I want to spend my life
00:00:01.96\00:00:07.90
Mending broken people
00:00:07.94\00:00:12.64
I want to spend my life
00:00:12.67\00:00:18.95
Removing pain
00:00:18.98\00:00:24.09
Lord, let my words
00:00:24.12\00:00:30.33
Heal a heart that hurts
00:00:30.36\00:00:34.83
I want to spend my life
00:00:34.86\00:00:40.64
Mending broken people
00:00:40.67\00:00:46.11
I want to spend my life
00:00:46.14\00:00:51.65
Mending broken people
00:00:51.68\00:00:56.42
Happy Sabbath,
and we are so thankful
00:01:09.33\00:01:12.17
that you have joined
us for Family Worship
00:01:12.20\00:01:14.24
this evening, aren't we Rise?
00:01:14.27\00:01:15.64
My name is
Pastor James Rafferty.
00:01:15.67\00:01:17.04
This is my wife Rise Rafferty,
00:01:17.07\00:01:19.01
and this is our first time
doing a Family Worship at 3ABN
00:01:19.04\00:01:21.64
since we've
joined the team here,
00:01:21.68\00:01:23.48
and we're just
thankful that you've joined us.
00:01:23.51\00:01:25.38
We're going to be
studying Psalm 23.
00:01:25.41\00:01:27.65
And we have some
illustrious guests with us.
00:01:27.68\00:01:30.22
Actually, they're
part of the 3ABN team also.
00:01:30.25\00:01:32.75
To our right we
have, Jason Bradley,
00:01:32.79\00:01:35.79
who is manager of Dare to Dream.
00:01:35.82\00:01:38.79
And he's a co-partner with me
00:01:38.83\00:01:40.40
in our series on
Salvation in Symbols and Signs.
00:01:40.43\00:01:43.97
And then, Jason,
we're glad you're here.
00:01:44.00\00:01:45.87
I'm glad to be here with you.
00:01:45.90\00:01:47.64
And this is a little different.
00:01:47.67\00:01:49.47
We've done more
than 112 episodes
00:01:49.50\00:01:51.47
of Salvation in
Symbols and Signs.
00:01:51.51\00:01:53.01
But now, I get to be on
Family Worship with you guys
00:01:53.04\00:01:56.14
and she does exist.
00:01:56.18\00:01:57.68
She does exist.
00:01:57.71\00:01:59.05
Amen. Yeah.
00:01:59.08\00:02:00.42
And unlike Salvation
in Symbols and Signs,
00:02:00.45\00:02:02.02
where I do all the talking,
00:02:02.05\00:02:03.39
you're going to do
all the talking this time.
00:02:03.42\00:02:06.09
I don't think we
signed up for that one.
00:02:06.12\00:02:09.46
And at the other
end of the table,
00:02:09.49\00:02:10.83
we have Ian and
Angela, Vandervalk.
00:02:10.86\00:02:13.60
Yeah, thank you for having us.
00:02:13.63\00:02:14.96
You guys are kind
of new to 3ABN also.
00:02:15.00\00:02:16.67
How long have you been here?
00:02:16.70\00:02:18.60
We have been here
just short of a year.
00:02:18.63\00:02:20.24
All right.
00:02:20.27\00:02:21.70
And you are a vital
part of the production team.
00:02:21.74\00:02:25.57
You do... What do you...
Tell us what you do exactly?
00:02:25.61\00:02:28.34
Well, currently
I'm a floor director.
00:02:28.38\00:02:31.35
So anything that's
going on in all the studios
00:02:31.38\00:02:33.58
prior to production,
00:02:33.62\00:02:35.55
during the production,
even after production.
00:02:35.58\00:02:37.39
I just kind of
manage the studios
00:02:37.42\00:02:38.75
making sure everything's ready.
00:02:38.79\00:02:40.12
The hosts and
guests are taken care of
00:02:40.16\00:02:41.49
so it's a lot of fun.
00:02:41.52\00:02:42.86
You do a great job with that.
00:02:42.89\00:02:44.23
Angela, what are
you doing back there?
00:02:44.26\00:02:45.59
Well, I do, I run
camera and I do makeup.
00:02:45.63\00:02:48.16
You make us look good
00:02:48.20\00:02:49.63
and you do a good job with that.
00:02:49.66\00:02:51.00
I love it. Yes, it's a blessing.
00:02:51.03\00:02:52.37
Making sure everything's
off and we're ready to go.
00:02:52.40\00:02:55.50
So we're so thankful, again
00:02:55.54\00:02:57.14
that you could
join us this evening.
00:02:57.17\00:02:58.91
We are going to
be studying Psalm 23,
00:02:58.94\00:03:01.18
which I believe is kind of like
00:03:01.21\00:03:03.28
the Lord's Prayer
of the Old Testament.
00:03:03.31\00:03:06.18
And we're going
to see some parallels
00:03:06.21\00:03:07.88
between the Lord's
Prayer in the New Testament
00:03:07.92\00:03:09.72
and the Lord's
Prayer in the Old Testament.
00:03:09.75\00:03:12.09
David was, you know,
this, a type of Christ.
00:03:12.12\00:03:15.86
Christ was
called the Son of David
00:03:15.89\00:03:17.43
at many times in
the New Testament
00:03:17.46\00:03:19.36
and so we're going to see
some beautiful parallels here.
00:03:19.39\00:03:21.96
But before we get
started with our study,
00:03:22.00\00:03:24.80
Rise, would you like
to have prayer for us?
00:03:24.83\00:03:26.23
Okay.
00:03:26.27\00:03:28.34
Father in heaven,
we're just so thankful
00:03:28.37\00:03:30.31
that we could
gather around this table
00:03:30.34\00:03:31.77
and partake of
spiritual food together.
00:03:31.81\00:03:34.68
We just pray that
as we ponder Your Word,
00:03:34.71\00:03:37.68
that You'd send Your Holy Spirit
00:03:37.71\00:03:39.18
to give us understanding.
00:03:39.21\00:03:41.12
That we would
live this time with You
00:03:41.15\00:03:43.99
with a clear insight
into a chapter, Father,
00:03:44.02\00:03:47.06
that we've probably
known since we were kids.
00:03:47.09\00:03:49.66
And we really want to
be led by the Shepherd.
00:03:49.69\00:03:52.43
We want to know
00:03:52.46\00:03:53.80
and hear Your
voice and be your sheep.
00:03:53.83\00:03:55.53
We just ask for Your blessing
on us now in Jesus' name.
00:03:55.56\00:03:57.87
Amen.
00:03:57.90\00:03:59.23
Amen.
00:03:59.27\00:04:00.60
Well, like Rise
said, I think many of us
00:04:00.64\00:04:02.40
have known Psalm
23 since we were kids.
00:04:02.44\00:04:03.81
I didn't.
00:04:03.84\00:04:05.17
I knew the Lord's Prayer
00:04:05.21\00:04:06.54
because I was
raised in a Catholic home,
00:04:06.57\00:04:07.91
and that's
something that we memorize
00:04:07.94\00:04:09.28
along with the Our Father.
00:04:09.31\00:04:10.88
But I didn't
really know the Bible,
00:04:10.91\00:04:12.25
and I wasn't familiar with
this particular Psalm, Psalm 23.
00:04:12.28\00:04:16.35
So for those of our viewers
who aren't familiar with it,
00:04:16.38\00:04:19.22
and just for us in general,
00:04:19.25\00:04:20.59
I think it'd be good
for us to read through it.
00:04:20.62\00:04:22.06
I'd like us to
start with Ian, with you,
00:04:22.09\00:04:24.03
if you could just read verse 1.
00:04:24.06\00:04:25.39
There's what?
00:04:25.43\00:04:26.76
Six verses so we
could all read a verse
00:04:26.80\00:04:28.13
and I can finish it up.
00:04:28.16\00:04:29.50
Actually, why
you read verses 1-2
00:04:29.53\00:04:30.87
because the first one
is real short and then,
00:04:30.90\00:04:32.97
Angela, you can go with verse 3.
00:04:33.00\00:04:34.70
All right, so starting
in verse 1 in Psalms 23,
00:04:34.74\00:04:37.87
"The Lord is my
Shepherd, I shall not want.
00:04:37.91\00:04:41.31
He makes me to lie
down in green pastures.
00:04:41.34\00:04:43.95
He leads me
beside the still waters."
00:04:43.98\00:04:46.65
"He restores my soul,
00:04:46.68\00:04:48.42
He leads me in the
path of righteousness
00:04:48.45\00:04:50.92
for His name's sake."
00:04:50.95\00:04:53.66
"Yea, though I
walk through the valley
00:04:53.69\00:04:55.49
of the shadow of death,
00:04:55.52\00:04:56.86
I will fear no evil,
for thou art with me.
00:04:56.89\00:04:59.39
Thy rod and thy
staff, they comfort me."
00:04:59.43\00:05:02.70
"You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
00:05:02.73\00:05:06.00
You anoint my head
with oil, my cup runs over."
00:05:06.03\00:05:10.11
"Surely, goodness and mercy
00:05:10.14\00:05:11.71
shall follow me all
the days of my life,
00:05:11.74\00:05:13.98
and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever."
00:05:14.01\00:05:17.55
Amen.
00:05:17.58\00:05:18.91
Isn't that a beautiful
Psalm, a beautiful prayer?
00:05:18.95\00:05:21.25
It's so short, and
yet it's so comprehensive,
00:05:21.28\00:05:24.55
and that's very
similar to the Lord's Prayer.
00:05:24.59\00:05:26.69
You know, it's so
short and so comprehensive.
00:05:26.72\00:05:29.76
So, what are some
thoughts that we get from this?
00:05:29.79\00:05:32.69
What kind of insights
did you gather from it
00:05:32.73\00:05:35.63
as you read it and prepared
for our worship tonight?
00:05:35.66\00:05:39.27
I love the thought that
00:05:39.30\00:05:41.90
we are sheep and
that God is our leader.
00:05:41.94\00:05:44.31
And when I read this,
00:05:44.34\00:05:46.04
I felt such a
deep sense of security
00:05:46.07\00:05:48.64
and I thought how
often in our lives,
00:05:48.68\00:05:50.95
you know, we're insecure.
00:05:50.98\00:05:52.98
I don't know by nature or
just because of life's pain
00:05:53.01\00:05:56.85
and the things
that we experience.
00:05:56.89\00:05:58.42
And yet here we see
now God wants to lead us
00:05:58.45\00:06:00.99
into a relationship with Him
that is so secure in every way.
00:06:01.02\00:06:05.39
Amen.
00:06:05.43\00:06:06.76
So He's our Heavenly Shepherd.
00:06:06.80\00:06:08.13
He's our Heavenly Shepherd.
00:06:08.16\00:06:09.50
He watches over us
like lambs, I mean, like.
00:06:09.53\00:06:11.43
Have you ever had lambs?
00:06:11.47\00:06:12.93
No, I want some, but
I know I haven't had it.
00:06:12.97\00:06:16.81
We haven't either but
when we moved to Oregon,
00:06:16.84\00:06:18.84
some years ago,
they were everywhere
00:06:18.87\00:06:21.04
and they take a
little bit of care.
00:06:21.08\00:06:23.98
You know, they
can get into trouble.
00:06:24.01\00:06:25.35
They can get lost.
00:06:25.38\00:06:27.05
They need to be watched over.
00:06:27.08\00:06:28.45
They need their food,
00:06:28.48\00:06:29.92
you know, attended to as far
as not eating the wrong things,
00:06:29.95\00:06:32.49
not eating
poisonous things or whatever.
00:06:32.52\00:06:34.32
They need to have a
place of shelter for the night
00:06:34.36\00:06:36.76
because they've
got a few enemies
00:06:36.79\00:06:39.63
that come after them.
00:06:39.66\00:06:41.00
There's a lot of
lessons there in our lives
00:06:41.03\00:06:43.53
as far as God
being our Shepherd.
00:06:43.57\00:06:45.47
What are the
thoughts you got there?
00:06:45.50\00:06:46.84
Well, I just want to
comment on Rise's thought there,
00:06:46.87\00:06:49.27
you know, where
insecurity comes from,
00:06:49.30\00:06:51.27
because I think
that a lot of times
00:06:51.31\00:06:53.11
we get caught up in
what how society says
00:06:53.14\00:06:56.18
that we should be
or how society says
00:06:56.21\00:06:58.15
we should look
or what society says
00:06:58.18\00:07:00.45
that we should do,
00:07:00.48\00:07:01.82
and we lose sight
of the Word of God
00:07:01.85\00:07:03.52
because in the Word of God
00:07:03.55\00:07:05.39
is what we
should have our value.
00:07:05.42\00:07:08.06
That's where our
value is found so in Christ.
00:07:08.09\00:07:11.46
So I think that can
breed about a lot of insecurity
00:07:11.49\00:07:15.30
because social media
and all of that stuff,
00:07:15.33\00:07:17.83
you know, they
paint these pictures
00:07:17.87\00:07:20.00
but it's so far
away from God's Word.
00:07:20.04\00:07:22.57
And so I think
that's a powerful point
00:07:22.60\00:07:24.94
that you brought out.
00:07:24.97\00:07:26.34
One thing that stands out to me
00:07:26.37\00:07:27.71
in here is the
"Lord is my Shepherd,
00:07:27.74\00:07:30.35
I shall not want"
or "I shall not lack."
00:07:30.38\00:07:33.85
You know, when you
look at the creation,
00:07:33.88\00:07:35.58
the story creation.
00:07:35.62\00:07:38.59
Everything was created for
man before man was created.
00:07:38.62\00:07:44.13
And then on top of that,
00:07:44.16\00:07:45.59
not only did man receive
like purpose, and everything,
00:07:45.63\00:07:49.36
he was supposed to take
care of what God provided,
00:07:49.40\00:07:52.33
but then on the
seventh day, the Sabbath,
00:07:52.37\00:07:56.81
God rested And
so He provided work,
00:07:56.84\00:07:59.64
He provided
purpose, He provided food,
00:07:59.67\00:08:01.44
He provided all of that stuff
00:08:01.48\00:08:03.08
and then He blessed
us with rest in Him.
00:08:03.11\00:08:04.45
That's right.
00:08:04.48\00:08:05.81
So, I mean, to see
the Lord is my Shepherd,
00:08:05.85\00:08:08.62
I shall not want.
00:08:08.65\00:08:10.09
Also in Philippians 4:19,
00:08:10.12\00:08:13.76
"And my God shall
supply all your need
00:08:13.79\00:08:16.22
according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus."
00:08:16.26\00:08:21.60
That's just the kind
of God that we serve,
00:08:21.63\00:08:23.43
"The Lord is my
Shepherd, I shall not want."
00:08:23.47\00:08:25.40
And when you were talking,
00:08:25.43\00:08:26.77
I was thinking how you're right,
00:08:26.80\00:08:28.34
the world and
social media, et cetera.
00:08:28.37\00:08:30.91
I want to get my definition
of who I am by these things
00:08:30.94\00:08:34.21
and yet they
really tear me down.
00:08:34.24\00:08:36.11
They make me feel insecure
because I don't measure up.
00:08:36.14\00:08:38.61
But when I realized
and identify who God is,
00:08:38.65\00:08:41.15
I am identifying
who I am as well.
00:08:41.18\00:08:43.89
My identity is in Him.
00:08:43.92\00:08:45.25
He's my Shepherd, I'm His sheep.
00:08:45.29\00:08:46.62
I know who I am.
00:08:46.65\00:08:47.99
I don't have to compare
myself with social media.
00:08:48.02\00:08:49.59
I love that. Amen.
00:08:49.62\00:08:50.96
Yeah, that's good stuff,
00:08:50.99\00:08:52.33
and the whole
idea of not wanting...
00:08:52.36\00:08:54.13
I know when I was a
kid, I had a lot of wants.
00:08:54.16\00:08:56.60
You know, we weren't rich.
00:08:56.63\00:08:58.33
You know, in
fact, we were very poor
00:08:58.37\00:08:59.80
for some of the
time of my teenage years
00:08:59.83\00:09:02.27
and the world told
me what my need was.
00:09:02.30\00:09:06.34
The world told me where to get,
00:09:06.37\00:09:08.01
you know, to be defined
00:09:08.04\00:09:09.91
and it was in making
money and having things,
00:09:09.94\00:09:12.95
having cars and having clothes
and having a place to live
00:09:12.98\00:09:16.22
and all the accessories
to go along with that.
00:09:16.25\00:09:19.19
And that's what I sought after
00:09:19.22\00:09:20.56
because I let the world
define what my wants were,
00:09:20.59\00:09:23.93
what my needs
were and who I was.
00:09:23.96\00:09:26.46
And when I became a Christian,
00:09:26.49\00:09:27.83
when I gave my
life to the Lord 100%,
00:09:27.86\00:09:30.90
I remember all
that stuff going away.
00:09:30.93\00:09:32.80
I remember being
indifferent to it
00:09:32.83\00:09:34.17
and just kind of letting it go
00:09:34.20\00:09:35.54
because the Lord now
was defining who I was.
00:09:35.57\00:09:38.34
And in His definition,
it was about rest in Christ,
00:09:38.37\00:09:42.34
the Sabbath, you
know, the very day
00:09:42.38\00:09:43.98
we're entering into
right now that resting in Jesus
00:09:44.01\00:09:46.98
and not worrying about
all these other things.
00:09:47.02\00:09:49.48
Yeah, it's good to have them.
00:09:49.52\00:09:50.85
They're
convenient and they help,
00:09:50.89\00:09:52.92
but our real value is found
00:09:52.95\00:09:55.32
in our connection
with Jesus Christ.
00:09:55.36\00:09:56.69
Amen.
00:09:56.73\00:09:58.06
And I wanted to say
because my experience
00:09:58.09\00:09:59.66
was somewhat similar to yours,
00:09:59.69\00:10:01.16
James, where, you
know, I was raised Catholic
00:10:01.20\00:10:03.23
so I knew the, Our
Father, very, very well.
00:10:03.26\00:10:06.23
You know,
Psalms 23, not so much.
00:10:06.27\00:10:09.14
And, you know, I
only became a Christian
00:10:09.17\00:10:11.57
and came to the Lord
only a few years ago.
00:10:11.61\00:10:14.21
So when going through
this prior to coming out here,
00:10:14.24\00:10:16.71
you know, I even had to
read that first verse alone.
00:10:16.75\00:10:19.38
When I read that, you
know, "The Lord is my Shepherd,
00:10:19.41\00:10:21.32
I shall not want."
00:10:21.35\00:10:22.92
I hope I'm not
the only one out there
00:10:22.95\00:10:25.12
but when I first read
that, I thought to myself,
00:10:25.15\00:10:27.56
"Why should I not
want my Shepherd?"
00:10:27.59\00:10:30.06
Like I didn't get it, my mind
went the other way, you know.
00:10:30.09\00:10:33.50
So I even had to
ask Angela, my wife,
00:10:33.53\00:10:35.40
you know, I'd be like,
"Babe, what is this telling me?
00:10:35.43\00:10:37.57
Why am I supposed to
not want my Shepherd?"
00:10:37.60\00:10:40.37
But then, when she
explained it to me,
00:10:40.40\00:10:42.30
it just opened up my eyes
00:10:42.34\00:10:43.67
and, you know,
light bulbs went off,
00:10:43.71\00:10:45.34
and I was like,
"Oh, now I get it.
00:10:45.37\00:10:48.08
Now I understand."
00:10:48.11\00:10:49.81
How we're making that
comparison to our Father.
00:10:49.84\00:10:52.05
He's saying the same thing,
"The Lord is my Shepherd,"
00:10:52.08\00:10:54.38
you know, and the Lord's Prayer,
00:10:54.42\00:10:55.82
Our Father.
00:10:55.85\00:10:57.19
So it's the same
guide or same protector,
00:10:57.22\00:10:59.59
you know, that we
see in both of these.
00:10:59.62\00:11:02.19
It's so good.
00:11:02.22\00:11:03.56
I like that because
it's so easy to misunderstand
00:11:03.59\00:11:06.26
the Word of God and I
had a similar experience.
00:11:06.29\00:11:08.23
You know, I've been
Adventist now for 37 years,
00:11:08.26\00:11:10.17
but when I first
started studying the Bible,
00:11:10.20\00:11:12.27
I mean, bro, it
was so frustrating.
00:11:12.30\00:11:14.14
I could not understand it.
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.50
I would be
crying, just teary eyed,
00:11:15.54\00:11:17.97
trying to figure
out what it meant.
00:11:18.01\00:11:20.04
And to read that
the Lord is my Shepherd,
00:11:20.08\00:11:21.81
I shall not want, I
can understand that.
00:11:21.84\00:11:25.25
Yeah, of course, you know?
00:11:25.28\00:11:27.32
It's interesting though
how when we grow in the Lord
00:11:27.35\00:11:31.42
and when we continue
reading the Bible, and mature.
00:11:31.45\00:11:35.02
Now, I believe Angela,
00:11:35.06\00:11:36.83
you were raised
in the church, right?
00:11:36.86\00:11:38.23
Yes.
00:11:38.26\00:11:39.59
So you were raised an Adventist.
00:11:39.63\00:11:40.96
So you kind of have
little bit of that background
00:11:41.00\00:11:42.33
that we didn't have
coming out of Catholicism.
00:11:42.36\00:11:44.07
But even though I
had that background
00:11:44.10\00:11:47.44
and I have read Psalm 23
00:11:47.47\00:11:51.11
before but I
never really studied it.
00:11:51.14\00:11:53.68
So it makes it different
00:11:53.71\00:11:55.04
when you sit
down and break it down
00:11:55.08\00:11:56.91
and I enjoyed studying it.
00:11:56.95\00:11:59.11
And when it says,
00:11:59.15\00:12:00.48
"The Lord is my
Shepherd, I shall not want."
00:12:00.52\00:12:02.22
I'm an animal
person, so I love the animals
00:12:02.25\00:12:04.72
and so how they
depend on me to feed them
00:12:04.75\00:12:08.79
and to give them water
and shelter and everything.
00:12:08.82\00:12:11.93
I feel like same thing
with God like we depend on Him.
00:12:11.96\00:12:15.30
We need to depend
on Him for everything,
00:12:15.33\00:12:17.20
right, to take care
of us and to love us.
00:12:17.23\00:12:19.80
And, you know,
even when things go bad
00:12:19.83\00:12:22.87
we need to still depend
on Him and trust in Him.
00:12:22.90\00:12:27.04
And I really like
that I shall not want,
00:12:27.08\00:12:31.61
how God just does supply
all our needs, everything.
00:12:31.65\00:12:35.35
Like when we moved
over here from Georgia
00:12:35.38\00:12:38.45
and God called us here,
00:12:38.49\00:12:39.82
my husband want
to serve the Lord
00:12:39.85\00:12:41.36
and the Lord send us here.
00:12:41.39\00:12:43.16
And even though I
came kicking and screaming,
00:12:43.19\00:12:47.03
'cause we were in
military, so sick of the moving.
00:12:47.06\00:12:50.20
So I was like,
"We're moving again."
00:12:50.23\00:12:51.90
And he was like, "I'm
getting out of the army."
00:12:51.93\00:12:53.67
So I was like, "Yay."
00:12:53.70\00:12:55.24
And then God sent
us here to move again.
00:12:55.27\00:12:56.74
But even when we
came here, we were like,
00:12:56.77\00:12:59.47
just trusted in God
00:12:59.51\00:13:00.98
because we had no place to live.
00:13:01.01\00:13:03.41
You know, we didn't
know what we're going to do.
00:13:03.45\00:13:05.28
We had a house still in Georgia
00:13:05.31\00:13:07.02
and rent in
there and God just...
00:13:07.05\00:13:09.32
We just trusted in Him
and that's what our Shepherd,
00:13:09.35\00:13:13.19
our Heavenly Father wants
us to do is to trust in Him.
00:13:13.22\00:13:16.02
And He tests our patience.
00:13:16.06\00:13:18.86
He really taught us patience
00:13:18.89\00:13:20.73
and He tested our
patience and we just...
00:13:20.76\00:13:25.00
He supplied
everything, the house, acres
00:13:25.03\00:13:28.07
or everything we needed,
00:13:28.10\00:13:29.44
God supplied for
us, like everything.
00:13:29.47\00:13:31.11
And I'm just so
thankful for my Lord,
00:13:31.14\00:13:33.68
my Heavenly Father
to be our Shepherd.
00:13:33.71\00:13:35.14
Amen.
00:13:35.18\00:13:36.51
It is amazing though, isn't it?
00:13:36.54\00:13:37.88
When you're in the situation
00:13:37.91\00:13:39.78
because now you're
looking back and you're saying,
00:13:39.81\00:13:41.18
"Oh, God just keep blessing."
00:13:41.22\00:13:42.68
But when you're in the situation
00:13:42.72\00:13:44.42
and you have to
make the decision like
00:13:44.45\00:13:46.39
the Israelites to get into
the water and then it parts.
00:13:46.42\00:13:48.92
You know, they
had to touch the water
00:13:48.96\00:13:50.29
before it would part
and you guys had to do that.
00:13:50.33\00:13:52.36
You had to step out.
00:13:52.39\00:13:53.73
I was walking
through the shadow of...
00:13:53.76\00:13:55.10
Valley of death.
00:13:55.13\00:13:56.46
Yeah.
00:13:56.50\00:13:57.83
I know what was going to happen.
00:13:57.87\00:13:59.67
What I love about that verse,
and that point you just made is
00:13:59.70\00:14:02.67
but you're walking through.
00:14:02.70\00:14:04.54
We need to walk with
the Lord and keep on walking
00:14:04.57\00:14:06.91
and sometimes the end
journey is going to be...
00:14:06.94\00:14:10.58
Well, every time the end journey
00:14:10.61\00:14:11.95
is going to be a
little bit different
00:14:11.98\00:14:13.31
than the way there.
00:14:13.35\00:14:14.68
The way there is like
00:14:14.72\00:14:16.05
the valley of
the shadow of death,
00:14:16.08\00:14:17.42
but the end journey is
what God is getting us to.
00:14:17.45\00:14:18.99
And so if we stop in the
valley of the shadow of death,
00:14:19.02\00:14:21.02
if we stopped with our doubts,
you know, with our unbelief,
00:14:21.06\00:14:23.86
with our, you know,
distrust or whatever,
00:14:23.89\00:14:25.63
we're going to be stuck
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.00
in the valley of
the shadow of death.
00:14:27.03\00:14:28.36
If we're going to sit there
we're going to absorb it all.
00:14:28.40\00:14:29.73
Yeah, but He
wants us to keep going
00:14:29.76\00:14:31.80
because He wants us to
get to our destination.
00:14:31.83\00:14:34.24
And what you guys went through
and moving out here by faith
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.94
is just one little
step in the journey of faith
00:14:36.97\00:14:42.58
that gets us to
that promised destination
00:14:42.61\00:14:44.81
that is eternal life.
00:14:44.85\00:14:46.45
And what He wants to do
00:14:46.48\00:14:47.82
is every one of those
little steps that we take,
00:14:47.85\00:14:50.05
we enforces the faith
we have in Him to get us
00:14:50.09\00:14:52.52
to that final journey.
00:14:52.55\00:14:53.89
It's like a down payment.
00:14:53.92\00:14:55.52
And sometimes on this earth
00:14:55.56\00:14:56.89
we think we get
content with a down payment
00:14:56.93\00:15:00.06
and God say no,
no, no, no, no, no.
00:15:00.10\00:15:01.46
Sometimes He has to
take the down payment away
00:15:01.50\00:15:03.43
just to get our eyes
back on the ultimate goal
00:15:03.47\00:15:06.53
because we're not there
00:15:06.57\00:15:08.27
until the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:15:08.30\00:15:09.94
Amen.
00:15:09.97\00:15:11.31
You know, I love how
00:15:11.34\00:15:12.67
with the shepherd
and the sheep, you know.
00:15:12.71\00:15:14.14
If you think about sheep,
00:15:14.18\00:15:16.01
and the shepherd like sheep
know, their shepherd's voice.
00:15:16.04\00:15:20.42
So how do we
learn the voice of God?
00:15:20.45\00:15:22.65
By studying His
Word and growing in Him.
00:15:22.68\00:15:25.99
You mentioned
about the ultimate goal.
00:15:26.02\00:15:28.82
There was a
picture of a little girl
00:15:28.86\00:15:31.19
she had a bear in her hands.
00:15:31.23\00:15:33.80
It was this little tiny bear.
00:15:33.83\00:15:35.93
And then there was a
picture of Jesus and Jesus
00:15:35.96\00:15:38.20
was just looking at her,
just so kind and so peaceful.
00:15:38.23\00:15:41.64
And He had
something behind his back
00:15:41.67\00:15:45.31
but that little girl was
holding and clenching tight
00:15:45.34\00:15:47.91
to that little bear.
00:15:47.94\00:15:49.28
But Jesus had this
huge bear behind his back
00:15:49.31\00:15:53.28
that He just needed her
to let go of the tiny bear
00:15:53.31\00:15:57.52
and receive the great
gift that He had for her.
00:15:57.55\00:16:01.42
I mean that's just like us.
00:16:01.46\00:16:02.79
You know, sometimes we hold on
to these things and it's like,
00:16:02.82\00:16:05.56
God wants to
give us so much more,
00:16:05.59\00:16:07.63
but we get caught up in this
temporary type of situation.
00:16:07.66\00:16:10.60
Yeah, amen.
00:16:10.63\00:16:11.97
You know, the next verse...
00:16:12.00\00:16:13.90
I love how the
Word of God speaks
00:16:13.94\00:16:15.27
to each person differently,
00:16:15.30\00:16:16.64
which is why I think
this is so cool, right,
00:16:16.67\00:16:18.01
to gather around
and really talk about
00:16:18.04\00:16:20.38
what we see in the Word of God.
00:16:20.41\00:16:21.74
But the next
verse where it says,
00:16:21.78\00:16:23.18
"He makes me to lie
down in green pastures."
00:16:23.21\00:16:26.58
And I was thinking, "Sheep..."
00:16:26.61\00:16:28.42
You know, like James was saying,
00:16:28.45\00:16:29.78
we've lived in Oregon,
00:16:29.82\00:16:31.15
where most of the time
sheep were always eating.
00:16:31.19\00:16:33.72
They're always foraging.
00:16:33.76\00:16:35.19
They're always standing up
00:16:35.22\00:16:36.56
and more and more
and more and more food.
00:16:36.59\00:16:38.43
You're like, you
know, they don't get fat.
00:16:38.46\00:16:40.00
They just digest all
this green mass, and anyway.
00:16:40.03\00:16:42.83
They don't get
fat, they get food.
00:16:42.86\00:16:45.87
I was just thinking,
00:16:45.90\00:16:47.24
"What does it take
for a sheep to lie down
00:16:47.27\00:16:49.87
when there's food
everywhere, right or what?"
00:16:49.90\00:16:52.14
They're content.
00:16:52.17\00:16:53.54
And so this is how my
brain works a little weird.
00:16:53.58\00:16:57.68
It's not weird, honey.
00:16:57.71\00:16:59.05
Okay, just who I am.
00:16:59.08\00:17:00.65
You're Puerto Rican.
00:17:00.68\00:17:03.82
So we have this
part of our brain,
00:17:03.85\00:17:06.02
that's the pleasure
reward pathway, right?
00:17:06.05\00:17:08.36
And we can do
things that stimulate it.
00:17:08.39\00:17:10.79
So we can go do
drugs, we can do alcohol,
00:17:10.83\00:17:13.60
we can do gambling, sex,
00:17:13.63\00:17:16.67
you know, on and on and on,
00:17:16.70\00:17:18.03
and it stimulates this
pleasure reward pathway.
00:17:18.07\00:17:20.17
Well, our nature is
such that it's not like,
00:17:20.20\00:17:22.80
"Oh, we get a
hit," and we're like,
00:17:22.84\00:17:24.17
"Oh, that's good."
00:17:24.21\00:17:25.54
That was good for the...
00:17:25.57\00:17:26.91
You know, suddenly
like, it breeds contentment.
00:17:26.94\00:17:28.34
They found that actually
00:17:28.38\00:17:29.71
when you stimulate that
pleasure reward pathway,
00:17:29.74\00:17:31.85
we go back for
more and more and more
00:17:31.88\00:17:34.25
and so all the big huge
food companies, they know this,
00:17:34.28\00:17:37.79
so they intentionally
are marketing us food
00:17:37.82\00:17:40.99
that stimulates that
pleasure reward pathway
00:17:41.02\00:17:43.02
so we're not content.
00:17:43.06\00:17:44.46
We go back for
more and more and more
00:17:44.49\00:17:46.03
putting more
money in their pocket.
00:17:46.06\00:17:47.40
They did this research
with monkeys and with rats.
00:17:47.43\00:17:50.37
And they put little
electrodes there right,
00:17:50.40\00:17:52.57
and all the monkey had
to do was push this bar,
00:17:52.60\00:17:56.20
and they'd experienced pleasure.
00:17:56.24\00:17:59.47
And they found that
these monkeys and rats
00:17:59.51\00:18:01.94
started pressing this bar like
four or five times a second,
00:18:01.98\00:18:05.95
so some of them died.
00:18:05.98\00:18:08.22
They didn't drink
water. They didn't eat food.
00:18:08.25\00:18:10.42
They're just
pressing this thing, why?
00:18:10.45\00:18:12.69
Because if we're just
stimulating this pleasure
00:18:12.72\00:18:14.99
reward pathway, it
breeds discontentment.
00:18:15.02\00:18:17.73
Contentment is actually
a synonym for happiness.
00:18:17.76\00:18:20.93
And when we are truly
happy, we're like, "I'm content.
00:18:20.96\00:18:23.90
That's good."
00:18:23.93\00:18:25.37
And it's not always driving us
00:18:25.40\00:18:27.20
for how can I get more
and more and more, right?
00:18:27.24\00:18:29.57
That's
discontentment and so anyway,
00:18:29.60\00:18:32.74
all that to say
that when I read this,
00:18:32.77\00:18:35.54
I'm picturing God leading
us in our lives to such a place
00:18:35.58\00:18:40.12
where we finally are like,
00:18:40.15\00:18:41.78
"I am so deeply
satisfied and content.
00:18:41.82\00:18:44.62
I'm experiencing such
love and depth of life.
00:18:44.65\00:18:49.16
I'm just laying
here among the grass."
00:18:49.19\00:18:51.13
In the presence of the Lord.
00:18:51.16\00:18:52.49
Yes, I'm not
having to constantly,
00:18:52.53\00:18:53.90
you know, be hunting,
on the hunt all the time.
00:18:53.93\00:18:56.00
And I'm sure you guys have
experienced that in your lives.
00:18:56.03\00:18:57.80
Absolutely.
00:18:57.83\00:18:59.17
I love how you said
that because I mean,
00:18:59.20\00:19:00.57
that really resonates
00:19:00.60\00:19:02.04
to my whole
experience in my whole life,
00:19:02.07\00:19:04.44
you know, prior to
even giving my heart to God.
00:19:04.47\00:19:06.81
It was always finding
00:19:06.84\00:19:08.38
that thing that
can provide pleasure,
00:19:08.41\00:19:10.31
that thing that
can just might even
00:19:10.35\00:19:12.15
temporarily make
me happy, you know.
00:19:12.18\00:19:14.45
And it wasn't until I
finally just let go of the world
00:19:14.48\00:19:18.45
and just finally came to Christ.
00:19:18.49\00:19:20.36
That's when
everything became peaceful.
00:19:20.39\00:19:22.62
That's when everything,
00:19:22.66\00:19:23.99
you know, in my life
started to make sense.
00:19:24.03\00:19:25.36
For both of us.
00:19:25.39\00:19:26.73
Yeah, I mean,
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.10
everything in both of our
lives was kind of chaotic,
00:19:28.13\00:19:32.10
you know, until
we came to the Lord.
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.67
So that whole
description that you gave,
00:19:35.70\00:19:40.01
as far as you
know, Christ leading us
00:19:40.04\00:19:41.81
to somewhere where we're content
00:19:41.84\00:19:43.51
to somewhere where we're happy.
00:19:43.55\00:19:44.88
I mean, you'll never experience
true happiness or true peace
00:19:44.91\00:19:47.95
until you find the Lord.
00:19:47.98\00:19:49.65
I mean, I know it
because I've experienced it.
00:19:49.68\00:19:51.99
I'm sure, Jason,
I'm sure we all here
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.46
have experienced it.
00:19:53.49\00:19:54.92
So I love how
you brought that out.
00:19:54.96\00:19:57.03
Yeah, green pastures,
00:19:57.06\00:20:00.50
the application
we're making there,
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.56
Rise, I really love that.
00:20:02.60\00:20:03.93
He makes me to
lie down in pastures.
00:20:03.97\00:20:06.13
Not to eat in green
pastures but to lie down.
00:20:06.17\00:20:08.30
Because I'm
satisfied, I'm filled.
00:20:08.34\00:20:09.67
Because I'm content, you know.
00:20:09.70\00:20:11.04
I was thinking of a verse here,
00:20:11.07\00:20:12.41
and I found that,
it's in 1 Timothy 6.
00:20:12.44\00:20:14.14
And it says, "But godliness
with contentment is great gain.
00:20:14.18\00:20:18.58
For we brought
nothing into this world
00:20:18.61\00:20:20.52
and it is certain that
we can carry nothing out."
00:20:20.55\00:20:23.28
Of course, I love that verse.
00:20:23.32\00:20:24.79
It's like, "Oh, that's right.
00:20:24.82\00:20:27.02
We're not taking
it back to heaven."
00:20:27.06\00:20:29.36
We're not carrying anything
out of this world, you know?
00:20:29.39\00:20:32.83
So God is bringing
us back to the place
00:20:32.86\00:20:35.40
where even though He
created this whole world for us
00:20:35.43\00:20:38.13
in the beginning, right?
00:20:38.17\00:20:39.97
We were content in His presence.
00:20:40.00\00:20:42.94
Everything else was surplus,
everything else was extra
00:20:42.97\00:20:45.67
and we were just
content in His presence.
00:20:45.71\00:20:47.54
But I really love the way
that you brought that out,
00:20:47.58\00:20:49.58
Rise, in this verse
00:20:49.61\00:20:50.95
because I never
would have caught that.
00:20:50.98\00:20:52.31
He makes me to lie
down in green pastures.
00:20:52.35\00:20:54.52
He's the Shepherd, we're sheep.
00:20:54.55\00:20:57.19
When do you see sheep
lying down in green pastures?
00:20:57.22\00:20:59.52
When they're content,
00:20:59.55\00:21:00.89
otherwise they
eat and eat and safe.
00:21:00.92\00:21:02.26
They feel safe.
00:21:02.29\00:21:03.63
Yeah, otherwise
they're eating, eating, eating.
00:21:03.66\00:21:05.23
Yes, that's good.
00:21:05.26\00:21:07.73
So what do we get on
the rest of that verse?
00:21:07.76\00:21:09.76
"He leads me
beside still waters."
00:21:09.80\00:21:13.23
Well, the first thing
that popped out to me was,
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.90
you know, I was thinking
00:21:15.94\00:21:17.27
whitewater
rapids and still waters.
00:21:17.31\00:21:19.34
I mean, that's kind of
thing that immediately,
00:21:19.37\00:21:22.08
kind of, just popped in my head.
00:21:22.11\00:21:23.45
And I just thought, you know,
"God isn't going to lead us
00:21:23.48\00:21:26.35
into the Lord's Prayer.
00:21:26.38\00:21:28.25
He's not going to
lead us into temptation."
00:21:28.28\00:21:30.49
And similar here,
He's not going to lead us
00:21:30.52\00:21:32.85
into something that's
going to be chaos for us
00:21:32.89\00:21:35.66
or it's going to,
you know, bring us down
00:21:35.69\00:21:37.79
or do something that
will be difficult for us
00:21:37.83\00:21:39.73
to get through
some kind of trial trip.
00:21:39.76\00:21:41.16
He's not going to take us there.
00:21:41.20\00:21:42.93
Where He wants to take
us is somewhere where it's,
00:21:42.96\00:21:44.87
again, peaceful,
somewhere we can rest,
00:21:44.90\00:21:47.10
somewhere that is calm.
00:21:47.14\00:21:48.47
You know, one of the reasons
why He gave us the Sabbath,
00:21:48.50\00:21:50.57
we'll just go go, go,
go, go throughout the week,
00:21:50.61\00:21:52.54
and sometimes we can,
you know, in our own works
00:21:52.57\00:21:55.01
and the things
that we have going on.
00:21:55.04\00:21:57.41
He made that day
where we can just stop
00:21:57.45\00:21:59.98
and spend that time
with Him and reflect on Him.
00:22:00.02\00:22:02.08
And that's what the
still waters was to me is that
00:22:02.12\00:22:04.52
where we can just
stop, we can look and reflect
00:22:04.55\00:22:06.86
and just see what
He's done in our lives
00:22:06.89\00:22:09.16
and the God that He is.
00:22:09.19\00:22:10.76
Amen.
00:22:10.79\00:22:12.86
I think of a
peaceful situation, you know.
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.63
No matter what's
going on around us,
00:22:15.66\00:22:17.43
you know, we can
still have that peace
00:22:17.47\00:22:19.27
and that only comes from Christ.
00:22:19.30\00:22:21.14
So, you know, there may
be a storm taking place,
00:22:21.17\00:22:24.04
but you still have
that peace, you know.
00:22:24.07\00:22:26.04
The disciples in the boat
00:22:26.07\00:22:27.88
and Jesus was
sleeping through the storm,
00:22:27.91\00:22:30.15
and they're panicking
and losing their minds like,
00:22:30.18\00:22:32.58
"Oh, does He not
realize what's going on?"
00:22:32.61\00:22:35.02
Of course, He
realizes but you know,
00:22:35.05\00:22:37.69
when you have
Christ on your side,
00:22:37.72\00:22:39.12
no matter the storm, no
matter what you're going through
00:22:39.15\00:22:41.96
or what you're dealing
with, what you're faced with,
00:22:41.99\00:22:44.16
you can have that peace.
00:22:44.19\00:22:45.59
And so when I think about
the still waters and stuff,
00:22:45.63\00:22:48.10
I think about Christ
wanting to give us that peace
00:22:48.13\00:22:51.27
that can't be
explained any other way.
00:22:51.30\00:22:53.57
Yeah, He
realizes what's going on,
00:22:53.60\00:22:56.37
but do we
realize what's going on?
00:22:56.40\00:22:57.74
That's right.
00:22:57.77\00:22:59.11
Do we realize
that in this storm,
00:22:59.14\00:23:00.48
Jesus Christ is in
perfect rest and perfect peace?
00:23:00.51\00:23:02.41
Do we realize that?
00:23:02.44\00:23:03.78
And if we
realize that we're like,
00:23:03.81\00:23:05.15
we're going to get
that from Him, like,
00:23:05.18\00:23:06.88
the thing that I think about
with this is we love to camp,
00:23:06.92\00:23:10.12
and we love to go
camping next to a lake.
00:23:10.15\00:23:12.39
We like water.
00:23:12.42\00:23:13.89
And when you camp next to
a lake and most of the lakes
00:23:13.92\00:23:16.16
we camp next to most of the day,
00:23:16.19\00:23:18.39
they're windy, windy.
00:23:18.43\00:23:19.76
They're just going to be windy.
00:23:19.79\00:23:21.13
Water just attracts
that wind comes down on it.
00:23:21.16\00:23:23.43
But in the
morning or in the evening,
00:23:23.47\00:23:25.60
especially in the evening
time, that lake will mirror out.
00:23:25.63\00:23:28.94
It'll just be glass.
00:23:28.97\00:23:30.81
And when that lake gets glass,
00:23:30.84\00:23:32.37
there's nothing
like the peace you feel
00:23:32.41\00:23:34.41
when you're next to a
lake that's just glassy water
00:23:34.44\00:23:37.18
and then you light a fire.
00:23:37.21\00:23:39.11
You light a campfire
00:23:39.15\00:23:40.48
and you'll see
next to a lake of glass.
00:23:40.52\00:23:42.05
And you'd light this
campfire and you just...
00:23:42.08\00:23:44.19
This campfire, you
know, the coals are in there
00:23:44.22\00:23:46.72
and you're just taking it
00:23:46.76\00:23:48.09
and you're
looking at those coals
00:23:48.12\00:23:49.46
and then you're
looking at that lake.
00:23:49.49\00:23:51.16
You are in heaven,
literally in heaven
00:23:51.19\00:23:54.16
because in
Revelation 15 it talks about
00:23:54.20\00:23:56.43
God's redeemed people standing
on a lake burning with fire.
00:23:56.46\00:24:01.24
Think about that.
00:24:01.27\00:24:02.60
Yeah.
00:24:02.64\00:24:03.97
See, and we think, "Oh
that would be kind of weird.
00:24:04.01\00:24:05.81
Well, I can't sweat...
00:24:05.84\00:24:07.18
How can I be in fire?"
00:24:07.21\00:24:08.84
No, the whole
thing is the ambience.
00:24:08.88\00:24:11.88
It's taking us
to a place of rest.
00:24:11.91\00:24:14.22
It's taking us to a place
00:24:14.25\00:24:15.88
that's described
here in Psalm 23,
00:24:15.92\00:24:18.19
a place of still
waters with that fire
00:24:18.22\00:24:21.09
that is so
attractive and so mesmerizing
00:24:21.12\00:24:24.89
and brings us so much peace.
00:24:24.93\00:24:26.46
We can just sit there for hours
just looking into those coals
00:24:26.49\00:24:29.56
and that's what
Jesus is bringing to us,
00:24:29.60\00:24:32.00
in our hearts, in our
minds, in our experience.
00:24:32.03\00:24:34.30
I love that.
00:24:34.34\00:24:35.70
Me too.
00:24:35.74\00:24:37.54
All right, what else,
anything else in that verse?
00:24:37.57\00:24:39.94
When I think of that verse,
00:24:39.97\00:24:41.31
I also think of just
how crazy this world is
00:24:41.34\00:24:44.21
and how busy you are.
00:24:44.25\00:24:45.75
And how, you know, we need that
00:24:45.78\00:24:48.78
quiet still
peace and by the waters
00:24:48.82\00:24:52.69
just to reflect our
Creator and to think of Him.
00:24:52.72\00:24:56.99
And I know when I go through,
00:24:57.03\00:25:00.03
you know, a trial in
our marriage or at work
00:25:00.06\00:25:03.63
or whatever the case
may be with your kids
00:25:03.67\00:25:05.90
driving you crazy.
00:25:05.93\00:25:07.27
But whatever you go
through, you know...
00:25:07.30\00:25:09.60
He's driving you crazy.
00:25:09.64\00:25:10.97
No.
00:25:11.01\00:25:12.34
But, yeah, so when
I'm going through that,
00:25:12.37\00:25:14.74
I don't want to be still, I
just want to lean on myself.
00:25:14.78\00:25:17.25
And I think that's
where I fall a lot of times
00:25:17.28\00:25:19.75
is I'm angry or
upset at the time
00:25:19.78\00:25:22.88
and I don't want to go to God.
00:25:22.92\00:25:24.25
But I need to be
still and look at my Creator
00:25:24.29\00:25:27.19
and that
sometimes is hard to do.
00:25:27.22\00:25:29.99
And I'm just so
thankful that God,
00:25:30.03\00:25:32.63
you know, He
tells us to be still.
00:25:32.66\00:25:35.66
And I like that verse, yeah.
00:25:35.70\00:25:37.37
You know, one thing I like about
00:25:37.40\00:25:38.90
this as it just
came to my mind is,
00:25:38.93\00:25:40.27
you know, here in
Illinois, Southern Illinois,
00:25:40.30\00:25:43.51
I've noticed that
you can dig up a big hole
00:25:43.54\00:25:47.38
and in a year or two,
it'll be full of water.
00:25:47.41\00:25:49.31
You can, actually, make
lakes right on your property.
00:25:49.34\00:25:52.15
I mean, you
could buy 28/29 acres
00:25:52.18\00:25:55.88
and dig the
whole thing up, right?
00:25:55.92\00:25:58.12
And just let it fill with water.
00:25:58.15\00:25:59.49
You'd have yourself a
nice lake right there.
00:25:59.52\00:26:00.89
Wouldn't that be cool?
00:26:00.92\00:26:02.26
Yeah, get to work.
00:26:02.29\00:26:04.39
I'm not doing one
that thinks weird.
00:26:04.43\00:26:08.06
I love that.
00:26:08.10\00:26:09.43
I love the idea
like having on a lake.
00:26:09.46\00:26:11.97
I love the idea of
just being out there
00:26:12.00\00:26:14.17
with the fire and
the water and just,
00:26:14.20\00:26:16.64
yeah, I just love that
whole idea of that peace,
00:26:16.67\00:26:18.71
and I think that's the
image God has given us here
00:26:18.74\00:26:20.84
and in Revelation, yeah.
00:26:20.88\00:26:22.44
Okay, next verse.
00:26:22.48\00:26:25.35
"He restores my
soul, He leads me
00:26:25.38\00:26:27.35
in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake."
00:26:27.38\00:26:32.92
I think that restoration
of soul is gospel right there.
00:26:32.95\00:26:36.22
It is.
00:26:36.26\00:26:37.59
You know,
there's a lot of things
00:26:37.63\00:26:39.06
that we need
restoring in our lives.
00:26:39.09\00:26:43.57
You know, there's
mental restoration,
00:26:43.60\00:26:45.20
there's spiritual restoration,
there's physical restoration.
00:26:45.23\00:26:48.80
And I think this
takes in the whole thing
00:26:48.84\00:26:50.57
but the most important thing
it's talking about is the soul.
00:26:50.61\00:26:53.71
You know, the innermost being
00:26:53.74\00:26:55.21
that the spirit
combined with the physical,
00:26:55.24\00:26:59.08
who we are spiritually,
00:26:59.11\00:27:01.12
who we are in our characters
00:27:01.15\00:27:03.05
that God is seeking to restore
His character, His image in us.
00:27:03.08\00:27:07.62
And I think we talked about
earlier, Jason, about the fact
00:27:07.66\00:27:10.16
that you don't want to
take anything to heaven,
00:27:10.19\00:27:11.53
right, you know?
00:27:11.56\00:27:12.89
There's no backpack,
but there is this idea
00:27:12.93\00:27:14.43
that our
character goes to heaven,
00:27:14.46\00:27:16.77
that our character is preserved.
00:27:16.80\00:27:18.47
We get new
bodies so these bodies
00:27:18.50\00:27:20.20
we should take care of them,
00:27:20.24\00:27:21.57
of course, but these
bodies are waxing old.
00:27:21.60\00:27:24.57
And so they're
going, but the character is,
00:27:24.61\00:27:26.94
actually, going to be in heaven
00:27:26.98\00:27:28.94
the same as it is on this earth.
00:27:28.98\00:27:30.78
And God wants us
to develop a character
00:27:30.81\00:27:32.68
that is fit for heaven
00:27:32.71\00:27:34.05
or is going to
have a place in heaven
00:27:34.08\00:27:36.15
or find joy in heaven, right?
00:27:36.18\00:27:38.52
Yeah. And I love the thought.
00:27:38.55\00:27:40.72
I come to this verse realizing
my soul needs restoration,
00:27:40.76\00:27:46.26
but He's the one
that's going to do it.
00:27:46.29\00:27:48.26
You know what I mean? Yeah.
00:27:48.30\00:27:49.63
I don't have to
say, "Ah, my soul,
00:27:49.66\00:27:51.20
how do I restore this thing?
00:27:51.23\00:27:52.57
I don't know how to..."
00:27:52.60\00:27:53.94
Like if my car broke
down or something like that,
00:27:53.97\00:27:55.67
you know, I'd have no
clue, I'd be asking...
00:27:55.70\00:27:58.67
So when I look at my soul,
00:27:58.71\00:28:00.64
the brokenness of my soul
and its need to be restored,
00:28:00.68\00:28:04.28
I still don't have a clue.
00:28:04.31\00:28:05.65
And thankfully, He's the
one that's going to restore it.
00:28:05.68\00:28:09.08
I love that point. Amen.
00:28:09.12\00:28:10.72
He restores my soul. Yeah.
00:28:10.75\00:28:12.52
You know, I think about
Peter when he denied Jesus.
00:28:12.55\00:28:15.32
He denied Jesus
three times and then later,
00:28:15.36\00:28:18.83
I think the breakfast
by the sea or something.
00:28:18.86\00:28:21.63
And Simon Peter...
00:28:21.66\00:28:24.70
Jesus said to
Peter, "Do you love Me?"
00:28:24.73\00:28:28.07
He asked him three times.
00:28:28.10\00:28:29.77
"Do you love Me?"
00:28:29.80\00:28:31.14
And each time he
gave him something to do,
00:28:31.17\00:28:33.27
"Feed my sheep."
00:28:33.31\00:28:35.08
And so each time
He was telling him,
00:28:35.11\00:28:37.75
"Look, I forgive you,
00:28:37.78\00:28:40.88
and I've got a
job for you to do.
00:28:40.92\00:28:42.85
Now, go do it."
00:28:42.88\00:28:44.69
And I think that's beautiful.
00:28:44.72\00:28:46.79
And so when we look at that
00:28:46.82\00:28:48.16
and talk about restoring
the soul and all of that stuff,
00:28:48.19\00:28:51.23
I just think that is
really like how Christ is.
00:28:51.26\00:28:54.33
And then I remember
I heard this pastor,
00:28:54.36\00:28:56.56
he was preaching a sermon.
00:28:56.60\00:28:58.17
And he talked
about the Last Supper
00:28:58.20\00:29:01.04
and the last
meal that Jesus had.
00:29:01.07\00:29:04.61
And he said, "Oftentimes, like
00:29:04.64\00:29:07.41
when you think
about the Last Supper,
00:29:07.44\00:29:10.41
you think, well,
what would I eat?
00:29:10.45\00:29:13.58
What would I have, what
would I order for my last meal?"
00:29:13.62\00:29:19.49
What kind of
vegetarian meal would I eat?
00:29:19.52\00:29:23.73
I'm not going to say it.
00:29:23.76\00:29:25.23
You also think about,
"Who would I have that with?"
00:29:29.53\00:29:32.97
Jesus made the choice
and this was powerful.
00:29:33.00\00:29:35.70
When he said this,
"Jesus made the choice
00:29:35.74\00:29:38.64
to have His last meal
with a very individual
00:29:38.67\00:29:41.28
that was going to betray Him."
00:29:41.31\00:29:43.01
He knew that He was
going to be betrayed by Judas,
00:29:43.04\00:29:45.51
and He still chose to
have that supper with Judas.
00:29:45.55\00:29:48.42
That's incredible.
00:29:48.45\00:29:49.78
That just kind
of... That blew me away.
00:29:49.82\00:29:52.12
Yeah, that's powerful.
00:29:52.15\00:29:54.79
You know, I was
thinking about that too
00:29:54.82\00:29:56.59
in relation to
what you said about
00:29:56.62\00:29:58.73
giving Peter something to do.
00:29:58.76\00:30:00.70
And I know God
has put us in ministry
00:30:00.73\00:30:03.06
to keep us from sin.
00:30:03.10\00:30:05.10
And there's idle moments
that can come into our lives
00:30:05.13\00:30:08.54
that are the
perfect opportunity for sin.
00:30:08.57\00:30:11.01
And I know in my own experience,
00:30:11.04\00:30:12.97
unfortunately,
there have been times
00:30:13.01\00:30:15.18
when I've been idle
00:30:15.21\00:30:16.85
and was getting
ready to do something
00:30:16.88\00:30:18.61
that really wasn't
a good use of time,
00:30:18.65\00:30:20.55
wasted time really.
00:30:20.58\00:30:22.25
And I got a call from
someone or an email from someone
00:30:22.28\00:30:25.09
or I got engaged
with some kind of ministry
00:30:25.12\00:30:28.29
where they needed
some help or whatever.
00:30:28.32\00:30:30.29
And I found myself
responding to that,
00:30:30.33\00:30:32.36
getting involved in that,
00:30:32.39\00:30:33.83
getting caught up in that
and when I was done with that,
00:30:33.86\00:30:36.73
just having no
inclination to do the thing
00:30:36.77\00:30:38.40
that I was about
to do before that,
00:30:38.43\00:30:40.87
you know,
ministry opportunity arose.
00:30:40.90\00:30:44.24
And I think that's what
God was about with Peter.
00:30:44.27\00:30:46.44
He was saying, "Listen,
you know, you're all about,
00:30:46.47\00:30:48.98
you know, who's going to
be the greatest et cetera,
00:30:49.01\00:30:51.91
you need to feed
My sheep, you know.
00:30:51.95\00:30:54.15
You're all about who loves you?
00:30:54.18\00:30:56.38
Do I love you more
than all the others?
00:30:56.42\00:30:58.42
You need to feed
My sheep, you know.
00:30:58.45\00:31:00.46
You're all about, you know,
00:31:00.49\00:31:01.82
you think you
love Me in this way?
00:31:01.86\00:31:03.19
You need to feed My
sheep, just feed My sheep."
00:31:03.22\00:31:06.56
And that's what I
think God has called us to.
00:31:06.59\00:31:08.53
That's why we're here.
00:31:08.56\00:31:09.90
That's why we're
together even this evening,
00:31:09.93\00:31:12.20
is God has called us to share,
00:31:12.23\00:31:14.47
you know, the Word
of God with each other,
00:31:14.50\00:31:17.31
to edify one
another right here and then,
00:31:17.34\00:31:19.21
you know, with
our viewers with those
00:31:19.24\00:31:20.58
who are listening
here this evening.
00:31:20.61\00:31:21.94
Just for them to come
in and partake of this time
00:31:21.98\00:31:25.25
that we have
together where we get to share
00:31:25.28\00:31:27.35
and talk about
what God means to us,
00:31:27.38\00:31:29.42
what His Word means to us.
00:31:29.45\00:31:30.92
And really, I want
to encourage our viewers
00:31:30.95\00:31:32.55
that what we're doing
tonight is something you can do
00:31:32.59\00:31:35.22
in your community with
two or three people or more.
00:31:35.26\00:31:38.46
If you've got a larger family
00:31:38.49\00:31:39.83
where you can just get
together on a Friday evening
00:31:39.86\00:31:41.56
and you can just
open the Word of God
00:31:41.60\00:31:43.50
to one of your favorite chapters
00:31:43.53\00:31:44.90
or a chapter you don't know,
00:31:44.93\00:31:46.37
something that
you're not familiar with,
00:31:46.40\00:31:47.74
you know, like within Ian and I,
00:31:47.77\00:31:49.10
we weren't familiar
with Psalm 23 growing up,
00:31:49.14\00:31:51.47
even in a Christian home.
00:31:51.51\00:31:52.84
And just start reading it
00:31:52.87\00:31:54.21
and interacting and
maybe like Ian said,
00:31:54.24\00:31:57.48
you know, Angela
needed to help him understand,
00:31:57.51\00:31:59.58
"Well, why would I
not want my Shepherd?
00:31:59.61\00:32:02.22
What does that mean?"
00:32:02.25\00:32:03.59
And Angela answered, "Well,
no, that doesn't mean that.
00:32:03.62\00:32:05.02
Actually, what
it means is this."
00:32:05.05\00:32:06.39
And if we all have
humble hearts to receive
00:32:06.42\00:32:08.22
and to share,
right, with each other,
00:32:08.26\00:32:10.46
we're going to grow.
00:32:10.49\00:32:11.83
And that's the whole
purpose that God has for us.
00:32:11.86\00:32:14.00
Yeah, what I
hear you guys saying
00:32:14.03\00:32:15.36
that I hadn't thought about
00:32:15.40\00:32:16.73
before is that part of
the process of restoration
00:32:16.77\00:32:19.67
was actually Jesus
speaking to Peter and giving him
00:32:19.70\00:32:23.54
still a work or a position
00:32:23.57\00:32:28.98
or a place in God's kingdom,
00:32:29.01\00:32:32.38
in terms of what he was to do.
00:32:32.41\00:32:33.75
And I think that's so valuable.
00:32:33.78\00:32:35.75
That means a lot to me.
00:32:35.78\00:32:37.19
And I know that when
I have felt like God,
00:32:37.22\00:32:40.62
"Oh, He sees me.
00:32:40.66\00:32:41.99
He wants me to be
in this position."
00:32:42.02\00:32:43.86
It has been like you
were saying restoring.
00:32:43.89\00:32:45.53
It keeps me focused.
00:32:45.56\00:32:46.90
It keeps me connected.
00:32:46.93\00:32:48.26
I think that's the
big connected to the boss,
00:32:48.30\00:32:51.60
the Shepherd.
00:32:51.63\00:32:52.97
And you were
talking about Judas,
00:32:53.00\00:32:54.34
but Peter was
one of the greatest
00:32:54.37\00:32:55.90
disappointments for Christ too.
00:32:55.94\00:32:57.91
He denied Him three times
00:32:57.94\00:32:59.27
and all the
disciples forsook Him.
00:32:59.31\00:33:00.94
So He wasn't just
having the supper with the guy
00:33:00.98\00:33:02.54
that was going to betray him.
00:33:02.58\00:33:03.91
He was having supper
with all these rascals, right?
00:33:03.95\00:33:05.98
All these guys that
are just going to go whack.
00:33:06.01\00:33:08.22
They're all going to vanish.
00:33:08.25\00:33:09.58
Yeah, but in their
eyes, they weren't.
00:33:09.62\00:33:10.95
Right, yeah.
00:33:10.99\00:33:12.85
And how we, you know, think,
00:33:12.89\00:33:14.49
"Well, we're not
going to do that.
00:33:14.52\00:33:15.96
We're Christian.
We're not going to do that."
00:33:15.99\00:33:17.69
We're Adventists.
00:33:17.73\00:33:19.06
Yeah, or
Adventists, yes, and how we do
00:33:19.09\00:33:21.66
if we don't keep our
eyes fully on Christ,
00:33:21.70\00:33:24.03
our Shepherd, like the
sheep, we can just wander away.
00:33:24.07\00:33:27.20
Yes.
00:33:27.24\00:33:28.60
All we like
sheep have gone astray.
00:33:28.64\00:33:30.84
And I love that Jesus picked up
00:33:30.87\00:33:33.11
from a lot of these
Old Testament verses,
00:33:33.14\00:33:35.18
where He must have read through
these verses and realize,
00:33:35.21\00:33:37.48
"I'm the Shepherd."
00:33:37.51\00:33:38.85
And so then He
applies that same analogy
00:33:38.88\00:33:40.95
in the New
Testament and letting us know,
00:33:40.98\00:33:43.52
"Yeah, I'm the good Shepherd
00:33:43.55\00:33:44.89
that's going to
search for the sheep
00:33:44.92\00:33:47.09
who wander away,"
'cause we all, yeah.
00:33:47.12\00:33:48.52
I love that because
I have wondered away,
00:33:48.56\00:33:50.69
so thankful God continues
to look for me every day.
00:33:50.73\00:33:54.70
Yeah, He's the pursuer.
00:33:54.73\00:33:56.06
Yeah. Amen.
00:33:56.10\00:33:57.43
It's interesting too,
00:33:57.47\00:33:58.80
isn't it that
when we look at Christ
00:33:58.83\00:34:00.17
because Psalm 22 is
about His agony on the cross.
00:34:00.20\00:34:02.84
And maybe Psalm 23
00:34:02.87\00:34:04.21
was His experience
before it was ours,
00:34:04.24\00:34:06.98
before we can speak into
this, He could speak into it.
00:34:07.01\00:34:09.64
But, you know, on the cross,
00:34:09.68\00:34:11.75
you know, all the
Adventists were gone.
00:34:11.78\00:34:13.28
I'm just going to say,
Peter and the disciples,
00:34:13.31\00:34:14.78
that's us, we're all gone.
00:34:14.82\00:34:16.42
But there's the
thief on the cross,
00:34:16.45\00:34:17.82
you know, who's
out there in the world.
00:34:17.85\00:34:19.59
So when this is Centurion,
00:34:19.62\00:34:20.96
you know, sure
this was the Son of God
00:34:20.99\00:34:22.79
and remember me when
you come into your Kingdom.
00:34:22.82\00:34:24.89
You know, there
were people there
00:34:24.93\00:34:26.29
who did acknowledge Christ.
00:34:26.33\00:34:27.80
And sometimes as Christians,
we think we're the ones
00:34:27.83\00:34:30.20
that are going to
acknowledge Christ to the end.
00:34:30.23\00:34:32.10
And yet in the true story,
00:34:32.13\00:34:33.60
the story that
we live and die for,
00:34:33.64\00:34:35.40
the story of the cross.
00:34:35.44\00:34:36.77
It wasn't really the believers
00:34:36.81\00:34:38.14
and the
followers and the disciples
00:34:38.17\00:34:39.51
that were faithful
to God in that moment
00:34:39.54\00:34:41.64
when He was dying on
the cross for our sins.
00:34:41.68\00:34:43.38
But it was the people
00:34:43.41\00:34:44.75
that weren't
necessarily His disciples.
00:34:44.78\00:34:47.22
The people that
were surprising us
00:34:47.25\00:34:50.89
and the rest of the
disciples there, who...
00:34:50.92\00:34:53.99
You know, you can
imagine when the thief said,
00:34:54.02\00:34:55.42
"Remember, when you
come into your Kingdom."
00:34:55.46\00:34:56.79
Everyone's turn
around like, "Whoa, what!
00:34:56.83\00:35:00.63
How did that happen?"
00:35:00.66\00:35:02.33
And the Centurion says,
00:35:02.36\00:35:03.93
"Surely, this is the Son of God.
00:35:03.97\00:35:05.77
Surely this man
was the Son of God."
00:35:05.80\00:35:07.37
You can imagine how the soldiers
00:35:07.40\00:35:08.90
kind of responded and looked.
00:35:08.94\00:35:10.31
It only takes one or two
and I'm sure that gave Christ
00:35:10.34\00:35:14.14
incredible encouragement
when that thief turned to Him
00:35:14.18\00:35:16.95
and acknowledged Him by faith.
00:35:16.98\00:35:18.91
Amen.
00:35:18.95\00:35:20.28
I love that.
00:35:20.32\00:35:21.65
You know the phrase
"For His name's sake."
00:35:21.68\00:35:25.02
I always wondered
what does that mean,
00:35:25.05\00:35:27.02
like in my present day lingo.
00:35:27.06\00:35:29.99
And I just was thinking
because that's who He is.
00:35:30.03\00:35:34.10
His name is His character.
00:35:34.13\00:35:35.50
It's because that's who He is
00:35:35.53\00:35:36.97
that He's going
to be my Shepherd.
00:35:37.00\00:35:39.30
He's going to
provide for all my needs.
00:35:39.33\00:35:40.87
He's going to lead
me in green pastures
00:35:40.90\00:35:42.74
and beside still waters.
00:35:42.77\00:35:44.11
He's going to
restore my soul and lead me
00:35:44.14\00:35:45.47
in paths of righteousness
because that's who He is.
00:35:45.51\00:35:48.41
I love that thought.
00:35:48.44\00:35:49.78
Praise God.
00:35:49.81\00:35:51.58
I was thinking
about that in relationship
00:35:51.61\00:35:53.55
to this verse in Ezekiel
and it just came to my mind.
00:35:53.58\00:35:58.79
I think it's Ezekiel 36.
00:35:58.82\00:36:00.82
Thirty four.
00:36:00.86\00:36:02.19
Is it 34?
00:36:02.22\00:36:04.03
I think it's 36.
You think it's 34.
00:36:04.06\00:36:05.86
You grab the part in 34
that you're thinking about.
00:36:05.89\00:36:07.96
I'll try to grab the part in 36.
00:36:08.00\00:36:10.07
It's probably going to
be neither one of those
00:36:10.10\00:36:12.20
because I know it's not
36 now that I think about it.
00:36:12.23\00:36:14.57
Thirty four is where he talks
as God's the true Shepherd.
00:36:14.60\00:36:19.94
No, well, I'm thinking
about is where He says...
00:36:19.97\00:36:23.28
Oh, it is, it's in Chapter 36.
00:36:23.31\00:36:26.61
Where He says...
00:36:26.65\00:36:27.98
Verse 23 says...
00:36:31.29\00:36:32.95
Oh no, verse, let's see.
00:36:32.99\00:36:35.02
Verse 22, "Therefore say
unto the house of Israel,
00:36:35.06\00:36:38.56
thus saith the Lord God,
00:36:38.59\00:36:40.10
I do not this for your
sakes, O house of Israel,
00:36:40.13\00:36:43.16
but for mine holy name's sake,
00:36:43.20\00:36:45.13
which ye have
profaned among the heathen,
00:36:45.17\00:36:47.10
whither ye went."
00:36:47.14\00:36:49.04
Which I will
sanctify, verse 23 says,
00:36:49.07\00:36:52.94
"And I will
sanctify my great name,
00:36:52.97\00:36:55.21
which was
profaned among the heathen,
00:36:55.24\00:36:56.71
which ye have
profaned in the midst of them,
00:36:56.75\00:36:58.75
and the heathen shall
know that I am the Lord,
00:36:58.78\00:37:01.25
saith the Lord God,
00:37:01.28\00:37:02.62
when I shall be sanctified
in you before their eyes.
00:37:02.65\00:37:06.32
And I will take you
from among the heathen,
00:37:06.35\00:37:07.86
and gather you
out of all countries,
00:37:07.89\00:37:09.22
and will bring you
into your own land.
00:37:09.26\00:37:10.59
Then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you, verse 25,
00:37:10.63\00:37:12.66
and you shall be clean:
from all your filthiness,
00:37:12.69\00:37:14.93
and from all your
idols, and I will cleanse you.
00:37:14.96\00:37:16.90
A new heart also
will I give you, 26,
00:37:16.93\00:37:19.33
and a new spirit
will I put within you:
00:37:19.37\00:37:21.07
and I will take away
00:37:21.10\00:37:22.44
the stony heart
out of your flesh,
00:37:22.47\00:37:23.81
and I will give
you an heart of flesh.
00:37:23.84\00:37:25.17
And I will put my
spirit within you,
00:37:25.21\00:37:26.54
and cause you to
walk in my statutes,
00:37:26.57\00:37:28.01
and shall keep my
judgments, and do them.
00:37:28.04\00:37:29.51
And I will dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers,
00:37:29.54\00:37:32.45
and you will be my
people, and I will be your God.
00:37:32.48\00:37:34.28
And I will save you
from all your uncleannesses:
00:37:34.32\00:37:36.02
I will call for the
corn, and will increase it,
00:37:36.05\00:37:38.05
and will lay no
famine upon you."
00:37:38.09\00:37:39.49
This goes on and talks about
00:37:39.52\00:37:40.86
how he's gonna
do all these things.
00:37:40.89\00:37:42.49
And then it says, verse 31,"
00:37:42.52\00:37:44.19
Then you shall
remember your own evil ways,
00:37:44.23\00:37:46.80
and your doings
that were not good,
00:37:46.83\00:37:48.36
and you shall loath yourselves
00:37:48.40\00:37:50.10
in your own sight
for your iniquities
00:37:50.13\00:37:51.97
and for your abominations."
00:37:52.00\00:37:55.27
Not for your sakes do I this,
verse 32, says the Lord God,
00:37:55.30\00:37:58.37
be it known unto you:
00:37:58.41\00:38:00.08
be ashamed and
confounded for your own ways,
00:38:00.11\00:38:02.11
O house of Israel."
00:38:02.14\00:38:03.48
Isn't that beautiful?
00:38:03.51\00:38:05.18
Yeah, this makes me think of,
00:38:05.21\00:38:06.65
I don't know where it
is in the New Testament
00:38:06.68\00:38:08.18
where it says that,
though we are faithless,
00:38:08.22\00:38:10.79
He is faithful still.
00:38:10.82\00:38:12.19
He cannot deny Himself.
00:38:12.22\00:38:13.82
Romans 3, "God remains faithful.
00:38:13.86\00:38:16.32
He can't deny Himself." Amen.
00:38:16.36\00:38:17.69
So He's going to do this.
00:38:17.73\00:38:19.23
And whenever I get to the place
00:38:19.26\00:38:21.40
where I'm just ready
to give up on myself,
00:38:21.43\00:38:24.13
like I'm disappointed myself
again and again and again.
00:38:24.17\00:38:26.43
Okay, you know, I was
impatient with Rise again.
00:38:26.47\00:38:29.50
We had this argument
and I should have just,
00:38:29.54\00:38:31.51
you know, been
more godly or whatever.
00:38:31.54\00:38:34.48
I think of this promise,
00:38:34.51\00:38:36.18
I think of these
things and I think of,
00:38:36.21\00:38:38.95
"God's going to do
it for His name's sake.
00:38:38.98\00:38:40.98
He's going to work in
me for His glory sake."
00:38:41.02\00:38:44.02
Go and apologize to your
wife and just humble yourself
00:38:44.05\00:38:46.82
because this is
about God's glory.
00:38:46.86\00:38:48.29
It's not about you.
It's not about my character.
00:38:48.32\00:38:50.26
It's about what God's going do.
00:38:50.29\00:38:51.83
And when I do
that, I loathe myself.
00:38:51.86\00:38:54.63
I loathe the way
I treated my wife
00:38:54.66\00:38:57.37
or the way I acted or things
00:38:57.40\00:38:58.73
that I thought
or whatever it is.
00:38:58.77\00:39:00.10
I loathe it.
00:39:00.14\00:39:01.47
Whereas before that, excuse me,
00:39:01.50\00:39:03.57
I'm trying to be
more defensive of myself
00:39:03.61\00:39:05.67
and justify myself, you know.
00:39:05.71\00:39:07.84
Well, honey, you know,
the reason why I did that
00:39:07.88\00:39:12.18
was because you
were making it...
00:39:12.21\00:39:14.68
We went to this
thing today this morning.
00:39:14.72\00:39:18.85
Think of Psalm 23.
00:39:18.89\00:39:20.29
Well, the Levite. The Levite.
00:39:20.32\00:39:21.66
You might as well mention.
00:39:21.69\00:39:23.02
It's nothing but family here.
00:39:23.06\00:39:24.49
But it's just this
idea of tit for tat.
00:39:28.16\00:39:30.53
It's just this idea,
especially in relationships.
00:39:30.57\00:39:35.07
And Jesus hanging on the
cross just annihilated that.
00:39:35.10\00:39:38.91
He just annihilated it.
00:39:38.94\00:39:40.61
You know, He said,
"Father, forgive them
00:39:40.64\00:39:42.44
for they don't
know what they do."
00:39:42.48\00:39:43.81
And He's giving that to us.
00:39:43.85\00:39:45.18
That's our heritage.
That's our inheritance.
00:39:45.21\00:39:47.05
That's what He want to give us.
00:39:47.08\00:39:48.42
What you just
read here in Ezekiel,
00:39:48.45\00:39:50.35
would this be an example
of like the New Covenants?
00:39:50.39\00:39:54.06
Yes, this is the New Covenant.
00:39:54.09\00:39:55.42
This is all
about the New Covenant.
00:39:55.46\00:39:57.49
And it's powerful
00:39:57.53\00:39:59.13
because the New
Covenant experience is all about
00:39:59.16\00:40:01.83
recognizing God
doing something for us
00:40:01.86\00:40:03.93
what we can't do
for ourselves, you know?
00:40:03.97\00:40:05.30
Yeah. That's powerful.
00:40:05.33\00:40:06.67
Yeah.
00:40:06.70\00:40:08.04
We can't give
ourselves a new heart
00:40:08.07\00:40:09.40
and put a new spirit within you.
00:40:09.44\00:40:10.97
He says He will.
00:40:11.01\00:40:12.34
"I will give you a new heart
00:40:12.37\00:40:13.71
and put a new
spirit within you."
00:40:13.74\00:40:15.08
I love that.
00:40:15.11\00:40:17.31
And why is He going to do it?
00:40:17.35\00:40:18.78
Because we've been good,
00:40:18.81\00:40:20.15
because we've decided
to get our life together,
00:40:20.18\00:40:21.72
because, no, He's going
to do it for His name's sake.
00:40:21.75\00:40:26.02
We can count on His name.
00:40:26.05\00:40:27.66
We can count on Him
doing it for His name.
00:40:27.69\00:40:29.02
That's a great motive.
00:40:29.06\00:40:30.39
You know that God wants to do
this to vindicate His character
00:40:30.43\00:40:32.76
and show the world
00:40:32.79\00:40:35.20
what He looks
like in a human being,
00:40:35.23\00:40:37.03
a fallen sinful human being.
00:40:37.07\00:40:38.57
What He can do in
our lives is powerful.
00:40:38.60\00:40:41.94
I think that's
why testimonies too
00:40:41.97\00:40:43.67
are so powerful, too
00:40:43.71\00:40:45.04
because you get to
hear what God has done
00:40:45.07\00:40:47.44
in the life of someone else.
00:40:47.48\00:40:48.88
Like Ian, you have a
very powerful testimony.
00:40:48.91\00:40:50.91
You have a powerful testimony.
00:40:50.95\00:40:52.28
We all have testimonies,
00:40:52.31\00:40:53.65
and so that's a huge
blessing to be able to hear like
00:40:53.68\00:40:57.92
some modern day experiences
00:40:57.95\00:41:01.06
of what God is doing
in other people's life.
00:41:01.09\00:41:03.06
And nobody can
argue your testimony,
00:41:03.09\00:41:04.79
or can't say that's not true.
00:41:04.83\00:41:07.06
Yeah, that's happened.
00:41:07.10\00:41:09.23
And I think that's why
God does give us trials
00:41:09.26\00:41:11.47
to help build our character
and to grow closer to Him
00:41:11.50\00:41:15.87
and see how He does
bring us through the storm.
00:41:15.90\00:41:19.04
And it's through
our, you know, I read once
00:41:19.07\00:41:22.24
where our pain is
someone else's medicine.
00:41:22.28\00:41:25.91
So the things
that we go through,
00:41:25.95\00:41:27.28
these experiences, these trials,
00:41:27.32\00:41:28.95
you know, whatever it is,
00:41:28.98\00:41:30.32
it's not just for
us to learn and grow.
00:41:30.35\00:41:33.62
I mean, it is
00:41:33.66\00:41:34.99
but it's so that we can
share that with someone else
00:41:35.02\00:41:37.43
so we can help them
in their time of need
00:41:37.46\00:41:39.89
because everybody has somebody
that they can relate to,
00:41:39.93\00:41:43.57
with something that
they've gone through.
00:41:43.60\00:41:46.07
Jason can relate to
somebody else that I can't.
00:41:46.10\00:41:48.10
You guys can relate to
somebody that we can't.
00:41:48.14\00:41:50.64
So we all have
our individual story
00:41:50.67\00:41:52.57
so we can help that
person grow as well.
00:41:52.61\00:41:54.78
Amen.
00:41:54.81\00:41:56.14
Praise God.
00:41:56.18\00:41:57.51
And I love that
00:41:57.55\00:41:58.88
because the word of
our testimony grows.
00:41:58.91\00:42:00.85
It's not a onetime thing.
00:42:00.88\00:42:03.49
I came to the Lord 37 years ago.
00:42:03.52\00:42:05.39
This is how it happened
00:42:05.42\00:42:06.76
but then there's
another experience
00:42:06.79\00:42:08.59
and another experience
and another experience
00:42:08.62\00:42:10.39
and all those experiences
00:42:10.43\00:42:11.99
connect with the
truth of the gospel,
00:42:12.03\00:42:15.16
and become a
testimony illustration
00:42:15.20\00:42:17.43
of how God works in our lives.
00:42:17.47\00:42:18.93
How God work, can
work in anyone's life
00:42:18.97\00:42:21.20
if we're just willing.
00:42:21.24\00:42:23.14
2 Corinthians 1
says, you know what,
00:42:23.17\00:42:26.27
you think of the verse,
you think that's the verse...
00:42:26.31\00:42:27.98
No you just said,
"If we are willing"
00:42:28.01\00:42:29.54
and that's the key right there.
00:42:29.58\00:42:30.98
You have to be willing.
00:42:31.01\00:42:32.35
Yeah.
00:42:32.38\00:42:33.72
And then in 2 Corinthians 1,
00:42:33.75\00:42:35.08
it talks about how
that God comforts us
00:42:35.12\00:42:38.42
in all of our tribulations,
00:42:38.45\00:42:40.22
so that we can comfort
others with the same comfort
00:42:40.26\00:42:43.12
that He's given to us.
00:42:43.16\00:42:44.49
So we have these experiences
00:42:44.53\00:42:46.16
so that we can help other people
00:42:46.19\00:42:48.26
who go through
similar experiences
00:42:48.30\00:42:49.63
because there's
nothing new under the sun.
00:42:49.66\00:42:51.30
We're all humans,
we're all falling,
00:42:51.33\00:42:52.67
and we're all going
through similar experiences.
00:42:52.70\00:42:54.74
Circumstances may be
a little bit different
00:42:54.77\00:42:56.10
in personality or whatever,
00:42:56.14\00:42:57.47
but the experiences we're going
through are basically the same.
00:42:57.51\00:43:01.28
We've got
selfishness and selfish nature,
00:43:01.31\00:43:03.21
and we're dealing with that
00:43:03.24\00:43:04.58
in relationship to our humanity,
00:43:04.61\00:43:05.95
and we're
trusting God and His grace
00:43:05.98\00:43:07.98
and overcoming that.
00:43:08.02\00:43:09.35
Amen.
00:43:09.38\00:43:10.72
Should we go to the next verse?
00:43:10.75\00:43:12.32
We can. What do we got, Rise?
00:43:12.35\00:43:14.06
"Yea, though I
walk through the valley
00:43:14.09\00:43:15.62
of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil."
00:43:15.66\00:43:18.09
What leads us to
be able to do that?
00:43:21.40\00:43:22.96
Well, it says,
"Thou art with me.
00:43:23.00\00:43:25.20
Thy rod and thy
staff come from you."
00:43:25.23\00:43:26.57
That's one that helps us, right?
00:43:26.60\00:43:27.97
Yeah, absolutely.
00:43:28.00\00:43:29.64
What else?
00:43:29.67\00:43:31.01
I just think it's amazing
00:43:31.04\00:43:32.37
that Jesus presents trumps fear.
00:43:32.41\00:43:34.18
And fear is the most powerful,
00:43:34.21\00:43:37.01
probably, human
emotion that we can experience.
00:43:37.05\00:43:40.08
People who are fearful
can do insane things, right?
00:43:40.12\00:43:44.12
Lift cars off of
their kids, or...
00:43:44.15\00:43:46.92
You were in the army,
00:43:46.96\00:43:48.66
probably fear leads you
to your brain to do things
00:43:48.69\00:43:52.03
that react and respond
00:43:52.06\00:43:54.56
and I think we're
just so naturally fearful.
00:43:54.60\00:43:58.63
And just to know that
00:43:58.67\00:44:00.34
there's something
more powerful than that,
00:44:00.37\00:44:02.14
Jesus' presence, it's amazing.
00:44:02.17\00:44:04.37
Amen.
00:44:04.41\00:44:05.97
I think about
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
00:44:06.01\00:44:08.61
when they were in the...
00:44:08.64\00:44:10.05
They were faced
with the fiery trial.
00:44:10.08\00:44:12.35
And they were about
to enter into death,
00:44:12.38\00:44:16.35
but they weren't
going to give in to evil.
00:44:16.38\00:44:19.05
They were going
to stand for Jesus.
00:44:19.09\00:44:21.49
And Christ could
have sent an angel.
00:44:21.52\00:44:24.93
He could have
sent anybody down there
00:44:24.96\00:44:27.66
to stand with them
00:44:27.70\00:44:29.03
but He chose to
go stand with them.
00:44:29.06\00:44:30.40
Look at that.
00:44:30.43\00:44:32.10
Daniel 3:25,
00:44:32.13\00:44:38.01
actually, let's
look at verse 24.
00:44:38.04\00:44:42.61
"Then King
Nebuchadnezzar was astonished,
00:44:42.64\00:44:45.08
and he rose in haste and spoke,
00:44:45.11\00:44:47.55
saying to his counselors,
00:44:47.58\00:44:49.25
'Did we not cast three men
00:44:49.28\00:44:51.22
bound into the
midst of the fire?'
00:44:51.25\00:44:53.39
They answered and said
to the king, 'True, O king.'
00:44:53.42\00:44:55.49
'Look!'
00:44:55.52\00:44:56.86
he answered, 'I
see four men loose,
00:44:56.89\00:44:58.49
walking in the
midst of the fire,
00:44:58.53\00:45:00.50
and they are not hurt,
00:45:00.53\00:45:01.96
and the form of the
fourth is like the Son of God.'"
00:45:02.00\00:45:06.63
That's powerful.
00:45:06.67\00:45:08.00
Jesus standing with them
in the midst of their trials.
00:45:08.04\00:45:10.54
So they walked
through that valley
00:45:10.57\00:45:12.04
of the shadow of death
and Jesus was with them.
00:45:12.07\00:45:14.31
They didn't waver.
00:45:14.34\00:45:15.68
They just, they said,
00:45:15.71\00:45:17.35
even when they were faced
00:45:17.38\00:45:18.71
with the question from the king.
00:45:18.75\00:45:20.18
Come on!
00:45:20.22\00:45:21.55
They said, "We have
no need to answer you.
00:45:21.58\00:45:23.89
Even if our God is
basically our God..."
00:45:23.92\00:45:26.76
Now I'm paraphrasing,
00:45:26.79\00:45:28.12
"Our God is fully
capable of delivering us
00:45:28.16\00:45:31.23
but even if He doesn't,
00:45:31.26\00:45:32.59
we're not going to
bow down to your statute.
00:45:32.63\00:45:34.83
We're going to serve our God."
00:45:34.86\00:45:36.63
The KBV version.
00:45:36.67\00:45:38.27
No way, make sure you
go back to this version.
00:45:42.20\00:45:45.21
It's so true.
00:45:48.21\00:45:49.54
And that really, can you...
00:45:49.58\00:45:50.91
I just wonder, was it Psalm 23?
00:45:50.95\00:45:52.81
Was that one of the promises
that they read, you know?
00:45:52.85\00:45:55.15
"Yea, though I walk through
00:45:55.18\00:45:56.52
the valley of
the shadow of death,
00:45:56.55\00:45:57.92
I will fear no evil
for thou art with me."
00:45:57.95\00:46:00.66
And they
believe that and He was.
00:46:00.69\00:46:03.06
He was actually with them.
00:46:03.09\00:46:04.43
I mean, Psalm 23 is
direct connection to Daniel.
00:46:04.46\00:46:06.80
We're going to
have to redo Salvation
00:46:06.83\00:46:08.23
in Symbols and
Signs now in Daniel 3
00:46:08.26\00:46:09.73
because we never
made that connection.
00:46:09.76\00:46:12.50
No, I don't know
what you're saying.
00:46:12.53\00:46:14.20
Yeah. Good stuff.
00:46:18.94\00:46:20.44
What I liked when
reading this verse,
00:46:20.48\00:46:23.65
I kind of, what
highlighted out to me
00:46:23.68\00:46:25.75
or what stood out to me
was your rod and your staff,
00:46:25.78\00:46:27.78
they comfort me.
00:46:27.82\00:46:29.25
And I tried to think,
00:46:29.28\00:46:30.62
"What is the
importance of a Shepherd's rod
00:46:30.65\00:46:32.82
or a Shepherd staff?"
00:46:32.85\00:46:34.19
So I just started
doing what everybody does.
00:46:34.22\00:46:36.59
I go to Google, you know, so.
00:46:36.62\00:46:39.86
I started Googling and
I came across something
00:46:39.89\00:46:41.83
which was really interesting.
00:46:41.86\00:46:43.20
I just want to
read it real quick.
00:46:43.23\00:46:44.57
And it says, "When
traversing rough terrain,
00:46:44.60\00:46:46.67
a Shepherd's rod
is an aid to balance."
00:46:46.70\00:46:49.74
So as we're going
through that rough terrain,
00:46:49.77\00:46:51.84
as we're
experiencing those trials,
00:46:51.87\00:46:53.48
as we're walking through that
valley of the shadow of death
00:46:53.51\00:46:55.84
whatever it is for you,
00:46:55.88\00:46:57.51
you have your Shepherd here
who's using His Shepherd's rod,
00:46:57.55\00:47:00.28
who's using a staff to...
00:47:00.32\00:47:01.82
You might tip to one side.
00:47:01.85\00:47:03.22
You might be
falling to one side.
00:47:03.25\00:47:04.59
You might fall off
balance a little bit,
00:47:04.62\00:47:06.29
but He's going to use
that rod to help you back up.
00:47:06.32\00:47:09.12
He's going to get you straight.
00:47:09.16\00:47:10.49
He's going to have
you going back on course.
00:47:10.53\00:47:12.79
And that's really
what just popped out to me
00:47:12.83\00:47:14.70
and then knowing
that you're His sheep,
00:47:14.73\00:47:18.63
He's doing this for you.
00:47:18.67\00:47:20.04
You don't even have
to really think about it.
00:47:20.07\00:47:22.00
He's going to do it
whether you like it or not.
00:47:22.04\00:47:24.81
He's going to be there.
He's going to comfort you.
00:47:24.84\00:47:26.54
He's going to guide you
whatever that terrain is that
00:47:26.57\00:47:29.34
you're going in your
life, my life, whoever's life.
00:47:29.38\00:47:32.01
He's going to help
you out and build you.
00:47:32.05\00:47:33.82
That's deep.
00:47:33.85\00:47:35.18
Yeah, I love that.
00:47:35.22\00:47:36.55
Yeah, that rod
also means scepter.
00:47:36.58\00:47:38.22
I saw it, you
know, when I looked it up
00:47:38.25\00:47:40.32
in the Bible in the
Strong's, it means scepter.
00:47:40.36\00:47:42.69
And I was
thinking that can also be
00:47:42.72\00:47:44.89
a symbol of
authority or of power,
00:47:44.93\00:47:49.53
and protection and strength.
00:47:49.56\00:47:51.70
And when I know
that I serve omnipotence
00:47:51.73\00:47:55.20
and that He is the one
that's taking care of me
00:47:55.24\00:47:57.67
and providing for me,
00:47:57.71\00:47:59.27
that's a lot of
comfort and that comfort,
00:47:59.31\00:48:01.01
that word comfort
means to breathe deep
00:48:01.04\00:48:05.11
and a lot of
times when people...
00:48:05.15\00:48:07.28
Yeah, when you breathe
deep, it's really good for you.
00:48:07.32\00:48:11.15
When you use your
diaphragm to breathe,
00:48:11.19\00:48:13.02
it really
stimulates your vagus nerve,
00:48:13.05\00:48:15.29
which we won't go into that,
00:48:15.32\00:48:16.66
but super
healthy, health promoting.
00:48:16.69\00:48:19.39
But it also switches us
from our fight or flight,
00:48:19.43\00:48:23.10
you know, part of
our nervous system
00:48:23.13\00:48:25.87
to our rest and digest.
00:48:25.90\00:48:28.80
I can breathe deeply.
00:48:28.84\00:48:30.17
I can relate to life
on a completely different
00:48:30.21\00:48:32.67
plane rather than
reacting with fight
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.81
or flight all the time.
00:48:34.84\00:48:36.18
No, I'm a state of absolute,
00:48:36.21\00:48:38.31
like we've already been sharing,
00:48:38.35\00:48:39.68
you know, comfort and
rest and that comforts me.
00:48:39.71\00:48:43.25
Amen.
00:48:43.28\00:48:44.62
Anything else in that verse?
00:48:47.86\00:48:49.19
I mean, there's so
much you could take from it.
00:48:52.99\00:48:54.93
I mean, what is it Isaiah,
00:48:54.96\00:48:58.57
is it 41:10?
00:48:58.60\00:49:01.84
I might have the chapter wrong,
00:49:01.87\00:49:03.20
but you know, let me
actually just pull it up
00:49:03.24\00:49:06.51
because I don't
want to misquote it,
00:49:06.54\00:49:08.21
so give me one second.
00:49:08.24\00:49:14.05
I'm going to
give you one second.
00:49:14.08\00:49:17.09
But it's not
more than one second.
00:49:17.12\00:49:19.12
But yeah, Isaiah 41:10,
"Fear not for I am with you,
00:49:19.15\00:49:22.46
be not dismayed
for I am your God.
00:49:22.49\00:49:24.26
I will strengthen you.
00:49:24.29\00:49:25.63
Yes, I will help you.
00:49:25.66\00:49:27.00
I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand."
00:49:27.03\00:49:29.43
And again, to me
that just goes right back
00:49:29.46\00:49:31.63
to what I was saying
before with the Shepherd's rod,
00:49:31.67\00:49:33.74
lifting you back up.
00:49:33.77\00:49:35.10
He's going to lift you up,
00:49:35.14\00:49:36.47
no matter what
you're going through.
00:49:36.50\00:49:37.84
So that, I mean
that's the other thing
00:49:37.87\00:49:39.21
that immediately
popped in my mind
00:49:39.24\00:49:40.58
when going through this verse,
00:49:40.61\00:49:41.94
was Isaiah 41:10.
00:49:41.98\00:49:43.61
And there's another
connection here with this verse
00:49:43.65\00:49:46.82
with the Lord's Prayer,
you know, that though I walk
00:49:46.85\00:49:49.52
through the valley
of the shadow of death,
00:49:49.55\00:49:50.89
I'll fear no evil.
00:49:50.92\00:49:52.25
And those prayers
deliver us from evil.
00:49:52.29\00:49:54.26
That's one of the main
themes of the Lord's Prayer,
00:49:54.29\00:49:55.79
deliver us from evil.
00:49:55.82\00:49:57.36
And, of course, as you said,
Jason, with Daniel Chapter 3,
00:49:57.39\00:50:00.13
you know, God
delivers us but sometimes
00:50:00.16\00:50:03.06
we have to go through the trial.
00:50:03.10\00:50:05.27
It's not like
we're just going to get,
00:50:05.30\00:50:06.63
you know, caught out of
here, rapture out of here,
00:50:06.67\00:50:09.17
He's going to
actually go through with,
00:50:09.20\00:50:10.54
no, he went through the trial.
00:50:10.57\00:50:11.91
He went through the
storm, and God was with them.
00:50:11.94\00:50:13.71
The disciples went
through the storm on the lake
00:50:13.74\00:50:15.44
and God was with them.
00:50:15.48\00:50:16.81
And we see that with
the plagues on Egypt,
00:50:16.85\00:50:18.85
and we're going to see
that in the seven last plagues.
00:50:18.88\00:50:20.95
They're going to hurt those
who have the mark of the beast,
00:50:20.98\00:50:22.82
but not those who are
sealed with the seal of God.
00:50:22.85\00:50:24.79
They're going to go
through all those plagues.
00:50:24.82\00:50:26.55
"A thousand will
fall on our side,
00:50:26.59\00:50:28.06
ten thousand on the right hand,
00:50:28.09\00:50:29.42
but it will not come near us."
00:50:29.46\00:50:30.79
Psalm 91 says.
00:50:30.83\00:50:32.16
So we can thank God,
00:50:32.19\00:50:34.56
not only that, He's
going to see us through,
00:50:34.60\00:50:37.23
but that He's going to
protect us in that time.
00:50:37.27\00:50:38.90
He's going to
give us the courage
00:50:38.93\00:50:40.47
to step into that fiery furnace
that's seven times hotter
00:50:40.50\00:50:43.27
that the strongest man
of the kingdom can't endure,
00:50:43.30\00:50:45.77
but we'll be able to endure it
00:50:45.81\00:50:47.14
because Christ is
with us and in us.
00:50:47.18\00:50:50.15
Another beautiful
thing about that is that
00:50:50.18\00:50:52.31
when they were in
the fiery furnace,
00:50:52.35\00:50:53.72
when they came out,
they didn't even smell
00:50:53.75\00:50:56.12
like what they
had just gone through.
00:50:56.15\00:50:58.59
You didn't even smell that smoke
00:50:58.62\00:51:01.42
or anything like that
and that is incredible.
00:51:01.46\00:51:03.76
You look at people that
were once living one life,
00:51:03.79\00:51:07.83
you know, for the enemy,
00:51:07.86\00:51:09.23
and then Christ
delivers them from that,
00:51:09.26\00:51:11.40
brings them out of that
00:51:11.43\00:51:12.77
and then their
countenance looks so different
00:51:12.80\00:51:15.10
that you don't even recognize
00:51:15.14\00:51:16.64
that those two
people are the same,
00:51:16.67\00:51:19.51
you know, that this individual
was in that lifestyle.
00:51:19.54\00:51:23.11
Yes.
00:51:23.14\00:51:24.48
That's what I thought of you
00:51:24.51\00:51:25.85
when I saw you
before and after conversion.
00:51:25.88\00:51:27.22
I was like, "Wow,
what a difference."
00:51:27.25\00:51:28.75
Like you said, transformation,
it smells not on you anymore.
00:51:28.78\00:51:31.59
Praise the Lord.
00:51:31.62\00:51:32.95
That's it, yeah.
00:51:32.99\00:51:34.32
Can we get to verse 5?
00:51:34.36\00:51:36.19
I want to hit this
because I'm such a foodie.
00:51:36.22\00:51:38.19
I want to hear what you
guys have to say about this.
00:51:38.23\00:51:40.03
Good.
00:51:40.06\00:51:41.40
'Cause I do love food.
00:51:41.43\00:51:42.76
Because it's talking about
God preparing a table for us
00:51:42.80\00:51:46.33
in the presence of our enemies.
00:51:46.37\00:51:48.37
What do you guys
picture when you see that table?
00:51:48.40\00:51:50.47
Well, I think about a situation
00:51:53.71\00:51:56.01
where there's a lot of
haters in the world, right?
00:51:56.04\00:51:58.05
So sometimes you have to make
your haters your motivators.
00:51:58.08\00:52:00.72
That's right.
00:52:00.75\00:52:02.08
But what happens is,
you know, God is the one
00:52:02.12\00:52:05.89
that lifts you
into certain positions
00:52:05.92\00:52:07.69
and elevate you
and stuff like that.
00:52:07.72\00:52:09.52
You look at Joseph,
00:52:09.56\00:52:10.89
he was sold into
captivity and bondage
00:52:10.93\00:52:13.86
and all of that stuff,
00:52:13.90\00:52:15.23
but then he ended up
00:52:15.26\00:52:16.60
second highest
in command in Egypt.
00:52:16.63\00:52:19.23
I mean, and then
the same people that
00:52:19.27\00:52:22.34
threw him, his brothers
00:52:22.37\00:52:24.44
that threw him into bondage
ended up in front of him.
00:52:24.47\00:52:29.88
So I look at that and I
think about the table being,
00:52:29.91\00:52:34.02
you know, God
elevating you to that position.
00:52:34.05\00:52:36.89
Like if somebody sits at
the head of the table first
00:52:36.92\00:52:40.59
or if the...
00:52:40.62\00:52:42.22
How's that saying goes?
00:52:42.26\00:52:43.89
The first shall be last
and the last shall be first.
00:52:43.93\00:52:46.83
It's that type of thing.
00:52:46.86\00:52:48.33
That's what comes to mind.
00:52:48.36\00:52:49.70
That's good. I love that.
00:52:49.73\00:52:51.07
And it's interesting,
the story you brought up
00:52:51.10\00:52:52.43
because Joseph still
wanted to test his brothers
00:52:52.47\00:52:55.07
to see if they changed.
00:52:55.10\00:52:56.57
And one of the
ways he tested them
00:52:56.60\00:52:57.94
was they sat down
at the table to eat
00:52:57.97\00:53:00.24
and he gave Benjamin
his full brother more food
00:53:00.28\00:53:04.05
than all the
rest of them, right?
00:53:04.08\00:53:05.71
And you want to see how
they're going to respond
00:53:05.75\00:53:07.18
to Benjamin
getting all these food.
00:53:07.22\00:53:08.55
Food was the test.
00:53:08.58\00:53:09.92
Food was the test on that table.
00:53:09.95\00:53:11.89
So the spiritual
parallel is that,
00:53:11.92\00:53:13.86
you know, God tests us.
00:53:13.89\00:53:16.49
Joseph was the type of
God and he gives to one man,
00:53:16.52\00:53:19.56
let's say he give
him more than the others.
00:53:19.59\00:53:22.03
And sometimes we want to be,
00:53:22.06\00:53:23.83
you know, pride says, "We
covet that" or pride says,
00:53:23.87\00:53:26.97
"We're jealous of
that or envious of that."
00:53:27.00\00:53:28.97
And God says, "No, it's
a test of your character."
00:53:29.00\00:53:31.14
You know, I'm
the one that gives.
00:53:31.17\00:53:33.07
I'm the one that portions out
00:53:33.11\00:53:34.81
and if you're envious or jealous
00:53:34.84\00:53:36.48
that's something
you need to get rid of,
00:53:36.51\00:53:37.85
that something
that's exposing you,
00:53:37.88\00:53:39.65
a weakness in you.
00:53:39.68\00:53:41.02
And, of course,
Joseph's brothers
00:53:41.05\00:53:42.82
weren't envious of Benjamin.
00:53:42.85\00:53:44.42
They had changed,
which is really cool
00:53:44.45\00:53:45.82
when you think about that.
00:53:45.85\00:53:47.39
Yeah. That's awesome.
00:53:47.42\00:53:49.29
Come on, what are you thinking,
00:53:49.32\00:53:50.66
registered
dietitian nutritionist?
00:53:50.69\00:53:54.26
I like when he does that.
00:53:54.30\00:53:57.00
Rip in.
00:53:57.03\00:53:58.37
No, I was just thinking
about the table of showbread.
00:53:58.40\00:54:00.54
I guess I was
like, "Oh, I wonder
00:54:00.57\00:54:01.90
what table you
could be referring to."
00:54:01.94\00:54:03.67
And I thought of
the table of showbread
00:54:03.71\00:54:05.34
in the Holy
Place of the sanctuary.
00:54:05.37\00:54:08.68
And that God had fresh bread
00:54:08.71\00:54:11.95
that was put out
there once a week
00:54:11.98\00:54:14.68
and that even in the
presence of my enemies,
00:54:14.72\00:54:18.09
God's not going to stop.
00:54:18.12\00:54:19.62
He's going to
continually provide
00:54:19.65\00:54:21.99
that showbread representing,
00:54:22.02\00:54:23.69
not only physical nourishment,
00:54:23.73\00:54:25.33
but spiritual nourishment
00:54:25.36\00:54:26.70
as well for
feeding again, our souls.
00:54:26.73\00:54:29.46
I like the fact that
00:54:29.50\00:54:30.83
before you get to
the end of the verse,
00:54:30.87\00:54:32.30
my cup runneth over.
00:54:32.33\00:54:33.67
It's not just
talking about the food.
00:54:33.70\00:54:35.04
It's talking about the liquid.
00:54:35.07\00:54:37.01
I like liquid too, you know.
00:54:37.04\00:54:38.51
I like my rice milk and
I like my grapefruit juice
00:54:38.54\00:54:42.04
100% squeeze
Florida grapefruit juice,
00:54:42.08\00:54:46.21
with that little bit of tang.
00:54:46.25\00:54:48.25
Oh yeah, I like that.
00:54:48.28\00:54:50.59
So, God has actually reserved
00:54:50.62\00:54:54.56
a certain great
drink for heaven.
00:54:54.59\00:54:57.86
He's not going to
partake of it again
00:54:57.89\00:54:59.39
till we get to heaven,
and He partakes of it with us.
00:54:59.43\00:55:02.30
So I think that that is
also an important point of that.
00:55:02.33\00:55:04.63
Like overabundance,
think about grace.
00:55:04.67\00:55:07.00
And if you guys ever read where,
00:55:07.04\00:55:08.37
you know, the sacrifice
of Christ, it was excessive.
00:55:08.40\00:55:11.47
It was like there's more
than enough for all of us.
00:55:11.51\00:55:14.34
There's no
stinginess on the part of God.
00:55:14.38\00:55:17.41
"You're not going to
be able to make it in
00:55:17.45\00:55:18.78
because I don't have
enough grace for you."
00:55:18.81\00:55:21.38
It's like
surplus, it's overflowing.
00:55:21.42\00:55:24.65
Anyone is invited.
00:55:24.69\00:55:26.29
There's grace enough for all.
00:55:26.32\00:55:28.66
The cup meaning His
blood, spilled out for us,
00:55:28.69\00:55:31.29
I guess I just think.
00:55:31.33\00:55:32.66
It was the
liberal, the liberality
00:55:32.69\00:55:34.66
of heaven towards
every single human being.
00:55:34.70\00:55:38.07
And how does that apply
when I think about our food.
00:55:38.10\00:55:40.17
I think that God
has given us food to eat
00:55:40.20\00:55:42.17
that we can eat liberally.
00:55:42.20\00:55:43.94
Of these, you may freely eat.
00:55:43.97\00:55:45.94
You know, there's
foods that God wants us
00:55:45.97\00:55:48.34
to just take in an
abundance and I think about that
00:55:48.38\00:55:51.45
in relationship
to the spiritual food
00:55:51.48\00:55:53.38
that God has given us
00:55:53.42\00:55:54.75
that He wants us
to take in abundance.
00:55:54.78\00:55:56.75
Give us this
day our daily bread.
00:55:56.79\00:55:58.12
Now we've got to hit verse 6.
00:55:58.15\00:55:59.92
It's my favorite.
00:55:59.95\00:56:01.29
I think I love this verse.
00:56:01.32\00:56:02.66
Is it? Okay.
00:56:02.69\00:56:04.03
Yeah, I think
it's so gospel rest.
00:56:04.06\00:56:05.39
"Surely goodness and
mercy is going to follow us
00:56:05.43\00:56:08.16
all the days of our life."
00:56:08.20\00:56:09.53
And you know you were talking,
00:56:09.56\00:56:10.90
Angela, about God pursuing us.
00:56:10.93\00:56:13.20
And this is what I picture,
00:56:13.23\00:56:14.77
you know, through your life
before you became a Christian,
00:56:14.80\00:56:16.94
goodness and
mercy were following you
00:56:16.97\00:56:18.87
and that Good
Shepherd looking for us
00:56:18.91\00:56:21.28
while we are lost.
00:56:21.31\00:56:23.14
Surely, His, you
know, goodness and mercy
00:56:23.18\00:56:25.81
will follow us all
the days of our life.
00:56:25.85\00:56:27.55
I just think that's
so gospel saturated.
00:56:27.58\00:56:29.85
I love that. Yes.
00:56:29.88\00:56:32.22
You know, it's
kind of spooky to think
00:56:32.25\00:56:34.96
that someone's
following in this world,
00:56:34.99\00:56:37.56
but not God.
00:56:37.59\00:56:38.99
To know that
God is following us,
00:56:39.03\00:56:40.43
that He's right behind us,
00:56:40.46\00:56:41.80
He's got our back.
00:56:41.83\00:56:43.16
Yes, what's that verse?
00:56:43.20\00:56:44.53
"My foot would have
well nigh slipped, but He...
00:56:44.57\00:56:47.07
Psalm 73.
00:56:47.10\00:56:48.44
Yeah, but He was there. Yes.
00:56:48.47\00:56:49.80
I would have slipped.
00:56:49.84\00:56:51.17
The only one who can
pick me up from slipping
00:56:51.21\00:56:52.54
is someone who's right behind me
00:56:52.57\00:56:53.91
and that's surely
goodness and mercy.
00:56:53.94\00:56:55.28
Following us all
the days of our life,
00:56:55.31\00:56:57.45
and then, "I will
dwell in the house
00:56:57.48\00:56:58.81
of the Lord forever."
00:56:58.85\00:57:00.18
We've got about 25 seconds left.
00:57:00.22\00:57:01.58
Do you want to hit
that one? No, someone else.
00:57:01.62\00:57:04.49
I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
00:57:04.52\00:57:06.02
And that really is
God's purpose for us,
00:57:06.05\00:57:08.46
friends, that we would
dwell in His house forever.
00:57:08.49\00:57:11.86
God never purpose
that we would experience
00:57:11.89\00:57:13.96
evil and sin and
pain and suffering.
00:57:14.00\00:57:15.93
Now this planet is not
our home in its present state.
00:57:15.96\00:57:19.27
But soon, very soon we're going
to be ushered into our home,
00:57:19.30\00:57:22.17
a home without
pain and evil and sorrow
00:57:22.20\00:57:23.64
and death and crying.
00:57:23.67\00:57:25.01
And I hope you'll be
there, we plan to be there.
00:57:25.04\00:57:27.04
Until next time, God bless.
00:57:27.08\00:57:28.51
Amen.
00:57:28.54\00:57:29.88