Iin Christ Jesus I am

 I speak 🗣️ what God said concerning me in the Bible: 

"I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I am not a sinner struggling to please God. I am a new creation. I am recreated in the image of the Father. The same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in me and gives life to my mortal body. I do not beg. I enforce. I am healed of the Lord. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me.

   Say this with me right now and mean every word.

"I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. By his stripes I am healed. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I do not beg. I enforce the finished work of the cross. I am a new creation. The old has passed . All things are new. My God supplies every need of mine according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me. "

Thus is the spiritual legally binding covenant declaration, spoken words , from a son / daughter of God who knows his / her rights. ( Hebrews 3:1 { Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;})

Now say 🗣️ it out loud : 

I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM

I HAVE WHAT GID SAYS I HAVE 

I CAN DO WHAT GOD SAYS I CAN DO 

These are three dimensions of one unshakeable reality. My Identity, Inheritance, Authority in Christ Jesus. 

我要宣告上帝在圣经中对我的应许：

“我在基督耶稣里是上帝的义。我不再是挣扎着取悦上帝的罪人。我是新造的人。我是按着父的形象被造的。那使基督耶稣从死里复活的灵住在我里面，赐给我必死的身体生命。我不求，我靠着祂的恩典。我因主得医治。凡为攻击我而造的武器都必不奏效。靠着爱我的主，我得胜有余。

请现在与我一同宣告，并真心实意地宣告：

“我在基督耶稣里是上帝的义。因祂受的鞭伤，我得医治。那在我里面的，比那在世界上的更大。我不求，我靠着十字架上已完成的救赎。我是新造的人。旧事已过，一切都更新了。我的上帝必照祂荣耀的丰富，在基督耶稣里，供应我一切的需要。 凡为攻击我而造的武器都必不奏效。靠着爱我的主，我已得胜有余。

这是属灵的、具有法律约束力的盟约宣告，是来自一位深知自己权利的神的儿女的言语。（希伯来书 3:1 {所以，蒙召的圣洁弟兄们，应当思想我们所承认的使者、大祭司基督耶稣。}）

现在大声说出来：

我是神所说的我

我拥有神所说的我所拥有的

我能做神所说的我能做的事

这三个层面构成了一个不可动摇的真理：我在基督耶稣里的身份、产业和权柄。

Wǒ yào xuāngào shàngdì zài shèngjīng zhōng duì wǒ de yīngxǔ:

“Wǒ zài jīdū yēsū lǐ shì shàngdì de yì. Wǒ bù zài shì zhēngzházhe qǔyuè shàngdì de zuìrén. Wǒ shì xīnzào de rén. Wǒ shì ànzhe fù de xíngxiàng bèi zào de. Nà shǐ jīdū yēsū cóng sǐ lǐ fùhuó de líng zhù zài wǒ lǐmiàn, cì gěi wǒ bìsǐ de shēntǐ shēngmìng. Wǒ bù qiú, wǒ kàozhe tā de ēndiǎn. Wǒ yīn zhǔ dé yīzhì. Fán wéi gōngjí wǒ ér zào de wǔqì dōu bì bù zòuxiào. Kàozhe ài wǒ de zhǔ, wǒ déshèng yǒuyú.

Qǐng xiànzài yǔ wǒ yītóng xuāngào, bìng zhēnxīn shíyì dì xuāngào:

“Wǒ zài jīdū yēsū lǐ shì shàngdì de yì. Yīn tā shòu de biān shāng, wǒ dé yīzhì. Nà zài wǒ lǐmiàn de, bǐ nà zài shìjiè shàng de gèng dà. Wǒ bù qiú, wǒ kàozhe shízìjià shàng yǐ wánchéng de jiùshú. Wǒ shì xīnzào de rén. Jiùshì yǐguò, yīqiè dōu gēngxīnle. Wǒ de shàngdì bì zhào tā róngyào de fēngfù, zài jīdū yēsū lǐ, gōngyìng wǒ yīqiè de xūyào. Fán wéi gōngjí wǒ ér zào de wǔqì dōu bì bù zòuxiào. Kàozhe ài wǒ de zhǔ, wǒ yǐ déshèng yǒuyú.

Zhè shì shǔ líng de, jùyǒu fǎlǜ yuēshù lì de méngyuē xuāngào, shì láizì yī wèi shēn zhī zìjǐ quánlì de shén de érnǚ de yányǔ.(Xī bó lái shū 3:1 {Suǒyǐ, méng zhào de shèngjié dìxiōngmen, yīngdāng sīxiǎng wǒmen suǒ chéngrèn de shǐzhě, dà jìsī jīdū yēsū.})

Xiànzài dàshēng shuō chūlái:

Wǒ shì shén suǒ shuō de wǒ

wǒ yǒngyǒu shén suǒ shuō de wǒ suǒ yǒngyǒu de

wǒ néng zuò shén suǒ shuō de wǒ néng zuò de shì

zhè sān gè céngmiàn gòuchéngle yīgè bùkě dòngyáo de zhēnlǐ: Wǒ zài jīdū yēsū lǐ de shēnfèn, chǎnyè hé quánbǐng.

(French) Je proclame 🗣️ ce que Dieu a dit à mon sujet dans la Bible :

« Je suis la justice de Dieu en Jésus-Christ. Je ne suis pas un pécheur qui lutte pour plaire à Dieu. Je suis une nouvelle création. J'ai été recréé à l'image du Père. Le même Esprit qui a ressuscité Jésus-Christ d'entre les morts habite en moi et donne la vie à mon corps mortel. Je ne supplie pas. J'impose [la volonté de Dieu]. Je suis guéri par le Seigneur. Aucune arme forgée contre moi ne prospérera. Je suis plus que vainqueur grâce à Celui qui m'a aimé. »

Dites ceci avec moi en ce moment même, en le pensant sincèrement :

« Je suis la justice de Dieu en Jésus-Christ. Par ses meurtrissures, je suis guéri. Celui qui est en moi est plus grand que celui qui est dans le monde. Je ne supplie pas. J'impose l'œuvre accomplie de la croix. Je suis une nouvelle création. Les choses anciennes sont passées. Toutes choses sont devenues nouvelles. Mon Dieu pourvoit à tous mes besoins selon sa richesse, avec gloire, en Jésus-Christ. Aucune arme forgée contre moi ne prospérera. Je suis plus que vainqueur grâce à Celui qui m'a aimé. »

Telle est la déclaration d'alliance spirituelle juridiquement contraignante — des paroles prononcées — par un fils ou une fille de Dieu qui connaît ses droits. (Hébreux 3:1 {C'est pourquoi, frères saints, qui avez part à la vocation céleste, considérez l'apôtre et le souverain sacrificateur de la foi que nous professons, Jésus-Christ ;})

Maintenant, dites-le 🗣️ à voix haute :

JE SUIS CE QUE DIEU DIT QUE JE SUIS

J'AI CE QUE DIEU DIT QUE J'AI

JE PEUX FAIRE CE QUE DIEU DIT QUE JE PEUX FAIRE

Ce sont trois dimensions d'une réalité inébranlable : mon identité, mon héritage et mon autorité en Jésus-Christ.

(Fijian)  Au vosa 🗣️ na ka e tukuna na Kalou me baleti au ena iVolatabu: 

 "Oi au na dodonu ni Kalou vei Karisito Jisu. Au sega ni tamata ivalavala ca ka sasagataka tiko me'u vakamarautaka na Kalou. Au sa dua na ibulibuli vou. Au sa buli tale ena iserau ni Tamada. Na Yalo vata ga ka vakaturi Karisito Jisu mai na mate e tiko vei au ka solia na bula ki na yagoqu vakayago. Au sega ni kerekere. Au sega ni vakasaurarataki vei au. Au sa vakabulabulataki au. vakalevu cake mai na dua na qaqa ena vuku i Koya sa lomani au.

    Tukuna oqo vei au ena gauna oqo ka vakaibalebaletaka na vosa kecega.

 "Oi au na dodonu ni Kalou vei Karisito Jisu. Ena nona mavoa au sa vakabulai kina. Sa levu cake o Koya sa tiko vei au mai vei koya sa tiko e vuravura. Au sega ni kerekere. Au sa vakasaurarataka na cakacaka sa oti ni kauveilatai. Au sa dua na ibulibuli vou. Na makawa sa oti . Na veika kece sa vou. Na noqu Kalou e vakarautaka na noqu gagadre kecega vei au Sega vei Karisito richea me vaka na Hi. ena rawaka vakalevu cake mai na dua na qaqa ena vuku i Koya sa lomani au."

 Sa vakakina na veivakadeitaki vakayalo vakalawa ni veiyalayalati, vosa e cavuti , mai vua e dua na luvena tagane / yalewa na Kalou ka kila na nona / nona dodonu. ( Iperiu 3:1 { O koya oqo, kemuni na veitacini yalosavasava, o ni sa kacivi vakalomalagi, mo ni vakasamataka na i Apositolo kei na Bete Levu ni noda vakabauta, o Karisito Jisu;})

 Ahora diga 🗣️ lo en voz alta : 

 AU SA TUKUNA NA KALOU .

 E TIKO AU NA VEIKA E TUKUNA O GID NI TIKO AU 

 AU RAWA NI CAKAVA NA KA E TUKUNA NA KALOU MEU CAKAVA . 

 Oqo e tolu na iwasewase ni dua na ka dina e sega ni yavalati rawa. Na Noqu i Vakatakilakila, Noqu i Votavota, Noqu Lewa vei Karisito Jisu. 

Why You Should NEVER Eat Alone

 Why You Should NEVER Eat Alone.

The Same Food Changes Your Blood Sugar Depending on Who's at the Table

Discover how the social context of your meals rewires your metabolism, immune response, and insulin sensitivity at the biological level. 

This lecture explores vagal tone and digestion, the conserved transcriptional response to adversity, and postprandial inflammation. 

Learn why eating alone measurably changes your cortisol curve and glucose response, and find out what 50,000 generations of communal eating built into your physiology. 

Whether you are curious about what is really happening inside your body, interested in what science really says about everyday habits, or looking for explanations that actually make sense, this will change how you understand every meal you eat. 

Read on  now to discover what is really happening inside your body.

1 - Introduction 

2 - The Parasympathetic Shift 

3 - Digestion Before the First Bite 

4 - What Isolation Does to Digestion 

5 - Cortisol, Fat Storage and Insulin 

6 - The 20-Minute Satiety Window 

7- Immune Response at the Table 

8 - Gene Expression and Loneliness 

9 -The Cooking Fire and Human Evolution 

10 - The Epidemiology of Eating Alone 

11 - The Physiology Is Modifiable 

12 - 40,000 Meals - A Lifetime of Difference

📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING 

¹ Stephen Porges - Polyvagal Theory and the Vagus Nerve (2011) 

² Richard Wrangham - "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human" (2009) 

³ Steve Cole - Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity, CTRA (2007) 

⁴ Kimura et al. - Solo Eating and Malnutrition in Older Japanese Adults, Tohoku University 

⁵ UK Cohort Study - Solo Eating and Depression in 11,000 Adults (2019) 

⁶ Robert Sapolsky - "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" Cortisol and Metabolism (2004)

Lecture Begins: 

Chapter 1: Introduction 

     Glycemic index of your meal is influenced by who is sitting across the table. The same food consumed in isolation versus in social company produces different insulin responses, different inflammatory profiles, and different metabolic outcomes. 

   This is not a claim about mood or mindset. It is a claim about parasympathetic tone,  cortisol concentration, and vaguely mediated digestive physiology. 

   All of which are measurably different in the presence of trusted others before the first bite is taken. Communal meal was never primarily a social custom. It was a physiological design. There is reason the satiety signal, the hormonal cascade that tells the brain the body has consumed enough takes approximately 20 minutes to reach conscious awareness. 

And a reason that social eating reliably slows consumption to match that window. 

There is a gene expression program called the conserved transcriptional response to adversity that activates in lonely individuals and directly modifies how the body metabolizes food. And there is an argument from Richard Rangham at Harvard that the cooking fire the first communal eating site was the environment in which the human social brain evolved.

All of it comes later. 

Start with what happens to the body before the meal begins because the physiology of digestion is already different by the time the person picks up the fork. 

Chapter 2: The Parasympathetic Shift 

Social presence, the proximity of another trusted person, activates the parasympathetic nervous system through co-regulation mechanisms documented across decades of research in attachment physiology, touch and social buffering. 

Steven Porges'polyagal framevork provides the architecture the vententral veagal complex the mileinated branch of the vagus nerve that evolved in mammals to support social engagement responds to cues of safety from trusted others by shifting the autonomic nervous system toward parasympathetic dominance. 

The shift is measurable. Heart rate variability increases. Cortisol decreases. Respiratory rate slows. The body moves from a state of low-level  vigilance toward a state of safety. And safety is the physiological prerequisite for optimal digestion. 

Shift begins before the meal does. In the first minutes of sitting down with another person, before the food arrives, before the first bite, the autonomic nervous system is already recalibrating. Facial expressions of the person across the table are processed by the temporal cortex and the amygdala. And if the face is familiar and non-threatening, the vententral veagal system begins suppressing sympathetic tone. 

 Voice procity. The melodic contour of speech. The warmth or tension in the other person's voice is processed by the superior temporal gyrus and feeds directly into veagal regulation. A warm conversation at the dining table is not merely  pleasant. It is a physiological signal that shifts the autonomic balance toward the state the digestive system requires. 

Chapter 3: Digestion Before the First Bite 

   The syphalic phase of digestion. The anticipatory secretion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes triggered by the sight, smell, and thought of food is also vaguely mediated. 

Under parasympathetic dominance, the syphalic phase is stronger. More gastric acid is produced before the food arrives. More enzymes are prepared .The stomach is better primed. The person sitting down to eat with others in a state of parasympathetic activation is producing a stronger syphalic phase response than the person sitting down alone under lower veagal tone. The digestion is already better before the fork is lifted. This matters because the digestive system runs on parasympathetic control. The vagus nerve drives gastric acid secretion through the release of   acetylcholine at the parietal cells of the stomach lining. It stimulates the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas, lipase for fat digestion, amylase* for carbohydrate breakdown, protease** for protein cleavage, the molecular tools that break food into absorbable components. It governs intestinal motility, the rhythmic paristolic contractions that move food through the gastrointestinal tract at the rate absorption requires. It controls the timing of bile release from the gallbladder. Bile salts that emulsify dietary fat into droplets small enough for lipase to access. 

(*Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars, primarily glucose, which the body uses for energy. It is produced in the salivary glands and the pancreas, starting the digestion process in the mouth and continuing in the small intestine.) 

[**Proteases are enzymes that break down proteins by cleaving the peptide bonds between amino acids, which is essential for various biological processes such as digestion and cell signaling. They are highly specific, targeting proteins at particular sites to regulate protein function and turnover.]

    Every major component of digestive function is vaguely mediated and veagal tone is higher, measurably reproducibly higher in the presence of trusted social contact than in isolation. 

You have experienced this without naming it. The meal eaten with friends that settled easily, that produced no bloating, no heaviness, no reflux, and  the identical meal eaten alone at the desk that sat in the stomach for an hour, that produced the specific discomfort of food that is present but not being processed efficiently. The food was the same. The parasympathetic context was different. The vagal* tone that drives gastric emptying, enzyme release and motility was running at different levels in the two situations and the digestive experience reflected the difference. 

[* Vagal tone is activity of the vagus nerve and a fundamental component of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. This branch of the nervous system is not under conscious control and is largely responsible for the regulation of several body compartments at rest. Vagal activity results in various effects, including: heart rate reduction, vasodilation/constriction of vessels, glandular activity in the heart, lungs, and digestive tract, liver, immune system regulation as well as control of gastrointestinal sensitivity, motility and inflammation. In this context, tone specifically refers to the continual nature of baseline parasympathetic action that the vagus nerve exerts. While baseline vagal input is constant, the degree of stimulation it exerts is regulated by a balance of inputs from sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, with parasympathetic activity generally being dominant ... ]

Body sitting down to eat with others is better prepared physiologically for the meal it is about to consume not because of psychology , it is because of veagal tone. Well, and here is what isolation does to this system. 

Chapter 4: What Isolation Does to Digestion 

Because eating alone is not neutral. It is a specific physiological state with specific digestive consequences. 

A person eating alone, particularly a person eating alone habitually as a daily pattern rather than an occasional event, is eating under lower parasympathetic tone. Gastric acid secretion is reduced. Enzyme release is less robust. Motility may be altered. 

Too fast in some individuals, producing incomplete absorption. too slow in others, producing the bloating and discomfort that many people who eat  alone report without connecting it to the social context of the meal. The food is identical. The digestion is not distinction sharpens with age. 

 Parasympathetic function declines naturally across the lifespan. Veagal tone decreases. Heart rate variability drops. The autonomic nervous system shifts gradually toward sympathetic dominance. The social buffering effect, the parasympathetic boost the trusted company provides becomes more important precisely as the baseline parasympathetic capacity is declining. 

The older adult eating alone is eating with lower baseline veagal tone and without the social augmentation that would partially compensate for the decline. 

The digestive inefficiency compounds reduced acid production means reduced protein digestion. Reduced enzyme output means reduced nutrient extraction. Altered motility means altered absorption timing. The nutritional yield of identical food decreases not because the food is changed but because the parasympathetic context in which it is being processed has this is compounded by what isolation does to cortisol. 

Chapter 5: Cortisol, Fat Storage and Insulin

Cortisol is catabolic at sustained concentrations. 

It breaks down muscle protein for glucanogenesis, redistributes fat storage toward visceral deposits around the abdominal organs, and directly reduces insulin sensitivity through its effects en glucose transporter expression.

Glute 4, the insulin responsive glucose transporter in muscle and adipose* tissue is down regulated by sustained cortisol exposure, which means less glucose is cleared from the blood per unit of insulin released. A person eating under elevated cortisol is metabolizing the meal in a hormonal environment that favors fat storage, reduces muscle maintenance, and impairs the glucose response. 

[*Adipose tissue is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. It also contains the stromal vascular fraction of cells including preadipocytes, fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells and a variety of immune cells such as adipose tissue macrophages. Its main role is to store energy in the form of lipids, although it also cushions and insulates the body. Previously treated as being hormonally inert, in recent years adipose tissue has been recognized as a major endocrine organ, as it produces hormones such as leptin, estrogen, resistin, and cytokines. In obesity, adipose tissue is implicated in the chronic release of pro-inflammatory markers known as adipokines, which are responsible for the development of metabolic syndrome—a constellation of diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Adipose tissue is derived from preadipocytes and its formation appears to be controlled in part by the adipose gene.] 

Metabolic fate of an identical plate of food is different depending on the cortisol concentration present when it is consumed. 

And cortisol concentration is responsive to social context in real time, not over days or weeks, but within minutes of social contact or social absence. 

Consider the person who has eaten alone for a decade. Three meals a day under mildly elevated cortisol compared to what the same meals consumed in company would have produced has been processing roughly 11,000 meals in a metabolic environment that slightly favors visceral fat deposition, slightly impairs insulin sensitivity, and slightly elevates postrandial inflammation. 

Each meal's difference is marginal. 11,000 meals of marginal difference is not marginal. 

It is a metabolic trajectory, one that contributes to the body composition changes, the insulin resistance and the chronic inflammatory load that  characterize aging in socially isolated individuals.

Chapter 6: The 20-Minute Satiety Window

 Now the satiety signal because the speed at which food is 

(To be continued...)

Your Pancreas Has a Clock

 Your Pancreas Has a Clock - And It Shuts Down Before Dinner

... your entire life, binding to receptors on the beta cells that no dietary intervention can override. Your glut transporters retract from the muscle cell surface as the day progresses. The glucose that arrived at noon met transporters ready to receive it. The glucose that arrives at 9 meets a reduced compliment. Your gut bacteria chain shifts. The day time community that ferments and processes efficiently yields to an evening community that extracts more calories from less food. 

 Your liver clocks out. The enzyme activity that process fructose and lipids of peak efficiency 12 hours ago has declined to its circadian minimum. 

 Your sympathetic nervous system has shifted to parasympathetic dominance. 

 The thermogenic cost of digesting the meal has dropped to a fraction of its morning value. The meal you eat at 8 PM, in the evening is not the meal you think you are eating. 

It is the same food meeting, a different body, a body that has already begun shutting down every system required to process it. 

The clock is not optional. A clock is not negotiable. The clock is the metabolism.

THE CLOCK IS THE METABOLISM

Go deeper in Psalm 23

 Let us Go deeper in Psalm 23

Psalm 23 Explained Line By Line

Psalm 23 deals with the realities of life. When you face difficult decisions, this psalm is for you. When you are losing heart, this psalm is for you. When you face enemies, this psalm is for you. When you have seen the face of evil, this psalm is for you. And since you will one day walk through the valley of death, this psalm is for you. You need a Shepherd.

Below is a line-by-line summary for this beloved Psalm, explaining the meaning of some of the most comforting words ever written, and pointing you to our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (John 10:11,14).

God has used Psalm 23 to encourage His people for more than 3,000 years. May He use these familiar words to bring strength, hope, comfort, and courage to you today.

The Meaning of Psalm 23, Explained Line by Line

Verse 1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23 is about the Lord. Every line is about who He is and what He does. It is also about us. Every line is about us and about what is ours when we belong to the Lord. 

The relationship between a shepherd and his sheep is one of ownership. The shepherd owns the flock. When we say, “The Lord is my shepherd,” we are saying, “The Lord owns me.” This is true of you if you are a Christian. You are not your own. You have been bought with a price. The Lord Jesus purchased you at the cost of laying down His life.

When we are in the flock of God, the Shepherd owns us. What will the Shepherd do for the flock that He owns? Psalm 23 gives us five marvelous answers to this question: He leads us, He restores us, He protects us, He provides for us, and He loves us. When the Lord is your Shepherd, you have all that you need.

Go deeper on Psalm 23:1 in the sermon He Owns Me or the article Wholly Owned by the Good Shepherd.

Verse 2

He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.

David states this as a fact. He leads you. There is not something you have to do in order to make this happen. If you are in the flock of God, this is true of you. This is what He does for you.

Where does He lead us? First, He leads us into rest. Green pastures provide grazing for the sheep. He makes me lie down in green pastures. And He leads me beside still waters. The main point here is not feeding or drinking, but resting. 

Maybe you find it hard to rest. There is a problem you need to solve, an overwhelming challenge you face, or some fear you are battling. You feel like you can’t rest until you have the answer. But you can lie down and rest when you know the Shepherd is near. 

Go deeper on Psalm 23:2 in the sermon He Leads Me or in the article The Good Shepherd Leads Us Into Rest.

Verse 3

He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake

The first place God leads us is into rest. The second place He leads us is into righteousness. There is an order here–as we find rest, we have the strength we need to walk on the right path.

There will be times when the path seems impossible, or when you find it hard to see God, or when His direction comes through other people that He has placed in your life, but the Shepherd will always lead you on the right path. 

The Shepherd restores us when we wander away. He restores us when we falter. Are you experiencing injustice, conflict, disappointment, suffering, or great demands? God will restore you in a unique and individual way, through a fresh encounter with Himself.

Go deeper on Psalm 23:3 in the sermon He Restores Me or the article The Good Shepherd Leads Us On Right Paths.

Verse 4

Even 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.

Death is not the only valley that casts its shadow over us. Dying is the last valley. But there are other valleys we walk through along the way. Maybe you are walking through the dark valley of failure, illness, or loneliness. If you are a Christian today, God is with you in the darkness as much as in the light. 

Not only is He with you, but He will guard you from evil. The rod was a club carried by the shepherd to fend off wild animals. The staff is the shepherd’s crook that he uses to lift the lambs into his arms. So, the rod and staff speak of the strength and love of the Good Shepherd.

However dark the valley may be, you do not need to fear because the Lord is with you. No power can snatch you from His hand. Nothing can separate you from His love. 

Go deeper on Psalm 23:4 in the sermon He Guards Me.

Verse 5

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

God often uses material things to speak to us about spiritual things, and here God uses three things–a table, oil, and a cup to communicate how He sustains us.

Someone prepares a meal for you, and when it is done you come to the table. You sit down, and as you eat, your strength is renewed. The table reminds us that God sustains by giving us new strength.

Oil was used in the Old Testament to commission prophets, priests, and kings. They were anointed with oil because God had given them a particular assignment. Oil reminds us that God sustains by giving us new purpose.

There is a version of Christianity that says, “Life stinks, but heaven is coming.” You have to endure, and if you do, you’ll be blessed in the end. But that is not what David is saying here. He says, “My cup overflows!” Jesus Christ said the same thing: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). But He also said, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). The cup reminds us that God sustains by giving us new joy.

Go deeper on Psalm 23:5 in the sermon He Sustains Me and the article Three Ways Our Good Shepherd Sustains Us.

Verse 6 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    Forever.

Think of a shepherd walking in front of his sheep. The sheep follow him, and behind them are two sheep dogs named Goodness and Mercy, chasing the stragglers and keeping them close to the shepherd. The Good Shepherd keeps you close to Himself through His goodness and mercy always chasing after you.

Everything good in your life comes from the hand of God, so thank Him for it. Goodness is God giving us what we do not deserve. Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve. This is good news, because if God chased after us in justice, we would all be in trouble. For His goodness is chasing after us. 

If God was chasing after you with judgment and condemnation, of course you would run. But why would you run when you are being chased by goodness and mercy?

When David looks beyond the days of his life in this world he sees what comes after: the joy of eternity in the immediate presence of the Lord. Dwelling with the Lord will be incomparably better than the greatest joys any of us have known in this life.

Go deeper on Psalm 23:6 in the sermon He Loves Me.

Jesus Christ, Our Good Shepherd

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who fulfills Psalm 23. When He came into the world, He said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Yes, but why should you trust Him? Why should you follow Him? Jesus went on to explain, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). 

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Because of our rebellion, the wrath of God was hanging over us. Hell was coming to us. But Jesus endured all that hell is on the cross, so that we would never know what it is like. He willingly saved us from hell at the cost of His own life.

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd because He died to rescue the sheep, and because He lives to care for the sheep. Jesus’ care involves knowledge and commitment. 

Jesus Christ knows you completely! You may be a mystery to yourself, but you are not a mystery to Him. And Jesus Christ is committed to you. The Good Shepherd will never leave His sheep. 

If Jesus Christ is your shepherd now, He will be your shepherd forever. The greatest blessing you can know in life is to be wholly owned by  Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

YOU WERE CREATED TO RULE, NOT ENDURE

 YOU WERE CREATED TO RULE, NOT ENDURE 

These teachings reveal why so many believers live overwhelmed by pressure, opposition, and adversity, even though Scripture declares they were created to rule, not endure. 

Today, this message exposes the missing understanding that keeps Christians reacting instead of reigning, and sets the stage for a shift from surviving circumstances to standing in authority over them.

Chapter 1: The calling to dominion 

     You were given authority over every circumstance in your life, but you've been living under your circumstances instead of over them. 

You pray about   problems instead of commanding them. 

You accept defeat as God's will instead of recognizing it as the enemy's attack. 

You live dominated by sickness, lack, fear, and chaos when God created you to dominate, to rule, to exercise authority  over everything that tries to control you. And the reason you're living this way is not because you lack power. You have the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead living in you according to Romans 8:11: {But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.}

The reason you're living in defeat is because you do not understand dominion. 

You do not know what authority you possess. 

You do not comprehend that God never intended for you to be a victim of your circumstances, but He intended for you to be a master over them.

 And until you grasp this truth, until you see what God gave you at creation, lost at the fall and restored through Christ, you'll continue accepting bondage when you were created for dominion.

 This is not just about positive thinking or trying harder. This is about understanding your God-given position and learning to exercise the authority that belongs to you as a new creation in Christ. 

Because most Christians have been taught to endure their circumstances, to submit to whatever comes their way, to accept sickness and poverty and defeat as God's mysterious will. But that is not what scripture teaches.

 Scripture teaches that you were created to have dominion. 

 That dominion was stolen by Satan. That Lord Jesus Christ won it back. and that when you were born again, you were restored to the position of authority Adam had before the fall. You are not a victim. 

 You are not powerless. 

You are not at the mercy of circumstances. 

You have dominion, and it is time you learned how to use it. 

Today, we're going to uncover what the Bible actually says about dominion. 

We're going to show you why most Christians never walk in this   authority even though it belongs to them. 

We're going to expose the lies that keep believers living in defeat. 

 And we're going to give you the biblical keys to exercising dominion over every circumstance that tries to control your life. 

This is the truth that will set you free. This is the revelation that changes everything. And once you see it, you'll never accept defeat the same way again. Let's start at the beginning. 

Chapter 2: Creation and the fall

 Genesis 1:26-28 says, "And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let  them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,   and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of  God created he him. Male and female created he them. And God blessed them. 

 And God said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion." 

Notice the repeated emphasis. Dominion, subdue, rule. 

God created humanity to have authority over creation, not to be controlled by it, not to be victims of it, but to exercise dominion over it. 

This was humanity's original design. 

 Adam was given dominion over the earth. 

He was to rule, to manage, to exercise authority under God's sovereignty. 

And as long as Adam remained in fellowship with God, as long as he operated under God's authority, he had complete dominion over everything in his realm. 

 Sickness could not touch him. Lack did not exist. Fear had no place. Chaos was subdued because Adam was ruling from his position of dominion that God had given him. But then came the fall.

Genesis 3  records how Satan through deception convinced Adam and Eve to rebel against God's authority. And the moment they sinned, they forfeited their dominion. 

 They handed their authority over to Satan. And from that point forward, humanity lived under the domination of  the enemy instead of in the dominion God intended. This is why the world is full of sickness. poverty, chaos, and death. 

 Not because God designed it that way, but because humanity lost dominion and Satan usurped authority over the earth. Usurped is the past tense and past participle of the formal verb usurp, which means to take control of a position of power, authority, role, or property by force or without any legal or rightful claim.

Now we understood this with stunning clarity. I wrote, "The tragedy of the fall was not just that man sinned. The tragedy was that man lost his dominion. 

 He was created to rule, but sin made him a slave. He was designed to have authority, but rebellion stripped him of that authority and gave it to the enemy. 

 And from that day until Jesus came, humanity lived under Satan's dominion instead of exercising the dominion God originally gave them. That is the reality. Sin did not just separate humanity from God. It stripped humanity of authority and gave that authority to the enemy. 

Chapter 3: Restoration through Jesus 

But here's the good news. Jesus came to restore what Adam lost. 

Luke 4:18 records Jesus saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

 Jesus Christ came to deliver, to restore, to set free. And part of that restoration was giving back the dominion that Adam forfeited. 

This is exactly what Jesus Christ did throughout his earthly ministry. He exercised dominion over  sickness and people were healed. 

He exercised dominion over demons and they fled. 

He exercised dominion over nature and storms obeyed him. 

He exercised dominion over death and the dead were raised. 

Jesus Christ was demonstrating the    dominion that God originally gave to humanity. 

And then after his resurrection, he gave that authority to his followers. Matthew 28:18-19 records , all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father  and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." The revelation of the name is LORD JESUS CHRIST. Hence , apostle Peter did to the commission, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 Jesus Christ has all authority and he is sending his disciples to operate in that authority. This is not just for the early disciples. 

 This is for every believer. Even today. When you were born again, you were restored to the position of dominion that Adam had before the fall. You have authority, not because you're special, but because Christ lives in you, and his authority  is your authority. 

Chapter 4: Why believers live defeated 

Now let us look at why most Christians today never walk in this dominion. 

The first reason is they do not understand what happened at salvation. 

 They think salvation is just forgiveness of sins and a ticket to heaven. And while those things are true, salvation is so much more. Salvation is restoration. 

It is being recreated in Christ. 

It is receiving everything Adam lost. And one of the things Adam lost was dominion. which means one of the things you received when you were born again is dominion. 

Colossians 1:13 says, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the  Kingdom of His dear Son?" 

You've been delivered from Satan's dominion and placed into Christ's kingdom. 

You're no longer under the enemy's authority.

YOU WERE CREATED   TO RULE, NOT ENDURE .

 You're under Christ's authority. And in Christ's kingdom, you have dominion. You have authority to rule over the circumstances that try to rule you. 

But if you do not know this, if you've never been taught that salvation includes restoration of dominion, you'll live like a slave even though you've been made a king. 

Second, Christians do not walk in dominion because they've been  taught to be passive. 

They've been taught that whatever happens is God's will and they should just accept it. 

 They've been taught that exercising authority is presumptuous, that commanding circumstances is arrogant, that speaking to problems is unbiblical. 

 And so they endure sickness when they have authority to command it to leave. 

 They accept poverty when they have authority to speak provisions into their situation. They live in fear when they have authority to cast out the spirit of fear. 

They've been trained to be passive victims instead of active rulers. But that is not what Jesus taught. 

Jesus Christ said in Mark 11:23, "For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith."

 Jesus Christ did not say pray about the mountain. He said speak 🗣️ to the mountain. Command 🗣️ it. Exercise dominion over it.  And if you believe what you're saying, the mountain wilI obey. 

This is dominion. 

This is exercising authority. 

And it is not arrogant. It is faith. 

It is believing that the authority Jesus Christ gave you is real and acting on it. 

But most Christians today have been so conditioned to be passive that they're afraid to exercise the authority that belongs to them. And so they live defeated lives while possessing the very power that could set them free.

I said, "The modern church has produced a generation of believers who know they're saved, but don't know they have authority. 

They know they're going to heaven, but do not know they have dominion on earth. 

They know Jesus Christ died for them, but do not know he restored to them everything Adam lost. 

And because they do not know these things, they live far below their privileges. 

They accept defeat when they have authority to command victory. 

They tolerate bondage when they have power to enforce freedom. 

That is the tragedy. Not that believers do not have authority, but that they do not know they have it and therefore  they never use it.

 Third, Christians don't walk in dominion because they don't understand how authority works. 

Chapter 5: How authority works 

They think authority is about being loud or forceful or trying to manipulate spiritual laws. 

But authority is not about volume. Real authority is about position. 

A policeman does not have to scream at traffic to make it stop. He simply raises his hand because he has the authority of the law behind him. And traffic stops not because of his personal strength, but because of his position. 

That is how spiritual authority works. 

When you command 🗣️ sickness to leave, you're not doing it in your own strength. You're doing it in the authority of Jesus' name. 

When you speak to a circumstance, you're not relying on your ability. You're exercising the dominion that Christ restored to you. 🗣️ 

 And the spiritual realm responds not because you're powerful, but because Christ in you is powerful, and you're operating in His authority. 

This is why Jesus Christ told his disciples in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all  the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." He gave them power over all the power of the enemy. Not some of it, all of it. 

And that same authority has been given to every believer. 

Brother and sister, know that you have authority over sickness. 

You have authority over demonic attack. 

You have authority over circumstances that try to dominate you. 

But authority must be exercised. It does not work automatically. 

You have to speak 🗣️. You have to command 🗣️. 

You have to act in faith on the authority Lord Jesus Christ gave you. 

Now, let's get practical. How do you actually exercise dominion over circumstances? 

Chapter 6: Exercising your dominion

 First, you have to know what belongs to you. You can't exercise authority over something if you do not know you have authority over it. 

So, you study the Word. You find out what Jesus Christ purchased for you. 

You discover what is included in your salvation. 

And when you know what belongs to you, you can stand on it with confidence. 

For example, healing belongs to you. First Peter 2:24 says, "By whose stripes ye were healed, past tense, already done." So when sickness attacks your body, you do not beg God to heal you. 

You exercise your dominion. You speak to that sickness. You command it to leave in Jesus' name. 

You're not hoping God might heal you. 

You're enforcing the healing that is already yours through the authority Lord Jesus Christ gave you.

 Provision belongs to you.  Philippians 4:19 says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

 So when you're facing lack, you do not panic. You exercise dominion. You speak God's word over your situation. You declare His provision. You thank Him that your needs are met. You're not begging. You're ruling. You're exercising dominion over the circumstances that are trying to dominate you. 

Second, you have to speak to your circumstances. 

James 3:2 to 4 talks about how a small rudder controls a large ship and how the tongue controls your life. Your words have power. Not because words themselves are magic, but because words spoken in faith, backed by the Word of God, and rooted in the authority Jesus Christ gave you release spiritual force. 

When you speak to a mountain and do not doubt, the mountain  moves. 

When you command a storm and believe what youre saying, the storm obeys, not because of your eloquence, but because you're exercising the dominion God restored to you. 

This is what Jesus Christ did constantly. He spoke to fever and it left. He spoke to demons and they fled. He spoke to a storm and it became calm. He spoke to a fig tree and it withered. He was exercising dominion  through his words. And then he told his disciples to do the same thing. 

 He said in Mark 11:23, "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, say, speak, command, exercise dominion through your words." 

Note, "The believer who  understands dominion is not passive in the face of circumstances. They do not pray about problems and hope God will fix them. They speak to problems in the authority of Jesus' name and command them to align with the word of God. They do not beg for healing. They command sickness to leave. They do not plead for provision. They declare God's word over their finances and expect it to manifest. 

This is not presumption. This is faith. 

This is exercising the dominion that Jesus Christ restored. 

That is the difference. 

Passive believers pray about circumstances. Believers who understand dominion command circumstances. 

Chapter 7: Maintaining spiritual power 

Third, you have to refuse to be dominated. Dominion means you're ruling, not being ruled.

 So when fear tries to  grip you, you do not accept it. You reject it. You speak peace over your mind and refuse to let fear dominate you. 

When sickness attacks, you do not resign yourself to it. You resist it. 

You speak healing over your body and refuse to let that sickness dominate you. 

When the enemy tries to steal your joy, you do not surrender. You fight. You  speak the joy of the Lord over your spirit and refuse to let the enemy dominate your emotions. 

This is what it means to exercise dominion. 

You're not a victim. You're not helpless. You're not at the mercy of whatever comes your way. 

 You have authority. 

And when something tries to dominate you, you rise up in the authority Jesus Christ gave you and you  command it to stop. 

Fourth, you have to stay in fellowship with God.

 Adam had dominion as long as he remained in fellowship with God. The moment he sinned, he lost that dominion.

 And the same principle applies to you. Your authority flows from your relationship with God. 

When you're walking in obedience, when you're maintaining fellowship through confession and  repentance, when you're staying in the Word and in prayer, your authority is strong. 

But when you're living in sin, when you're ignoring God's voice, when you're walking in disobedience, your authority is undermined. 

This does not mean you have to be perfect, but it means you have to be intentional about maintaining your relationship with God. 

Because dominion is not independent of God. It is exercised under God's authority. And when you're submitted to Him, when you're walking with Him, His authority flows through you and you can exercise dominion over every  circumstance. 

Now, let us address the objections. 

People say, "But doesn't God allow trials to teach us?" 

Chapter 8: Overcoming obstacles 

God allows trials, but he never intended for you to be dominated by those trials. He intended you to rule over them. 

 James 1:2-3 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations." 

 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

Notice it says when you fall into trials, not if God sends trials, trials come. 

But God expects you to exercise faith through those trials, not to be crushed by them. 

 And part of exercising faith is exercising the dominion He gave you to overcome what is trying to overcome you. 

 People also say, "But what about apostle Paul's thorn in the flesh? Didn't God say no to Paul?"

 We've addressed this before, but let's be clear. Paul's thorn was not a sickness God refused to heal. It was a messenger of Satan to buffet him according to 2 Corinthians 12:7. And God's response was not, "No, it was my  grace is sufficient for thee." In other words, you have everything you need to deal with this. That is not God denying Paul's reguest. That is God reminding Paul of the authority and grace he already possesses. 

The point is this. 

 God never intended for you to live defeated. He intended for you to exercise dominion. 

And when you  understand that, when you grasp the authority that is yours in Christ, when you learn to speak to circumstances instead of being controlled by them,   everything changes. 

You stop accepting defeat as normal.

It is written to Ephesians 2:6,  {And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,} they have authority. They have dominion. 

They have power, but they do not know it. 

And because they do not know it, they live defeated lives while possessing everything they need to live in victory. 

That is the truth. You have dominion. 

The question is whether you're going to exercise   it. 

So here's the question.

 Are you exercising dominion over your circumstances or are you being dominated by them? 

Are you speaking 🗣️ to your problems or are you just complaining about them? 

Are you commanding 🗣️ sickness to leave or are you accepting it as something you have to live with? 

Are you ruling over lack or are you being controlled by financial pressure? 

Because you were created for dominion. 

 You were restored to dominion through Christ. 

And it is time you started living like it. 

Stop accepting defeat. Stop tolerating bondage. Stop living under circumstances that Christ gave you authority to rule over. 

You have dominion. Exercise it. Speak to the mountan, "be removed now in the name of LORD JESUS CHRIST." 

it. Speak t 

 the m 

ountain. 

Command the storm. You declare God's word over your situation. And watch as the circumstances that have been controlling you submit to the authority of Christ flowing through you. 

 This is not arrogance. This is faith. 

This is walking in what belongs to you as a child of God. 

But there is one thing that can instantly strip you of this  authority. one prayer, one phrase, one mindset that hands your dominion right back to Satan without you even realizing it. 

Most Christians pray this prayer regularly. They think they're being humble. They think they're submitting to God. But what they're actually doing is abdicating the authority Lord Jesus Christ gave them and giving it back to the enemy. 

And in the next post, we're going to expose  this dangerous prayer. 

We're going to show you exactly what it is, why it's so destructive, and how to stop praying it so that you can walk in the fullness of the dominion Christ restored to you. 

Because what you're about to discover will change the way you pray forever. 

And once you see it, you'll never hand your authority back to the enemy.