Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Shepherd Practice - #8431

Thursday, December 24, 2009

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A year ago today, I was looking for a lost sheep—literally. We’d gotten three lambs for our grandchildren to enjoy. We were keeping it a Christmas surprise. Two were safe inside, but one managed to jump a fence and run away. Well, for the next few hours, there were seven of us out in the cold, desperately trying to find one lost sheep, because there are lots of dogs and coyotes running around. We knew what would happen to that lamb if we didn’t find him and bring him home.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and sadly, we never found our lost sheep. But while I was out there desperately looking for him, I got a deep feeling of what Christmas is really all about. It’s about a Shepherd come looking for His lost sheep, because He knows the awful future that awaits them if they stay lost. It’s no accident that the first people God told about Jesus’ birth were shepherds. His Son would grow up to declare, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10 ). “I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11 , 15).

That sacrifice is the only hope we have to be forgiven for the sin that keeps us from God now and will keep us from Him forever. The Bible says all of us have wandered away from God like sheep (Isaiah 53:6 ) and “…the soul who sins…will die” (Ezekiel 18:4 ). That’s spiritual death, as in eternal separation from the God who made us and loves us. We know He loves us, because He gave up His Son to die in our place on a cross so we could belong to Him.

Jesus is God come looking for you. If you want to belong to Him, would you go to our website today? You’ll find some help…ALifeThatMatters.org.

This radio program references: Luke 19:10 ; John 10:11 ; John 10:15 ; Isaiah 53:6 ; Ezekiel 18:4