July 29, 2026 • 58 mins
The Book of Psalms is the Bible's prayer book, with its authors expressing their hearts to God in times of joy, sorrow, fear, and gratitude. Psalm 23 offers comfort, guidance, and assurance through God's provision and protection, helping His children to overcome fear in the dangers and darkness of this world.
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Feel free to share them with others as the Lord leads. Help us spread The Word. If our teachings are a blessing to you, let us know by using the contact button on our website.
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Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hello, Welcome to the Porch on Firefall Talk Radio. I'm
Richard Grund. This is where you find the uncompromised red
letter basics of the Word of God. We focus on
the Book of Act Church, the purest, most effective form
of the Church, to see how they serve the Lord.
(00:41):
When we do that, we find the Church the Lord
intended and not the one Man created. The Porch is
a non denominational, full gospel approach to the Bible. It's
based on the examples from the Book of Act Church,
and it aims to restore the priesthood of the believer
while regaining the world's shaking influence that the early Church had.
(01:06):
The Church age isn't over. The Upper Room experience is
as much for today as it was on the day
of Pentecost. We offer you the Word as the apostles
would have to the Jewish and gentile believers of their day,
using both Yeshiah and Jesus when speaking of the Lord.
We preferred to use the term Messiah rather than Christ,
(01:28):
as it more accurately reflects how he was referred to
by those who knew him. Additionally, we provide definitions in Hebrew, Greek,
and Aramaic when necessary. Getting back to basics, It's not
just a motto, it's a mandate from the Lord. Links
all of our social media and streaming sites can be
(01:49):
found on the main page at Firefall talk radio dot com.
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(02:12):
not hesitate to contact us if you need more information, well,
appreciate you your support, your prayers, and your encouragement. Thank
you for being a part of the porch. Contact us
if you need prayer, we want to pray for you.
Remember we care about you. Starting out with praise, well,
(02:33):
first of all, I praise them for my salvation. Oh boy,
do I praise him for that. Couldn't imagine living in
this world without knowing him as my Lord. Praise him
for the home that he gave me, the wife that
he gave me back, the family I discarded, my sons,
my daughter in laws. Back then it was just my
(02:54):
son and then another son, and now we have daughter
in laws and grandchildren. And for his kids, and he
has been wonderful to me. I praise him for his
provision and protection, not just over me, but over all
of us, for the dreams and the visions as we
live our Joel to twenty eight. I hope you're living it.
(03:17):
I hope you're believing it, receiving it. I praise him
for his divine health and healing, for his abiding favor,
for the continuing revelation of the Holy Spirit that he
offers us, and for making me a new creation and
allowing me not just to live in these prophetic times,
but to be a part of what he is doing. Now,
(03:40):
let's pray. I would start out by praying for the
peace of Israel and piece of jerusalems on one twenty two,
verses six through eight. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
and they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls,
prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brothren
and companions, I will now say, peace be within you.
(04:05):
Pray for my brothers and sisters. Every day, my Jewish
brothers and sisters. I pray for them. Stand in the
gap for them, and I stand with them. Pray for
the fatherless the widows, the persecuted and the martyr, the
poor and spirit, the bound, the oppressed, and those that
are victims of injustice. I pray against the slaughter of
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the innocents, both in and out of the womb, for
missing and exploited children, for those that are victims of
human sex trafficking. Pray for our brothers and sisters around
the world being slaughtered and persecuted for their faith in Yeshuah,
their homes destroyed, their places of worship destroyed. I pray
against that growing religious persecution, not just against the Church,
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but against the Jews, the anti Semitism, which we know
all of that is the effort of the spirit of
the Antichrist. I pray for divine holeness, health, health and
healing and me, my wife, my family, and each and
every one of you is we get back to our
divine design. So if you are sick right now, if
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you're dealing with a sickness on this injury, a disease,
something that has happened to you, been passed down to you.
The Enemy's done. It doesn't matter what the source is,
it's not his best for you. And I pray right
now that in the name of Yashua, you are healed.
Pray for protection that Psalm ninety one, covering to be
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upon us, his angels around us. That He is the
shield about us, the glow and the lifter of our head.
I pray for inspiration, not just now here in this
Bible study, but each and every day for the remnant.
I pray for them, Pray for us, that's who we
are to wake up, be ready, be energized to answer
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the call to action, to do what needs to be done.
And I pray for those who are called to bless
to be a blessing. If you've been blessed, be a blessing,
Be a conduit of what He's given so that his
work can be done. I pray that we would come
together in agreement in prayer to fight against what the
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demonic armies are doing, using the power of the Holy Spirit,
the power of His word, becoming unified and aggressive in
our effort against the schemes of the fallen. Let's confront
the enemy with confidence, purpose, and the power of the
Holy Spirit. I pray vertification and encouragement that we can
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stand strong, shoulders back, head up, confident, tearing down principalities
and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
and for raising up the Kingdom of God, setting the
captives free, destroying the work of the enemy. And I
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pray finally for the kingdom finances, for Kingdom business to
do everything I just said. So, Father Abbah, Papa, I
come to you and the name of your son. You're sure,
King of kings and Lord of lords, Our Lord and Savior.
We love you. We thank you for saving us. We
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thank you for redeeming us. We thank you for allowing
us to be able to come home again to be
with you, and for your love to be bestowed upon us,
your grace to be a part of our life. Lord O,
don't I words are never enough to say how I
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feel for what you did on the cross, for what
you've done in my life and the life lives of
my brothers and sisters. Thank you for everything that you've done,
everything that you're doing, and everything that you're going to do.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
And I pray the Holy Spirit to touch us right now,
to surround us, to overshadow us, for this technology to
not be interrupted, for this word to go forth and
do what you intended to do. And I pray all
these things in your shoe's name, and if you agree
with me, say amen.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
These lessons are proprietary information, except where not of the
information comes from outside sources. The combination of that information.
The manner presented is exclusive, cannot be repeated or used
without permission. The date of this broadcast serves as the
registered date of the following information.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Okay, let's get those bibles. Open the apps. However you
follow along, and however you take notes. Remember you can
download these Bible studies, listen to them again, pause them,
do whatever you need to do to get this message
deep inside of you. Because we're still talking about prayer.
(09:22):
Prayer exhaling the spirit of man and healing the spirit
of God. When you pray, take a deep breath in
believing and receiving the Spirit into you. Because prayer is
intimacy with God. You don't want to go into His
presence without the Holy Spirit being inside of you and
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working with you for fresh, renewed prayer. The kind of
prayer we're talking about brings closeness and clarity with God.
It brings trust, it brings confidence, it brings relief, and
it brings peace. The psalms are considered the prayer book
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of the Bible. We were there last week, We're going
to be there again this week. The authors of the
Psalms poured out their hearts to God in times of
joy and sorrow, fear and gratitude. It's the longest book
in the Bible, offering everything from lament to praise, the thanksgiving,
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even wisdom. And among these one hundred and fifty poetic songs,
fifteen stand out as explicit prayers directly addressing God with please, thanksgivings,
and aspirations. The Psalms offer us the timeless, spiritual wisdom
and the solace of people who had experiential knowledge. They
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experienced what they wrote about in regards to their relationship
with God. It's one thing to have knowledge, it's another
thing to have experience, and these authors had it. The
Homean Bible Dictionary says about the Book of Psalms that
the Hebrew title of the book means praises. The English
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title Psalms comes from the Septuagin, the ancient Greek translation
of the Hebrew Old Testament, and the Greek word for
psalms means songs, So the idea of these are songs
of praises written by several authors, David wrote, King David
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wrote about half of the one hundred and fifty psalms
in the book. Other authors were Asip wrote twelve, the
Sons of Korra wrote ten, Solomon wrote two, Moses, one Heman,
one Ethan one, and about forty eight of them are anonymous.
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May cover a period of about one thousand years, from
the time of Moses in the fifteenth century BC to
the Postexelic period of the fifth century BC. Most of
the psalms were written in the time of David and
Solomon ten ten to nine thirty BC. So, in a
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fallen world where we are surrounded with all forms of terror, accidents, attacks, disease, violence, persecution,
prayer brings them into focus and allows us to face
it directly without fear, because of God's presence. And as
I began to work on this, I actually started working
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on a different psalm, and then went to bed. And
then that night the Lord began to speak to me.
He began to say the psalm in my head. The
Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes
me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside
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still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in
the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare
a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
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You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely,
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life, and I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever. Psalm twenty three a psalm of David
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about the Lord being the shepherd of his people. That's
what he wants to cover. Psalm twenty three is a familiar,
beloved psalm sitting right in the middle of Psalm twenty
two and twenty four, which presents the Lord Lord as
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a shepherd Psalm twenty two, The good Shepherd dying for
the sheep, Psalm twenty three, the Great Shepherd caring.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
For the sheep.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Psalm twenty four, the Chief Shepherd coming for his sheep.
So the message right there is the Messiah that died
for us, lives for us, and will come for us.
Psalm twenty three is seen as a weapon, a weapon
against fear. See David possessed a thorough understanding of fear,
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having encountered danger, betrayal, conflict, and uncertainty throughout his life.
During these challenges, he developed a profound trust in God.
So Psal twenty three serves not only as literary poetry,
but his attestament to an individual's faith through adversity. David
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uses metaphors borrowed from the pastoral life, which he was
so familiar with. He describes God's provincial care and providing refreshment, guidance, protection,
and abundance, and gives us confidence in his perpetual favor.
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So there are two images there in Psalm twenty three,
the image of a shepherd and the image of a host.
The shepherd provides rest and refreshment and protects you from
the enemy. The host provides for you a banquet in
spite of your enemies, in their presence, in their faith
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is the way I've always seen it. Not only can
you not get to me, but I'm feasting here.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
With the Lord.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
And the Lord proved that he could do that he
did in the wilderness and then into the promised land.
So we know that he can and we believe that
he will. Right now, you and I were in the
wilderness of a fallen world. We're awaiting the promised land
of the New Jerusalem with him. Therefore he can protect
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us and he can sustain us. The New Living Translation
Study Bible says this psalm of trust and confidence in
the Lord has been a favorite of God's people for generations.
It expresses assurance of God's presence in the midst of adversity.
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It evokes images of the good shepherd and of the
Messianic banquet for his flock. Prophet is Ekil talks about
it chapter thirty four of verses twelve and thirteen. As
a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he
is among his scattered sheeps, soul, will I seek out
my sheep and deliver them from all the places where
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they were scattered On a cloudy and dark day. I
will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them
from the countries, and will bring them to their own land.
I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in
the valleys, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
He did it for Israel and the present, and he
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will do it for both Israel and the Church. The
vine in the future together John ten eleven, the Lord said,
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his
life for the sheep. We see that carried over in
Revelation nineteen verses six through nine, when John wrote, and
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I heard, as it was the voice of a great multitude,
as the sound of many waters, as the sound of
mighty thundering, saying Allelujah for the Lord, go out, omnipotent reins.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give him glory.
For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his
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wife has made herself ready. And to her it was
granted to be a rayed in fine linen, clean and bright,
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, right, blessed are those who
are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And
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he said, these are the true things of God. We
have been called to that banquet. I look forward to
that banquet. But I know that in the here and
now we have a job to do to shine the
light set the captives free. But I know that one
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day soon we will dine together in the house of
the Lord forever. So verse one says, the Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want. That's the single theme
that will carry out through all six verses, David saying,
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I have no fear of concern, for the Lord is
my shepherd. The Lord is often referred to as the
shepherd of his people Israel Isaiah forty eleven. He will
feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the
lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those who are with young. What imagery
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having him carry you close against his chest. You can
feel the heartbeat, you can feel the rising and the
dropping of his chest as he breathes. Animals like that
dog's cats, they just want to get close. They just
want to feel the presence. They want to know that
you're there. And ancient times, kings were commonly known as
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the shepherds of their people. And so since he the
Lord God is the true king, the title shepherd is
most appropriate. They rest after eating their fill, and they
will only drink from still waters. So what does the
shepherd do? He guides them to those waters to renew
their strengths. Verses two and three. He makes me lie
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down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in the pasts
of righteousness for his namesake. There are times he makes
us lie down. This one means he lets you lie down,
But I know in life sometimes he has to make
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us lie down, and it will use whatever means necessary
to do that. But sheep a very fearful animal. They
will not lie down unless they feel totally secure. Is
the source of rest and restoration in our lives. We
should feel secure. His refreshing is what refreshes our spirit,
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not the world's, not anything else, only his and his
path keeps us safe and free from the dangers because
it is a righteous path. The green pastures of David's
imagery symbolizes the abundant care that God gives to his people. Now.
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Interestingly enough, just like last week in Psalm ninety one,
we had multiple names of God. It happened again, and
probably why the Lord chose us. Each of the Old
Testament names for God are seen in this psalm. Jehovah Jirah,
the Lord will provide from Genesis twenty two, Verses thirteen
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and fourteen. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord will heal or restore
Exodus fifteen twenties, Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace Judges
six twenty four, Jehovah Sid can you the Lord our
Righteousness Jeremiah twenty three six, Jehovah Shamah, the Lord is
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there Ezekiel forty eight thirty five, Jehovah Nissi, the Lord
our banner Exodus seventeen eight through fifteen, and Jehovah Rah,
the Lord my Shepherd. They're there either by direct reference
in verse one or throughout the other five verses. Isn't
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that amazing? He wants us to know his names, to
know his nature. I don't pray his names. People say, well,
pray the names of God. I have the one name
above all names, Abah, and in Abbah, he is all
these things. Jehovah, Jirah, Jehovah Raphah, Jehovah Shalomjehovah sind Can
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you Jehovah Shamah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rah. He is my Abah,
and he's all those things. So Ya Shua, the Messiah
is all these things to the sheep, and he is
all that we will ever need. Restoration comes from his
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quiet voice in the chaos that whisper in the whirlwind,
and his gentle touch in the trials that surround us.
The sheep know him because he knows them. John ten fourteen.
You Sho has said, I am the good shepherd, and
I know my sheep, and I am known by my
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own You know him. He knows you, and he will
guide you away from evil. Yea, though I walk through
the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me, Lord that you
as a capital y. For you are with me. Your
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rot and your staff they comfort me. You prepare at
table before me in the presence of my enemies. You
anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over so
many images, so many things going on there in those
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two scriptures. The Valley of the Shadow of Death a
ravine overhung by high precipitous cliffs, filled with dense forests,
calculated to inspire dread to the timid and to afford
a cover to the beast of prey. Predators hang out there,
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thieves hang out there, And while expressive of any danger
or any cause of terror, it does not exclude the
greatest of all, which is to be properly applied into
which its terms suggests the demonic or even the shadow
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of death itself. Darkness and death are symbolic valleys on
the earth, used in the Bible as a metaphor for
times of great darkness or danger or uncertainty in life.
It's often linked to challenging situations or just fears, general fear,
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or all fear. The value of the shadow of death
represents life's hardships and struggles, but it also highlights the
reassurance that we don't need to be afraid because God
is present throughout these difficult periods. We've all been through
them thinking we're never going to come out on the
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other side. We don't know how we got here, we
don't know why it's happened, but it is and at
that moment, and the purpose of this teaching and praying
Psalm twenty three, which will do at the end and
talk about it shines a light, It opens your eyes,
it warms your heart. The New King James Study Bible
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says the value of the shadow of Death can be
any distressing time in our lives. The awareness of our
immortality often comes with sickness, trials, and hardship, but the
Lord our protector can lead us through these dark and
difficult values, not just here and now, but to an
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eternal life with him, So there's no need to fear
death's power. One Corinthians fifteen, verses fifty five through fifty seven,
Paul writes, Oh Death, where's your sting? Oh Hades, where's
your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the
strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to
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God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
the Messiah. Charles Burgon wrote, death and its substance has
been removed, and only a shadow of it remains. Yes,
we can die physically, but no longer will we die spiritually.
We will be forever with him. So that's not a fear.
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If you're saved, if you're born again name written in
a Lamb's Book of Life, you're good. There's nothing the
enemy can threaten you with. There's nothing the enemy can
do to you. Other translation call it a valley of
deep darkness. But one of the most overlooked and important
words in Psalm twenty three is verse four, what does
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it say, yay though I walk through the value of
the shadow of death, That's the most important word. It's
through David says, you're not going to live there. His
declaration is, I will not live in this valley. I
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will walk through it. That's what we gotta do. You
got to keep going. Don't sit down, don't let fear
away you down, don't let it get into your head.
You got to keep going. You have to keep going,
trusting in him, believing in him, knowing that he is
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as good as his word. And the word tells you that,
And that's why you speak it out loud so you
can hear it. Your spirit, man, a woman can hear it,
and you are strengthened and edified, and you can push on.
Truth is nobody's afraid of a shadow. A shadow cannot
stop someone's pathway, even for a moment. The shadow of
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a dog doesn't bite, the shadow of a sword cannot kill,
and the shadow of death cannot destroy us. So this
is not a denial of real danger. David was a warrior.
He was a shepherd for his father's flock. He understands danger.
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He watched lions and bears and wolves circle his flock.
He spent years as a fugitive from a king who
wanted to kill him, enemies who wanted to kill him,
so he understands danger. But the point of verse four
is that the valley is harmless. See listen to me.
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The valley's not the destination. You're just passing through. Let
me say that again, because some of you are in
this valley right now, and you've spent too much time
looking around and checking the scenery and wandering, and because
coming fearful. It's not the destination. You're just passing through.
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Because that verse, you are with me. The good Shepherd
is with us even in what seems the most difficult
and troubling of situations, the loss of a loved one,
the loss of a child. So many things could happen
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that you suddenly feel this darkness around you, But your
spirit is saying, keep going, walk through it. The Lord
is with you. He assures us that in Luke fifteen,
starting verse three, and he spoke of parable to them, saying,
what man of you, having one hundred sheep, if he
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loses one of them, does not leave the ninety nine
in the wilderness and go after the one which is
lost until he finds it. And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing, And when he
comes home He calls together his friends and neighbors, saying
to them, rejoice with me, for I have found my
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sheep which was lost. I say to you that likewise
there'll be more joy in heaven over one sinner who
repents than over ninety nine just persons who need no repentance.
That's what the good Shepherd does. He comes looking for
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us when we get lost. Amazing to me that he
did that. He came and found me and brought me home.
So there are dangers in the valley. There are things
hiding in the shadows. And I say to you, do
not fear. First John chapter four, starting verse three. Every
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spirit that does not confessed that you shoe a hamashiak Jesus.
The Messiah has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you
have heard was coming, but is now already in the world.
Now listen to me. You are of God little children,
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and have overcome them who the Antichrist knows that serve him,
because he capital h who is in you is greater
than he little age who was in the world. What's
inside of you created what is against you, and spoken
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into existence. You have the power of the Creator inside
of you, his creation against the fallen creation. That's why,
being born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, you shouldn't
have any fear. Little children, believers, dear ones. You are
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of God, and you belong to Him and have already
overcome them the agents of the Antichrist natural and supernatural,
because He was in you is greater than he, say,
who's in the world of sinful mankind. So stand strong,
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stand tall, have faith because His rod and his staff
are there to protect you, to comfort you, to guide you.
Ancient shepherds use the rod and the staff to rescue,
protect and guide the sheep. Thus they become symbols of
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the good shepherds loving care over his flock. The sheep
are not alone. There's the shepherd who's standing over them,
guiding them into safety, just as the Lord stands over
us and protects us. I know it's easy for the
enemy to wear you down, to keep piling on and
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piling on till well you can't see the sunlight. You've
allowed him to weigh you down. Your head is down,
your shoulders are down, and the next thing you know,
all you see is darkness. All you feel is darkness.
At that moment I want you to pray. I gave
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you Psalm ninety one. Now you have Psalm twenty three.
Begin to speak the word out loud and see you
stand up stronger and taller, until the darkness dissipates and
the light returns. Because even when you're in the darkest valley,
filled with the greatest danger, he uses his rod and
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his staff to fend off that danger, standing strong with
you one Peter two twenty five. For you were like
sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd
and overseer of your souls. The rod and the staff
authority protection guidance. That rod was part of a tree
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with the root is rounded off, so it becomes like
a little mallet and a couple of feet long. They
would put a hole or some way they would connect
a leather wrap and a little loop pandle so today
they wouldn't drop it when they used it. B They
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could also throw it. Good really talented shepherds could throw
that rod and crush the head of a wolf, for
a lion or anything that was coming to steal the flock.
So it's there for the threats and the predators, and
that staff a little slightly crooked could be crooked. You
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know in the images they give you the complete curve.
It would direct and correct you fall into a ditch,
it would pull you out. So staff was a long stick,
curved end. It would guide them and manage the sheep.
One end, the long end lead them on their way,
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gently pulling straying sheep back onto the right path. And
that curved end would be used to rescue sheep from
difficult situations, pulling them from you know, crevices or thickets,
getting caught up. Sheep aren't real bright, Let's be honest.
They walk off of things, they walk into holes. They
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you know, they're looking for food. That's all they care about.
I like that shepherd's rod. Actually, I have a staff
that I created for el should I that I kind
of left the route at the end so it's a
little bigger. So if I had to use it as
a weapon, I could that club protection even sometimes discipline.
(37:08):
There were stories I've read of shepherds that had a
rebellious sheep that kept running away and what they would
do when they finally caught up with it, realizing it
wasn't learning. They would break the legs of the sheep
tend to them, wrap them up, and carry that sheep
(37:29):
on their shoulders until the legs healed. After that, the
sheep never ran away again. Seems harsh, but sometimes God
has to get harsh with us. But that raw a
symbol of authority, the shepherd's role as a protector, the
leader of the flock. Sometimes correction is needed. Sometimes love
(37:54):
means correction chastisement. But that is his authority within his
covenant relationship with us. When we say you are Lord,
we give him the right to correct as much as
to guide. But right there the image shifts from shepherd
(38:16):
to friend. After they explain the symbol of authority and
protection and guidance, it shifts. He's made his point about
the shepherd, the one who cares for us and protects us.
But he's more than that. He's someone who we can
(38:37):
be in close fellowship with. And even though the presence
of the enemies is still implied, the banquet table is
set up and the enemies all they can do is
look on you. Sure the great Shepherd embodies the ultimate
(38:59):
for fillment of the shepherd's role, offering us guidance, protection
and sacrificial love. Start seeing him as your Shepherd. Start
seeing him as the one who guides you and protects you.
Seek it. The Holy Spirit theirs connects you directly with
(39:22):
him in the throne room. You're never separated now. Once
you're through that valley, because you kept going, because you
kept the faith, he anoints you with gladness and provides
for you. The ritual of anointing the head with oil
showed the guest honor, hospitality, and refreshment. In ancient times,
(39:46):
it was customary and hot climates for a host to
welcome his guest with olive oil to put on his head.
The Lord blesses and anoints his believers with the Holy Spirit,
which the oil symbolizes, preparing us for service, preparing us
for fellowship, empowering us, bringing us joy is not one
(40:10):
of the fruit of the spirit. And then verse six,
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the House
of the Lord forever. Not many people believe, oh, this
means church, going church on Sunday morning. If that's what
you think, you missed the point. The Lord is expressing
(40:33):
his unfailing love through the goodness of his presence and
the benefits that only he can provide to us. What's
really interesting. It's very similar to Psalm ninety one, verse sixteen,
with long life. I will satisfy him and show him
my salvation. It seems like to me anyway, our heavenly Father,
(40:59):
O Lord Lord, they want fellowship with us. They want
us to be in their presence as much as they
want to be in our presence. And we should rejoice
like David did Psalm sixteen nine sixteen. Hear me, O Lord,
for your loving kindness is good. Turn to me according
(41:22):
to the multitude of your tender mercies. The mercy of
the Lord is forever. His mercies are new every morning,
because why of his great faithfulness to us. But I
will tell you the kingdom of darkness is a mirror
image of the Kingdom of God. If God's mercies are
(41:43):
new every morning, Satan's attacks are new every morning. What
happened yesterday was for yesterday. Today's a new day. So
you must be proactive. You must stand strong. You must
get up first thing in the morning. Understanding you're living
in a farm in the world. There are predators out there.
But greater is he that is in you than he
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that is in the world, so his care, his presence,
supersedes any of the temporary trials that our enemies would
put us through Psalm seven, Verse one, Oh Lord, my God,
in you, I put my trust. Save me from all
(42:27):
those who persecute me, and deliver me. You could say, well,
I don't feel any persecution. Well, one of two things
is happening. Either A, you're not on the enemy's radar
because a lot of reasons. I won't say that. If
you're marked by the blood, name written and Lamb's Book
(42:48):
of life, you're on the enemy's radar, and there's going
to be trials and persecution and attacks. No one walking
on this earth lives without that happening to them. If
anybody tells you that, don't believe them. I would be
(43:09):
bold enough to ask, A, are you even born again?
And B if you're no threat to the enemy, he's
going to leave you alone because you're not doing anything
that interferes with his work. Can't say that of me,
And I don't glory in the attacks. Believe me, at
(43:29):
my age, after all these years, almost thirty eight years
of being saved, sometimes it gets a little old, but
I understand it's part of the game. My cup runs over,
David's declaring, God's provision is as abundant as the wine
offered to a guest by a generous host. The lavish
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treatment of the guest is indicative of the loving care
of God for his people. My cup run is over,
even if it's not happening. I speak it. I speak
to things not as they are, but as they should be.
My cup runs over, pressed down, shaken together, running over
(44:17):
onto my bosom. I believe, I receive, I see what
he wants done, and I stand in faith waiting for
it to happen. You know, doing these teachings, I'm praying.
The word is to prepare you, to get you to
a place if you're not already there. If you're already there,
(44:40):
this is just a reminder and a tune up, But
to get you to a place that, no matter what
you see in here, you can pray, you can stand,
you can believe, you can have hope, and not let
fear overwhelm you. Only with your eyes shall you look
(45:00):
and see the reward of the wicked. It won't come
upon you. In God's provision will be there for you.
In Hebrews thirteen, verses twenty and twenty one. We see
that now may the God of Peace, who brought up
our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of
(45:21):
the Sheep, through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make
you complete in every good work, to do His will
working in you what is well pleasing in his sight.
Through Jesus the Messiah, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen,
the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. His blood was the
(45:42):
blood of the Everlasting Covenant. You've been made complete to
do every good work according to God's will. The wine
in our cup, the cup of the New and Everlasting Covenant,
is confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Over and over and over the word takes us back
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to the fact the Holy Spirit is in us, and
you must have it to do what needs to be
done in this hour for you, for your family, your home,
your pets, your possessions, for those that are around you.
Don't just think about you. Let it go out in
a ripple. What is your land, what is your territory?
(46:26):
What are you responsible for? Who should you be praying for?
Who comes into that ripple of your care and your
concern and your prayer. Don't be so myopic you only
see right there in front of you. Begin to think
about your brothers and sisters, begin to allow the Holy
Spirit to bring people to mind. Because his mercy and
(46:49):
his goodness, God, the gape love for us is available
to everyone. It's an overabundant mercy that we don't deserve.
He doesn't owe us anything he did at all on
the cross. But yet he continues to do for us.
He continues to protect us, He continues to provide for us,
(47:13):
He continues to speak with us, He continues to want
us to be with him. And that word follow, the
Hebrew verb for follow describes an animal in pursuit. So
when the Lord is our shepherd, instead of being stalked
by a wild beast, we are the one pursued by
(47:36):
the loving care of the Lord, it shall follow you.
He's seeking you. If you wandered off, he's coming looking
for you. He's there. Turn around, look back, and right now.
For all of our loved ones, brothers and sisters, husbands
(47:57):
and wives, sons and daughters of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends,
whoever have wandered off, He's looking for them. And I
pray that they would turn around and find him. And
run towards him, Run into the arms, run into the
(48:17):
bosom of the Great Shepherd. And that word dwell hashab
the same word from Psalm ninety one, verse one, in
the house of the Lord. Forever we went from dwelling
in the shadow of his wings dwelling in the house
of the Lord. There's always a transition. It always gets
better with God. And to me, this is both the
(48:42):
hear and now and the eternal, and he's offering us
a heavenly scene. There are no enemies present, there's no predators,
there's no danger, there's no death, there's no sickness or disease.
There's nothing to oppose God's children. So his promises aren't
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just for this life, but for an eternal one in
his presence Psalm seventeen fifteen. As for me, I will
continue beholding your faith in righteousness, rightness, justice, and right
standing with you. I shall be satisfied when I awake
(49:28):
to find myself beholding your form and having sweet communion
with you. While I do what needs to be done
in the here and now, I know that I am
working towards an eternity with Him, to a time when
(49:53):
I step out of this mortal body into his presence.
He wraps his arms around me and says, welcome home, son,
good job. That's all I want, it, saw all I
need to be in his presence, to be in his
arms and to know that I did what he asked
(50:14):
me to do. David understood the relationship with God. So
many in the church who are born again or claimed
to be and have the Holy Spirit don't have a
clue of because he sought it out, he wanted it.
(50:38):
He was a man after God's own heart. He was
seeking God's heart. He wanted to be the apple of
his eye. Did he make mistakes? Oh boy, did he
make mistakes. The flesh will always get in the way
when the spirit isn't there to help you. And David
made a bunch out of one of those miss with Bethshiba.
(51:01):
We got Solomon, and then he made mistakes. But we
have a different relationship than David and Solomon did. We
have direct access to him in the Throne room. We
have connection to him through the Holy Spirit. We can
walk with him and he can walk with us in
the cool of the evening and we can say Ahbah, Father, Papa, Daddy.
(51:28):
So as we've talked about Psalm twenty three. We can
see that it is our powerful weapon against fear, offering
us a source of comfort, guidance, and assurance of God's presence.
And that is where we find provision, protection and abundant care.
(51:52):
So now let me offer this to you as a prayer.
I'm going to use the amplified form. I've made some
adaptation to fit the form of a prayer. The Lord
is my shepherd, to feed, to guide, and to shield me.
I shall not want. He lets me lie down in
(52:14):
green pastures. He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul and my life. He
leads me in the pasts of righteousness for his name's sake,
the name above all names. Even though I walk through
(52:36):
the darkness of the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Lord,
Your rod to protect me, and your staff to guide me.
They comfort and console me. You prepare a table before
(52:57):
me in the presence of my enemies. They can see me,
but they can't touch me. You have anointed and refreshed
my head with oil. My cup truly overflows surely goodness
and mercy and your unfailing love shall follow me all
(53:18):
the days of my life, and I shall dwell forever
in the house and in the presence of the Lord.
The Lord is my shepherd. What more could I want? See?
By saying that out loud, I hear it, my spirit
(53:41):
hears it. The enemy hears it. Because I'm making that declaration.
I am inferring all those names of God. I am
declaring and decreeing where I am, and that even when
I'm feasting, they can see, but they can't come near,
and that I live in His goodness and his mercy
(54:02):
and his unfailing love. Of course, the enemy sees that
as a challenge. We'll try to take you out of that.
But that's why you pray it, that's why you say it.
Maybe every day, like I said, I do Psalm ninety one.
Every day I do this one when the spirit tells
(54:23):
me to, because I think this way, I believe this way.
I tried to live this way. But I know that,
I know that, I know he is my shepherd, he
is my King, he is my Lord, he is my savior,
He's my everything. What more could I want? Whatever I
(54:43):
need He's got. I lived in darkness. I didn't go through.
I lived. I stayed there. I fellowshipped with the things
in darkness. No more, no more, I'm passing through. I'm
taking no prisoners. I'm destroying everything that exalts itself above
(55:08):
the knowledge of God. I'm tearing down every stronghold they
put up. I'm rescuing every lamb I find along the
way to bring them out in His name so that
they can find their shepherd and be restored. And if
He sends me and my team into that darkness, into
the shadows, into the forest, into those dangerous places to
(55:30):
rescue the people, I'm good to go because I know
who he is. He's the Lord of my life and
my salvation. Of whom shall I fear so, Father, Abbah, Papa, Daddy.
I love all those titles, but I love Abba most
(55:51):
of all. I love you so much. I thank you
so much for your shoe. Lord. My relationship with you
is the foremost thing in my life. I thank you
(56:12):
for being my shepherd, my savior, my lord, my provider,
my king, my master, my everything. And how long for
the day when we all feast together, my brothers and
sisters and I with you. But until then, we covet
(56:33):
your protection. We covered your provision, the guidance and the
power to go and do what you did, destroying the
work of the enemy, setting the captives free, redeeming the land,
(56:54):
shining the light, and shaking this world, shake it to
its core, shaking it so that the enemy knows that
their time is up. Before you return as the king,
and I pray that this word, this teaching, and this
time has done what you wanted it to do for
(57:15):
your children and for me in Jesus's name. Amen, May
the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord
make his face to shine upon you, be gracious to you.
May the Lord may iro nay your Shuhamasiah, Jesus the Messiah,
(57:37):
my Messiah, lift up his countenance upon you and give
you peace. Give you shallo home. I'm Richard Grund. This
has been the porch on Firefall Talk Radio
Speaker 2 (58:10):
Te
Hello, Welcome to the Porch on Firefall Talk Radio. I'm
Richard Grund. This is where you find the uncompromised red
letter basics of the Word of God. We focus on
the Book of Act Church, the purest, most effective form
of the Church, to see how they serve the Lord.
(00:41):
When we do that, we find the Church the Lord
intended and not the one Man created. The Porch is
a non denominational, full gospel approach to the Bible. It's
based on the examples from the Book of Act Church,
and it aims to restore the priesthood of the believer
while regaining the world's shaking influence that the early Church had.
(01:06):
The Church age isn't over. The Upper Room experience is
as much for today as it was on the day
of Pentecost. We offer you the Word as the apostles
would have to the Jewish and gentile believers of their day,
using both Yeshiah and Jesus when speaking of the Lord.
We preferred to use the term Messiah rather than Christ,
(01:28):
as it more accurately reflects how he was referred to
by those who knew him. Additionally, we provide definitions in Hebrew, Greek,
and Aramaic when necessary. Getting back to basics, It's not
just a motto, it's a mandate from the Lord. Links
all of our social media and streaming sites can be
(01:49):
found on the main page at Firefall talk radio dot com.
Subscribe to us wherever you listen so that you know
a new content is posted. To support us, go to
the bottom of Firefall talk radio dot com. There are
multiple ways for you to bless us, including a po
box if you need to mail that blessing. Please do
(02:12):
not hesitate to contact us if you need more information, well,
appreciate you your support, your prayers, and your encouragement. Thank
you for being a part of the porch. Contact us
if you need prayer, we want to pray for you.
Remember we care about you. Starting out with praise, well,
(02:33):
first of all, I praise them for my salvation. Oh boy,
do I praise him for that. Couldn't imagine living in
this world without knowing him as my Lord. Praise him
for the home that he gave me, the wife that
he gave me back, the family I discarded, my sons,
my daughter in laws. Back then it was just my
(02:54):
son and then another son, and now we have daughter
in laws and grandchildren. And for his kids, and he
has been wonderful to me. I praise him for his
provision and protection, not just over me, but over all
of us, for the dreams and the visions as we
live our Joel to twenty eight. I hope you're living it.
(03:17):
I hope you're believing it, receiving it. I praise him
for his divine health and healing, for his abiding favor,
for the continuing revelation of the Holy Spirit that he
offers us, and for making me a new creation and
allowing me not just to live in these prophetic times,
but to be a part of what he is doing. Now,
(03:40):
let's pray. I would start out by praying for the
peace of Israel and piece of jerusalems on one twenty two,
verses six through eight. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
and they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls,
prosperity within your palaces. For the sake of my brothren
and companions, I will now say, peace be within you.
(04:05):
Pray for my brothers and sisters. Every day, my Jewish
brothers and sisters. I pray for them. Stand in the
gap for them, and I stand with them. Pray for
the fatherless the widows, the persecuted and the martyr, the
poor and spirit, the bound, the oppressed, and those that
are victims of injustice. I pray against the slaughter of
(04:25):
the innocents, both in and out of the womb, for
missing and exploited children, for those that are victims of
human sex trafficking. Pray for our brothers and sisters around
the world being slaughtered and persecuted for their faith in Yeshuah,
their homes destroyed, their places of worship destroyed. I pray
against that growing religious persecution, not just against the Church,
(04:49):
but against the Jews, the anti Semitism, which we know
all of that is the effort of the spirit of
the Antichrist. I pray for divine holeness, health, health and
healing and me, my wife, my family, and each and
every one of you is we get back to our
divine design. So if you are sick right now, if
(05:10):
you're dealing with a sickness on this injury, a disease,
something that has happened to you, been passed down to you.
The Enemy's done. It doesn't matter what the source is,
it's not his best for you. And I pray right
now that in the name of Yashua, you are healed.
Pray for protection that Psalm ninety one, covering to be
(05:31):
upon us, his angels around us. That He is the
shield about us, the glow and the lifter of our head.
I pray for inspiration, not just now here in this
Bible study, but each and every day for the remnant.
I pray for them, Pray for us, that's who we
are to wake up, be ready, be energized to answer
(05:53):
the call to action, to do what needs to be done.
And I pray for those who are called to bless
to be a blessing. If you've been blessed, be a blessing,
Be a conduit of what He's given so that his
work can be done. I pray that we would come
together in agreement in prayer to fight against what the
(06:15):
demonic armies are doing, using the power of the Holy Spirit,
the power of His word, becoming unified and aggressive in
our effort against the schemes of the fallen. Let's confront
the enemy with confidence, purpose, and the power of the
Holy Spirit. I pray vertification and encouragement that we can
(06:40):
stand strong, shoulders back, head up, confident, tearing down principalities
and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
and for raising up the Kingdom of God, setting the
captives free, destroying the work of the enemy. And I
(07:00):
pray finally for the kingdom finances, for Kingdom business to
do everything I just said. So, Father Abbah, Papa, I
come to you and the name of your son. You're sure,
King of kings and Lord of lords, Our Lord and Savior.
We love you. We thank you for saving us. We
(07:22):
thank you for redeeming us. We thank you for allowing
us to be able to come home again to be
with you, and for your love to be bestowed upon us,
your grace to be a part of our life. Lord O,
don't I words are never enough to say how I
(07:44):
feel for what you did on the cross, for what
you've done in my life and the life lives of
my brothers and sisters. Thank you for everything that you've done,
everything that you're doing, and everything that you're going to do.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
And I pray the Holy Spirit to touch us right now,
to surround us, to overshadow us, for this technology to
not be interrupted, for this word to go forth and
do what you intended to do. And I pray all
these things in your shoe's name, and if you agree
with me, say amen.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
These lessons are proprietary information, except where not of the
information comes from outside sources. The combination of that information.
The manner presented is exclusive, cannot be repeated or used
without permission. The date of this broadcast serves as the
registered date of the following information.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Okay, let's get those bibles. Open the apps. However you
follow along, and however you take notes. Remember you can
download these Bible studies, listen to them again, pause them,
do whatever you need to do to get this message
deep inside of you. Because we're still talking about prayer.
(09:22):
Prayer exhaling the spirit of man and healing the spirit
of God. When you pray, take a deep breath in
believing and receiving the Spirit into you. Because prayer is
intimacy with God. You don't want to go into His
presence without the Holy Spirit being inside of you and
(09:43):
working with you for fresh, renewed prayer. The kind of
prayer we're talking about brings closeness and clarity with God.
It brings trust, it brings confidence, it brings relief, and
it brings peace. The psalms are considered the prayer book
(10:04):
of the Bible. We were there last week, We're going
to be there again this week. The authors of the
Psalms poured out their hearts to God in times of
joy and sorrow, fear and gratitude. It's the longest book
in the Bible, offering everything from lament to praise, the thanksgiving,
(10:27):
even wisdom. And among these one hundred and fifty poetic songs,
fifteen stand out as explicit prayers directly addressing God with please, thanksgivings,
and aspirations. The Psalms offer us the timeless, spiritual wisdom
and the solace of people who had experiential knowledge. They
(10:52):
experienced what they wrote about in regards to their relationship
with God. It's one thing to have knowledge, it's another
thing to have experience, and these authors had it. The
Homean Bible Dictionary says about the Book of Psalms that
the Hebrew title of the book means praises. The English
(11:13):
title Psalms comes from the Septuagin, the ancient Greek translation
of the Hebrew Old Testament, and the Greek word for
psalms means songs, So the idea of these are songs
of praises written by several authors, David wrote, King David
(11:33):
wrote about half of the one hundred and fifty psalms
in the book. Other authors were Asip wrote twelve, the
Sons of Korra wrote ten, Solomon wrote two, Moses, one Heman,
one Ethan one, and about forty eight of them are anonymous.
(11:54):
May cover a period of about one thousand years, from
the time of Moses in the fifteenth century BC to
the Postexelic period of the fifth century BC. Most of
the psalms were written in the time of David and
Solomon ten ten to nine thirty BC. So, in a
(12:14):
fallen world where we are surrounded with all forms of terror, accidents, attacks, disease, violence, persecution,
prayer brings them into focus and allows us to face
it directly without fear, because of God's presence. And as
I began to work on this, I actually started working
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on a different psalm, and then went to bed. And
then that night the Lord began to speak to me.
He began to say the psalm in my head. The
Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes
me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside
(12:57):
still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in
the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare
a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
(13:20):
You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely,
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life, and I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever. Psalm twenty three a psalm of David
(13:41):
about the Lord being the shepherd of his people. That's
what he wants to cover. Psalm twenty three is a familiar,
beloved psalm sitting right in the middle of Psalm twenty
two and twenty four, which presents the Lord Lord as
(14:01):
a shepherd Psalm twenty two, The good Shepherd dying for
the sheep, Psalm twenty three, the Great Shepherd caring.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
For the sheep.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Psalm twenty four, the Chief Shepherd coming for his sheep.
So the message right there is the Messiah that died
for us, lives for us, and will come for us.
Psalm twenty three is seen as a weapon, a weapon
against fear. See David possessed a thorough understanding of fear,
(14:40):
having encountered danger, betrayal, conflict, and uncertainty throughout his life.
During these challenges, he developed a profound trust in God.
So Psal twenty three serves not only as literary poetry,
but his attestament to an individual's faith through adversity. David
(15:05):
uses metaphors borrowed from the pastoral life, which he was
so familiar with. He describes God's provincial care and providing refreshment, guidance, protection,
and abundance, and gives us confidence in his perpetual favor.
(15:28):
So there are two images there in Psalm twenty three,
the image of a shepherd and the image of a host.
The shepherd provides rest and refreshment and protects you from
the enemy. The host provides for you a banquet in
spite of your enemies, in their presence, in their faith
(15:50):
is the way I've always seen it. Not only can
you not get to me, but I'm feasting here.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
With the Lord.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
And the Lord proved that he could do that he
did in the wilderness and then into the promised land.
So we know that he can and we believe that
he will. Right now, you and I were in the
wilderness of a fallen world. We're awaiting the promised land
of the New Jerusalem with him. Therefore he can protect
(16:21):
us and he can sustain us. The New Living Translation
Study Bible says this psalm of trust and confidence in
the Lord has been a favorite of God's people for generations.
It expresses assurance of God's presence in the midst of adversity.
(16:42):
It evokes images of the good shepherd and of the
Messianic banquet for his flock. Prophet is Ekil talks about
it chapter thirty four of verses twelve and thirteen. As
a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he
is among his scattered sheeps, soul, will I seek out
my sheep and deliver them from all the places where
(17:05):
they were scattered On a cloudy and dark day. I
will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them
from the countries, and will bring them to their own land.
I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in
the valleys, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
He did it for Israel and the present, and he
(17:26):
will do it for both Israel and the Church. The
vine in the future together John ten eleven, the Lord said,
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his
life for the sheep. We see that carried over in
Revelation nineteen verses six through nine, when John wrote, and
(17:47):
I heard, as it was the voice of a great multitude,
as the sound of many waters, as the sound of
mighty thundering, saying Allelujah for the Lord, go out, omnipotent reins.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give him glory.
For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his
(18:08):
wife has made herself ready. And to her it was
granted to be a rayed in fine linen, clean and bright,
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, right, blessed are those who
are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And
(18:29):
he said, these are the true things of God. We
have been called to that banquet. I look forward to
that banquet. But I know that in the here and
now we have a job to do to shine the
light set the captives free. But I know that one
(18:50):
day soon we will dine together in the house of
the Lord forever. So verse one says, the Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want. That's the single theme
that will carry out through all six verses, David saying,
(19:10):
I have no fear of concern, for the Lord is
my shepherd. The Lord is often referred to as the
shepherd of his people Israel Isaiah forty eleven. He will
feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the
lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those who are with young. What imagery
(19:35):
having him carry you close against his chest. You can
feel the heartbeat, you can feel the rising and the
dropping of his chest as he breathes. Animals like that
dog's cats, they just want to get close. They just
want to feel the presence. They want to know that
you're there. And ancient times, kings were commonly known as
(20:00):
the shepherds of their people. And so since he the
Lord God is the true king, the title shepherd is
most appropriate. They rest after eating their fill, and they
will only drink from still waters. So what does the
shepherd do? He guides them to those waters to renew
their strengths. Verses two and three. He makes me lie
(20:23):
down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in the pasts
of righteousness for his namesake. There are times he makes
us lie down. This one means he lets you lie down,
But I know in life sometimes he has to make
(20:45):
us lie down, and it will use whatever means necessary
to do that. But sheep a very fearful animal. They
will not lie down unless they feel totally secure. Is
the source of rest and restoration in our lives. We
should feel secure. His refreshing is what refreshes our spirit,
(21:10):
not the world's, not anything else, only his and his
path keeps us safe and free from the dangers because
it is a righteous path. The green pastures of David's
imagery symbolizes the abundant care that God gives to his people. Now.
(21:31):
Interestingly enough, just like last week in Psalm ninety one,
we had multiple names of God. It happened again, and
probably why the Lord chose us. Each of the Old
Testament names for God are seen in this psalm. Jehovah Jirah,
the Lord will provide from Genesis twenty two, Verses thirteen
(21:53):
and fourteen. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord will heal or restore
Exodus fifteen twenties, Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace Judges
six twenty four, Jehovah Sid can you the Lord our
Righteousness Jeremiah twenty three six, Jehovah Shamah, the Lord is
(22:14):
there Ezekiel forty eight thirty five, Jehovah Nissi, the Lord
our banner Exodus seventeen eight through fifteen, and Jehovah Rah,
the Lord my Shepherd. They're there either by direct reference
in verse one or throughout the other five verses. Isn't
(22:39):
that amazing? He wants us to know his names, to
know his nature. I don't pray his names. People say, well,
pray the names of God. I have the one name
above all names, Abah, and in Abbah, he is all
these things. Jehovah, Jirah, Jehovah Raphah, Jehovah Shalomjehovah sind Can
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you Jehovah Shamah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rah. He is my Abah,
and he's all those things. So Ya Shua, the Messiah
is all these things to the sheep, and he is
all that we will ever need. Restoration comes from his
(23:21):
quiet voice in the chaos that whisper in the whirlwind,
and his gentle touch in the trials that surround us.
The sheep know him because he knows them. John ten fourteen.
You Sho has said, I am the good shepherd, and
I know my sheep, and I am known by my
(23:43):
own You know him. He knows you, and he will
guide you away from evil. Yea, though I walk through
the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me, Lord that you
as a capital y. For you are with me. Your
(24:04):
rot and your staff they comfort me. You prepare at
table before me in the presence of my enemies. You
anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over so
many images, so many things going on there in those
(24:25):
two scriptures. The Valley of the Shadow of Death a
ravine overhung by high precipitous cliffs, filled with dense forests,
calculated to inspire dread to the timid and to afford
a cover to the beast of prey. Predators hang out there,
(24:49):
thieves hang out there, And while expressive of any danger
or any cause of terror, it does not exclude the
greatest of all, which is to be properly applied into
which its terms suggests the demonic or even the shadow
(25:10):
of death itself. Darkness and death are symbolic valleys on
the earth, used in the Bible as a metaphor for
times of great darkness or danger or uncertainty in life.
It's often linked to challenging situations or just fears, general fear,
(25:31):
or all fear. The value of the shadow of death
represents life's hardships and struggles, but it also highlights the
reassurance that we don't need to be afraid because God
is present throughout these difficult periods. We've all been through
them thinking we're never going to come out on the
(25:54):
other side. We don't know how we got here, we
don't know why it's happened, but it is and at
that moment, and the purpose of this teaching and praying
Psalm twenty three, which will do at the end and
talk about it shines a light, It opens your eyes,
it warms your heart. The New King James Study Bible
(26:17):
says the value of the shadow of Death can be
any distressing time in our lives. The awareness of our
immortality often comes with sickness, trials, and hardship, but the
Lord our protector can lead us through these dark and
difficult values, not just here and now, but to an
(26:38):
eternal life with him, So there's no need to fear
death's power. One Corinthians fifteen, verses fifty five through fifty seven,
Paul writes, Oh Death, where's your sting? Oh Hades, where's
your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the
strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to
(26:59):
God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
the Messiah. Charles Burgon wrote, death and its substance has
been removed, and only a shadow of it remains. Yes,
we can die physically, but no longer will we die spiritually.
We will be forever with him. So that's not a fear.
(27:22):
If you're saved, if you're born again name written in
a Lamb's Book of Life, you're good. There's nothing the
enemy can threaten you with. There's nothing the enemy can
do to you. Other translation call it a valley of
deep darkness. But one of the most overlooked and important
words in Psalm twenty three is verse four, what does
(27:49):
it say, yay though I walk through the value of
the shadow of death, That's the most important word. It's
through David says, you're not going to live there. His
declaration is, I will not live in this valley. I
(28:11):
will walk through it. That's what we gotta do. You
got to keep going. Don't sit down, don't let fear
away you down, don't let it get into your head.
You got to keep going. You have to keep going,
trusting in him, believing in him, knowing that he is
(28:34):
as good as his word. And the word tells you that,
And that's why you speak it out loud so you
can hear it. Your spirit, man, a woman can hear it,
and you are strengthened and edified, and you can push on.
Truth is nobody's afraid of a shadow. A shadow cannot
stop someone's pathway, even for a moment. The shadow of
(28:59):
a dog doesn't bite, the shadow of a sword cannot kill,
and the shadow of death cannot destroy us. So this
is not a denial of real danger. David was a warrior.
He was a shepherd for his father's flock. He understands danger.
(29:20):
He watched lions and bears and wolves circle his flock.
He spent years as a fugitive from a king who
wanted to kill him, enemies who wanted to kill him,
so he understands danger. But the point of verse four
is that the valley is harmless. See listen to me.
(29:44):
The valley's not the destination. You're just passing through. Let
me say that again, because some of you are in
this valley right now, and you've spent too much time
looking around and checking the scenery and wandering, and because
coming fearful. It's not the destination. You're just passing through.
(30:08):
Because that verse, you are with me. The good Shepherd
is with us even in what seems the most difficult
and troubling of situations, the loss of a loved one,
the loss of a child. So many things could happen
(30:28):
that you suddenly feel this darkness around you, But your
spirit is saying, keep going, walk through it. The Lord
is with you. He assures us that in Luke fifteen,
starting verse three, and he spoke of parable to them, saying,
what man of you, having one hundred sheep, if he
(30:52):
loses one of them, does not leave the ninety nine
in the wilderness and go after the one which is
lost until he finds it. And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing, And when he
comes home He calls together his friends and neighbors, saying
to them, rejoice with me, for I have found my
(31:13):
sheep which was lost. I say to you that likewise
there'll be more joy in heaven over one sinner who
repents than over ninety nine just persons who need no repentance.
That's what the good Shepherd does. He comes looking for
(31:34):
us when we get lost. Amazing to me that he
did that. He came and found me and brought me home.
So there are dangers in the valley. There are things
hiding in the shadows. And I say to you, do
not fear. First John chapter four, starting verse three. Every
(31:58):
spirit that does not confessed that you shoe a hamashiak Jesus.
The Messiah has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you
have heard was coming, but is now already in the world.
Now listen to me. You are of God little children,
(32:19):
and have overcome them who the Antichrist knows that serve him,
because he capital h who is in you is greater
than he little age who was in the world. What's
inside of you created what is against you, and spoken
(32:39):
into existence. You have the power of the Creator inside
of you, his creation against the fallen creation. That's why,
being born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, you shouldn't
have any fear. Little children, believers, dear ones. You are
(33:02):
of God, and you belong to Him and have already
overcome them the agents of the Antichrist natural and supernatural,
because He was in you is greater than he, say,
who's in the world of sinful mankind. So stand strong,
(33:23):
stand tall, have faith because His rod and his staff
are there to protect you, to comfort you, to guide you.
Ancient shepherds use the rod and the staff to rescue,
protect and guide the sheep. Thus they become symbols of
(33:44):
the good shepherds loving care over his flock. The sheep
are not alone. There's the shepherd who's standing over them,
guiding them into safety, just as the Lord stands over
us and protects us. I know it's easy for the
enemy to wear you down, to keep piling on and
(34:08):
piling on till well you can't see the sunlight. You've
allowed him to weigh you down. Your head is down,
your shoulders are down, and the next thing you know,
all you see is darkness. All you feel is darkness.
At that moment I want you to pray. I gave
(34:28):
you Psalm ninety one. Now you have Psalm twenty three.
Begin to speak the word out loud and see you
stand up stronger and taller, until the darkness dissipates and
the light returns. Because even when you're in the darkest valley,
filled with the greatest danger, he uses his rod and
(34:50):
his staff to fend off that danger, standing strong with
you one Peter two twenty five. For you were like
sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd
and overseer of your souls. The rod and the staff
authority protection guidance. That rod was part of a tree
(35:18):
with the root is rounded off, so it becomes like
a little mallet and a couple of feet long. They
would put a hole or some way they would connect
a leather wrap and a little loop pandle so today
they wouldn't drop it when they used it. B They
(35:40):
could also throw it. Good really talented shepherds could throw
that rod and crush the head of a wolf, for
a lion or anything that was coming to steal the flock.
So it's there for the threats and the predators, and
that staff a little slightly crooked could be crooked. You
(36:02):
know in the images they give you the complete curve.
It would direct and correct you fall into a ditch,
it would pull you out. So staff was a long stick,
curved end. It would guide them and manage the sheep.
One end, the long end lead them on their way,
(36:22):
gently pulling straying sheep back onto the right path. And
that curved end would be used to rescue sheep from
difficult situations, pulling them from you know, crevices or thickets,
getting caught up. Sheep aren't real bright, Let's be honest.
They walk off of things, they walk into holes. They
(36:44):
you know, they're looking for food. That's all they care about.
I like that shepherd's rod. Actually, I have a staff
that I created for el should I that I kind
of left the route at the end so it's a
little bigger. So if I had to use it as
a weapon, I could that club protection even sometimes discipline.
(37:08):
There were stories I've read of shepherds that had a
rebellious sheep that kept running away and what they would
do when they finally caught up with it, realizing it
wasn't learning. They would break the legs of the sheep
tend to them, wrap them up, and carry that sheep
(37:29):
on their shoulders until the legs healed. After that, the
sheep never ran away again. Seems harsh, but sometimes God
has to get harsh with us. But that raw a
symbol of authority, the shepherd's role as a protector, the
leader of the flock. Sometimes correction is needed. Sometimes love
(37:54):
means correction chastisement. But that is his authority within his
covenant relationship with us. When we say you are Lord,
we give him the right to correct as much as
to guide. But right there the image shifts from shepherd
(38:16):
to friend. After they explain the symbol of authority and
protection and guidance, it shifts. He's made his point about
the shepherd, the one who cares for us and protects us.
But he's more than that. He's someone who we can
(38:37):
be in close fellowship with. And even though the presence
of the enemies is still implied, the banquet table is
set up and the enemies all they can do is
look on you. Sure the great Shepherd embodies the ultimate
(38:59):
for fillment of the shepherd's role, offering us guidance, protection
and sacrificial love. Start seeing him as your Shepherd. Start
seeing him as the one who guides you and protects you.
Seek it. The Holy Spirit theirs connects you directly with
(39:22):
him in the throne room. You're never separated now. Once
you're through that valley, because you kept going, because you
kept the faith, he anoints you with gladness and provides
for you. The ritual of anointing the head with oil
showed the guest honor, hospitality, and refreshment. In ancient times,
(39:46):
it was customary and hot climates for a host to
welcome his guest with olive oil to put on his head.
The Lord blesses and anoints his believers with the Holy Spirit,
which the oil symbolizes, preparing us for service, preparing us
for fellowship, empowering us, bringing us joy is not one
(40:10):
of the fruit of the spirit. And then verse six,
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the House
of the Lord forever. Not many people believe, oh, this
means church, going church on Sunday morning. If that's what
you think, you missed the point. The Lord is expressing
(40:33):
his unfailing love through the goodness of his presence and
the benefits that only he can provide to us. What's
really interesting. It's very similar to Psalm ninety one, verse sixteen,
with long life. I will satisfy him and show him
my salvation. It seems like to me anyway, our heavenly Father,
(40:59):
O Lord Lord, they want fellowship with us. They want
us to be in their presence as much as they
want to be in our presence. And we should rejoice
like David did Psalm sixteen nine sixteen. Hear me, O Lord,
for your loving kindness is good. Turn to me according
(41:22):
to the multitude of your tender mercies. The mercy of
the Lord is forever. His mercies are new every morning,
because why of his great faithfulness to us. But I
will tell you the kingdom of darkness is a mirror
image of the Kingdom of God. If God's mercies are
(41:43):
new every morning, Satan's attacks are new every morning. What
happened yesterday was for yesterday. Today's a new day. So
you must be proactive. You must stand strong. You must
get up first thing in the morning. Understanding you're living
in a farm in the world. There are predators out there.
But greater is he that is in you than he
(42:06):
that is in the world, so his care, his presence,
supersedes any of the temporary trials that our enemies would
put us through Psalm seven, Verse one, Oh Lord, my God,
in you, I put my trust. Save me from all
(42:27):
those who persecute me, and deliver me. You could say, well,
I don't feel any persecution. Well, one of two things
is happening. Either A, you're not on the enemy's radar
because a lot of reasons. I won't say that. If
you're marked by the blood, name written and Lamb's Book
(42:48):
of life, you're on the enemy's radar, and there's going
to be trials and persecution and attacks. No one walking
on this earth lives without that happening to them. If
anybody tells you that, don't believe them. I would be
(43:09):
bold enough to ask, A, are you even born again?
And B if you're no threat to the enemy, he's
going to leave you alone because you're not doing anything
that interferes with his work. Can't say that of me,
And I don't glory in the attacks. Believe me, at
(43:29):
my age, after all these years, almost thirty eight years
of being saved, sometimes it gets a little old, but
I understand it's part of the game. My cup runs over,
David's declaring, God's provision is as abundant as the wine
offered to a guest by a generous host. The lavish
(43:54):
treatment of the guest is indicative of the loving care
of God for his people. My cup run is over,
even if it's not happening. I speak it. I speak
to things not as they are, but as they should be.
My cup runs over, pressed down, shaken together, running over
(44:17):
onto my bosom. I believe, I receive, I see what
he wants done, and I stand in faith waiting for
it to happen. You know, doing these teachings, I'm praying.
The word is to prepare you, to get you to
a place if you're not already there. If you're already there,
(44:40):
this is just a reminder and a tune up, But
to get you to a place that, no matter what
you see in here, you can pray, you can stand,
you can believe, you can have hope, and not let
fear overwhelm you. Only with your eyes shall you look
(45:00):
and see the reward of the wicked. It won't come
upon you. In God's provision will be there for you.
In Hebrews thirteen, verses twenty and twenty one. We see
that now may the God of Peace, who brought up
our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of
(45:21):
the Sheep, through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make
you complete in every good work, to do His will
working in you what is well pleasing in his sight.
Through Jesus the Messiah, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen,
the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. His blood was the
(45:42):
blood of the Everlasting Covenant. You've been made complete to
do every good work according to God's will. The wine
in our cup, the cup of the New and Everlasting Covenant,
is confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Over and over and over the word takes us back
(46:04):
to the fact the Holy Spirit is in us, and
you must have it to do what needs to be
done in this hour for you, for your family, your home,
your pets, your possessions, for those that are around you.
Don't just think about you. Let it go out in
a ripple. What is your land, what is your territory?
(46:26):
What are you responsible for? Who should you be praying for?
Who comes into that ripple of your care and your
concern and your prayer. Don't be so myopic you only
see right there in front of you. Begin to think
about your brothers and sisters, begin to allow the Holy
Spirit to bring people to mind. Because his mercy and
(46:49):
his goodness, God, the gape love for us is available
to everyone. It's an overabundant mercy that we don't deserve.
He doesn't owe us anything he did at all on
the cross. But yet he continues to do for us.
He continues to protect us, He continues to provide for us,
(47:13):
He continues to speak with us, He continues to want
us to be with him. And that word follow, the
Hebrew verb for follow describes an animal in pursuit. So
when the Lord is our shepherd, instead of being stalked
by a wild beast, we are the one pursued by
(47:36):
the loving care of the Lord, it shall follow you.
He's seeking you. If you wandered off, he's coming looking
for you. He's there. Turn around, look back, and right now.
For all of our loved ones, brothers and sisters, husbands
(47:57):
and wives, sons and daughters of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends,
whoever have wandered off, He's looking for them. And I
pray that they would turn around and find him. And
run towards him, Run into the arms, run into the
(48:17):
bosom of the Great Shepherd. And that word dwell hashab
the same word from Psalm ninety one, verse one, in
the house of the Lord. Forever we went from dwelling
in the shadow of his wings dwelling in the house
of the Lord. There's always a transition. It always gets
better with God. And to me, this is both the
(48:42):
hear and now and the eternal, and he's offering us
a heavenly scene. There are no enemies present, there's no predators,
there's no danger, there's no death, there's no sickness or disease.
There's nothing to oppose God's children. So his promises aren't
(49:04):
just for this life, but for an eternal one in
his presence Psalm seventeen fifteen. As for me, I will
continue beholding your faith in righteousness, rightness, justice, and right
standing with you. I shall be satisfied when I awake
(49:28):
to find myself beholding your form and having sweet communion
with you. While I do what needs to be done
in the here and now, I know that I am
working towards an eternity with Him, to a time when
(49:53):
I step out of this mortal body into his presence.
He wraps his arms around me and says, welcome home, son,
good job. That's all I want, it, saw all I
need to be in his presence, to be in his
arms and to know that I did what he asked
(50:14):
me to do. David understood the relationship with God. So
many in the church who are born again or claimed
to be and have the Holy Spirit don't have a
clue of because he sought it out, he wanted it.
(50:38):
He was a man after God's own heart. He was
seeking God's heart. He wanted to be the apple of
his eye. Did he make mistakes? Oh boy, did he
make mistakes. The flesh will always get in the way
when the spirit isn't there to help you. And David
made a bunch out of one of those miss with Bethshiba.
(51:01):
We got Solomon, and then he made mistakes. But we
have a different relationship than David and Solomon did. We
have direct access to him in the Throne room. We
have connection to him through the Holy Spirit. We can
walk with him and he can walk with us in
the cool of the evening and we can say Ahbah, Father, Papa, Daddy.
(51:28):
So as we've talked about Psalm twenty three. We can
see that it is our powerful weapon against fear, offering
us a source of comfort, guidance, and assurance of God's presence.
And that is where we find provision, protection and abundant care.
(51:52):
So now let me offer this to you as a prayer.
I'm going to use the amplified form. I've made some
adaptation to fit the form of a prayer. The Lord
is my shepherd, to feed, to guide, and to shield me.
I shall not want. He lets me lie down in
(52:14):
green pastures. He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul and my life. He
leads me in the pasts of righteousness for his name's sake,
the name above all names. Even though I walk through
(52:36):
the darkness of the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Lord,
Your rod to protect me, and your staff to guide me.
They comfort and console me. You prepare a table before
(52:57):
me in the presence of my enemies. They can see me,
but they can't touch me. You have anointed and refreshed
my head with oil. My cup truly overflows surely goodness
and mercy and your unfailing love shall follow me all
(53:18):
the days of my life, and I shall dwell forever
in the house and in the presence of the Lord.
The Lord is my shepherd. What more could I want? See?
By saying that out loud, I hear it, my spirit
(53:41):
hears it. The enemy hears it. Because I'm making that declaration.
I am inferring all those names of God. I am
declaring and decreeing where I am, and that even when
I'm feasting, they can see, but they can't come near,
and that I live in His goodness and his mercy
(54:02):
and his unfailing love. Of course, the enemy sees that
as a challenge. We'll try to take you out of that.
But that's why you pray it, that's why you say it.
Maybe every day, like I said, I do Psalm ninety one.
Every day I do this one when the spirit tells
(54:23):
me to, because I think this way, I believe this way.
I tried to live this way. But I know that,
I know that, I know he is my shepherd, he
is my King, he is my Lord, he is my savior,
He's my everything. What more could I want? Whatever I
(54:43):
need He's got. I lived in darkness. I didn't go through.
I lived. I stayed there. I fellowshipped with the things
in darkness. No more, no more, I'm passing through. I'm
taking no prisoners. I'm destroying everything that exalts itself above
(55:08):
the knowledge of God. I'm tearing down every stronghold they
put up. I'm rescuing every lamb I find along the
way to bring them out in His name so that
they can find their shepherd and be restored. And if
He sends me and my team into that darkness, into
the shadows, into the forest, into those dangerous places to
(55:30):
rescue the people, I'm good to go because I know
who he is. He's the Lord of my life and
my salvation. Of whom shall I fear so, Father, Abbah, Papa, Daddy.
I love all those titles, but I love Abba most
(55:51):
of all. I love you so much. I thank you
so much for your shoe. Lord. My relationship with you
is the foremost thing in my life. I thank you
(56:12):
for being my shepherd, my savior, my lord, my provider,
my king, my master, my everything. And how long for
the day when we all feast together, my brothers and
sisters and I with you. But until then, we covet
(56:33):
your protection. We covered your provision, the guidance and the
power to go and do what you did, destroying the
work of the enemy, setting the captives free, redeeming the land,
(56:54):
shining the light, and shaking this world, shake it to
its core, shaking it so that the enemy knows that
their time is up. Before you return as the king,
and I pray that this word, this teaching, and this
time has done what you wanted it to do for
(57:15):
your children and for me in Jesus's name. Amen, May
the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord
make his face to shine upon you, be gracious to you.
May the Lord may iro nay your Shuhamasiah, Jesus the Messiah,
(57:37):
my Messiah, lift up his countenance upon you and give
you peace. Give you shallo home. I'm Richard Grund. This
has been the porch on Firefall Talk Radio
Speaker 2 (58:10):
Te
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