Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019185A
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00:09 ♪(Music)♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 00:21 Thanks for joining me. 00:23 I was raised around sheep. 00:26 Now, where I lived it was dairy farming that was dominant, 00:28 but sheep were common. 00:30 One day my father came home with a lamb. 00:34 It was a little bit yellow so he named him Sweet Corn. 00:38 We had a large yard, so there was plenty of room for the lamb, 00:41 but we kept him tethered on a long line, 00:43 at least as I remember it. 00:45 From time to time we'd let him off to wander and roam. 00:48 Sweet Corn loved seeing us. 00:50 He'd come to greet us, 00:51 typically because he thought we had food for him. 00:54 Sweet Corn grew, as lambs grow, and one day I came home from 00:57 school and noticed the lamb was gone. 01:02 As soon as Dad came home from work 01:03 I asked him about Sweet Corn. 01:05 Now, Dad explained that Sweet Corn 01:06 was getting a little too big, so Sweet Corn needed to go. 01:09 A farmer was looking after him. 01:11 Everything had been taken care of and I thought, 01:13 okay, well, fair enough. 01:15 He was getting big. 01:17 We missed Sweet Corn, but it's not like he was a cat or a dog, 01:20 so we got over it before too long. 01:22 And, and then one day, 01:25 I'm helping my mother getting something out of 01:27 the chest freezer and I noticed, 01:31 I noticed all this meat in the freezer. 01:35 I asked my mother, “Mum, where did all the meat come from?” 01:39 And the look in her eyes said it all. 01:43 She didn't even need to answer. 01:44 I said, “Sweet Corn?” 01:48 Sweet Corn, it seems hadn't really left after all. 01:51 At least, he did leave for a while, 01:53 but then he came back in a rather different form. 01:57 And that's the grim reality, really, 01:59 for most farm animals or farm-type animals. 02:01 They're raised to be slaughtered, ultimately. 02:04 And one, you can choose to debate the morality of that or 02:06 the health implications of that, 02:07 that's not where I'm going right now. 02:10 Instead, we are continuing with our series, 02:12 “Great Chapters of the Bible” 02:15 and we're looking at a chapter that deals with sheep, 02:17 or, more specifically, it deals with a shepherd. 02:19 ♪(Music)♪ 02:21 It's Psalm 23 where God is described as being a Shepherd 02:26 who has much different plans for His sheep 02:29 than my father had for Sweet Corn. 02:32 God wants the best for us and Psalm 23 makes that clear. 02:37 It's one of the most well-known passages of the Bible, 02:40 often recited or read at funerals. 02:42 It's just a short Psalm, only six verses, 02:44 and it's easy to miss the power and the depth it contains. 02:48 So, let's look together at Psalm 23, 02:51 and then we'll go back through it 02:52 and see what we can learn from it in our time together. 02:55 Psalm 23, starting in verse 1. 02:57 The Bible says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; 03:00 I shall not want. 03:01 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; 03:05 He leads me beside the still waters. 03:07 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness 03:12 for His name's sake. 03:13 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 03:16 I will fear no evil; for You are with me; 03:20 Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 03:23 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 03:26 You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. 03:32 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my 03:35 life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 03:42 The 23rd Psalm was written by David. 03:44 It might just be the most well-known 03:46 and well-loved of all of the 150 Psalms. 03:49 You could say it's divided into three parts. 03:51 It deals with God's provision and loving kindness, 03:54 the protection God gives, and then it presents God 03:57 as a gracious Host showering blessings on His people. 04:02 Notice with me how the Psalm starts. 04:04 In fact, if all you had was verse 1, 04:07 you'd have just about all you need for anything. 04:11 It says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” 04:16 Now think about that with me. 04:18 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” 04:23 Who is my shepherd? 04:25 The Lord. 04:25 The Lord is what? 04:27 The Lord is my Shepherd. 04:28 And, therefore, what? 04:30 I shall not want. 04:33 It's interesting that this Psalm is written by a shepherd. 04:35 Or at least someone who was a former shepherd. 04:38 A shepherd, just so we can be clear, 04:40 is a sheep herder, a guardian, a protector, 04:44 a guide of sheep. 04:46 Sheep were important to the owner of the sheep 04:48 and so the shepherd was tasked with protecting them. 04:51 Not only that, the shepherd had to find food for the sheep, 04:54 something that wasn't always easy in Israel. 04:57 Israel is dry, rocky, brown for the most part. 05:02 It's not an easy place to raise and provide for sheep. 05:05 It's difficult to find good supplies of food. 05:08 The shepherd's job was important. 05:11 Without the shepherd, the sheep would perish. 05:14 They'd be at the mercy of predators. 05:17 Sheep aren't equipped to fight back. 05:19 They can be taken by dogs or by coyotes. 05:21 Little lambs can be picked up by large birds. 05:24 And back in David's time there were bears and lions 05:27 that would harm the flock. 05:28 No shepherd meant no sheep, or dead sheep before very long. 05:33 Sheep are vulnerable creatures. 05:36 They don't run fast. 05:37 They don't have sharp teeth or claws. 05:39 Rams may have horns, 05:41 but that just raises another point about sheep. 05:44 They can be really hardheaded. 05:46 The role of the shepherd was absolutely vital 05:48 to the survival of the sheep, 05:50 especially in an area where the sheep weren't behind fences. 05:53 Usually they roamed in search of food. 05:56 The land wasn't fenced off when David wrote this, 06:00 and David understood all of this when he wrote the 23rd Psalm. 06:04 Verse 1 again. 06:05 “The Lord is my shepherd.” 06:07 Now, let's leave it there for now. 06:09 Who is the shepherd? 06:11 It's important to understand that David wrote 06:13 that Yahweh was his Shepherd. 06:16 “Yahweh is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” 06:20 In the Bible there are many names for God used. 06:22 Genesis 1, verse 1, 06:24 “In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.” 06:27 Psalm 91, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 06:31 shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty,” 06:32 which is El Shaddai, God Almighty. 06:36 Genesis 22:14, Abraham called the name of that place 06:40 Jehovah Jireh, the Lord with provide. 06:43 Exodus 17:15, “And Moses built an altar 06:47 and called the name of it, 06:48 Jehovah Nissi, The-Lord-is-my-Banner.” 06:52 But Psalm 23 starts by saying, “Yahweh is my Shepherd.” 06:56 The Self-Existent One. 06:59 The Eternal God. 07:01 The Supreme God. 07:02 He is the Great I Am. 07:04 So David is saying, 07:05 the Self-Existent God is my Shepherd. 07:10 How do you think that knowledge encouraged David? 07:13 David the shepherd boy goes into battle against Goliath 07:15 and he goes confident. 07:17 He offers to fight against Goliath 07:19 and the king says in First Samuel 17:33, 07:22 “You are not able to go against this Philistine 07:25 to fight with him; for you are a youth 07:27 and he a man of war from his youth.” 07:30 But David recites his experience as a shepherd. 07:33 He explains he defended the sheep against lions and bears, 07:36 killing those fierce predators. 07:39 He knew God was with him then, 07:42 and that God would be with him now, 07:44 because David's God was a big God. 07:47 He even says, it was Yahweh that delivered me 07:50 out of the hand of the lion and the bear, 07:52 and that same Yahweh will give me victory over this Philistine. 07:57 Now King Saul offers David Saul's own armor, 08:00 but David chooses to go into battle with just a sling 08:03 and five stones, one stone for Goliath 08:07 and four extra stones for whoever came at David next. 08:10 He wasn't expecting the Philistines to flee, after all. 08:13 He said to Goliath, 08:15 “This day Yahweh will deliver you into my hand,” 08:18 and that's what happened. 08:19 David wrote Psalm 23 knowing his God was a big God, 08:23 the Self-Existent God who cannot be limited, 08:26 whose power is without measure. 08:29 David's God was big. 08:31 He says, “I have a Shepherd, I have someone watching over me, 08:36 caring for me, and that Shepherd is the God of the universe.” 08:41 So, let me ask you. 08:42 How big is your God? 08:45 Big enough to help with small things, 08:47 but not big enough to trust with big things? 08:50 Big enough to forgive, 08:51 but not big enough to transform and to change? 08:54 Big enough to work for others, 08:55 but not big enough to work for you? 08:58 This famous Psalm reminds us that God is God. 09:03 There is no limit to His power or to His mercy or to His love. 09:07 David says, “Yahweh is my Shepherd.” 09:10 So? 09:11 ♪(Music)♪ 09:12 Well, what did that mean to David. 09:14 We'll look at that in just a moment. 09:16 ♪(Music increases and ends)♪ 09:25 ♪(Music)♪ 09:27 >>Man: The pursuit of wealth has been the ruin of many people. 09:29 God promises to bless His people financially, 09:32 but often God's blessings can turn into a curse. 09:35 Get your free copy of “God Will Provide” 09:37 and learn the recipe to financial success. 09:40 Call 800-253-3000, 800-253-3000. 09:46 You can write to the address on your screen 09:48 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 09:52 Get “God Will Provide,” iiwoffer.com. 09:56 ♪(Music)♪ 10:01 >>Man: What does the Bible say about astrology? 10:08 >>Man: Why do bad things happen to good people? 10:16 >>Child: What color is Jesus? 10:19 >>John Bradshaw: If you have a question, 10:20 we'd love to find an answer for you from the Bible. 10:22 Line Upon Line from “It Is Written” TV. 10:26 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written 10:28 as we look at Psalm 23 in our ongoing series, 10:32 “Great Chapters of the Bible.” 10:34 These are famous words, powerful words. 10:38 The Psalm starts with David saying, 10:41 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” 10:44 David says the Self-Existent Eternal God is my Shepherd, 10:49 my Protector, my Guide, my Provider. 10:53 Knowing God is all that to me, David says, 10:57 “I shall not want.” I have all I need. 11:01 I have no lack. 11:02 And you've got to notice how David phrased this. 11:05 He didn't say, I have most of what I need,” nor did he say, 11:08 “I shall not want much.” 11:10 He said, “I shall not want.” I shall not be wanting. 11:14 This is complete, total, utter trust. 11:18 In fact, this is expectation because God is my Shepherd, 11:24 He will provide everything I need and I can anticipate 11:28 that that will be so. 11:29 So, does the Bible bear that out in other places? 11:32 Well, yes it does. 11:33 Paul wrote to the Philippians that, 11:35 “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches 11:40 and glory by Christ Jesus.” 11:42 In Psalm 81, verse 10, God says, “I am the Lord your God, 11:47 who brought you out of the land of Egypt; 11:50 open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” 11:54 Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, 11:56 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 11:59 and all these things shall be added to you.” 12:04 “I shall not want.” 12:05 Now, you don't want to take this to mean 12:06 that God is going to give you everything you want. 12:09 It doesn't mean you won't have to endure the occasional 12:11 hardship or maybe even the frequent hardship. 12:14 It doesn't mean you won't have lean times 12:16 or struggle to pay the bills at times. 12:18 That can happen. 12:20 Especially if we don't follow sound practices 12:22 or follow God's leading. 12:24 But what a statement! 12:26 David's encouraging us to go through life 12:28 trusting that God will provide, that we won't lack. 12:31 That's big trust. 12:33 It's like the child who jumps into his or her father's arms 12:36 and just knows, “Daddy will catch me.” 12:38 Are you trusting God like that? 12:41 You can. 12:41 In fact, you should. 12:43 David's trying to get through to us that God is God. 12:46 He created this massive universe. 12:49 He designed intricate patterns in nature, in plants. 12:52 Instead of ♪(Music begins)♪ creating just one flower, 12:54 or two or three, 12:55 He created what seems like an endless variety 12:58 of beautiful flowers for the purpose 13:00 of impressing upon us that He is good and great. 13:04 He created animals, short and squat animals, 13:08 really big animals, really small animals. 13:11 Animals with long necks or long hair. 13:14 He created cute animals and not so cute animals. 13:18 Some He created were really just kind of funny looking. 13:22 He's God and He loves you and He wants the very best for you. 13:28 Now let's look together in Psalm 23 and verse 2. 13:32 “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; 13:35 He leads me beside the still waters.” 13:37 You know, in Israel, especially then, 13:40 not a lot of green pastures. 13:43 The Israeli shepherd has to keep his or her flock of sheep 13:46 or goats on the move to find whatever grass or plant life 13:50 can possibly be found. 13:52 Now it's true when you look at one of those arid hillsides, 13:54 there's often more there than meets the eye. 13:56 There'll be little sprigs of grass here or there 13:59 that the sheep can find. 14:00 But don't get sidetracked from the main point. 14:02 In Psalm 23, David says, 14:04 “God makes me to lie down in green pastures.” 14:09 I'm sure when David wrote this he thought of the many times 14:11 he struggled and labored to find good grass 14:14 for the sheep in his care. 14:15 Not God though. 14:16 He doesn't turn us out into a rocky, 14:18 arid field and then worry that He'll has enough to sustain us. 14:22 God makes us to lie down in pastures of new, fresh grass. 14:26 What do sheep need? 14:28 Food, grass, or something very much like it. 14:30 David says, “God gives me that.” 14:33 And further, “He leads me beside the still waters.” 14:37 I mentioned that I was raised around sheep, sort of, 14:40 and we had sheep at times. 14:42 I was also raised beside a river. 14:44 And from time to time we would see dead sheep 14:47 floating down the river, 14:48 being carried along by the current. 14:51 A shaggy sheep doesn't want to get close to fast flowing water. 14:55 One wrong move and that sheep gets wet 14:58 and waterlogged and carried away to its death. 15:02 What God does is lead His sheep beside still waters. 15:06 He refreshes us in a place of safety. 15:09 And notice, David's view of God is that God provides for us, 15:13 looks after our wellbeing, 15:14 and has the best in mind for you and me. 15:17 Now let's look in Psalm 23, verse 3. 15:21 “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths 15:24 of righteousness for His name's sake.” 15:26 In other words, He restores me. 15:28 That word soul is “nephesh” in the Hebrew. 15:31 He restores me, my life, myself. 15:33 That's what God does. 15:35 You know, the whole plan of salvation is about restoration. 15:38 We were created in the image of God, 15:39 but sin intervened and ruined that. 15:43 Now God is restoring us. 15:44 Big picture, restoring us to Himself. 15:46 Smaller picture, He restores us daily. 15:49 As Paul wrote in Second Corinthians, 15:51 Chapter 4, “Though our outward man perish, 15:54 yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 15:58 And He restores us why? 16:01 Let's find out. 16:02 “He leads me in the paths of righteousness 16:06 for His name's sake.” 16:08 Just as a shepherd leads the sheep, 16:10 God leads us in paths of righteousness. 16:14 And notice why. 16:16 So that He, so that God, can be glorified. 16:20 Jesus taught a parable showing us the extent 16:23 to which God is willing to go in order to do that. 16:26 He spoke of a shepherd who had a 100 sheep. 16:28 One of them became lost. 16:30 What did the good shepherd do? 16:32 He left the 99 and ventured out into the wilderness 16:37 to rescue the one lost sheep. 16:39 When he found it, he rejoiced. 16:41 He carried it home on his shoulders. 16:44 Which tells you how God feels when someone lost is found. 16:48 Now, I want you to think about this. 16:51 The parable is not about a lost alpaca. 16:55 It's not about a lost cow or a lost horse. 16:58 It's about a lost sheep. 17:00 You know, you can pay millions 17:02 and millions of dollars for a horse. 17:04 Thousands and thousands for a cow. 17:07 Sheep, on the other hand, they're relatively inexpensive. 17:10 Oh, for sure they're valuable to the subsistence farmer 17:13 eking out a living in a barren tract of the Middle East. 17:16 But at the end of the day, they're sheep. 17:20 A farmer with a lost sheep could easily decide 17:22 that going after one simply isn't worth it. 17:26 And you'd understand that. 17:28 But there's something about the shepherd. 17:30 He cares for the sheep. 17:31 They are valuable to him. 17:34 They are more than just animals. 17:36 And there's something about the Good Shepherd. 17:38 Even if there are billions and billions of people 17:40 on this planet, God loves every one. 17:44 What are we worth, really? 17:45 David asked in Psalm 8, verse 4, 17:49 “What is man that You are mindful of him, 17:52 and the son of man that You visit him?” 17:55 Human life is pretty lightly regarded in many places, 17:58 but God considers you so valuable that the Good Shepherd 18:04 left heaven to come and search for you. 18:08 I sure hope you let Him find you. 18:10 In a moment, ♪(Music)♪ 18:12 we'll go walking in the valley of the shadow of death. 18:15 I'll be right back. 18:15 ♪(Music swells and stops)♪ 18:25 ♪(Music)♪ 18:26 >>Man: The pursuit of wealth has been the ruin of many people. 18:29 God promises to bless His people financially, 18:31 but often God's blessings can turn into a curse. 18:35 Get your free copy of “God Will Provide” 18:37 and learn the recipe to financial success. 18:40 Call 800-253-3000, 800-253-3000. 18:45 You can write to the address on your screen 18:47 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 18:51 Get “God Will Provide,” iiwoffer.com. 18:55 >>John Bradshaw: He's been called the Father 18:57 of the Faithful even though his life didn't always 19:00 give evidence of great faith. 19:02 The Bible says that Abraham was strong in faith. 19:07 Join me on location in Israel for 19:10 “Man of Faith.” 19:12 You'll discover lessons on faith 19:15 and discover how you can be a person of real faith 19:18 in the God of heaven. 19:20 What is faith? 19:21 The Bible says, 19:23 “Without faith it is impossible to please God” 19:25 and God's people in earth's last days are described 19:29 as having faith, the faith of Jesus. 19:32 “Man of Faith,” 19:34 Abraham, a flawed man, 19:36 a faulty man, 19:38 a man prone to make mistakes. 19:41 Abraham, the Father of the Faithful. 19:45 Learn how you can have faith, real faith. 19:47 Grow your faith. 19:49 Don't miss, “Man of Faith” 19:51 on It Is Written TV. 19:53 ♪(Music ends)♪ 19:56 >>John Bradshaw: Psalm 23 is one of the most loved 19:58 and most well-known chapters of the Bible. 20:00 “The Lord is my Shepherd,” 20:02 it starts and then it offers hope and assurance 20:04 and an insight into the loving character of God. 20:07 Verse 4 says, 20:09 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 20:12 I will fear no evil; 20:14 for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, 20:18 they comfort me.” 20:20 Undoubtedly there were some dangerous places 20:22 out in the wilderness as the shepherd cared 20:24 for the welfare of His sheep. 20:26 This world is full of dangerous places. 20:29 Some people walk in the valley of the shadow of death 20:31 when an accident threatens to take their life. 20:34 The ICU can be that kind of valley. 20:36 The emergency room. 20:37 Some people walk in dark valleys when relationships come apart, 20:41 when divorce comes from out of nowhere. 20:44 Grief or financial loss, or job loss, or disability. 20:47 These can be dark valleys. 20:50 David himself went through numerous dark valleys. 20:52 After killing Goliath, David was hunted by King Saul. 20:56 He lived as a fugitive. 20:58 His sin brought catastrophic consequences. 21:01 There was dysfunction in his family. 21:03 The rebellion of his son. 21:04 The death of his son. 21:07 But was God with him? 21:09 Yes, He was. 21:10 And you can know that God is with you in your dark valleys. 21:15 God says in Scripture, 21:16 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 21:19 And that's the truth. 21:22 Trust less in what you can see 21:24 and accept by faith that God is with you. 21:27 He is. 21:28 Even right now in the midst of your challenges. 21:31 David adds that God's rod and staff comfort him. 21:36 The shepherd's rod was used to protect the sheep. 21:38 You can understand why David 21:39 would speak of this as a comfort. 21:41 While the rod was more like a club, 21:43 the staff is that long, 21:44 slender stick with a crook or a hook on one end. 21:48 The shepherd might lean on it. 21:49 He might use it to reach out to lambs or sheep, 21:52 move them one way or the other, or draw them back to himself. 21:56 These were tools of the shepherd's trade 21:59 that were used for the care and the nurture of the flock. 22:03 And it's here that David shifts his emphasis a little. 22:06 He says in verse 5, 22:08 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 22:13 You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.” 22:17 He's speaking of the great God who lavishes His blessings 22:21 upon the sheep of His flock. 22:22 God provides. 22:24 He cares and He cares for. 22:27 Clearly, the plans of David's enemies come to nothing here. 22:30 They cannot prevent God from blessing David so richly 22:34 that David says, “My cup runs over.” 22:38 It reminds me of the promise in Malachi 22:40 that God makes to those who tithe. 22:42 Where He says that He'll bless people so much 22:45 that there won't be room enough to receive the blessing. 22:48 Now, we've got to be careful here because God's not simply 22:50 talking about financial or material blessings. 22:53 In fact, the next verse might help us to see 22:57 just what God is majoring in here. 23:00 Look at it with me. 23:02 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 23:05 all the days of my life; 23:07 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 23:11 Now here's the blessing. 23:13 Trust in God, resting in God's care 23:16 brings goodness and mercy flooding into your life. 23:19 Now it does not mean we'll avoid all trouble or care. 23:22 It does mean that even in the midst of challenges, 23:25 we can enjoy God's goodness and mercy. 23:28 In John, Chapter 10, Jesus picked up this thing from 23:30 Psalm 23 and He elaborated on it. 23:33 Jesus spoke of the sheepfold, 23:36 which in Bible times might have been an enclosure 23:39 with rock walls around it, 23:40 or it, it might have been something more like a cave, 23:44 or an enclosure made from sticks and thorns. 23:47 Often, instead of an actual door, 23:49 there would be simply an opening 23:52 and the shepherd would sleep in that opening. 23:55 He'd literally be the doorway to the sheep. 23:58 And so we read in John 10 and verse 7 where Jesus said, 24:04 “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” 24:09 And then in verses 9 and 10, 24:11 “I am the door. 24:12 If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, 24:16 and will go in and out and find pasture. 24:19 The thief does not come except to steal, 24:22 and to kill, and to destroy. 24:25 I have come that they may have life, 24:28 and that they may have it more abundantly.” 24:31 That's why Jesus came to the world, to give life. 24:34 Jesus says, “My kingdom is built on love and grace, 24:37 and I'll give you everlasting life completely free 24:40 if you'll just take it.” 24:42 It's that easy. 24:42 Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd. 24:45 The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” 24:48 That's exactly what Jesus did. 24:49 He gave His life for the sheep, for me and you. 24:53 And in verse 16 of John, Chapter 10, 24:56 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; 24:58 them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, 25:02 and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” 25:05 ♪(Music)♪ 25:07 >>John: Jesus is calling to you to trust in Him implicitly. 25:12 To allow Him to lead you beside green pastures and still waters, 25:17 to be restored, and to follow Him in paths of righteousness. 25:21 To not fear, even when things look ominous. 25:25 To enjoy the blessings He offers 25:26 because He wants the very best for you. 25:29 Isaiah wrote that we all, like sheep, 25:31 have gone astray. 25:33 What gets us back on course? 25:35 The love and the leading of God, 25:38 who will make it so that your cup runs over. 25:43 And what's the final result? 25:44 Well, David said, 25:45 “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 25:50 And that's God's plan for you. 25:52 People are like sheep. 25:54 We're followers. 25:55 If you'll make a decision today to follow the Good Shepherd, 25:59 then you can look forward to eternal life 26:01 with hope and certainty. 26:06 >>John Bradshaw: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:08 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:11 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:14 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:18 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:20 to the address on your screen 26:21 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:25 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:28 Our number again is 800-253-3000 26:32 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:36 >>John Bradshaw: Let me pray with you now. 26:38 ♪(Music)♪ 26:38 Our Father in heaven, 26:39 we thank you that we can say with David, 26:41 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” 26:45 Would you give us grace to remember just who You truly are, 26:50 and where we stand in relationship to You 26:52 through Jesus? 26:54 We thank You that You would restore our souls and lead us. 26:57 We thank You that You prepare a table for us 26:59 in the presence of our enemies. 27:01 We thank You that we can say our cup runs over. 27:05 And we are grateful that we can know 27:07 that through faith in Jesus, 27:09 we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 27:12 How is it in your heart, friend? 27:14 Is the God of heaven your Shepherd? 27:17 Is Jesus your leader, your defender, 27:19 the door for you? 27:22 If you've not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, 27:24 would you do it now? 27:26 If you need to recommit your life to Jesus, 27:28 if the fire is burning dim, would you do that now? 27:34 We thank You that there is a Good Shepherd 27:37 and that we can say of Him, He is my Shepherd. 27:42 Let it be so we pray in Jesus' name. 27:46 Amen. 27:46 ♪(Music changes)♪ 27:47 >>John: Thanks so much for joining me. 27:49 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:51 Until then, remember, 27:52 it is written, 27:55 "Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:57 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 28:01 ♪(Music swells and then changes)♪ |
Revised 2019-10-16