Psalm 23 (Part 3)

Why will God leads us into the paths (dimensions) of his righteousness? Because of "Hashem (His name)". Not because of our doing, but simply because He has become our shepherd. The interesting thing is, after a while the sheep can walk in the path that the shepherd has led them through without help because they now have the Shepherd's mind. The sheep becomes mature in discerning what's good and what's evil, what's godly and what's not.

To Abraham, the Lord said "I know Abraham, he will command his household to do all that I've commanded him". We should remember that Abraham didn't start that way. Abraham had to learn obedient. Jesus learned obedient by the things he suffered, the ultimate word he uttered was "Not my will but Your will". One "will" must prevail and it’s going to be the Shepherd's will or else, he isn't the shepherd to begin with.

Learning obedience brings us to verse 4: "Yea, though I walk through the Gey Tzalmavet, I will fear no rah; for You art with me; Your shevet and Your staff they comfort me."..

Let me explain this word "Gey Tzalmavet". Often when we read this word in the King James Version and it means shadow of death. Other translations also have it like that, but what about if we flip the word "Tzalmavet" into reasonable vowel, it will turn to "tzalmut" meaning "Self-image" or "Identity" from the root word "Tzelem" which means God's image.

Let's step backward a bit here for understanding. Shadow of death is not "Death" literary, like many of us believe it to be. It has nothing first and foremost to do with "Death" but it has to do with "Your/our identity". If I were to re-read that verse 4, it would be "though I walk through things that want to proof my identity wrong, I will not be afraid because my identity is secured in my shepherd".

Daily we are bombarded with stuffs that wants to choke our identity in Christ, some even ask us to prove our identity. For example, Satan asked Jesus to prove his identity by turning stone into bread. The emphasis isn't on the bread but on His identity as the Son of God. Many a times, situations and circumstances want us to prove our identity, we can either choose to say "lo ira ra"(I'm not afraid) or we can start by proving ourselves to the situation, the end result of that is Fear.

Sheep has no strength to defend themselves, sheep solely depend on the shepherd to defend them. Time and time again we may try to defend ourselves, we may try prove that we are right while every other person is wrong. The end result of that will be, if we are actually sheep, fear and shame. When we make Christ our Lord, what we are saying as sheep is:

"I don't have my right again, I don't need to prove anything to anyone, I don't have any strength because I have given up, I'm not going to avenge myself of things done to me and so on... I'm just going to be sheep."

David could have dealt with Saul, but he couldn't because he's no longer the master/captain of his ship. At other time someone was cursing him and he replied "allow him, maybe the Lord has asked him to curse me...(See 2 Samuel 16:5)" David of old (remember Abigail and Nabal?) would have avenged himself but God has de-roped him.
He couldn't defend himself again, rather "Hashem" was now His shepherd. Despite his mistakes, the Lord became his shepherd.

Lastly, the rod is for correction while the staff is for comfort and encouragement. "And David encourage himself in the Lord". At other place, "God brought correction to David through Nathan the prophet". There's always a rod for correction for every sheep and staff for comforting the heart of the sheep. Both work together to produce the desired result that the shepherd is looking for in the sheep...

In conclusion, I don't want to re-explain verse 5 and 6.

I just want to mention the latter part of the last verse of that Psalms that reads "I shall dwell in the house of the Lord".

In this dispensation of Grace. We are not to dwell forever in a house built with bricks and blocks as house of the Lord. "We are the House of the Lord". We are the lively stones that's building up a house for the Lord and we've also be made priests and kings to our God. For we are a kingdom of priests not of the Leviticus order, rather of the endless life that's founded in Christ Jesus.

We must daily remind ourselves because it is possible to associate the brick and blocks with God's house. It's very easy to turn a place or a thing to "house of God". God dwell not in in the building built by men, he dwells alone in the house he builds by Himself. "Whose house are we" says Paul. I remember when the Lord started opening my eyes to that truth, he led me to be reciting the last verse as "I am the house of the Lord forever"

Grace and Peace.

Read Part 1 Here and Part 2 Here

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Our Journey Of Love

Our Christians' journey is a journey of Love and not of WAR; It's in love we conquer war,all kind of hatred and things that offend in His Kingdom.

This love journey is eternity, for we are created for love and to be loved. The Love that the Lord has for all is what makes Him to cause the rain to fall and the sun to shine on both the righteous and the wicked.

His love is beyond measure. The blessing you and I received is as a result of His unconditional love.

His body is built on that Love. Dividing His body is as a result of lack of Love; for the heart will no say "I will not pump blood to the legs because of one thing" neither will the legs refuse to carry the body.

If the eyes is affected the whole body suffers it together. We are not yet complete in love when we divide His body.

Our love grows as we abide in His presence, His love and glory will emanates from us for the world to see.

God's throne is established on Love and out of that throne proceeds living water, Yes, its out of that throne. His throne is YOUR HEART! It is when He reigns and dominates that people can truly drink from this living water.

For us to really understand this our LOVE JOURNEY then abiding and loving is very crucial.

The bridge that makes us to be in Heaven while on Earth is LOVE. Our love for Him and for His brethren.

Like Brother John said: "He that loveth knoweth God".

Knowing God is as a result of loving God and desiring for His presence. A man has not know God until he starts loving his neighbor though he may profess to know God or to be Christian.

Love tolerates all thing, receives corrections, rebukes, exhortations and complies with other but en-shews evil.

It is in love the Lord will judge the world including Satan and his co-workers.

Love is the cement of the Lord's House nothing brings His House together than LOVE!.

Solomon said:

"We have a little sister and she has no breast, what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for"

(song of Solomon 8:8)

The breast here signify the breastplates of righteousness; the two breast signify LOVE and FAITH (1 Thessalonian 5v8).
Our salvation start from receiving the Love of Christ and the acceptance of that Love equal to FAITH.

The Church of the living God is built on the Foundation of LOVE and FAITH. His judgment, chastisement and correction are all in His love. In this love LIGHT is make manifest and darkness is disperse.
In His love, JUSTICE and EQUITY is established.

Love is the Strong tower and anchor that hold His Church. Here is where sins, iniquities, abominations and uncleanness are expose and judge.

In his love, He gave the prodigal son his inheritance knowing fully well that he will squander it.

In His love He allowed him to decide and make decision without compelling him against his wish, though he (the prodigal son) spent all and wasted his inheritance among heathen(pagans) but in His love, He received him back to Himself not as servant but as a "DEAR SON".

In His love, He had compassion on the multitude and fed their hungry souls, knowing that, at the end they will betrayed and crucified Him.

Just as He loved sinners, so did He extends His love to Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him. He gave him time to repent and make a right choice.

Peter wasn't an exception of His love, although he failed many time but held on to His unchangeable love, the love that is ever extending to all.

Love dealt(deals) with us not according to our prayers, praises, good works and offerings rather on the basis of how HE sees our DESIRE FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

My failures and mistakes are not enough to compared to the way He loves me, neither does my success measured up to the greatness of His love toward me.

But my REACTIONS (answers) to His gentle CALL and PROMPT OBEDIENCE captivate His HEART than my ten thousands of BULL for OFFERING without obedience.

Here is what the Lord told me while I was in His presence and I believe is for everyone that are called by His name:

"IF YOU LOVE ME , YOU WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENT AND ABIDE IN ME; THEN WILL I MAKE MY ABODE IN YOU.
YEA, I WILL LIVE, WORK ,WALK, SPEAK AND DO ALL KIND OF MY GOOD PLEASURE IN YOU; THEN SHALL MY GLORY FLOW(SPRING)FORTH IN YOU AS THE SUN RISES IN HER FULL STRENGTH AND AS A MOON, COMING OUT OF HER CHAMBER WITH HER FULL GLORY BRINGING LIGHT TO EVERY DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT.

ABIDE IN ME, ABIDE IN MY LOVE, DWELL IN ME, DWELL IN MY FAITH; BATH YOURSELF IN MY LOVE AND WALK BY MY SIDE EVERYDAY.

IT IS A CALL TO LOVE, A CALL TO ABIDE, A CALL TO DWELL AND BATH YOURSELF IN MY SUFFICIENT GRACE WHICH EQUAL TO LOVE AND FAITH.
FAITH AND LOVE WILL ABIDE.

IF A MAN LACK FAITH, HE CANNOT LIVE IN MY PRESENCE AND IF A MAN DOES NOT LOVE HE CANNOT ABIDE IN MY HOUSE.
THESE TWO MUST BE THERE BEFORE YOU CAN DWELL WITH ME. IF YOU ASK FOR FAITH - THAT I SHOULD INCREASE YOUR FAITH, I WILL GLADLY DO THAT BUT, IF YOU PUT ON HATRED YOU WILL NOT STAND BEFORE ME.

YOU MUST GROW IN MY LOVE, YOU MUST GROW IN MY FAITH FOR THIS LIVING WATER TO FLOW THROUGH YOU".

"ABIDE FAITH, ABIDE LOVE, ALL THESE IN MY HOUSE THAT I AM BUILDING"

SHALOM

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