|
Wholeworld Church of God
P.O. Box 594
Goodlettsville, TN 37070
Email: wwcg@bellsouth.net
Website: http://wwcg.org
December 27, 2009
Dear Friend,
Part of today’s society views God as a harsh, vengeful Being ready to punish humankind for disobeying Him––as if He sits in Heaven waiting for us to make a mistake so He can vent His wrath on us. That attitude arose from a famous sermon given many years ago. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was a sermon written by American theologian Jonathan Edwards and preached on July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut. The title gives you a hint at the content and how God is viewed by some religions. There is also the counterpart to that, presenting God as a I-will-forgive-you-for-anything,-just-do-what-you-want Being. When in reality, God compares Himself to a Shepherd tending a flock of sheep. If we study the relationship between a shepherd and his flock, you will see how God truly views us. It also shows how we should view our Shepherd in Heaven.
God, foremost, is love. He treats us with love. Everything God does for us is motivated by love. He makes that abundantly clear in His word. “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. “ Isa 40:11 This is a wonderful scripture to meditate on when we are fasting and talking to our Father. He is our Father, and how does a father treat his children? Our Father treats us in the same way only without the mistakes our earthly fathers may have made. Our heavenly Father Loves us so much that He gave His only begotten son so that we can have eternal life with Him in His family. Once God has called us, He will not let us fail. He will watch over us and protect us as a shepherd protects his flock. In Ezek 34:11-16, we see that, even in this scattered condition of the church today, God is watching over us as a shepherd knows where his sheep are and we know that someday the Great Sheperd of the flock will gather us into His Kingdom. “and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. “1 Peter 5:4
The most beautiful passage in the Bible is the 23rd Psalm in which is defined our relationship to our Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He provides our every need. He gives us a place of rest and peace. His Holy Spirit leads us into rightness, restoring our life and vigor. God is always with us no matter what the trial or threat from this world’s dangers. Therefore, we should not fear. No matter how great the persecution or the attacks of others, God gives us comfort. We have more than we will ever need. All of our days are filled with the goodness and mercy of the Lord. We are now and will forever dwell in the tabernacles of God in the God Family. From time to time, it is a good policy to read and study this Psalm to catch the vision of the One who watches over us and cares for us constantly.
The Great Sheperd of the sheep never tires or sleeps. He is contantly with us in everything every moment of our lives. Only He is the source of our lives, and we must look to Him for guidance and direction knowing He will never leave us or forsake us. That is why we look to the only One that makes eternal life possible. We must know God and by our conduct make sure he knows us. “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” John 10:1 Now that you have read this letter, wouldn’t it be a good time to study the 23rd Psalm about our Shepherd, our Savior.
In the service of Christ,
Ronald W. Laughland
Pastor
|
