What Did Mary Know?
The Season to be Busy?
HO HO HO 'Tis the season to be jolly! From the day after Thanksgiving, until the 25th of December, everybody is HAPPY. We hear Christmas music, shop 'til we drop, go to parties and attend performances. Then on the 26th of December, it's ALL OVER. We're left with un-decorating, bills, extra pounds, and even illness because we ate and partied too much. All this for one day! Christmas should really be in our hearts, EVERY day of the year! So...how can we prevent ourselves from being caught up in all of this? By focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek is going to do just that. She'll begin a series on the Christmas Story, and bring out some interesting points you may not have considered. So prepare to be blessed - and don't miss a single broadcast as she unfolds the event with a Christmas song...
I Will Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever
In John 11:25, Jesus said.. “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.” King David didn’t have THAT New Testament Scripture to assure him that there was life after death, yet because of his intimate relationship with the Lord, God gave David hope that He would remain with him as his faithful Shepherd-King for as long as he lived. Therefore, David confidently concluded Psalm 23 with a statement of his faith in the Great Shepherd he had come to know, love and depend on. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek wraps up our study of the 23rd Psalm with David’s closing phrase… “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Just Say 'Thanks'!
God gave mankind the finest gift that could EVER be given. He SAW our need before we knew it and before we even asked. We were living our lives apart from Him, but God’s heart LONGED for our fellowship, so He commended His love to us through the gift of His Son, Jesus. Jesus STRETCHED OUT His hands on the cross to give us God’s love. He died and rose from the grave, to pay the penalty for our sin against God and to provide reconciliation. When we accept this gift, we have fellowship with God. What greater gift could we possibly want? On this Grace Notes program, our host Barbara Sandbek will talk about how we should respond to this great gift.
Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me
After meditating on God’s faithfulness, David was persuaded that God would continue His favor toward him, so he wrote… ”Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Let’s listen in now as Barbara dissects this phrase for us.
Thou Anointest My Head with Oil
King David was well aware of the gracious and lavish treatment he received from His Heavenly Father. In the first part of verse 5 of Psalm 23, he described how bountifully God set the table for him, and how comfortable and secure he felt, even with his enemies looking on. He continues the verse with “Thou anointest my head with oil – my cup runneth over”. This shows how the Lord honored him by anointing him with oil and continually filling his cup to overflowing. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek will discuss the custom of anointing with oil and relate it to our anointing as Believers. So stay tuned, you’re sure to learn something new.
Thou Preparest a Table Before Me
In Old Testament times, to eat and drink at someone’s table created a bond of loyalty. This scene is not simply of a host and a guest, but rather of two friends. The Psalmist David needed a loyal friend. He found this and more at the Lord’s table. Under God’s protection and power, he could feast in safety and security though surrounded by his enemies. One commentary wrote that this could also be interpreted as that of a victory feast, where David celebrated, as his defeated, unarmed enemies looked on. Regardless of the meaning, David’s enemies couldn’t harm him because the Lord was on his side. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek will show how we, too, can feast comfortably in the middle of a crisis because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thy Rod and Thy staff Thy Comfort Me
The psalmist David spent most of his days in the middle of danger. Perhaps he was thinking about the attempts made on his life by King Saul and others when he wrote, ”Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Before he became king, he was constantly dodging Saul’s murderous pursuits. As king, he warred with the surrounding nations, and toward the end of his reign, his own family members tried to overthrow him. But because he had been a good shepherd himself, he understood and counted on the protection from God, the greatest Shepherd of all. Today, on Grace Notes, Barbara Sandbek will talk about how the shepherd protects his sheep.
Yea, Though I Walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death..
The phrase “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.” This is the first time David addresses God with, ‘Thou’ (or ‘You’ in our language). In the previous phrases He used the word ‘He’. Maybe it’s because God becomes more personal when we go through valleys. Are you going through a valley now? Keep listening – God has a message for you.
He Leadeth Me in the Paths of Righteousness - part 2
On our previous program, Barbara Sandbek talked about the way God leads us. We learned that when we trust in the Lord and not in ourselves, our paths will be well lit by Jesus, the Light of the World. Today, she’ll continue with the same verse, Psalm 23:3b which reads… He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. But first, let’s listen as Barbara sings about traveling life’s road with the King…
He Leadeth Me in the Paths of Righteousness - part 1
In his book, Psalm 23: The Song of a Passionate Heart, David Roper writes… God knows our pace. He knows when grief, pain and loneliness overwhelm us. He knows when the full realization of our limitations come home to us. He knows when we’re shamed and broken and unable to go on. God does not drive His sheep. He gently leads them. On this Grace Notes program, Barbara Sandbek will describe how God leads us as we continue with our study of the 23rd Psalm.
