"Spoken To" - Too

 "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (John 10:3 KJV)

  "But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels." (Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT)

 I really hope you got that little message, as we are all part of the story, each and every one, there is no one that is left out, sinner and saint, saved or unsaved, believer or unbeliever; there is no one or nothing that has been left out of His Book! Just a little something you can share with anyone that might question your intelligence or sanity when you say that you believe in what the Bible says! 

 I actually heard a message from Pastor Chip yesterday morning, as he shared about an encounter he had while teaching at a secular college. The student noticed that he was carrying a Bible, and said, "Hey, is that a Bible you have?" Chip answered, "Yes, this is my Bible." The student said, "You really don't believe all of that is true, do you?" And then the student turn, walked away, and looked back at him, as if he was disgusted that he was such a fool, because he had thought he should have been smarter than that.

 Chip said that he really didn't know what to say or how to respond to all of that; and that he started to question his own faith. Well, it just goes to show, that we must always be ready, in season and out of season, to answer and give a reason for what we believe! When you have favorable situations, and unfavorable situations, means, when you are allowed to share, or not allowed, the time is always right to share the Good News and give a testimony for what you believe.

 As I was looking up the meaning of, "the porter," it dawned on me that the Bible, as the book that it is, makes a perfect illustration of what that might represent. Some of those examples are, 'doorkeeper,' or 'a gate- warden,' and 'a male or female janitor.' Having had experience in reading the Bible before I became a believer, I can say with all honesty, I had really no clue what I was reading; much of it really didn't make sense. 

 Once I believed, the Book was opened up to me, and I became a character within the Book, not only was I reading about the life of others and all the great things God did and does, but I was able to honestly and sincerely place myself among them: the Porter opened the door, and I was in...

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT)