Good afternoon and welcome . Thank you for joining us . Wherever you are across the world at this moment in time . We thank God for your life . You're joining Mark and myself as we just explore Psalm 23 . Mark has got a very interesting version and it's called coverdow . He's going to read from that . I'm going to just look in the general niv . We're going to have a few moments chat . But wherever you are across the world , we thank god for your life . Thank god for those that are downloading all these , uh , these podcasts . Wherever you are across the world , may god bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ . Mark , good afternoon , good afternoon , ben . It's so good to have you with us . My friend , we haven't had a chance to have a bit of a recording , have we ? And we're just going to have a look , see what's going on with the scriptures . So , mark , let's have a listen . What have you got ? Psalm 23 .
Speaker 2Yeah , I've got the Psalm 23 in Coverdale , ben , and I think it's just lovely . I read the Psalms in Coverdale from time to time . So Psalm 23 says the Lord is my shepherd . I can want nothing . He feedeth me in a green pasture and leadeth me to fresh water . He quickeneth my soul and bringeth me forth in the way of righteousness . For his name's sake , though I should walk now in the valley of the shadow of death , I fear no evil , for thou art with me , thy staff and thy . Sorry , I've got a bad version actually .
Speaker 1That's all right .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's a really old version .
Speaker 1Ben , I know this . So I have the NIV and it reads like this the Lord is my shepherd . I lack nothing . He makes me lie down in green pastures , he leads me beside quiet waters . He restores my soul . He guides me in paths of righteousness for his namesake . Even though I walk through the valley of the ? Uh the darkest , 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 . Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the lord me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever .
Speaker 2That is the , the niv version . Have you got that there , mark ?
Speaker 1I haven't got it here , ben no , um , that's okay , but it's quite similar to the niv anyway . So what got you into the ?
Speaker 2the cover dial anyway it's just written in much more uh , colloquial language .
Speaker 1Oh is it ? Is it really ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I know it was quite old-fashioned sounding the one I read there .
Speaker 1Yes .
Speaker 2But yeah , they still sing it in the Book of Common Prayer .
Speaker 1Oh , really , yeah , I think the Book of Common Prayer .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's a really old version , I think before even Geneva , the Geneva Bibles , I think .
Speaker 1Oh , wow , so it's got some serious history behind it . It's a few hundred years old , yes . So yeah , what you've got there is that Book of Common Worship , common Prayer . I got that from a friend of mine and I love the way they've got that ribbon in the top . Have you seen that ribbon ?
Speaker 2at the top of it .
Speaker 1Them markers you know I could do with quite a few of them in my Bible because the Bible I've got I just read from the NIV and , as I said earlier , you know , the reason I started with the NIV is because I thought that I had a bit of a learning or reading disposition . But actually , as me and Mark have been speaking , the more reading I'm doing , with the funerals that I'm doing and pressed into the area doing eulogies , I'm noticing my readings getting a lot clearer . So that's really interesting . But I could do with them markers that you've got in the top of that . I think they're great them colored ribbons that you can just pull out and put them in the pages that you use . They're really good , aren't they ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I think you've got about six or seven , just in the binding of it . Yeah .
Speaker 1So , mark , what have you got there ?
Speaker 2Yeah . So from this book that you've got here of Common Prayer , it says the Lord is my shepherd . Therefore , can I lack nothing ? He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters . He shall refresh my soul and guide me in the paths of righteousness . For his name's sake , 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 spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me . You have anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full . Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me all the days of my life , and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever so it's um .
Speaker 1That's beautiful , that's really it is .
Speaker 2It is actually quite similar . I think this might even be the niv or let's have a look .
Speaker 1What is it ?
Speaker 2I don't know it seems very similar to um .
Speaker 1Yes , to the one you read it's probably an up-to-date um common prayer . You know , is it the common prayer or is it common worship ? What is it actually titled as ?
Speaker 2Yeah , it's titled as daily prayer , common worship , so it might be an updated version .
Speaker 1So obviously that's oh , it's got the Lord's Prayer in the back of it .
Speaker 2It's got the Lord's Prayer the Apostles' Creed .
Speaker 1It's got a lot of information in it . Yeah , maybe I should keep that off the shelf and have a little bit more of a read when I'm doing a few funerals . It's probably got quite a few good leads in it . It's got daily prayers . It's interesting , isn't it ? But I love the ribbons in the top . But Psalm 23 , you know that Psalm . If you're out there and you're struggling with anything in your life and you're worried about anything , you know psalm 23 is a beautiful psalm that you can just lean into and just trust god for . And even psalm 91 . You know we don't have time to flick to psalm 91 , but psalm 91 is a beautiful psalm as well .
Speaker 1And the interesting thing as well mark , before we had modern worship and the worship that we have today . When you think Paul and Silas , they was in the stocks , wasn't they ? And it says that they sang hymns and they prayed . So all they had . What they must have been singing was what David gave them through Psalms , mustn't it ? It says they were singing . What's the correct word ? Is it in the book of Acts , paul and Silas were in the stocks and uh , as they started to worship through uh hymns and uh psalms , their , their , was it ? Their shackles came off . I can't remember the actual biblical reference . It is , but it says that they were singing psalms .
Speaker 1So there is power in psalms , obviously , because it's the word of god . But if you find that you're in trouble and people go to the latest whatever's out there in in the world of worship and we understand contemporary worship there's a few issues with that . That's going on . But when you , when you look at the psalmist , and if you , if you are in need of help , or we would recommend you , went to psalm 23 and you can put that to a rhythm of music , can't you mark ? You know psalm 23 , you can put that to the rhythm . So paul and silas were in stocks , locked down . There was a completely locked down and as they started to praise and as they started to worship , there was a change in their circumstances as they lifted up the lord , the god of israel , through the Psalms that David gave . So Psalms is worship , isn't it ?
Speaker 2Yeah , the Psalms . The Psalms is the word of God . Yeah , it is a form of worship and , yeah , you can sing praise to God through the Psalms . Yeah , and some churches still do that singing the Psalms in meter .
Speaker 1Because we had that conversation , didn't we not long ago , that we were talking about that and you were saying you were going to do that and you were going to bring some of that here , wasn't you , which was really interesting . You've been to some churches , have you , where they do that .
Speaker 2Yeah , some churches only sing the Psalms .
Speaker 1And what does it feel like ? What does it sound like ? I don't like to use the word atmosphere what does it feel like in the church or the place of worship ? Do you really get a sense that you are really close with God as you're singing the Psalms ?
Speaker 2I think so . Yeah , there's just a real reverency for the word of God , and I think to sing the words of God , rather than any words , any artistry of man , is just yeah , there's something about it that blesses the soul , and I'm not against singing hymns or singing things , but I think there's a real place for singing psalms , yeah , and trying to keep close and faithful to the Psalms as well , rather than kind of rewriting them too much .
Speaker 1Is there any particular Psalms that you're aware of that you've heard ? So , rather than having contemporary worship , they're literally having three or four , five , six from Psalms itself having a three or four , five , six , from from psalms itself .
Speaker 2Yeah , I mean , normally in a church service we will only sing four um four psalms . There's one that I I know of where they they'll sing four psalms , but there's another one that we'll sing one , one psalm to begin with and then three hymns , uh , between scripture readings and wow yeah , that's very , very biblical .
Speaker 1I know that we we all try and go that biblical route , but worship is a is a very sticky conversation , isn't it ? Because there's so much out there and the latest secular Christian . However , you've got to be so careful that you don't get absorbed in this secular week . We label it as worship , but actually , is it truly worship ? If it is worship , you will really know that , and I also believe , as we understand , lucifer was the chief worshipper and he wanted to be worshipped . So you've got to be very careful , haven't you ? Who you lift up as you sing . So it's a very , very , not awkward subject , but it's a subject that needs to be spoken about and looked at . So I'm going to investigate that a little bit more , because this is the second time that we've had a bit of a conversation on that . But you've got the Book of Acts open up there , mark .
Speaker 2Yeah , I've got Acts 16 . And what you were referring to ? The crowd that joined Silas attacked against . They joined an attack against Paul and Silas and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten . They were severely flogged and thrown into jail . The jailer commanded the guard them carefully . Upon receiving such orders , he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks .
Speaker 2About midnight , paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them . Suddenly , there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken At once . All the prison doors flew open and everybody's chains came loose . The jailer woke up and when he saw the prison doors open , he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped . But Paul shouted don't harm yourself , we are all here . The jailer called for lights , rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas . He then brought them out and asked sirs , what must I do to be saved ? He then brought them out and asked Sirs , what must I do to be saved ? They replied Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved , you and your household . So , yeah , that's an amazing verse that came to your mind there , adia .
Speaker 1It's so powerful , isn't it , mark , to think that singing psalms and hymns your shackles will ?
Speaker 2go .
Well , there was an earthquake and something big happened . And the jailer ? His response was what must I do to be saved ? So , paul and Silas , you know , if I try and compare it to modern worship , they weren't singing in like the modern worship , they weren't making such a loud , uh noise , a thunderous noise it was . They were singing hymns to God .
Speaker 1It was to God .
Speaker 2Yes , and a lot of modern worship . Um seems to be a lot of exalting of yourself I will ascend to . I will ascend in some way and it can please self-propelled propelled sorry yeah , and , as you rightly said , uh , lucifer , he , he presents himself as an angel of light , that's correct , he led . He led the heaven , the uh , the uh , the angels in worship , and there can be a sense that worship is . You know , somehow I will lift myself and be lifted Self-focused , but actually it was God that sent the earthquake and shook the prisons .
Speaker 1Very true .
Speaker 2The very foundations . And that response , the jailer asking what must I do to be saved ? That's the question that needs to be asked . Uh , to receive the gospel ? Um , we , we can't be saved just by going to church and just by exalting ourselves in worship . Perfect mark .
Speaker 1So so true , isn't it ? You know so . Wherever you are across this world , you know if you are in trouble , if you are completely tired and weary , it's not so much just bringing up the latest secular worship that's across the world , but it's actually getting in the word of God . So , wherever you are , we thank God for Mark and his life and what Mark does in the house of the Lord through the prayer ministry . Here and wherever you are today , we just want to say thank you so much . May God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ . We are so blessed . Thank you for the downloads . Wherever you are situated across the world , may the hand of God be over you in Jesus' precious name , amen .