It is 8:28 AM Saturday morning here in West Michigan. It is 42 degrees and I see some blue sky. I thought today would be a cold gray rainy day, but maybe not. We can only cross our sore old fingers and pray for a day filled with sunlight and celestial joy.
Carol just left to help make pigs-in-the blanket at her church. It sometimes amazes me that Carol has been a member of this church going on 21 years. We have lived in this house going on 31 years. We have seen neighbors comes and go. There is a house across the street that will soon see new dwellers because the widowed woman who lived there for many years just got remarried last Saturday and will be moving into her new husband’s home. The newly married neighbor already has three people who have expressed interesting in buying her home. I often wonder how long we will live in this house.
This morning when I got up it was 7 o’clock AM. I found Carol getting ready to get ready for another day of making pigs at her church. We had devotions and prayed before she left for church. I have no plans for the day except seek the face of my heavenly Father. I got out to read this morning these books for morning worship-
‘Forty Gospel Homilies’ by Gregory The Great Translated from the Latin by Dom David Hurst Monk of Portsmouth of Abbey
‘The Life Of Jesus Christ’ Part One, Volume 2 Chapters 41-92 By Ludolph of Saxony Translated By Milton T. Walsh
‘The Abuse of God’s Grace’ by Nicolas Claget (1610-1663)
‘Matthew 1-13’ New Testament 1a (Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture) Edited By Manlion Simonetti
Well I suppose I will close to write in my paper diary and read my books. It looks like it will be normal day. I will close with this quote by Gregory The Great ‘Forty Gospel Homilies’-
“The Lord beheld the redemption of us who come from the Gentiles when he said that he was bringing in the other sheep too. You behold this happening every day, my friends; you see today that this has happened by the reconciliation of the Gentiles. He makes one sheepfold from two flocks, so to speak, because he joins the Jewish and Gentile race together by belief in him, as Paul bears witness when he says,: “He is our peace, who has made both one” Eph. 2:14.
When he chooses the guileless from both races for eternal life he is leading sheep into his own sheepfold. He says truly of them: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me; I give them eternal life” John 10:27,28. He will go in to faith; he will go out from faith to vision, from belief to contemplation; he will find pasture in eternal refreshment. His sheep will find pasture because whoever follows him with a guileless heart is nourished with a food of eternal freshness. When are the pastures of these sheep but the eternal joys of an ever-green paradise? The pasture of the elect is the countenance of God in person. When we see him perfectly our hearts are endlessly satisfied with the food of life. Those who have evaded the traps of temporary pleasures rejoice in those pastures with the fulness of eternity. There are choirs of angels singing hymns, there the company of heavenly citizens, there the delightful festival of those returning from the sad labor of their exile here, there the far-seeing choir of prophets, there the apostles, our judges, there the victorious army of innumerable martyrs, as much happier there as they were tormented here, there confessors whose constancy is relieved by the reception of their reward, there faithful men whose manly strength was not enfeebled by the pleasures of the world, there holy women who overcame their sex together with the world, there children who surpassed their years by their conduct, there old men whom age weakened but whose capacity for action did not end.” pg. 110,111 Gregory The Great
John.10
[1] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
[2] But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
[3] To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
[4] And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
[5] And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
[6] This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
[7] Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
[8] All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
[9] I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
[10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
[11] I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
[12] But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
[13] The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
[14] I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
[15] As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
[16] And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
[17] Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
The Cloud of Unknowing 