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Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the 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; 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.”

As we begin to examine this Psalm of David, we need to first define what a shepherd is. The dictionary defines a shepherd as a man employed in tending, feeding, and guarding sheep; one charged with the religious care and guidance of others: Pastor; to escort or conduct.

As we can see from this definition, it could be a person who is doing a ‘secular’ job or one in ecclesiastical ministry. Anyone who owns, or is a manager of a business, who has concern for his workers, is in a real sense a shepherd. He may not stand in the leadership ministry of a pastor but he is actually pastoring those individuals.

From the short list of shepherds mentioned earlier, we notice that they were not priests or pastors in any official sense but ordinary people who took care of sheep and people entrusted to their care.

Now let’s take a closer look at this Psalm. 

Verse One – The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

“The Lord is my shepherd…” Obviously, David was well acquainted with shepherding. He was a shepherd who knew the importance of having a shepherd. He knew that he needed a ‘good’ shepherd who loved, provided for, and protected the sheep. The character and integrity of the shepherd determine the quality of care given to the sheep!

At some point, he made an intentional decision that Jehovah (Yahweh) would be his shepherd. Making that decision, no doubt, changed the trajectory of his life. Perhaps it should be said here that having a human shepherd (under shepherd) does not nullify the need to have the Lord as one’s shepherd!

To have the Lord as our shepherd requires that we have Him as our Savior (John 3:3,5, Romans 10:9-10). To enjoy the fullness of His forgiveness, etc. will require that He is Lord over all facets of our life. It will require that we are in fact His disciple.

“…I shall not want.” It is unfortunate that the way we use the word ‘want’ obstructs what is said here. It might be better understood if we said, ‘I shall not be in need or lack.’ There is a big difference between our needs and wants! And in our materialistic society today, we need to make that difference very clear.

Another statement by David makes this clearer. Psalm 34:9-10 says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want (lack) to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”

Yet another psalm, from the sons of Korah, says in Psalm 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

If one has the Lord as his shepherd, then everything he needs will be provided for by his shepherd. People are a lot like sheep. Left to our own devices we make wrong decisions and can get into a lot of trouble. We often have the mistaken idea that we know how to live our lives, without intervention from others or God. To have this mentality is a sure indication that trouble is on the horizon! In fact, the prophet Jeremiah said this in Jeremiah 23;10, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

If Jesus is our shepherd, then this verse indicates that everything we need will be provided in and through Him. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

THE MESSAGE paraphrases this verse like this: ‘God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.’

Verse Two:  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He makes me lie down in green pastures… According to Philip Keller it is almost impossible to get sheep to lie down unless four requirements are met. 

• Free from fear.
• Free from friction with others.
• Free from torment from flies & ticks.
• Free from hunger.

It was and is difficult to find lush pastures in the Middle East. There are lots of stones, and brush, but very little green grass unless it is irrigated. It was the shepherd’s job to find those places where green grass could be found. It is our Shepherd’s job to do the same for us, and He has done so by His work on the Cross because of His great love for us. 

As mentioned above, just as sheep have a difficult time laying down in green pastures, so do God’s sheep today unless the fears are mitigated. Our Shepherd knows that, so He has provided freedom for us. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” We are instructed 109 times in the Bible ‘do not fear.’

Forgiveness toward those who offend us allows great freedom. Physical, mental, and emotional healing provides freedom in those realms, while His great provisions for us give us freedom from hunger! Our Shepherd knows what we need and He has abundantly provided for it!

He leads me beside the still waters… Sheep are easily spooked. There are many natural predators, such as coyotes, wolves, bears, and wild dogs. The shepherd would try to get his sheep near a quiet, flowing stream. His presence would be known by the sheep and they could graze, drink, and rest in peace. The shepherd was always on the lookout for any danger in the area. He often would spend all night on guard when predators were near. He had lots of money, effort, time, and energy invested in his sheep. They were important to him, he loved them as if they were pets.

Verse Three: He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

He restores my soul… Keller mentions that often sheep would get weighted down with dirt, and sand in their wool, to the degree that if he were to fall into a crevice he would not be able to get up. There is an old English term for this, it is known as a ‘cast’ sheep. His feet would be moving, while he was laying on his back, but he could not roll over and get up. If he is left there for a long period of time he will die. 

This phrase shows us the need for a shepherd to come along and lift that sheep upright out of the ditch. He is restored to his previous position. Many of us have fallen into crevices in life and could not get up by ourselves, but our Great Shepherd, or one of His under-shepherds, comes to our rescue and restores us! This proves to us that all sheep need a shepherd.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. As David mentioned in Psalm 5:8, “Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your path straight before my face.” Many obstacles stand in the way of all of us as we attempt to follow the Lord. The enemy of our soul puts them there to lead us astray as he attempts to kill, steal and destroy us. But our Chief Shepherd knows the way around, through, or over them. He leads us in the way of righteousness, which is always in our best interest and His as well.

Verse Four: 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.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death… All of us are constantly in the valley of the shadow of death. The enemy camps near us at all times, as he looks for opportunities to invade our homes, families, mind, body, and spirit. BUT our shepherd is always on the lookout for us. He knows our enemy! He has dealt with him for millennia. He knows all his tactics, and plans. Our Shepherd always has exactly what is needed to protect, and provide for us, EVEN in the valley of the shadow of death. We have no legitimate reason to fear.

I will fear no evil; for you are with me… You may recall that David said earlier in Psalm 3:6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” Or, perhaps, Psalm 27:1-3, which says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me; my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.” David could say and believe all this because he had the Lord as his Shepherd! So can we, if He is our Shepherd.

Your rod and staff, they comfort me. The rod was used to fight off the enemy, the staff was used to lift up a sheep if he fell into a crevice. David, no doubt, had used these implements frequently. Our Shepherd, Jesus, has an arsenal of possible weapons to use against our enemy. Remember: He defeated Satan through the Cross and the Resurrection. He has the keys of death and of hell! 

As David thought on the rod and staff, he was greatly comforted. So will we be as we become closer to the Lord and realize all that He has provided for us?

Verse Five: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies… This speaks of the Shepherd’s provision for the sheep even in difficult times. God’s provision isn’t just for the good times when everything is going well. He provides for us even in times of disobedience. Example: The Israelites wandering in the Wilderness for forty years because of their disobedience to God. Yet, He fed them, guided them, and did not let their clothes wear out.

You anoint my head with oil… This was common practice if a sheep got parasites in its ears or wool. Perhaps the sheep got a cut on the legs or belly, the shepherd would clean the wound and pour in oil – usually olive oil – to cleanse and bring about faster healing. To be anointed with oil indicated the sheep was special to the Shepherd. Psalm 92:10 says, “But my horn (strength) you have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.” Being anointed with fresh oil also indicates sonship and ownership.

My cup runs over. God’s blessings are so abundant that we cannot contain them! This speaks of a continual flow of blessings and provision. This sounds a lot like what the prophet Malachi prophesied about those who tithe and give offerings. Malachi 3:10c says, “…I will open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”

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.

Surely… without a doubt. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. The Shepherd’s goodness and mercy will continuously be in my life as long as I live. If the Lord is our Shepherd, we can enjoy the same thing. This indicates that the shepherd would protect, give provisions, and guide the sheep for as long as they lived.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This is saying that we are part of the shepherd’s family. We will take up permanent residence there. He will have oversight over us. He is our owner, Lord, and Master. We belong totally to Him.

Oh, what a blessing and joy it is to know that the Lord is our Shepherd. He has everything under control. He knows everything about us and loves us unconditionally. He is always with us, provides for us, and protects us. We have no reason to fear because He is constantly involved in every aspect of our life!

We often think of “faith” as being a New Testament concept but it is spoken of numerous times in the Old Testament. Reading Hebrews 11 reveals that the ancients are said to have faith, being faithful, and having faithfulness.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” While the OT saints did not have the Spirit of God within, nor written Scripture as we do, they often had supernatural visitations via His voice, angels, or theophany or Christophany.

In Genesis 15:6 the Bible says that Abram “…believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph exercised faith in God and did great exploits- Hebrews 11:3-22 before the Mosaic law was given. Then we find that many others, living under the Mosaic law also did great exploits for God – Hebrews 11:23-40.

And we, who live under the New Covenant, are told in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Galatians 3:11 says, “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith.” Galatians 2:20 also says, “…the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” And Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Faith in God is the God-given ability (Ephesians 2:8) to believe what He has said in His Word to the point that we can act on it, without any further external help. Although the Scripture does indicate the Spirit of God bears witness to us of the things promised in it (Romans 8:16-17).

The bottom line for New Covenant believers today is to believe what the Word of God says, obey it, and listen to the voice of His Spirit within, who always speaks and acts in line with the Word of God. And we will do these things because we believe, trust in, and know God that is and is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Just as basketball players play basketball, football players play football, teachers teach, preachers preach, and politicians play politics! From the time they get into office, they continue to make contacts, raise money, manipulate onto committees, etc. so they can be re-elected to another term or get a more influential position. And in the process of doing that, they often lie to one another, and the general public, about issues. These types of things are not just what is seen externally but reveal what is IN the heart (Mark 7:18-23). “…For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). And this is true of all of us regardless of status in society!

So, what should we do? I have some suggestions.

1. We need to be born again (John 3:3-6). When that occurs, the old way of life is dead (Galatians 2:20), sins forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), given Jesus’ righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), and now we have a relationship and fellowship with Jesus as Lord!
2. Begin the process of renewing your mind with the promises of the Word of God – the Bible. Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:23, Ephesians 1:3, 2 Peter 1:3-4.
3. Get to know the Lord experientially by prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
4. Get involved (and I do not mean just getting your name on a church membership list) in a Bible-believing and practicing congregation. These things will help get you started on a lifetime of service to God and humanity so that you are no longer “playing” in your occupation but fulfilling your vocation (calling) that pleases God! All of us, regardless of status in life, need to know what the Lord desires from us and do it! Live a life fulfilling His plan and purpose for us. If we do this, we will experience satisfaction, fulfillment, peace, and joy and have a sense that God is pleased with us. We need to get our identity from Him (we will find that in the New Testament) and allow Him to develop characteristics that He has already placed within us. We are who He says we are, and we can do what He says we can do! Never forget that! And do not permit the world around you to mold you into something other than God’s plan!

Here is a teaching I did some time ago that is still appropriate for today.

Introduction: Perspective affects everything. How we were raised, taught in school, and learned through experiences affects our perspective on things. The same can be said about those Jews who were trying to get the Galatian Christians to go back under the Mosaic law. 

Three highlights of the Mosaic covenant were: Circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, and Dietary laws.

Each of these was an indication that one was a keeper.

The place of each of these in the New Covenant:

Circumcision – Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Sabbath keeping – Ezekiel 20:12 “Moreover, I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”

Ezekiel 20:20 “Hallow my Sabbaths and they will be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

Dietary laws – Romans 14:6 “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks, and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat and gives God thanks.”

5 Questions

1. Who has deceived you? “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”
2. Did you receive the Spirit through the law? “This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
3. Are you so foolish? “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
4. Have you suffered so many things in vain? “Have you suffered so many things in vain – if indeed it was in vain?”
5. Is the supernatural by law or faith? “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH

Those who are of faith are sons of Abraham and are blessed in him.

A. The Mosaic law brings a curse.

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” vs.10

“But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith.” vs 11

‘’Yet the law is not of faith, but the man who does them shall live by them.” vs.12

Justification in the sight of God is by faith alone – in the sight of man we need to see an outward change. James 2:22,24

B. Redeemed from the curse by Jesus’ Sacrifice

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree)”

 Curses can be summarized by 3 things – Deuteronomy 28

• Poverty
• Sickness
• Premature death

C. Blessings of Abraham & and the Promise of the Spirit

 “That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” vs.14

Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

HOW A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD GIVES POWER TO HIS WORD IN US

INTRODUCTION

In the 1960s through the 1980s, and today as well, there was and is an emphasis on the power of our words, specifically the need for us to speak the Word of God. This turns out to be both a good thing and not so good thing many times. 

When people would believe and speak what the Word of God said they often got what they desired. While others would think there was some sort of magic power in the spoken word itself without realizing there must be a relationship between them and the power behind the Word of God, namely, God Himself. As a result of not having a proper relationship with God, many were confused, hurt, and disillusioned when what they said did not happen.

I do not find in the Bible that we are given the right to speak anything we want to speak without a relationship with God. Or that we can indulge the flesh for anything without God’s input on it. Suppose one wants a million dollars and he believes if he says it often enough God is required to give it to him. Or he wants a certain type of car or house and expects God to give it to him simply because he said it.

If one is abiding in God and His Word abides in the person, there may be times when God, by His Spirit, may lay it on the heart of the person to ask for something beyond the ordinary. This has often happened and still does today,

The key is to have an ongoing, intimate relationship with the Lord and a familiarity with the Word of God, specifically the New Testament promises!

FOUNDATIONAL NEW COVENANT TRUTHS

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

2 Peter 1:3-4 “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him, who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

OUR TEXT: Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

GOD CREATES WITH HIS WORD

We see this illustrated in Genesis 1 where He spoke and the world came into existence. 

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Let’s walk through the times when God spoke in the creation and various things happened which shows us the power of His Word.

Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

Genesis 1:6 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

Genesis 1:9 “Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.”

Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.”

Genesis 1:14 “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;”

Genesis 1:20 “Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”

Genesis 1:22 “And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

Genesis 1:24 “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.”

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 1:29 “And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you, it shall be for food.”

Jesus is the Word. The Father decreed it and the Word spoke it into existence.

John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Hebrews 1:1-3 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;  who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

Colossians 1:16-18 says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him, all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”

Creation reveals the triune Godhead, three personages in a relationship in total agreement. When one speaks or acts they are all involved.

God’s Word in us is powerful.

John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words I speak to you are spirit and they are life.”

John 14:10 says, ‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

The power of our words on the Human level.

Prov. 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

Prov.10:19-21 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.

Prov.11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Prov.12:6 The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,” But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

Prov.12:13-14 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble. A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

Prov.12:18-19 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Prov.12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

Prov.13:2-3 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Prov.14:3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,  But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Prov. 15:1-2 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 

The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

Prov.15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,  But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Prov.15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so.

Prov.15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, But the words of the pure are pleasant.

Prov.15:28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

Prov.16:23-24 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth And adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Prov.18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Prov.18:6-8 A fool’s lips enter into contention,  And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.

Prov.18:20-21 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips, he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Prov.21:23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue, Keeps his soul from troubles.

Prov.26:20-22  Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body.

New Testament Statements

Matt.12:34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Mark 7:17-23 “When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,  because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”  And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Basic Principle 

Romans 6:9-10  But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.

Applicable to Everything else.

Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Other New Testament Statements.

John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

Ephesians 5:6 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

1 Thessalonians 4:18 “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

How to Speak to one another in the Church.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

Meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.

Good reasons to speak the Word of God.

Matthew 8:7 “The Centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”

Matthew 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it on the day of judgment.”

 Acts 4:29-33 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,  by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.  And with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

Acts 14:3 “Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

Practical applications to real-world situations.

1. What does the Word of God say about it?

2. What are the limitations of this promise?

3. Read – re-read – meditate on it until it gets down into your spirit. James 1:21-22 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,”

4. Bathe the Word in prayer. Fellowship with the Lord. The more in step we are with Him, the more consistent we will see answers to our prayers along with needs being met.

When your prayers or confessions are not answered.

Right relations in the home.

1 Peter 3:7 “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”

Humility.

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Resist Satan.

1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

Faith or Presumption?

Presumption is presuming God will do something rather than knowing it from His promises. Faith knows He will because He specifically said it.

Abide in the Vine.

John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  This a relationship

REMINDER–

God is Sovereign.

God is all-knowing.

God has a plan & purpose.

Introduction: 1 Thess.5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Today I want to put emphasis on the mind. We will look at some things about the brain and other things that make up the human mind. Then we will look at some things about the soul & spirit that affect our mind, and then how we can renew or change our mind to think as God thinks!

1. THE BRAIN

• Every thought has a corresponding electrochemical reaction in the brain.
• At any moment your brain is creatively performing about 400 billion actions, of which you are only conscious of about 2000.
• When you feel happy, your brain has released specific types of chemicals called endorphins.
• Research shows that about 87% of illnesses can be attributed to your thought life.
• Medical science has directly linked emotions, such as depression, to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease.
• If you have been repeatedly verbally abused by someone at work, or sexually abused as a child, all the thoughts associated with those experiences will release negative chemicals. Included in them is a hormone called CRH. People who commit suicide have 10 times as much as those who do not. CRH travels to the pituitary gland and stimulates the release of ACTH, which races to the adrenal gland, on top of the kidneys and it releases cortisol and adrenaline.
• On the other hand, if you have been appreciated and praised a lot the body releases chemicals, among which is endorphins.

• You have about 100 trillion neurons and each is capable of growing up to 70,000 branches. That is enough storage space for three million years. At the end of each neuron there are branches called dendrites which continually receive and integrate information coming from the five senses.
• Whether your thoughts, emotions and attitudes are positive or negative, they are represented in the body as electrochemical reactions. You are made up of two systems: chemical (endocrine system) and electrical (nervous system). That means the currency of your body is electromagnetic energy and chemicals. Both these are involved with every thought, attitude and actions that occur in your body!
• Dr. Caroline Leaf in WHO SWITCHED OFF MY BRAIN calls thoughts a breeze through the trees.

2. THE MIND

• The mind is more than the brain. If you remember our circles representing the spirit, soul and body, you will remember that the soul contains the mind.
• The mind is made up of the brain with all of its parts, but also includes attributes of the soul – will & emotions. It also contains intuition from the human spirit (Soul & Spirit make up the inner person – 2 Cor.4:16).
• Rom.12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God.”
• Eph. 4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

3. RENEWAL FROM WITHIN

• We are born from above – John 3:3, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  John 3:5 “…unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” 2 Cor.5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
• We are told to put off the old and put on the new. Eph.4:22, “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” Eph.4:24 “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
• Read – Memorize – Declare what the Word of God says. As you do this you are solidifying it in your soul and brain. When you hear something but you do not do anything with it within 24-72 hours, your glial cells in the brain erase that piece of information.
• Cultivate hearing in your spirit. The Spirit of God lives in your spirit. He speaks from there, often from intuition, and encourages us into action. (Elijah – 1Kgs.19:12)
• Forgive those who have offended you. Matt.6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Forgiving other people has a positive effect on the brain – endorphins – to hold unforgiveness, anger and resentment causes the brain to hold things like adrenaline, and cortisol stays in the body too long and they cause negative things to happen to the body.

THE PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

Intercede – means to act as go-between parties that are unfriendly.

By definition, this limits this type of prayer for people other than the pray-er. The prayer of intercession is a petition-type prayer.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

 Romans 8:34 “…who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.”

Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him because he lives to make intercession for them.”

Isaiah 53:12 “…He has poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” The whole work of the Cross was intercession on our behalf, not just what Jesus says or does at the right hand of the Father.

Intercession does not nullify personal responsibility. Jeremiah 7:16 “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, so do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.”

Purpose for intercession – to pray God’s will into existence. To act as a priest on behalf of others who have not gotten God’s provision yet.

Examples: Moses -Exodus 32:7-14, Paul – Romans 9:1-3, 10:1, Jesus – Luke 23:34, and Stephen – Acts 7:60.

REMEMBER- generally speaking, our intercession works for others, but it is always based on the love and grace of God – along with what His foreknowledge has planned. He does not condemn anyone. John 3:17

   PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

Tongues are a language of men or angels. 1 Cor.13:1

It is a language that one has not studied and does not know. The person has the God-given ability to speak it, but the Spirit supplies the words and their meaning.

It is an expression of God’s divine presence and ability – Acts 10:10-44-46

How they operate:

• Speaking is a learned ability.
• With the infilling of the Holy Spirit we are given this ability.
• His knowledge and ability is not limited to ours.
• The ability comes through the human spirit. – 1 Cor.2:12-14
• Working together – Spirit gives utterance – person does the speaking.

The Place of Faith

Your faith will always work for you in things provided in the Atonement or the New Covenant. It may not always work for others you pray for.

• Mark 9:23  Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” NKJV
• Mark 11:22-24  So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. NKJV
• Why are there times that you faith may not work for others?
• The will of the person is involved. They can stand with you or you can agree with them on the promises of the Word of God; but ultimately if they are adults they are responsible for themselves to use their faith and trust in God. If it is a child or a new Christian, your faith will work for them for a short time. You may remember that even Jesus could do no mighty works in His home town because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58).
• Your faith or prayer will not work if it is for something contrary to the will of God. We know God’s will from reading, studying and meditating in the Word of God.

THE PRAYER OF AGREEMENT

Matthew 18:19-20 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

1. Prayer of Agreement depends on all parties agreeing on the need and the outcome.The word AGREE in Greek is sumphoneo – which means to sound together.
2. To agree means that we say the same thing when we pray and afterward.
3. Prayer of agreement is a petition prayer to the Father.
4. Prayer of agreement involves the presence of God in our situations.
5. Jesus prayer life-

• Blesses children – Mt. 19:13
• Prays in the Garden – Mt. 26:36
• Prayed when baptized – Lk. 3:21
• Prays to Father to be glorified – John 17:1
• Prays for believers – Jn.17:20
• Examples of How Jesus ministered-

• Leper – no prayer – Matt.8:1-3
• Centurion’s servant – Mat.8:5-13
• Peter’s mother-in-law – Matt.8:14-15
• Paralytic man – Mt.9:1-6
• Raised girl from dead – Mt.9:18-25
• Healed woman with issue of blood – Mt.9:18-15
• Healed 2 blind men – Mt.9:27-31
• Head deaf man – Mat 9:35-36
• Notice that in none of these cases did He beg or ask the Father to do something. He touched them and/or spoke and the healings occurred!

    Jesus gives His ministry to us. Matt.10:1, Mark 16:17-18

• Preach kingdom – Mt.10:7-8
• Heal
• Cleanses lepers
• Raise the dead
• Cast out demons
• Freely received – freely give

    Hearing the Voice of God

To pray as Jesus did, we need to hear the voice of God speak to us. He speaks through His Word – the Bible – and by His Spirit within us.

Psalm 77:6 “I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart and my spirit (ruach) makes diligent search.”

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

INTRODUCTION

I am teaching a class at New Life Church, Louisville on this topic on Wednesday nights during January and February. I will be posting an edited version of those teaching sessions here over the next several days.

All religions have an exercise that they call praying. To some it is chanting, reciting sayings, quotes, or thoughts from those they regard as holy people. Others may quote the Koran, Buddhists ideas, Old Testament statements, or New Testament passages. Still, others may talk to God as one might talk to a friend.

Prayer is very important. But to see results from our praying, one must pray Biblically. One day some of Jesus’ disciples came to you requesting “teach us to pray as John taught his disciples” Luke 11:1. In response to that He gave them the Model prayer. One does not have to quote word for word what He gave them, because this is an outline of things they and we can pray. Matthew 6:9 says, “In this manner, therefore, pray…” I would suggest that one read and re-read what He said until we absorb the concept of what is being said in the Model prayer.

To pray as we should it is necessary to know some things about the One we are praying to. What is He like?

God’s Personality

God’s personality is revealed by certain characteristics that show what He is like. Things are said in Scripture about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that shows facets of His personality. We will confine ourselves primarily to the personality of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 11:2 says “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This is a prophecy about the coming Messiah. 

Notice that there are seven things mentioned about the Spirit that would rest upon Him:

He is the Spirit of the Lord; 

The Spirit of Wisdom; 

The Spirit of understanding; 

The Spirit of Counsel; 

The Spirit of Might; 

The Spirit of Knowledge; and

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord.

The seven spirits of God are mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:4). Perhaps these seven characteristics mentioned in Isaiah are the seven-fold Spirit of God mentioned there.

Many other characteristics of His personality are revealed in the New Testament. For example:

• He can be lied against – Acts 5:3
• Tested – Acts 5:9
• Resisted – Acts 7:51
• Insulted – Hebrews 10:29
• Grieved – Ephesians 4:30
• Blasphemed – Matthew 12:31
• Reveal – 1 Corinthians 2:10
• Speak – Acts 8:29
• Pray – Romans 8:26-27
• Testify – John 15:26-27
• Lead – Romans 8:14
• Inspire – 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21

His personality can be seen through symbols as well. They include:

• Wind – Acts 2:2
• Water – John 7:37-39
• Fire – Acts 2:3, Matthew 3:11-12
• Oil – Hebrews 1:9
• Wine – Acts 2:13-15
• Seal – Ephesians 1:13
• Guarantee – 2 Corinthians 1:22
• Dove – Luke 3:22
• Finger (KJV) – Luke 11:20

We can know God through the things that He reveals about Himself, but the best way to know Him is by our relationship with Him. We know our Father as such because we have been born again (John 3:3, 5). We know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior as a result of that experience. We know the Holy Spirit because He lives within us and by our daily experiences of listening to His voice. Just as we might know a spouse or friend by contact with them, in the same way we know the Spirit of God. If we constantly tune our spirit to listen to His voice we will get to the place where we readily respond without question when He speaks or urges us to obey Him. And through all of our contact with Him, we begin to know what He is like; we discover His personality.

As we get to know what He is like, we can learn to pray effectively and see our prayers answered.

• Before we can pray effectively, we must first determine what we believe about God. Is He good? Is He concerned about me? Does He really love me and want the best for my life.
• Hebrews 11:6  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” NKJV We must know that He exists. We need to know that He will reward or answer us when we pray.

   2 Corinthians 6:1  “We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” NKJV When we pray the will of God we are working with Him to establish His will on earth.

Matthew 6:9-10  “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  NKJV

We need to know that there are different types of prayer – prayers of dedication, petition, praise, thanksgiving, supplication etc.  There is a place and time for each of these prayers to be prayed. They do not automatically work in every situation.

We need to know what we believe about the will of God.  Can our prayers change God’s will?  Do our prayers help to establish the will of God? 

• 1 John 5:14-15  “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”  NKJV
• John 15:7  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  NKJV

Psalm 37:4  “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  NKJV

During 56 years of ministry, I have conducted over 200 funerals. In many of them, I have used John 14:1-23 referencing the home that Jesus has gone to prepare for the deceased. But is that all this passage is saying to us? In this short article, I am proposing that we examine it more closely for another viewpoint.

All Scripture passages have at least one interpretation but may have one or more applications. Some passages (prophecy for example) may have two interpretations – present and future.

As I have studied John 14 recently, I have seen more clearly that perhaps this passage is referring to the hereafter, but is also saying something about the present.

Jesus is saying to His hearers that as they have believed in God they should believe in Him. He explains elsewhere in this discourse that the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father, and they both would come to dwell in each of those in the audience who believed in Him (v.7,9,11,17,20,21,23). Knowing this should enable His hearers, and us, to not be troubled or agitated! I see that perhaps He could be referencing sometime in the future, but more so in the present time for them and for us now.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms…” This has most often been seen as our future home in Heaven. It could be, and/or it could be referring to the Father’s dwelling being in the spirit of the redeemed now. Jesus was then and is now preparing His disciples as a dwelling place of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).

They, and sometimes we, have a difficult time understanding the role of Father, Son, and Spirit and the seeming overlap that exists. Which one is speaking, who is doing what in the universe and in and with us? It seems to me, however, from this passage and others, that Jesus is saying from this passage that He, the Father, and the Spirit are all going to come and dwell within them and us, now. In my understanding, this in no way diminishes Heaven but empowers us now with God’s triune presence.

Other than a few special anointed people in the Old Covenant, the Spirit did not dwell upon or in people. But in the New Covenant, He dwells within every believer (Romans 8:9). This is what makes it so much better than the Mosiac covenant (Hebrews 7-10).

Jesus had to go to the Cross and die as us and for us. He overcame death and ascended back to the Father in Heaven so that they could send the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and thereafter indwell His disciples.

A present reality today is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live within each disciple. Notice these statements:

verse 9 “…he who has seen me has seen the Father…”

verse 11 “Believe that I am in the Father and Father is in me…”

verse 18 “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.”

verse 20 “…I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you.”

verse 23 “…we will come to him and make our abode with him.”

And we do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to experience this, it is a present reality! This should be an encouragement to all of us that we now have everything we need to live a victorious, overcoming, productive life in the Kingdom of God!