Elisha and the Siege of Samaria
Read: 2 Kings 7:1-9 Someone has famously described evangelism—the sharing of the gospel message of salvation with non-Christians—as “one beggar telling another where to find bread.” In a famous incident from the life of the prophet Elisha we can see just how true that is. Elisha, Elijah’s successor, was more than just a prophet; he […]
Elijah and the Chariots of Fire
Read: 2 Kings 2:1-18 Elijah was a tremendous hero of faith. But like all men, his time eventually came to an end. But despite the spectacular way in which he left the world, the lesson for us is quite an ordinary one: God’s servants—even the greatest of them—pass on, but God’s work goes on. Human […]
Elijah and the Still, Small Voice
Read: 1 Kings 19:1-18 It is no contradiction that people who have great faith can also have great personal and spiritual struggles. Elijah shows us that, and a way out of our seasons of discouragement. The prophet Elijah’s dramatic triumph on Mt. Carmel over the worshipers of Baal had a surprising result. This great victory for […]
Elijah and the Power of Prayer
Read: 1 Kings 17, 18:41-46 One of the most surprising things we learn from scripture about Elijah is that, for all his heroic deeds, he was a person just like us. The secret of his power was found in prayer. In the ancient world, every people had a special class of religious leaders. They were […]
A Word of Exhortation
READ : Hebrews 13:20-25 Bear with my word of exhortation. (v. 22) The book of Hebrews was written to encourage wavering Christians. Its recipients were people who professed the Christian faith, but now were having second thoughts. The writer of Hebrews calls his letter “a word of exhortation,” and his thirteen chapters of exhortation can be […]
The Promise of Salvation
Read: Luke 23:32-43 Here we can see salvation reduced to its simplest terms. Stripped down to essentials, this is what it’s all about. It’s about a request and a promise. The third word from the cross was spoken by Jesus to one of his fellow sufferers, the man we usually call the penitent thief, who died […]
Abraham: The Sign of a Covenant
Read: Genesis 15:1-21, Genesis 17:1-16, Romans 4:3-8 So Abraham shows us the very way of salvation. God’s covenant relationship with us is based on his grace, to which we respond with faith, or trust, and that is what puts us in a right relationship with God. One of the most important concepts in the Bible is the relationship […]
Abraham: Blessed to Be a Blessing
Read: Genesis 12:1-3, Isaiah 42:1, 6-7 The blessings God gives us are intended to be shared with all, beginning with the inestimable blessing of salvation from sin and including all the other good things the Lord has given to us. I know that I have been greatly blessed. Perhaps you have too. So many of […]
Abraham: A Friend of God
Read: Genesis 12:1-4, Isaiah 41:8 The call of Abraham marks the launching of God’s plan to eventually bring blessing to all of the earth’s peoples, and it all started with God’s decision to single out this one ordinary man. Recently TIME magazine, the leading news weekly in America, ran a cover story on Abraham. For a person to be […]