Skip to main content

The Richmond Briefing

Image
By

A Weekly Bible Reading for Bridge Builders

The Richmond Briefing has been a weekly feature of the Reachout web site for five years and is now available on the blog. To find out more and read earlier briefings go here

Reading – The Good Shepherd (John 10)

The picture of sheep and shepherd is used to describe the relationship between God and his people. The psalmist wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Shepherd also describes Israel’s spiritual leaders in the Old Testament and their responsibility was serious. Jeremiah wrote:

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” (Jer.23:1)

As Jesus spoke we have to remember what picture was brought to people’s minds and how his words described their leaders and challenged them. And it is a challenge, to them and to us. Jesus identified the characteristics of a good shepherd, who is,

A courageous protector: The shepherd slept in the one opening to the fold like a door between the sheep and their enemies. He protected them with his life, prepared to lay down his life for his sheep

A steadfast leader: In Palestine sheep are not driven but led. The shepherd leads “from the front” and they follow

A trustworthy guide: The shepherd concerned for his flock guides his sheep to the best pasture, “that they may have life to the full”

A personal friend: At might sheep might sleep several flocks in one fold but in the morning each sheep knew the voice of the shepherd and he knew them

Jesus doesn’t mince his words as he declares, “I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them” There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that there are those who call themselves shepherds but are thieves and robbers who come to steal, kill and destroy; or are hired hands who cares nothing for the sheep. I said there was a challenge and it is this; do you know the shepherd?

All shepherds will have followers but do we know and recognise the voice of the Good Shepherd? Are we confident that we are following the One who laid down His life for His sheep or is our shepherd one who expects us to sacrifice for him? Is our shepherd leading us in green pastures, giving us life to the full, or is our diet poor and lacking nourishment? Is our shepherd our friend and do we know his voice?

That is the challenge, to know him and to follow no matter the other sheep and other voices.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Obama's mother posthumously baptized into LDS Church - Salt Lake Tribune

By
In the wake of his remarkable success it seemed that the world and his wife wanted to claim President Obama as their own with even an Irish connection being dug up. Now the Mormons have got in on the act by posthumously baptising his mother. They have in the past upset the Jewish community, the Catholic Church and now the American President with this wacky and unbiblical practice but there is no indication that they will review it. And, of course, it is always someone else’s fault and they promise a thorough inquiry to uncover the real culprits. Maybe they should try looking in the mirror. President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, who died in 1995, was baptized posthumously into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last year during her son's campaign, according to Salt Lake City-based researcher Helen Radkey. The ritual, known as “baptism for the dead,” was done June 4 in the Provo temple, and another LDS temple rite, known as the “endowment,” was
Post a Comment
Read more

Mormon Christians? Whats in a Name?

By
The Mormon Church, disturbed by the continuing identifying of polygamus sects in the news with the name Mormon, recently issued a press statement aimed at "clarifying" issues. It is interesting to note that if you substitute the name "Christian" where they use the name "Mormon" it makes a very good argument for us against the claims of the Mormon Church. The full press release is reproduced below in italics with each paragraph rewritten in ordinary text to present it from a Christian perspective. SALT LAKE CITY 10 July 2008 On 26 June, Newsroom published a package of information featuring profiles of ordinary Latter-day Saints in Texas. With no other intention but to define themselves, these members provided a tangible depiction of what their faith is all about. They serve as the best distinction between the lifestyles and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Texas-based polygamous group that has recently attracted media attent
70 comments
Read more

The Mormon God’s Dysfunctional Family

By
You know those moments when you look at something you’ve looked at a thousand times before and suddenly see something new? I was looking at a blog I found via the Google Blog Alerts service and it told the familiar story of the Mormon “ Plan of Salvation”; you can read it here. There really was nothing surprising until I started thinking about what people might think if a family they knew conducted themselves the way the Mormon “family of God” do in this story. People from abusive backgrounds have problems enough with the idea of God as a Father but this story would put anyone off the idea forever! As I recount this story think about what the typical dad would do as his kids are growing up and compare it with this “exalted man.” According to Mormonism “ God created our spirits” and we lived with him in a pre-mortal existence (Mormons say “pre-existence” but it is not possible to pre-exist, i.e. to exist before you exist. The noun “existence” has to be have the prefix “pre” othe
23 comments
Read more