THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS


DAILY DEVOTIONS

HI!

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Down here in Louisiana, most guys get really "hung up" on deer hunting!

A group of Louisiana friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned to camp alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck.

"Where's Henry?" the others asked.
"Henry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail," the successful hunter said.
"You mean you left Henry out there and carried the deer back?" they asked.
"A tough call," nodded the hunter, "But I figured no one is going to STEAL Henry!"

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John 10:10
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.
KJV

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The parable which precedes this verse is about sheep and The Shepherd. People are the sheep, Jesus is The Shepherd. There's only ONE entrance to The Shepherd's fold -- Jesus Himself is the "door."

Then, Jesus made the statement about a "thief" coming to the flock of the Shepherd. It's important that we get that context.

Ignorance is one tool the "thief" uses. He wants to keep people from knowing the truth by keeping them from reading the Bible. If people never read the Bible they will never find the central revelation of Christ as Creator, Savior, Judge and Incarnate God.

Idolatry is another tool the "thief" uses. If he can convince people to imagine God in their own devices, he can deter them from the One True God.

The object of the "thief" is to steal the sheep away from The Shepherd.

But Jesus came to give simplistic education to the ignorant and to expose idolatry as sin. The REAL Shepherd came in flesh to prove His love for the sheep!

He died to demonstrate His desire to forgive.
He was resurrected to prove He has power to save from death.
He is coming again to receive all who believe that simple truth.

Physical life is already given. However, by sin, we each and all have given ourselves over to the "thief" who desires not only to "steal," but also to "kill and destroy!"

But Jesus came to give LIFE....and that "more abundantly." When we have Jesus, we have LIFE as opposed to DEATH! We have spiritual closeness for eternity with Christ, as opposed to spiritual separation.

And that my friends, is the JOY of The Shepherd and "life more abundantly" for the sheep!

Love ya,
Bruce