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The Good Shepherd
1You, LORD, are my shepherd.
I will never be in need.
2You let me rest in fields
of green grass.
You lead me to streams
of peaceful water,
3and you refresh my life.
You are true to your name,
and you lead me
along the right paths.
4I may walk through valleys
as dark as death,
but I won’t be afraid.
You are with me,
and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe.
5You treat me to a feast,
while my enemies watch.
You honor me as your guest,
and you fill my cup
until it overflows.
6Your kindness and love
will always be with me
each day of my life,
and I will live forever
in your house, LORD.
the 23rd psalm is one of the most well known psalms and passages of the bible. it is embroided and hung in hallways. recieted at funerals. sung in sunday school. often we become so familiar with it that we forget to read it and meditate upon it and we miss the power and the grace and the hope for our real lives contained within its verses.
the Lord is my shepherd, the one who leads me and cares for me and provides for all my needs. i am not in lack because he is the one who is Lord of my life.
the Lord is the one who leads me to lush green fields of peace and tranquility and restoration and rest.
the Lord is the one who leads me to streams that refresh me and fill me with life giving water.
the Lord is the one who leads me into the valley of death….
WAIT! STOP THE BUS!
WHO leads me into the valley of the shadow of death.
yes you read it right. The Lord, my Good Shepherd, does.
verse 3 says “you lead me along the right paths.”
the right path also includes the valley as dark as death.
this valley is filled with shadows and fears and frustrations and loneliness and darkness and doubt and rocks and desolation.
but this valley is important for us to grow and trust our God.
in this valley our faith is refined, like gold.
1 peter 1:5-7 You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns
James 1: 2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Psalm 23:4 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.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
The valley is not bad. The valley is where God walks with us and comforts us and trains us and transforms us.
The valley is as much the will of God as the streams and green fields.
We must learn to not look so much at the scenery, the fields or the valley, but to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Author and Perfector of our faith.
The kindness and love of God will always be with me each day of my life – no matter where i am walking – the valley or the fire or the flood or the fields.
in your presence God, we find hope
in your presence we find life and love
all we need is found with you.
when i am with you i know you are with me
and i never walk alone
so i turn my eyes
towards you
gazing with trust and surrender
knowing you are with me and i am never alone
i walk not by sight but with faith in you
your presence gives me hope
your presence gives me peace
with you i am found and am complete and whole
in your presence God, i find all the answers
in your presence its okay not to know
i will trust you all my days
i will walk and obey
your presence gives me life and hope
it is where i know i belong
poem by me 
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before you read this passage about peter denying that he even knows Jesus – think about this one thing – how did this end up in our bible? how do we know this happened?
While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”
But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn’t so! I don’t know what you are talking about!”
When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don’t even know that man!”
A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know that you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”
Peter began to curse and swear, “I don’t know that man!”
Right then a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went out and cried hard.
This account is found in Matthew 26. It is found in each of the gospels.
We know this account happened because Peter didnt hide it away and keep it to himself. He told his friends, the other disicples, and he told new chrsitians and church leaders and the gospel writers. he shared about this dark sinful regretful shameful moment of denial. he didnt cover it up. he exposed himself.
we could of being left thinking that he stayed strong and didnt deny jesus. we could of being left thinking he was uber faithful and a super disciple. instead we see a fallen man, facing fear of man, denying his friend and lord, crumbling under the pressure.
but we also read this with hope. because we know that peter was specially called to the tomb by jesus (make sure peter knows was jesus said to mary) and that peter delivered the first sermon on the day of pentecost and went on to become a great leader in the church and write 1 and 2 peter.
he repented. he was restored.
we make mistakes. we sin. we deny jesus in our words and our actions. and there is hope. we can repent. we can be restored.
peter was humble. he shared his story of failure so that we could rejoice in the victory God gives. peter was humble and he made sure that we all knew what happened in that time so that we would know the grace of God.
we can see that God transformed peter. peter went from denying jesus to preaching on the day of pentecost. he went from hiding away to standing for his faith. he went from being fearful to being bold. there is transformation available for us too by the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. be like peter, surrender.
i have hope, because of Peter.
“Paul tells you that you desire to be clothed, but it is necessary that you be stripped before you can put on Christ. Allow Him to strip your self-love of every covering so that you might receive the white robe washed in the blood of the Lamb. You need only His purity.” Francis Fenelon (100 days in the secret place by gene edwards)
i read a post that totally challenged me the other day – such a good thing. it again made me feel naked. again a good thing.
you see living in the western world makes us feel rich and together and clothed and empowered and righteous – and our hearts become fat and complacent. we need to have hearts open to God, sensitive to his voice, desiring his ways… living according to his plan. so often the reverse is true.
the post prayed this incredible prayer, of which i have pinched a snipit… go and read the whole lot, be prepared to have your heart moved as mine was…
God, I’m the one in need of a Savior
I’m the narcissist wanting to save,
I’m hungriest of all and don’t even know it
and there are deserts in this home
and malnutrition in this community
and poverty of the worst soul-kind in this nation and
this is a developing country and
now that I have seen, I am responsible,
make me, make me.
from Ugly Prayer @ Holy Experience
isaiah tells us that our own righteousness is as dirty rags (isaiah 64:6) (used tampons is a really graphic way of putting it…) and in the light of fashion and clothing it is a good picture. our righteousness, our good works, our best trys and efforts are ugly dirty ragged clothing, instead of the beautiful white robes of christ that he gives us by grace and by faith and such.
remember, the things we count of as worth probably count as nothing to God. his passion is love and souls and salvation and grace.
we want to wear His clothes, but we want to retain our own fashion sense too… despite what it really is…. we want to hold onto our lifestyle choices… our pride… our unforgiveness… our efforts… our ideologies… our intereptations of the bible… our way of dealing with people… our bias’… our comfort sins… our plans…
its an Emperors new clothes syndrome really – we think our clothes are glorious and stunning, whereas God sees clearly.
we need to be humble and allow God to change and transform us. our works and efforts dont impress God… our humility and faith and surrendering “does”.
isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19
We, your servants,
love each stone in the city,
and we are sad to see them
lying in the dirt.
Psalm 102:14
this for me isnt just talking about rocks and bricks and buildings tumbled down and ruined in battle and tribulation…
it links with 1 Peter 2:5
And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God.
it is sad to see living stones in the dirt… we need to be people that love each other and love the people of God…
we should be people who encourage and strengthen…
Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:12-13
i have read a quote that says something like the church is the only organisation or army that shoots its wounded and how often is that sadly true, we prefer to knock others down instead of giving them a help up. love covers and cares. it walks in truth yes, but it hopes and gives. the church should be a place of love, a home for the people of God. lets build the living stones together….!
“Here is a revelation bright as the evening star: Jesus comes for sinners, for those as outcast as tax collectors and for those caught up in squalid choices and failed dreams. He comes for corporate executives, street people, superstars, farmers, hookers, addicts, IRS agents, AIDS victims, and even used car salesman. Jesus not only talks with these people but dines with them–fully aware that his table fellowship with sinners will raise the eyes of the religious bureaucrats who hold up the robes and insignia of their authority to justify their condemnation of the truth and their rejection of the Gospel of Grace.” –Brennan Manning
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer –
what kind of world do we live in where we let children live as orphans, losing their parents to disease and poverty and war…
what kind of world do we live in where children die for lack of medication that costs less than a starbucks coffee….
what kind of world do we live in where we cannot support families who cannot feed themselves becasue their world is destroyed….
what kind of world do we live in where we cannot share?
where we cannot share the good God has given us?
where we are so blessed to live in the west but we spend on ourselves?
people shouldnt die because of poverty. poverty shouldnt be like it is.
what kind of world do we live in where we bail out big corps but we neglect to bail out millions of children who wont just have to live in recession but instead will die without help…
today we can make a difference.
today we can share.
today we can support by giving to aid agencies.
today we can help by thinking before we buy.
do we really need another pair of shoes?
another colour of nailpolish?
another funky tshirt?
today.
not everyone has today.
its incomprensive. by the time you’ve read this think about how many children have died needlessly.
every 30 seconds an african child dies of marlaria.
According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
Some 1.8 million child deaths each year as a result of diarrhoea.
- Number of children in the world: 2.2 billion
- Number in poverty: 1 billion (every second child)
M ore than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day, 300 million are children.
A child dies every three seconds from AIDS and extreme poverty, often before their fifth birthday.
in the style of facebook updates…. I really like zechariah 3 and the picture it is for all of us – once dirty and guilty – now clean and clothed and innocent by the grace and love of God! God’s love is everlasting – do you know he is real and that he has made a way and will accept you?
No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone that hears about your laws will say, ” That great nation certainly is wise!” And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers. Deut 4:5-8
The Law of the Lord is FAIR and WISE and MAKES A NATION GREAT.
You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well. Deut 4:9
REMEMBER.
remember.
remember.
we must remember.
its more than jus reminding and remembering like a memory. but it is keeping it at the first on the list in our mind and heart. it is focusing on it and refreshing our minds and hearts – keeping it alive.
remember WHAT?
Do you remember the day you stood in the LORD’s presence at Mount Sinai? Deut 4:10
Remember the presence of the Lord. Remember encountering God.
Remember relationship.
The LORD said, ” Moses, bring the people of Israel here. I want to speak to them so they will obey me as long as they live, and so they will teach their children to obey me too.” Mount Sinai was surrounded by deep dark clouds, and fire went up to the sky. You came to the foot of the mountain, and the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn’t see him. The LORD said he was making an agreement with you, and he told you that your part of the agreement is to obey the Ten Commandments. Then the LORD wrote these Commandments on two flat stones. Deut 4:10-14
Remember what you saw and what you felt and what you heard – that God is real and tangible and living and almighty! Remember not just the law but teh God you encountered first who gave you his law as an agreement and covenant when entering into relationship with you.
We must remember God. not just his law and rules but WHO HE IS. we must remember God in the context of relationship.
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