Thursday, May 26, 2016

Join the Fold?

It's probably the least respected move in poker. To fold your hand means you give up your cards. You surrender. You're out of the hand. You can't win - even if the 2-4 you fold before the flop is followed by 2-2-2 on the flop.

Yet is a "fold" always a bad thing? We pondered that this week when a radio speaker referred to this....
Verily, verily, I say to you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. - John 10:1 (KJV)


We could hear the scoffers right away, joking a "sheep" at a poker table folds all the time. But in King James English, a "sheepfold" refers to a yard where the sheep are kept. (Other Bible translations say "sheep pen.")

Yet here's the amazing thing, which we didn't even know until we looked it up tonight. The Greek word for fold in John 10 is translated in most other parts of the New Testament as "palace." Here's one example....
Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, to the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. - Matthew 26:3 (KJV)


The Greek word usually refers to palaces of worldly leaders. But Jesus also talked about a "fold" that was quite different....
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. - John 10:16 (KJV)


Jesus is organizing one of the biggest "folds" in history - and if you consider yourself enough of a loser to surrender your life to Jesus, He wants you to be part of it!

But did you notice the warning of John 10:1? You have to enter Jesus's fold by "the door." What does that mean?
I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. - John 10:9


Have you ever played private poker games, where you might need to know the password to get inside? Jesus says He is the door to this massive fold. You can't enter it without knowing Him.

There's more to this folding action, and we'll explain it in a future post.

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