Good day dear friends. As many have already heard, a dear Rotary brother and neighbor of ours, Mr. Carl Anderson, died yesterday. He had been battling cancer for a short time. Carl was a past local president and District Governor in Rotary. His funeral will be at our church on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. Visitation is Thursday evening at Pennington's. Please keep Lu and her family in our prayers.
We continue to affirm that God is in control and has a wonderful life available to us if we so pray and here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: In 1 Kings 19:9-18 we find a passage of someone who asks of God something very important. Read this passage and discover what was being asked of God and how God responded to the need.
Here is that passage from 1 Kings 19:9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 15 Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
How sad it is to hear a servant of the Lord declare, "I alone am left." Elijah says that twice in this passage. And come to think of it, his appointment to First Israel had not gone like he nor God would have liked. The chairperson of the Church Council and the Pastor Parish Relations committee had not only abandoned ship, they did all they could to sink the thing! They didnt' believe word one of what Elijah tried to preach; the Commandments were viewed with disgust, they destroyed church property, and they even killed those who sought to serve God. I too would be praying, "I alone am left," as would you.
Elijah had a very rough, dangerous time being God's prophet to Israel during his ministry. It became so bad that he sought to flee from church work, as do so many. Dr. Terry Teykl said on Sunday that he has many colleagues in ministry who "lust for Home Depot," meaning for a job there instead of behind the pulpit. Thank God most of us are not being threatened with our lives, though our livelihoods is bad enough, but God sends Elijah on a retreat. He is sent to a mountain retreat where he stands to await God to pass by him. You know the story. A great wind passes by, destroying almost everything in its path. Then comes an earthquake, then a fire, but in none of these was the Lord God. There came sheer silence, where Elijah was able to hear God's voice. God answered Elijah's prayer; named new officers for the church, and promised to bless those who had remained faithful to Him.
Doesn't it sometimes seem that everything and everyone around us, seem to be on the path of destruction? This lesson teaches that even in those times when we take that approach or view of our lives, God is still in control. Though God has the power of great wind, earthquakes, and fire, God comes to us when we pause, seek to be alone with Him, and allow God to speak to us. When was the last time you prayed in a way that you only asked for God?
PRAYER: Loving Father, I confess that too often when I pray, I do all the talking and all the asking. Today I ask for You to come and be with me. That's all I ask. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
We continue to affirm that God is in control and has a wonderful life available to us if we so pray and here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: In 1 Kings 19:9-18 we find a passage of someone who asks of God something very important. Read this passage and discover what was being asked of God and how God responded to the need.
Here is that passage from 1 Kings 19:9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 15 Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
How sad it is to hear a servant of the Lord declare, "I alone am left." Elijah says that twice in this passage. And come to think of it, his appointment to First Israel had not gone like he nor God would have liked. The chairperson of the Church Council and the Pastor Parish Relations committee had not only abandoned ship, they did all they could to sink the thing! They didnt' believe word one of what Elijah tried to preach; the Commandments were viewed with disgust, they destroyed church property, and they even killed those who sought to serve God. I too would be praying, "I alone am left," as would you.
Elijah had a very rough, dangerous time being God's prophet to Israel during his ministry. It became so bad that he sought to flee from church work, as do so many. Dr. Terry Teykl said on Sunday that he has many colleagues in ministry who "lust for Home Depot," meaning for a job there instead of behind the pulpit. Thank God most of us are not being threatened with our lives, though our livelihoods is bad enough, but God sends Elijah on a retreat. He is sent to a mountain retreat where he stands to await God to pass by him. You know the story. A great wind passes by, destroying almost everything in its path. Then comes an earthquake, then a fire, but in none of these was the Lord God. There came sheer silence, where Elijah was able to hear God's voice. God answered Elijah's prayer; named new officers for the church, and promised to bless those who had remained faithful to Him.
Doesn't it sometimes seem that everything and everyone around us, seem to be on the path of destruction? This lesson teaches that even in those times when we take that approach or view of our lives, God is still in control. Though God has the power of great wind, earthquakes, and fire, God comes to us when we pause, seek to be alone with Him, and allow God to speak to us. When was the last time you prayed in a way that you only asked for God?
PRAYER: Loving Father, I confess that too often when I pray, I do all the talking and all the asking. Today I ask for You to come and be with me. That's all I ask. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
