When the centurion’s beloved slave was about to die, he heard about Jesus and sent messengers to ask that He come and save the life of the slave. The messengers reported to Jesus that the centurion was worthy of this favor due to his love of the nation and generosity in building a synagogue. The centurion insisted that he was not worthy of Jesus coming under his roof. He pleaded for Jesus to just say the word, and his slave would be healed. Jesus marveled at his faith, and the slave was restored. Many believe God’s power only comes to those who have acted worthy. However, the favor of God is never based upon our worth but rather upon God’s matchless grace. All who call upon Him can be heard and met with this same mercy.
Life can be filled with struggles that can bring us down and leave us without hope. When these seasons hit, where do we tend to look for relief? The crippled man at the pool of Bethesda heard that the waters would bring him healing. Day after day, he would try, but that promise turned out to be empty. It wasn't until he met a man named Jesus that his life would be truly changed forever.
Psalm 107 promises that those who do their business on great waters will see the works of the Lord. The wonders of God’s power in our lives are often preceded by immense struggle. There are seasons where we reel and stagger and come to our wits’ end. When we cry to the Lord in our trouble, He is able to bring us out of our distress and cause the storm to be still. Perhaps God has called you out onto great waters, and you are nearing your wits’ end. Do you know and have you cried unto the One who can bring you to your desired haven?
After the miracle of the flour and oil, it came about that the son of the widow become sick unto death. Many times, no matter how many miracles we have seen in the past, unexpected, dire circumstances come about in our lives. Elijah asked for the boy, carried him to his room, and prayed to God on his behalf. When the boy revived, he presented him back to his mother alive. There are times when we find ourselves in deep despair that others come to carry our burdens in prayer before the Lord. Do you need a burden carried on your behalf today?
When the church at Corinth mixed the sacred nature of the Lord’s supper with their division and selfishness, they received a dire warning from God through His apostle. They were told that the bread and cup were to bring remembrance to the power of the body and blood of Jesus sacrificed for their sin. At the same time, they were not to participate in this time of worship until they had examined their hearts. God is not mocked and will not tolerate the mixing of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. In doing so, some of the Corinthians were said to have become weak, sick and even dead. The same consequences await those who despite clear warning continue to profane that which is holy.
In the midst of a severe drought, the Lord told Elijah to go to a widow in Zarephath, and she would provide him with food. When Elijah arrives, the widow has only a handful of flour and a little oil as she is preparing to die. Through miraculous provision, The Lord provides for all in the house for many days with an inexhaustible supply of flour and oil. Many times, our lives feel as though we only have a small handful left to offer. When we surrender our little to the hands of a mighty God, He is able to supply above and beyond all that we ask or think. Is God asking you to trust Him with your last handful of flour today?
From the beginning, God wanted to be with His people as He once was in the garden. As the Lord rescued His people from slavery in Egypt, He would make a way to dwell with them through the Tabernacle, where His presence would guide the people. Many years later, Jesus would walk into the temple of God and see a mess: swindlers and moneychangers had taken over, and the place God had set aside to dwell with His people had become a "den of robbers." As Jesus dies on the cross and sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in the heart and life of the believer, we now become that Holy Place, the temple of God. But have we prepared a place, a Holy life worthy of His presence?
When the Lord put into the mind of Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, the call of God became an all consuming, obsession in Nehemiah that would require him to seek God, endure resistance and persevere to the finish line. God places different purposes and calling in all of us. Have you listened to what God is calling you to do? Have you seen the Lord confirm the work of your hands? Are you willing to endure the resistance that will inevitably come so that you may persevere to the end?
God’s Word declares that the mind set on the flesh is death and the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. The unredeemed, fleshly mind is hostile toward God and unable to subject itself to His law of righteousness. However, through the awakening power of the gospel, a lost person can be given a new mind, alive in the Spirit. Once made alive in Christ, we joyfully concur with the law of God in our hearts. Yet for as long as we live in our earthly bodies, fleshly lusts will be at war with our soul. Praise God that the weapons of our warfare are divinely powerful!
Paul was writing letters from jail with joy. Can you imagine? Have you ever wanted to quit? Often, even when you have surrendered your life to Jesus, even if you can identify with Paul’s heart, you can still sometimes feel stuck in your own “jail.” Remain steadfast, have hope, trust in God and seek His face—because He is worthy! If He brought you to it, He will bring you through it. Be encouraged by the message titled “Don’t Quit” by our guest speaker Bishop Wingate from Power Hope and Grace Church.
Abraham journeyed to Mount Moriah with the instruction to sacrifice his son Isaac. They traveled with the wood, the fire and a knife, but no lamb for sacrifice. Upon arrival at the place that God has instructed, Abraham placed Isaac upon the altar and raised the knife. At this moment, he was interrupted and shown a ram caught in a thicket. Isaac was released from the altar and the ram offered in his place. We are all Isaac and Jesus is the sacrifice in our place, setting us free from the law of sin and death. Have you accepted Jesus by faith for your salvation?
To be tested by God is to have the authenticity of our devotion to Him examined. Testing times are comparable to purifying a precious metal in a hot fire. When God tested Abraham by asking that he offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering, He was testing his heart, faith, and obedience. What might the Lord be putting you through in order to test you? Will you allow this season of fire to bring about a perfecting work?
The Word of God is alive, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. After many years of exile in Babylon, we see in the book of Nehemiah the Israelites back in their own land, standing attentively to hear the Word of the law proclaimed. Pierced to the heart with conviction, they found themselves mourning when faced with the righteous standard of God. In this message titled "The Word," we will see how the Word of God saves and transforms, and how God calls His followers to grow to maturity by letting His Word dwell richly within.
