WEBINAR 326 - Valley of the Shadow of Death (broadcast from home)

the Lord be with you everyone and we are coming  to you today from our ranch in Bandera Texas and   like everybody else we're locked in our houses  and so I'm coming to you from right inside the   house when I began to think about doing this it  was specifically for the group that meets here   on Sunday our little group we don't have a mega  church we have just a few people who gather and   we are learning to love one another as he loves  us and so if you're watching it was meant for   you originally of all the things I miss these  days it is the hug and the voice of those that   we love we we are creatures who were made to be  hugged you know if you do not touch and how the   baby they would die and it's true for us and  I I miss your hugs but then I thought well we   have our partners that I send a special message to  every month and I thought of send this to them and   then I decided to send it to the whole world and  so all those persons are included and I want to   share with you from Psalm 23 I know that's so well  known and yet maybe of all Psalms it is not known   how to live it and so quickly I mean do I need to  read it it's probably nestled in everybody's head   but I will were some of it anyway the Lord is my  shepherd I shall not want he makes me lie down in   green pastures he leads me beside quiet waters  he restores my soul he guides me in the paths   of righteousness for his name's sake even 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 I want to stop there   because that last verse is what I really want to  talk about this was written I've told you before   at the time of David's trouble which you could say  was itself the valley of the shadow of death only   the way it is written he doesn't appear to think  he's there yet but it was the time when Absalom   his son was seeking to kill him his dearest  friend covenant friend had turned against him   and had joined with Absalom and was divulging all  of David's secrets and habits and so on it was a   time when he was rejected alone and it looked as  if death was just around the corner and that's   when he wrote this song and he wrote it now hear  me very carefully he wrote it as a song of praise   you could understand that he is praising God in  this song and he's praising him in the middle of   where he finds himself and so he's praising him  in a series of statements he is extolling would   be the word magnifying he is shouting probably  because he never was quiet about anything and   he is saying the Lord is my shepherd that was a an  acclamation of praise and therefore I lack nothing   and so on he said I've come to this oasis in life  who is the person of my God and never in this   oasis I lie down in green oscar's or some have  translated it lush green meadows or tender green   grass anything that would excite Toshiba leads me  beside still waters and so on he is giving praise   to God he's agreeing with God for who God is and  if God is who God is then this is all that he is   to me and I think that's very important this is  not a cry for help it's not a prayer oh god please   come and help me it is that adamant declaration  this is who you are and in the middle of this my   trouble I declare who you are because it describes  the ultimate relationship and it's all through the   songs and it's it's a peeve of mine as you might  have noticed in the past where it says the Lord   in capital letters and you know what I'm going to  say that is how it's being translated but really   that's a very it's not only bad translation it's  terrible Lord in no way reflects what that means   in the original language go back to Exodus and in  chapter 3 you will find as Moses asks of God what   is your name your personal name and the response  was I am and for reasons beyond my understanding   translators down the years have translated I am  as the Lord totally different and so we we stick   with the original language he is saying I am is  my shepherd I am is on first hearing it's kind of   strange what's your name I am but then think about  it he is he is I am out any support you know when   when we say I am we have to support it I mean if  I say I am really I should be saying I am because   he is we we our I am must have a platform on which  to be but when he says I am he is the platform of   every other I am I am without any you know because  it's not an I am that he derives from somewhere   else he simply is I am and it's I am that covers  every possible movement of life if I speak of a   need as I perceive something he simply says I  am and and so he is the one that swallows up   our needs he is the one who is the original supply  I am but then he says I am is my and the word is   is not in the Hebrew language the translators put  that in there to try and make sense it says I am   my shepherd so it isn't merely that I am a sheep  alongside the shepherd he is saying that he is   sheep in a dynamic relationship to the shepherd  was very different he is saying that he and the   Shepherd are one we're not talking about the flock  and I'm just one of the sheep in a big flock and I   look over there and I see the Shepherd David he's  coming to the very heart of the matter and saying   the I am God Himself is joined with my and my  is the most personal word I can say myself my   is where I look at myself where I call myself  I and that's where I say my it's it's a it's   the word of procession so what you learned when  you were two years old and realized that that's   mine and he is saying that he has a relationship  with I am in which I am my it's a union it's a   what I was going to say intermingling maybe that's  not exactly the right image because I am as I am   and my is my and yet we be one and so it is true  that are joined together absolutely one only David   is the dependent in the relationship he's the  deriving he says I am the limitless support the   limit supply and he's my I am deriving my life  from him he does not and this is so important   nowhere in the scripture do you find persons who  have come to know God do they ever refer to him as   separate no don't let me rush by that God is not  separate if you ask the average Westerner where   is God they will probably point up because to them  God is up he's over he's certainly not here this   is my domain and he's up and over separated away  and when I need some help I'll call upon God send   up SOS flares no that's that's paganism it really  is it's a very bad form of pagan actually nowhere   in scripture do you find a separate God and here  this person of David he he he dares to link his   most personal my to the infinite I am and say we  are absolutely one no union not separate at all   where David is I am is and if David is in danger  then he is in that danger inside and one with I   am do you get it where you are in this moment as  I speak you and I we are inside of him whose name   is I am and I am is inside of me and inside of you  you are not alone the word separate and alone are   impossible in an understanding of the God of the  Bible he says I am absolutely one and he names I   am by Shepherd he said I am my shepherd that is  all that I need that this moment is summed up in   the word shepherd what word summed up in the word  Shepherd well if you've been around sheep you know   for sure shepherd means care and of course I am  speaking now primarily of the eastern Shepherd's   many of our Western Shepherds are more butchers  than they are shepherds Shepherd's care for the   Sheep care for them individually in your back to  that you're not just one of a mass you know just   one of that thing called Christians no no it's  it's intimate it's my to the shepherds which I've   seen in Israel and probably many of you have to  the shepherds call their sheep sometimes a flock   of three four hundred sheep but each one as a  personal name pet name and the Shepherd will walk   away just reeling off the names of his sheep and  as they hear their name they fall in behind him   and follow him it's an amazing thing the care the  personal knowledge of the shepherd now Jesus is in   us he's one with us don't you recognize these  words I am Shepherd don't you jesus said that   and identified himself with that do you realize  Jesus was quoting this verse when he said I am   The Good Shepherd Jesus is I am become flesh I am  has entered into our humanity and he is closer to   us than breathing he comes and he cares for us he  knows us by name he knows us by our nicknames he   knows us and knowing us as Shepherd is provider  Shepherds Evander's son the word up his provision   and provider sheep are dead without a shepherd  they don't know where to look he's their protector   sheep of the most vulnerable of animals they are  surrounded by predators shepherd is their shield   of protection he's their comforter every night  it was comfort session and the sheep were allowed   into the fold by going under the staff of the  Shepherd and as they went under it he felt them   all over for cuts and bruises and briars and he  was their healer he was everything Shepherd and   David says my shepherd we're linked we're joined  he's in the one with me Jesus good shepherdess   brought back to its ultimate truth and dwells  inside of us through the Holy Spirit this is   not theory this is being spoken from my heart  to yours on this day in this situation we are   you're not alone you are one with the shepherd  himself and David goes on to describe this life   the shepherd and as I say is it sounds like this  marvelous oasis in a wilderness green pastures   still waters restoration of soul guidance through  positive righteousness many says even though now   that that's okay even though because he separates  it out maybe a more literal translation would be   also as if don't don't think my life is just this  oasis of peace that I've been describing he said   there are other days you know and and he says also  or even though as one would say even if it comes   to the act even though not all days of sunshine II  said not all days are the Oasis it might come to   this be even though come to the valley a a valley  dark place especially the valence he was speaking   of in the Judean wilderness it's it's low-lying  ground so you're going down and as you go down   you lose sight of the Sun many times there are  immense rocks and boulders all of them casting   yet further shadows and darkness and he says I  I walk through the valley of the shadow of death   it's interesting just as an aside really but he  said I walk that that's the kind of place that   most people would run for their lives through  get out of this place but he reports that he   walks sort of a leisurely walk there's no panic  here please hear me it's absolutely no panic he   says I walk in a moment he's going to say I fear  no evil what am I saying he he's walking through   the valley this extremely dark place with hidden  dangers but the bigger dangers are the fears that   are hidden in the shadows but he says in it all  I keep pace with the Shepherd I don't run like a   scared sheep I walk in pace with the Shepherd and  it's a leisurely walk think about that he walks   in peace you could almost say this joy in his  step because he's not in step with the shadows   he's in step with the Shepherd to get that if I'm  in step with the shadows I will run for my life   terrified you'll only see the white of my eyes  I want to get out of here but with a shepherd as   we have walked in the paths of righteousness as  I walked you into the green pastures and still   waters let's walk through this valley the same  pace the same leisurely miss the same I am my   shepherd and so he says it was the valley of the  shadow of death I said they were low-lying you   you've been in valance it's where the mountains  come down usually or high place and even as you   enter it that there's the inclining downward and  and you you go down into the valley the woods down   and Valley belong together low-lying places and as  I say they were they were usually narrow they were   dark I'm saying were they still are and also it's  those rocks that that's the rocks and the boulders   that have rolled down the side of the valley and  that that's what was kind of scary for the average   sheep that's spooky because who knows what's  behind the boulders who knows what's between the   boulders you say and of course as you go down into  the valley and begin to experience the overall   shadow and the extra shadow of the boulders and  rocks it gets cold see you're out of the sunlight   and shadows always there's a drop of temperature  and so that only adds to the unease of the moment   it's cold it's clammy it's well it's the valley  and it's full of shadows it's a valley of the   shadow of death some say it should be the shadow  of deep darkness of death another translates it   the shade of death whatever way you put it the  word death holds its own terrors and you could   simply leave it at that that was the valley it  would appear to be sort of the valley of valleys   the mother of valleys had this designation by all  the shepherds you had to go through it it was part   of the wilderness but they all looked upon it as  the worst the worse the valley of the shadow of   death and what does it mean well number one is  the shadow that's important didn't say was the   valley of death it was the valley of the shadow  of death and when it's the shadow of death did   you do hear me it is the cold clammy darkness the  shadow and death seems very close as you get into   the ravine and descend into this this dark place  it's in but it isn't death it's the shadow of it   and sometimes the shadow is worse than the thing  you know what I mean remember when you were a kid   there was the shadows that gotcha shadows that  even in the bedroom you know the curtains fell   into shadows and and the tallboy cast its own  shadow and and all the shadows were filled with   a lot more than was really there you know shadows  exaggerated shadows magnify not only what is there   but they produce what isn't there and add your  imagination to the shadows and the shadows become   monstrous apocalyptic so he says it's the shadow  of death it's not actually death but it'sit's the   shadow it's the presence it's it's almost as if  death is breathing down my neck shadow of death   and of course the the first meaning that would  come to that is physical death and you probably   heard me say before there's only one fear you  know that that's the fear of death all all all   other fears go back to that one fear of death why  are you afraid there won't be any money because   then you couldn't buy food or drink and probably  you couldn't afford a house and what you died why   are you afraid of spiders because if one bites  me I'll die why am I afraid of water because   if I fell in I would drown and die and so on fear  of death is the mother that's where all fears are   conceived and burst fear of death and right now  we are facing that not only in this country of   course but throughout the whole world and it has  shown its power if I could use that word I don't   know if you've looked at it like this but the  world goes on its way and it's it's it's full   of a future it's full of a certain kind of joy a  certain kind of movement forward it's it's it's   full of a certain kind of buoyancy it's it's sort  of we got life by the tail and and within a matter   of minutes our entire world civilization can lose  that it's amazing to me when I go around town and   look into the eyes of people and see sheer terror  I mean panicked fear and it's as if all that joy   and buoyancy and life is good and that was just a  thin thin here in Texas we have so much stone rock   underneath the ground and it looks like you know  there there's there's a lot of Earth there but   you put your Spade in and there's only about two  inches of earthing it rock and it's almost like   that just a thin veneer of everything is right  but bubbling under the surface just just just   under the surface his fear and something like  this comes along and scrapes the surface and   we are descending into a people who are terrified  to move fear and it's a fear of death right here   where we're standing right in this verse this is  what it's about put that on hold because death has   other meanings too in the scripture death is the  illusion of separation from God the day you eat   thereof you shall surely die that didn't only mean  physical death because actually they didn't but   they entered into the great lie the great illusion  that they were separated from God as I said a   moment ago that God is up over that I'm alone  here and many times people would almost applaud   that I'm on my own I'm an independent person and  do my thing I mean control of life but in in days   like today that becomes a terrifying thing that  I am alone in this illusion of our heads that sin   brought with it that we're separated from God and  left to handle this I feel abandoned and and all   anxiety okay here's another one anxiety is built  on the presupposition I'm alone and God isn't here   do you understand that every time we have worry  and anxiety it presupposes that I'm alone and   God isn't with me and I'm left to handle this and  we reach out for anything that will give us the   illusion of I've gotta get a handle on this hence  people crowding into stores to buy it and say now   I've got a control of this I suppose a roll of  toilet paper in my hand tells me I'm controlling   the situation which was so insignificant I can't  handle it I can't handle it what was going to   happen I feel like I'm a twig being rushed down  the river on the current and I can't stop what's   happening this terrible anxiety that comes from  the feeling the illusion the lie that we are   separated from God which is the shadow of death I  say again it's it's not death but it's the shadow   it's the shadow and as I said a moment ago shadows  make things look bigger than they really are more   terrifying shadows give shapes to things that  aren't really there you know that you see things   in a shadow that is not really there but it is  there when you look at it and it's something   other than real but it looks terribly real to you  and so you're caught in this this terrible vice of   a fear not not only the fears I've just described  but now the shadows and in the shadows there are   the whispers that they're menacing oh yes we're  all little children at heart and we're still   afraid because it looks like something other than  the curtains that are hanging there it's menacing   look we have four in many parts have become a  people who listened to the shadows we we've made   it our business we tune in when we get up in the  morning to listen to what the shadows say you know   III know people that spend literally all day now  they've got nothing else to do just listening to   the new cycle that repeats over and over and over  and over again just opinions of fear feeding fear   and then coming say what what are we going to  do what are we going to do I think somehow we   might have forgotten the Shepherd you see the  word forget does not mean amnesia that's our   Western idea in the Bible the word forget means  to leave something as irrelevant to today so I   leave it back there at another time in my history  and say it was good then but it's of no use here   and the Bible was that forgetting it it just means  leaving it not connecting with it it's irrelevant   forgetting and I find many people in days like  this and this is extreme but what I'm saying   applies to every twist and turn of anxiety you see  because it's all the same thing when you boil it   down we forget that it is Jesus the presence of  the shepherd who is none other than I am Himself   where we count him somehow irrelevant when things  get bad the deeper the shadows in the valley of   the shadow of death the deeper the shadows the  more we tend to leave him as irrelevant to this   situation so that he's relevant to the Oasis to  remember the Oasis sunshine green pastures still   waters oh Jesus is wonderful and we'll all gather  and sing songs about Jesus but when we're in this   we go to pieces and that's simply an irrelevant  memory I'm in this situation don't you understand   we're listening to the whispers of the shadows  and the the Shepherd who is not only beside us   he's in us yet we seem to have forgotten and we  listen to the shadows and not to the Shepherd   see fear fear is in conspiracy with the shadows  I think I've said that well enough in the last   few minutes and I've called it the whispers I  say whispers because that's what it really is   you know no one comes right out and says it  but it's there in the shadows what if what if   it could happen what if and of course the new  cycle pause it ah yes what if you know someone   comes along and says now if this happens and  if that happens and if that happens dick this   is gonna happen yes but nothing's happen as it  it's just what if it's possible it's possible   what if just suppose perhaps and you wake up in  the morning and there's a tickle in your throat   and you know I'm getting it I'm getting it I've  got a slight headache I have it you know that   really comes from the shadows they're saying as  soon as you wake up if you got it have you got   it is it there what if and then you try and  look ahead and you hear the whisper you can   survive are you gonna make it through this and if  you do make it through what's gonna happen then what's next threat behind every Boulder in  every shadow between the rocks threat of an   attack what's next the valley of the shadows  shadow of death and of course all this always   brings out especially if you're a religion this  person religion has no answer to this you know   absolutely none none and all religion can tell you  I heard it I thought I wasn't gonna hear it this   time but all good old religion came out with it  this is God's wrath and punishment yes yeah they   have to say it there it's locked into a miserable  God like that but I don't need religion do I old   guilt comes up and I'm shame and with all guilt  and shame there comes the ideas of punishment   and you know maybe you know God's with others  but and and the favorite word is I'm unworthy   I'm unworthy this is not for the likes of me  I've not been I haven't done I should have I   ought to of now my sins are catching up it's the  heart of fear I suppose the Bible says that fear   has judgment it always does fear always threatens  you you're gonna get punished somehow and then it   says and perfect love casts out all fear and I  love that especially in the original language it   was written in the idea reserve the bouncer in  a nightclub cast out it means picks up fear and   kicks it down the steps flat on his face I like  that but David says even though if it's gonna be   one of those days when I walk through the valley  of the shadow of death I fear no evil notice he   speaks in the present tense I fear no evil for  thou art with me hear no evil fear no evil the   word evil there is not moral evil it's the evil  that would hurt me maybe a better word even for   evil would be harm or pain or destruction or all  the negatives that come bombarded us on days like   this this is I feel no harm I fear no destruction  attacking me no he's not whistling in the dark I   don't fear I'm not afraid David's not so foolish  is there he gives us a reason he said I fear no   evil for thou art with me he has not forgotten the  Shepherd the Shepherd is relevant to this moment   and my union with the Shepherd is the pulse beat  of this moment he said that's the reason my reason   is not based on empty fluffy non hope thou art  with me I've been trying to emphasize it didn't   come out too well in the Hebrew language that  David wrote this in the word thou is emphatic   so the standing alone you gotta add a bit of  a shout to it I fear no evil you you Oh with   me he who is I am he who is the source he who is  supply he who is I was going to say greater than   the valley because he's greater than the valley  he's greater than all valleys he's a creator and   he's inside of you and he's got his arms around  you you you create a god you are with me and and   so he is in this infinite personal you in fact  that the way it's written here in Old English   Wow now we don't speak that way anymore but the  word thou is the the most well personal is the   only word I can say you you don't say it just to  anybody you say to someone is close someone that   you trust someone that's part of your intimate  circle thou thou art with me God himself in all   of his most personal love and power is with me  and remember what I referenced a little while   ago Jesus was quoting this when he said I am The  Good Shepherd now think about that have you ever   connected I am that jesus said with all of these  Old Testament I am chief Jesus was claiming to be   the I am of the Old Testament now become flesh  one of us god join'd inside our human race do   you realize this I I don't know if I could say  it better if I had five hours to say it the God   himself through his limitless unconditional  love for you joined us inside our humanity   not a special humanity sort of living five feet  above our reality but Jesus joined our flesh he   came into our world and he faced our life in fact  in Revelation 7 there's a verse and I don't think   I've ever heard anybody talk about it maybe it  just slides over our tongue but there it says   it's speaking of the flock of God and the Shepherd  and it says you can check it revelation 7 it says   the lamb which you know is one of Jesus favorite  expressions the lamb he is the Lamb of God but it   says the lamb was the shepherd and wiped all tears  from their eyes just just to hold it shepherds   look after Lambs the Lambs are not Shepherds you  understand me lambs belong to the flock shepherds   are something else not in God's world for God so  loved us he became one of the flock and God who   is the lamb is the Shepherd came where we are me  took the whole of death death itself and all the   lies and delusions of separation he took you into  himself and when he died he took that to death and   when he resurrected he carried you with him in  that triumph resurrect you know what that means   resurrect is an interesting word because it has  only happened once in the history of the human   race so you know in science you need to have  it happen at least two or three times so you   can start experimenting and comparing resurrect  what's it mean well I suppose you could say it   means the ultimate country action of death you  know who couldn't well I use the word defeat   that's another needs a bit of talk but looking  defeat death well Jesus who is God but become   you become me offered himself up to death and  I mean that he chose to die nobody made him die he entered into death by choice why because  he's gonna come right to the very source of   every problem we have come to the source of our  brokenness all that stands between us from our   side in him and when death has got you and that's  it as a man well Jesus said no and he contradicted   death and death was defeated and when Jesus rose  from the dead he meant that nothing that death   had ever done or ever planned to do could ever  again be success and so if we talk about physical   death let's talk about it for a minute that's as  I said the valley of the shadow of death no it's   a fear of death are you afraid of death that's an  honest question jesus said I am there it is again   the resurrection and the life he who believes on  me shall never die but just a minute people die   yeah but not in the sense the death would have  them die there is no more fear in death for a   believer every one of us including me speaking to  you we're all going to die but jesus said in the   act of dying it would have no sting it would have  no pain we would not die in the sense that death   would have us die it it means in fact he said  that for you dying would be like falling into   a beautiful sleep do you remember that all the  way through the Gospels as all Jesus said they   fell asleep they fell asleep and that goes over  into the epistles when the earliest church spoke   of people dying they talked of falling asleep the  pain of death is in those of the left to to see   you see the person died but the person dying  is entering into bliss they are entering into   a join every on and so on as many of you know  it's just nearly a year ago that my wife fell   asleep in Jesus and I will never forget and I hope  you understand this that as I came in the office   and I found her on the floor and I realized as  clearly as I've ever realized anything we me into   into immediate sorrow and mourning but she was not  mourning us she had entered into the eternal joy   and peace knowing Jesus as she had never known  him before and she knew him very well we do the   morning we have the pain of loss but death itself  has lost that power I can't do it anymore and if   you are facing death with fear then why don't you  shout at it that it's a liar and read Hebrews 2:15   that Jesus destroyed him the had the power of  death that is the devil so that those who had   lived all their life in the fear of death fear  it no more there's this this is a fact it's the   value of the shadow of death but we're walking  in that valley of the shadow of death indeed it   is a shadow because it's not what it was Jesus  contradicted death to the point death lost its   power and it's over and as to the other meaning  of death of separation while it's exposed as an   illusion it's an absolute and I'll say damnable  lie you are not separated from God Jesus the Good   Shepherd became one of us how closer can you get  that that I think that blows the lid off the idea   of separation forever God so loved us he became  one of us and still is one of us he couldn't be   closer to lie you walked through the valley of the  shadow of death but it's only a shadow it's it's   only an appearance I could almost say a mirage  because the Shepherd who walks with you walks in   you and when he died he carried you through death  and is triumphant in you as the resurrection the   one who lives and so you know we hear what we  hear the whispers I hear the whispers that's why   I could tell you about them but I talked back and  saved the same spirit that raised Jesus from the   dead dwells in my mortal body and I was quoting  that from Romans 8 really so he lives in us and   we face death and laugh in its face because he  doesn't have the power whether that power be in   a fear of physical death or whether it be in the  face of all its lies that produce the anxiety that   you're alone thou thou who is I am thou who is  I am become flesh thou but actually entered into   death and rose out of it and said it's over it's  finished and that vow that lives inside of you and   I today swear it is and this isn't just for the  valley time you see listen how he easy says see   he says even though I walk through the valley of  the shadow of death so he's looking ahead if it   comes to that if one of those days happens many  speaks in the person tense I fear no evil when   he was talking about something in the future but  he brings it right back to now for thou art with   me present tense see there's no special coming  of Jesus for the valley of the shadow of death   same Jesus as led you beside the still waters and  frolicked with you in the green pastures doesn't   make any difference as he was so he is and all  that he is he was and all that he was he is is   the unchanging God he sums all this up in the last  verse surely that's a good word surely it means   you can take this one to the bank but possibly  a better translation would be only so and they   really do fit together if you think about it  surely it's absolutely true no doubt surely only goodness and loving kindness will follow me boy  I could spend an hour on that couldn't we only   and and the word followed there is everywhere  else in the Old Testament translated more in   terms of pursuing relentlessly actually it's  it's used of an enemy coming and relentlessly   pursuing you and this one time he uses it to  describe the goodness and loving kindness of   God with a greater relentlessness than the enemy  pursuing us you don't have to coach God and tell   him how to get to you you you you don't have to  keep praying and saying please help please help   he loves you he who loves you doesn't need  help in finding you he who loves you doesn't   need your continual nagging him to be with you  he is he says you can take that one to the bank   it's only goodness that comes from him only loving  kindness that pours from him into you so he says   relax it's the way it is you see the fact is I  said it you're in the shepherd the shepherd is   in you this is an incredible relationship well  where is Jesus the shepherd where is he he said   what is in heaven where are you then it says all  through the epistles in the New Testament it says   you are now in heavenly places right now Jesus  himself said speaking of himself that he was in   heaven on earth in heaven well I don't time to  work that conundrum em except I'm now in him so   I'm in heaven in the middle of this earth just  as it is right now in heaven on earth in heaven   I am in the midst of this earth with all the  peace and all the joy and all that Jesus is in   me around me under me over me yeah surely and  I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever I'm sorry to do this because I do it a lot but  I have to that's a bad translation I'm sorry I   will do you know in the Hebrew language of the  Old Testament there is no future tense yeah you   heard me right so then why does it say will cuz  that's future I'm sorry the translators thought   that God needed help learning English and that  he needed a future tense and so they put it in   there that's not in the original manuscript  of this song this Psalm originally as David   wrote it says I do dwell I do I am now dwelling in  the house of the Lord and will do so forever and   forever doesn't mean a vague when I get to heaven  when I die forever means from vanishing point to   vanishing point now I am now drilling in the house  of the Lord Lord no there it is again I am he says   I am dwelling my residency is in the house of I am  and what is the house of I am if you know your Old   Testament it was that Holy of Holies with the very  presence and glory of God dwelt above the ark of   the car and under the wings of the Caribbean  just a minute did you listen to my last hour   that I did on Psalm 91 I bet you did remember  how that began under the shadow of El Shaddai to come into the house of someone was to come  under the shadow of their roof which meant   you were under their protection provision  care basically forever just a minute did   I say shadow he says in the valley of the  shadow of death with everything I've just   said about that he said I dwell in the house  of I am I've come under the shadow of I am   El Shaddai what a thought what a thought third  right at this moment right at this moment feel   this moment you are inside one with Jesus and  you dwell in him and with him with the father   and the Holy Spirit you're under the shadow of  God all provider all protector you are under   the shadow of God Himself your immunity he is  your shield and those stupid whispers of the   darkness of the shadows of family of death  forget it laugh in their face and focus on   truth if you must listen to the news get  their headlines and shut it off you don't   need those feeding your imagination you need  the truth of him who is and his wits and is in what you see your feelings are governed by  the one you agree with if you agree with   the shadows in the valley you will be sucked  into their fear if you agree with I am in the   face of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit  within you agree with him that it is so you   will be drawn into the embrace that is already  there but you'll wake up to see him to know you see and I know that many of you listening and  I'm done here but quickly how can I say this I   want you now I'm saying you without any accusation  I'm pointing out a fact that you have been raised   with a gospel it's the gospel of destination  many times as I've been in airports or public   places young evangelists have come to accost me  and they always begin do you know where you'll   spend eternity that's become a stock phrase  as if that's evangelicalism do you know where   you spend eternity I've had some that a bit more  raw and they say if you walked out this building   I got knocked over by a bus where would you go  destination do you understand what I mean there   gospel is all about where are you going I don't  have time to prove it but if you read through   the New Testament you won't find that there period  it's not there the gospel is not about destination   the gospel is about relationship it the gospel is  about this this God in the face of Jesus Christ   who joined himself to us and now in the middle of  this he is your life he is your comfort ease your   friendship he's your shield your strength your  provision he is heat down you and him and he and   you that is the way it is that's the gospel that's  relationship I've been listening I've been reading   to on the internet people are saying a lot about  what's happening and you can always pick out the   that poor sad non gospel of destination what are  they got to say today I'll tell you what they're   saying they're saying it all over the web well we  can always comfort ourselves that one day and some   say very soon because whenever trouble happens  whether it must be the end of the world but one   day is one day you know this will all be over  and we'll be living in in heaven and bliss and   peace but until then we just pray it out poor  sad people they love this we will dwell in the   house of the Lord we will we will know you is you  are right at this minute Christ is your life look   it's time to take that beautiful little thing off  the bathroom wall that contains Psalm 23 so you   couldn't read it while you're in the bathroom you  know or maybe you've got something similar so I'm   23 on your refrigerator well whatever it's it's  not something sentimental take it off the wall   take it off the refrigerator this song that I've  tried to just open the or this is the enabling the   now in this micro nanosecond in which we live now  is releasing the energy of God himself into you in   this now where we live now what we're facing  now let this song take over your imagination   you know it well enough but take these specific  verses and and shout them back in the face of   the whispers in the darkness and realized that  he's not up he's not over he's in you I am my   shepherd my means he's inside you're my that's  the way it is now the blessing of God who is now Almighty love the Father the Son and  the Holy Spirit encompass you embrace   you kiss you bring you comfort and  bring you peace and be your strength   but you shall walk in his victory  through these days so I now bless   you and now impart to you his blessing and  in everyday his force that's the way it is

Channel: MalcolmSmithWebinars

Views: 4,661

Rating: 4.927711 out of 5

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Id: xolbzoDx7mI

Length: 64min 30sec (3870 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 05 2020