The Good Shepherd

We talked about how do we resist and repel Delilah.

How do we resist and repel Delilah?

And we said that Delilah was someone who lulls you into sleep,

who devalues your anointing,

who weakens your strength, and all this was said last time,

who distorts your image,

who robs you of hope and holiness, truth and joy,

and it results in a total loss of dominion.

So let me repeat that again. Delilah, if you remember from last week,

is someone who lulls you into sleep so that you lose vigilance and are taken,

devalues your anointing even though you are so set apart by God and anointed,

it devalues your anointing,

weakens your strength,

distorts your image, takes you down when you're doing really well,

robs you of hope and holiness,

of truth and joy, and in the end it results in a loss of dominion or a loss of the ability

to live out the kingdom here on earth.

That's what we said Delilah does. And last week we said we'll talk

about how do we resist and repel her. And this may take two, three weeks to talk about it in

entirety. Today we'll start with just one bit.

So the steps that we'll be studying today

are disciplines that you can apply and I'd suggest that you practice them over

the next 14 days. The next two weeks, Sunday to Sunday,

if you are able to take these steps and practice them on a daily basis,

and I'm asking you to do it for two weeks because you will be so

encouraged by the results you will see that

it'll be natural for you to press on. And they are so basic that it's like

going back to the basics. And we'll use Psalm 23 as our backdrop

as we study it today. So this is just the

beginning of how do we resist and repel, I almost said Diana,

resist and repel Delilah.

For the other study on Diana, it'll be on Wednesday evening.

So resist and repel Delilah. And guys, I got quite a few comments from a few

people during the week of you either understanding what's

happening, examining your life. Some of you were

a little overwhelmed, some of you not. But the point being

it is very real on what we talked about last week and if you

need to hear it again, go and listen to it again. And I was so glad that

Jawad asked that question at the end saying, okay so how do we go about it? And

I recapped it at the end. And in recapping it there was greater

clarity to it. And I hope you've done homework this

week and if you haven't, there's nothing anybody can do about it.

So let's go look at Psalm 23.

I just sang it but let's just read it. Hey Maurice. Hey, is Vera

Stobart any relative of yours? Vera Stobart. She won the million

dollar VGH lottery and I thought, I heard Stobart and I thought, okay is

Maurice's other name Vera Stobart?

Maybe you should find out if this is the one.

Isn't that usually when relatives come up with weird things?

Psalm 23.

I was thinking man if I win how do I explain the fact that I bought the ticket?

So Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in

green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He

restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for

his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of

the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me and your rod and

staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the

presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup

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

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Guys,

I love Psalm 23 verse 3. It says he restores my soul but the second part he

Psalms 23:3

says he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. He

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

What I wanted us to do today is to look at not the sheep but the shepherd to see

how well poised we are to be able to undo what Delilah wants to do.

Just by looking at the shepherd and looking at the kind of person

he is and that he belonged to. So notice that when the shepherd bought me,

he took a knife, put my ear on a wooden block and notched it.

So that there would be no doubt as to whom I belong to. When the shepherd bought me

and all of you have been bought. When the shepherd bought you, he took your ear,

put it on a wooden block and notched it. Don't know what he wrote, maybe J.C.

or whatever he wrote. He notched your ear so that there'll never be any doubt as to who you belong to.

I was reading Acts 19 yesterday and it says there that the demons looked at the sons of Skiwa

and they said, Jesus I know, Paul I recognize. Your ears are notched,

you're recognizable. But here's the thing, in doing so, this shepherd has placed his reputation,

his design, his character and his management of you on the line.

In owning you and putting his mark on you forever now, this shepherd

has placed his reputation, his character, his management of your life

and his design for you on display. He's placed it on the lines for all to see.

Look at Ezekiel and this is why God often gets really upset after waiting for a people or a person

to change. He gets really upset and then he'll even say stuff like, man I'm going to start a new line

through you and then he'll back off because he's put his reputation on the line for you.

The management of your life he's put on the line for you. He's put it for all to see and Moses knew

this. Look at some of these scriptures. Look at Ezekiel 20, 14.

Ezekiel 20, 14

and it says there,

started verse 13, then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness to make a full

end of them but I acted for them and I did not do it. I did not do it. I did not do it. I did not

act for the sake of my name that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose

sight I had brought them out. He puts, because you and I have become his people, he puts his reputation

and the management of your life on the line for all to see and he's jealous about his reputation.

And part of the reason mercy flows is because of the jealousy of his reputation and because of his

reputation. I know some of us have never thought of it. I have never thought of it too but part of

the reason mercy flows is because of the jealousy he has over you as a people and his jealousy about

his reputation. What I'm trying to say here is guys, you have no idea how invested he is in us.

This is not a create, turn the clock on, let them run and help them when they need help. This is not

clockwork orange. This is something very different where here is someone who is deeply invested in

you. He's invested design in you. What do I mean by invested design in you? Guys, we have a tendency

to think that this is my life and God entered my life. I want you to think differently about that.

Think like this that at some point in the wisdom and the great pleasure and laughter and joy of God,

he decided that there would be a life called Jacob. He decided that there would be a life called Jacob

and he designed it, crafted it, set it in time, set it with days that are numbered, set it in paths that

are numbered, set it in paths that were good. He crafted and designed a life called Jacob and in this

life called Jacob he also put something called free will but he's invested a lot in this.

He's invested design.

I've stopped saying oh God I give you my life.

I've started saying to him of late that oh God I am grateful that at some point you taught me into

existence, that you wanted me to exist, that not only did you want me to exist, that having wanted

me to exist I am wonderfully made, you wonderfully made me. I don't know why but you decided that

there must be on earth a person called Jacob and I'm glad that you borned me.

And I'm glad that you borned me. B-O-R-N-E-D, that you borned me. You decided I want this person called Jacob

and then you wonderfully made me. This life is not even mine to give. This life is yours and I am so glad

that I am made.

He's invested design but before we go there look at Isaiah 48-9. Isaiah 48-9.

Isaiah 48-9. You'll see why it's very hard for God to undo some undo stuff when he's poured so much

into it. Isaiah 48-9 which is why what he does is usually take people to heaven. Isaiah 48-9.

Isaiah 48-9.

For my name's sake I defer my anger. For the sake of praise I restrain it for you that I may not cut it off.

For my name's sake I defer my anger. For the sake of my praise I restrain myself from being angry that I may not cut you off.

This is his nature. Look at another one. Exodus 32-11-14. Exodus 32-11-14.

Exodus 32-11-14.

Exodus 32-11-14. It says there but Moses, you know Moses knew this character of God

that he has a jealousy over a people that he's formed. It's a double whammy, a double whopper.

On one hand he's jealous over me. On the other hand is jealous about his reputation as the one who

manages my life and when both combine you have someone who is intensely protective and he talked

about it two weeks ago or three weeks ago and so Moses knows it and look at what Moses does.

He uses that to now appeal for the people and he says this is what fascinates me about people

like Moses and David who did not have what we have and yet were far ahead of their times

in their understanding of God and knowing this nature of God. Look at how he prays. He says but

Moses implored the Lord his God and said, Oh Lord why does your wrath burn hot against your people

whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Why should the Egyptians say? What evil intent did he bring them out to kill them in the mountains

and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this

disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel your servants to whom you swore

by your own self and said to them, I will multiply your offsprings as the stars of the heaven and

all this land that I promised I will give to your offspring and they shall inherit it forever and

the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. Moses knew it

that here is a jealous God who is jealous over his people and here is a jealous God who is jealous

over his reputation. I can implore him based on that. This is why I often emphasize on knowing the

nature of God because your prayer can be very effective. It's taking advantage of the weakness of God.

Look at Samuel. You know this is the first time I've read this chapter before but this is the first time I saw

this little thing in Samuel, 1 Samuel. I didn't know he did what he did. 1 Samuel 22, 1 Samuel 12, sorry,

1 Samuel 12, 22. I didn't know he brought thunder and lightning. I've never read that before even though I have.

So the people have asked for a king and they've rejected God as king starting at verse 19.

And all the people said to Samuel, pray for your servants to the Lord your God that we may not die

for we have added to all our sins this evil and we have asked for ourselves a king.

And Samuel said to the people, do not be afraid. Look at this. They've done evil, they're scared

and he says do not be afraid. They've just rejected God as king. Do not be afraid. You have done all

this evil yet do not turn aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart

and do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver for they are empty. For

the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake because it has pleased the Lord to

make you a people for himself. Moreover, see again two things. Why is he not going to undo them? For

two reasons. One, for his own name's sake and two, because you are a people he's made for himself.

Guys, all I'm saying is begin to know who backs you. Begin to know who is in your corner. Begin to see

him as someone who is so for you. Important.

Know who's backing you up and see when he puts his management of us, his

design for us on display for all to see. There is a distinct possibility that the father's

reputation, the father's character, the father's management of my life may never get a second look

in the world. Worse, it may even be something that is soiled. I mean in Philippians 3, 18,

Paul says this. Paul says I'm sorry to say that some of you

are enemies of the cross and have brought shame to the name of your God. That's what Paul says in

Philippians 3, 18 and 19. That your stomach has become your glory and your sensual apetite is

what drives you and you have become enemies of the cross and he's talking to the church. So it is

possible once we are owned by this shepherd to bring dishonor to his name. But that's okay for

him. Meaning he can handle it. All I'm saying is I've got to become aware of who is in my corner.

That whose reputation is now on me. That who are people... Guys, my life will reflect the way God

manages it. Why is it that people want to work for Google? Why is it that people want to work

for Microsoft? Why is it that people want to work for certain companies more than others? Why?

Because it seems as if if you work for that company the management has a personal stake in

your life. In the city of Bangalore in India there is this amazing Microsoft and IT corridor.

It's like stepping out of India into a brand new world. You step out of there into this

walled compound and you've got childcare, you've got gyms, you've got cafes, you've got

you've got air conditioning, you've got power that will not be interrupted regardless of whether all

of the rest of India doesn't have power. It's like a separate city. And people why with each other to

go and work there? Because the management there takes good care of them. Anyone who works there

has a reputation of being taken care of. The working environment, the those scooter like

thingies, the Segway thingies, everything. Fabulous atmosphere to work in.

We need to realize that the way our lives look, the way our nature, the lives we live looks

is a reflection on the management that we are under.

Know who is in your corner, know who's backing you.

He can take it if people look at my life and say, what kind of god does he serve?

So he can take it. He's taken accusations for years and years and years.

It's not like he can't handle it. His shoulders are so broad, my god, he can take accusation after

accusation. But know that the management, that the reflection of my life here on earth is the

that my life here on earth is a reflection on the management that I'm under.

And the thing here is, this manager is just wonderful. I want you to do something, guys.

This week, I want you to search your heart and discover the identity. Search your heart

and identify your perception of God's attitude to you.

And identify your perception of God's attitude towards you. Search your heart

and identify your perception of God's

attitude towards you.

Search your heart and identify your perception of God's attitude towards you.

Because it shapes

and determines

your response

in life and to God.

We'll come back to that later.

Guys, there is no answer to this question.

I'm going to give you a little bit of a summary of what I'm going to talk about.

I'm going to give you a little bit of a summary of what I'm going to talk about.

We'll come back to that later.

Guys, there is no anger or abuse against us as sheep from this shepherd.

There is no anger or abuse against us sheep, regardless of whether we are standing or whether

we fall, regardless of whether we are with him or when we go astray, regardless of whether we are

trapped or we are attacked, regardless of whether we've fallen into a pit and are unable to rise.

Understand that there is no abuse or anger from this shepherd towards you.

Very important guys.

You know, in Ezekiel 34, God is talking about

shepherds and he says, I am not like one of those shepherds who doesn't bind up the wounded,

who doesn't gather the ones that are weak, who doesn't release the ones that are trapped,

who doesn't take care of the ones that are not able to go on.

I am a shepherd who binds up wounds, who takes sheep out of snares, who helps them.

I'm one who carries the lambs in my arms.

This is the kind of shepherd he is.

And so regardless of where you are at, slothful, lazy, fat, trapped.

I mean, I was reading this book by Philip Keller long ago and in that book he says how some sheep

grow so fat that they settle in a small little depression in the ground and the center of gravity

shifts and suddenly they find themselves unable to get up. And so they start struggling and the

more they struggle, the more they lose the center of gravity and now they can literally

suffocate to death if they're not brought back to their feet.

Regardless of the situation you and I may be trapped in at present,

know that there is no anger or abuse from this shepherd.

Philip Keller also wrote of his neighboring ranch which was run by a hireling,

by someone who was employed to take care of the sheep and he writes of how cruelly the sheep were

treated because they did not belong to the man. He was there to take care of the sheep.

He was there to take care of them on behalf of the owner.

I am so relieved that this shepherd does not abuse or get angry when sheep are trapped and snared.

Caught in depression, losing the center of gravity, not able to rise up, still does not get angry or abuse.

This is not the kind of shepherd he is. Take any description of a shepherd in the Bible,

you will see that he's not like that. I want you to know who is in your corner.

He's outstandingly fond of me guys, outstandingly fond of me.

He is outstandingly fond of me

and his fondness does not go up and down. He's outstandingly fond of me.

And he loves me as I said earlier simply because I am this life called Jacob that he wonderfully

crafted and now takes personal pleasure in. He loves me simply because I am this life

called Jacob, a name that he probably thought of before the foundations of the earth.

He loves me simply because I am this life that he spoke into existence called Jacob,

wonderfully and fearfully crafted by him that he takes personal pleasure in.

This is who I have in my corner.

Here's another thing you need to know about him who is in your corner.

He has no greater reward or deeper satisfaction than seeing you flourish under his care.

He has no greater reward or deeper satisfaction. This is order.

God is not, his great reward is not taking us to heaven. His great reward is not

all that. His greatest reward and deepest satisfaction is to see Wayne and me flourish under his care.

Flourish under his care. That is his greatest reward. How do we know that? Because very often

he turns to Israel and says don't you know that you are my portion? You are my portion.

Greatest reward and deepest satisfaction is to see me flourish under his care so that he can

hear one day me say the Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing.

You know we have epitaphs on our graves that need to say something about us. One of the things you

can say to God that really blesses his heart is the Lord is my shepherd I really lack nothing.

And I would suggest to you that Jesus walked that way and lived that way and it was not because he

was poor or rich because he was troubled or not troubled because he was suffering or not suffering.

It has nothing to do with quantity or wealth or anything else. It has nothing to do with

quantity but to operate from this place where I can say the Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing.

Not by measuring what I may or may not have in my wallet

but by seeing all the resources that are locked up in my shepherd.

Now let's go back to this. Search your heart and identify your perception of God's attitude towards you.

Very important guys very very important.

Search your heart to identify your perception of God's attitude towards you because it determines

and shapes your response it affects all issues of life. For instance

I find that there are many times after all that I've taught and after all that I believe in there

are many many times when I feel that God is neutral. It is very hard for me to imagine God

being against me it's almost impossible. I feel that God is neutral. I feel that God is neutral.

It is very hard for me to imagine God being against me it's almost impossible.

But I catch myself so many times during the day when I think God is neutral about me.

There are times when I'm not doing well that I have this perception of God as a tit for tat God

meaning you're not pleasing me now so do not expect much from me. You are pleasing me now

so do not expect much from me. You are pleasing me now you can have the world.

Some of us have a perception of God that I got to work work work work work in terms of

getting things right and finally if I get it right he'll be good to me.

Some of us have a perception of God of a cruel task master unfortunately.

Some of us have a perception of God as one who is so sovereign that there is absolutely no surety to him.

I hate that particularly because it has a degree of holiness to it. Oh God is sovereign.

That kind of sovereignty isn't a godly divine sovereignty it is a man-made sovereignty and

remember this every time you and I buy into a human perception we aid the enemy.

Every time we buy into a human way of thinking we energize or give strength to the enemy.

You don't have to go and do anything evil. You give strength to the enemy simply by buying into

a human way of thinking. It goes back to what we said or what Eddie taught us about the two gateways

which I won't go into right now.

Guys depending on how you identify your perception of God's attitude towards you

so the issues of life are responses to life and the responses to God are determined.

But after you do this once you have done this do a DNA match.

I mean you've taken DNA out of your perception of God's attitude. Now take that DNA and match it to

God's DNA from the word. For example match it to Exodus 34 6.

A God who is short on patience who is a hard task master Exodus 34.

Match it to see if it matches up with his DNA.

Exodus 34 6 the Lord passed before him and proclaimed

a God merciful and I say amen and gracious and I say amen to that.

Slow to anger and I know that for a fact.

Abounding as in a surplus overflowing surplus in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Keeping steadfast love and faithfulness in mind.

Abounding as in a surplus overflowing surplus in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Keeping steadfast love for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

But who will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers and

the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.

And this is from the old covenant before Christ came in.

Let's look at another one Psalm 91.

Got a match DNA Psalm 91 you all know it.

Just a few verses here and there.

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fallow from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge.

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place the most high who is my refuge.

No evil shall be allowed to befall you.

No plague shall come near your tent.

For he'll command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they'll bear you up.

Because he holds fast to me in love.

Because Jacob holds fast to me in love.

I will deliver him.

I will protect Jacob because he knows my name.

When he calls to me I will answer him.

I will be with him in trouble.

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Let's look at Romans 8 31.

Romans 8 31.

I love this.

I love this bit Romans 8 31.

Oh it's beautiful.

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us who can be against us?

If God is for me who can be against me?

He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for me or me.

How will he not also with him graciously give me all things?

Who dare bring a charge against God's elect Jacob?

It is God who justifies.

Who dare condemn?

Christ Jesus is the one who died.

More than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God.

Who indeed is now praying and interceding for Jacob.

Who can separate Jacob from the love of Christ?

Can tribulation or distress, persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Verse 37.

No in all things Jacob is more than a conqueror through him who loved me.

For I'm sure that neither death nor life

nor angels nor rulers nor demons nor present things nor things to come tomorrow nor powers

nor height not death nor anything else in all creation will ever be able to separate me

from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is DNA.

This is a DNA match and if it doesn't match then know that my perception

of God's attitude towards me is flawed.

When I have an attitude that God is neutral during my day it is flawed.

She is a flawed woman and yet as a mother finds it very difficult to be neutral towards a newborn.

Then what about a magnificent God?

I am sorry when I think God is neutral.

God is for me and for me passionately actively not passively.

There is no tit for tat with God because tit for tat God is not a God of love.

It's a God who needs to be appeased before he acts.

This is an important question you need to ask yourself because I would suggest to you

that most of our views of God will have certain distortions when it comes to identifying the

perception of God's attitude towards you.

I'm not talking about your attitude towards God.

Check in your heart how you think God is towards you and that is what is now causing you to

respond a certain way.

The next thing guys is humble yourselves to receive grace.

These are ways to repel after we're talking about repelling Delilah the one who unseats us,

the one who saps our strength, the one who robs us of hope and holiness.

Practice this every day.

Start by knowing who is in your corner.

The next thing to do is humble yourself to receive grace and the word humble I use there

is to be dependent.

Guys Samson was separated to God before he was born.

From the womb he was separated to God.

Samson had tremendous strength.

Samson was so anointed but he had no dependence on the God who separated him, strengthened

him and anointed him.

To humble myself is to come every morning if it works for you in the morning.

I found out that Bill Gates is a night guy too so I've got good company.

Come every, wake up every morning and guys word your dependence on him in your hearing.

Word your dependence on him.

It is insufficient to know in your heart that you're undependent.

Word your dependence on him in your hearing because God can hear you even when you don't

speak but you can't.

Word your dependence on him in your hearing in areas that you excel in and in areas that

you languish in.

Word your dependence saying father I'm going this morning I usually enjoy worship but I

and I'm pretty good at it father I lead worship well but I come now to be dependent on you

so that I'll be able to lead a people where you want them to go.

Father I got to minister to someone after church today and I'm not sure how to go about

it but I am coming dependent on you.

I humble myself regardless of how many I may have ministered to in the past.

I humble myself and declare my dependence on you.

I word it in my hearing.

Independence and pride are ruts independence and pride are ruts that Leviathan runs on.

Leviathan is a spirit.

Leviathan is mentioned in Job 41 verse 34 and it says Leviathan is one who rules as

Job 41:34

king over the children of pride.

Leviathan is a spirit that rules as king over the children of pride.

Guys when it comes to dependence and walking humbly make sure that you hallow God before

you walk.

Guys when it comes to dependence and walking humbly make sure that you hallow God before

people.

It doesn't matter how your heart is word it.

It's important to word it.

It's important to word it.

Not false humility but word it.

Word it it's important.

Sometimes I may know that I am humble in my heart but when I am before a people who do

not know me then I still have to make sure that in what I say I acknowledge God.

It may not be important or necessary sometimes to do it in your midst because you know me.

Sometimes I may know that I am humble in my heart but when I am before a people who do

not know me then I still have to make sure that in what I say I acknowledge God.

It may not be important or necessary sometimes to do it in your midst because you know me.

But I can be somewhere else and I cannot assume that just because I walk like that in my heart

that I am not supposed to open my mouth and give or ascribe strength to the one it comes

from.

I am not supposed to be aware of hallowing him.

Moses was one of the meekest men on the face of the earth but in that flash where he does

what he does and strikes the rock three times.

God wasn't doubting his meekness.

God wasn't even doubting his obedience.

What God checked him on was that he did not hallow God before the people.

Guys there is so much to outward expression in terms of your action and your words and

the sooner we as Canadians get over our Canadian-er when it comes to this area the sooner you

will be able to function as ones that thrive under the management of a good shepherd.

Vocal and bodily expression is vital.

It is vital to us, to each other.

It is encouraging when I see you listening, when I see you writing and not sleeping.

It is encouraging, trust me.

It is vital that we express ourselves.

Do not hold back.

Behave like your God.

Behave like your God.

If your God is a silent type, then great.

Be the deep meditative silent type.

But if he ain't the silent type, then let's imitate him.

Humble yourself to receive grace.

Remember that I only am able to receive grace when I walk in dependence.

God resists those that are proud and gives grace to those that are humble.

Guys, over the next two weeks, go and word dependence.

Go and word dependence.

Father, I've got four kids, don't have any idea how to take care of them.

I am dependent on you.

Father, I've got to deal with situations at work today that I've never done.

It scares the heck out of me.

I'm dependent on you, Father.

Father, I've taken care of goats all my life.

I'm very good at it, but I'm dependent on you today.

Word it.

For the next two weeks, word it.

You need to hear it.

Continue with that attitude.

Guys, do it for two weeks and you'll see change.

Continue with the attitude that I can do nothing myself.

Jesus fascinates me in John 15, 4 where he says,

He's saying it to the rest of the world for the rest of eternity, that apart from my father,

John 5, 30, apart from my father, I can do nothing.

Apart from my father, I can do nothing.

Word it.

He worded it.

It wasn't some kind of hidden expression in his art.

He worded it.

Spoke it out.

Come now, imitate your master.

By myself, I can do nothing.

So that's one area of dependence.

That we are parts of each other.

That it is not possible for me as apart to exist in isolation.

That every part needs the other part.

Every part dependent on every other part.

It's in 1 Corinthians 12.

The next bit is quite interesting.

Rejoice or dance with him.

What are we talking about?

Ways to repel and resist Delilah.

Rejoice and dance with him.

Guys, here's a question that you need to ask yourself.

Can you say today, or can you say on any given day,

The Lord is my shepherd and I'm completely satisfied with the management of my life.

Can you say this 9 out of 10 days in your life?

That the Lord is my shepherd and I'm completely satisfied with his management of my life.

The Lord is my shepherd and I'm completely satisfied with his management of my life.

Is it something that you and I can say 9 out of 10 days?

It should be 10 out of 10 days but let's take 9 out of 10 days.

The Lord is my shepherd and I'm completely satisfied with his management of my life.

If you can say that, then I would suggest to you that your cup is overflowing anyways.

My cup runs over with joy?

If you can say that.

I would suggest to you on the days you say that,

your cup doesn't need any filling because it's running over.

However, on any given day, if you can't say that,

and I would suggest to you that most of us have many days like that,

I would admit to days where I cannot say that I'm completely satisfied with your management of my life.

But on the days you cannot say that,

I would suggest to you that on the days you say that,

your cup doesn't need any filling because it's running over.

I would suggest to you on the days you say that,

your cup doesn't need any filling because it's running over.

However, on any given day,

on the days you cannot say that,

first you need to fix and fasten Psalm 92.15 in the depths of your heart.

You need to fix and fasten Psalm 92.15 in the depths of your heart.

One of the things said in Psalm 92.15 is,

He is God and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

He is God and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Because you will find that on the days when you think He is not doing a good job managing your life,

inside you begins to brew this fault-finding, accusative, finger-pointing,

can't you do better, you are God, but I won't say that to you.

Fix and fasten in your heart Psalm 92.15 that there is no unrighteousness found in Him.

When I was in Chennai this last time in India,

I visited the washroom I think 25 times in 14 hours.

That's how bad my stomach was.

And each time I'd go to the washroom or come back from the washroom,

the first thing I'd say would be,

Father, there is no unrighteousness in you.

I do not understand this, but I will declare that you are good.

And it became something that I so wanted to do because everything in me is saying,

God sent you, you're a sent one, you're this, you're that, you're that.

I found out why things went wrong, but that's another story for another day.

And really it had nothing to do with the devil.

And so, and nor was it because I was doing something godly there,

and so the devil attacked me, nothing like that.

It was much more basic.

And nor was it food poisoning.

The point being, I remember, doesn't matter whether it was 24 or 25 times,

each time I remember saying,

Oh God, there is no unrighteousness in you.

You're perfect in all your ways.

Hail Jesus, you're my king.

My heart chooses to sing.

You're perfect in all your ways.

It is something that you know in your heart,

and it's something that you train yourself to do, guys.

Got to do this.

Got to do this.

And like it or not, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak.

And you will recognize eventually in your speaking

whether Psalm 92, 15 is fixed or fastened or whether it's not.

The truth is, the Lord is my chosen portion and my cup,

Psalm 16, verses 5-6.

Psalms 16:5–6

The Lord is my portion and my cup.

He holds my lot.

Psalm 16, verse 5-6.

Psalms 16:5–6

The Lord is my portion, meaning He is my allotment.

Who is?

Not a piece of land, not some money, not Acts 29.

The Lord is my portion, meaning He is my allotment.

How big is the Lord?

They haven't found out yet.

The Lord is my portion and my cup.

The Lord is my portion and my cup.

And then the second part is, He holds my lot.

I mean, James was a man of God.

I mean, James was going to move into a property of his own in a few months.

Someone is holding his lot.

And they'll be giving it to him.

Who holds my lot?

The same God we spoke about earlier.

Know who is in your corner.

That God holds my lot.

And then David goes on to say,

Surely the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

Meaning, the way God marks my boundaries and the things for every day

have fallen for me in pleasant places.

And as if that wasn't enough, he now goes a step further and says,

I have a beautiful inheritance.

So rejoice in Him.

Rejoice and dance with Him.

How?

Rejoice in going every morning or evening or whatever works for you and in between.

And rejoice over the fact that,

Oh God, your goodness.

Oh God, your kindness.

Oh God, your voice.

What would I do if you stopped speaking?

Oh God, your provision.

Oh God, your faithfulness.

Sing it sometimes.

Shout it sometimes.

Say it sometimes.

Pray it sometimes.

But voice it.

Voice it.

Practice these disciplines for two weeks and see how radically the inside of your life is going to be changed.

You'll be changed inside.

Oprah does the outside.

We are talking about something much deeper.

Sorry.

For all you guys who were offended by that comment, I don't withdraw it.

Bless you.

Yeah.

The next bit is guys, seek provision from Him.

This is your shepherd.

Seek provision from Him.

Seek provision from Him.

Do not hold back in terms of seeking provision from Him.

Here is someone who is not a shepherd.

You know, someone should invent some kind of a tool that moms can use to pick stuff.

Like if it's a...

Something like that.

The number of times people have to bend to pick up things for kids and the more you encourage them, the more they keep throwing it further and further away.

Everything should have an elastic attached to it.

So it bounces back.

But moving on.

Guys, seek provision from Him.

He is the shepherd who loves to supply you with finest grazing.

This is not a hireling.

Imagine for a second that he is actually a shepherd and you are actually a sheep.

Hey, where is your wife?

Today.

Okay.

Suddenly she is missing.

Think of yourself as a sheep.

Do you realize that as a shepherd he has said that he loves to supply you with the finest grazing?

Guys, the finest grazing.

Do you realize that he has the richest pastures for you?

The richest pastures.

Do you realize that he has ample winter feed for the times when things will be cold?

Do you realize that he does not expect you to survive on contaminated water but has clean water for you?

Do you realize that he has already prepared shelter from the storms?

Protection from enemies.

From cougars, from lions.

From diseases, from parasites.

That he has already gone ahead and taken care of this and that the deepest satisfaction and the greatest longing in his heart

is to see you come to a place where you flourish under his care

so that one of the things you can turn back to him and say is

the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

The Lord is my shepherd and I am completely satisfied with His management of my life.

That's one of the greatest tributes you can give him.

So ask him for provision.

And when I talk about provision I am not talking about resources only.

I am talking about provision of wisdom.

How badly I need it some days.

Provision of protection.

Yes, provision of supply. Yes.

Provision of fresh eyes and understanding of the word.

Some days when I am trying to prepare a sermon, I am thinking to myself,

my God, what can I teach because I don't have fresh eyes.

Provision in conflict.

Do we have enough of that?

Provision in conflict.

Some of us are scared of conflict.

Some of us are aggressive in conflict.

Some of us are passive defensive in conflict.

Some of us are aggressive in conflict.

Some of us are aggressive in conflict.

Some of us are passive defensive in conflict.

Provision in conflict.

Provision in fear.

Provision in want.

Provision in the presence of enemies.

Both spiritual and physical.

Ask him for provision.

Because only he knows the gates to open where you will find pastor that can help you thrive.

And guys, seek provision with an expectation.

Seek provision with an expectation.

Expectation based on what?

Based on his nature and word.

Not on your nature and experience.

Order, we seek God's provision based on our nature and experience.

Just think of that for a second.

We seek God's provision based on our nature and experience.

So if I am a miser, my expectation of God is okay so he will be a little better than me.

So sure, we can ask a little more.

Making him smaller than he is.

Making him smaller than he is.

Provision based not on your nature and experience but provision based on his nature and word.

Listen to his promises.

Listen to his promises guys.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

And you think a shepherd doesn't know that it's difficult to get sheep to lie down unless they are free of fear and fed?

He makes me, who makes me he?

He chooses, he fashions, he is able to make me lie down in green pastures.

But know this, to lie down in green pastures a sheep will not lie down as long as it's fearful.

And a sheep will not lie down unless he is fed or she is fed.

He makes me lie down.

Meaning he has the ability to take care of fear.

He has the ability to feed when I am hungry.

I am not talking about another sermon.

Feed whatever is required to take care of that hunger.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

This is a promise.

Imagine waking up and knowing this promise and operating out of it on a day when you have fear and you are deprived.

So what is my response?

Father, this morning relieve my fear and conflict.

Relieve my fear and conflict to God.

This is a promise from the shepherd who we talked about.

Or do you need to listen to this tape a couple of times?

Here's another promise.

He leads me beside still waters.

Rushing snow and cold water.

He leads me beside still waters.

Rushing streams are cordoned off by the shepherd with a few stones placed so the water comes off.

Guys, some days I sowed so badly worn fresh streams in my life.

Because there are days when my life is so 2012 that deep desire for fresh streams.

He brings me beside still waters.

How many of us today are sitting here and there are so many areas of our lives that are in ruts?

Not your entire life, but different areas of your life in ruts.

That's to wake people up.

So many areas of our lives in ruts.

You know there's one church.

We should have Wayne do that.

There's one church in Dubai in a place called Sharjah where the elders, once you come to the church,

there are elders who walk up and down the church.

Waiting to wake up people who are asleep.

And once they wake up, you have to go and stand in the front.

I know.

No, Wayne would just shoot them.

He would only shoot them in the leg or something.

With a paintball.

With a paintball, yeah.

Just in case.

There's a message on tape.

So if anyone here wants to be an elder, let me know.

I'll take it from there.

So, yeah, that's the thing about God.

He doesn't embarrass.

He's the enemy who then causes embarrassment by exposing things.

But it's not God.

He leads me beside still waters.

Drink from clear mountain streams.

They're not stagnant pools, not muddy river beds, both in the physical and spiritual.

How many of our lives are stuck in ratse?

Not able to get out of it.

He leads me beside still waters.

Still waters are not stagnant waters.

Still waters are waters that come from clear mountain streams or springs that are cordoned off by the shepherd

so a sheep can go and drink water that are not rushing because sheep are scared.

Clear, clear mountain streams.

What does that look like, Jacob?

That is to wake up in the morning and catch a glimpse of God you've never caught before.

That is to have a sudden sense of either history or purpose that God brings.

That is suddenly listening to even a teaching like this and something clicking.

That is suddenly realizing that even though I'm in a rut, God is suddenly lifting me out of the rut and setting me.

That is catching a glimpse of what God has for me in the future.

That is suddenly discovering that there is a certain deposit or a grace in your life that God has put that is now coming to fruition.

That is seeing something magical happen to your husband, to your wife, to your child, to your brother, to your sister.

That is something that suddenly sweeps over the church without warning because the Spirit of God is moving

because we did something without knowing that made it possible.

That is to catch something in the Word that you've never seen before

that makes you either laugh or weep or change.

That is to be transformed in a second by a sudden move of God

where years of bitterness, of rivalry, of contention, of conflict suddenly goes away

because it is so minuscule and non-important in the sudden sight of what you have

of who God is and what he has for you.

These are these Eureka moments that happen not once in every two centuries but once every week or more.

To drink from clear streams.

He leads me beside still waters.

Here's another one guys.

Provision, your rod and staff, they comfort me.

We'll talk about the rod later.

But the staff was a simple long stick with a crook.

Now what was it used for?

When the sheep is about to eat something poisonous or drink contaminated water

the shepherd takes the crook of the staff and pulls the sheep back.

What is this nature of God?

It is his nature that has come from ancient times.

It is the nature of a keeper.

Which is why when Cain says,

Am I my brother's keeper?

That was the very nature that he had put in man.

And he was denying that once and for all.

It is the nature of a keeper.

It is what Psalm 121 verses 4 and 5 calls out and says,

Psalms 121:4

The Lord is my keeper.

I mean go to Psalm 121 verses 4 and 5.

Psalms 121:4

Psalm 121, 4 and 5.

If you're wondering why Psalm 119 is not getting over, it's because it's long.

Keep going.

Psalm 121, 4 and 5.

Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper.

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

This keeping nature of God is a wonderful thing.

This is why the Old Testament is full of that word keeper.

I will keep you.

I will keep you as a covenant, as a token to the nations.

I will keep, I will keep.

It's often used.

It's a keeping nature of God.

You know, Feb 12th of 15, 2009, we had done this teaching on keeping.

And I think Heidi had spoken on it later once.

James did too.

James did too?

So what is this whole idea of the Lord my keeper?

It's like a hedge.

The whole idea of a keeper is a hedge.

A hedge around you.

Never shrink from asking him for provision.

You know, how many things I asked for provision this morning before I came.

And these are only the things that I know I have to deal with today and deal with during the week.

How many things I asked him for.

Never shrink away from asking for provision.

These two children in particular, the two younger ones will never shrink from asking for provision.

The older ones are getting to become like us.

But the younger ones, no.

Shameless boldness.

Shameless boldness.

Tomorrow morning when you engage this shepherd, know that he is intent on refreshing your soul.

And one of the ways he does that guys, is, you know, there's that word that say,

he anoints my head with oil.

We think of it as some kind of great anointing falling from the Holy Spirit.

I understand oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

But when it comes to the shepherd and the sheep, guys, I was surprised to find out that

sheep have their heads plagued with scabs and nasal flies.

And it can get to a point where these flies burrow, breed, sometimes even eat.

Sometimes blind or drive berserk sheep.

And so what the shepherd does is he takes oil, which is a mixture usually in those days of olive oil and sulfur or whatever,

and they massage it on the head of the sheep just to keep away these nasal flies and these scabs.

And it is fascinating how radical a difference it makes when you do that.

He anoints my head with oil.

One of the ways God gets rid of these nasal flies that burrow blind, drive berserk

is by the ointment of his truth.

So that this thinking that is covered with scabs,

this thinking that has had things go into it that burrow blind drive berserk

are changed by the ointment of truth.

And we'll talk about that next.

But that's provision two.

Father, guys, the next thing we're talking about is attuning my heart to God.

Attune your heart to God.

Next two weeks, do this at some point during the day.

Father, I want to tune my heart to you.

I believe the guy who wrote that song,

Tune my heart to sing your praise.

What's that song?

Tune my heart to sing your praise.

Thank you.

Come thou fount of every blessing.

The guy who wrote that was a guy called Robert Robinson or something.

He wrote it and then went away from the Lord years.

Like completely fell away from God.

And then one day this old lady comes up to him and she says that,

you know, you need to listen to a song and it'll really change your life.

It'll touch your life.

And this old lady gives him the words and sings the song to him.

And as she's singing or giving the words, he just begins to weep.

Because years ago he had written this song.

Come thou fount of every blessing.

Something, something, something, something.

Tune my heart to sing your praise.

Some melodious song or something.

I was reading and I was thinking, man, for a guy to listen to another person

sing the very song he had written.

And that's what brings him back to God.

Listening to someone else sing the song he had written.

Strange the way God works in different people's lives.

But guys, attune your heart.

I want to take off from this place where you anoint my head with oil.

It keeps these things that burrow their way in, that breed inside my head,

that sometimes cause blindness, that sometimes drives me berserk

because of the Hannibal Lectern kind of a helmet that begins to eat away at my mind.

I don't know why I'm stuck with Hannibal Lectern for the last two days.

He is not a Bible hero, by the way, just in case you thought.

So...

Why do I get myself into trouble unnecessarily?

So it begins to eat away at your brain that what is it that is required to change it?

The ointment of truth.

The ointment of truth.

The ointment of truth which comes from the word.

We'll talk about that too.

But attune your heart, that's the next thing.

Decide over the next few weeks, I will find time somehow to attune my heart.

If it means that I wake up before that sacred hour of 8am, so be it in my case.

But I will attune my heart.

I'll attune my heart to hear you.

Guys, nothing quiets a sheep like the presence of the shepherd.

Nothing quiets a sheep like the presence of a shepherd.

As long as they hear his voice, they can be at rest.

Nothing quiets a sheep like the presence of the shepherd.

As long as they hear his voice, they can be at rest.

What's the promise?

Jesus said in John 10, 4,

My sheep hear my voice.

May not necessarily understand what he's saying.

But it's not so much trying to figure out what the shepherd is saying about tomorrow.

But knowing his presence through a recognition of his voice.

Is sufficient to bring the sheep to a place of rest.

It's the tone of the voice.

I was sitting with somebody two, three days ago and he told me something that God said to him.

And when he was telling me that, he said, and then God sarcastically replied.

And as soon as he said God sarcastically replied, I let him finish and then I said,

You know, I'm not too sure if that's God.

Because he never said I'm compassionate, gracious and sarcastic.

That's not his nature.

And so when Paul may speak with sarcasm,

but God usually doesn't speak to his children with sarcasm.

Jacob may, but God doesn't.

He has a really right sense of humor that sometimes comes through lately.

Yeah.

And I think that's the thing.

I think that's the thing.

Yeah.

But it's not, he's not dripping with sarcasm.

You can't scrape sarcasm out of 1 Corinthians 13.

Oh, that's another place you want to go to if you want to check the DNA of God.

God is loving and patient.

God is not rude.

God is kind.

It is not, guys, here is an important thing when it comes to hearing in.

This church is not a church that is not a church that is not a church that is not a church.

And again, this church has gotten trapped in a funk that we've got to break out of.

It is not necessary for the sheep to know the terrain.

Sheep don't have to know the map of Judea to decide whether they want to follow the shepherd.

They do not know, they do not have to know where they'll be grazing tomorrow.

One of the problems with churches like Acts 29 is we are so into hearing the voice of God

that now there is an expectation to know what tomorrow holds.

And it is a minor form of sorcery.

It is a variation of sorcery to want to know tomorrow, to want to know what's going to happen tomorrow.

A sheep does not have to know the terrain or the map of Judea to know whether the shepherd

can be followed.

They do not have to know where they'll be grazing tomorrow.

Their responsibility is to stay close to the shepherd today.

And so, guys, we have this tendency to want to know the future to walk in assurance.

This is a tendency we have as Christians, particularly in churches like this.

We want to know the future so that we can walk in assurance.

While I want to say to you that God guides presently.

God guides presently.

Presently, He may tell me something about tomorrow, but I don't have to know my tomorrow

to walk in assurance today.

God guides presently.

If He says something about tomorrow, so be it.

Where we are getting to a point in charismatic or Pentecostal or whatever circles where we

always want to know the future.

Tell me about what God wants me to do tomorrow.

It's a form of sorcery.

It's a corruption that's been brought in by Babylon.

God guides presently.

My responsibility is to stay within the range of the voice of the shepherd.

And out of that comes a calmness because there is nothing that quiets a sheep like the voice

of the shepherd.

Over the next two weeks, Ryan, find time to say, Father, I attune my heart to you.

That's not what I meant.

But if you have to take it, take it.

Oh, it's not your...

I'm saying attune your heart to hear the voice of God and there's a phone ringing and He

pulls it out.

Don't worry about it if you have to take it.

Guys, attune your heart to hear God this week.

Ryan, find time.

Find time during your day to say, Father, I come to bring my heart and sing to you.

Like a sheep who wants to know the presence of the shepherd, who wants to know the voice.

I may not understand.

I'm not even necessarily seeking anything, but I come to know.

I will read this over the next two weeks and you will find that there will be times where

you will find Him in a whisper, you will find Him in the storm, you will find Him in the

fire and you may find Him in the earthquake or the still small voice, but there will be

a calmness knowing the presence and the pleasure of God upon you.

Attune your heart.

Attune your heart to this.

In the process, if God tells you about next month, great.

But let your assurance not come out of, tell me about tomorrow so I may walk well with

you today.

That is in a sense wicked.

Guys, all scripture is God-breathed, so begin there.

Another tendency in churches like ours is we want to operate by the Rhema word without

the trouble of dividing the Logos.

We want to operate by the Rhema word, meaning give me a Rhema word, give me a word that

is specific to my situation, prophesy on me.

No, prophesy on me right now.

No, no, go read the word.

Word takes forever and Leviticus is full of names.

Give me a word right now.

We want a Rhema word breathed onto us without dividing the Logos or the written word that

we already possess.

I confess to this.

I mean, the amount of reading that I can do and I actually do, there's a huge gap, guys,

huge gap.

This is where the ointment of truth is brought out and has to be applied to my thinking.

Guys, only God-breathed scripture broken to you by the Spirit or through sent ones can

wean you as a sheep from feeding on clumps of unbelief.

I mean, I once, I don't know whether I told you this, but oh.

I went with some friends and we decided to go horseback riding and I had this nutty horse

called Silk and the guy who owned it insisted on calling it Silk.

So he keeps saying, Silk, Silk.

And this, and there were four of us and it was like a race and this, it's this kind of

road where only horses and people walk.

So as long as you avoid people, there's nothing else you need to avoid.

And so we all start off and Silk has this terrible habit of, it'll run a few paces,

then it'll see a clump on the side of the hill.

So it'll stop there.

And it doesn't matter how many times you call it Silk, doesn't matter how many times you

kick it, stab it, it won't move till it has eaten that clump.

And by now my friends will be fired and then I'll start galloping.

There's this little fat guy on top of us going.

And all you can hear him is going, Silk, Silk, Silk.

So what happens is, guys, so many times we end up feeding on clumps of unbelief, stumps

of bitterness and bushes of self-will.

Clumps of unbelief, stumps of bitterness, bushes of self-will.

We start stopping by the wayside to eat these things, consume by these things.

Guys, go listen to this again.

It is so true of us.

Some of us are consumed in bitterness.

Some of us are stopping by every clump we see to eat of self-will or self-pity.

It's been years and years and years.

Got to have the word applied to our thinking so that the ointment of the truth will change

the way I think.

You cannot survive on Rema.

Rema is given to you packed with grace for a particular situation and it can explore

and change your situation.

But surely without this there's no question of surviving on Rema.

Try surviving on vitamin tablets for the rest of your life.

Finally, guys, we talked about God being, the shepherd being someone who has a rod and

a staff.

The rod was actually this huge club, man.

I mean, remember God is a jealous protector of the sheep.

The shepherd had a rod which was basically a huge club that he used against wild bee

or he'd throw it at them.

Massive club.

Boing, and the sheep and the wolf would get a knock on its head.

Or he'd throw it at a wolf.

So remember that God is a jealous protector of the sheep.

The shepherd has a rod which was a huge club used against wild bees and the club was basically

a symbol of his power and authority.

And what does Psalm 23 says?

It says that he prepares a banquet or as the message says, a six course dinner for me

in the presence of my enemies to the point that I'm unafraid.

Unafraid.

One of the refreshing things that Eddie brought into my life was the absolute need, the absolute

unnecessary, if that's a word.

No, that's not the word.

There's absolutely no need to be frightened of the devil just because you're a Christian

walking with God.

To be unafraid was something that he taught me.

To be unafraid.

Because it is in the presence of the enemy that God now sets a banquet or a six course

dinner before me.

I mean, I don't know if you realize this, but these shepherds would go ahead of the

sheep and they would check out places where mountain lions would dwell.

They would check out valleys or the valley of shadows where the enemy would dwell.

They would check it out beforehand.

And then without fear they would take the sheep through it because they knew that they

could take care of the sheep.

Be unafraid of the enemy.

This church should know when the enemy is doing something and combat it, but to live

in any kind of fear of the enemy, unless you're walking in his territory, is unnecessary.

We do not live by the precept that if you walk closer to God, the enemy will do you

more harm.

Not true.

In Exodus 17, there is a story which you're very familiar with.

Moses calls Joshua and says to Joshua, here's what I want you to do Joshua.

I want you to go out and attack the Amalekites.

Joshua goes out and Moses says, I'll go up on top of this mountain.

And he goes and sits there and he has the staff which the rest of Israel knew about.

This was the same staff used to open the Red Sea.

This was the same staff that turned into a serpent and ate up all the serpents of the

Egyptian magicians.

He holds that staff up and as long as he holds that staff up, Israel prevails.

When he puts his staff down, the Amalekites prevail.

And so Aaron and Her hold his hands up while he sits on a rock.

The point is this guys, he after the victory is done, he builds an altar and he calls that

altar.

He names that altar.

He names that altar Jehovah-Nissi.

And the simple translation is the Lord is my banner.

But as he names that altar, here's what it says in the Bible.

He named the altar Jehovah-Nissi for his hand was upon the throne.

For his hand was upon what it says in the Bible.

He named the altar Jehovah-Nissi for his hand was upon the throne.

For his hand was upon the throne.

And it operates on two levels guys.

On one hand, the Amalekites dared touch Israel amongst whom the throne of God dwelt or the

presence of God dwelt.

So on one hand, there is that part of it.

That don't dare touch a people in whose midst the throne of God exists.

That's one.

Another one which commentaries will not tell you is that one of the reasons Moses had his

hands lifted up was again because of what he says, the hand upon the throne of God.

When you have yourself connected to the throne of God, it is impossible for the enemy to

prevail.

Learn to do that.

being.

Where two things we got to cultivate.

Learn this guys.

Guys, there is no exception.

Let me put it this way.

There is nobody in this room sitting right now who does not have the potential to do

it.

But there are people in this room who will not do it.

But it's got nothing to do with your potential.

Two things that everybody in this room can cultivate is the art of double listening and

the art of dual existence.

These are not fancy terms.

The art of double listening is very simple.

As I'm talking to Jason, I should also be hearing what God is trying to say.

That's the art of double listening.

And the art of double walking is to be able to walk here on earth and yet have my hand

upon the throne of God.

Where now I operate and prevail over the enemy just because I'm intricately connected with

the throne of God.

Where all decrees come from.

Where all things can be said from.

Jacob, is there proof for this?

Yes.

I'm seated with whom in heavenly places?

With Christ in heavenly places.

Where?

Far above all principalities and powers.

Far above all thrones.

Seated in places.

Where?

Where?

Where is Christ seated?

Is Christ seated at the right hand of the Father?

I'm seated with him in heavenly places.

I'm not trying to rile you up.

I don't stir you up at all when it comes to stuff like this.

But I suggest to you that we need to open our minds to understand that when I have my

hand on the throne of God and when God, yeah, when I have my hand on the throne of God, I

always prevail.

And it is impossible to live an unholy life and keep your hand on the throne of God.

Can't.

We'll talk about this part more next week.

I just wanted to touch on it.

So next two weeks, guys, every day.

The next two weeks, every day.

Guys, do you realize that if you were Mount Sinai or if we were Mount Sinai, imagine us

as Mount Sinai.

Your little rocks that make up this mountain called Mount Sinai.

Imagine us as Mount Sinai.

Now, imagine God descending on Mount Sinai.

He suddenly has come on Mount Sinai.

People were scared out of their wits because the whole mountain was blazing.

There was thunder, lightning, flashes of light, and they're scared.

But here's the thing about Mount Sinai.

When God descended on Mount Sinai, no one could touch it.

No beast could touch it.

No animal could touch it.

If an animal or a beast touched it, they would be shot or stoned.

When your life becomes Mount Sinai or when your life becomes a place where God begins

to descend and live quite happily, then you become someone who the beast cannot touch

because he touches you at the peril of being shot with an arrow.

This is possible, guys.

This is possible for a people, and this is possible for individuals.

We are only talking about things that are absolutely possible here.

So this week and next week, every day, at some point find time and write this down

because you'll forget it.

Not now.

I'm saying write down these points at home so you can go over it almost as a list.

Acknowledge his management.

Begin by acknowledging his management.

At the end of the day, if you can, in any degree of honesty, go and say to him, hey,

you are my shepherd and I am very satisfied with your management of my life today.

I mean, David didn't know these words, otherwise he'd have written it in his psalm.

He said, I go and declare before God that his loving kindness is great every morning

and his faithfulness every night.

This is just another way of saying it.

Acknowledge his management, his design of you, his fondness for you.

Acknowledge it.

Word your dependence on him at some point during the day.

If you can't do it in the morning, great.

Word your dependence on him.

So the first one is acknowledge his management, his design of you, his fondness for you.

Check on this, eh?

This is separate from this.

This you can do at another time.

Search your heart, identify your perception of God's attitude towards you.

Word your dependence on him.

Thirdly, rejoice in your inheritance.

Rejoice and dance with him about your inheritance.

Fourthly, seek provision from him.

He is a shepherd who is willing to restore your soul, refresh your soul.

Seek provision from him.

Provision of wisdom, provision of want, provision for fear and conflict, provision of supply.

Seek provision from him.

Not based on your experience or your nature, but based on his nature and word.

This week and next week, attune your heart and renew pleasure in the word.

Attune your heart, attune your heart and renew pleasure in the word.

Attune your heart and renew pleasure in the word.

Finally, walk in the knowledge or in the awareness of a God who easily clubs the enemy who comes

prowling like a lion.

Walk in the awareness that, I don't know how to keep looking back, walk in the awareness

of a God who easily clubs the enemy who comes prowling like a lion.

Sorry, second one.

Second one is a word your dependence on him.

Word your dependence on him.

Chris could you just put this there?

Thanks.

Word your dependence on him.

Turn it on.

Word your dependence on him.

Anything else?

The last one is walk in the awareness of a God who easily clubs the enemy that prowls

like a lion.

Who easily clubs the enemy that prowls like a lion.

Six.

Got your sticks?