Can I depend on God?

Transcription

1 Psalm 23:2 (AMPC) Can I depend on God? He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. [Rev. 7:17.] Psalm 23:2-3 (AMPC) He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. [Rev. 7:17.] He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. Psalm 23:1 (AMPC) THE Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. 1 Corinthians 6:20 (AMPC) You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. Psalm 23:3 (AMPC) He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. Psalm 23:3-4 (AMPC) He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake. Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

2 The Name of Jesus - with Studio Audience Philippians 2:9-10 (AMPC) Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, John 14:13 (AMPC) And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. [Exod. 3:14.] Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Exodus 20:7 (KJV) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Mark 16:17 (AMPC) And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; Luke 10:19 (AMPC) Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. Mark 16:18 (AMPC) They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. Mark 16:18 (AMPC) They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. John 14:12 (AMPC) I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. John 14:13 (AMPC) And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. [Exod. 3:14.] Colossians 3:17 (AMPC) And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

3 Philippians 4:6 (AMPC) Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Acts 3:1-7 (AMPC) NOW PETER and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (three o'clock in the afternoon), [When] a certain man crippled from his birth was being carried along, who was laid each day at that gate of the temple [which is] called Beautiful, so that he might beg for charitable gifts from those who entered the temple. So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them to give him a gift. And Peter directed his gaze intently at him, and so did John, and said, Look at us! And [the man] paid attention to them, expecting that he was going to get something from them. But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! Then he took hold of the man's right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady, Philippians 4:6 (AMPC) Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 1 Samuel 17 (AMPC) NOW THE Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the men of Israel were encamped in the Valley of Elah and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. And a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten feet]. And he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of mail, and the coat weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze. He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin across his shoulders. And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam; his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron. And a shield bearer went before him. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons. [Jesse] in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years. [His] three eldest sons had followed Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah. David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. The Philistine came out morning and evening, presenting himself for forty days. And Jesse said to David his son, Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and carry them quickly to your brothers at the camp. Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare and bring some token from them. Now Saul and the brothers and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. So David rose up early next morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host going forth to the battleground shouted the battle cry. And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. David left his packages in the care of the baggage keeper and ran into the ranks and came and greeted his brothers. As they talked, behold, Goliath, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, came forth from the Philistine ranks and spoke the same words as before, and David heard him. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, terrified. And the Israelites said, Have you seen this man who has come out? Surely he has come out to defy Israel; and the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free [from taxes and service] in Israel. And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the [men] told him, Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him. Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, Why did you come here? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle. And David said, What have I done now? Was it not a harmless question? And David turned away from Eliab to another and he asked the same question, and again the men gave him the same answer. When David's words were heard, they were repeated to Saul, and he sent for him. David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him. And Saul said to David, You are not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth. And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father's sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it. Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God! David said, The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you! Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword over his armor. Then he tried to go, but could not, for he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them. And David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd's [lunch] bag [a whole kid's skin slung from his shoulder], in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near the Philistine. The Philistine came on and drew near to David, the man who bore the shield going before him. And when the Philistine looked around and saw David, he scorned and despised him, for he was but an adolescent, with a healthy reddish color and a fair face. And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you should come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands. When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David's hand. So he ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. So the wounded Philistines fell

4 along the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. The Israelites returned from their pursuit of the Philistines and plundered their tents. David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, Inquire whose son the stripling is. When David returned from killing Goliath the Philistine, Abner brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, Whose son are you, young man? And David answered, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.

5 Genesis 14:14 (AMP) Who Is God - Part 2 When Abram heard that his nephew [Lot] had been captured, he armed and led out his trained men, born in his own house, [numbering] three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far [north] as Dan. Genesis 14:15-16 (AMP) He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women, and the people. Genesis 14:17-19 (AMP) Then after Abram s return from the defeat (slaughter) of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King s Valley). Melchizedek king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) brought out bread and wine [for them]; he was the priest of God Most High. And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, Blessed (joyful, favored) be Abram by God Most High, Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth; Judges 6:1 (AMP) Then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord ; and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years. Judges 6:12-13 (AMP) And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, O brave man. But Gideon said to him, Please my lord, if the Lord is with us, then why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wondrous works which our fathers told us about when they said, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian. Romans 8:31 (AMP) What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? John 11:1-45 (AMP) Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, Lord, he [our brother and Your friend] whom You love is sick. When Jesus heard this, He said, This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved and was concerned about Martha and her sister and Lazarus [and considered them dear friends]. So [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed in the same place two more days. Then He said to His disciples, Let us go back to Judea. The disciples said to Him, Rabbi (Teacher), the Jews were only recently going to stone You, and You are [thinking of] going back there again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours [of light] in the day? Anyone who walks in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees [by] the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him. He said this, and after that said, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him. The disciples answered, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was referring to natural sleep. So then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. Then Thomas, who was called Didymus (the twin), said to his fellow disciples, Let us go too, that we may die with Him. So when Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away; and many of the Jews had come to see Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning [the loss of] their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You. Jesus told her, Your brother will rise [from the dead]. Martha replied, I know that he will rise [from the dead] in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies; and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him, Yes, Lord; I have believed and continue to believe that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God, He who was [destined and promised] to come into the world [and it is for You that the world has waited]. After she had said this, she left and called her sister Mary, privately whispering [to her], The Teacher is here and is asking for you. And when she heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her, saw how quickly Mary got up and left, they followed her, assuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came [to the place] where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who had come with her also sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit [to the point of anger at the sorrow caused by death] and was troubled, and said, Where have you laid him? They said, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, See how He loved him [as a close

6 friend]! But some of them said, Could not this Man, who opened the blind man s eyes, have kept this man from dying? So Jesus, again deeply moved within [to the point of anger], approached the tomb. It was a cave, and a boulder was lying against it [to cover the entrance]. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, Lord, by this time there will be an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days! [It is hopeless!] Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you believe [in Me], you will see the glory of God [the expression of His excellence]? So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes [toward heaven] and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me and listen to Me; but I have said this because of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You have sent Me [and that You have made Me Your representative]. When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! Out came the man who had been dead, his hands and feet tightly wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, Unwrap him and release him. So then, many of the Jews who had come to [be with] Mary and who were eyewitnesses to what Jesus had done, believed in Him. Judges 6:14 (AMP) The Lord turned to him and said, Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you? Judges 6:34 (AMP) So the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon [and empowered him]; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together [as a militia] to follow him. 1 Samuel 14:6 (AMP) Jonathan said to his young armor bearer, Come, let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.

7 Philippians 1:21 (AMP) Who Is God - Part 3 For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity]. Ephesians 1:17-19 (AMP) [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God s people), and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 1 John 4:4 (AMP) Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. Colossians 2:15 (AMP) When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross. 1 John 3:8 (AMP) The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 2 Corinthians 3:5 (AMP) Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. Judges 16:1-31 (AMP) Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there, and went in to her. The Gazites were told, Samson has come here. So they surrounded the place and waited all night at the gate of the city to ambush him. They kept quiet all night, saying, In the morning, when it is light, we will kill him. But Samson lay [resting] until midnight, then at midnight he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two door-posts, and pulled them up, [security] bar and all, and he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the hill which is opposite Hebron. After this he fell in love with a [Philistine] woman [living] in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. So the [five] lords (governors) of the Philistines came to her and said to her, Persuade him, and see where his great strength lies and [find out] how we may overpower him so that we may bind him to subdue him. And each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. So Delilah said to Samson, Please tell me where your great strength lies and with what you may be bound and subdued. Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven fresh cords ( tendons) that have not been dried, then I will be weak and be like any [other] man. Then the Philistine lords brought her seven fresh cords that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner room. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he broke the cords as a string of tow breaks when it touches fire. So [the secret of] his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, See now, you have mocked me and told me lies; now please tell me [truthfully] how you may be bound. He said to her, If they bind me tightly with new ropes that have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any [other] man. So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And the men lying in ambush were in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like [sewing] thread. Then Delilah said to Samson, Until now you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me [truthfully] with what you may be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven braids of my hair with the web [and fasten it with a pin, then I will become weak and be like any other man. So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks (braids) of his hair and wove them into the web]. And she fastened it with the pin [of the loom] and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the [weaver s] loom and the web. Then she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies. When she pressured him day after day with her words and pleaded with him, he was annoyed to death. Then [finally] he told her everything that was in his heart and said to her, A razor has never been used on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any [other] man. Then Delilah realized that he had told her everything in his heart, so she sent and called for the Philistine lords, saying, Come up this once, because he has told me everything in his heart. Then the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the money [they had promised] in their hands. She made Samson sleep on her

8 knees, and she called a man and had him shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to abuse Samson, and his strength left him. She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke from his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with [two] bronze chains; and he was forced to be a grinder [of grain into flour at the mill] in the prison. But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved off. Now the Philistine lords gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to celebrate, for they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands! When the people saw Samson, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has handed over our enemy to us, The ravager of our country, Who has killed many of us. Now when they were in high spirits, they said, Call for Samson, so that he may amuse us. So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. Then Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, Let me feel the pillars on which the [roof of the] house rests, so that I may lean against them. Now the house was full of men and women; all the Philistine lords were there, and on the flat roof were about three thousand men and women who looked on while Samson was entertaining them. Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this one time, O God, and let me take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes. Samson took hold of the two middle [support] pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines! And he stretched out with all his might [collapsing the support pillars], and the house fell on the lords and on all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. Then his brothers and his father s entire [tribal] household came down, took him, and brought him up; and they buried him in the tomb of Manoah his father, [which was] between Zorah and Eshtaol. So Samson had judged Israel for twenty years. 1 Chronicles 29:12 (AMP) Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand is power and might; and it is in Your hands to make great and to give strength to everyone. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (AMP) Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being].