S1: Psalm 23:4...for You are with me

S2: How do I know Eric?

My wife and I are actually great friends with his parents Chris and Deeanne

the pictures in the lower left and right part of the slide are from the short term mission trip Chris and I went on to Indonesia

the lower left is the first ever “Men of Valor” conference to minister to their men

the lower right is that we told the Cousin ladies that Chris was a rock star

S3: In commemoration of 4 July 1776, we will celebrate this historic event tomorrow. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal...” is how it starts.

March 4, 1789, 13 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Constitution of the Unites States was signed and ratified. “We the People of the Unites States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…some of these words may be familiar to you

S4: Let me draw your attention to the oath I took on 2 July 1973 when I was 18 1/2 years old and put on the uniform of a cadet in the United States Air Force…the fundamental oath is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States

Oath of Allegiance to the United States (from Contrails 1973-1974)

“I Anthony Alvarez Dronkers, having been appointed an Air Force Cadet in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. SO HELP ME GOD.”

S5: Thank you for your service!!!

at this time we would like to recognize all those who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces. Please stand up.

S6: Psalm 23:4

I had this verse reference inscribed into my class ring in 1976. At the time I thought it was a cool verse and it fit the work I was learning to do

However, if you look closely at the poster the reason for not fearing is all wrong. This poster hung in my bedroom as a young man, and so even then I had it wrong.

V4 is a statement of confidence, belief, and trust

As I began to prepare for this message, I started wondering how David came to this conclusion

Scholars don’t know when this Psalm was written. They doubt that David wrote it as a young shepherd in the field. There are thoughts that David wrote this after the rebellion and death of of his son Absalom.

Why does it matter? understanding the context of why and how it was written provides insight into the construction and meaning of the Psalm.

God makes a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:12-17 that there would always be someone from the house of David will be on the throne for ever...

2 Samuel 7:12–17 NASB95

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David is incredibly humbled by the covenant God has made and offers a prayer acknowledging his understanding 2 Samuel 7:27-29

2 Samuel 7:27–29 NASB95

“For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. “Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. “Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

This may be the context from which David writes Psalm 23. I can’t say that for sure. However, when we look at the construction of the Psalm, there is evidence of the realization of the covenant God made to David and the nation of Israel

SL7: SHEEP FACTS (from Janet Parshall)

I heard Janet Parshall on a podcast interview with Michael Easley (called InContext, and I would highly recommend it to you) and she was talking about owning sheep. Since I have no experience with sheep either academically or practically, I wrote her an email and asked if she could help me understand. She was gracious enough to take the time to reply

65/182 Bible references to sheep are talking about us...

Janet Parshall sheep facts

A) Shepherds have a saying - A sick sheep is a dead sheep. They literally have little or no will to live if they get sick. I have had sheep die in my arms and they literally just give up the will to live.

B) They have no natural defenses - they don't bite or kick. They cluster together in a group when they feel threatened and that's it - NO natural defenses. I had a neighbor's dog who got through my fence and chased one of my sheep, literally running him until the sheep dropped dead

C) They are untrustworthy by nature. My mini donkeys will eat out of my hand and my horses loved to have me rub their noses but sheep - ah, that's a different story. They don't trust naturally - even after all of the tender care they are given, they fail to have trust in the shepherd.

D) They are dumb - no other way to say it. Craig and I were hiking in the hills of Scotland and we came across a shepherd tending his flock. I told him how wonderful they were and his response was - and I quote directly - (do this with a Scottish accent) 'ACK, there's isn't a single brain cell among 'em."

E) They need protection. I have mini donkeys because they are known as the "keeper of the herd” Because sheep have no natural defenses, donkeys will stomp to death coyotes who try to get into the flock. As a result, the sheep shadow the donkeys where ever they go. They trust the donkeys to protect them and visibly feel safer in their presence.

I could go on but that is a start. Needless to say, after working and watching sheep for years, I decided that being referred to as sheep in Scripture is ANYTHING but a compliment. It is a reminder that we are stupid, defenseless, untrustworthy, and faint of heart - and in desperate need of a Shepherd.

SL8: The LORD is my shepherd Psalm 23:1 - 4 (NASB)

Psalm 23:1–4 NASB95

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

verse 1 is a declarative statement of fact: the Lord is my shepherd

for years I didn not get the second part of the sentence. I could not understand “I shall not want.” Why not? didn’t make sense to me and then I started really studying the passage and in theHolman Christian Standard Bible, the translation reads:

1 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

started to make sense, and while researching the verses I ran across a Pastor who had the same problem understanding the verse as I did.

The imagery is clearly that of a shepherd and the responsibilities for tending the flock. don’t forget that Davis was a shepherd until God selected him to be king

Verses 2 and 3 use “He” to show what the shepherd does. Sheep do not graze laying down, so they need to be led to where the food is so they can eat. After they eat they can get water to drink and then lie down to rest and be restored.

Verse 3 also says He guides to paths of righteousness — the scholars say that it means to be guided to the destination.

The last part of verse 3 is amazing. The observed reason for guiding is “for His name’s sake.” Basically it had to do with God’s reputation. He had made a covenant with the nation of Israel and everyone is watching to see if He keeps His Word. I went back to the covenant God made with David to see what terms/conditions were. God is keeping His word to David.

Verse 4 talks about life. The shepherd had to lead the sheep through ravines and canyons to get to the right places. There were plenty of opportunities to loose sheep to predators or rough terrain. David recognizes that God is with him. Right there as he walks through life. The reason for the lack of fear is God’s presence. Not that there won’t be challenges, but that God is right there. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

if you look at the cartoon on the slide, the rod was a club to protect the sheep. The staff was to guide and direct the sheep. After Googling images of present day sheep, it is true that the current day shepherd still carry a rod and staff (although I did see on photo of a shepherd carrying a rifle....)

SL9: Shepherd Facts

we had sheep facts from Janet and now we have Shepherd Facts from observing the Bible

If the slides are clear enough you can run through the list

what I would like to point out is the dependency of the sheep on the shepherd, and the relationship with the shepherd by his constant presence

SL10: The Lord is my host Psalm 23:5-6 (NASB)

we have to switch gears and metaphors.

Psalm 23:5–6 NASB95

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Verse 5 references the responsibility of a Bedouin host to not only provide comfort to a guest in his tent, but also to provide protection from attackers

Verse 6, first part, look of your shoulder and see if goodness and lovingkindness are following you. God is in pursuit of you and his HESED (loyal love) is based on His covenant with us...

Verse 6, last part, what an incredible statement to make. The question is: does this mean now or in the future....

I will leave that question for you to answer on your own

SL11: Note: Covenants & Interpretation

what follows is a what I think is God’s hand on my life, even though I was not aware of it

My story isn’t that extraordinary, but it is my story and unique to me. While preparing and meditating as I think David did, I came to the realization that even though I don’t deserve it, I am incredibly blessed by the HESED of the Covenant God whose hand was on me and my family

Covenant: I am providing a definition to level the playing field and get us on the same sheet of music. The key is the relational aspect and the binding promises and obligations

Context is key to interpreting scripture. What did God say? Who did He say it to? What was the occasion/circumstance when He said it? Context includes grammar, history, structure…and remember English is my second language…that is my story and I am sticking to it

Rule #4 I bring up because as you walk through my journey with me, I would ask you to realize that I didn’t happen upon this. I grew into it by reasons I will explain in a later slide. Biblical truth is the key to a Biblical world view.

SL12: The Lord is MY shepherd He leads, restores, guides…for His names sake

He is MY shepherd and has been all along

Starting in the lower left hand is my grandfather: his name is Anthony, based on estimates from my father the photo is about 1913 and Opa is back in Indonesia courting my grandmother

Opa was a journalist who wanted to be a cowboy in America. A letter from the Secretary of the Army shows that records confirm that Anthony E. Dronkers was honorably discharged from the Boise Idaho cavalry in 1904. He went back to Indonesia, married, had two children, came back to America to Washington state where my uncle was born in 1922. then back to Indonesia.

Indonesia was a Dutch colony at the time. My grandfathers were Dutch and my grandmothers were Indonesian.

The colored card is actually a Christmas card from 1944 to my father and the kitchen staff at the WWII Japanese prison camp. When the Japanese stormed the islands in 1942 all the men were put in camps. some women and children were also interred.

The three photos from left to right are: Uncle John, his sister Elly (I know her as Mam), and my father Jeff.

The Lord is My shepherd: My mother and father met because her brother was part of the kitchen staff working for my father. My mother searched for her brother until she found out which camp he was in. Coincidence? Nah....

my parents were married in 1946 and after receiving a phone call from a friend to flee the country in 1950 (communist takeover), they went to Holland on a boat. A wife, three children, and what ever they could carry.

SL13: The Lord is MY shepherd He leads, restores, guides…for His names sake

The newspaper article is from 1962 and was written by my father to the Oakland, California Tribune.

The photo at the right is from 1968 when we became citizens

We came to America, 6 children and a pregnant wife, because of the immigration bills passed by two Senators allowing Dutch Indonesian people to enter America as displaced people group

SL14:

the photo on the left are my siblings. it was taken after my father passed away in 1995

the photo on the right is my younger brother and I with Mam at my daughter’s wedding in 2007

SL15:

I was not able to get photos from all of my siblings, but this will give you an idea of what happens when you come to America

If you observed my brother in law’s ethnicity…you are correct. he is Japanese Hawaiin. Yes it caused a little flap at the beginning, but my brother in law is one of the finest gentleman you will ever meet. My father actually figured that out with some help.

SL16: He guides me (to the path that leads to destination)

let’s start in the upper left part of the slide and work our way through

Title 10 of the US Code says you had to be a citizen to be commissioned an officer

Because of our citizenship I was able to report to the Academy in July 1973

I came as a walk on. In those days we used labels that had names typed on them (IBM selectric - for those of you who don’t know what that is Google it because your parents might not know either). The name of the person who was supposed to have been there was lined out and mine had been written in. God had someone He wanted me to meet...

19 May 1975 I met Christ thanks to Van, Jeff, Tony V, and Bill

I met Dawn 22 Nov 1976, I graduated, and then we were married on 18 June 1977

The two most significant things in my life happened at the Academy. The Lord is my shepherd! God made all that happen. Coincidences? Nah!

SL17: Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death…

This slide is intended to be a summary of the last 40+ years

on the left starting at the top

my first job in the Air Force was in the Strategic Air Command as a Navigator for B-52. Didn’t last long, I was medically grounded because it turns out I have a physiological problem called unbalanced inner ear. Means when the merry go round stops spinning, my head does not. Made for some miserable times. So I prayed to be able to do something else.

I became a logistics planner and went to Germany from Michigan

The next transition was to be an aircraft maintenance office for the F16 unit in Utah

From there we went to Korea for two years as a family and then the Pentagon, where I still work

Along the way I learned that the key to my walk with God was His Word, His Spirit indwelling me, and His people: I listed some who have been key to our lives over the years.

We are not without drama or pain mixed in with the joy…I work on the verse from James

SL 18: Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life

The picture is where I first met Dawn and layed eyes on her. We ZINGED!

Chara, our youngest, is with her family at the lower left corner

Christine, our oldest, is with her family at the lower right corner

In the middle: OK. we have 8 grandchildren and they are all special. This little man may have a special place in my heart. You see his name is Anthony and he was born on the 23 rd day of the 4th month. How cool is it that he is born as Psalm 23:4......Just sayin. Hopefully none of the other grandchildren will see this slide....

SL19: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

This is the most important slide that I show

“The new covenant the culmination of God’s saving work among His people.” (Schreiner)

You may be familiar with John 3:16

John 3:16 NASB95

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

But unless you have at some point in your life believed that it is true and responded to that call, it doesn’t apply to you...

1 John 5:13 NASB95

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

This is the assurance that it is true. That you may know that you have eternal life...

Where do you stand? There is no being on the fence on this, you either are or you are not with God. You are guaranteed to spend eternity somewhere. the question is where?

Thank you for listening to my story. The Lord is my shepherd....I will fear no evil, for He is with me. His rod and His staff they comfort me.

Let us pray...