Eleutheria Ministries: Truths From God's Word

Webster’s 1828 dictionary says gratitude is an emotion of the heart, excited by a favor or benefit received; a sentiment of kindness or good will towards a benefactor; thankfulness.  God desires relationship and intimacy with us.  One way we can share intimacy with him is through thanksgiving.  When someone does something for me, no matter how great or small, I say, “Thank you” and try to return in kind.  That is how I was raised.  We show gratitude when others bless us. In our culture today, you can often tell which young adults, teens and children were/are being raised by Christian parents, by their level of gratitude.  Sadly, we have a generation of children who were/are being raised to think more of themselves than of others.  This breaks my heart because I know it breaks God’s heart.  Not only do many fail to be grateful for what God has done, many fail to acknowledge his existence at all, passing Christianity/the Word off as a myth or man-ma...

Today we will begin looking at Psalm 23:4b as we continue our study on intimacy with Christ.  Psalm 23:4b, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  The rod and staff are symbols of the shepherd’s office.  With them he comforts the sheep.  His word and Spirit shall comfort them-his rod and staff, alluding to the shepherd's crook, or the rod under which the sheep passed when they were counted (Lev. 27:3), or the staff with which the shepherds drove away the dogs that would scatter or worry the sheep. i. Today we will focus on the shepherd’s rod.   The Rod (The Word- Jesus) The shepherd’s rod served four purposes: protection, discipline, guidance, and counting. First, the shepherd’s rod was used protection. Proverbs 30:5, Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:3-4, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violen...

Today we will be looking at Psalm 23:4a as we continue our study on intimacy with Christ.  Psalm 23:4a, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; (ESV) In Psalm 23:4, David might be talking about the moments before a believer leaves this life and is promoted to Heaven, or he may be talking about the “death grip” of fear that the enemy tries to attach to every believer as we walk through this life.   Looking at Psalm 23:4 from the vantage point of a saint headed to his/her heavenly reward,  Charles Spurgeon describes it well, "Yea, though I walk," as if the believer did not quicken his pace when he came to die, but still calmly walked with God. To walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed. The dying saint is not in a flurry, he does not run as though he were alarmed, nor stand s...