“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.” John 10

 

This beautiful analogy of Jesus as the shepherd and we as His sheep is a wonderful description of our relationship with God.  Jesus, here, is giving us a great explanation of true and false teachers and their claim to having the way to knowing God.  There are many false shepherds in the world today.  Not just people but things like wealth, power, fame or health.  Unbiblical ideas about alternative lifestyles and lapsed morality being OK. But He alone is the good shepherd.  The only way to the kingdom of God. We know His voice if we are His own and we will identify with Him and follow Him only.  We are told to test ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.  To make sure we are following the Shepherd and His ways.  John 14 reminds us that He said: 

 

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;^[a] believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^{[b] 3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to where I am going.”^{[c] 5} Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.^[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

 

The mission of the Christian church should not be to make the unbeliever as comfortable as possible.  To make them feel good, or to appease their sensitivities.  Jesus is the only way to God and to heaven.  If the believer is not following the examples of Christ and His word then the believer is not going to be recognized by God.  Those that are turning the Biblical truths into softer versions and more likeable versions as not to "step on any toes" are sailing dangerously near the edge.  We cannot pick and choose the Bible parts that we like and ignore the parts we don't like.  

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

Scripture tells us in multiple places that our mouth is the cause of a lot of trouble.  It tells us that out of our heart comes the truth of how we think and feel and it comes flooding right out of our mouths.  We are told that the mouth is the best indicator of if we are truly growing spiritually.  If we are able to curb our disobedient thoughts and tongue then we are seen as gentle, obedient children of God.

 

Luke 6:45

In Colossians 3: 1-17 we read how that if we are in Christ we need to be acting and thinking as Christ would have us do.  

 

 

There is no time like the present to make changes.  The new year is a good time, like we all know, to make those resolutions.  But maybe instead of the resolutions where we promise ourselves what we are going to do, we should be deciding to stop doing those things that are not suitable for a Christian's walk or for our health.

 

John 1 verses 1 to 18 he explains that Christ and the cross is God's Glory.  

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.