John 10:10 - The Abundant Life!
John 10:10 (NKJV) I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly.
John 10:10 (MSG) I came so they can have
real and eternal life, more and better life than
they ever dreamed of.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Call it the rebel in me, but I simply
cannot bear plain vanilla when life has so many
other flavors far more interesting and tasty. God
has so much more in view for all of us.
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in
through me will be saved. They will come and go
freely and will find good pastures. The thief's
purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose
is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
John 10:9-10
God has arranged an abundant life for
you, but it's slipping past. Are you becoming
addicted to the narcotic of predictability? I should
warn you, the longer you persist, the greater
will be the pain of withdrawal.
I'll let you in on a secret: living and
learning go hand in hand; existing and expiring do
too. Every day brings a totally new set of
circumstances and experiences. Now I'm not suggesting you
do stupid stunts to prove your
unpredictability. No need to row to Tahiti in a dinghy or
brave the wilds of Antarctica in winter or
scale Mount Everest without a Sherpa. How much
more sensible to turn your everyday problems into
creative projects. How much better to take life by
the throat and achieve mastery over a few things
that have haunted and harassed you long enough.
How much better to take the Lord up on His
gracious offer to give you a rich and rewarding life!
Why is that so hard to embrace?
He is for you. He's in your corner. He
wants to pour out His great pleasure on you - He
desires that you live abundantly, joyfully, freely.
Why not try living abundantly, joyfully, and
freely for a change? Go ahead I dare you.
[Chuck Swindoll www.insight.org.]
COMMENTARY
The Satan whom Jesus describes conjures
up an image that might have been cooked up by
Stephen King and Steven Spielberg. An epic villain,
stealing jewels, killing heroes, destroying cities.
Such a Hollywood vision is nearly comical and
hard to take seriously.
I need only to remember Satan's debut in
the Garden of Eden to get a more accurate and
sobering perspective on his true nature and methods.
Satan appealed to Eve's pride with deception and
promises of greatness, planting seeds of doubt about
God's goodness. In falling for the scam, Eve
forfeited an untroubled life in paradise, in perfect
relationship with Adam, nature, and God Himself.
Later, the devil tempted Jesus in much
the same way. My pastor says the enemy always
lures us in one of three areas: pride, pleasure,
and possessions. Satan shows us the bait, not
the hook, which leads to our downfall.
I face at least one or another of these
temptations every day. Whether it's buying something I
can't afford, judging a friend, or eating a
plateful of cheese and crackers in bed at night,
temptation is ever-present.
Giving in to temptation can steal our
peace and joy, kill our relationships, and destroy
our families. But in Christ we have the ultimate
superweapon and the promise of deliverance from evil and
forgiveness when we do fall. by Isabella Yosuico
Faith Step: Tempted? Pause to ask
yourself what giving in will steal. kill, or destroy
in Your life. [Mornings With Jesus 2018
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
Its Not a Cakewalk; Its a Conflict
Some Christians are surprised to find
that life as a follower of Jesus is not a
cakewalk; its a conflict. It is not a playground;
its a battleground.
It isnt a question of whether youre
going to be in a spiritual war. In this particular
battle, you cannot choose to be a pacifist because
youll die on the battlefield if you do.
The day you committed your life to Jesus
Christ was the day the Devil declared war on you.
He had you where he wanted you before. He was
quite happy with that arrangement. But you
werent. Neither was I. Thats why we turned to
Christ.
Jesus said, The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I
have come that they may have life, and that they
may have it more abundantly (John 10:10
NKJV).
The Bible tells us that the god of this
age, Satan, blinded our eyes (see 2 Corinthians
4:4). It tells us that we were taken captive by
him to do his will (see 2 Timothy 2:6). But we
got sick and tired of being ripped off, so we
put our faith in Christ.
Of course, the Devil isnt happy about
this. And he isnt going to take it lying down.
In fact, hell do everything he can to trip
you up or defeat you on this battlefield.
Someone has wisely pointed out that
conversion has made our hearts a battlefield. Anyone
who chooses to be on the side of the Lord Jesus
Christ will face severe opposition from Satan and
his followers.
So the question is this: Are you going to
win or lose in this spiritual war? Are you going
to advance, or are you going to retreat? Will
you gain ground, or will you lose ground? There
are no other alternatives. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Dont Suffer Alone
During a Q-and-A session with our pastors
awhile back, someone asked how to respond after
their friend had recently committed suicide. How
do they shine their light? How do they live in
light of the circumstances?
This is a very difficult thing to deal
with, and there is so much pain and shock for the
persons family. When I come to a situation like
this, I dont try to explain it, because there
are some things in life that are just
inexplicable. Instead what I try to do is comfort people,
help them find perspective, and point them to the
God of all comfort.
This is not in answer to the why, but it
is pointing people to the whom. They need
Christ. They need to lean on Jesus Christ, trust in
Jesus Christ, and hang on to Jesus Christ.
Truthfully, committing suicide is one of
the most horrific, selfish things someone could
do to those around them, because their loved
ones will suffer for years to come. There can be
many things that can drive a person to such
despair. It can be some crisis. It can be some moment
of weakness. But understand where its coming
from. Jesus said of the Devil, The thief does
not come except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy. In contrast Jesus added, I have come that
they may have life, and that they may have it
more abundantly (John 10:10 NKJV).
If youre getting hit with suicidal
thoughts, go to someone - such as a pastor or mature
Christian friends - and bring it into the light of
day. Dont suffer with this alone. Allow
someone to love you and help you through it, to help
you get perspective.
You are loved by God and by many people -
more than you realize. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
John 10:10 - The Abundant Life!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190715-0829.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
