The Other Sheep

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd ~ John 10:16

Like the five blind men who were asked to describe what an elephant looks like, each of us has some type of spiritual blindness.  Depending on the specific part of the elephant each of the blind men is investigating, his own perspective varies dramatically from the other four.  Anyone listening to the descriptions of the elephant may wonder how the elephant can "look" so different.  Each denomination has their own view of who the Creator is.  No individual group sees the whole elephant the way our Creator sees His people.  The chosen ones didn't recognize Jesus and He stood right in their midst for three years!  Our understanding of our Savior is limited to our own upbringing or ideas from the specific church we belong to.  Our brothers who do not attend church also have difficulty seeing Jesus.  Some leave the church because they can't see even a small part of the elephant.  Perhaps, they cannot understand how they fit in.  The elephant is always there, even when we can't see Him or can only see a part of Him.

It is through our connection to the Holy Spirit that we "see" how we are part of God's picture.  If you were reading the Old Testament part of the Bible exclusively, you might think that you don't belong in God's picture since you are not Jewish.

Did God change His plans when Jesus was born or change His mind about who His people are?  Failure to put all the parts of the Bible together is like being the blind man that is only studying a trunk.  Take another look at the quote above.  It is in red because the Bible quote is in Jesus' own words.  He is the Living Word.  When He says He is here for sheep that aren't part of the pen, He is referring to you and me while conversing with the chosen ones.  That's right, he is speaking directly to YOU, right now, no matter where you live or what you believe/disbelieve.  He is calling YOUR name.

This is GOOD NEWS!  For many years, I considered myself unworthy to be a part of the Kingdom of God.  I am still unworthy today.  There is nothing I can do to make myself worthy.  All I have to do to be a part of God's people is to follow the great Shepherd.  He knows who I am and who you are.  Ponder this.  He loves us in spite of what we do or fail to do.  We are the "other sheep."  In my case, I am a child of a man who always considered himself a black sheep.  The world is full of sheep who are lost, fallen or so full of sin that all they see when they look in the mirror is blackness.

It is time for the gate to be opened up.  Time for all of us to hear the voice of the One calling us and follow Him.  It is time to leave our pen and go to a new home.  Not one of us is to be left behind.  The door is open.  Let's go...