REWIND
The podcast "REWIND" features a collection of past sermons from Organic Church. Each episode takes listeners on a journey through the teachings and messages delivered during previous worship services. The content is a retrospective look at the spiritual guidance and insights shared by Pastor Michael and visiting guests!
Listeners can expect to revisit powerful sermons, meaningful scriptures, and impactful messages that have been shared in the past. The podcast aims to provide a convenient and accessible way for the church community and new audiences to engage with the timeless wisdom and spiritual teachings presented during earlier sermons.
Whether it's a reflection on a particular theme, a series of teachings, or a selection of sermons covering various topics, "REWIND" offers an opportunity for individuals to deepen their understanding of the faith and find inspiration in the timeless messages.
The podcast may also include commentary or reflections on the historical context of each sermon and how it continues to resonate with the present-day congregation.
REWIND
Wednesday Night Bible Study (January 29, 2025)
Imagine narrowly escaping danger because of a seemingly random, yet perfectly timed intervention. Listen as we unravel the incredible story of Mary Berker's life-saving action during a gas leak, a testament to God's vigilant presence in our lives. This episode invites you to explore the comforting refuge offered in Psalms 91, where the imagery of God as a shelter and fortress provides solace and peace amid life's chaos. Through vivid personal anecdotes, we'll reflect on the many ways divine protection manifests, from close calls on the road to unexpected moments of grace, reminding us of the boundless strength found in God's watchful care.
Join us for a heartfelt exploration of the powerful role of prayer and the Holy Spirit in safeguarding us from life's storms. Experience a vivid recounting of a dream set at a church carnival, highlighting how spiritual awakenings can urge us to seek God's protection through prayer and faith. As we explore themes of forgiveness and divine refuge, we'll also examine how God's love, much like a mother hen's protective wings, offers an unshakeable fortress against adversity. This episode is an invitation to embrace the assurance of God's unfailing plan and find comfort under His protective wings.
All right. Well, I want to welcome everybody here tonight. I'm so thankful to be in the presence of the Lord and in his house, aren't you? Amen. I got a strong word for us tonight out of Psalms 91. This is week three, because last week, you know, we all got held back by that crummy weather, and so I was thankful for what? That 40 degrees today. That was exciting.
Speaker 1:And so we're going to talk about Psalms 91. And it says right. It says the safety of abiding in the presence of God. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadows of Almighty, and I will say of the Lord. He is my refuge, my fortress, my God, and Him I will trust. Surely, he shall deliver me from the snares of the fire and from the perilous pestilence, and he will cover me with his feathers and under his wings I shall take refuge, amen. And so I brought my umbrella with me tonight. Isn't this a nice gift from Berner Trucking? Very nice, huh. Isn't this a nice gift from Berner Trucking? Very nice, huh. And I'm going to use this as my covering. Yeah, and so he will cover us with his feathers and under his wings you will seek refuge, just like a mother bird protects her chicks under her wings, god offers a safe haven and a complete protection to those who trust in him, providing security and shelter from harm, keeping his I'm going to say his chicks but it's the mother chicks safe. God always cares for his people, amen.
Speaker 1:And so then I'm going to ask if anybody remembers what the shelter is. Do you remember what his shelter is? It's a covering. It's a covering. It's a safe place. God's shelter, the faith in God that provides safety. It's a refuge from danger, hardship and fear. It protects us to a place to find comfort and security. Oftentimes the Bible will describe it as a dwelling in the shadows of Almighty, under the shelter of His wings. A key point God's shelter. We've taken talking about God's shelter in every verse that we have spoke of.
Speaker 1:What are we on our fourth? So the first four is about being under his shelter, being in the secret place of the Most High, having him as our refuge and our fortress, knowing that we can trust him and that he would deliver us from the snares of the fire. And we learned last week or the week before, that that is when we get in a snare is a trap, like a hunter's trap. And you know God keeps us sheltered, covered from all those things, a place of safety and peace where you can turn during times of trouble. How many times have you had to run to God's shelter in your life? And he was right there with open arms, doors open? Come on in. This is your place of security. This is your blessed assurance. I am here, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. I am your God and I love you. You know, sometimes maybe we've done something we shouldn't have and we feel like maybe we don't have the right to come under that shelter. But God forgives. That's the amazing thing about God. He forgives us and he's always welcoming us into his arms. Amen. Talk about his wings. They are an encompassing care and protection.
Speaker 1:I would think of the times God has protected me. One day I was going to work. This is the most craziest thing ever. Somebody else want to get under this, hold this and be under God's here. Anita, you get under God's protection. Just hold him there you go.
Speaker 1:One day I think it was last year I was headed to work and I was in the passenger's lane and there was a semi beside me and wouldn't you know, he hit a deer and when he hit that deer he hit that deer right over into my lane and all I seen of that deer it was spinning and I see its face. And I see its face and I'm like my God, cover me. I just comes right out of me and I just go right down in the medium and come right back out on the road and go right on my way. Now that's God's protection, tina. Can you hold it this way? Tina can't see through your, over your covering, can you? Dave's going to hold it a while. Amen. He's holding all that protection, nita.
Speaker 1:And one time I was going to work this was many years ago and I was driving our Versa and I had never hydroplaned before in my life and I hit a patch of water and my car spun down the road three times and I ended up still going the straight way, just driving, just like I took off. I was shaking from head to toe and I got to work and I called Dave and I'm like you're never going to believe what happened to me, but that was God's protection. I was under his shelter, I was in his refuge, that trap that the enemy set for me. God saved me from it, amen. I could write a book, just write a book of the things, and I'm sure you could too of the way God has just stepped in and saved the day, amen. God has just stepped in and saved the day, amen.
Speaker 1:And so they're saying, like a mother chick, how a mother chick has love. You know, they're comparing the mother hen with her chicks to the intimacy and the nurturing that we have in God's protection. You know he has to love us to protect us, because we protect everything we love. Amen, amen. You know somebody says something. Have you ever had that? Listen, you can talk about me all you want, don't talk about my family. You talk about my family. You're going to get the mama bear, you know. And so I forget where I'm going with that. Protection, intimacy, chicks, baby chicks. So that's how a mother chick is, you know. Don't mess with my little chicks. Well, that's how God is. Don't mess with my kids. You know they might cause me lots of problems, but they're my kids and I love them, you know.
Speaker 1:And he's just like tell Satan, you don't have no authority, you don't have no right. Amen, amen. So you know, under the wings of God, you know we can rely completely on him for safety. Somehow or another we don't do that right. Somehow or another we get into our own natural mind. Oh, I know why because we don't have our chin strapped on our helmet of salvation. So we get into our natural whoopsie. We get into our natural mind, you know, and we begin to nurse and rehearse and think you know, I woke up. This is the truth.
Speaker 1:I woke up the other morning. I bet my eyes weren't awake, I bet my eyes weren't up three minutes and the enemy is inside of my head, having a battlefield in my mind, something that happened at least 10 years ago. Now, why would I wake up, other than Satan trying to ruin my day? Amen. So immediately I said I'm putting on my helmet of salvation, clicking my chin strap, saying you don't have no authority here. You know, I hadn't even had time to say good morning Lord, and he's in my head, putting thoughts in my head. And you know, I just took authority over it and I covered myself with the blood, put the helmet of salvation on and I said I choose not to think about this because it isn't going to ever change it. It was 10 years ago, but see how he is. He was set in a trap to ruin my whole day. But I gave him a big old black eye with Jesus, amen, the refuge in times of trouble, his wings. They represent a place to seek shelter and comfort when facing challenges and dangers. And so, truly, that was a challenge.
Speaker 1:I could have chose to how's that sound? I could have chose to just roll with it the whole day, or I could choose to say not today, satan, and that was my choice not today. I don't. I have self-control. Where do we hear that? At 1 Timothy 1.7. God did not give me a spirit of fear, but of love, power, sound mind self-control. I have self-control over my thoughts. My mind does not get to think over whatever it wants to. I pull it back and I choose to think on Philippians. I choose to think on these things that are good, true, honest, pure and of a good report. Amen, amen. See, it's all me, it's all how I decide to play the game today, whether I'm going to play in Satan's court or whether I'm going to let God rule and reign in my life.
Speaker 1:Depression how often does depression come up on you? I'm telling you, for years, my husband, instead of saying on Mondays, good gosh, it's Monday, he'd say oh no, it's Monday and he couldn't get past it. And I'm like Dave this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it and I know he would try with everything within him he would try to overcome that ungodly thought and ungodly beliefs. But Mondays were hard for Dave. But you're past that now. He could do all the time he got to work, but it's that initial Monday morning blues.
Speaker 1:I think you got to go back to the grind. You got to work. You know you got seven days, eight hours, maybe 12 ahead of you. You know that's hard and what I do I think about I got four eight-hour days ahead of me and then on Friday, that Friday, look out, let the good times roll. I'm going to have fun and I'm going to enjoy my family. I'm going to enjoy church, I'm going to enjoy you women, but the enemy could be like, oh my gosh, I'm going to enjoy church, I'm going to enjoy you women, but the enemy could be like, oh my gosh, I got four days, Got to get up at 430. Got to get out in that 12 below weather. But you know what? I would not allow my mind to go there. I had to think about what I was thinking about? Okay, because I'm under his feathers. What I was thinking about? Okay, because I'm under his feathers. I'm under his protection, amen.
Speaker 1:Psalms 91.4 is a verse that compares God's protection to the care of a mother bird showing her young, to convey that God's protection is faithful and unwavering and that God's love is furious. It's furious love, amen, amen. Unwavering that means his love never, ever changes. What's the word say? He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Right, there it is. It's a four square scripture he's the same today, tomorrow, yesterday and today and forever and ever. He never, ever changes, never, ever, amen, amen. It says that he's faithful To me. That's amazing for him to have that faithfulness of God, to know that he's never going to change. He's going to be the same. He isn't going to love me more or less because of what I do or I don't do. He just loves me, amen. He protects us like a mother's bird with her wings. He shelters and keeps his chicks safe. He keeps his baby safe. He keeps us safe.
Speaker 1:Amen Under the feathers refers to the power of God A protective mother bird shouldering her chickens beneath her wings. So, sis, can you play that video for me? This is amazing. You see this mother bird right here. It started all the way back at the get-go. Now you watch that little slippery snake. See, he's not. It does look like. Look at that. I just read something on Facebook the other day If he can't come through the door, he'll find a crack. Look at her getting them babies to safety. She's like come on, kids, get with me. Ain't that like God? Come on, kids, get with me. Ain't that like God? Come on, kids, get with me. There's one more back there. She's relentless. How many of us moms are like that? That's how God is with us. Ain't no danger going to come to our dwelling? He's got us. Amen, amen.
Speaker 1:You know, being under the wings of God, under his feathers, is an act of being close and having a personal connection with him, where you know, within a shadow of a doubt, that you are safe. Have you ever had that feeling Like I don't know, like something comes over you and no matter what's going on, all is well, it's good. God's got me. Have you ever experienced that when I had open heart, that's exactly where my mind had to be. You know, it is well with my soul. Whether I lived or whether I died, I won. Amen, amen, amen.
Speaker 1:And so, under the feathers of God, we can feel His comfort and know that His comfort is a safe place. Have you ever experienced that when His comfort just makes you feel oh, so safe? You know, the Holy Spirit comes as the comforter and a lot of times when I pray I'll say Holy Spirit, just comfort, come up beside them and comfort them, hold them in your arms, make them feel safe, amen. God's wings represent God's tender care for his children, who are weak and defenseless, like young birds, like that mother hen. Her babies were weak and defenseless, but there wasn't nothing wrong with her buddy. She's on it, she's going to see to it that every one of her babies were safe. And that snake, you know, he just backed right off, didn't he? She's like ain't that how God is? He's like you can't come no further, satan. You can't come no further. Amen, amen. Psalms 91 promises that God will protect that. God promises that God will protect his people from harm and disaster.
Speaker 1:You know, y'all know Mary Berker. Okay, one time God so used her in the most amazing way in me and Holly Jane's life. I had picked Holly up from school and we'd come home and I had made some soup and I turned the burners off and we both went in the living room and fell asleep. Well, she comes to the door and knocks and knocks, and knocks, and knocks and knocks. Comes to the side door, knocks and knocks and knocks and knocks and knocks. Comes to the side door, knocks and knocks, knocks, knocks, knocks, and pretty soon she just come through the door and hear what had happened when I turned that gas off. I hadn't turned off the gas and the fire went out, but the gas was still in the house and holly jane and I was getting asphyxiated.
Speaker 1:And had she not been persistent, what could have happened? The enemy could have took me and holly jane out, but thank god for him bringing mary to my house at that time and her being bold enough to say I know something's wrong in there, you know. And she came in. We get the windows open. She got us awake and we went out and sat on the porch and dave come home and you know. But thank god. So you never know who god is going to use or what he's going to do to keep us safe, to protect us, to keep us in the shelter house.
Speaker 1:I think that's why it's so important that in the morning, when you wake up, you know thank you, god, for your blood that covers me, and the blood that covers Dave and Holly, jane and Remy and Clay, and I thank you for the blood that covers the women's group in our church. And you know, those are things that I say before I ever get out of bed, because there ain't nothing like the blood of Jesus, nothing I can. Somebody can be coming against me and I can draw a bloodline around me. Ain't nothing they do going to hurt me, because I am surrounded by the blood of Jesus. I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. I walk in the blood of Jesus. I am covered by the blood of Jesus. I walk in the blood of Jesus. It's the blood, satan. I hold the blood against you in the name of Jesus. The weapon of our warfare is the blood, and so you know, we just thank God for that protection.
Speaker 1:Every day. Every day, the faithfulness of God is compared to a shield, a horrified rampart or a wall. God is a kind of safe house where angels are at work to keep evil at bay and to catch you, even if somehow you do still fall. So do you have that picture? That is a rampart. That's what God is around you and I when we are in the secret place of the Most High. Now that is made out of brick and mortar. It would be pretty hard for a natural man to get through that. And now he's telling us that he has his angels watching over us. Did I send you any more of those, or did I just think about it? Just that one? So that is called a rampart. It is a safe house, it is your shelter house, it is a refuge, it is fortified.
Speaker 1:And then I think one of the most powerful tools that we have against the enemy is when we have confidence in God. Like every bombshell's going off around me. Everything is crazy and I walk in the confidence of God. It's just like I'm walking right through the storm and God's got me. I'm in his protection, the rampart. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart.
Speaker 1:The rampart, god's unwavering protection and a loyal acting as a strong barrier against any threat of the Abbas. How do you say it? Abbasate, help me, jesus, satan, I'm just going to say Satan, and so adversary. That's it. So you know. Say you're having troubles with your finances, you're having troubles in your marriage, maybe you're having troubles with your friends I don't know where the issue is but God's unwavering protection, that loyalty, that strong barrier against the enemy on our behalf. Just look, here there's our under the protection of God, right under his hand, from all the storms of life.
Speaker 1:I think God is just amazing to me and I'm constantly in awe of Him. Just stand in awe of His greatness, stand in awe of His wonder. I stand in awe of Him from this past weekend of the amazing things, of his wonder. I stand in awe of him from this past weekend Of the amazing things. Do you know that I'm going to give a Holy Jeans testimony? I don't know if I'm allowed or not, but here goes when you're pregnant, your HDC levels go up, and the higher they go up, the more pregnant you are, the more healthy the baby is.
Speaker 1:And so Monday she was 250. Today she was 755. And so in what? Two or three days? It tripled.
Speaker 1:And so just continue to pray that the hormones in that baby develop correctly, because that's where the issue is, is that the hormones don't develop correctly and then they don't hold it, and so that the hormones are developing as they ought and I was just really excited. I was excited for her, she was excited, and so I'm believing that they are under the shelter of God, in the shelter house, with a rampart all around them Amen. See, that's a new way to pray, girls. I pray that there's a rampart around you in the name of Jesus, a fortified, safe house that the enemy cannot. He cannot. I don't think there's a crack in there for that snake to slither in, because you know that's what he does. You could be walking the walk, talking, talk and living the life, but he is constantly looking for a crack in our armor where he can just excuse me, just sneak in, and if he can get his head in, he's like a mouse, he's coming in.
Speaker 1:So that's why we have to keep ourselves, you know, in right standings with God and ask. I don't mean that we have to ask forgiveness every five minutes, but I do think at the end of the day, with a pure heart Father, forgive me for the things that I've done, that I've known and things that I don't. I think we should do that every day of our life, morning and evening, like taking a shower. Just give yourself a spiritual cleansing and ask God to forgive you. And every day is a new day. You know, I love it in the Bible where he says my mercies are new every day. And so if his mercies are new every day for me, shouldn't I have new tender mercies for you every day, new tender mercies for Dave every day? That means I'm not going to hold no unforgiveness. That means that no matter what you've said or done, hurt me, broke me, shattered my heart, I'm going to extend tender mercies to you Because that's what God does to me and I live in the overflow, and I want you to live in the overflow of me and I want people to live in the overflow of you. Wouldn't it be a beautiful world if that's how we all lived, like a fountain, like a fountain of forgiveness. Amen, amen.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about God's love. God's love is furious and nurturing and he wants to protect us and cover his people. Now, if we aren't operating in God's love, then we need to go back and check where we are in our salvation, because his perfect love flows through me, to you. It's the same way as the fountain, because perfect love is who God is. His word is love, he is love. And so if we are operating in unforgiveness. We need to check our love walk. You know, god, show me, and sometimes it's brutal. But show me Lord where I need to forgive. Show me Lord where I need to show love. Show me Lord where maybe I need to back up and allow you to take control.
Speaker 1:But as we dwell in that shelter house, as we dwell under those feathers, that's what's developed in us. Remember when we talked about the fruits of the spirit, galatians 5, 22, and you know where, the fruits of the spirit is love. Well, out of love is peace developed, joys developed. Out of love we have to love before we can develop those fruits. That love has to be developed first To have the love of God and to show it to one another. You know, it's easy. It's easy for me to love Dave, it's easy for me to love all you. I love all you. But what about that one that's unlovely? What about that one that's like nails on a chalkboard? That's where we really have to operate in love. That's where we really have to show forgiveness. But as we're under the shelter of God and he's showing that to us, we can show that to others, amen. We can show that to others, amen.
Speaker 1:And so sometimes that love heart isn't always easy, you know, and sometimes we might say I need to repeat God, I need to repeat, I need to repeat, I need to try that over again, I need to start over, I need a new beginning there. And you know what. He's faithful, and you might not get that opportunity today, you might not get that opportunity next month, but he'll bring that person back around, or whoever it is, that you can show the love of God. And then, because, holly, she reaches out to 25 different people, tina reaches 25 different people, anita reaches 25 different people. And so if we are loving 25 people, that's making a change, that's going to cause an impact. Amen.
Speaker 1:And so you know, under the shadows of Almighty, here is moving with God. Being under God's wings means moving with Him, not being stagnant. I don't want to be stagnant in my love life with people. I don't want to be stagnant in my joy. I don't want to be stagnant in my peace. Psalms 56.3 says when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. These were words that David wrote while feeling threatened for his life, and I think a lot of times when we feel that threatened, that that's kind of like when we back up and we retrieve, and then sometimes a person, a personality, an emotion comes out that maybe people haven't seen before, because we feel fear comes out that maybe people haven't seen before.
Speaker 1:Because we feel fear, we feel threatened, we don't know exactly how to motivate through those feelings. So a lot of times, dave or Holly or Mel, are you mad? No, I'm not mad, I'm hurt, and so it's just like a fine line, or do you ever have that? And so then, instead of just sitting down and having a great big cry, you show a little bit of attitude when we should just say to that person you hurt my heart. But instead we camouflaged it with attitude or a smart mouth instead of just being honest, like a lot of times.
Speaker 1:I'll say something to dave and and hey, I know, last night I forgot my phone downstairs. I'm upstairs, I swear to you. He's three steps up. I said oh, I forgot my phone. He comes around the corner. He says I forgot my phone. He comes around the corner and he says what am I supposed to do about that? I said well, did you want to go get it? He says I was clear up here when you said that. I said no, you weren't, you were on the third step. Then you want to hear what he said to me. Are you bullying me? I'm like David Lynn, I've never bullied anybody in my life.
Speaker 1:And here's the irony of it all he goes back downstairs to get the phone. It's on my desk upstairs. Oh, my gosh, I'm like thank you, jesus, thank you, thank you, father, for your love that flows between us, and we could laugh about it. You know, now I don't even know. I carried that upstairs and laid it on my desk, but he's well then, he's standing right here. Well, what you want me to do about it, do about it. Oh yeah, so that's just a funny one, but thank god that you know that could have went into a great big blowed out fight if we wouldn't have I said this is what I said. I okay, honey, he was on the top step when I said that, so I ended it. But inside I wanted to say I know you're on third. I still know he was on the third, but I let him for peace. He was on top step. But I know, yeah, it's exercise, I could have given him exercise. Yeah, he didn't have his watch on and so, in the face of fear didn't have his watch on. And so in the face of fear, we can have the face of faith, amen. And so when fear knocks on the door, we're going to send faith to open it, amen, amen. And so you know, I just think that's beautiful, that when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you and thank God, thank him, that we are able to do that.
Speaker 1:Listen, I had a dream. I had an exciting night last night. I had this dream and we were here. Now, this is just a dream. We were here at the church, dave and I, and, um, some reason, we were having a carnival out in our big parking lot. For some reason, we were having a carnival out in our big parking lot and somebody comes running in and says, dave and Holly, there's an emergency, you're needed. And Dave grabs our coat and he takes my hand and he says let's go. And when we walk outside, it's just ambulance and police.
Speaker 1:And I made myself wake up. What I didn't want to know what it was, and that was at 2 30 and I've been up ever since. I've been up since 2 30 this morning, but I've been praying and seeking god's face, canceling the act of the enemy, putting the total plan of god into operation, because it evidently I needed to wake up and start praying. So I have interceded and prayed all day that God has everything covered with the blood. Amen, amen. So under the shelter of his wings, under the shelters of his wings, that is where we're protected. It is our shelter house, it is our refuge. It is our high tower, it is our rampart, it is our safe house. Everything that we need is in the shadows of Almighty. Amen, amen. Chris, you want to close us out in prayer, thank you.