“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
“’And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.’” (John 10:7-18 ESV)
The first sheep mentioned in this passage of Scripture were the Jews of the Old Covenant. The “other sheep” mentioned are the Gentiles who Jesus said that he must bring in also, and there will be ONE FLOCK under ONE SHEPHERD Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:11-22). All who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ are now Israel (Jew and Gentile). All who have not died with Christ to sin and who do not obey God are not Israel (not of God). God’s people (Jew and Gentile) who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ under the New Covenant that God has with his people are his chosen ones.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
So, the physical nation of Israel is not the Israel of God. They are a nation just like any other nation. For as a nation they have rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord, the Christ. And all who have rejected Jesus have rejected God, because he is God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So if you feel you must support Israel, then support those who truly are of God who believe in Jesus Christ and who are walking in truth and in righteousness in walks of obedience to the Lord, and who are no longer walking according to the flesh and according to their sinful desires. Support them.
But, contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures (taught in context), many people, at least here in America, have been convinced that the physical nation of Israel is the chosen of God still and that they are to be treated with the same honor and respect as the Israel of God of the Old Covenant. But the Lord promised his people that one day there would be a New Covenant that he would have with his people, and he promised them to send them the Christ who was to be their shepherd under the New Covenant. And the Scriptures teach that all who deny Jesus as the Christ are not of God.
So, don’t make the physical nation of Israel an idol to be worshipped and supported above Christ and his teachings and even above your fellow Christians who may not join in with you in your support of the physical nation of Israel, which is not of God, but is a creation of man via WWII. As a physical nation, they are godless. And notice with me how they are being treated by our government, as though they are to be worshipped, and all who do not support them are considered antisemitic, which is becoming a crime. There are true Christians there, but they are far in the minority.
Doesn’t that sound a whole lot like if we do not bow to the beast (Revelation 13) that we will be put to death? The nation of Israel is being treated as though they are a god to be worshipped above all other nations and peoples and that they are to receive our blind and undying support, regardless of the evil that they are committing against the people of other nations. It is, therefore, not the obligation of Christians to give their undying support to a godless nation which rejects the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and which worships the idols of man, instead, which sounds like America, too.
But we who believe in Jesus Christ are to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who is Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. And we are to have no other gods before God. For it is morally wrong, and it is an insult to God to put any other gods before him or to combine the worship of God with the worship of false gods (nations, peoples, Santa Claus, etc.). It is morally wrong to worship anything above or in place of God, and many who profess the name of Jesus are worshippers of their own flesh and of the pleasures of this world in place of living their lives to please God.
Many who profess the name of Jesus are double-minded for they claim to believe in Jesus while they live for the pleasures of the flesh, in practice. Although with their lips they give praise and honor to God, perhaps, yet with their lifestyles (practices, habits) they deny him as Lord (Owner-Master), and they continue to live for sinful pleasures and for what brings them gratification and enjoyment. And so they make excuses for their sinful habits, and they pursue the ‘thieves and robbers’, instead, who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear, to console them in their sins.
So, the encouragement here is to deny self, die daily to sin, and to follow Jesus in obedience to his commands if you desire Christ as your Lord and salvation from sin and eternal life with God, for this is what God requires. Also, be those who test everyone and everything against the teachings of the Scriptures, taught IN CONTEXT, to make certain that what you are being told is the truth and not the lies of these false shepherds in their deceitful scheming. And don’t put your trust in any politician to save your nation from what ails it, for what ails it is sin, and only God can deliver us from sin.
For lies and liars abound in my nation (the USA) for sure, and many of them are politicians and government officials, pastors of churches, the media, and any other famous or highly regarded institution of man or individual. Don’t be those who are followers of humans who believe everything coming from the mouths of other “trusted” humans who may or may not be who you believe them to be at all. For remember that we are living in the last days, and we are warned in the Scriptures against these false shepherds of the people. So be spiritually discerning people who test everyone.
I am a firm believer that my nation (the USA) is Babylon, and that we, as a nation, are under the judgment of God, and it is just a matter of time before God visits us in judgment because of all the idolatry and false worship of God that is going on in this nation in the name of Christianity. So, please know that the gospel that Jesus taught tells us that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience if we want to have salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life with him. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, we will NOT inherit eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
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