The Lord is My Shepherd
PRAYER:
Today, let us first begin with prayer. President Donald Trump has declared today, Sunday, March 15th to be a national day of prayer. As believers in Almighty God, let us turn to Him, and seek His mercy and grace and healing over our nation. No one man can change the heart of our nation or heal the many who are sick. There is only one! Let us repent of our selfishness and self-centered ways, turn from them and ask God to heal us of the diseases that infect us and restore our lives and that of all the people of the United States to righteousness and trust found only in Jesus Christ!
https://www.
WORSHIP MUSIC, YouTube: all English
My
hope is built on nothing less
On
Christ The Solid Rock
RESPONDING:
Praise
to the Lord, the Almighty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNq0WtMSmIYMESSAGE:
Please follow the notes for my sermon in your Bible and meditate on what the Lord is saying to us. This is a chapter for you and I for this time! I urge you to listen to the English version, if you are able, as it has more on it than the Chinese translation. Pastor Kevin
English video version: https://youtu.be/FYncsTYFl3s
Chinese video version: https://betheluniversity.instructuremedia.com/embed/11288cbc-d0ed-455e-8409-6df8fdb3fcf2
The Lord is my
shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie
down in green pastures;
He leads me beside
quiet waters.
3 He restores my
soul;
He guides me in
the paths of righteousness
For His name’s
sake.
4 Even though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a
table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed
my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness
and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever. Psalm
23 NASB When his daughter had died, a synagogue official came to Jesus:
…“My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples. Matthew 9: 18, 19
While Jesus is going to the officials home, another woman with a hemmorage for 12 years comes to Him for healing, and He heals her.
When
Jesus arrives at the officials home, He found the mourners were loud and
wailing and carrying on because of the daughter’s death. But Jesus told them to leave, for the daughter
had not died but was asleep. And
everyone laughed at Him. And then, Jesus
goes in and takes her by the hand and raises her.
26 This news spread throughout all that land. Matthew 9: 26
Do we listen to the news media accounts and live in fear or do we look to God and His Word to us for strength and trust??!?!?
35 Jesus was going
through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and
every kind of sickness.
36 Seeing the people,
He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like
sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9: 35, 36
Are we people who live in faith and trust in the Lord, or do we live in
fear from the reports that constantly fill the news we listen to? We need to be honest with ourselves…
David identifies in whom he trusts: it is Adonai, God who is faithful
in provision and protection for His own. By
the name Adonai, He claims us as His own.
We are His children! We are the
sheep in His pasture:
The Lord is my
shepherd,
I shall not want.
Most
English Bibles translate this, ‘I shall not want.’ But ‘I lack nothing’ better
reflects the actual meaning.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
This passage has a dual meaning: one
of peace and one of provision.
3 He restores my
soul;
God restores us when we have been damaged, and gives us life when all about
us appears lost.
He guides me in
the paths of righteousness
I
can try to figure life out on my own, my way.
Or I can look to the Lord, my Lord, and Good Shepherd, and go where He
leads me. It is His righteousness He
leads me in!!
For His name’s
sake.
It is done for God’s glory. God
alone takes the credit! He shares His
glory with no man.
4 Even though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for You are with me;
He
is with us even in this crisis!! We do
not need
to fear!! He will comfort us through it
all, even in our darkest hours. God is with us!!
6 Therefore humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the
proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1st Peter 5: 6, 7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your
gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7
Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me.
The
rod is always ready in the shepherd's hand to save the day. It is used both as a club and a missile when
the urgency of the situation is seen. The shepherd can redirect or turn the sheep around and lead it back
where it belongs.
5 You prepare a
table before me in the presence of my enemies;
When all are gathered about you to destroy you, when you feel overwhelmed and unable to move because threats are all around, God wants you to
sit down, rest and rejoice, and feast. Everyone
who believes and trusts Jesus has a place at the Lord’s table when enemies
attempt to lay siege.
You have anointed
my head with oil;
In
the original Hebrew, this speaks of fertilizer, like you might put on a
plant. When David writes that God has
anointed his head with oil, he tells us God has given him all the nourishment
for growth in his life, the calling for that which he was anointed. That which God has purposed for him.
My cup overflows.
God
provides us with an abundance to do that which He calls us to do so that our
cup overflows!
6 Surely goodness
and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
Through it all, whatever befall me, or come
to do me harm, the Lord will surely provide for us goodness and lovingkindness
everywhere we go, all the days of our lives!
And I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever.
The
house of the Lord is not made with bricks and mortar. What David writes is the deep longing to
abide in God’s presence. Those who
believe and trust in Him are where God inhabits.
O Lord,
I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells. Psalm 26: 8
And the place where Your glory dwells. Psalm 26: 8
How lovely are
Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longed
and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my
flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Psalm 84: 1, 2
Take the necessary precautions, but know that God is going to be with
you through all that comes. Bring glory
to God by your praises to Him who watches over us!
God
tells Joshua:
8 This book of the
law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it;
for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1: 8-9
Pray
for boldness for yourselves and families.
Pray for your families back home.
Pray for our own nation here. And
be quick to forgive! Have an attitude
always of love and forgiveness toward others, especially those who persecute
you. It is not always easy, but God
commands that we do so.
BENEDICTION:
English, https://youtu.be/y9syNBdASXM
BENEDICTION:
English, https://youtu.be/y9syNBdASXM
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