VIDEO An Endless Supply

The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry. 1 Kings 17:14

When a widow in Zarephath shared her last morsels with the prophet Elijah, he gave her a promise from the Lord. There would always be flour in her bin and oil in her jar until the rain came—an endless provision of resources during the drought.

The Bible often compares bread to the Word of God and oil to the Holy Spirit. These are our resources of daily life, and they will never be depleted. You can have all of the Spirit’s power you need and all the Word of God you can devour.

These resources bring contentment and peace in life. The jar will never run dry, and the bin will never be used up. Friends may fail us; money may run low; health may give way; circumstances may change. But we have a perpetual supply of grace—as infinite as God’s own character—as we walk in the Spirit and feed on the Word. God’s resources are as never-ending as the life He gives us through Christ our Lord.

Though I have not outward comforts and worldly conveniences to supply my necessities, yet I have a sufficient portion between Christ and my soul abundantly to satisfy me in every condition. Jeremiah Burroughs, Puritan preacher

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1 Kings 17:10-16 Elijah & Widow of Zarephath 2015-11-08

Loaves and Fishes

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”  Matthew 14:16

A young boy came home from church and announced with great excitement that the lesson had been about a boy who “loafed and fished all day.” He, of course, was thinking of the little boy who offered his loaves and fish to Jesus.

Jesus had been teaching the crowds all day, and the disciples suggested He send them into the village to buy bread. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples were perplexed for there were more than 5,000 to be fed!

You may know the rest of the story: a boy gave his lunch—five small loaves of bread and two fish—and with it Jesus fed the crowd (vv. 13–21). One school of thought contends that the boy’s generosity simply moved others in the crowd to share their lunches, but Matthew clearly intends us to understand that this was a miracle, and the story appears in all four gospels.

What can we learn? Family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and others stand around us in varying degrees of need. Should we send them away to those who are more capable than we are? Certainly, some people’s needs exceed our ability to help them, but not always. Whatever you have—a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, a brief prayer, some wisdom you’ve gathered—give it to Jesus and see what He can do.

By:  David H. Roper

Reflect & Pray

What’s one need of another person that you may be able to meet? What can you give to Jesus to be used to bless others?

Jesus, give us eyes to see the ways we can care for others. Lead us and use us.

Saved for God’s Glory

Ephesians 1:5-6

Salvation is an amazing gift from our heavenly Father, and since we are the recipients, it might appear that we’re the primary reason He sent His Son to save us. After all, He loved us so much He didn’t want us to perish. And though this is certainly true, the greater reality is that He saved us for “the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:6).

When sinners are saved, God’s glory and grace are displayed. The salvation that He offers …

Highlights His generosity (v. 3). God not only gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins, but He has also blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven.

Reveals the Father’s mercy (v. 4). He took the initiative in salvation by choosing us “before the foundation of the world.” His mercy toward us reaches from eternity past to eternity future.

Emphasizes His holiness (v. 4). Because God is holy, His goal is to make us holy and blameless so we can dwell with Him forever. This process of transformation begins at our conversion and will be completed at our resurrection.

Shows divine love (vv. 4-5). To rescue us from condemnation would have been enough, but in love our heavenly Father chose to adopt us and make us part of His family.

Displays God’s kindness (v. 5). He saved us “according to the kind intention of His will” and not because of any worthiness or good behavior on our part.

Our greatest human need is to know and love the God who saved us. And through salvation, we come to experience His glorious grace.

What About The Second Coming

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

It has been observed that this first-written of Paul’s epistles contains more direct references to the second coming of Christ than any of his other writings. Each of its chapters comes to a close with a reference to Christ’s return in relation to some aspect of His great salvation, as applied to our personal lives.

In the first chapter, he speaks of the second coming in relation to service, “how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven” (1:9-10).

Then, in the second chapter, Paul speaks of soul-winning. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (2:19).

Next, there is an emphasis on stability. “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints” (3:13).

The fourth chapter concludes with perhaps the greatest passage on the second coming in any of the epistles, verses 13-17. All of this is said by Paul to be the basis of our Christian strength. “Wherefore comfort [literally ‘strengthen’] one another with these words” (4:18).

Finally, the last chapter concludes with the words of our text, speaking of our eternal sanctification as a result of this blessed hope of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second coming is thus all-important. It is a practical incentive and enablement for the Christian life, encouraging service, soul-winning, stability, strength, and sanctification, culminating in full and everlasting salvation. HMM

A Sovereign Obligation

I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

—Romans 1:14-15

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is something more than making us the happiest people in the Easter parade. Are we to listen to a cantata, join in singing “Up from the Grave He Arose,” smell the lilies and go home and forget it? No, certainly not!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ lays hold on us with all the authority of sovereign obligation. It says that the Christian church is to go and make disciples—to go and make disciples of all nations. The moral obligation of the resurrection of Christ is the missionary obligation—the responsibility and privilege of personally carrying the message, of interceding for those who go, of being involved financially in the cause of world evangelization.   TRA090

Stimulate me, Lord, with that sense of sovereign obligation. Then lead me to the right person with whom I could share Your grace. Amen.

 

Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you

That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.—2 Thessalonians 1:12.

Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.—Romans 13:14.

 

Send down Thy likeness from above,

And let this my adorning be:

Clothe me with wisdom, patience, love,

With lowliness and purity.

Joachim Lange.

 

Evidently, in order to be a manifestation of Christ we must be in some way like Him. He is a Christian who follows Christ, who measures all things by the standard of His approbation, who would not willingly say a word which he would not like to have Christ hear, nor do an act which he would not like to have Christ see. He is a Christian who tries to be the kind of neighbor Christ would be, and the kind of citizen Christ would be, and who asks himself in all the alternatives of his business life, and his social-life, and his personal life, what would the Master do in this case? The best Christian is he who most reminds the people with whom he lives of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who never reminds anybody of the Lord Jesus Christ is not a Christian at all.

George Hodges.

 

Law Of God In the Heart

“The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” Ps. 37:31

Put the law into the heart, and the whole man is right. This is where the law should be; for then it lies, like the tables of stone in the ark, in the place appointed for it. In the head it puzzles, on the back it burdens, in the heart it upholds.

What a choice word is here used, “the law of his God”! When we know the Lord as our own God His law becomes liberty to us. God with us in covenant makes us eager to obey His will and walk in His commands. Is the precept my Father’s precept? Then I delight in it.

We are here guaranteed that obedient-hearted man shall be sustained in every step that he takes. He will do that which is right, and he shall therefore do that which is wise. Holy action is always the most prudent, though it may not at the time seem to be so. We are moving along the great highroad of God’s providence and grace when we keep to the way of His law. The Word of God has never misled a single soul yet; its plain directions to walk humbly, justly, lovingly, and in the fear of the Lord, are as much words of wisdom to make our way prosperous as rules of holiness to keep our garments clean. He walks surely who walks righteously.