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 (February 19, 2025)
Can faith truly shield us from life’s storms, or is it just a comforting illusion? This episode promises to challenge your perceptions by exploring the powerful assurances of Psalms 91, where God is portrayed as our refuge and fortress. We invite you on a journey through metaphorical landscapes, reflecting on how residing in divine presence arms us with unwavering confidence, much like the biblical figures Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, who stood firm in the face of fiery trials. Through engaging personal narratives, we underscore how life's challenges not only test but fortify our resilience and trust in God's triumphant power.
Our conversation also sheds light on the daily struggle for self-control and mindfulness, echoing personal experiences of learning to speak with kindness through divine intervention. We explore the fleeting nature of our physical existence while celebrating the eternal spirit in Jesus Christ, highlighting the beauty of community support during tough times. As we discuss the profound impact of starting each day embraced by God's promises, we encourage listeners to internalize scripture and embrace the security it offers against life's adversities, reminding us of the privilege of having access to God's word and the importance of holding it close to our hearts.
he's walking out his prophecy that he received at the tutu party. So we're excited. Dave, you want to open us up in prayer, amen. So I'm just going to read Psalms 91, and then what I'm going to do is I'm just going to break down each verse and then, if you've taken notes, awesome. If not, maybe take notes.
Speaker 1:Psalms 91, verse 1 says he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadows of Almighty. I will say of the Lord. He is my refuge and my fortress, my God. In Him I will trust. Surely he shall deliver me from the snares of the firelark and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and your buckler, and you shall not be afraid of the terrors by night, nor the arrows that fly by day, nor by the pestilence that walk in the darkness, nor of the destruction that lays at noontime. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come nigh your dwelling. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the rewards of the wicked, because you have made the Lord, who is your refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all of your ways, and their hands shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon lions and cobras, the young lions and the serpents you shall trample under your feet, because he has set his love upon me. Therefore, I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known my name. I will set him on high because he has known my name. He shall call unto me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble and I will deliver him and honor him With long life. I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. So that is power, packed scriptures right there, amen. Psalms 91 is about being completely protected and secure. That is offered by God to those who fully trust in him a refuge and a fortress, like a mother bird's wings, to show us that God will shield us from all harm and angels will guard us. By dwelling in God's presence, no evil can befall you. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadows of Almighty. Now, what does that mean? If we are abiding under the shadows of Almighty, what does that mean? We're protected under his shelter, his umbrella, his covering. Okay, those who choose to reside in God's presence will be protected by his power.
Speaker 1:Verse two I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress. What was a refuge and a fortress? It was a rampart, it is. It's the building that's camped around us. We're in the safety of a fortress where the enemy, like if there's a war. You want to be in the fortress where you're surrounded by protection.
Speaker 1:Yes, the psalmist declares there's complete faith in God as their only safety. And so you know, we grow from faith to faith, from experience to experience. And if all we had was sunshine and sprinkles and rainbows every day of our life, how would we grow by faith? So, in each life, a little rain must fall so that we can grow and have faith to faith. Amen.
Speaker 1:Verse 3 and 4. Surely he will deliver you from the snares of the fire. Do you remember what that is? Okay, dave, tell us what it is. The enemy like a bird trapping the bird in the cage. So surely he will deliver us from the snares of the fire and from deadly pestilence what's pestilence? Diseases? He will cover you with his feathers and under his rings you shall find, you shall trust. Trust shall be your shield and your buckler. And so when we're under that mother, under all his feathers, we're trusting him. He won't let nobody attack us and even if we are attacked, we will be the victor, because that's who God is. He's victorious and through him we are victorious and through him we are victorious. God is like a mother hen shielding you and I from danger and from traps and diseases Verse 5 and 6.
Speaker 1:You shall not be afraid by the terrors by night, nor the arrows that fly by day, nor of pestilence that walk in the darkness, nor of the destruction that wait at noontime. No matter the threat, no matter what threat the enemy sets up for you and I, whether it be day or whether it be night, we have to trust in God and fear not, because you know, you ever been around somebody who bullies and as soon as they smell that you have a little fear man, they really rise up. Fear man, they really rise up. And so that's what the word is saying is, no matter the threat, day or night, when our trust is in God, we will not fear. Verse 7 and 8,. A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand, but I, but it shall not come near me. Now. I have quoted that scripture many times when the enemy's been on my tail Amen, amen. 1,000 at my side and 10,000 at my right hand, but it shall not come nigh Holly's dwelling. Amen.
Speaker 1:When people talk about you, that's not going to come nigh my dwelling. So I always just say God, make it sound like they can't even understand what's being said. Right, why can't he do that into the ear of the hearer? That's my theology. That's my theology. Even when surrounded by calamity, we will remain untouched. Isn't that amazing? Have you ever had that happen in your life, where calamity is all around you and the circumstances are looking really dim on your end, but you're not touched? You're like Meshach, reshach and Abednego you might be in the fire, but you don't even smell like smoke when you come out. Amen, amen.
Speaker 1:Verse 9 and 12. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come nigh your dwelling, nor shall any plague come nigh your dwelling. So when we are dwelling in the presence of Jehovah, god Almighty, in that secret place, when he is our fortress, where we are taking refuge, nothing can come nigh our dwelling. And I know, sometimes it looks like it's darkest before the dawn, but when that day breaks it's a brand new day, amen.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite scriptures is this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it, even when we don't know what the day holds. It's the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it, even when we don't know what the day holds. It's the day the Lord has made. You know, many, many, many, many moons ago I I was very uncertain about um October 31st. It gave me theies. I didn't want to be alone, I just would just rather slip through the day. And one day my friend said to me Holly, do you know that October 31st is the day that the Lord had made? And I'm telling you, I was free, free as free could be, because it doesn't matter. That's the Lord's day, that's not Satan's day. He's just a counterfeit. He just snatched it and everybody hopped on board with him. But it is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen, for he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands lest you strike your foot against a stone. Will lift you up in their hands lest you strike your foot against a stone. God's angels will protect you and I from the dangers and the obstacles in this life. The verse in Luke 4.11, where Jesus quotes it in response to temptation from the devil the angels will protect us from dangers and obstacles in our life. So how many times does Jesus protect us and we don't even know we're being protected A lot. Then he says she waved at him Like thank you, yeah, god, uh, his angels watching over us is an amazing thing.
Speaker 1:I remember one time my sister, joy and I we used to clean a telemarketing office. Holly was probably maybe second grade and you know there were the up truck places ups, so we're coming from philly towards that and up in the air I saw a host of angels most beautiful thing you ever ever laid your eyes on and they were just all just hovering, just hovering right there and I said, joy, do you see it? She didn't see it, but I saw it and it was beautiful to think that that god had his angels had descended now, whatever they were protecting or whatever they were doing, I have no idea. But uh, another time when we worked at, uh, the telemarketing place because we worked late nights, we would probably get there around midnight and work till three, four in the morning and then go home and, uh, there was a room back set off I'm just in there vacuuming, cleaning and I looked up and there stood an angel dressed in emerald and there was an angel dressed in the purple of majesty and there was an angel dressed in iridescent. And then, on this wall over here, there was an angel dressed in royal blue and they were tall and slender and God told me that those were my angels that were protecting me, and I mean, at that point in time in life, that was amazing to me. Now, when I first came to this church, god placed an angel at that door and he placed an angel at that door and they are still there. When their swords are drawn, it's a time of repentance, and when their swords are in their sheath, it's a time of peace. But they're pretty big. Wow, maybe they're still there. Yes, that's what those angels do. They protect the sanctuary Of the comings and the goings and the activities that go in one. So see, he puts angels in charge of us.
Speaker 1:One time in my life, for the life of me, I couldn't say anything nice if I tried. Have you ever been there in your life? Yeah, I couldn't say anything nice if I tried. And so the Lord, I'm telling you, he parked this little angel about this big right on my lip and there's scripture to that where she guarded my words and if it wasn't nice it wasn't coming out. But God used that to learn me how to have self-control. She was there for a very long time, a very long time. But you know what's some birthday? If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.
Speaker 1:You know it's all spiritual, it's all in the supernatural, but yeah, so if you have a problem with not saying nice things, ask God to put a guard on your mouth, buddy, he'll do it. He'll do it. We're just asking to put a guard on your mouth. There you go, yeah, so you know, yeah, we've been there. Got milkshake, baked chips, t-shirt. Say something nice. But thank goodness that he loves us so much that in that secret place. That was a secret place for me. I was in his fortress. He was my refuge. You know it was a high tower and he had his angels guard over my mouth.
Speaker 1:You know, sometimes we need to ask him to put a guard on our minds because, you know, if we don't think about what we're thinking about, our minds will go anywhere down any avenue. Thinking about our minds will go anywhere Down any avenue, get caught up in a traffic jam, is it true? So you know that's what we got to put the helm of salvation on, clear up all confusion, snap that chin strap and you know, god, guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Help me to think upon things that are good, true, honest and pure and have a good report, because I'm telling you, our minds have no control. We have to bring them in submission To Jesus Christ. Do you have to pull it back? Sometimes, you know, sitting here Just saying how many people do you think? You know, sitting here just saying how many people do you think when we're sitting here on Sunday morning, pastor Michael's preaching a message, they're thinking I've got to go home and get that laundry done, I've got to go to the grocery store, I've got to get the clothes washed. Yep, that's when you bring your mind into submission under Jesus Christ and control it to stay in the here and now and receive what the Spirit of the Lord is saying Amen.
Speaker 1:What's our next? What did we do? 13, 14? What's in that? Now our next? What did we do? 13, 14? Open that now. Verse 13 through 16. You were tread upon the lions and the cobras and the young lions and the serpents. You will trample them under your feet because he has set his love upon us. Therefore, I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known my name. Did you know? He knows your name? He will call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble and I will deliver him and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and I will show him my salvation.
Speaker 1:So long life and length of days. I give this. I give this a lot of thought today, when God gave us Our bodies. These bodies are temporary. They will wear out. They are wearing out Now.
Speaker 1:Many, many, many moons ago, the Holy Spirit gave me this revelation. I share it with Melody. Melody says don't ever tell anybody. But this is the truth From the moment you and I are conceived. We begin to die From the very moment Because we begin to age At the point of conception. But God was gracious and he gave us beautiful vessels To house our spirit, souls to house our spirit. But this, this will pass, this will fade away, but my spirit and Jesus Christ will live forever when he is in my heart, when forgiveness has flown and I have repented. Amen, amen.
Speaker 1:So long life and length of days. God promises us a full, satisfied life for those who trust in him, not just for a long lifespan, but for a life rich in meaning, full of peace and fulfillment. God protects us from danger and trials. This is the most clear expression of His love. That's why the body gets sick, because it's temporary. But God Almighty, but God Almighty. He is our healer, our great physician.
Speaker 1:And when I had to have open heart surgery, I'm telling you I was totally beside myself as to why God just didn't heal me. But he had a plan. But he could have. He could have healed me in a wink. Why did I have to have hip surgery? He could have healed that. But see, that's our walk of faith. That's where we learn to grow and depend on him.
Speaker 1:Now, when Dave got hurt, he showed himself in a mighty way as our great provider. Our great provider, our great provider had us covered with him wings, and we were in the fortress and he was our refuge. We were in the secret place of the most hot and he covered us and some of you were the feathers he covered us with. You know, melody, eight weeks, every evening she came and put my puffer socks on me. Every night she put my puffer socks on me because we couldn't get it done. She tucked me in every night for eight, tucked me in bed. Chris washed my hair. How many people brought us food. I remember Jessica came and ran the vacuum. Chris and I think, was it Sis? Came and set my deck up so that we could enjoy the springtime. So that we could enjoy the springtime.
Speaker 1:I don't know when I came home from the hospital when Dave got hurt. When I came home, underneath my mat was an envelope that had $250 in it and gas cards and restaurant cards. What a blessing, I try to think. Come and make our breakfast. Did our laundry Feathers God's feathers covering us, anything else? Did I forget anything? Can you think of anything?
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness, huh, yes, a family in our church made sure that our yard was mowed every week and even through the VA VA, we stayed in a VA house I mean beautiful, just like a motel never cost us a penny, all the food you'd want, it was amazing. And God even blessed us through the finances of the surgery. I mean, we never owed one penny. On that great, big, huge bill you think there was a stack of. There is a stack of bills this deep for sure god made for good, amen, amen. So another thing that I I believe this with all my heart. I do not believe that we have to die sick. I do not believe that Because right there God says that he promises us long life and length of days. So every day, father, I thank you that you give me long life and length of days to do the work of the kingdom, not for selfish me but for the kingdom's sake. Amen, amen. Huh, well, you know that's our part.
Speaker 1:What am I putting in there? All that sugar and carbs and pop and all Dave's old Debbie donuts and chocolate milk. What did he tell me? What did I say to him tonight? I said do you drink a gallon of chocolate milk a week? He does, but it's 1%, 1%, but it's 1%, 1%. He only drinks it in the evening, so that tells you how much he bellies up to the chocolate milk container. David well, buy a gallon every week. David Well, buy a gallon every week. I am telling you side note three months ago we went and bought Dave new pants, and surely this weekend we're going to go buy some new pants. But I am thankful, because when he was thin, he was too thin and he didn't look healthy. And so when he got hurt and then he had his dental work done and he just I think he went down to 170 pounds. Well, 170 pounds is a six foot man. He has them. No, oh jeez. Well, this is pick on Dave night. Oh lordy, we love you Dave. Yeah, he's going to pick on us.
Speaker 1:So, beyond just having longevity, longevity, longevity, we can expect a life full of purpose, joy, by God's protection. And so when we have that long life and length of days, we need to enjoy the journey, because Satan will do things to make life hard and cause us to get distracted and cause us to get off track. But you know, that's when we have to get back in that secret place of the Most High and just press into god. And you know, press, pray until something happens. Push it's push, push until something, pray until something happened, push I don't get it straight here pretty soon push, pray until something happens. And so, as we are, um, our life is full of purpose and joy and protection by god. When we're trusting in him, the promise of long life is faithfully relying on god's protection and his guidance.
Speaker 1:And so when you get up in the morning, do you commit your day unto him. You know, lord, I commit this day unto you. Have your will, have your way in me, and my desire is to flow with you, not to flow against you, because a lot of times he'll give us an unction, because that's what the holy spirit does. He gives us an unction and we say uh-uh, not doing that. But then he's a gentleman, so he backs right off. But at another date he will come and give you an unction to move again. But we're not robots, we have a choice. We can either move in what he has us to do or we can say, no, I'm not doing it. Then sometime, maybe down later that week, you get that spot in your heart where you think I should have done that. I should have done that. I should have done that, and sometimes you get an opportunity to fix it and get an opportunity to do it. Why did you do it? I need you to be on mute, thank you.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and do a little bit of a. I'm going to go ahead and she might have some light. I got a lot of them From your day.
Speaker 1:Anywhere she wants to go, just think and reflect For the opportunity.
Speaker 1:Yes, and don't forget to check your phone.
Speaker 1:I might wait for her. I'll have to take a little time for her. Sure, don't follow. Don't follow, amen, because he's faithful to us. So the ultimate promise of victory over evil and god's unwavering support for those who trusted him. And so when we trust him, don't you think that's the key trusting him in all things. So I got here. So keep this in your heart Commit yourselves to God as your refuge and know that he is your complete protection and security in the face of any adversity in life. Amen, amen, amen. So that's about all I have, guys.
Speaker 1:I hope it gave you an understanding of Psalms 91, how to pray it, how to live in it, how to be under the shadows of Almighty. And just remember, remember, I sent that video out on our first lesson. Listen to that in the mornings. I listen to it in the mornings on my way to work and, uh, it gives me a great start to my day and I'm in his presence, I'm with him, he's with me and you know, it's just, it's just a blessing that that he loved us so much that he gave us this word that you know what a privilege to be able to just open it up anytime, day or night, and read it, because I believe there will be a day when that will not be our privilege, that what the word we have in our heart will be what we have. Amen, amen. So, chris, do you want to? No-transcript.