Jesus tells the parable of the shepherd who left the 99 sheep in search of the one which had wandered off. We wonder about this since this potentially exposes the 99 to danger or having them wander off as well. Why would the shepherd do this? What does this tell us about how much God loves and values each individual human being?
The Bible records several individuals who had close encounters with God. Some lasted for extended periods while others were quite brief. The response in these various encounters ranged from fear and amazement to an adoring love and a desire to know more. The Lord still calls His people today to walk with Him, to love Him and to "know" Him. As you get closer to God in your walk with Him, what is your response to this awesome and mysterious God?
The gospel of God is most certainly about the salvation of mankind, and this is on what we usually focus. However, it is also good news about several other things as well. These many facets of the gospel all come together to provide a more complete message of the good news which God wants all people to know. We need to know and proclaim the entire gospel of God.
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The scriptures encourage us to gain knowledge and understanding. But Paul warns that knowledge in and of itself can make a person arrogant. Gaining Bible knowledge has several purposes, but, in the end, it all is to lead us to one particular place.