Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

La vie de Sara, la femme d'Abraham.Radio Climat, la radio de notre climatRadio Climat, la radio de notre climat

Discover how believers can confidently pray to receive God's promises like salvation, healing, and wisdom. This insightful session will empower you to receive our spiritual blessings in Christ through faith. Learn to pray the Prayer of Faith, believing you receive spiritual blessing when you pray (Mark 11:24), confident (1) it’s God’s will and (2) He gives it to us immediately on request (1John 5:14-15).

Join Pastor Derek Walker of the Oxford Bible Church in this enlightening sermon as he explores the profound significance of receiving Jesus as the King of Glory. Delve into scriptures such as Psalm 24 and Zechariah 9:9 to understand the importance of opening the gates of our hearts to welcome the Divine Presence. We must open the gates of our heart to welcome the King of Glory. Discover how the humble triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem symbolises our choice to accept Him as Lord and Saviour, resulting in the transformation of our lives with His glory and salvation. The Triumphal Entry shows how Jesus comes to us, offering Himself as our Lord and Saviour, and how we should respond. Embrace the message of salvation and divine rule through praise, worship, and submission. Derek also explains the prophetic meaning of Jesus riding on both a Donkey and a Colt.

Spirit Airlines Collapse: What Happens When Low Prices Meet High Costs

Podcast de música portuguesa realizado por Octávio Fonseca e Pedro Ramajal.

Podcast del 29/03/2026Ecco gli articoli di oggi:📌 L’ombra lunga di Soros e le vittime del sistema: il caos americano arriva a Roma📌 Analisi sul rischio di un intervento militare statunitense a Cuba nel 2026📌 Lo splendore di Costantinopoli: un viaggio nel tempo tra opulenza, cosmopolitismo e fortificazioni inespugnabili nel medioevo📌 Quando l'america era grande: un'analisi storica e urbana dello sviluppo di los angeles (1781-2026)📌 Cnosso: il cuore ricostruito della civiltà minoica e la nascita dell'archeologia moderna📌 Montepulciano: urbanistica medievale e controllo agrario del territorio📌 Base44: la nuova frontiera dello sviluppo mobile e il vibe coding📌 Parco Natura Viva: tutela della biodiversità e conservazione nel 2026📌 La convergenza di CPU, GPU, TPU e QPU: l'orchestrazione del 2026📌 Neuromorphic computing: i chip che replicano l'efficienza sinaptica

L'Infopòdcast és una càpsula de tres minuts per conèixer tota l'actualitat de la ciutat de Lleida. També hi trobaràs l'agenda del dia i informacions de servei de la capital del Segrià. Espai coproduït amb La Xarxa.

UA1 LLEIDA RÀDIO aposta clarament per la informació de la demarcació de Lleida. Per això comptem amb 6 informatius propis al dia, com és el cas de l’Informatiu Migdia i L'Informatiu Vespre. A més d’aquest espai hi ha informatius dins d’altres programes a les 6, 7 i 8 hores. L’actualitat, però segueix la resta d’hores en punt amb els butlletins horaris amb la darrera hora.També emetem diàriament dos informatius nacionals. Es tracta del NEX (Notícies En Xarxa) i surt en antena a les 14.30 i 19.00. Tots aquests espais recullen tots els àmbits temàtics de casa nostra i també el més destacat de l’àmbit nacional, estatal o internacional.

Podcast de música portuguesa realizado por Octávio Fonseca e Pedro Ramajal.

Derek Walker delves into the profound topic of the beauty of holiness. The Beauty of the Lord is His Holiness - the sum and perfection of His moral attributes. When we trust in God and surrender to Him, He imparts His holiness to us through His Holy Spirit. Explore the connection between holiness and intimacy with God, and understand how true holiness is a divine transformation led by the Holy Spirit. Discover the significance of being set apart for God, the role of sanctification, and the spiritual journey towards righteousness. This message offers deep insights into the nature of God's holiness and the essence of a holy life.

Kilka dni temu Polskę obiegła informacja z Młynisk na Lubelszczyźnie, gdzie 60-latek zginął zastrzelony przez myśliwego, który - jak twierdził - "pomylił mężczyznę z dzikiem". Myśliwy Sławomir A. usłyszał zarzut zabójstwa. Prokuratura uznała, że "działał w zamiarze ewentualnym pozbawienia życia". Głośno było ostatnio także po słowach Marcina Możdżonka, w których Prezes Naczelnej Rady Łowieckiej Polskiego Związku Łowieckiego i działacz Nowej Nadziei - sprzeciwił się obowiązkowym badaniom lekarskim i psychologicznym dla myśliwych, proponując zamiast tego okresowe testy praktyczne. Przywrócenia pełnych badań domagają się ekolodzy. W studio TOK FM odnosi się do tych zdarzeń Piotr Gawlicki – redaktor naczelny dziennika i portalu "Łowiecki," członek Polskiego Związku Łowieckiego z Koła Łowieckiego Cietrzew w Gdańsku.

W najnowszym odcinku Poranka TOK FM przyglądamy się powyborczej scenie politycznej. Po zwycięstwie Karola Nawrockiego opada kurz kampanii, a rządząca koalicja musi odpowiedzieć na pytania o swoją przyszłość. Politolożki Maria Wincławska z Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika i Anna Wojciuk z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego krytycznie oceniają styl działania rządu: brak spójnej komunikacji, nadmiar stanowisk i utracony polityczny impet. Ich zdaniem koalicja wciąż ma szansę, ale czas na odważne decyzje kadrowe i polityczne się kończy. Jeśli nic się nie zmieni, w 2027 roku możemy zobaczyć rząd PiS z Konfederacją.

Derek shares 2 Keys to Victory: (1) Come to God in humility to receive His grace. (2) Once you know His will, do it with all your heart. Persist and refuse to quit, as illustrated in 2 Kings 13:14-25.

Our eternal destiny (Heaven or Hell) depends on whether we love the Truth of God (we are created by God, accountable to Him), or the Lie of Satan, that we are our own gods, the product of evolution.

We look at a number of apparent theological paradoxes that are resolved in the same way, according to the principle that: “the entirety of Your WORD is TRUTH” (Ps 119:160). In each case, there are a set of Scriptures that emphasise one truth and another set of Scriptures that emphasise a different truth, but it can seem hard to see how to hold both truths together as they don’t seem to fit. Some examples are: (1) the Prophecies of the Sufferings and Glory of Christ (Luke 24:25), (2) the Goodness and Severity of God, (3) God’s Sovereignty and man’s free-will, (4) the fact that Christ is both God and man (the hypostatic union), (5) the Tri-unity of God, and (6) how we can be forgiven in Christ (as far as our relationship is concerned), and yet still need forgiveness (as far as our fellowship with God is concerned). In each of these cases, people can easily go into a ditch on either side of the road of truth by choosing the set of Scriptures they like, and then ignoring or explaining away the Scriptures on the other side. The answer is found in realising that both sets of Scriptures are fully true, because there are 2 distinct (but related) realms of truth (if you can try to reconcile the 2 truths by mixing them together, you end up compromising and destroying them both - for example, by saying Christ is a semi-god and a semi-man, whereas the truth is that He is fully God and fully man). On the basis that all Scripture is true, we should embrace both revelations of truth, then seek God for a deeper understanding of how both sides can be fully true. When we do this, we will be rewarded with a fuller revelation of God’s truth.

When we are feeling empty or spiritually depressed, or when circumstances make us aware of our weakness, that is a great opportunity to grow in God by turning to Him and asking Him to fill our void. We must be thirsty for God before we drink of His living water (Isa 55:1, John 7:37, Rev 21:6, 22:17). When our soul is full of worldly things we have no room for God, but “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (God’s Word and Spirit) Presence, for they shall be filled (with God’s Presence)” (Matt 5:6). In Psalm 42 the psalmist is depressed and thirsty for the living God (v1-2), so He turns to God to fill him. Inspired by the local scenery, where the river Jordan flows out from Mount Hermon at Banias and tumbles down in waterfalls, he focuses on God, seeing these waters as a picture of God’s river of life (v6), and then cries out from the depth of his heart (need) to the depths of God to fill him: “Deep calls unto deep at the noise (sound) of Your waterfalls (of grace)” (v7a). Through His Word, we hear the sound of His river of life flowing to us, and respond by calling out to Him to fill us. As a result: “all Your waves and billows (of love, peace and joy) have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime” (v7b-8). The Oil Miracle (2Kings 1-7), when God filled all the empty vessels that were presented to Him with His Oil (representing the Holy Spirit) reveals that He is willing to fill all the empty parts of our soul with His Spirit, if we turn to Him, present them to Him, and ask Him to fill us. The Oil only stopped flowing when there were no longer any empty vessels to fill. So our empty voids (our awareness of our weakness and need) are a great opportunity to turn to god and be filled.

Do startu mistrovství světa žen v Českých Budějovicích zbývá už jen pár dnů, ve středu 9. dubna vypukne na jihu Čech akce, která mnohé překvapí akčností a obrovským diváckým zájmem. Zdejší ženský hokej je na obrovském vzestupu, sbírá světové medaile v áčkové kategorii i mezi juniorkami, na čemž má nemalou zásluhu Tereza Sadilová, generální manažerka národního týmu a číslo jedna českého ženského hokeje, s manažerskou minulostí u Hockey Canada. Speciální díl s partnerstvím Plzeňského Prazdroje otevřeně rozebírá veškerá specifika ženského odvětví národního sportu, řeší se neocenitelný přínos kanadské trenéry Carly MacLoadové pro celkový rozvoj hokeje u nás, nevyhýbá se ani tématům jako je těhotenství a podobně. Na přetřes přijde i otázka povolení agresivnějšího způsobu boje v ženském hokeji. Česko je jednoznačně pro. „Pro holky je to naprosto přirozené a lidi to chtějí taky,“ říká Tereza Sadilová. Zimák se vrací i k nedávnému působení kouče Tomáše Paciny, jehož angažmá u ženského nároďáku vyznělo zvláštně a do ztracena. Klíčovým tématem je i financování ženského hokeje nebo otázka reprezentačních smluv hráček s Českým hokejem.

Ps 27 continues with David concluding his confident declaration of faith (v1-6), saying: “And now my head shall be lifted up (in honour) above my enemies all around me” (v6a). God will exalt him to be king (v5). If we exalt Him in worship, He’ll exalt us. Time in worship gives us confidence in God's protection & hope for the future. He sees beyond the present to God’s victory, when he’ll praise God with His people, thanking Him for manifested victory: “Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (v6b). God gave him victory over the immediate threat (v1-6), but he had to endure a hardness for 8 years, in constant danger & need for His help, so now he moves to humble entreaty for ongoing favour & deliverance (v7-12). Knowing himself as weak & sinful, dependent on God, he doesn’t presume on His blessing, but urgently asks for continuing mercy & grace. v7: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also on me, and answer me” (v7). Due to the wait time between promise & fulfilment, he battles negative thoughts of fear & condemnation. But as a worshipper (v4-6), rather than giving into fears, he gives them to God in prayer (v7-12) & comes into assurance (v13). “When You said: “SEEK My FACE (Presence)!” My HEART said to You: “Your FACE (Presence), Lord, I WILL SEEK” (v8). He reminds God, He initiated this relationship by inviting him to seek Him. This is God’s command to all, for the first ‘seek’ is plural. He graciously invites all to seek & find Him, to know Him personally. True prayer is our response to His gracious initiative. He reminds God he did respond by setting his will (heart) to seek & know Him. So, he was sure he’d find Him, for God reveals Himself & blesses all who seek Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7). Those who don’t find God have not set their heart to seek to know Him. Saying: “I WILL seek” shows intentionality. He was a man (who sought) after God’s heart (v4, 1Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22). We need to pay attention to God, if we want Him to pay attention to us (hear our prayers). He realises he’s not perfect & deserves condemnation, so has to deal with negative accusing thoughts, which he does in prayer: “Do not hide Your FACE from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger” (v9a). When His face shines on us, He’s gracious toward us, but if He hides His face, He’s displeased, and we need to confess our sin & turn back to Him. “You have been my help (in the past, so); do not leave (abandon) me (now) nor forsake me (in my time of need), O God of my salvation” (v9b). In his weakness, he abandons himself to God, expressing total dependence on Him. This is how to handle inner fears - bring them to God. When you sin don’t run from God, but to God. He’s the God of your salvation. Despite our failings, if we seek Him (v8), He’ll not hide His face from us (v9). He knew God as His Saviour (v9) & perfect Parent: “When (even if) my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me (receive, gather me up as a father lifts up his son & provides for him)” (v10). Even if our strongest relationships fail, God will not forsake us. He has that assurance, for God is what every parent should be (merciful, faithful, loving & forgiving). Having spent face to face time with God, he now prays for guidance, to walk in His will: “(1) TEACH me Your WAY, O Lord, and (2) LEAD me in a smooth (straight, level) path, because of my enemies (lit: watchful foes, looking for him to go wrong & take advantage)” (v11). (1) We need to know the WAY and (2) be LED step by step in it. “Do not deliver me to the will (desire) of my adversaries (v3, including demons); for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out (threats & acts of) violence.” Having faced his inner fears, he prayed through into the light of assurance: “I would have lost heart, UNLESS I had (firmly) BELIEVED that I would SEE (look steadfastly on, as in v4) the (manifest) goodness (promised provision) of the Lord in the land of the living (in this life)” (v13). Thus, it finishes as it starts with confidence God’s plan will come to pass (he’ll be king). If we look on the Lord in worship (v4) & wait on Him in faith (v14), His glory will change us and bring God’s will to pass in our life. v14: “WAIT (in FAITH) on (set your HOPE on) the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. WAIT, I say, on the Lord!” WAIT is repeated for emphasis. He speaks to himself, then us. YLT: “LOOK to Jehovah, be STRONG, and He will STRENGTHEN your HEART, yea, LOOK to Jehovah!” When God promises, its time of fulfilment is in His hands. Sometimes there’s a delay, as with David. The danger is to lose heart. So, in this time, we must stand strong in faith, believing He’ll bring it to pass. Wait patiently & expectantly in faith for Him, looking to Him for directions. Then His Spirit strengthens, encourages, enlightens our heart & empowers us to obey (v14).

We are commanded to put on the whole Armour of God in order to stand our ground in the victory of Christ (Ephesians 6:13). Then Paul describes 6 pieces of Armour in v14-17: (1) the Belt of Truth, (2) the Breastplate of Righteousness, (3) the Gospel Shoes, (4) the Shield of the Faith, (5) the Helmet of Salvation, and (6) the Sword of the Spirit. Then v18 describes a 7th item of our Armour – the Lances of Prayer: “praying always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” Standing firm in our defensive Armour means that we are ready to launch our offensive long-range weapons – the Lances of Prayer. First, we study the Lance of Praise, which binds and silences the enemy (Psalm 8:1-2, Matthew 21:16, Psalm 149:6-9). Secondly, we study the Lance of the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving - thanking God in advance for the fulfilment of His promises and the manifested victory, based on His revealed character (faithfulness). This should be our lifestyle (Hebrews 12:15), and it prepares the way for God to show (manifest) His salvation (Psalm 50:23). Derek then illustrates the place and power of this Sacrifice in (1) the Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:11,23), (2) Jonah's deliverance from the great fish (Jonah 2:9-10), (3) Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:23-34), and (4) God fighting for Israel in the time of Jehoshaphat (2Chronicles 20). Finally, we study the Lance of the Prayer of Binding and Loosing in the Name of Jesus, where we use the Keys of the Kingdom to enforce Christ’s finished work and completed victory on earth (Matthew 16:18-19, 18:18). We can bind and loose on earth, whatever Christ has already bound or loosed in Heaven through the New Covenant.

An essential piece of our spiritual Armour is the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6;17, Isaiah 59:17) or more fully: “the Helmet of the HOPE of SALVATION” (1Thessalonians 5:8). The Helmet protects our mind in the battle, from negative, discouraging thoughts, which try to cause us to cause depression and give up hope, so we give up. HOPE is the vision of future manifested salvation, the final outcome of all God’s promises fulfilled in our life. Hope comes from our faith in the promises of God (Romans 15:4). Derek explains how to put our Helmet of Hope on, by speaking the Scriptures to ourselves (to our own souls), as in Psalm 103, and Psalm 42:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? HOPE in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His Presence.” In the context: “the Helmet of the HOPE of SALVATION” (1Thessalonians 5:8) is referring to our blessed Hope (Titus 2:13), our future salvation at the Rapture (1Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:10).

The Armour of God is described in Ephesians 6:14-17. The GOSPEL SHOES: "having shod your feet with the (shoes of) preparation (readiness) of the Gospel of Peace (another aspect of God's Word)” (v15). To be ready for battle, you need the right shoes to give you a firm footing, so you can stand your ground on God's Word and the completed victory of Christ. These are the shoes of the Gospel, which declares His finished work over sin and every enemy, thereby bringing us into peace with God (peace comes after victory). We put on the Shoes by knowing and embracing the Good News that He has won the victory and we stand firm in that truth, ready for action. We standing in His victory, rather than trying to get the victory. Then v16 says: “above (covering) all, taking (up) the SHIELD of (the) FAITH, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts (arrows) of the wicked one (God’s Word is powerful).” The Shield that protects us is not our faith, but God's Word (the Faith), we need to trust in God’s Word rather than our faith, but it is by faith that we take up the Shield and put it in front of us. The Word must not just wrapped around our heart, but lifted up in front of us, where it can cover every area of our life, by confessing His Word and thanking God for His promises and who He is to us (Heb 13:5-6). The roman shield was like a door covering the whole body, made of 6 layers of animal hide, anointed with oil (the Spirit) and drenched with water (Eph 5:26), able to protect even against fiery arrows filled with combustible liquid designed to explode on impact. Likewise, the anointed Word of God is empowered to protect us, even against the worst weapons of the enemy. These fiery arrows are words (thoughts) set on fire by hell (Jam 3:6), with spiritual power to penetrate our soul and set it on fire (with bitterness, anger, fear, discouragement etc) if our Shield is not up. But if we activate our Shield, by declaring: "The Lord is my Strength, Stronghold, Light, Peace, Provider Shield, Victory..." then the fiery darts will not be able to penetrate our heart and mind and emotions. Derek concludes by giving a classic example of how to put up the Shield of Faith as demonstrated by Paul in Romans 8:28-39, where he says we must not be passive in the face of the things (attacks) of life, but we must declare God's truths (Christ's love for us and His finished work) in response to these things. he asks: "what shall we say to these things?" (v31), and then tells us what we should say (v31-39). In this way, we activate our Shield of God's Word, which quench the evil thoughts (words), sent from the enemy to hurt and destroy us.

In Ephesians 6:14-18, Paul describes the 7 pieces of God's Armour of God, which He provides to us through His Word for our spiritual warfare. The Breastplate of Righteousness (Isa 59:16) is necessary for guarding the heart. To enter into spiritual warfare, it is vital our heart is under the protection of God’s Righteousness (it is the Armour of God). It does not consist of our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. In spiritual warfare, pride is fatal. Instead, we must submit to God and His righteousness, which He gives us by grace (Job 41:34, Luke 10:17-20, Jam 4:6-7), through the Great Exchange (2Cor 5:21). To put on His Breastplate of Righteousness so that it covers and protects our heart, we must submit to His righteousness (Rom 10:3, Phil 3:9). It is attached to the Belt, for it is God's Word which imparts the faith we need to trust in His gift of righteousness. It had 2 parts, a breast and back plate, which correspond to (1) the imputed righteousness of Christ, through which we were justified by faith (Rom 3:28,4:1-8, 5:1, 8:1, Gal 2:16), and (2) the imparted righteousness of Christ (His life and nature) through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5, 14:17, Gal 5:22-23, 1Cor 1:30). (1) Through FAITH in Christ and His finished work we are justified, declared forgiven and righteous in Christ. This protects the heart from satan’s main weapon – condemnation (Rev 12:10-11, Isa 54:17). (2) The LOVE of Christ filling our souls with His love (Rom 8:4) protects our hearts from evil thoughts. We see these 2 parts of the Breastplate in 1Thess 5:8: “putting on the breastplate of (1) FAITH and (2) LOVE.” We see these 2 kinds of righteousness in: Romans 1:17: “For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from (1) justifying faith to (2) living faith; as it is written: “The just (by faith) shall live by faith.”

In Ephesians 6:11,13, Paul commands us to put on the whole Armour of God (which God provides to us through His Word). Then in v14-18 he describes the 7 pieces of the Armour of God. Derek shares about the Belt of Truth and how to put it on (v14), and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word (rhema) of God (v17), and how they work together. The Belt of Truth consists of God's Word (John 17:17), which we are to put on tight by wrapping our heart around with His commands and promises, bringing our thoughts into alignment (1Pet 1:13). Our Belt consists of the Word of God that we know and have embraced until it is part of us. It is the foundational piece of Armour, which is why it is mentioned first (the sword, shield and breastplate were attached to it). If loose, the whole armour falls apart. The Sword of the Spirit fits in the Belt. In a fight, a soldier pulls his sword from his belt. Likewise, in a spiritual fight, we pull a Scripture-Sword from our Belt of Scriptures as quickened by the Spirit, and put in our mouth and speak it. It will then go forth in the power of the Spirit against the enemy. God's Word is like a sharp sword (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus used His Sword 3 times to defeat Satan, saying: "it is written" (Matthew 4:3-10). For the Sword to work we must first have our Belt on tight (know the Word well). We also see the Sword in action in Revelation 12:11, Isaiah 54:17, and Psalm 149:6-9.

We are called to fight the good (victorious) Fight of the Faith (the Word of God) according to 1Timothy 6:12 and 2Tim 4:6. Derek describes the nature of this fight and the keys to successful spiritual warfare. The fight is to stand on and stay true to God’s Word, in faith and practice, against all opposition, deception and wiles of the enemy. It is the fight to stay in the faith, to continue to trust God and His Word. The strategy of the enemy is to try to get you off God's Word. Then you lose. We fight it with God’s Word, by standing, speaking and doing His Word. (1) Our posture in the fight is to stand on His Word (Eph 6:11-14), which means standing on the finished work of Christ, who has already won the victory over every enemy (Col 2:15, Matt 28:18, Eph 1:19-21, Phil 2:9-11, 1Pet 3:22), and has shared the victory with us in His Name (Eph 2:4-6). So, in Christ we are overcomers (1John 2:13-14, 4:4, 5:4-5), more than conquerors (Rom 8:37) in the Name of Jesus (on the basis of His victory, power and authority). As we stand in faith we are automatically in the victory. (2) We must reject pride, and submit to God and resist the enemy (Jam 4:6-7, 1Pet 5:5-9, Job 41:34), by exercising our will in making a quality decision to trust in and stand firm on His Word and not be moved, no matter what happens, enforcing this by confessing the good (victorious) confession of His Word, just as a wrestler does everything in his power to stay on his feet (Eph 6:12, 1Tim 6:12, Isa 54:17, Rev 12:11), (3) As we do this, we must depend on and lay hold of the power of the Holy Spirit (God's eternal life that He gives us by grace - John 3:16, 1John 5:11-12), which is continually available to us by grace (Eph 1:19, 3:20, 5:18, 6:10, 1Tim 6:12). This is necessary, if we are to stand, because we wrestle against principalities and powers (Eph 6:12). Therefore our role in the battle is to submit to God and stand on His Word and resist the devil, standing in the victory of Christ, trusting in His Name, and depending on the power of His Spirit to strengthen our heart (will).

Why is Christianity based on the Death and Resurrection of Christ? Man cannot save himself. Everything of the Old Creation is only worthy of being consigned to judgment and death (Isaiah 53:6). Only then can God bring forth a new creation, a rebirth by resurrection (1Peter 1:3). In His death as the last Adam He took all the sin and curse of the original creation and brought it to judgment thru His death. Then as the 2nd Adam in His resurrection, He became the head of a new creation, the firstborn and first-fruits from the dead, the first of a new breed of redeemed humanity, recreated through their union with Christ (John 14:19, Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 2:12-13, 3:1,10-15, 2Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:24).

Derek shares the keys for us to enter and possess our Promised Land (God's perfect will and provision for our life). First, our heart need to be strong in faith, through His Word and Spirit within us, so that we are willing to obey Him. Second, we need the Promise of His Presence with us as we walk with Him, so that we have the courage to obey Him, even when we face opposition without and fears within. He gave this promise to Moses: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you Rest (the Promised Land)”, and repeated it in Deuteronomy 31:6-8 and Joshua 1:5-9.

Every believer should be looking forward to Jesus' imminent return in the Rapture. All the heathen should recognise when it happens, because it will be one of the last great signs to get right with God by making Jesus Lord of your life – while there is still time to do so. At the invitation of Pastor Nicholas Roberts - Full Grown Ministry, Pastor Derek ministers an in-depth, comprehensive Bible teaching on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church.

God’s purpose is for us to be Temples of God, revealed through His earthly Temples, patterned after His heavenly Temple (Dwelling Place), all pictures of His ultimate eternal Temple (redeemed man in Christ). All Temples (earthly & heavenly) reveal different aspects of His ultimate Temple, revealing how we are to function to His glory. Jesus was the 1st functioning human Temple, indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 1:14, 2:19-21, 4:21-24). Although man was made to be God’s Temple, sin resulted in his spiritual death, so God couldn’t indwell him. But Christ made it possible for our spirit to be born again & His Spirit to indwell us, making us His temples. God’s earthly Temples are built according to a heavenly blueprint (Heb 8:5), so God’s Heavenly Temple, the Father’s House, the New Jerusalem gives the clearest revelation about the shape of His ultimate Temple. When God shows John where He’ll dwell with His People (Bride) for all eternity (His heavenly Temple), He showed him the New Jerusalem, shaped like a great Mountain, Mt Zion, shining with His glory (Rev 21:2-3,9-11). The peak is the holiest place, the holy of holies, His Throne Room, the centre of all authority, down from which flows the river of life alongside its golden streets (Rev 22:1,2). Its 4-square design means the river divides & flows in 4 main directions to water the city (holy place), and then flows out the gates to the land beyond (outer court). Height represents holiness, so holy places are built on high ground to signify their closeness to God. Thus, God’s Throne is at the peak of his holy Mount (Rev 22:1-2). Mountain signifies Kingdom. The river flows downhill from the throne, so the throne must be at the peak (Rev 22:1). This describes us as temples of God. Our highest place is our spirit (Eph 2:6), like a mountain peak. It’s where God’s authority, glory & presence dwells in the Holy Spirit (the holy of holies), the throne room where Christ is enthroned in us, if we’ve received Him as Lord. God, the Fountain of living waters, lives in our spirit (Jer 2:13, John 4:14), and desires His river of life to flow out of our spirit (John 7:38), down into our soul, imparting life, authority, power, wisdom, love, health to it, so it can express His life & nature to God’s glory. The fact the New Jerusalem, the heavenly City & Temple of God is shaped like a pyramid Mountain is confirmed by Heb 12:22-24. As the daughter of the heavenly Zion (Zech 9:9, Gal 4:26), earthly Zion is made after the image of its mother, so earthly Mt Zion is named after the heavenly Mt Zion (Temple Mount), so if the image of the heavenly Mt Zion is a mountain, so too the heavenly Temple. God’s original template for His Dwelling Place (Temple) design is a pyramid mountain City. The whole heavenly Temple (the 3rd Heaven) is also described as ‘Eden, the Garden of God’ = Paradise (Ezek 28:12-13, 2Cor 12:4), so earthly Eden was its image. Both have a garden, tree of life (Gen 2:9, Rev 2:7, 22:2,14), river of life (Gen 2:10-14, Rev 22:1-2) & cherubim, who often appear in temples as guardians of the throne (Gen 3:24, Rev 4:6-8, Ezek 28:14). Thus, Eden was God’s 1st earthly Temple. Lucifer was originally a cherub in Eden, on the holy heavenly Mountain of God, before he was cast down to earth (Ezek 28:12-14,16-17, Isa 14:12-15, Rev 12:4, Luke 10:18). So, the centre of Eden (God’s heavenly Temple) is the holy Mountain, Mt Zion, the New Jerusalem, a Garden City, shaped like a Pyramid. As a cherub, Lucifer lived in this Mount and ministered in the throne room, but in pride tried to ascend within Heaven and establish his own throne above all the angels in God’s Throne Room (Holy of Holies), to sit enthroned on the Mount alongside the Most High, but was cast down to the earth (Isa 14:13-15). This confirms God’s Throne is at the highest point of this Mount, for he tried to ascend & exalt his throne to the highest place in Heaven, when God was enthroned, to be like (equal in authority to) the Most High. As Eden is a name for the whole Heavenly Temple, centred on a Mountain, so it’s the name for the whole original earthly Temple, centred on a Mountain, with (1) its Peak on the west side of Eden (holy of holies), where an underground spring was the source of a great river flowing down into (2) the Garden (holy place) on a plateau on the mountain’s east side, with the tree of life, where man lived & walked with God, where it divided into 4 rivers, which watered the whole earth (Gen 2:8-14). So, Eden was on higher ground than the rest of the earth (water flows downhill), signifying its holiness as God’s temple. After the fall, man was cast out of the Garden, and (3) went further east (3:24-25), onto lower ground at the base of the Mount, but still within Eden (the outer court), a place of God’s Presence (4:16), with an ordained place of sacrifice (4:4), for Cain was cast out of Eden into another land, east of Eden, away from God’s special Temple Presence (4:16).

God’s ultimate purpose for man is that we should be TEMPLES of the LIVING GOD, with God living in us and shining His glory through us. God introduced the concept of Temples (places where God chooses to dwell among men) to the human race from the beginning, which is why temples are in every ancient culture & religion. All EARTHLY TEMPLES of God were patterned according to a heavenly blueprint, the HEAVENLY TEMPLE (Heb 8:5). The Bible describes a sequence of earthly Temples, and all these earthly & heavenly Temples are pictures, encoding revelation of God’s ultimate eternal Temple – redeemed Man in Christ. We need to put together all the clues provided by all the different temples, to see how they all harmonise together, to give a complete picture of who we're called to be as His ultimate Temple. All Temples of God have a tripartite structure: (1) HOLY of HOLIES, (2) HOLY PLACE & (3) OUTER COURT. Likewise, we (1) ARE a SPIRIT, (2) HAVE a SOUL, and (3) LIVE in a BODY. Gen 2:7: “The Lord formed man (1) of the dust of the ground (man’s BODY), and (2) BREATHED into his nostrils the BREATH of LIFE (man’s SPIRIT); and (3) man became a living SOUL.” The fusion of man’s SPIRIT (created by God’s breath) & BODY (made from the earth) formed his SOUL. We're not just individually Temples of God, but are designed to be part of one great corporate TEMPLE of God consisting of all believers. We're LIVING STONES that fit together into a far greater Temple of God. Each has a unique place in that greater Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are all (1) living stones in the TEMPLE of God the Spirit, (2) members of the FAMILY of God the Father, and (3) members of the BODY of Christ the Son. So, we need to think corporately as well as individually. In Matthew 16, Peter is used as an example of a believer, who comes into and becomes part of God’s Temple by faith in Christ (v15-17). Jesus said in v18: “you are Peter (petros, small stone), and ON this ROCK (petra, massive foundation stone) I will build My CHURCH.” The FOUNDATION STONE or ROCK for the Church is CHRIST Himself (1Cor 3:11, 10:4). Peter, an example & picture of all believers, is a small LIVING STONE, that becomes part of the Church, the Temple of God, built on the FOUNDATION ROCK - CHRIST. As living stones built on Christ, we partake of His life & nature (made of the same stuff). He then predicted His death & resurrection (v21). By laying His life down and then rising from the dead, he established Himself as the FOUNDATION STONE for the CHURCH, the TEMPLE of God. The CHURCH only came into existence as the new TEMPLE of God after He laid Himself down as its FOUNDATION STONE in His death & resurrection. In v18, Jesus declared He will BUILD His CHURCH on HIMSELF as the ROCK FOUNDATION. But first, He had to lay Himself down as the Foundation Stone (v21). He's saying in v18-21: “I am the foundation ROCK & foundation SACRIFICE of my new Temple, the Church.” So, thru His death & resurrection, His Temple has a firm FOUNDATION, consecrated to God - the risen CHRIST, who upholds the whole Building before God. Having declared Himself the ROCK-FOUNDATION of His CHURCH, He said: “I first have to die as the foundation Blood Sacrifice, to make this a reality” (v21). He died and was buried as the Foundation Sacrifice, dedicating Himself to God as the FOUNDATION for God's Temple. On the basis of His shed Blood, He was resurrected & established & consecrated to God as the Foundation Stone for God’s eternal Temple (Heb 13:20). To be in the Kingdom (Temple) of God, we must enter in through Christ, our Threshold Stone, through faith in His sacrificial death & resurrection for us. To reject His Blood Sacrifice, counting it as something of no value, is to trample on Him & His precious Blood, resulting in eternal punishment (Heb 10:29). CHRIST Himself is the FOUNDATION STONE or ROCK (1Cor 3:11). He completed the laying down of this FOUNDATION of HIMSELF in His death, burial & resurrection. So, He's now our living FOUNDATION. 1Peter 2:4: “COMING to HIM (the risen CHRIST) as to a LIVING STONE (the FOUNDATION STONE), rejected indeed by men (His death), but chosen by God & precious (His resurrection & exaltation).” 1Peter 2:5: “You also, as LIVING STONES, are being BUILT UP (together) as a spiritual HOUSE (upon Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit), a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Thru our union with CHRIST, the LIVING FOUNDATION STONE, we are blessed with His life & nature, and so become LIVING STONES, built together into the Temple of God upon Christ, our Foundation. So, Christ told Peter he was a LIVING STONE, BLESSED with eternal life, part of God’s Temple, built on the ROCK of CHRIST, the LIVING FOUNDATION STONE in Matthew 16, and Peter applies this to all believers in 1Peter 2:5. This House is the HOLY TEMPLE of God, the DWELLING PLACE of God (1Cor 3:16-17, Eph 2:21-22).

God introduced the concept of TEMPLES to the human race from the very beginning, which is why you see temples in every ancient culture and religion. Even if the religion is corrupted, man has an understanding of the fundamental concept of a temple as it is part of God’s original general revelation to mankind. A TEMPLE is designed to be a DWELLING PLACE of GOD, and God introduced TEMPLES to reveal His ULTIMATE PURPOSE for mankind. God created man to be His TEMPLE, and now His plan is to redeem us, so that we might be the DWELLING PLACE of God, that God would dwell with us and IN US! In salvation, the forgiveness of sin is just the beginning, the necessary preparation in order to make possible the fulfilment of His ultimate purpose - that we might become the holy Temples of the Living God. Each Temple of God was a visual aid, a teaching tool, designed to reveal what it means to be a Temple of God (the nature, design and operation of a temple). Ultimately, these temples are all revelations of redeemed MAN in Christ – God’s ultimate and eternal Dwelling Place, which we see fulfilled in Rev 21-22. All the earthly temples of God are pictures of God’s ultimate eternal TEMPLE – redeemed MANKIND in Christ. We are designed to be Temples of the Living God, so that God might dwell in us and be glorified through us. The EARTHLY Temples were made according to a HEAVENLY blueprint – the HEAVENLY Temple (Heb 8:5). So, earthly Temples are images of the heavenly Temple (Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem), both of which are pictures of God’s ultimate eternal Temple – redeemed MAN in Christ. The Bible describes a sequence of earthly Temples, which are patterned after the heavenly Temple, and all these earthly and heavenly Temples are pictures (revelations) of God’s ultimate eternal Temple – redeemed MAN. The ultimate fulfilment in Christ is not just that we individually are Temples of God, but that God joins all redeemed humanity in Christ together into a union, so that together, we all form one great corporate Temple of God, Christ & His Body - the Dwelling Place of God forever. This is God’s vision for mankind. All the different temples have different characteristics, each providing different pieces of the complete picture. They all harmonise together, but each one carries only part of the whole revelation of God’s ultimate Temple. To get the full picture of what we are called to be, we must put together what each temple reveals. The main earthly temples are: (1) The Garden of Eden, (2) Mount Sinai, (3) The Tabernacle of Moses, (4) the 1st Temple of Solomon, (5) the 2nd Temple (Herod's Temple), (6) the 3rd (Tribulation) Temple, (4) the 4th (Millennial) Temple. Individually, we are Temples of God, and God is also fitting us together as living stones to form one great ultimate Temple of God (1Peter 2:5). We understand spiritual things by their physical analogy, so by understanding all the analogies (the earthly and heavenly temples) we can learn much about God’s ultimate Temple (the Church), and we will understand how we are designed to be God’s Temple, and how everything works and connects together. Basically, a Temple has 2 PARTS: (1) the Temple BUILDING, and (2) the GOD who dwells within the Temple, for a Temple is the Dwelling Place of God: “(2) the LORD GOD Almighty and (1) the LAMB (Christ and those who are in Christ) are its TEMPLE” (Rev 21:22). A Temple is a Holy Place, for God’s PRESENCE dwells within the Temple, and His GLORY shines out from the Temple, sometimes represented as RIVERS of LIVING WATER flowing out from the Temple (Gen 2:10, Ezek 47, Joel 3:18, Rev 22:1-2, John 7:37-39). Through the New Covenant, established by Jesus Christ, His believers become Temples of the Living God, indwelt by the Spirit of God. This is God’s plan & purpose for man coming to pass – that God would dwell in man, that man would become a Temple of God. Jesus came & died & rose again to make this possible (1Cor 3:16-17: 6:17-20, 2Cor 6:16, Rev 21:3). Man is the ultimate Temple of God, so all the other temples are teaching tools to reveal God’s purpose for man, and how man is designed to connect with God and function under the grace and power of God. Jesus came as a sinless man, the PROTOTYPE TEMPLE of God, a man indwelt by and filled with the Spirit of God - showing us what man is meant to be like. He declared He was a TEMPLE of God (John 8:12). By His death & resurrection, Jesus multiplied and reproduced Himself in us (John 12:23-24). Through the New Birth the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, making us all into Temples of God. The Spirit is the Fountain of living waters within us (Jer 2:13, 17:13), a continual Source of outpoured grace (rivers of life) flowing into our heart, causing us to worship God & empowering us to serve Him. (John 4:13-14). So now there are many Temples, and God is building us all together into one great Temple (Christ) – His ultimate Purpose.

“A Psalm of David before he was anointed” (Septuagint). The setting is before he became king, on the run from Saul (v2,3,6,12). It starts with a confident confession of faith in the face of enemies (v1-3): “The Lord is my LIGHT and my SALVATION (rescue from danger & victory) - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the STRENGTH (stronghold) of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” (v1). When under attack, the 1st victory is overcoming fear by knowing God's Presence with us. “Fear not for I am with you” (Isa 41:10, 43:5, Heb 13:5-6). We must believe the promise of His saving Presence & declare it as in v1: “The LORD is my LIGHT and my SALVATION.” Only here in the Old Testament is LIGHT a title (metaphor) for GOD, although He’s associated with light. The New Testament develops this idea & uses it for Jesus. God’s Light is His Presence bringing understanding, goodness, purity & overcoming darkness (evil). Thus, he declares His light will protect him from the surrounding darkness (behind Saul's attacks was a spiritual war over his & Israel’s future). He spoke from his personal covenant relationship with God: “MY light & MY salvation” - his ground for confidence (freedom of expression, opposite of constricting fear). Ps 27 gives the key to overcome paralysing fear. He overcame the spirit of fear by being a worshipper, dwelling in God's Presence (v4-6); then declaring his faith. He did not close his eyes to his dangers, but saw them thru God’s eyes: “When the wicked came against me, to eat up (devour) my flesh (like wild animals), my enemies and foes, (1) they (have) stumbled and (2) fell (lit: ‘will fall’ in defeat)” (v2). When the wicked (like Goliath) came against him they fell. It can be translated: “when the wicked come against me”, which they did as he spoke. Then he uses 2 tenses to describe a process leading to a result. (1) When a man opposes God, he’s already stumbling (on his way down), and (2) will fall in defeat. But we’re in a process leading to victory. ‘They’ is emphatic, the ones seeking his fall are the ones who fall. “Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war (warriors) may rise against me, in this (present situation) I will be confident (lit: ‘I am trusting’)” (v3). Thus, he composed Ps 27 as Saul's army came against him. In the face of that, he declares his faith, as we should (Romans 8:31). The ground for his confidence in v1-3 was knowing God as his light (presence), salvation (victory) & stronghold (protection), but how did He know God this way? v4-6 explain his confidence came from a lifestyle of WORSHIP, when he learnt to abide in God's Presence: “ONE THING I have desired (asked) of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may DWELL in the HOUSE (Presence) of the LORD all the days of my life to BEHOLD the BEAUTY of the Lord and to INQUIRE in His TEMPLE” (v4). The all-important thing for him is dwelling in God's Presence, represented by the Temple - his top priority, the foundation of his life. Don’t fit God into your plans, but your plans around the priority of worship. He describes worship & personal intimate communion with God: BEHOLD = to gaze on with admiration, affection & adoration, steadfast penetrating contemplation. The BEAUTY of the Lord - the delightfulness, loveliness, graciousness of His Person, His holiness = perfection of all His moral attributes. Beholding His beauty is preoccupation with His Person, seeking to know God for Himself, savouring His sweetness. Worship is our response to seeing His beauty of holiness. To INQUIRE in His TEMPLE is preoccupation with finding His will, seeking answers & guidance in His Presence. Take time to fellowship with God & receive His directions. The most important part of our life is what only God sees. Longing for Temple also applies to public worship in Church, that should be our priority. Worship was his priority both privately & corporately. Dwelling in His Presence is needed for His promises to be fulfilled. Intimacy with God in His Secret Place brings security from external dangers (Ps 91). “For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His Pavilion (Shelter). In the Secret Place of His Tabernacle (Tent), He shall hide me (from enemies)” (v5a). Dwelling in God's Tent as His invited guest is a place of safety, for guests have a claim of protection, so the tent is a fortress. There’s fellowship, provision & protection in His Presence. “He shall set me high upon a (‘in the’) ROCK (a title only used of God)” (v5b). As we seek Him in worship, He lifts us on high in Christ, our Rock Fortress, high above all our foes & fears. By a life of abiding in God, he knew he’d be delivered & have the victory. So, he declares: “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me. Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord” (v6). The basis for his confidence & freedom from fear was God's Presence, cultivated by a lifestyle of worship.

(1) In Christ we find Refuge. Safety is found in Jesus Christ (Isaiah 32:2, Proverbs 18:10). But Divine judgment is coming on the ungodly, who are outside Christ (Psalm 1:4, 11:6, Jeremiah 23:19, 30:23, 2Thessalonians 2:8). (2) In Christ we find Refreshment. Having made us completely safe, Christ then makes us fully satisfied (Isaiah 32:2, Psalm 42:1, 143:6, John 4:10,14, 7:37-38, Revelation 21:6, 22:17). (3) In Christ we find Rest. Jesus provides in Himself a place of shade and peaceful rest from the world (Isaiah 32:2, Hebrews 4:9-10, Matthew 11:28-30).

Psalm 26 portrays a man devoted to God, seeking His glory, not his own (v12), wholehearted in leading a blameless life (v1), trusting God without wavering (v1b), keeping himself pure, walking in the light, his heart open to examination (v2), walking in God's love & truth (v3), avoiding close company with evil doers (v4-5). God's House (the setting) is central to his life (v6-8,12). Only Christ perfectly fulfils this description, but we are righteous in Christ, and as we walk with Him, He changes us into His image. David does not boast in a self-righteous way, claiming he is sinless, for he knows his need for redemption & mercy (v11), and trusts in divine grace as His foundation (v3,12). It inspires us to embrace the ideal of faith covenant keeping, but achieving it is not a pre-condition for entering into worship. It’s given for us to affirm & strengthen our love for God. Declaring we love righteousness & hate evil, even if we’re not perfect, helps us identify with the good & reject the evil. Saying: “I love You, Lord” is not a claim of perfection, but strengthens our commitment to Him. He describes his inner life & outward deeds (integrity). He declared his innocence of accusations against him, affirming he walks with God & seeks to keep His laws: “VINDICATE (judge) me, O Lord” (v1a). His enemies (v4-5, 9-10) slandered him (especially at Absalom’s rebellion). In response, he brought his case to God, asking Him to judge in his favor, according to 1Ki 8:31-32. He declared his innocence: “O Lord, for I have (1) WALKED in my integrity (devoted heart, loyal to God). I have also (2) TRUSTED in the Lord; I shall not slip (unwavering trust)” (1Ki 9:4-5). Note the parallelism: (1) his outward WALK from (2) his inner TRUST in God’s grace, the root & sap of moral integrity. His holiness empowers our morality, overcoming our sin-nature. He is willing to be examined & corrected by God: “Examine (test) me, O Lord, and prove me; try (refine, as in metals) my mind ('kidneys', seat of emotions) and my heart (will, moral centre)” (v2). A mark of believers is coming to the light, inviting God to search our heart and show us what is right & wrong (John 3:19-21). If we don’t want to be told we're wrong, we don’t come to the light, but then we live in a lie and will pay the price. “For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes and I have walked in Your truth (faithfulness)” (v3). Again, we see faith & works in balance. By trusting in God’s faithfulness, He walks in faithfulness to God, in the truth of His Word in doctrine & deed. He then describes another vital aspect of holy living, separation from evil people & their corrupting ways. We must choose our close friends carefully. “(1) I have not SAT (had close fellowship with) with idolatrous (worthless, those given to the pursuit of vanity) mortals, nor (2) will I go in with hypocrites (play-actors)” (v4). “(1) I have HATED (rejected) the assembly of evildoers, and (2) will not SIT (fellowship) with the wicked” (v5). He rejects their ways, works & company. He hated sin & loved God as seen in his WORSHIP: “I will wash my hands in innocence” (v6a). The priests washed their hands at the Laver before ministering at the Altar, so he prepares his heart to minister to God (Eph 5:26). “So, I will go about Your Altar O Lord” (v6b). True worship centres on Christ’s Sacrifice, the basis of God's grace. “That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Your wondrous works” (v7). We give thanks for His works of salvation. “Lord, I have LOVED the habitation of Your House (where God dwells & His people assemble), and the Place where Your Glory (manifest Presence) dwells (‘the Place of the Tabernacle of Your Glory’)” (v8). As we draw near to God, His Glory will be revealed to us. Contrast his loves with his hates (v5). We should also love His Church. Knowing God is the Judge, he prays: “Do not gather (‘take away’) my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men” (v9). "Do not sweep me away with sinners into Your rubbish dump (Hell)." He describes these sinners: “in whose hands is a sinister scheme (plotting for gain at the expense of others), and whose right hand is full of bribes (corruption)” (v10). God will separate the righteous & wicked. Next, he declares his full commitment to God by His help: “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity” (v11a). This is loyalty to God, not self-righteousness, for he knows his need for mercy: “(1) REDEEM me and (2) be MERCIFUL (gracious) to me” (v11b). As he walks round the Altar, he knows he needs redemption by Christ’s blood, and so asks God to redeem, forgive & empower him to please Him. Finally, he is assured his prayer has been granted: “My foot stands in an even place” (v12a). By trusting in Christ, he stands on level solid ground, so will not go to Hell. So, what is left, but to declare His praise: “in the great congregation I will bless the Lord” (v12b). Praising God in Church is a mark of a true believer.

God wants us to enter into deeper communion with Him, through the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into knowing more of the truth of His Word, and who will guide and empower us in our lives. The Holy Spirit opens our heart to believe and receive the extravagant, amazing and eternal love of God, which heals and restores our heart.

After his initial prayer (v1-7), he moves into a meditation on God’s attributes & acts, to fuel his prayers (v8-10): “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He teaches sinners in the WAY (of holiness)” (v8). In His goodness, He works to save us all from destruction, but only the humble receive His instruction, for they know their need of guidance and are willing to submit to God’s will. The proud go their own way, thinking they don’t need God. “The HUMBLE He guides in justice (righteousness), and the humble He teaches His WAY” (v9). The key to guidance is humility, asking God to show us His way. “All the PATHS of the Lord are MERCY and TRUTH (faithfulness), to such as keep (are loyal to) His covenant and His testimonies” (v10). We’re in a covenant grace relationship with God, but to enjoy His presence & blessing, we must be loyal to God and keep His Covenant, walking in love & truth. If we don’t, we can’t have His Presence. Based on this meditation, he makes this PRAYER: “For Your NAME’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great” (v11). God's Name is His revealed character (v8-10). He asks God to pardon his great iniquity according to His Name (His faithfulness to forgive those who repent). Also, He pardons us for His Name's sake, for His glory, as He is glorified by our salvation. As Absalom’s rebellion brought his past sins back to mind, he had to deal with condemning thoughts, so makes sure he has fully repented and received full forgiveness. Then he meditates on the BENEFITS of the FEAR of the Lord (v12-14): “Who is the man that FEARS the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (v12). The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge & wisdom (Prov 1:7, 9:10). “He himself shall dwell in prosperity (lit: goodness), and his descendants shall inherit the earth (possess the land)” (v13). “The SECRET (or friendship) of the Lord is with those who FEAR Him, and He will SHOW (reveal & manifest to) them His covenant.” Fearing God brings us into His intimate circle, to whom He shares His secrets, as with Abraham (2Chr 20:7, Isa 41:8, Jas 2:23). The closer we come to Him, the more He reveals & manifests Himself to us. We can’t comprehend spiritual things apart from the Spirit; we need His Presence in our soul to perceive & receive spiritual things (1Cor 2:12-15). Without Him we’re like a blind & deaf man. To explain His secrets to those without the Spirit is like describing colours to a blind man. It’s by submission to (fear of) God we receive the Spirit into our soul (Is 11:2,3). Thus, it is the beginning of wisdom & knowledge. This meditation (v12-14) built his faith, resulting in a DECLARATION of FAITH: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord (looking to God in expectation), for He shall pluck (lit: bring out) my feet out of the net” (v15). As David speaks, his enemies have already set a net for him, for Absalom's armies were closing in on him, but he trusts God for victory. His final PRAYER (v16-22): “TURN Yourself to me, and have MERCY on me” (v16a). He says: "I am looking to You (v15), please look at me and smile on me, and release Your radiant Presence on me, flood me with your grace." “for I am desolate (lonely) and afflicted” (v16b). He reminds God how much he needs Him for most Israel had turned against him. “The troubles of my heart have enlarged; bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins” (v17-18). Again, he admits his sins are behind many of his problems, so asks for mercy to overcome the effects and forgiveness for any unknown sins. “Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel (violent) hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You” (v19-20, cf. v2). “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me (this is his own integrity) for I wait for You” (v21, cf. v1). He knew his need to walk before God with integrity (a whole heart), to stay in His Presence to be protected & delivered. He knows it’s God’s Presence that preserves Him, but we need to walk with God to abide under His Presence. He’s not trusting in his own integrity (“for I wait for You”), but in God. The acrostic ends at v21, then in v22 his prayer expands to Israel as a whole. It was not just the future of David on the line, but all God’s people: “REDEEM (ransom) Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!” (v22). He understood all blessings for which he’d prayed, are only available on the basis of the payment of a price. This is a prayer for the coming of the Redeemer, who would redeem Israel & all God's people by His Blood. Christ alone can bring the full forgiveness & restoration desired in this prayer by His (1) Blood (1st Coming) and (2) Power (2nd Coming). He prayed Ps 25 in his time of trouble and God answered him, but v22 expands it to all of Israel’s troubles, including her final & full restoration, so we can also pray it with confidence.

Ps 25 describes a man devoted to God & trusting in Him, but also aware of his faults & past sins, so his prayer is based on God’s mercy, not his own performance. It’s an Acrostic - each verse starts with the next letter of the alphabet, a literary device to add form & aid memorisation. Many elements fit with the time of Absalom’s rebellion. His reference to the sins of his youth (v7) shows it's set later in his life. David is in distress, on the run from his enemies, but also aware his sins opened the door to this rebellion, as Nathan predicted in 2Sam 12:11. So, seeking divine deliverance from enemies is a major theme (v2,3,15,16,17,18,19). He acknowledges the root of his troubles was his own sins (when we sin, we turn our back to God & open the door to the curse). So, asking for God’s mercy & forgiveness is also a major theme (v6,7,11.18). Thus, it's called a Penitential Psalm. So, he declares his faith that: “You are the God of my salvation” (v5) from both sin & enemies. Likewise, God saves us from our sins (the root problem) & rescues us from our enemies (the resulting curse). Part 1 is a PRAYER (v1-7). “Unto You, O LORD, I LIFT UP my SOUL” (v1). Like a windsurfer trying to catch the wind, we need to lift up our earthbound soul to God (Isa 40:31), seeking fellowship with Him. We need to put aside everything else and direct our soul toward God in faith, looking & waiting on Him, in submission, ready to receive His life. Then he prays for DELIVERANCE from his enemies (v2-3). Thus, he starts with his outer life. Even if we are at peace we should pray into our future: “Deliver us from evil” (Matt 6:13). “O my God, I TRUST (take refuge) in You; let me not be ASHAMED; let not my enemies triumph over me.” He bases his prayer on his covenant with God. By faith he draws near to God and lays hold of His protection. 'Ashamed' means to be disappointed, to trust in something that proves unworthy (Rom 5:5, 10:11, Isa 49:23). This is a prayer for public vindication thru victory, which will also result in God’s glory. “Indeed, let no one who WAITS on You be ASHAMED” (v3a), or better: “no one who WAITS on You (in faith) will be ASHAMED” (v3a). He is confident of this fact. To WAIT is to actively look to God & wait for His instructions, ready to obey, like a waiter. It’s an attitude of submission to God’s timing, leadership & wisdom, rather than rushing ahead in the flesh. This is how he responded to Absalom's rebellion. “Let those be ASHAMED, who deal treacherously without cause” (v3b). This describes his enemies who followed Absalom in his lies & treachery. Then he moves from praying for his outward life to his inner life by first praying for GUIDANCE (v4-5), for he understood outward victory & good circumstances require walking with God, as he did at the time of Absalom’s rebellion (prayer is superficial if all we pray for is our outer life): “Show me Your WAYS, O Lord; teach me Your PATHS” (v4). God's WAYS are love, righteousness, service, integrity, faith, and His PATHS include their practical application in our lives. Receiving His guidance is not enough, for he also knows he needs God to lead him step by step along His path: “LEAD me in Your truth and TEACH me, for You are the God of my salvation (from my sin & enemies). On You I WAIT all the day (patience in waiting, his settled attitude)” (v5). Guidance is part of our personal walk with God. It’s of the heart, not mechanical obeying of rules, a lifestyle of waiting & obeying. Then he prays for MERCY: “REMEMBER, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses (chesed), for they are from of old (eternity)” (v6). To remember is to bring certain thoughts to the forefront of one's mind as a basis for our attitude & actions. It is used as a covenant word, as in remembering our covenant with God (1Cor 11:24-25), and God remembering us in His covenant love (Lk 23:42). He grounds His prayer on divine mercy, not justice (Ex 34:6). “Do NOT REMEMBER the sins of my youth (Bathsheba), nor my transgressions; according to Your MERCY REMEMBER me, for Your GOODNESS’ sake, O Lord” (v7). "Don’t let your attitude & actions toward me be based on my sins, but on your covenant love for me. Don’t just forgive my sins, forget them." He knows he’s forgiven (2Sam 12:13, Ps 32, 51), but his troubles reminded him of his past sins, that led to this situation, causing him to turn to God in humility and reaffirm before God his full repentance, and in faith plead for & claim God’s covenant promises of forgiveness (MERCY) & grace (GOODNESS) to overcome the effect of those sins. This was also needed as the situation would have triggered accusing thoughts of condemnation, encouraged by satan (this whole attack on David's Throne was part of a bigger spiritual warfare, where satan tried to stop God's purposes thru him), that would have paralysed his faith had he allowed them. So, it was necessary for him to bring these thoughts to God in prayer, claiming His covenant mercy & grace.

Pastor Derek looks at what the Bible Prophecy has to say about Israel in the End-Times.

Messiah's anointed Ministry is prophesied in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them BEAUTY for ASHES, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” The Messiah came to set us free from the power of the enemy (Genesis 3:15). *(1) The POWER of the Messiah’s Ministry. Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me" *(2) The PROVISION of the Messiah’s Ministry (Isaiah 61:2-3). He provides beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning (Psalm 45:6-7, Romans 14:17, 15:13, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 126:1-3) and a garment of praise (Psalm 30:11-12). *(3) The PURPOSE of the Messiah’s Ministry. Isaiah 61:3: "that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be GLORIFIED.” Isaiah 60:21: "Your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be GLORIFIED." Also Psalm 92:12-15.

<Tous les jours de la semaine, de 16h30 à 17h, retrouvez Podcast +, votre émission consacrée à la création sonore, radiophonique et podcastique. Aujourd’hui, Camille Loiseau reçoit Manon Mottard, cocréatrice du podcast "Le Piège" avec Frédéric Moray. Une enquête sur le séminaire de développement personnel "Les Clés du Succès", leader du marché en Belgique francophone.

The background to Ps 24 is the ascension of the Ark of the Covenant (God’s earthly throne) to its rightful place in Jerusalem in a great procession, with much rejoicing (2Sam 6, 1Chron 13,15). It signified God arising to be enthroned in Jerusalem, His chosen dwelling place (Ps 132). The event’s importance is reflected in the pomp & pageantry of Ps 24. This is a type of Christ’s Ascension to sit on God's throne in the New Jerusalem & future ascension to sit on His earthly throne in Jerusalem. What gave significance to this event is the holiness of the Hill of the Lord (His dwelling place) and the King of Glory enthroned on the Ark. The question & answers in Ps 24 were part of the dramatic ceremony, enacted before the city gates. The answers affirm only the King of Glory is worthy to enter thru the Gates and ascend to His place on the holy Hill. Likewise, Christ alone (the King of Glory) is worthy to ascend into Heaven, but He did it for us, so that in Christ, we also can ascend into God's holy Presence in Heaven. Ps 24 is in 3 parts: *(1) The Sovereign Creator, who owns all things (v1-2). *(2) The Heavenly Temple – the requirements for Ascension (v3-6), how can a man know such a high God, stand before Him & receive His blessing? Perfection is required, which is a problem for us. *(3) The true Redeemer – the King of Glory (v7-10). God became a man, and made a way to bring men to God. *PART 1. The Truth about God (v1-2): "The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness (expanded in next line), the world and those who dwell therein (its produce and people)" (v1). This is quoted x2 in 1Cor 10:25-28 (see Ps 50:10-11). WHY does it all belong to Him? He is its Maker & Manager: "For He has (1) founded it on the seas (Maker, Gen 1:2,9,10, 2Pet 3:5), and (2) established it on the waters (rivers, symbolic of His Providence)" (v2). ‘Established’ (imperfect tense) speaks of His ongoing management of the earth. He’s the rightful Owner of all things. We are just tenant possessors of the earth & stewards of God’s resources, for which we’ll give account. Our life is not for us to do with as we please. God’s authority is absolute over all, He has the right to do whatever He wants with us & the world. When we see this, it humbles us. The big question we must ask is: "How can I be right with God?" This seems impossible due to the infinite gap between us as sinful creatures & the holy God. Holiness is represented by height, so God is high above us (Is 57:15, 55:8). For man to be right with God & commune with Him requires us to ascend, but how is this possible? This is what David asks in PART 2: God’s requirements for Ascension (v3-6): "Who may ASCEND the Hill of the Lord? (Heavenly Jerusalem) or STAND in His Holy Place?" (v3). The answer, the moral requirements for ascension, is given in v4: "(1) He who has clean hands & (2) a pure heart" (v4a). Here Hebrew parallelism works like stereo vision to give a full 3D picture, emphasising both his (1) outward actions & (2) inward attitudes & motives must be pure & perfect. This is followed by another parallelism emphasising (1) perfect holiness & (2) perfect righteousness: "(1) who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor (2) sworn deceitfully" (v4b). These represent the (1) God-ward requirement of true worship, free from idolatry, and (2) man-ward requirement of integrity, being a person of our word (no lies, deception or bearing false witness). 'Idol' also means vanity (that which is hollow). Rather than finding meaning, comfort & identity in the Creator, man seeks it in the creation, superficial things, even things with no reality, that don’t ring true & against nature (like gender ideology). Thus, God requires perfection (Matt 5:48), but all sin (only Jesus fulfils these requirements), so what hope have we? But v5 says God provides a way for men to be saved and be made righteous by grace: "He shall receive blessing from the Lord (as a free-gift), and righteousness from the God of his salvation (enabling him to ascend)" (v5). These ones who ascend to God, not by their own righteousness, but by His grace, are described as God-seekers: "This is Jacob, the generation (the group of people) of those who SEEK Him, who SEEK Your face. Selah" (v6). They want to know Him & be right with Him. He promises they will find Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7-8). David uses Jacob to represent those who are imperfect, but seek God (Gen 32:9-12), whom He brings to Himself by a process of coming to saving faith, when they come to an end of themselves & their own strength, knowing they can’t stand before God on their own, and so cling to Him for blessing (Gen 32:24-29). So, to ascend to God requires a perfect righteousness, which God graciously gives to those who seek Him. How He made salvation possible, solving our sin-problem is revealed in PART 3: The King of Glory (v7-10), which describes the Ascension of Christ, the righteous Man, the King of glory - the subject of the next study.

Knowing the faithfulness of God is foundational to your faith in God. Peter builds your faith by revealing what God's word reveals about His absolute faithfulness to keep all His promises to us.

Pastor Derek and Howard Condor discuss the identity of Tarshish in the Bible, and conclude that the evidence points clearly to Great Britain. They also look at 3 end-time Prophecies about Tarshish, and what they mean for this nation.

We study Ps 23 thru the eyes of our personal covenant relationship with the LORD = YEHOVAH, God's covenant Name. 8 compound Covenant Names cover all blessings of the New Covenant. The 1st is: “The LORD is my SHEPHERD” (v1), Yehovah Rohi. Jesus said: “I AM the good SHEPHERD” of Ps 23 (Jn 10:11,14), speaking of His loving care for us. I AM = YEHOVAH, so His I AM claims correspond to the YEHOVAH Names. As our risen Shepherd, as Ps 23 says, He leads us into our full inheritance, described by these Names. True shepherding means a devoted personal relationship between shepherd & sheep. He lives in personal relationship with his sheep & knows them all by name; they know his voice & follow him. This is seen in the word MY: ‘The Lord is MY Shepherd.' He cares for me, watches over, leads, feeds & preserves me. His constant presence protects them from danger. David, an experienced shepherd, knew of what he talked, a man (who sought) after God’s own heart to know Him (1Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22) and God revealed His heart of love to Him, the heart of a shepherd, that just as he cared for his sheep, protecting, providing, leading & rescuing them, so that’s how God is toward His people. As he was devoted to his sheep, so God is fully committed to us, laying down His life for us. He found comfort & security in the covenant-keeping God caring for him, as a devoted shepherd for his sheep. v1b: “I shall not want” = Yehovah Yireh, the LORD my PROVIDER (seeing ahead & providing for us by His Sacrifice, Gen 22;14). He said: “I AM the BREAD of LIFE” (Jn 6:35). By the provision of Himself, in His death & resurrection He meets all our needs (Ro 8:32, 5000). “I’ll not want” confesses covenant confidence in Him. v2: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters” = Yehovah Shalom, the Lord my Peace (Jud 6:24). He said: “I AM the VINE” (Jn 15:1, Eph 2:14). v3: “He restores my soul” = Yehovah Rophe, the Lord my Healer (Ex 15:26). He said: “I AM the Resurrection & Life” (Jn 11:26). v3b: “He leads me in the paths of RIGHTEOUSNESS for His Name’s sake” = Yehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord my Righteousness (Jer 23:6, 33:16). He said: “I AM the DOOR” into God's Presence & Kingdom (Jn 10:7,9). v4: “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” = Yehovah Shammah, the LORD is PRESENT (Ezek 48:35). He said: “I AM the LIGHT” (Jn 8:12, 9:5). As sheep on their own are helpless, lost & defenceless, so without our Shepherd we’d be destroyed. Ps 23 is most beloved for believers, for it tells us we’re never alone, without help or hope. Now the scene changes. The Shepherd is now a King giving a bountiful Banquet. v5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” = Yehovah Nissi, the Lord my Banner of Victory (Ex 17:15). The risen Christ claims this (Rev 1:18). A good host gave protection & provision for his guests. To prepare (set in order) suggests foresight & care, 'before me' means personal provision. He knows all our needs & prepared His perfect provision for us of every blessing, in this life (with our enemies present) & eternity. To dine together signified abiding friendship. In context, to sit at table with the Lord & partake of the meal He’s prepared is the manifestation of our covenant relationship & close fellowship (Rev 3:20). He shows His love, by preparing an everlasting feast for us in His Presence, under His Banner of Protection, for He won the Victory for us (Song 2:4). A fulfilment of this is Holy Communion. He invites us to come & partake of Himself. Every blessing revealed by Ps 23 & 8 Covenant Names is ours in Christ. He wants us to draw near & receive of His abundance. v5b: “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” = Yehovah M’kaddesh, the LORD my Sanctifier (Lev 20:8). He said: “I AM the WAY, TRUTH & LIFE” (Jn 14:6). A host anoints his guest with oil (Lk 7:44-46), representing sanctification & empowerment with His Spirit. ‘My cup runs over’ speaks of a generous host, ever filling our cup to overflowing (Eph 5:18), giving us life & joy in His Spirit (Jn 10:10). His abundant provision shows His great love for us, but the main blessing of the Banquet is to be with Him. Ps 23 concludes with a summary of the results of the Shepherd’s Ministry to us in this life & eternity, v6: “Surely goodness (grace) & mercy (chesed) shall follow (pursue) me (with vigor) all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the House of the Lord (Heaven) forever.” He’s sure of enjoying His Presence all his life, & that He’ll lead him thru the valley of death to Heaven, where he’ll dwell with Him forever - a key verse to comfort those facing death. Don’t follow (covet) blessings, but follow our Shepherd & the blessings will follow. His Ministry as our personal Shepherd continues forever (Rev 7:15-17). Grace & mercy covers all. In grace He gives what we don’t deserve & in mercy He doesn’t give what we deserve.

Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my Shepherd” - a confession of personal faith & submission. He’s my Shepherd, Owner, Lord, Leader (sheep belong to their shepherd; they submit, follow & trust him). Only believers humble themselves to be His sheep and admit they need, belong to & follow their Shepherd, trusting Him to provide. Since the Lord is my Shepherd: “I shall not want” (v1b), a summary of His provision of every blessing, unfolded in detail in the rest of Ps 23: "I’ll not want for peace, protection, guidance, blessing etc. Also, a statement of contentment: “He’s all I want.” “He makes me to lie down (settles me down) in green pastures” (v2a) - satisfied peace & rest. Shepherds rested their flocks at noon (Song 1:7). Sheep only lie down having had plenty to eat & drink, not threatened by wild animals or troubled by parasites or flies and if there’s no friction among the sheep. Rest comes, for the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies & famine. Christ brings us into soul-rest: “He leads (not drives) me beside the still (gentle) waters” (v2b). He plans my life, knows the best way & leads me in it – oriental shepherds go ahead & lead their sheep. They know his voice & follow him. Jesus the Prince of Peace can’t give us peace apart from Himself, as He is Peace. So, if you go away from Him, you lose peace. Sheep can’t drink from swift waters. He supplies us with grass to chew (His WORD) and gentle waters to drink (His SPIRIT). “He restores (lit: 'brings back') my soul” (v3a). Translations emphasise the reviving of the soul. The literal meaning includes something more important, the restoration of a soul by repentance (Gal 6:1). He brings my soul back to God, resulting in the restoring of life & peace. Thus, it speaks of the rescue of a lost sheep, who has gone astray, a vital part of a shepherd's work (Ezek 34:4-6,11-12), a picture of salvation (Isa 53:6). Lost souls are sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus came in compassion to gather His flock (Matt 9:36). This aspect of the Good Shepherd’s ministry is emphasised in the NT (1Pet 2:25). The Parable of the Good Shepherd (Matt 18:11-13) reveals Christ, the Son of Man, is the Good Shepherd, with sacrificial love for each of His sheep. He claimed to be the Good Shepherd of Ps 23, who came from Heaven to seek & save His lost sheep, by bringing us back to Himself. Luke 15:4-7 adds detail: “When he has found it (the lost sheep), he lays it on his shoulders (salvation by grace) rejoicing" (v5). "Likewise, there will be more joy in Heaven over one SINNER who REPENTS” (v7). This proves it’s a picture of salvation by Christ thru repentant faith. When a sheep knows it is lost, it’s paralysed by fear & lies down, or gets caught in a bush or ditch. It’s helpless to save itself. But the Shepherd loves him & seeks Him, calling out to him. When he hears His voice, he bleats (we call on His Name to save us), He lifts him up & carries him home. We repent from going our own way, call on the Shepherd and trust Him to save us, rather than running away. His rejoicing over 1 saved sheep reveals God’s personal love for us. To save the sheep He had to go to where he was. So, to save us, God had to come to earth as a man. So, Ps 23 can only be fulfilled by God becoming a man in the person of Jesus to save us. Having restored me to Himself: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake (for His glory & reputation, displaying the glory of His grace)” (v3b). The Good Shepherd is our Leader & Guide. He plans the best route for the day. The sheep didn’t need to know where to go; just to know where the Shepherd was and follow Him. The Lord leads us into abundance of life & provision. He leads us on the right path for our life. Trust Him, for He’ll lead you well, in accordance with His good Name. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for YOU are with me" (v4a). At times it was necessary to go thru deep gorges in the shadows, vulnerable to robbers & predators, representing times of danger, when death casts a shadow over us, but if we’re with Jesus, our Shepherd, we need not even fear death, for He defeated death for us. He’ll be with us even thru death. v4 speaks of His Protection through His Presence with us both now & forever, for He’ll never leave us. Note the change from HE to YOU. The sheep draws closer to Him in danger. He’s now alongside us, rather than ahead. His Presence protects us from evil, removing our fear. Sheep don’t last long on their own, our safety is in staying close to the Shepherd. “Your ROD and Your STAFF, they comfort me” (v4b). The Shepherd manifests His Presence and so comforts the sheep (1) by His ROD (a club with iron nails in its head, like a mace, used to strike His enemies, 1Sam 17:34-35), corresponding to His WORD. The STAFF was used on the sheep if it started to go the wrong way, to pull it to safety if it needed rescuing, and to count the sheep (Mic 7:14) – a symbol of His SPIRIT.

We introduce Psalm 23, the most popular of Psalms, which despite being short, speaks in poetic beauty to all our needs in life, as well as in facing death, imparting comfort & faith to our souls. It is a declaration of trust in God’s goodness, with no complaints or requests – a confident confession of faith. A great thing to do is to declare it boldly over your life. It has a close relationship with Ps 22, which describes the Good Shepherd, who dies for the sheep & rises again, and provides abundant life for His people (John 10). Then Ps 23 develops this theme in detail, describing this risen Shepherd, leading His sheep, who hear His voice and follow Him, into abundant & eternal life, purchased through His death. Through knowing & following Him, our Shepherd leads us into every blessing of the new covenant (Heb 13:20). We can only claim Ps 23 if we have come to Christ through faith in His death & resurrection (Ps 22). We must meet Christ in Ps 22, before we experience Him in Ps 23. It starts with an outstanding claim that "the Lord is my Shepherd" (v1). This describes His personal care for us, His commitment to us, to provide for us, protect us and lead us as our Shepherd. This is the translation of Jehovah Rohi - one of the 8 Covenant Names of God. God as the Shepherd of His people (sheep) is major theme of Scripture. We look at how Ps 23 fits into the wider biblical revelation of God as our Shepherd, and note the special place it has within this revelation. God is the Shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24, Ps 77:20, 78:52, 79:13, 80:1, 95:7, 100:3). Ps 23 is special because it emphases God is our personal Shepherd, as well as being the Shepherd of His people as a whole. The human leaders of Israel, including David, are also described as shepherds - His under-shepherds (Ps 78:70-71, Isa 63:11). These 2 concepts of divine & human shepherds come together in the God-man Messiah, who would be the good Shepherd of His people. The sinful leaders of Israel had failed to shepherd & feed His people as they should, and so the sheep were scattered (Jer 23:1-3, Ezek 34:1-10). In response, God declared He Himself would be their Shepherd, by personally coming to the earth a Man (the Messiah) to shepherd His people, saving, restoring, protecting and feeding them, leading them into peace, good pasture & abundant life (Jer 23:4-6, Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). Other prophecies of the God-man Messianic Shepherd are Micah 5:2,4, Isa 40:3,9-11, Zech 13:7. This was fulfilled by Jesus (Matt 2:6, 26:31, Luke 19:10, John 10). Jesus said He was the fulfilment of these prophecies in John 10, where He claimed He was the true Shepherd, who alone entered through the door of the virgin birth (v1-3). He comes to call His people to Himself: "and when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (v4). He comes to save us and bring us into abundant and eternal life (v7-10). By claiming He is 'THE Door' into God's Kingdom (v7) and 'THE Good Shepherd' of Ps 23 (v11), He was claiming to be the true Shepherd prophesied in the Old Testament, the Messiah-King, even God manifested in flesh. This was a Divine claim: 'I AM the Good Shepherd' = Jehovah Rohi (Ps 23:1). Good (kalos) does not just mean moral excellence, but that He is excellent in His shepherding, in fulfilment of Ps 23. He repeats this claim in v14 adding: "I know My sheep, and am known by My own", the very feature unique to Ps 23. He demonstrated His selfless love for the sheep by giving His life for them (v11,15, 17-18), adding that He will also take up His life again in resurrection, another claim to Deity (v17,18). Thus, He will save His sheep through His death & resurrection. Now we can see why Ps 23 could only find its full fulfilment in Christ. For example: "Yea, though I walk through the VALLEY of the shadow of DEATH, I will fear no evil; for You are WITH ME” (v4). This only became fully true, when God became one of us, to identify with us (Immanuel: “God with us”) and personally lead us through the valley of death into Heaven's glory, so that we: "will dwell in the House of the Lord forever" (v6). This would not have been possible if God had not become a man to shepherd us to glory. Through taking on Himself a human nature, He went through death & resurrection for us, so that if we trust in Him, through our union with His humanity, we enter through the Door (Himself) into eternal life. Only true believers in Christ are His sheep, who receive the blessings of Ps 23 (v26). He calls them to Himself through the Gospel, and they enter into a personal relationship with Him, and they show their faith by following Him (submitting to His leadership) - v27, and He gives them eternal life & security in His & His Father's hands, in fulfilment of Ps 23:6 (v28-30). He gathers all these sheep into one Flock (the true Church), of both Jews and Gentiles (v16).

Psalm 37:4-5: “Seek your HAPPINESS in the LORD, and He will give you your heart's desire. Give yourself to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will help you.” The love that God has for YOU is unconditional, He will never stop loving YOU. You are of infinite worth and value to Him, because He loves you. Just think about it - the greatest, the most powerful, the most important Person ADORES YOU. He prizes YOU as His most valuable treasure. You hold such value in His sight that He sent His most precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the earth to die in your place, to pay for your sins, all for the purpose of bringing you back to Him, so He could manifest His love to you, as He longs to do. Our wonderful Heavenly Father desires a very CLOSE relationship with all His children. He is calling and leading each one of us into a closer love relationship with Him, and He wants us to seek our happiness in Him, rather than in things. Psalm 27:8: “When You said: “SEEK My FACE (Presence)”: My heart said to You: “Your FACE (Presence) Lord, I will SEEK.” “My heart has heard You say: “Come and talk with Me.” And my heart responds: “Lord, I am coming” (NLT). To SEEK is to crave and search earnestly, until the object of your desire has been found. None of us is perfect, or ever will be in this life. But even though you may be struggling with some things in your flesh, or soulish realm, do not cut your self off from worshiping God. Do not deprive God of the very thing Jesus suffered & died to give Him - your love, worship and your intimate fellowship with Him (John 4:21,23-24). God is prodigal in His love for us. Prodigal means excessive, plenty too much, over the top. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, is not so much about the son, who was prodigal in his sinning, but it is mostly about the father, who was prodigal in his great love for his sinning son. This is a picture of God’s love for us. Luke 15:20: “He arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” God longs to fellowship with us. When David cried out to the Lord (Ps 27:7), the Lord replied by saying: “SEEK My FACE” (v8). Ps 27:8: “When You (Lord) said: “Seek My Face (in prayer, require My Presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You: “Your Face (Presence), O Lord, I will seek.” God is the all-sufficient One, so He can never be lonely. From eternity, there has been perfect love, unity & fellowship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Triune Godhead. God has NO NEEDS, but He has VERY STRONG DESIRES, such as His desire for our love. He loved us so much, that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us, and redeem us from our sins, and purchase us for Himself, so we might belong to God forever as His children (John 3:16). Ephesians 2:4-7: “God, who is rich in mercy, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith He LOVED US, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ (by grace are you saved), and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So that, in the Ages to come (for all eternity) He might show (demonstrate) the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” God is a Giver, not a Withholder! Seeing how much He loves us should make us want to worship Him. Isn’t it breath-taking that we have the ability to bless such a loving Creator, the All-Sufficient One. How amazing that our love and worship can minister to God and give Him great pleasure! God has given us free will, so LOVING God is our CHOICE. He will never force us to love Him. WORSHIPING GOD is a CHOICE. God has placed within each one of us the ability to love, bless & minister to Him in return. But He will never force you to love Him. By giving us free-will, He has made Himself vulnerable to us. We can choose to love Him in return, or turn our back on Him, and break His heart. Hosea 11:3,8: “It was I who taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he does not know or even care that it was I who took care of him... Oh, how can I give you up Israel? How can I let you go? My heart is torn within Me, and my compassion overflows.” Will you break His heart by withholding your love from Him? Our loving worship BLESSES God immensely. It brings Him tremendous pleasure. He DELIGHTS in our worship. It brings Him JOY. If you knew what God really wanted from you, would you do it? Will you give Him your love? God LONGS for intimacy with us, more than we will ever understand in this life. He DESIRES sweet communion with us, more than we desire intimacy with Him. It is so amazing that Almighty God makes Himself available to us every moment of every day! We must EXPECT that He is giving us His undivided attention, when we come to worship Him. Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Pastor Derek puts together clues from the Bible, ancient history and modern science to prove Tarshish is Great Britain. This matters, because 3 end-time Prophecies about Tarshish give us hope for this nation.

With the victorious cry: "You have answered Me!" (v21), Ps 22 transitions from lament to thanksgiving, travail to triumph, from prayer of suffering, alone & forsaken in the dark, to praise for salvation in the light of God's Presence, declaring the universal & eternal consequences of His sacrificial death on our behalf, from a prophecy of the Cross to His resurrection, ushering in a new age of grace (v22-31), including the forming of a worshipping community, expanding from Israel (v23) to the world (v25-29), as the Gospel is proclaimed (v30-31). It predicts the universal & eternal significance of His death & resurrection. 1st He announces the formation of His new spiritual family, the Church, reborn by His resurrection as the firstborn of many brethren (v22, Rom 8:29). His desire is for God to be glorified by His people, especially as they gather together, for praise is the repeating theme of all these verses. God’s glory is the ultimate fruit of His work. v23-24: “You who fear the Lord, praise Him!” (true believers fear God; true praise is from submitted hearts). “All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction (v1-21) of the afflicted (Messiah); nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard (by raising Him from death).” This predicts the Gospel will go 1st to Israel, that God has fully accepted the value of His sacrificial death (v1-21) as the sufficient basis (payment) for our salvation and has declared this by His resurrection. The risen Christ calls all Israel to respond & glorify God by believing in Him & His finished work, submitting to & praising Him, for what He’s accomplished. Then v25 predicts the formation of a great Assembly of believers, united to Christ, praising God together, growing & expanding across the world (also v27): “My praise shall be of You in the great Assembly” (v25a). A reason why they praise is they share in His great sacrificial feast: "I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied" (v25b-26a). A man in trouble prays for God’s help (v1-21) & makes vows to fulfil after his deliverance, including a peace offering for thanksgiving in the Temple, then sharing the benefits of the sacrifice with family, friends & poor in a communal meal before God, joyfully partaking of the sacrifice (Lev 7:15-16, Deut 12;17-19). Likewise, Christ purchased every blessing for us. He vowed to God to offer His sacrificial Blood in the heavenly Temple on our behalf & share His purchased blessings with us in an everlasting sacrificial Feast. He fulfils His vow, inviting us to come to God to partake. As the Sacrifice, He shares Himself with us. Only believers (poor in spirit) respond, eat & are satisfied. His provision is abundant & sufficient for all our needs. "Those who seek Him will (find Him and) praise the Lord" (v26b). Seekers become singers. The blessings are for this life & eternal life & glory with God: "Let your heart live forever!" (v26c). Next, we see the conversion of the Gentiles in the Church Age & Millennium as a result of His Sacrifice: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You." A picture of true conversion (prodigal son): (1) REMEMBER - come to a right mind about God, (2) REPENT - turn from sin to God. (3) REVERENCE - the fruit of this repentance is a lifestyle of worship. This Gentile salvation is only accomplished by Christ (Isa 42,49,53, Gen 12:1-3). Thus, the success of the Gospel proves Jesus is the Christ. It's clear these verses are not about David. This victory is the basis for God’s Kingdom on earth: "For the Kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations" (v28). Christ will be made Lord of all people in every realm (v29) - fulfilled (Phil 2:9-11, Ro 14:10-11). The last verses predict the propagation of salvation by the Gospel from one generation to the next: "A posterity (seed - future generations, or 'His seed', born again spiritual offspring, Isa 53:10) shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation" (v30). One way they serve Him is by the Gospel. "They will come (to God, to Christ, & come forth to new life), and declare His righteousness (all He did in His perfect life & death, and in giving His perfect righteousness to us) to a people, who will be born (again) that He has DONE this.” This is the message, that "He has FINISHED it" (in 2Chr 4:11 this word describes the finishing of the Temple. Likewise, Jesus finished the work to make us His Temple). Thus, the burden of the Gospel is His finished work. Jesus quoted this verse on the Cross, just before He died in John 19:30: “Jesus said: “It is finished!” May we see our salvation fully accomplished by Him. He paid in full for our forgiveness & abundant & eternal life. Jesus quoted the 1st & last verse on the Cross, showing all Ps 22 is messianic.