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Terry Mulholland once had the best pickoff move in baseball. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners.’ From 1992 to 1997, only six runners stole second base off him. One player said, he’d let a man hit so he could pick him off first base. Jesus said Satan is much worse than that pitcher. Satan tempts us to do wrong just so he can later use it to hurt us. His mission is to steal, kill, and destroy us. In contrast to Satan’s mission, Jesus said He is the Good Shepherd. In John 10, Jesus says He is the Gatekeeper who takes care of the sheep. He will protect those who come to Him, and they will be able to go in and out of his sheepfold to find pasture. In other words, He will supply all their needs. Jesus warns us about self-appointed leaders who take advantage of the sheep. He said some so-called leaders are like hired hands. They run away from the sheep when they see the wolf coming. They abandon the sheep because the sheep don’t belong to them. Jesus said hired hands run away because they’re working only for the money and don’t really care about the sheep. By contrast, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep.” Jesus knows our names; He knows our unique natures; and He knows our particular needs. All who come to Him find in Him a caring, competent, and everlasting Shepherd.
