236 - Jesus is the Door of the Sheep#
236 - Jesus is the Door of the Sheep
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
John 10:1-9
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for preparing this time to gather Your children here, not for any other reason, but to worship Jesus, to seek the supply and strength that comes from Jesus. Lead us during this time so that each one of us can receive something. Thank You and praise You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Sharing Topic: Jesus is the Door of the Sheep
What is a door for? A door can bring us protection, safety, rest, and access. Wouldn't it be more convenient without a door? Today I want to share with you that a door has another purpose: separation; it separates you out. Those inside the door are safe, while those outside the door are not safe. Therefore, separation occurs; the door is a place of entry and exit, as well as a place of security. For a home, when we are inside the door, our hearts are at peace and at rest. Does our soul need a door? A person's heart is often restless and lacks peace. People in the world have lost peace in many ways. It's not that there are no doors in homes; every household's door is becoming more advanced, yet hearts are increasingly lacking peace, so doors are becoming sturdier.
But can a sturdy door block the loss of peace in your heart? No. Looking back at the last fifty or sixty years, were doors very sturdy back then? People's hearts were much more at peace than now. You might say that people back then were not as cunning as they are now, but people have always been like this. We must understand that in Christ, the door of the heart is more important and needs peace and rest even more. If our hearts are not protected, without peace, there is no rest, and fear will arise. Just like now, doors are becoming more advanced, but people's hearts are losing rest. You can install the best security door at home, but how do you secure a protective door for your heart? How do you attain peace, protection, and rest? Many people in this world have lost their rest; how can we keep our hearts in rest?
In the Jewish region, there are very simple sheepfolds. After the sheep enter, there is no door; the shepherd lies across the gap in the fence, and that door is his body. Unless a wild animal crosses over his body, it cannot enter the sheepfold. The Lord Jesus is that door of the sheep; He is the protection and supply for the sheep. Jesus is the door of the sheep; through Him, we can enter into security and find pasture. Isn't that also a kind of separation?
When you enter into Jesus Christ, your heart will have peace and joy. Because you know who is helping you, watching over you, the one who does not slumber or sleep. No matter what happens, you will not be afraid, you will not be like the world, not knowing where to go in the future, or how to deal with your current problems. When you believe in the existence of this shepherd, you need not worry. Hallelujah!
The first point of sharing: Jesus is our door of salvation.
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
This passage is familiar to everyone. Let me ask you a question: How do you enter the narrow gate? Do you have to lose weight to get in? Many churches in Europe and America are beautiful, and their doors are very narrow. They say that is the narrow gate; it cannot be made wider, or it becomes a wide gate. Is that the gate? The true narrow gate refers to Jesus; He is that narrow gate.
Let me tell you some content from Genesis. When Adam and Eve had not sinned, death was a narrow gate; it was very difficult to die. If you jumped off the highest mountain, could you die? Angels would catch you. At that time, there was no way to die; the only way to die was to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They searched high and low and indeed found that one narrow gate, and as a result, they died, turning everything upside down. The original blessings, peace, and joy were all lost.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is that only narrow gate. Now there are countless ways to die; you can choke while eating, or die from anger. For you, the way to eternal life is only this one, which we call the narrow gate. Jesus is the only way to the kingdom of heaven, meaning Jesus is our door of salvation, the only door. Jesus said you must enter by the narrow gate, which means through Him, you can enter into the presence of the Father. There is no other way; Jesus is the only door of salvation.
Mark 10:23-27
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God for those who trust in riches! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
This is about salvation. Here, Jesus used two metaphors: one is that it is particularly difficult for those who rely on wealth to enter the kingdom of God; it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. How does a camel go through the eye of a needle? A camel is obviously bigger than a needle. The disciples couldn't understand: then who can be saved? Jesus said: With man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Let me ask you: How does a camel go through the eye of a needle? Just make a bigger eye for the needle, and it can pass through. But what would be the point of that? What is Jesus really teaching? He wants to tell us that relying on wealth to seek salvation is impossible. Of course, Jesus doesn't need to make a bigger eye for the needle.
There is a saying here: a camel going through the eye of a needle is a Jewish metaphor. In Jewish cities, there were city gates surrounded by walls. The large city gates would be closed at night; now they are gone, and many places no longer have such buildings. But in the past, there were often four large city gates that would be closed at night. In the Jewish region, it was the same; what was different was that next to the large city gate, there was a small door. Now in rural areas, there are often large iron gates with a small door. When the large gate is closed at night, people enter and exit through the small door. In Israel, their city gates were like this, and they called that small city gate the "eye of the needle." So Jesus used a way they could understand to tell them.
How does a camel go through this eye of the needle? A camel carries a lot of goods, and those goods represent your wealth. A camel loaded with goods cannot go through this small door. The only way is to unload the goods first, let the camel go in, and then carry the wealth inside. In other words, if you want to enter through Jesus' narrow gate, you must first put down your old ways of thinking and behaving, lay down your burdens, and then you can believe in Jesus and easily enter. Otherwise, try carrying a lot of goods; how can you squeeze through that door? Isn't it true that neither the camel nor the goods can get in? But if you put the goods down first, you can go in, and you won't lose your goods. This tells us that if you want to rely on wealth, you cannot see God's power in your life. It is not that God does not care for us; it is that we are unwilling to let go.
In the original text, when Jesus came to preach, He said: The kingdom of heaven is near; you should repent. This is also what John the Baptist preached, which is to let people repent and believe in Jesus Christ to be saved. In the original Greek text, it means: You must first put down your obsessions to see that the kingdom of God is near. If you do not let go of past concepts and do not renew your way of thinking, even if you see Jesus standing in front of you, you will not believe that He is the Messiah. Why couldn't the Pharisees believe in Jesus? Because in their minds, they thought the coming of the Messiah must be a sensational figure, tall and wealthy, born in a palace, a very famous person. But Jesus was born in a manger, in a very humble place, in an inconspicuous family, so they could never believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Their way of thinking limited their acceptance of this Lord.
Brothers and sisters, we are the same. Every year we must enter into the next year, and our way of thinking must constantly be renewed. Do not look at people and things now with past ways. Can you survive in this world with the concepts of the past forty or fifty years? You cannot survive; concepts need to be updated. Even the world knows this; is our Lord not the same?
He does not follow the world; He leads people forward. Jesus leads us forward in this order. Look at what Jesus said; the camel going through the eye of a needle means you must put down your old ways of thinking. Now a new week has begun; do not bring your old ways of thinking into this week. Last week had many problems and pressures; do not bring that into this week. Let Jesus give you the strength to overcome all problems this week.
We must constantly renew our thoughts. What Jesus means is: With man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. When you are willing to put down those ingrained things from your past, you can draw on God's grace, draw on God's strength, and it will become very easy.
The second point: There is no other way to salvation except through Jesus.
Acts 4:12, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
This verse clearly tells us that in this world, people think there are many ways to salvation. For example, every religion has its way of salvation. Some religions say: We are just climbing the mountain from different angles; you take this road, and I take that road. It is not like that at all; there is only one way to salvation, which is Jesus! Without going through the door of Jesus, all other ways are wide gates, wide roads, but they are all paths to death, all paths to judgment. We just mentioned the eye of the needle; the wide gate is open during the day. When the large gate opens, it is very convenient for people to enter and exit, but at the city gate, there are scribes, Pharisees, and elders sitting there judging the people.
In the Old Testament, Jesus quoted some customs of Israel. We need to understand this. Once, David's son Absalom wanted to usurp David's throne. Originally, early in the morning, if the people had any questions, they would go to the king. However, David was in the palace, and at that time, David did not fulfill his royal responsibilities. His son Absalom sat at the city gate and asked the people, "What are you going to do?" They said, "I am going to find the king to appeal some matters." He said, "The king is busy now; you can come to me." His ability to sit at the city gate proved that he had the power to judge. The people of Israel could accept this process.
Do you know what he used to judge the people? He used the Ten Commandments and the laws to judge the people. That is why if a son insults his father, the father has the right to bring the son to the city gate, and after the elders judge, if the son is indeed guilty, people can take him outside the city and stone him to death. All judgments were carried out at the city gate, and executions after judgment were outside the city. Jesus was killed outside the city; the judgment was inside the city, and the execution was outside.
During the day, it is indeed very convenient. The world tells you there are many ways to be saved, and you do not need to believe in Jesus, the only way; that is too difficult. They can carry their burdens to believe in their gods, carrying everything to believe in their gods, walking that wide gate, which is the path to judgment. After six o'clock in the evening, when the large city gate is closed, the small city gate opens. When you enter through the small door, can you still see the judges? They have gone home. So when you enter through the small door, you do not need to find those judges; you can directly enter into abundance. Jesus is that only narrow gate; through Jesus, God no longer judges you, and you can enter into security, no longer fearing outside the city gate.
Because this door is your protection, there is no other way to salvation except through Jesus. As mentioned earlier, all who came before me are thieves; the first verse says: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber."
Why does this person not enter through the door? Because their identity is incorrect; someone who climbs over the wall is definitely not a normal person, not the owner of the house. The owner would not go to such trouble. Now Jesus is telling us: If we do not enter through Him, any method of salvation is a robbery, and God does not recognize it. In other words, if you want your life to be saved and to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must go through Jesus, the only door; any other method of entry is false and wrong.
The second verse says: "He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep."
What does the shepherd do? What is the purpose of climbing over the wall? The purpose is entirely different. The one who enters through the door is there to supply, protect, and care for the sheep; the one who enters from another place aims to destroy, kill, and steal, which is the behavior of a thief. Jesus is indeed the door that protects us and is also the door that separates us from the outside. Only those who enter through Jesus are the shepherds of the sheep. Here, that door symbolizes Jesus; the gatekeeper opens the door for him. Who is the shepherd? Looking at the text, the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Jesus is the door; who is the shepherd? It is the one who shepherds, the serving personnel in the church, pastors, teachers, evangelists; these people are all for the benefit of the sheep. But if they are thieves, they are false prophets and false shepherds, whose purpose is to slaughter the sheep and fleece them; their purposes are entirely different.
The one who enters through the door, the gatekeeper opens the door for him; Jesus knows the purpose of everyone serving. Can the sheep tell whether this person who comes in is there to kill them or to feed them? They can tell. Those who kill animals, those who kill dogs and sheep, even if they do not kill the animal at that moment, just standing there makes the animals tremble. They may have developed that habit; you can see it from their eyes; the eyes of a wolf and a shepherd are different.
The sheep's eyesight is indeed poor, but their ears are clear; they can hear the voice. Proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation is the true shepherd. In this world, if you believe in something else, if someone tells you, "Besides believing in Jesus, there are other ways to be saved," that is certainly false; it is a thief that will lead you to death and deceive you. Do not be misled; there is no other way to salvation except through Jesus. If someone says there are other ways to salvation, do not believe it, do not follow it, and run away.
The fifth verse says, "The sheep do not follow strangers; they flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
The best method is: since you cannot fight against him, you should run away; do not follow them casually. Therefore, I encourage everyone to read the Bible more; this is the only standard for discerning truth.
The third point: By faith, you can enter into Jesus; the door is a boundary and also a separation.
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
Here, it refers to hoping that the Lord will open the door for us. The Lord will never close the door and not open it for us; that is to say, at any time, this week or next week, whenever you are willing to believe in Jesus, Jesus will accept you. That is the meaning; you ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Believing in Jesus, it says: because everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds. The Lord Jesus already knows everything; He has been waiting for you to return. Many people have not believed in Jesus; they have been deceived by the devil and have gone down other paths. Our mission is to tell them about the only salvation of Jesus Christ, to let them enter into this protection, to enter into this abundant life. As long as they are willing to believe in this Lord, when they knock on the door, the Lord will definitely open the door for them and welcome them. Hallelujah!
Revelation 22:14-17
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Here it mentions the ability to enter the city through the door; this city is the holy city of Jerusalem. What do the dogs outside refer to? Are they believers or non-believers? Are you sure they are non-believers? If you say there are believers, what kind of believers are they? Hypocrites, liars, murderers… This means that once you believe in Jesus, if you dare to lie, you will not be worthy to enter the holy city in the future; you will become a dog outside the city. Is that the meaning? The teaching I received in the past under the law was like this: Do not think that if you believe now, you can enter into the new heaven and new earth, into the holy city of Jerusalem; it is not that easy. If you believe in Jesus but still dare to do evil, murder, lie, and do not keep the Ten Commandments, you will be among those dogs outside the city.
In other words, only those who behave well and are holy have the qualification to enter the holy city. May I ask: Can you enter the holy city? After believing in Jesus, do you still lie? Have you ever coveted what others have? You are probably outside the city, not inside. This teaching is wrong! This doctrine has been taught until today, and there are still people teaching that if you believe in Jesus but do not behave well enough, you will not be worthy to enter the holy city; you will just be a dog outside.
Looking at the context of the Bible, we should understand that it first says, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, for they may have the right to the tree of life." The tree of life refers to Jesus. In Genesis, Jesus is that tree of life. Why did God not let Adam eat from the tree of life? Because Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing sin upon himself. If he ate from the tree of life while carrying sin, that would be the greatest curse.
Evil people never die; isn't that the greatest curse? What would this world become? Without death, evil people would be in power; how would you live? No one would die; today you kill me, and tomorrow I kill you after being resurrected. The whole world would become like this, turning into a real hell. Death is a termination of evil. How does God do this? First, He sent Jesus to bear our sins, pay our debt of sin, and let us be resurrected from the dead, receiving the eternal life of Jesus, solving the problem of sin in our lives.
It says: "Blessed are those who wash their robes!" How do you wash your robes? There is a cult in Korea that believes their church will be taken to heaven once they develop 144,000 people. The Bible says that those who wash their robes will be dressed in white, and then Jesus will come to take them. Their entire church wears only white clothes, and then they go to the mountaintop to welcome Jesus, supposedly at the end of 1999. As a result, Jesus did not come, and the leader committed suicide. This is wrong; it is because they do not understand Revelation. Blessed are those who wash their robes; it is not that you wash them yourself, but it relies on the blood of Jesus.
Revelation 7:9-10
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Here, many people are clothed in white robes and come from every nation, tribe, and people. The 144,000 in Revelation is not an exact number; it is just a complete number of completeness. Those who come from every nation are all wearing white robes. What do the white robes refer to?
Revelation 7:13-14
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
How did those clothed in white wash their robes? They washed them in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. So now we are wearing white robes; I am talking about the spiritual white robes. At the moment you believe in Jesus, you are clothed in the white robes that Jesus gives you. Therefore, those who wash their robes are blessed; they have received the righteous robe of Jesus, and such people are blessed.
Moreover, it says that this blessed person may have the right; this right is not earned by their efforts but is given to them by Jesus. They have the authority of Jesus and the qualification to enter the city, to enter through the door. Let me ask a question: Does Jesus have the qualification to enter the holy city? Yes! We wear the righteous robe of Jesus Christ and have the qualification to enter. If you wear your own clothes, you cannot enter.
In the Bible, there is a person who attended a king's banquet without wearing a wedding garment. The master asked him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” The man was speechless. Why did the master notice this person and not others? Because everyone else was wearing the righteous robe given by the master, but this person was wearing his own self-righteous robe. A self-righteous person can never enter the kingdom of God; he can only be thrown out. Therefore, in the end, the master said, “Cast him out into the outer darkness; in that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Brothers and sisters, remember: Believe, and you will be saved. Jesus is the only way to salvation; there is no other god in this world that can let you enter the kingdom of heaven.
Moreover, when you accept Jesus, your robes are washed white by His precious blood, and you have already received the authority to go to the tree of life and have the qualification to enter through the door. Therefore, those who are saved have actually entered into another door. Where were you before? In this world, without protection, without supply. Now you have entered into Jesus Christ; Jesus is your supply, your protection, your salvation.
The fourth point: The saved ones, Jesus will lead you into abundance.
John 10:4 and 9, when you put these two verses together, you will see,
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. … 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus lets you enter through His door to eat grass. Now you enter through the door of Jesus to receive His abundant life, the abundant life of Jesus Christ. In the Palestinian region, shepherds have very simple clothing, holding a staff in their hands, with a sling at their waist to fend off wild beasts and protect the flock. Every morning, the shepherd wakes his sheep and leads them out to find green pastures and still waters. Along the way, the shepherd walks in front of the flock, not behind them. Whether they go through valleys or rivers, the shepherd always sets an example, leading the flock in front.
In the Palestinian region, there is a legend: sometimes a little lamb is afraid to cross the river. The shepherd wants to get to the other side of the river; he will pick up a little lamb and step through the water, and the other sheep will follow the shepherd across. This means that when you encounter danger, the Lord does not say, “Hurry across; this water can still scare you…” When I was a child, I read the story of the little horse crossing the river. The little horse and the little squirrel; the little horse said, “This river is very shallow; it doesn’t even reach my legs.” Didn’t the squirrel drown when it went in? Was the horse lying? No, it just did not consider the problem from the squirrel's perspective.
The Lord Jesus thinks from our perspective; He is omnipotent. The problem lies with us; we can do nothing. So when we encounter problems, He carries you forward; this is the benefit of having this shepherd. Without a shepherd, the sheep would have to figure things out for themselves. Therefore, when you believe in Jesus, the Lord Jesus will take responsibility for everything in your life.
Perhaps you have always relied on yourself and have struggled. Now, put down your past life and believe in the guidance of the Lord Jesus; He will lead you into abundance. He will lead you in front. The shepherd leads the flock with his wisdom and courage; the intelligence of the sheep is certainly not as high as that of the shepherd. The shepherd will detect danger and protect the flock, and the shepherd leads his flock by example. No shepherd says, “Sheep, charge forward…”
It is the shepherd who walks in front, and the sheep follow behind. So when the flock is led to green pastures and by still waters, the shepherd will be nearby, watching over the flock. Because where there is water and grass, there is the possibility of wild beasts, the shepherd is always vigilant, always watching over them. When he wakes the sheep in the morning and leads them to green pastures and still waters, he is alert and guarding them all day. If you say, “My life has always been aimless; I do not know where my life should go,” now you can rely on Jesus, rely on this God. Thank and praise the Lord!
As mentioned earlier, when the sheep are full, night falls, and the shepherd once again walks in front of the flock, leading them back to the sheepfold. The road ahead may not be easy, but the shepherd will not leave the flock. When we accept Jesus, you say, “The road ahead is very difficult.”
But I want to tell you another fact: The Lord Jesus has never left you; He is leading your steps in front. The shepherd accompanies his flock, walking in front of them until every sheep is driven into the sheepfold. In this metaphor, we need to find our own position; are you the shepherd or the sheep? If you are a sheep, just listen to the shepherd's voice, for He can lead your way, and the way He leads is always the best.
Jesus is the sheep, and we are all His sheep because He connects us, just as the shepherd connects the sheep. The nature of sheep is weak; they are not as clever as other animals, and their vision is short-sighted, easily lost, and they run slowly. The speed of sheep is really not much, but such a weak, short-sighted, easily lost sheep can become very happy with a good shepherd. Not only do they have their own home, but they also have a resting place to eat grass, and the shepherd even names them, connects with them, and accompanies them.
We are exactly this kind of existence. Perhaps you say I have many shortcomings, many problems, and sometimes I really get lost, not knowing where to go. Jesus is your direction; you say I am very weak; Jesus is your strength; He can lift you up again; you say I have encountered difficulties and cannot solve them; Jesus will give you strength to overcome. In our lives, we need this shepherd to continually lead us and protect us. In this metaphor, we can see that the shepherd is always in front of the flock because he needs to guide the flock.
I want to tell you one more thing: Do not run ahead of Jesus. If you run ahead of Jesus, you will easily lose your direction. Many times we are more anxious than God, but I want to tell everyone: Our Lord knows when is the right time, place, and what the right thing to do is. We do not know; we think that being quick is good, but it is not necessarily so. The right place, the right time, and doing the most appropriate thing is perfection. You do not know when, but the Lord knows.
You say my current problem is very big, and I want to solve it quickly; you hand it over to the Lord, and He will give you the best way to accomplish it at the most suitable time. You can rest assured; He will never let you suffer losses. So do not be anxious and run ahead of the Lord Jesus. Sometimes, in the face of difficulties, you need to rest; remember: He is your shepherd; He is your guide; in your life, He is your Savior; He will guide you to live a victorious life.
We need God every day to guide us step by step forward, no matter what you do, in whatever aspect, work, interpersonal relationships, marriage… in any aspect, you cannot do without the guidance of the Lord Jesus. Many of the words of God recorded in the Bible are precisely for our guidance, especially in the New Testament. There are many things that we should not do, which are beneficial to us, and the things that encourage us to do are certainly beneficial to us because He hopes we can live out a victorious life like His in this world. Since we have entered through the door of the Lord Jesus, we have been separated from the world, no longer wandering aimlessly as before, without direction.
Now you have entered through the door of Jesus; He will supply you with everything. Therefore, you need to renew your thoughts; do not live in Christ with past ways. Renew every day. Perhaps you say I always used to say negative words, always describing how miserable I am now… From now on, declare the results you want every day. A few days ago, I was chatting with a brother and heard a testimony: In their place, there was a little girl who, at about seven or eight years old, got bone cancer. This disease makes people want to die every minute; other cancers you can endure, but with this disease, you just want to die. The pain throughout the bones is unimaginable; can you imagine that kind of pain?
Maybe someone pinches you, and you might feel pain; ten fingers are connected to the heart; if you prick your hand, it hurts a lot, let alone bones. That kind of pain is excruciating. At that time, her family all believed in Jesus. Unlike now, there are so many professionals to teach; they just told them: Believe in Jesus to get eternal life; if you have a disease, Jesus will heal you. The little girl simply believed in the Jesus her family spoke of, believing that she would surely live, just a simple faith.
For a little child, what is her faith? It is simply what her family says; she believes. You should be able to see this from your own children, right? Whatever you give them, they will eat it because they completely trust you. But as we grow up, we become hesitant to trust anyone because we have our own basic judgments, thinking this is wisdom. Many people apply this wisdom to Jesus: Jesus gives us something, and we have to judge whether it is beneficial to us. You can have discernment, but you should use Jesus as your standard of judgment; you can fully accept what Jesus gives you.
This little girl believed that Jesus would surely heal her, and every day she declared that she was healthy. Now this little girl is over thirty years old and has been living very well, with miracles happening in her life. As long as she goes to the hospital for check-ups, those are indicators of a dead person. The doctor says, “You can live to today; it is simply a miracle!” To this day, she is still living well, just like an ordinary person. Is this the work of God? Her testimony has inspired many people, reminding us not to look at our current environment, not to look at our current problems; Jesus can help us. Amen!
The world or others may tell you: You are doomed; you cannot overcome the environment… but Jesus can help you overcome. If you do not look at it and simply believe in the promises Jesus gives you, you can live abundantly in Him. Thank and praise the Lord! Hallelujah! This is our Lord; you are no longer outside the door; you are inside the door. The door is a boundary; you are not striving to enter through the door of Jesus; you have already entered.
At the moment you believe in Jesus, you have already entered. What you need to do now is to strive to renew your thoughts, believing in the words of Jesus. I am not saying, “You are in the door of Jesus; if you do not believe in the words of Jesus, you will not be saved.” You are still saved, but you can live an abundant life. In the past, we relied on ourselves; now you can learn to depend on Jesus every day.
Finally, I will conclude with the most familiar content from Psalm 23.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This is David's psalm, showing us that the Lord is like this shepherd. This passage can be meditated upon, especially when you are discouraged, weak, and directionless; you can use Psalm 23 as a meditation. Who is your shepherd? The Lord is your shepherd; what will happen to you? You shall not want. If you are lacking now, meditate on this passage; God is your provider; He is your guide; you will absolutely not lack. You do not lack because you rely on yourself to not lack; it says here, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” How did you get to the green pastures? He leads you there. In the past, you lacked because you relied on yourself, hammering away here and there, unable to find the path of life, unable to find the place of abundance. Now He leads you to green pastures; you can lie down there, not because you found the green pastures through your own efforts, but because you were led there by Him. He leads me beside still waters; isn’t that still the Lord doing it?
This is the Jesus you believe in. Unbelievers have always relied on their efforts to find this place; now it is Jesus who wants to lead you there. He knows where the place of abundance is. He restores my soul; your soul is restored not by your efforts to make it awake but by recognizing the goodness of this Lord. Your soul is awakened by Him. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. We also use the name of Jesus Christ; His name will guide you in the paths of righteousness. You are not striving to live a little better; after knowing your identity, you use the name of Jesus Christ, and He will lead you to walk the right path. This is what we have been talking about; your correct faith will lead you to live a correct life.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. You will encounter some problems in your life, see some troubles. The Bible never says, “You will dwell in the valley of the shadow of death.” Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death means you walk through that valley of death, just like you live in a place and see someone die; passing by that dead person does not mean you are dead.
If you see that person dead and think you are also dead, that is a completely wrong idea. So do not look at what kind of life those around you are living and think you will be like that; it is not so. Your standard is never the person next to you, nor is it the world. The world may be terrible, full of misfortunes, but you are not like that. Even if you encounter it, you are just walking through the valley of the shadow of death. You do not dwell there; you just walk through that place. You will not fear evil because your shepherd will protect you. Why is it this way? Why do you not fear when you encounter these valleys of death? Because this shepherd is always guiding you in front of you; He has never forsaken you. I have simply shared my meditation on the psalm with you; you can use this method when you go back. When you close your eyes, you can lie in bed or find a quiet place, and continuously meditate on this psalm. This Lord loves you like this; He leads you; He makes you… He makes you… He makes you… leads you; He is with you.
Look again, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The rod is for battle. When God sent Moses to save His people, He said to him, “Moses, what is in your hand?” It is the rod, which is for battle, also called authority. We just read that passage; your garments have already been washed white, and you have already received authority to fight and win. If you hold the most advanced gun in the world, would you still be afraid if a wolf comes? It cannot overcome that thing! There is a song that goes: When friends come, there is wine to drink; when wolves come, there is a shotgun. Wolves cannot overcome shotguns because you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You hold the authority of Jesus Christ. For a soldier, holding his most familiar gun, when the enemy comes, he is not afraid. If you throw away your gun, you will start to be afraid. So do not forget the rod in your hand.
From today on, you must learn to use your rod. When risks come, you should use the rod to command the demon to leave in the name of Lord Jesus, command the disease to leave in the name of Lord Jesus, and declare that I am blessed by God in the name of Lord Jesus; let all these bad things leave me. The staff has a bend at the front; when you encounter danger, it is the Lord who will pull you out. So these two are your comforts; when the enemy comes, you can overcome him with authority. If you accidentally fall into a trap, this staff can pull you out; these are all the things our shepherd does. Hallelujah!
In the presence of my enemies, you prepare a table for me. This is the best blessing, brothers and sisters. Many times, due to a lack of faith, we always say, “Lord, please remove the enemies; I do not want to see them.” But what does our Lord say? I will prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies. This means the enemies have already failed; this is a scene after winning a battle. In a battle, one side has already been defeated, so all their people are locked up and disarmed, tied up in one place, and then the victorious side holds a banquet in front of the enemies. The devil and all his forces have already failed.
The Lord does not make these difficulties disappear, but in the face of difficulties, He prepares a table for you, allowing you to look at these difficulties and enjoy better things without being affected by them. Hallelujah! This is the best way to live in the world. We always hope that we are born with a golden key and do not encounter any storms in this world; that is a child who will not grow up. Our Lord says you are a soldier; when you encounter difficulties, treat them as food, do not take them seriously, and after winning, you can enjoy the banquet; that is a different flavor.
Today we will have a celebration; those who have walked with us from last year to this year must have a unique feeling in their hearts. Because during this year, we have experienced joy and sorrow… We enjoy the banquet together in this church. In five or ten years, when we talk about the early days again, the feelings in our hearts will be different. We have faced many tribulations and problems together and walked through joy together. Therefore, soldiers celebrate their victory, especially when celebrating in front of their enemies; their hearts are very joyful. If you have never encountered any storms in your life, you will never have such joy.
You prepare a table for me, so winning the battle is not your effort; you are just a follower of the Lord. He fights and wins for you, and He prepares a table for you. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. The power of the Holy Spirit is also given to you today; this power is always with you today, making your cup overflow. Therefore, we follow this shepherd not to suffer greater pain, nor do we follow because we are living too well in this world and need to suffer to believe in Jesus; it is not so.
The purpose of believing in Jesus is simple: to give you life and to give it abundantly. What the world cannot give you, Jesus will give you. Therefore, when you share the gospel with others, you must tell them that after believing in Jesus, your cup will surely overflow. Even those in this world who do not believe in Jesus hope to be blessed; true blessing comes from Jesus. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. When you believe in Jesus, this is your conclusion; this is what should follow you throughout your life.
If the message you hear is that once you believe in Jesus, God will chase you with that rod, and if you are disobedient, He will bring the stick, sickness, pain, accidents, and death will follow you at any time, you are definitely not believing in Jesus; you have entered through another door; that is not the gospel. This clearly tells us: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life. It does not mean you will not encounter suffering and danger, but even when you encounter these, God's goodness and mercy will accompany you. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This house is also a door; you have entered, willing to dwell in Him, for you will go in and out to find pasture. Jesus is your door; you are the sheep; He is the door of the sheep; you can now enter into Him by faith.
If there are still those who have not believed in Jesus in the middle, you can pray this prayer with me:
Loving Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. In the past, I was like this wandering sheep, drifting in this world. Now I am willing to enter into You; I believe that Jesus shed His blood on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead three days later. You died for me; You live for me. Today I ask the Holy Spirit to come into me and guide my life; I am willing to follow You. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
Let us pray together:
In the name of Lord Jesus, I bless you; you have already entered into the door of Jesus. The Lord does not want to give you greater pain; He wants you to go in and out to find pasture. He is your caretaker, protector; He is your guide, making your cup overflow. Your life will no longer be like the past, aimless and drifting; you are a life of overflowing blessings, a life accompanied by goodness and mercy. This is what Jesus has prepared for you.
As long as you are willing to let Him lead you this week, you will see His guidance in your current problems and tribulations. He will awaken you, lead you to still waters, and to that abundant green pasture. You will enjoy His rest in Him. Jesus is your rest; give everything to Jesus. I believe that Lord Jesus is my best friend; You will never abandon me. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for giving me Jesus to lead me on this path. All glory be to You! In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!