Let us look below, in our passage of scripture out of John 10 at verse 10. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." We may have asked, what does having life to the full mean??? Many will say that it means a wealth of prosperity and this is what is being preached in many churches today. Look at the scripture in context. Jesus is talking about eternal life after a physical death of our body. In verse 9 we see Him say, "they will come in and go out and find pasture". This verse speaks to coming to Christ and through Him we will find eternal life.
Now, I will pose this to you, does God want to bless His children??? What Father wouldn't want to give the best of gifts to His children. This is the secret to receiving those gifts. First you must die and come to Christ, allow the Holy Spirit to enter in and transform you from the old you, so that He can conform you to Jesus Christ the image of the Most High's beloved Son. Follow the example of Christ and continue to die to the Father's Will. As the Holy Spirit continues to sanctify you (make you holy), the Father will look upon His children to see whom He can bless with His gifts. God has all power and riches in this life and the next. A Good Father will not bless His child with something that will ultimately bring them harm. A father would not give his 7 year old child the keys to a new car. He knows that the child would hurt himself and maybe someone else. God wants to see the maturing child who knows what to do with the gifts.
The example that Jesus showed us was that he was given power on earth to heal, minister, disciple, feed, and provide for so many. These gifts are not given for our benefit but they are given to benefit others with the purpose of glorifying God. See there's two parts to that equation. Can God trust you to first use the gifts He gives you for others and not yourself. Then if you do decide to use it for others will you take the glory for yourself or give it rightly to the Source of the gift. These gifts may include the spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. They may also be tangible gifts like material possessions and wealth.
The child who will be blessed with these gifts and who will enjoy in this life "life to the full", is the child who has been processed by the Holy Spirit to realize that none of those gifts are for them, so they abide by the "open hand" policy. See once again we must die to every desire of this world and seek the Will of God. God cannot bless some of us because we have our hands closed trying to hold on to something or someone. God can't bring your helpmate because your holding onto the counterfeit. God can't answer that prayer because your holding onto the idea that you will be the one to solve it. If you ever been around a child who is holding on to a toy and you try to give them a new toy, you know the struggle that incurs. They want the new toy but they don't want to let go of the other toy they are holding onto, they try with all their might to hold onto to each one and we have to tell them to "let this one go". Once you let go and allow God's Will to be the master of your life, God will flow blessings through you to others knowing He will receive the glory. In doing so you will experience the "abundant life", because you will be able to witness the movement of God in this earth as He saves lost souls and free His children who are still captive. Today, open up your hands and heart, so that you may let go of everything you have been holding onto, trust God for your needs and let the Holy Spirit take over your life, and watch your life manifest into a life that is "to the full"!!!! Be Encouraged!!! Have a wonderful life of dying so that others may live on purpose!!!!!
John 10
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 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. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
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