Theme:  The Kingdom of God Is...

Weekend Music links on iTunes: All Over the World - Matt Redman, Time Has Come - Hillsong, From the Inside Out - Hillsong, Cannons - Phil Wickham

Read: Romans 14:17-18, John 10:1 -30

Think:  The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17-18). In Pastor John’s message this weekend he helped us understand what the Kingdom of God is and how to appropriate it in our lives. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he wanted to make sure they didn’t go back to believing that their spiritual walk was only about what they could and couldn’t do. If they were like us his description of the peace and joy part sounds good but righteousness sounds harder and must be about keeping the rules. 

I like to think about righteousness as a sheepfold. I researched the use of sheepfolds in Palestine since Jesus used the sheep and shepherd image so much. (John 10:1 -30) A sheepfold in Palestine was normally constructed out of rocks that were piled about 5 feet tall with four walls. Barbed branches were put on top of the walls of rocks in order to prevent predators from coming over those walls into the sheep pen. There was a narrow entrance to the pen and, at dusk, the shepherd would guide the sheep through that narrow opening into the safety of the pen.  At night, the shepherd would actually lie down in the doorway and become, in essence, the door to the pen.  As the door, the shepherd would keep out the wolves, lions and other predators that might prey upon the sheep.  The sheep inside the pen were safe from harm, but those who were on the outside were subject to many predators.

It is in this John 10 sheep and sheepfold context that Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The way into the sheepfold for us is by forgiveness of our sins and the freedom we have within His walls is our righteousness, peace, joy and abundant life. We are free to be holy. 

Do: Consider anything that keeps you outside the sheepfold 

Pray: Father, be my shepherd, keep me and my family safe and within your sheepfold of righteousness give us Your abundant life. Amen  

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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