbs the other way is a thief and a robber. (V1)
2. But the shepherd of the sheep enters through the door. ( V2)
3. The porter opens to the shepherd. The sheep hears his voice. He calls his own sheep by its name and leads them out. (V3)
4. And when he puts forth his sheep he leads them and they follow him, because his own sheep knows the shepherd's voice.  (V4)
5. The sheep's do not follow the stranger but flees from them because they do not know the voice of the strangers. (V5)
6. Jesus spoke to them this parable but they did not understand the things that were spoken to them. (V6)
7. Jesus said to them that surely he is the door of the sheep. (V7)
8. All those who came before him are thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not hear them. (V8)
9. Jesus said that he is the door and through him if any man enters in, he shall be saved and he shall go in and out and find his pastures.  (V9)
10. Jesus said that the thief comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy. But Christ came to give them life and life in abundance. (V10)

 LIFE APPLICATION:

This passage portrays a beautiful parable of how CHRIST is for us.  Him being our shepherd and we his sheep.
Some of the characters of the good shepherd are listed here.

1. The shepherd enters through the door:

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
John:10:2

Jesus Christ is our shepherd and the owner of our souls who cares for us each day.

He comes lovingly to the sheepfold and knocks at our heart's door each day.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation:3:20

2. If we are the own sheep of our great shepherd we can hear his voice.

Dear Child of God,
How beautiful it is to hear and respond to the voice of our great shepherd?
It might not be a loud shout, but Sure, it is so gentle, mild and soothing and assuring.
Our soul and the very spirit of ours move as we hear our own shepherd's voice.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
John:10:3

Oh! How secure we feel as the shepherd calls each of us by our own names and he leads us out...

Now let me give you an illustration... most of us can hear the voice of our shepherd.  But we become too lazy, busy or hardened to rise up to open  the door.

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
Song of Solomon:5:2

How many times we reply to him that we have wound up already and we cannot rise up again to meet Him?

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
Song of Solomon:5:3

This is when our good shepherd still puts his fingers through the door and our bowels are moved for him.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
Song of Solomon:5:4

 Dear Child of the most high God,

Is your bowels moved as you hear the shepherd's voice calling you today... ? Let us tell him... Lord! Here I am.... and he will lead us through beautifully.

3. The shepherd goes before the sheep and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
John:10:4

So where does the shepherd leads us if we follow him hearing his voice?

A. The shepherd leads us into a land of plenty....where all of physical, emotional and spiritual WANTS are met, remember, not NEEDS but all our WANTS are met.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm:23:1

B. He feeds our body, soul and spirit to the full, so we never go hungry and drained.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
Psalm:23:2


And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
John:6:10

When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
John:6:12

C. He calms our souls, by leading us beside the still  waters of the word of God and the Holy Spirit.

 he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm:23:2

D. He heals our every emotional hurts, our broken hearts and he restores our soul.

He restoreth my soul.
Psalm:23:3

E. He leads us in the righteous path and teaches us the way we got to go.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Psalm:23:3

F. He comforts us with his rod and his staff that we do not need to fear, even if life takes a bad road.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm:23:4

G. He doesn't end there. He gives us victory amidst our enemies and anoint our heads with an oil of gladness and joy.... till our cups overflow.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psalm:23:5


Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psalm:45:7

H. Still more is in store... He makes sure that goodness and mercy shall follows all the days we are alive and as we trust in God's mercy,
 we will keep flourishing like green Olive trees in the house of God. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psalm:23:6

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
Psalm:52:8

 4. Jesus is our shepherd and he is also our door. Only if we can accept him as our saviour and our Lord... we will reap all the above benefits of being his own sheep and hearing his voice and following him.

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John:10:7

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John:10:9

Dear Child of God,
If you have not heard the shepherd speak to your innermost... today is the day to ask God for a hearing heart.

This is life and life in abundance as Christ restores in us everything stolen, killed and destroyed by the enemy back in double measure.

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.
John:10:10

Learn more from the video on how to hear the voice of God in detail.

See the SEA WALKER

 John 6:16-21

1. The disciples in the evening went down unto the sea and got into the ship.(v16, 17)
2. They went to the way of Capernaum.  (V17)
3. It was getting dark by then, and Jesus was not there with them. ( v17)
4. There blew a great wind and the sea arose. ( v18)
5. As they were rowing a little distance, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming close to the ship and were afraid. ( v19)
6. Jesus said that it is he And told them not to be afraid. (V20)
7. They gladly received him in the boat and immediately they reached the place where they wanted to reach. (V21)

 APPLICATION 1:
Dealing with tough times:
Many a times trouble times come over us like a shadow.. without us realising,  till it becomes too late.

In this meditation, we see three worse situations.
1. The disciples getting caught in the storm  (v18)
2.  it was becoming dark. (v17)
3. Jesus was not there in the ship. (V17)

David portrays of the emotional state of the disciples in psalms 107;

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psalm:107:23
These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psalm:107:24
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psalm:107:25
They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psalm:107:26
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.
Psalm:107:27
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psalm:107:28
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psalm:107:29
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psalm:107:30

Most of the time, in our troubles we are like drunken people, staggering around. We are at our wit's end. Our souls meltdown in trouble. But still we try to row our boats more further against the storms.

It is then we cry out to God for help. He hears our cry from the heavens. He humbles himself, to come to us and calm the storms.

Hallelujah! We have an awesome God who listens to our screams and cries and comes for our rescue.

 Life application 2:
Calming the storms:
When we are in trouble, something dramatic happens.

Our eyes are opened to see the SEA WALKER. (V19)
 Yes, today if we are troubled, let us pray that GOD will open our eyes to see the GOD of the oceans and seas, who have the authority to calm every storm and Gale surrounding us.

Now let me compare the similarity in psalms 107 and John 6:
Jesus calms them by soothing them not to be afraid. He calms their every hidden and inner turmoil with his words. (V20)

Dear Child of God, if you are in an inner turmoil, the word of God is coming to you. "Do not be afraid". He is able to calm every storm that raises against you.

 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psalm:107:29

But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
John:6:20

Once the inner peace sets in and we are completely quiet, he takes us fast to our desired place. Let us see these two verses below;

Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
John:6:21

Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psalm:107:30

Dear Child of God, Let me summarise how we are to deal with storms in life.
1. Identify the storm. - physical and emotional darkness with no Christ in the situation.
2. Cry out for help till heavens hear you.
3. Pray that your eyes are opened to see the SEA WALKER, The God who has the authority to calm your storms and change your situations.
4. Allow God's word to comfort you.
5. Receive Christ into your ship to deal with your situations.
6. Once you are calm and quiet and become glad about you will see your physical situations change quickly.

May Spirit of God enlighten your spirit to know more. Amen.