Thursday, December 17, 2009

The LOST and The FOUND

JESUS spoke in parables about the Lost and the Found:

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin." In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
(Luke 15:4-10)

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17)

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matthew 13:44)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46)

It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found. (Luke 15:32)

How many of us have fallen like the prodigal son? How many of us had to come from a broken place before we woke up to our Father's love? And how many of us finally got a glimpse of how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is (Ephesians 3:18) when He welcomed us back with the open arms of forgiveness?

The most wonderful and humbling realization for a child of GOD is that our Good Shepherd will search high and low, far and wide, to bring straying sheep back to His sheepfold. And that whomever the Father has given to Him, not one will be lost. Those whom you have given me I have kept. (John 17:12) JESUS is Faithful and True...He is the Good Shepherd. In CHRIST, we have everything we need.

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