"Recognize the Voice of the Shepherd" - Jeff Cavins on Fourth Sunday of Easter

[@Pilgrim_Rescued]

Amen! Amen! Amen! Help me to know You more! Come Holy Spirit! 🕊️😊🕊️

[@smc4jmj1]

Thank you Jeff. God bless you. 🙏🏼

[@PradeepSK1978K]

Thanks Jeff. God bless

[@143mschrag]

Thank you so much for your insightful Reflections. I appreciate all of you-- Fr. Mike, Mr. Jeff Cavins, those in the Ministry, and Ascension. As always, I pray for everyone and the world. God Bless 🙏🏻

[@SundayswithAscension]

Thank you Irene for your generous support!

[@nellennatea]

Thank you for this encouragement. I must make the time to read and study with the Lord. I guess less time on my laptop and some of that time with reading the bible instead.

[@moonbeam728]

Good, clear, concise & practical. Thank you!

[@ruthortega5822]

Thank you Jeff for your inspiring words. Help me Lord Jesus to know your voice and respond accordingly. Your voice is really needed in my life. I do not know if I am listening to you or myself in making decisions. Help me!

[@mperez2730]

Beautiful reflection. Thank you 🙏

[@susanclemons116]

Thank you Jeff for all you do. God Bless

[@tiff1622]

This came right on time

[@treezmathew]

beautiful

[@17CW68fNv]

Thank you, Mr Cavins. We do need to keep our focus on the Lord, the Good Shepherd. God Bless. Claire.

[@edelmiraespinosa9689]

Thanks, Amen!

[@143mschrag]

Amen. Praise, Thanks, Honor and Glory be to God ❣️ Thank you so much Mr. Jeff Cavins and Ascension. My continued prayers for all of you, God Bless 🙏🏻

[@ThomasMcEvoy]

🙏❤️🙏

[@jolee6531]

A Shephard once explained that when a sheep is in a sitting position or on its back that it can't move. He claims that in the Bible when the term 'upright' is used, it came from this, as Bible authors were familiar with sheep. I hope you can address this.

[@_ready__]

PAUL NEVER CALLED THE "BODY OF CHRIST" SHEEP. In the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), to understand who is the Sheep and who is the lost sheep, we have to first understand the background of Israel. Myth is, that Israel is ONLY the Jewish people. No, that is not true, Judah is just one of the Twelve Tribes. House of Israel is the Northern kingdom composed of 10 Tribes of Israel. House of Judah is the Southern kingdom composed of 2 Tribes. After King Solomon the Nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The 10 Tribes in the north were called the "HOUSE OF ISRAEL" The Northern Kingdom. The 2 Tribes in the south were called the "HOUSE OF JUDAH" The Southern Kingdom (Judah and Benjamin). The northern 10 Tribes, The House of Israel / the Northern kingdom went into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The Southern 2 Tribes, The House of Judah, Benjamin / the Southern Kingdom went into captivity by the Babylonians for 70 years in 586 BC. Deuteronomy 30:1-5 God will bring back them. Israel has "TWO FLOCKS". 1. House of Judah, Benjamin (2 Southern Kingdoms) and 2. House of Israel (10 Northern Kingdoms) Gentiles were NOT SHEEP, Gentiles were considered DOGS (Even in Jesus earthly ministry). (Matthew 15:22-26) 📖 Matthew 15:26 - But He (Jesus) answered and said, It is not "meet" (time) to take the "children's bread" (Israel's), and to cast it to "DOGS". (Gentiles) ISRAEL IS THE "SCATTERED SHEEP" 📖 Jeremiah 50: 6 - My people hath been "lost sheep". 📖 Jeremiah 50:17 - Israel is like "scattered sheep". 📖 Micah 2:12 - as the sheep - all of you Jacob, 📖 Ezekiel 34: 12,13 - As a shepherd seek out his flock - among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seed out my sheep - I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers - I will feed them in a good pasture (Psalms 23) ISRAEL is the ONLY people called in the Bible as SHEEP. There is NO other group in the Bible called Sheep.

[@_ready__]

Are you a sheep 🐑? Sheep in the Bible is always a term that is used to reference Israel - Jews and NOT members of the church, the body of Christ.

[@_ready__]

@Isaiah Wilson that’s in reference to Israel. Are you a sheep 🐑?

[@_ready__]

@Isaiah Wilson do you have some scriptures to go with that?

[@_ready__]

@Isaiah Wilson PAUL NEVER CALLED THE "BODY OF CHRIST" SHEEP. In the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), to understand who is the Sheep and who is the lost sheep, we have to first understand the background of Israel. Myth is, that Israel is ONLY the Jewish people. No, that is not true, Judah is just one of the Twelve Tribes. House of Israel is the Northern kingdom composed of 10 Tribes of Israel. House of Judah is the Southern kingdom composed of 2 Tribes. After King Solomon the Nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The 10 Tribes in the north were called the "HOUSE OF ISRAEL" The Northern Kingdom. The 2 Tribes in the south were called the "HOUSE OF JUDAH" The Southern Kingdom (Judah and Benjamin). The northern 10 Tribes, The House of Israel / the Northern kingdom went into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The Southern 2 Tribes, The House of Judah, Benjamin / the Southern Kingdom went into captivity by the Babylonians for 70 years in 586 BC. Deuteronomy 30:1-5 God will bring back them. Israel has "TWO FLOCKS". 1. House of Judah, Benjamin (2 Southern Kingdoms) and 2. House of Israel (10 Northern Kingdoms) Gentiles were NOT SHEEP, Gentiles were considered DOGS (Even in Jesus earthly ministry). (Matthew 15:22-26) 📖 Matthew 15:26 - But He (Jesus) answered and said, It is not "meet" (time) to take the "children's bread" (Israel's), and to cast it to "DOGS". (Gentiles) ISRAEL IS THE "SCATTERED SHEEP" 📖 Jeremiah 50: 6 - My people hath been "lost sheep". 📖 Jeremiah 50:17 - Israel is like "scattered sheep". 📖 Micah 2:12 - as the sheep - all of you Jacob, 📖 Ezekiel 34: 12,13 - As a shepherd seek out his flock - among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seed out my sheep - I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers - I will feed them in a good pasture (Psalms 23) ISRAEL is the ONLY people called in the Bible as SHEEP. There is NO other group in the Bible called Sheep.

[@_ready__]

@Isaiah Wilson are you a sheep 🐑? The Bible is filled with language that pictures God’s people as sheep and the LORD as their shepherd. This is the most famous. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psa. 23:1,2). But are you a lost sheep? A careful study of the many sheep and shepherd passages will reveal that the sheep metaphor in scripture refers to God’s nation of Israel. When God led Israel out of Egypt by Moses, they became his sheep that he led to find water and food in the wilderness. “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psa. 77:20). “But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock” (Psa. 78:52). It was the shepherd’s responsibility to physically provide and protect the sheep until he led them into their promised land. If the sheep of Israel separated themselves from God or the land he gave them, they were considered lost. The Egyptians were not the lost sheep. They were enemies to God’s flock. Jesus came when Israel had spiritually departed from the Lord, and many were scattered throughout the ancient world. Jesus came as Israel’s good shepherd when he said: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John10:11). Israel was lost, but they had always been God’s sheep. Jesus came to gather them together and bring in greener pastures (the kingdom). When Jesus came he knew there would be wolves among the sheep. False teachers and unbelieving rulers were not lost sheep, they were “ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15). It was the believing remnant of Israel that Jesus gave the name “little flock” in Luke 12:32). We know that Jesus was not sent to minister to Gentiles from his statements in Matthew: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not” (Matt. 10:5). “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). Gentiles are not lost sheep. Only Israel could be lost sheep. They were found if they heard the voice of the shepherd King: Christ Jesus. Gentiles were never promised a land of green pastures. Gentiles were never promised physical protection and blessing. Gentiles are at home all over the world, and do not need to be gathered into one place like sheep. We are Body Members not Sheep Likewise, Paul never calls the new creature, the church, which is the Body of Christ, sheep, nor does he refer to Christ as our Shepherd. Today, in this age of grace, where Israel is fallen, there is not a single lost person in the Body of Christ. The only way to be lost today is if you do not know the gospel that saves. If you are not saved, you are not a member of the one Body of Christ. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost” (2 Cor. 4:3). If you are saved you are not lost. If you are a member of the Body of Christ, you are not a sheep. The lost sheep were a specific people in the Bible: Israel. Israel’s shepherd was their Messiah. We in the church are called soldiers, ambassadors, athletes, warriors, and builders. All of these are sent out to build, win, fight, and represent according to God’s already provided instructions. The lost sheep of Israel waits for their shepherd to return for them to receive their promises. We do not need a shepherd, nor our Head to be present for us to be who God made us. Israel will never be who God made them until they are led into their kingdom by their Shepherd. We are already members of Christ’s Body. Our Head is in heaven, but we are in His Body already. When the church sees itself as sheep, then it is perceived as the helpless victims of persecution and affliction waiting for a Shepherd. When the church takes its rightful identity as members of Christ’s body, then we become more than conquerors now in all things through Christ (Rom. 8:34-39).