The 23rd Psalm

The 23rd Psalm


The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.




Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;

Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.



Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.



-- KJV





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.



Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or through the darkest valley),

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 overflows.



Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.



-- Life Application Bible - NIV



NOTES: u In describing the Lord as a shepherd, David wrote out of his own experience because he had spent his early years caring for sheep. Sheep are completely dependent on the Shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. The New Testament calls Jesus the good shepherd; the great Shepherd; and the Chief Shepherd. As the Lord is the good shepherd, so we are his sheep -- not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right places and in right ways. This psalm does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep, but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow. when you recognize the good shepherd, follow him!



u When we allow God our shepherd to guide us, we have contentment. When we choose to sin, however, we go our own way and cannot blame God for the environment we create for ourselves. Our shepherd knows the "green pastures" and "quiet waters" that will restore us. We will reach these places only by following him obediently. Rebelling against the shepherd's leading is actually rebelling against our own best interests. We must remember this the next time we re tempted to go our own way rather than the shepherd's way.



u Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies -- pain, suffering, disease, injury -- but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only one person can walk with us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side -- the God of life, our shepherd. Because life is uncertain, we should follow this shepherd who offers us eternal comfort.



u In ancient Near Eastern culture, at a banquet it was customary to anoint a person with fragrant oil as a lotion. Hosts were also expected to protect their guests at all costs. God offers the protection of a host even when enemies surround us. In the final scene of this psalm, we see that believers will dwell with God. God, the perfect shepherd and host, promises to guide and protect us through life to bring us into his house forever.



-- Life Application Bible - NIV



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 23rd Psalm

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!

He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most.

Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.

You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow!

Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home.

-- The Book (Tyndale House Publishers)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David's psalm is a joyful proclamation of God's providence. Humankind can live free from fear because, like the good shepherd, God will always provide, protect, and guide this flock.

"You anoint my head with oil" - When a king made a covenant with a vassal, he often sealed it by holding a banquet. During the festivities, it was customary to anoint the head of his guests with oil as a sign of friendship and protection.

The Old Barn

 

This kind of represents life. 

~ "COMPLAINTS" ~

                                            ~ "COMPLAINTS" ~



                                               True Story.....

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.

When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:

'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:

Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?

Any response would be appreciated.

The response:

Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..

A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, 'Who m do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.



Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.



Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.



USAF

How ALL phones SHOULD be answered!

GOOD MORNING,

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

..........

Please Press '1' for English.

Press '2' to disconnect

until you learn to speak English

And remember only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ

                                       And the American Soldier

                                                 One died for your soul,

                                   The other for your freedom.

                             If you agree.......Keep it going

Pastor’s Corner

Many times a person might wonder if God really can identify with our problems here on the earth. How can He possibly know the struggles we face? The following story by an anonymous author may shed light on this question.


“Billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Some of the groups near the front talked heatedly-not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.

“’How can God judge us?’ said one.

“’What does He know about suffering?’ snapped a brunette. She jerked back a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. “We endured terror, beatings, torture, death!’

“In another group a black man lowered his collar. ‘What about this?’ he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. ‘Lynched for no crime but being black! We have suffocated in slave ships, been wrenched from loved ones, toiled till death gave release.’

“Far across the plain were hundreds of such groups.. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering He permitted in His world. How lucky God was to live in Heaven where there was no weeping, no fear, no hunger, no hatred///1 Indeed, what did God know about what man had been forced to endure in this world? ‘After all, God leads a pretty sheltered life,’ they said.

“So each group sent out a leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. There was a Jew, a black, an untouchable from India, an illegitimate person, a victim from Hiroshima, and one from a Siberian slave camp.

“In the center of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather simple; before God could be their judge. He must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should live on earth-as a man! But because He was God, they set certain safeguards to be sure He could not use His divine powers to help Himself.

Let Him be born a Jew

Let the legitimacy of His birth be doubted, so that none would know who is really His Father

Let Him champion a cause so just, but so radical, that it brings down upon

Him the hate, condemnation, and efforts of every major traditional and established religious authority to eliminate Him.

Let Him try to describe what no man has ever seen, tasted, heard, or smelled-let Him try to communicate God to men.

Let Him be betrayed by His dearest friends.

Let Him be indicted on false charges, tried before a prejudiced jury, and convicted by a cowardly judge.

Let Him see what it is to be terribly alone and completely abandoned by every living thing.

Let Him be tortured and let Him die! Let Him die the most humiliating death-with common thieves.

“As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the great throngs of people. But when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No one uttered another word. No one moved. For suddenly all knew. . . God had already served His sentence.”

Pastor’s Corner

Being raised in Florida, I learned early in life the importance of having a good foundation. We would have these pop-up thunderstorms that would drop one to two inches of rain in the course of half an hour. We found that if we built something in the wrong place, it would be washed away if it were not anchored down solidly.



Since I have come to Christ, I have found that buildings are not the only things that need good foundations. People need them, too. Without foundations for our values and beliefs, we can get washed away in the storm. When the pressure comes, we will take the course of least resistance. Many times this direction leads to personal tragedy. The wreckage of broken families and ruined lives testify to the lack of a foundation for basic values that we find in our generation.



Christ offers us a firm foundation on which to build our lives. He offers bedrock upon which to draw a sure sense of moral direction in these turbulent times. He offers a pattern of life that has proven relevant and fulfilling throughout the ages. An old hymn begins with the question “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?” Is your foundation built on the rock or on shifting sand? “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine and puts them into practice shall be like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rain descended and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not for it was built upon the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25.