Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable scriptures in the Bible. Pastor Bill Johnson reads through 3 translations of Psalm 23 to teach us what God is communicating to us. May this psalm speak something new to you today.
[Applause]
by the way Eric and Candace send their
love they were back where were they
Austin Texas they were at yes yes yes
the nation of Texas we honor you
they were there having a meeting with
the leaders of the several Bethel
churches that we have around the country
and world did you guys get her
introduced earlier yes you did okay all
right so New Zealand is here we’ve got
the southern hemisphere covered or just
work it working on the rest so anyway
they send their love to you they are
doing such an amazing job the fastest
land mammal is a toddler who’s been
asked what’s in your mouth
I will drink you under the table I
whisper this to my coffee as we hide
from morning people don’t forget to
drink water and get some you’re
basically a houseplant
with complicated emotions I wish
mosquitos sucked fat instead of blood
can I have an amen on that one one more
one more I’m gonna get a bumper sticker
that says honk if you think I’m sexy
then I’m gonna sit at a green light
until I feel better about myself
[Applause]
[Music]
we had a great story this morning
testimony this morning one of our staff
someone from their past that was some
fairly resistant on them being involved
here ended up many years 10 years later
I think with cancer and they came here
for healing room set it in it but they
got here in time for service on Friday
night and they walked in the back and
they fell flat on their back which
happens to some of us
they fell under God’s power felt the
healing love of God kind of a fire go
through their entire body they went back
home and got examined they’re gonna
start radiation in the very next week
they got home fact can’t find any cancer
whatsoever they really I was just in had
a great privilege of being with a
Hillsong in Sydney about 3-4 weeks ago
like they go to Australia again tomorrow
but I was in Sydney with Hillsong and
then in London with Hillsong Sydney is
30,000 people London is 20,000 and you
know I like to direct traffic when I’m
doing healing meetings and stuff and you
can’t in that size of a group so you
just have to call it up and guess what
Jesus still shows up in heals people
it’s amazing
it was it was so cold just to call out
conditions have a brief prayer maybe 10
or 15 minutes there were just so many
extraordinary miracles including you
know metal disappearing and deaf ears
open and just the list goes on and on
it’s just so fun one of the most fun
miracles was actually at leaders event
that I did in Bradford it’s I’ve done it
for the last six years I think it is and
there was a guy there there was a guy
there that broke his arm I mean there’s
AG out up out of a wheelchair she’s been
a wheelchair for like ten years
another gal was a hunched a hunchback
large growth on her back only could see
the ground because of her physical
position and that lump just disappeared
she stood upright and put the crutches
down and is walking without crutches and
there’s a guy yeah that’s pretty cool
a guy who broke his arm kickboxing and
had a metal plate put in in it it stuck
out about an inch beyond the regular
bone and so he had a bunch of friends
with him they were praying and praying
nothing happened so they one of them
felt to tell him he needed to forgive
himself and as soon as he forgave
himself they watched it disappear
come on Michael my assistant Mike event
interns medical doctor so I love having
him there because he gets to check all
these people and and he examined and
examined it’s just you know nothing
nothing wrong no no metal plate that’s
left whatsoever can’t can’t discern any
any plate but maybe the most cool thing
was not maybe the coolest miracle was
Tim Eldridge who who has heads up this
particular vent he and his wife suit Tim
was walking with another friend of mine
they were walking across the food court
there’s a court food court in between
two of the main buildings on their
campus and as they’re walking across the
guy comes up to him and says what is
this this is like the third day he says
what is this event and he says well it’s
a it’s a Christian conference we have
leaders in from around Europe and and we
we have this median so he said why do
you ask
and they said well ever since I’ve been
here I’ve been having visions and dreams
and so he asked them about so he just
Tim just shared the gospel with him and
after hearing the gospel says okay what
do I do
I mean you got fish jumping in the boat
when they start doing it that way and so
he got born again right there in the
parking lot and greatest place where
football we’re gonna pray for anyone
with PTSD bipolar a dyslexia any kind of
brain issue I want you to stand because
we’re gonna pray for you I really have
confidence that the Lord is healing this
today it’s always on his mind but I’ve
felt very strong this morning when I
came in early that this was something he
was going to address those who are
watching on Delta TV
Gideon on this because the healing word
knows no distance it’s as present in
your home as it is here Bethel family
you know what to do stand around these
folks just just very simply lay hands on
them declare that peace of the Lord the
Shalom of heaven to come over them and
to heal everything that was stolen
damaged some
of them have issues because of trauma so
we just declare trauma you have no more
effect on this life in Jesus mighty name
we rebuke trauma we asked for a healing
grace or that you were to release that
healing presence of Jesus in fact pieces
is the word I want you just to declare
peace over over them literally over
their mind over the heart their mind the
peace of God to be released to them
right now in Jesus name
healing of the brain so that those with
dyslexia and similar afflictions be
released from that and they’d be healed
now in Jesus name so I want you just to
declare it to them we bless you in the
name of the Lord we bless you in the
name of the Lord declared John and then
just declare sound a sound mind is your
portion amen amen
all right you did good you did good good
and be seated yes yes all right
several several years ago I had a real
challenge physically and I ended up
where I had a I had a small growth in
one of my intestine and that they found
that had to remove long story short they
got it out of everything’s fine but but
for a season I couldn’t either I could
eat very little and then for a while I
couldn’t eat anything I couldn’t even
drink they fed me intervene II ously and
that wasn’t near as fun as they said it
would be it’s it’s a it’s a great weight
loss program but it’s not really what
you want to do I I spent a lot of time
in a recliner until I got to a hospital
and then I was in bed for a while and
and I would read as I do anyway I’m
constantly in the word anyway but in
that time is very it was very I have
made it a practice in my in the last 40
whatever years to read not so that I
have a teaching but to read for me just
to read for me and then just learn and
take out of whatever I happened to be
learning and then share that with you
that’s my that’s my that’s my practice
so but even more intently I would come
to the scriptures and read I spent a lot
of time in Psalms and and today we’re
going to study Psalms 23 and I read I
think I read the 23rd psalm every day
for two or three months besides the
other things I was reading and would
review review prophetic words I would
watch prophetic ministry times I’ve just
tried to acquaint myself with what God
says about my life instead of the
circumstances that that surround me and
and it was it was a very I wouldn’t wish
it on anyone but I’m so glad I was able
to go through that journey and know the
peace of God through every single every
twist and turn
don’t ever estimate peace because it’s
the
station of his mind over you the the
peace of God is that as a manifestation
of his mind having effect on your
environment because he’s not nervous
about anything if if you’re anything
like me you have the ability to make a
mountain out of a molehill and to take
the simple and make it very complex it’s
a gift I have that gift and hang around
me long enough and I’ll show you how to
do it but it’s really true and but what
happens for us many of us as we walk
with the Lord we tend to exaggerate the
size of our problems so we feel
justified in our fear we exaggerate the
size of our problem so that our anxiety
is logical yep yeah we need to read the
Bible that’s what we need to do I can
tell we’re gonna let’s read the
scripture together we’re gonna read the
23rd psalm and I’m actually going to
read it to you how to three translation
so that it’s a bonus day today we’re
gonna do New King James it’s what I
study I know and then we’re going to do
the passion translation which we’ll be
extra passionate and then we’re gonna do
the amplified which is extra loud so
we’re just gonna have our good good good
Swedish again the Psalms 23 how many of
you memorize this maybe even as a child
you know it’s it’s probably the most
well-known portion of Scripture on the
earth it is quoted it is you know a TV
show somebody dies as a priest during a
funeral oftentimes they will quote at
least part of the 23rd psalm and it’s
famous or well-known for a good reason
it is that good the problem with it is
we’re too familiar with them some of the
richest things I often come in my
reading you know or to help me to read
this for the first time again want me to
read this for the first time
sometimes just simplifying things
sometimes changing a translation
creating a different translation because
I’ll hit it from the different
angle and any of you ever write
something and when you were through you
proof read it and everything was perfect
and somebody else read it and they said
hey you forgot a word here but you can
you read the word when you yeah I have
entire paragraphs that I see on the page
but it’s not there that’s that’s why God
gave us editors created by God to help
us not look stupid when we certainly
could so but sometimes we do that
automatic reading thing if you will a
familiarity caused us to skip over
things that we really need to hear as
though it were the first time so I pray
that today would have that effect on you
as it’s having on me so I’m 23 verse 1
the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
he makes me to lie down in green
pastures he leads me beside still waters
he restores my soul he leads me in the
paths of righteousness for his name’s
sake yea even 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 you
prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies you anoint my
head with oil my cup runs over
surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life and I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever
let me take the passion translation the
lord is my best friend and my shepherd I
always have more than enough he offers a
resting place for me in his luxurious
love his tracks take his tracks take me
to an oasis of peace the quiet brook of
bliss that’s where he restores and
revives my life he opens before me
pathways to God’s pleasure he leads me
along in his footsteps of righteousness
so that I can bring honor to his name
Lord even when your path takes me
through the valley of deepest darkness
fear will never conquer me for you
already have
some of you are daydreaming I’m sure of
it
let me read this again well even when
your path takes me through the valley of
deepest darkness fear will never conquer
me for you already have you remain close
to me and lead me through it
all the way your authority is my
strength in my peace the comfort of your
love takes away my fear I’ll never be
lonely for you or near listen to this
phrase you become my delicious feast
even when my enemies dare to fight oh
wow you become my delicious feast even
when my enemies dare to fight you anoint
me with the fragrance of your holy
spirit you give me all I can drink of
you until my heart overflows so why
should I feel fear of the future for I
am being pursued only by your goodness
and unfailing love then afterwards when
my life is through I’ll return to your
glorious presence to be forever with you
that was good
one more the Lord is my shepherd to feed
guide and shield me I shall not lack he
makes me lie down in fresh tender green
pastures he leads me beside still in
restful waters he refreshes and restores
my life myself he leads me in the paths
of righteousness which is uprightness
and right standing with him not for my
earning it but for his namesake yes even
though I walked through deep sunless
valleys shadow of death I will fear no
dread or evil for you are with me your
rod to protect your staff to guide they
comfort me you prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies you know
at my head with oil my brimming cup runs
over
surely our only goodness mercy and
unfailing love shall follow me all the
days of my life and through the length
of my days the house of the Lord and his
presence shall be my dwelling place this
is just a glorious Psalm that needs to
be revisited verse one says the Lord is
my shepherd I shall not want
oftentimes for all
we don’t have a financial problem we
have a lordship problem the issue of
lordship the Lord is my shepherd is
where this begins and it doesn’t ignore
that there’s conflict that there’s
warfare that there’s Devils that there’s
darkness doesn’t ignore any of that it
just gives us an insight as to how he
takes us through that process not for
defeat not for fear not for anxiety but
for triumph that his name would be
exalted and we will be strengthened the
Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
we are the worst at diagnosing our own
problems our own circumstances and there
are many who think they have relational
problems and they actually have lordship
problems there are many who struggle
with fear and anxiety and it’s only the
result of the absence of lordship it’s
if I and I can I can take any small
problem and make it so large in my mind
that I forget who Jesus is but no
problem is impressive no problem looks
big in the face of the one who defeated
everything on our behalf in the face of
the law the Lord is my shepherd I shall
not want sometimes the Lord yokes us
together with people maybe in a work
context maybe it’s a family upbringing
could be any number of things but he
yokes us together and the when you’re
yoked with someone the yoke only hurts
when you try to go a different direction
than they’re going when you try to sit
when they are sitting you know it’s it’s
the it’s the fact the Lord is actually
using the circumstances around us to
teach us to walk like Jesus and
sometimes the pain we feel that we are
so certain is somebody else’s fault it’s
actually a lordship issue
yep we can go now
the Lord is my shepherd the Lord the
master the ruler the wonderful gracious
father the benevolent kind caring leader
that we have he directs my life and I’ll
tell you I’ll tell you my greatest my
greatest weakness over the last 40 years
it comes up I’m embarrassed to say how
often it has come up my greatest
weakness has been that I assumed that I
know the will of God in a matter and and
it’s it’s never it’s never a choice
between you know something evil and
something good or something moral vs.
immoral or honest versus dishonest
that’s not that’s not the issue those
issues have long been settled it’s the
issue of doing the right thing that God
has directed are the right thing hoping
that he’ll bless it a good thing and
he’s such a great father sometimes he
covers me you know it’s this yeah
I’ll cover you you know you just do
something you know in his name that he
wasn’t a part of because he has clothes
and he’s just like he’s just that kind
of a father and I’m so thankful for that
because he’s he saved me out of a bunch
of dumb stuff but other times he just
leaves me hanging and but it’s not it’s
not like it’s not like he’s punishing me
it’s just like son if you can feel the
pain of the moment you’re in it’ll help
your memory the next time you get in
that situation where you think you
already know what I want from you is
that make sense to anybody else I just
feel like I already know I saw him do
this this and this obviously this is
what he wants and that’s not always the
case it’s that assumption that gets me
into trouble I receive a lot of
encouragement especially from David in
his life I think I think maybe his life
is the one that speaks to me the most of
where there were times where maybe he
would forget to pray or he sought the
Lord on the most obvious details
he would he would pray for things that I
wouldn’t even think to pray for I just
assumed well this is what God wants and
that’s it’s he’s he’s Lord
he’s Lord he’s he’s the king of glory
he’s the lord of all lords he is my
Savior he is my benevolent dictator he
is a kind and perfect father he’s loving
and he covers me and he empowers me but
he is Lord and it’s never to be
forgotten he is absolutely Lord and Lord
of all and every knee will bow and
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord at
that moment that day is coming but we
have the privilege of doing it every day
of our life and here he starts this
psalm by describing the condition of a
disciple it doesn’t mean what it says I
shall not want it doesn’t mean that I’m
not going to have another need tomorrow
doesn’t mean I don’t have a difficult
decision to make it doesn’t mean any of
those things it doesn’t mean if you have
a problem in your life than you then
Jesus obviously isn’t your Lord that’s
the opposite in this of this home this
Psalm is describing how to how to live
life in such a way that regardless of
your circumstances you always come into
a place of breakthrough because Jesus is
Lord and he notice in the saw me says
for my name’s sake every victory that
you and I experience all of creation
celebrates Jesus for your victory why
because they see his plan worked
the scripture says wherever two or three
of us are gathered in his name he is in
the myths what he’s already in me but
there’s an increased measure of presence
when we come together in his name so we
have two or three of us gathered in his
name Jesus stands in their midst all of
creation celebrates it because his plan
worked it was actually possible to
create something in people who are born
again the capacity for unity that only
the father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit I’ve known throughout all
eternity and all of creation looks at
that and said it work and there’s this
celebration of who he is so when he says
for his namesake
he’s actually describing
that it is imperative it is vital that
all of creation sees and witnesses the
effect of his plan
in fact Romans chapter 8 talks about all
of creation groaning and travailing we
got some good music going on somewhere
yeah this the beauty of cell phones yes
I one meeting I said you know somebody
needs to get the hell away of course so
that when your phone rings it’s kind of
a moment of celebration so that night
they had the holiday of course on their
phone so so the Lord the Lord is looking
for for one simple thing it’s our
acknowledgment of his lordship it’s not
complicated it may be heard that’s not
complicated Jesus is Lord and in that
place there is such rich fulfillment
that it is possible for you and me to
stand in the face of adversity
difficulty challenges whatever we might
be facing and say because he’s my
shepherd I actually am lacking nothing
and it’s in that context that we are
able to testify of his goodness in our
life the Lord is my shepherd I shall not
want he makes me to lie down in green
pastures some of you need to be made to
lie down
made to light it down he he he leads me
beside still or quiet waters
I had a phrase go through my mind here a
few weeks ago in in Sydney see if this
helps anyone many of us struggle with
guilt and shame in equal measure to our
overemphasis of our own role in our
conversion many of us struggle of guilt
and shame in equal measure to our
overemphasis of our role in our own
conversion do we have a role yeah I
chose him but he first chose me I love
him but he first loved me I put my faith
in him but the faith was a gift from God
and anytime we overemphasize we over
take responsibility when in fact he’s
looking to lead us into a place of
abandonment and trust maturity is where
I represent him well in power and wisdom
in love but I remain as a child I never
grow out of dependency I only grow
deeper in dependency the issue of
lordship will be an issue throughout all
of eternity but it’s never restrictive
in a sense of punishment it’s never a
restriction in a sense of confinement of
who you are born to me to be instead
it’s a restriction so that all your
efforts can be put into who you were
designed to be it’s it’s canoe it’s a
controlled strength if you will it’s a
directed strength the better term
directed strength and so the lordship of
Jesus is always with your eternal
purpose my eternal purpose is always in
mind that we could stand fully
representing Jesus accurately I really
believe that before he returns it’s
going to be a generation not just in
individuals but a generation that
represent him well in purity true
holiness great power great wisdom which
automatically means is
to be transformation of cities and
nations as a result alright so he makes
me to lie down in green pastures he
leads me beside still waters he restores
my soul the word soul there now
oftentimes when we really see the word
soul we think in terms of mind will and
emotions which is legitimate but this
word is used
it’s like 750 times in the in the Bible
and it’s often used to describe us in
our whole our whole person spirit soul
and body everything about us so when he
says it restores my soul it’s saying he
restores me completely everything about
me becomes healthy again sign me up for
that one that’s a good one it restores
my soul he leads me in the paths of
righteousness for his name’s sake
there’s that phrase again even though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of
death I will fear no evil for you are
with me here’s one of the most important
things I saw in that particular season
for me I’ll be honest I was I was of a
sick and and I I kept waiting for that
word of the Lord I kept waiting for that
that thing that would clarify everything
for me and and it just it just didn’t
come it silence whenever he’s silent
it’s not punishment it’s because he’s
already spoken and he’s his silence will
help you to find what he’s already said
it’s it’s not the silent treatment he’s
not like you and me giving each other
the silent treatment he’s is a gracious
father so everything is out of love
everything does that I’ve loved and and
I was hoping to get you know that word I
was hoping that somebody would call or
somebody would write and and there were
a lot of things giving to me it was all
wonderful but it was never that
breakthrough word that breakthrough
moment just didn’t come all there was
was sick and you know
I was in the hospital for a while
there’s two people with kidney
transplants that came in and left before
I did yeah and there was a third person
that was there when I got there so they
all graduated before I did so I was
there for and I’m just praying I’m just
looking for that word I had great
friends come to pray for me talk with me
so it was wonderful zero complaint but I
was looking for that breakthrough word
and it never came
what did come was overwhelming peace and
after I look back and I could say two
things two things I came out of with
number one bold faith stands on the
shoulders of quiet trusts bold faith
stands on the shoulders of quite trust
what he was looking for in me was not
the expression of bold faith he was
looking for me the quiet trust he was
trying to build something deeper me
where I had been working to illustrate
demonstrate pursue bold faith he was
looking to develop a rest in me that
enabled or allowed for a quiet trust to
be the platform on which another level
of bold faith would come that makes any
sense
hope so but here’s that here’s the main
deal that I wanted to mention to you
this morning as he says though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of
death I’ll fear no evil because you’re
with me I’ll fear no you because you’re
with me I I came to the realization that
there are measures or manifestations of
his presence that you can only find in
the valley of the shadow of death he
manifests himself differently in
different contexts in different
situations and there’s an aspect of his
presence you can only find in that
context
why would he take you through the valley
of the shadow of death because he
believes in the work he’s done in you
he’s confident of the great work that
he’s that he’s done in each one of us
he’s confident enough that he can trust
us in perilous situations if it wasn’t a
true sufficient new creation that took
place inside of our hearts when we
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ if
that were not a reality he would never
put us in that environment
because we’d be devoured devoured in a
heartbeat but he enables us to go
through those situations he doesn’t
create the evil he doesn’t create the
darkness but where he wants to take us
we walk through there and I tell you
what the longest way through a trial is
to try to do it apart from the lordship
of Jesus they quickest way through a
trial is what Jesus says Lord there’s
only one shortcut Jesus is Lord Jesus is
Lord that’s how you go through but when
I what I came to realize was there’s
there’s I I didn’t have these thundering
words and thundering encounters you know
spending years I’ve hardly even talked
about this I I just felt good morning
this morning might be might be good
maybe talk about some of some of at
least what I experienced that there was
never that that life-changing moment but
at the end of it I could tell I have
discovered an aspect of his countenance
of his face they I could not have found
anywhere else and because that was the
treasure I came out with it was
absolutely worth it absolutely worth he
goes on
he goes on he says you prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies
oh boy
you prepare a table for me you see it
you read it you prepare a table before
me you prepare the table and you put it
in the middle of the enemies what is the
table a table as a place of nourishment
the place of interaction fellowship
family intimacy it’s the is the table
remember my Felicia the Old Testament
his legs were lame but he was brought to
the table of the King so his lameness
was covered in the table of the Lord so
here’s this table of deep fellowship
closeness tenderness with God and God
says I’m going to put it in the middle
of the enemies what’s happened to so
many believers is all they can see is
the enemies and they define their
circumstances by the enemies they see
instead of defining the circumstances by
the Lord who is seated across the table
with intimate interaction and fellowship
there is a place of intimacy and
fellowship with him that actually causes
all these hellish things to dissolve and
disappear it’s not even that they’re
gone just that they don’t matter the
Bible says of God before you who can be
against you
it doesn’t mean no one can be against it
just means no one can be against you and
be given a chance to vote no one against
you ever gets to vote they have no
ability to contribute to a conclusion or
decision that’s been determined by the
one who is the Lord the Lord he prepares
a table before me in the presence of my
enemies I think one of the most frequent
challenges that I watch people that I
love and care for and interact with is
that as I watch them go through stuff I
see I see that they’re so aware of the
enemies that are
that are there and not the Lord who is
there you know your darkest situation
it’s a table of fellowship see most
people don’t have a financial problem
they have a lordship problem they don’t
have a relationship problem it’s a
lordship problem it’s not an anxiety
issue it’s a lordship issue that’s
really it’s really a thought at the
heart of so many things that’s when I
when I try to fix the stuff myself
instead of in that place a tender
surrender do I make a mountain out of a
molehill do I exaggerate the size and
effect of something and so here the Lord
is telling us listen I’ve set you up for
victory ahead of time and just to prove
it I’m gonna take you through a dark
valley and then I’m gonna when we get
there I’m gonna put a banqueting table
up and it’s gonna be you and me sitting
down and it basically means every time
you say I love you to Jesus he puts it
on the devil’s intercom Jesus makes the
devil listen to your affection and love
for Jesus because he places the table in
the presence of the enemy not so the
enemy can kill steal destroy but so that
there is ongoing testimony of the nature
of God in His redemptive purpose in
fallen humanity to restore us to a place
that reminds the enemy you did not win
you only set us up for a greater victory
even 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 you prepare a
table before me in the presence of my
enemies you anoint my head with oil my
cup overflows anybody ever have the
chocolate sundae a moonstone can you say
will of God yes why why for those of you
who are not enlightened it’s a large
goblet on a platter plate they fill it
with ice cream and then they pour
chocolate on it until it overflows and
is filling the plate will of God
overflows the outcome of this is your
chocolate sundae will overflow he says
my cup overflows there’s there is more
pouring through me that I could possibly
contain I am a fountain of resource in
life for countless numbers of people
because I’ve remained in a place of
trust in the darkest of times and what’s
happened in me is he’s created in me a
fountain of life that will feed and
nourish many it’s the result of the
lordship of Jesus as he can trust you
with greater capacity greater influence
simply because you have found the
presence in the darkness and you cause
that to be your feeding place and the
result is you will have more than you
could have asked for more than is even
necessary your cup overflows your head
is anointed your thought life is
immersed in the anointing the Spirit of
God and out of your heart flows rivers
rivers rivers of living water
he then ends it with this he says surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life I will do all in the
house of the Lord forever
the Lord goes before me I got two angels
behind me goodness and mercy they just
pick up the slack they keep going go
keep going don’t stop now this is no
place to stop this is they pick up the
things I drop but this goodness and
mercy dwelling in the house of the Lord
you were designed to live in the
manifested presence of the Lord did I
did I mention the I mentioned person
that got healed came in the Friday night
service I’m sorry this is my third
service I forget what I say we’re hi
good morning so here a person walks into
a room and is healed of cancer without
anybody praying for them several years
ago one of our staff guys one of our
international staff guys was coming
through customs in San Francisco and the
customs agent hasn’t at the at the
deaths are he’s international skeptic
he’s got a green card he works here and
the gallic summary says is where do you
work and said the Bethel Church he says
is that the church that has a prayer
house up there
that’s Oakland he says yeah it is he
said let me tell you story this is a
friend of Mines dying a fourth stage
cancer he drove up to Redding he walked
into the prayer house and was completely
healed of cancer they drove back and
then he looked at the pastor he stamped
his passport he said welcome home
what happened somebody’s Cup was over
floor somebody’s tent was over for that
lack mindset has got to go
lack mindset is only the product of fear
it is not true it is not truth my baby
going through a valley of the shadow of
death but I am NOT a person bound by
lack I’m a person in process
I like outcomes he likes process I like
the end result the breakthrough the
miracle or whatever he likes the journey
I don’t we think differently because we
do I want the outcome he says ah but you
get to trust me the whole way
and I would dwell in the house of the
Lord forever
doesn’t mean you come to church forever
means that we live in the presence
continuously forever that everywhere you
go the house of the Lord becomes
manifest it’s always a chance in a crowd
this size that there would be people who
have never made a confession of faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation
for your healing for your deliverance
and Jesus went to a cross with you in
mind with me in mind and he made it
possible that every person in this room
on a moment like this could place their
faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of
sin and for healing and transformation
of a broken life
everybody in this room needs it everyone
has been brought to this point today for
this reason Jesus Christ is Lord of all
and he’s inviting every person here they
may not have a personal relationship
with him he’s inviting you in to a
personal relationship with him if
there’s anybody here in that position it
would just say bill I don’t want to
leave the building
until I know that I’m at peace with God
that I know what it is to be forgiven
that I know what it is to be brought
into God’s family
I want you just to put a hand up right
where you are I don’t want to miss
anybody who does this so put your hand
up now I want to see who you are there’s
somebody right over here yes wonderful
anybody else okay
my back over here’s another one they’re
wonderful wonderful
it’s the most beautiful thing this guy
who owned the food truck just said what
do I do and this is what you do you just
respond to the invitation of King Jesus
to enter into life