From Pastor Shirley I had a dream the other night I want to share with you.
There was a group of people looking a calendar (the month was May) and some in the group was getting because an appointment date had been changed and they could not understand why. As I stood in the background viewing the people I began to to see they were trusting in the calendar. Dates on a calendar are subject to change. I began tell them to them it was only a calendar day but that was not like God. His Word does not change. It remains the same. We should have our trust in the Lord and His never changing Word. He is not like dates on a calendar that can be changed for whatever reason. As I went on to explain to them that what we see in the natural is subject to change. That which we taste, touch, feel see are all subject to change. But not God. Not His settled Word.
I want to encourage you today to put your trust in the Lord. As you look at the calendar of your life dates may have changed. Prayers may have not manifested at the time you had hoped for. People may have let you down. Promises broken by those closest to you.
The word tells us Hebrews 13 5 ”He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”
Don’t live your life by dates on a calendar but faith in the One who holds you in the palm of His hand.
Psalms 3:4-6 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever”.
As we continue our message today on Psalms 23 we have understood in the previous messages what life is all about walking with the Lord (Yahew) as our Shepherd. Throughout Scripture God’s people are described as sheep. The word tells us in Psalms 100:3 “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of His pastures”.
David must have wrote the twenty third Psalms later in life. He seems to be writing from experience of knowing who his Shepherd was. David sets the theme in verse one for the rest of the Psalms by stating that the “Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. Shepherd meaning “one who directs or guides in a particular direction”. The best translation of the word “want” is “I shall not lack”. With God as his Shepherd (protector), David knew he would not lack anything he needs.
We like David should settle in our heart that the Lord is our good,good Shepherd. He wants only the best for His sons and daughters. He leads we follow and He begin our good, good Shepherd will always provide for the journey!
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
Ephesians 1:3-14 Message Bible
Psalms 23 2-3 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Sheep unlike other animals have to be led in order to move. Sheep are followers. They will not go anywhere that someone else – like their shepherd – has not gone first and shown them everything is alright.
Jesus tell us in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Psalms 23:2-3 is a description of the Shepherd leading his sheep to a place of rest. Our Good Shepherd watches over his sons and daughters (sheep of His pasture). And in doing so provides for us along life’s path as we need it. Rest. “He maketh me lie down.” Refreshment. “Beside still water.” Restoration. “He restoreth my soul.” Direction. “He leadeth me.”
The path that God leads us on is one for His name sake. It is the path that will bring honor and glory to Him.
AN ACT OF COURAGE by Gloria Copeland
Did you know that obeying the Word is an act of courage? It really is because when you obey the Word and believe God in a situation, you’re swimming upstream. You’re going against the current of the world.
Whether you’re persevering while waiting for a better job, or working toward getting out of debt, all acts of obedience require courage. It takes courage, stamina, and determination to stay with something, especially when the world has what seems to be an easier, quicker way to get there.
When most of the people and all the circumstances around you are screaming unbelief in your ears, it takes courage to stand on God’s Word and not be moved.
But once you make the decision to stand and be courageous, you’ll be in position and ready to activate God’s three-part formula for success. In Joshua 1:8: (Amp.)
1). “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth…
2). “But you shall meditate on it day and night…
3). “That you may observe and do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.”
Happy Mothers Day!
In the very nature of GOD, there is a mother’s heart. There is a Greek word “storge” which means a strong natural affection. This “storge” love is that which nurtures and comforts us in tenderness and compassion. This has been present since the beginning of time, even in the creation of the world. The church has looked at the masculine qualities and that seems to be what has been portrayed a lot of over the years but God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27)
It takes both parts the masculine and feminine nature of God to give us a complete image of who He is. Today God wants us to know and experience His tender gentle loving nature and see fully who He is.
His name is El-Shaddai, means all -breasted One, which is a prophetic picture of our God being a place of comfort and nurture. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us and He dwelt in the bosom (in the intimate presence) of the Father.
John 1:18 No one has ever gazed upon the fullness of God’s splendor except the uniquely beloved Son, who is in the bosom of the Father. Now he has unfolded to us the full explanation of who God truly is! The word bosom speaks of the breast, close to the heart, kindness tender affections or embrace.
Many will not be able to celebrate Mother’s day with a joyful heart for various reasons. Your mother may have not been there for you or there was never a mother figure in your life. But God has never abandoned nor has He forsaken you. If you will allow Him, He will pour “storge” love into the barren, wounded areas of your soul.
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:1-16
Embrace not only the masculine heart of God but the feminine heart of God.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1
Jesus made it very clear that His mission to earth was not a trip of judgment but one of salvation. The condition of the world had not changed since Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam. Scripture makes it clear that Adam (not Eve) brought sin and death upon the earth and on humanity. The Law of Moses brought the knowledge of sin to man’s attention but had no power to break sin’s hold on man.
The coming of Jesus, the Savior, and His victory over sin by His resurrection provided the power needed to break the dominion of sin over anyone who believes that Jesus nailed our sin to the cross and said, “It is finished.” As a result, there is NOW no condemnation to those who believe their way into Christ Jesus. If that is true, why still condemn yourself for not being able to live a perfect life? If your relationship with God is based on your ability to perform perfectly, you will never be free from condemnation. More seriously, you will never be right with God.
Condemnation is not just an emotion that makes you feel unworthy. It is force of action that places you under judgment. If Christ did not come to condemn the world why are we so quick to condemn ourselves or others just because we cannot perform our lives perfectly? We are saved by grace and nothing else. It is not a mixture of God’s grace and our works. Good works do not create righteousness in us. The Spirit of God, through Jesus Christ in us, makes us righteous. The Spirit in us creates good works. We sinned because we were slaves of sin. We work righteousness because we are now slaves of righteousness. See Romans chapter 6. Our weakness is not stinking behavior but stinking thinking. If we believe right we will live right. It is just our new nature.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
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