September 10, 2016
John 10:3-4
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
Quote of the Week
I have decided to listen to what the Lord God wants to say to me. Want to know happiness? Listen to the Lord speak and accept his words of encouragement. Want to know happiness? Sense the pulses of the divine whisper; refuse the many whisperings of the world. Want to know happiness? Don’t listen to the voice outside; listen to the voice inside. Want to know happiness? Close your eyes to the outer world; open your eyes to the inner world. Want to now happiness? Go a long way on the spiritual journey; prepare more and more by daily devotional exercises to hear heaven’s secrets. Want to know happiness? Invest time joyfully for God; shake off all outside hindrances.
Thomas a’Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. From Book III: Inner Encouragement. Chapter 1. (Edited and Paraphrased by Donald E. Demaray. Alba House Press.)
DO THE 9.10.16 SIXTH DAY EXERCISE HERE.
In case you are just joining us, each week we share in an exercise called “The Sixth Day Exercise.” As Genesis 1 has it, God created human beings in his own image on the sixth day. Genesis 3 shows us the desecration of the image of God in our race which has only compounded itself across the centuries. It’s why the Image Bearer himself, Jesus Christ, came. His life, death, resurrection and ascension reversed the curse of sin and death and created a pathway whereby our broken race could be made gloriously whole again; restored to the Creator’s intent. Paul put it this way:
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22.
Given we were made on the Sixth Day, it makes sense that we might stop and assess how it’s going on the long journey of being “remade” on each successive sixth day.
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J.D. Walt serves as Seedbed’s Sower in Chief. jd.walt@seedbed.com.