Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Words: Dorothy A. Thrupp, 1836.
Music: William B. Bradbury, 1859.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,

much we need Thy tender care;

In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,

for our use Thy folds prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!

Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, Thou dost befriend us, be the guardian of our way;

Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be;

Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor, early let us do Thy will;

Blessed Lord and only Savior, with Thy love our bosoms fill.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

All We Like Sheep

Early next week I will post more 'Reasons to believe that the Bible is God's book'.

We have a sheep pasture near our house. I love driving past it, because those sheep remind me of myself. I recently went through a couple commentaries on Psalm 23, Spurgeon, Leupold and MacArthur all gave me the information below. I hope you benefit from it.

The Lord is my Shepherd... 'This Psalm is NOT worn out – it is as sweet in a believer’s ear now as it was in David’s time' – CH Spurgeon

A common analogy in the bible is that of us being sheep and the Lord being the shepherd.
‘Shepherd’ appears 56 times in the bible. ‘Sheep’ appears 174 times in the bible.
‘Lamb’ appears 98 times in the bible (OT mostly referring to the animal, NT mostly referring to the Spotless Lamb, Christ.

• Psalm 110:3 – We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
• Psalm 119:178 – I have gone astray like a lost sheep…
• Isaiah 53:6 – All we like sheep have gone astray…
• Jeremiah 50:6 - My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray.
• Matthew 25 – the separation of the sheep and the goats
• Mark 6:34 - When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
• Luke 15:3 – 7 - So He told them this parable, saying, What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance

Psalm 23 is a psalm of David. Imagine David tending the sheep and contemplating his relationship as guardian over the sheep and his relationship with them. And then imagine him drawing this analogy of him being the sheep and his Lord being the shepherd.

Why would God use this sheep/shepherd analogy? We are just like sheep. We need to be led, we need to be rescued, we need to be comforted and we need to be protected.

To gain a better appreciation for the Shepherd, it helps to know a little about SHEEP.

• Sheep need to be led: Psalm 23:2 –
  Sheep are indiscriminate about what they eat and drink. They don’t know the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous plants. Their diet must be carefully controlled and guarded by the shepherd. They MUST be led to greener pastures or they will continue to eat the stubble of the old pasture down to the dirt, and then they will die. They MUST be led to clear water that is not stagnant or filled with potential disease. Can’t be too hot or too cold or flowing too fast. It must be nearby and easily accessible. They must be led BESIDE THE STILL WATERS. What are our green pastures and still waters?? Scriptures of truth which are never exhausted – they are always fresh and rich. The influences and graces of his blessed spirit.
• Sheep need to be rescued: Psalm 23:3 –
  Sheep have no sense of direction – no sense of finding its way home. A sheep can be lost within a few miles of home and will walk in endless circles in a state of confusion or even panic. If it wanders from familiar surroundings the results can be disastrous. (All we like sheep have gone astray). Like lost sheep, lost people need a rescuer. And its all for HIS names sake! It's for his ‘character and reputation’. He does all this because HE has a reputation among his saints for faithful dealings with them, a reputation that must be cautiously upheld!
• Sheep need to be comforted: Psalm 23:4 –
  Sheep lack the instinct for self-preservation. If you mistreat a sheep, he can simply give up with a crushed spirit and possibly die. The shepherd must know his sheep’s individual personalities and know how to treat them, taking care not to inflict undue or excessive stress on them. Sheep have a reluctance to move on their own when it is dark. They need a shepherd to give them confidence and assurance. The shepherds rod/staff was often employed as a defense system in some cases, warding off harmful predators. Walking through the ‘darkest valley’. – Notice the walking ‘through’. The Hebrew phrase contains no reference to DEATH. This refers more to dark and bitter experience, which certainly could include death. Spurgeon says 'where there is a shadow, there is light'.
• Sheep need to be protected: Psalm 23:5 –
  Sheep are almost entirely defenseless. The can’t kick, scratch, bite, run or jump. They need a protective shepherd to be assured of survival. When attacked by an enemy or predator, they huddle together rather than run away, and that makes they easy prey.
  If a full-wooled sheep falls on its back, often it is unable to roll back onto its feet, again making it easy prey. If it lies there long enough, its circulation will be cut off and it will die. It needs a shepherd to come to its aid, and the shepherd may carry it for a long time on his shoulders until it can walk again. Part of protection would also include cleaning the sheep. Older sheep are almost never white, since the lanolin in their wool attracts dirt, seeds, weeds, etc. They have no capacity to clean themselves. Eating wet weeds can cause diarrhea which is not a good combination with the matted greasy wool. The elimination process doesn’t work like it is supposed to and the shepherd must dip the sheep and clean him up. Wet ground is also a threat. The sheep can develop hoof rot or get diseases which quickly spread from sheep to sheep potentially ravaging the whole flock. Anointing the head with oil – shepherds would carry flasks of oil to smooth on the scratched faces of the sheep that sought food in the brambles or thorny areas. After a ‘bout’ with an enemy or a stressful situation, it would not be beneath the dignity of the faithful shepherd to carry an overflowing drinking vessel to the over-tired and out-of-sorts sheep for his refreshment.
  

So, if I am a sheep, and I have a shepherd, I really do have everything I need, and in abundance! Knowing this truth about literal sheep has staggering implications on how we respond to knowing that WE have a shepherd in Christ…

The Lord is my shepherd – I have everything I need (23:1). And because of that, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me (23:6) .

Reasons to Believe the Bible is God's Book - Part 2

Reason #2 - The Bible is Scientifically Accurate.

Consider these following facts:

1). The fact that the earth is spherical.
Isaiah 40:22 - While it is true that a few Greek philosophers did postulate this as early as 540 b.c., the common man held the earth to be flat until the introduction of the compass and the fifteenth-century voyages of Columbus and Magellan.

2). The fact that the earth is suspended in space.
Job 26:7 - this was not known by the scientists of the world until the writings of Sir Isaac Newton in a.d. 1687.

3). The fact that the stars are innumerable.
Genesis 15:5 - As late as a.d. 150 the famous astronomer Ptolemy dogmatically declared the number of the
stars to be exactly 1056. Today scientists tell us there are probably as many stars in the heavens as there are grains of sand on all the sea shores of the world. (see also Genesis 13:16).

4). The fact that there are mountains and canyons in the sea.
2 Samuel 22:16, Jonah 2:6 - As recently as a century ago, the ocean’s volume and size was viewed as a watery bowl, which sloped from the coastline gently downward toward the middle, where it was deepest. It then was thought to proceed upward to the other side. The Marianas Trench, near the Philippines; is over 7 miles deep.

5). The fact that there are springs and fountains in the sea.
Genesis 7:11; 8:2; Proverbs 8:28 - Shortly after World War II, research ships discovered many underwater volcanoes. The number is estimated today to be at least 10,000. U.S. Geological Survey research has shown the present rate of water increase from underwater volcanic outlets to be 430 million tons each year.

6). The fact of the hydrological cycle.
Job 26:8; 36:27-28; 37:16; Psalm 135:7; Ecclessiastes 1:6-7 - This would include precipitation, evaporation, cloud construction, movements of moisture by wind circuits, etc.

7). The fact that all living things are reproduced after their own kind.
Genesis 1:21; 6:19 – For hundreds of years scientists followed the spontaneous generation theory of Aristotle (350 b.c.). They believed eggs of all lower animals (insects, etc.) were formed out of rotting substance. Frogs and other small sea life, they thought, had their origin in slime pools. In fact, it was not until 1862 that Louis Pasteur proved once for all that there was no such thing as spontaneous generation. Then, in 1865, a monk named Johann Mendel demonstrated even more forcibly the rigid laws of heredity.

8). The facts concerning the human bloodstream.
Leviticus 17:11 - Many scientists (Herophilos, for example, a physician in the medical museum at Alexandria, Egypt) believed blood to be a carrier of disease instead of life. ‘Bloodletting’ was the cause of many deaths from the fourth century BC until the nineteenth century AD.

These facts reveal one thing: science will ALWAYS bow the knee to God's Word. Sometimes we get it backwards - trying to retrofit the Bible into what we believe 'science' is telling us. When we do that, we have abandoned a high view of Scripture. Yes, 'science' can be valuable, but not at the expense of the truth. Knowing what the bible says regarding these types of things helps us to regain and maintain our highest regard for the Word AND renews our confidence that it really is God's inspired Word to us.

Mark

Reasons to Believe the Bible is God's Book - Part 1

Reason #1 - Its Amazing Unity.

Here are a few interesting and amazing facts about the Bible:
1). There are 66 books in the Bible. 39 OT, 27 NT 2). There are 1,189 chapters; 31,173 verses; 774,746 words.
3). The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years (ca. 1405 BC to AD 95).
4). The Bible was written by almost 40 different human authors. There were kings, priests, a doctor, fishermen, shepherds, statesmen, a tax collector and prophets.
5). The Bible was written in Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT) with a few passages in Aramaic.
6). The Bible was written from different places, such as deserts, caves, prison, palace and beaches.
7). The Bible was written from different moods (sadness and joy).
8). The Bible was written in different times (war and peace).
9). The Bible was written with different literary styles: history, parables , songs/hymns, proverbs, genealogies, laws, gospels, letters, apocalypses, narratives, doctrines, ethical teachings, prophecies, sermons, confessions of faith, and thank-you notes.

We see all this variety, yet the Bible is without errors or contradictions.
How is unity achieved despite the variety mentioned above?

Consider the divine author:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 states that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." "Inspired" in the original Greek language means "breathed out" – God breathed out (or dictated) what He wanted the human authors to write; God superintended the writing of scripture.

Consider also, 2 Peter 1:20-21: "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." In other words, nobody came up with this stuff on their own accord. God, through the Holy Spirit, caused these 40 human authors to pen His very thoughts and words.

And despite all the variety mentioned above, the Bible has one unified message to mankind: how one may enter into a right relationship with this God who 'breathed out' these words of scripture.

Amazing.

The Indestructible Word

I just cut my grass in the back yard. A few short days ago my yard was vibrant with bright yellow dandelions. Today my yard is white with dead dandelions. Not only did it remind me of how short a life span can be, whether a plant or a human life, but it also reminded me of a passage in Isaiah: "The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8).

Grass, no matter how lush and green it can be at times will often be brown and crunchy in the midst of the heat of August.

Flowers, no matter how beautiful and colorful they can be (yes, even dandelions), the petals eventually fall off.

God's Word - no matter what kind of scrutiny - no matter who the scoffers may be - no matter what direction the culture turns - God's Word is always true, and always stands firm. The grass and the flower wither and fade, but God's Word is indestructible.

In the next few posts, I want to share some thoughts specifically about the Word, and how we can know with confidence that this indestructible book called the Bible really is from God.

Mark

Reading is FUNdamental!

Reading good books is important to me for several reasons:
1). Reading is actually very enjoying and is a great stress reliever.
2). Reading other people’s view of things often makes me look at things from a different angle – a new approach that I had maybe never considered.
3). Reading is one good way to ‘renew my mind’ (Romans 12:1-2). Most of the things I read are about theology, so this kind of material is good in stretching and renewing my mind – causing me to contemplate that which is good and noble.
4). Reading is part of God’s command to ‘study to show ourselves approved unto God’ (2 Timothy 2:15). Of course studying the Bible itself is of the utmost priority.

These are some small tips that helped me to cultivate a regular habit of reading.
1). Be diligent. If you read just 3 pages per day, you can read over 1000 pages in one year. That is three good-sized books. Imagine if you read 10 pages per day.
2). Read to understand, not just to get through the exercise.
3). Pick material that interests you and subject matters that you can follow. It’s healthy to read books that have very challenging concepts in them, but if the topics are too deep, don’t get discouraged or give up - move on to something that is more your speed.
4). Choose authors that are reputable. Reading someone's wrong thoughts about theology is poisonous.
5). Don't be distracted and/or consumed by the television, the telephone or the internet.

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages

Words: Augustus Toplady, 1776.
Music: Thomas Hastings, 1830.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Amen!

Black and White - Gospel Thoughts for the Week

I like black and white photography. Although there are shades of gray, black and white photography is about contrast - it makes a statement about 'difference'. You will notice that I like to use alot of black and white photos on this blog - and that is by design.

I believe that Christians need to think in black and white terms (right vs. wrong, truth vs. error, light vs. darkness, life vs. death, etc). When we get used to thinking in black and white, then when we are confronted with the 'gray areas' of life, we are much more ready to respond confidently, without waffling, equivocating, or second guessing.

So, why the morbid picture of the tombstones? Because you and I are going to be lying under one someday. The Bible says that 'the wages of sin is death' (Romans 6:23). Because Adam, our federal head, disobeyed one command of God, humankind was plunged into a situation where death is inevitable. And so our names will someday appear on one of these stones, and we will be in either one of two places, forever and ever and ever: either enjoying eternal bliss in heaven where there is no more pain, suffering, disease, war, hunger, hatred or fear, OR we will be bearing the full force of God's wrath by spending an eternal, conscious punishment in hell, suffering and being tormented and punished where the fire is not quenched. See the contrast? This is not a gray area in God's Word.

Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ, who became our wrath-bearer. Placing our full faith and trust in Him, in complete surrender and full obedience is the clear option. Romans 6:23 does not just stop at telling us what the wages of sin is - it thankfully goes on to state that there is a 'gift' we can receive! The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. But a 'gift' must be received in order to really be a gift. People can turn away a gift. People can reject God's gift of eternal life in Christ - to their eternal damnation and suffering. What choice have you made?

Hear what Moses said to the people as he addressed them just before his death - I think the principle applies to us today in choosing Christ or rejecting Him:

"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him" - Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Embracing the good news,
Mark

One Mediator Between Man and God - Part 2

So, what does the Bible say about the papacy?

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus - 1 Timothy 2:5.

The Church of Rome demands that all follow blindly with implicit faith the interpretation of the Bible given by the pope and his hierarchy. This usurps the place of the Holy Spirit as teacher and leader. Romans 8:14 states, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." The brazen exhibition of arrogance, bigotry and intolerance in the Catholic church is in sharp contrast to that of Peter in whose succession the popes claim to follow.

In 1 Peter 5:1-3, we read "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock."

Furthermore, Jesus said in Matthew 20:25-28, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Peter, the alleged first pope, was not infallible as a teacher of faith and morals, as is evidenced by his conduct at Antioch when he refused to eat with Gentile Christians so as not to offend Jews from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-16). Would not Paul have been more qualified as a ‘pope’ than Peter, as both a man and a teacher? There is NO indication anywhere in the New Testament that anyone should be chosen for this position. Church leadership positions ARE outlined in the NT: Elders (bishop, pastor, shepherd) and Deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-15, Titus 1:5-9). No archbishop, supreme bishop or pope is mentioned in ANY of Paul’s writings, not even his letter to the Romans. Surely these would be mentioned if such an important office existed.

James R. White, in his excellent book 'Scripture Alone', gives this insightful commentary on the subject: '...man seeks to enthrone his own thoughts and authority in place of the the ultimate authority of God's Word so as to allow man to control God's truth. This is the basis of every false teaching, every error the church has ever faced or ever will face'.

Before Martin Luther came on the scene centuries ago, the church at Rome had begun assert interpretive control over the Bible. The church had taken over Christ's role as mediator between God and man. Luther was outspoken in his criticism of the condition of the church at the time and thrusted the world into the Protestant Reformation by making the following statement: "unless I am convicted by scripture and by plain reason, I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have frequently errored and contradicted themselves. My conscience is captive to the Word of God… to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other."

The Word of God, the Bible - is our sole authority. Not the church, not tradition, and certainly not the Pope.

One Mediator Between Man and God - Part 1

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI was in our country and throngs of people turned out to see him. I couldn’t help but wonder if an appearance by Jesus Christ himself would receive such fan-fare. All the pope-worship was a bit disturbing to me.

A couple of interesting items on the papacy:
The word ‘pope’ comes from the Latin ‘papa’ which means ‘father’. The title was first given to Gregory I by emperor Phocas in the year 605. He did this to spite the bishop of Constantinople (who excommunicated him for setting up the assassination of his predecessor). Gregory refused the title, but his successor Boniface III (607) assumed the title, and this has been the designation of the ‘head bishop of Rome’ ever since.

Claims of the papacy:
1). "The pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth… he is the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by no one, God himself on earth" –The New York Catechism

2). "The pope holds upon this earth the place of God Almighty" - Leo XIII, The Reunion of Christendom

3). "The Roman Church holds that the pope, as the vicar of Christ on earth is the ruler of the world, supreme not only over the Roman Church itself, but over all kings, presidents and civil rulers, indeed over all peoples and nations" – Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism

What does the BIBLE have to say about this? Find out tomorrow.

Mark