Rend Our Heart
Every prophet in the Bible proclaimed a message which called the people to repentance. From Moses to John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles, the message was consistent; “Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Repentance is essential […]
Out of Our Poverty
In the message “From A Pure Heart” we saw that God has blessed each of us with gifts, talents, and abilities. We are now to be good stewards by faithfully giving our blessings back to God with a pure heart. But what determines a pure heart? When Jesus saw the widow offer her two small […]
From A Pure Heart
As Jesus watched people place their offering into the temple treasury, He noticed a poor widow who put in two coins valued at less than a penny. Mark 12:43-44 “Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They […]
Surrender And Live
Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem for many years that they must repent or be destroyed. He often warned with direct words from God: “I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways” (Jeremiah 18:11). It’s hard to imagine a more direct warning. But the […]
As Jesus Loved
In the message “Debt of Love” we saw that God loved us long before we ever knew Him, and loved us far more than we deserved; “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins “that whoever believes in […]
Debt of Love
Much of Paul’s letter to the Romans is a love story between a righteous God and sinful man. Even though our sinful state sentenced us to an eternal death (Romans 6:23), God looked upon us with love: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for […]
Open Our Eyes
The king of Aram was at war with Israel; but every time he moved his army, the prophet Elisha would inform the Israelites. The king concluded the only way to win the war was to first eliminate Elisha: “‘Go, find out where he is,’ the king ordered, ‘so I can send men and capture him’” […]
A Complete Cure
In the message “God’s Provision” we saw that our limited faith often restricts our prayers and therefore limits what God accomplishes in our life. Many times we fail to even ask because we’re fearful of a negative response; “You do not have, because you do not ask God” (James 4:2). Then there are times when […]
God’s Provision
During the ministry of Elisha, a widow came to him for financial help. Creditors had threatened to take her two boys as slaves if she didn’t pay her debt, but all the woman had left was a little oil. Elisha told her how to miraculously multiply her oil and pay her bills…and in the process […]
A Double Portion
In the message “Spiritual Companions” we saw how, at the time of his greatest need, God gave Elijah a spiritual companion to share the burdens as well as the joys of ministry. I’m so glad God understands this need in His children! Elisha served as Elijah’s attendant for many years while learning the ways of […]
Spiritual Companions
In our current series of messages, we have considered Elijah as he experienced great victory on Mount Carmel but was then overcome with fear and loneliness. We saw how God provided comfort by first sending an angel and then through the gentle whisper of His presence (1 Kings 19:5-13). But Elijah clearly revealed some long […]
What Are You Doing Here
In the last several messages we considered the prophet Elijah as he was used by God to miraculously confront the 450 prophets of Baal, but then sank into a deep despair when threatened by Queen Jezebel; “I have had enough Lord, take my life” (1 Kings 19:4). We saw how God demonstrated His compassion, sent […]