Podcasts about Naaman

One of the "greatest of these" is blessed by one of the "least of these."In this episode, Dr. Bruce Becker examines the life, faith, and love of an Israelite servant girl who was snatched from her home in Israel during a raid to become a servant in the home of Aram's hero general, Naaman.If you enjoy this podcast and make it a regular part of your week, would you consider helping us with your support? Thank you!

Send us a textPride stands in the way of our salvation more often than we realize. The story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 powerfully illustrates this timeless truth as we explore what happens when our expectations of a "grand entrance" into faith collide with God's simple requirements.Naaman, a celebrated military general, successful and respected by all, carried a devastating secret—he suffered from leprosy. Despite his accomplishments, this disease threatened everything. When told a prophet in Israel could heal him, he gathered his entourage, chariots, gifts, and wealth, making what he believed would be an impressive entrance worthy of the miracle he sought.But God's ways challenge our human expectations. Instead of an elaborate ceremony with the prophet waving his hands over Naaman's diseased skin, Elisha simply sent a messenger with basic instructions: "Go wash in the Jordan seven times." No spectacle. No recognition of Naaman's importance. Just a simple act of obedience requiring humility.The general's furious reaction mirrors how many approach salvation today. We want God to acknowledge our significance with signs, wonders, and spiritual fireworks. We imagine salvation should be a spectacular experience that honors our journey and status. Yet God consistently offers a path that begins with humbling ourselves.What ultimately transformed Naaman wasn't a grand miracle but a servant's simple question: "If the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, wouldn't you have done it? How much more when he says something so simple?" This profound reasoning cut through his pride, leading to healing that came through surrender rather than spectacle.Are you waiting for God to make a fuss over you before you'll believe? Have you rejected the simple gospel message because it doesn't match your expectations of how salvation should feel or look? Perhaps the miracle you seek is waiting on the other side of humility. Dip seven times in the simple truth of the gospel. No grand entrance required.Support the show

Send us a textThe human desire for spectacle over substance plagues our spiritual lives. Like Naaman, the Syrian general who arrived at Elisha's door expecting grand ceremonies for his healing, we often want God to perform for us on our terms. When Elisha simply instructed Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River, the proud commander nearly walked away in disgust. How could something so mundane cure his leprosy?This reluctance to embrace divine simplicity mirrors our modern spiritual struggles. We create elaborate religious performances—salvation ceremonies, grand entrances, public displays—rather than submitting to God's straightforward prescription. Only when Naaman humbled himself and followed the prophet's instructions did his skin become "like the flesh of a little child." The transformation was undeniable, visible to everyone who knew him.After his healing, Naaman made a remarkable declaration: "Now I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel." This proclamation, made before his entire entourage, demonstrates true conversion. Yet even then, he immediately tried to pay for his healing, revealing how deeply the transactional mindset was ingrained in his thinking. Elisha's firm refusal teaches us that divine grace cannot be purchased or earned through gifts, rituals, or performances.The question for all who claim spiritual transformation remains: Is your change visible to others? Naaman couldn't hide his healing—everyone could see the difference. Similarly, authentic spiritual transformation should be evident in our lives. Have you truly changed, or are you merely wearing religious fig leaves while bearing no fruit? The prescription for salvation remains remarkably simple yet profoundly challenging: complete surrender to God's way through Christ alone. No negotiations, no terms, just humble obedience that leads to genuine transformation. Will you dip seven times in the Jordan?Support the show

A @Christadelphians Video: Description: The history from the times of the patriarchs to the Babylonian exile is outlined. Although the relationships between Jew and Gentile were often hostile, they were not necessarily so. Some Gentiles came to be associated with the promises which God made to Abraham, through their faith. To this day Gentiles can share in these blessings through belief and baptism into the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.# SummaryThis PRESENTATION delves into the history of the nations surrounding Israel, focusing on groups such as the Philistines, Phoenicians, Syrians, Kenites, and the descendants of Abraham, including the Amalekites, Moabites, and Ammonites. It explores their origins, interactions with Israel, and the impact of their relationships on the biblical narrative. The speaker highlights both the conflicts and alliances formed between these nations and Israel, emphasising the overarching theme of redemption and faith in God's plan, exemplified through figures like Ruth and Naaman.

John Andrews examines the profound impact of the unnamed Israelite servant girl in 2 Kings 5, whose courageous faith and compassion towards her captor, Naaman, initiated his healing and offers timeless spiritual insights!

{ILS} The Phone Call HomeThe content of calls home matches the emotions of the psalms joy, love, fear, anger, sorrow, grief, and gratitude Sometimes in a series of calls, sometimes all in one {MPT} Surely God Is Good To Israel Asaph's thought is in the present tense but the assurance of the truth comes from the past. {MPT} Does the Most High Know Anything? If God is good and wants humans to mirror, God must not be aware People are trading on your name and worse they are thriving2nd Kings 5 - Elisha and his assistant help Naaman with leprosyElisha had an assistant Gehazi {MPT} I Was A Brute Beast, Yet I Am Always With You When I didn't get what I wanted  When i didn't get it when I wanted it I wasn't aware of the incredible love and sacrifice that preceded my action {MPT} And Why Do We Make or Receive The Call To pour out the emotions in our heart To know we are part of a larger part of creation, with a timeline longer than we can imagine To gain guidance

Village Church RolesvilleSunday Message, May 11, 2025Pastor Tyler Williams2 Kings 5:1-15

Hosts Pastor Robert Baltodano and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: Kenlyn, NY (3:54) - When are we indwelt with the Holy Spirit? Sherri, Facebook (8:44) - Should I attend a pride event with my gay friend? Thomas, YouTube (11:07) - Why did John the Baptist say that he wasn't Elijah, when Jesus said he was "the Elijah who is to come?" Nelson, CA (12:38) - My church asks for specific offerings in order to gain favor from God. What is your perspective on this? Lori, NY (16:47) - How could the thief of the cross be with Jesus in paradise the same day, when Jesus went to Hades for three days? Luke, NJ (20:49) - I work in sales, how should I do this as a Christian? Beverly, NY (25:06) - In 2 Kings, Naaman mentions that he will go into temples to sacrifice, why would he still want to do that? Brandon, NJ (33:50) - Why did God reject Cain's sacrifice and accept Abel's? Bobby, FL (37:37) - Why didn't the Catholic conclave have any mentions of Jesus? Kezz, TX (41:41) - Is Jesus the same child called out of Egypt who did idol worship mentioned in Hosea? Ricky, VA (48:25) - Do the Catholics pray to Mary? Veena, NJ (50:48) - How does God cleanse us of sin? How is salvation affected by our sin after being saved? Ask Your Question: 888-712-7434 Answers@bbtlive.org

04 - 05 - 25 Am - John Allan - Encounters with God (7) Naaman the self important by Great Parks Chapel

Send us a textGrace—we sing about it, talk about it, and claim to understand it, but do we truly grasp its profound implications for our daily lives? This enlightening exploration cuts through common misconceptions to reveal the true nature of God's unmerited favour.Drawing from pivotal passages like Ephesians 2:4-10 and Romans 6, we unpack the paradox at grace's core: while salvation is indeed God's free gift that we cannot earn, it nevertheless requires our active, obedient response. Like reaching out to accept a $20 note someone offers, we must take action to receive what God freely gives. Biblical examples from Jericho to Naaman's healing demonstrate this pattern—God's gifts always invite our participation.The discussion tackles head-on the dangerous idea that grace functions as a spiritual "get-out-of-jail-free card." Paul's teaching is crystal clear: grace isn't permission to sin; rather, it "teaches us to say no to ungodliness" (Titus 2:12). When we're baptized into Christ, we die to our old selves and rise to walk a new path—a path of obedience flowing from gratitude, not obligation.Perhaps most reassuring is the certainty grace provides. We need not live wondering if we're saved—Scripture assures us we can know. This confidence doesn't come from perfect performance but from faithful walking with God, studying His Word, and gathering with fellow believers.The powerful closing questions invite deep self-reflection: What am I doing with God's grace? Is my heart focused during worship? Am I serving His church? How will God feature in my plans tomorrow? These aren't questions of earning grace but of living gratefully within it.Join us in rediscovering the transformative power of grace—not just as theological concept, but as the daily reality that reshapes everything about how we live, love, and serve.Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries. Support the show

We all want change. Healing. Wholeness. But sometimes, like Naaman, we're not sure we really want to be well—at least not on God's terms. In this message by pastor Sihle Xulu, we journey with a man of status and success who discovers that true transformation comes not through influence, wealth or control, but through humble surrender and simple obedience. Could your healing be waiting on the other side of obedience? Dive in.

In this episode, Brad explores the story of Naaman from 2 Kings 5, focusing on themes of healing, humility, and the importance of mundane obedience. He discusses how Naaman's pride initially prevented him from accepting a simple solution to his leprosy, highlighting the contrast between our expectations of divine intervention and the often unglamorous path to healing. Brad encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and consider the 'Jordan Rivers' they may be avoiding, emphasizing that true transformation often requires humility and obedience.Follow the show here:⁠https://www.instagram.com/workadviceforme/⁠Leave us a review on iTunes and Spotify.This show is brought to you by The Hopecast Networkhttps://www.instagram.com/hopecastnetwork/

Success can't cover up a soul in pain. In this message, Pastor Jonathan Evans tells the story of Naaman—a man who looked like he had it all, but was desperate for healing that only God could give.

Success can't cover up a soul in pain. In this message, Pastor Jonathan Evans tells the story of Naaman—a man who looked like he had it all, but was desperate for healing that only God could give.

Success can't cover up a soul in pain. In this message, Pastor Jonathan Evans tells the story of Naaman—a man who looked like he had it all, but was desperate for healing that only God could give.

Guarigione miracolosa di Naaman. L'avidità di Ghehazi e sue conseguenze.

Who was Naaman and what can we learn from the story of his healing? How do we grow a heart for suffering? As we kick off our study of the book of 2 Kings, Graham Shelby, Watermark's College Ministry Director, takes off the podcast to talk about Naaman's Leprosy. Graham previously taught today's chapters at Watermark's Men's Bible Study! To hear a more in-depth teaching on today's passage check out Graham's Men's Bible Study Message: https://www.watermark.org/message/11998-lesson-12-2-kings-5-8-spring-2025For More Information on Watermark's College Ministry, Rally: https://www.watermark.org/ministries/collegeJoin us for our FREE celebration of 100 days reading the Bible together in 2025! Get more information: https://www.watermark.org/events/6472-celebrating-100-days-of-families-reading-the-bibleJoin us for Easter at Watermark! https://www.watermark.org/easter-2025 Check out the Journey Junior Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898?i=1000702456723Check out the Journey Junior Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6SG7aaE1ZjjFkgB34G8zp3?si=839144fb7c89439f For more information about Join The Journey check out: www.JoinTheJourney.com 

In the third message of our series called Counterfeit Gods, Pastor Mel details the dangers of idolizing success itself. Part of the key to this message is understanding you don't need to actually be a successful person to be guilty of idolizing success. Anyone who views success or achievement as the ultimate thing holds success as a counterfeit god. Mel preaches through the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 to explain how the commander had faith in his own success to solve an unrelated problem like leprosy. Drawing a juxtaposition between the prophet Elisha and commander Naaman, Mel shows us the differences between a person who trusts in success over against a person who trusts in God.

SHOW NOTES:   In Podcast Episode 318, “But God, My Way Would Be Better,” Kim discusses the human tendency to question how God does things and the temptation to believe we could do better if the decisions were up to us. Naaman, the commander of the Aramean army, was not pleased with how God's prophet Elisha addressed his request to be healed. He thought it would be handled a certain way, and when it wasn't, he was angry. Before we condemn Naaman for his attitude, let's examine our own hearts.   Our focal passage for this episode is 2 Kings 5:1-19 with 11-12 as the focal verses:   11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren't the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.     WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT FEATURE:   When have you last questioned the Lord's methods? What insights do you now have?   Additional Resources and Scriptures:   “If It Was Up to Me” by Ben Fuller ft. Carrie Underwood “How Would I Know” by Kathy Troccoli 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Is. 55:8-9) EMAIL — encouragingothersinlovingjesus@gmail.com TWITTER - https://twitter.com/EOinLovingJesus INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus” YouTube Channel: Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingOthersInLovingJesus     I WANT TO BEGIN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.   RESOURCES USED FOR BOOK OF 1 & 2 Kings PODCASTS: “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament OT in One Volume” “Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings” by Tony Merida “The Tony Evans Bible Commentary: Advancing God's Kingdom Agenda” “Life Application Study Bible” “The Swindoll Study Bible: NLT” by Charles R. Swindoll Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary “The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary” by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Editors) Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, 2004, by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. Kohlenberger, III.     "Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus" Facebook Group:   Our Facebook Group is devoted to providing a place for us to encourage each other through all the seasons of life. Follow the provided link to request admittance into “Encouraging Others in Loving Jesus”—https://www.facebook.com/groups/encouragingothersinlovingjesus/ Feel free to invite others who will be good encouragers and/or need encouragement to follow Jesus.   This podcast is hosted by Kim Smith, a small town Country Girl who left her comfort zone to follow Jesus in a big City World. Now, she wants to use God's Word and lessons from her faith journey to encourage others in loving Jesus.   In each episode, Kim will share insights regarding a portion of God's Word and challenge listeners to apply the lessons to their daily lives.   If you want to grow in your faith and learn how to encourage others in loving Jesus, subscribe and commit to prayerfully listening each week.   Remember, “It's Always a Trust & Obey Kinda Day!”   If you have questions or comments or would like to learn more about how to follow Jesus, please email Kim at EncouragingOthersinLovingJesus@gmail.com.     National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline   988   https://988lifeline.org/   Reference: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Tyndale House Publishers. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.   Podcast recorded through Cleanfeed and edited through GarageBand. The soundtrack, entitled “Outlaw John McShane” was obtained from Pixabay.     The HIDDEN Episodes:  If you can't access episodes 1-50 on your podcast app (the podcast was then entitled "A Country Girl in a City World - Loving Jesus"), you can get all the content at my Podbean site at https://acountrygirlinacityworldlovingjesus.podbean.com/  

This Palm Sunday, we will explore 2 Kings 5:1-19 and learn about Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Syria who was also a leper. There will be a special performance by CCKids during the service. We hope you will join us for lunch, immediately following the service, as we celebrate Palm Sunday as a church family!

Return of the Man-Child (7)  (audio) David Eells – 4/9/25  History happened once in the letter, and it is happening again in the Spirit. We've noticed a repetition of history on a larger scale in every type and shadow that we have looked at. The first revelation was according to the letter, but the way it is being fulfilled in our day is in the Spirit. Last time, we saw that Christ had been anointed with the power of the former rain, and we know that Jesus did not do a miracle or a sign or a wonder until after He had received this anointing of the former rain. It was power! I don't think a lot of people realize that when God gives you power, He tests you to see if you are going to use that power according to His Will or take it for your own use. In other words, you could abuse power and authority. Jesus was being tried here. The Bible says, He hath been in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin (Heb.4:15).  We'll continue our study in Matthew. (Mat.4:1) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. So He had just been anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit to do all the wondrous works, and now He is being led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted of the devil. There is a purpose in temptation; there is a need for temptation, the Bible tells us. (Jas.1:2) Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; (3) knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. (4) And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. Temptation is a way to perfection, or as it's sometimes translated in the Scriptures, “maturity.” (Jas.1:12) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] promised to them that love Him. Even Abraham was tempted or tried. (Heb.11:17) By faith Abraham, being tried … The word there is peirazo, the same word for “tempted.” And the same word occurs again further down in the text, in verse 37 – “they were tempted.” So Abraham was tempted   Does God tempt anybody? No, He does not. Temptation comes quite naturally to us because of our old carnal nature. (Jas.1:13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: (14) but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. God tempts no man, but He does bring us through the trial to be tempted, so we can make a decision as to whether we're going to walk in the flesh or whether we're going to walk in the Spirit. The Bible says, if we walk in the light, as He is in the light … the blood of Jesus … cleanseth us of all sin (1Jn.1:7). Being tempted is a method by which you can have more of God because when you walk in the light or, in other words, when you walk after the Spirit, the Holy Spirit cleanses you of the very sin nature that you don't want anymore.   Temptation is God's method for giving you more of God and less of you. (Heb.11:17) By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promise was offering up his only begotten [son;] (18) [even he] to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called: (19) accounting that God [is] able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back. Abraham was tried and God said, Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me (Gen.22:12). Will God do these things with us? Will He try us? Yes, He will. First of all, when Jesus received power, He had to be tried before He started His ministry. I think everybody is tried. If God gives you a gift or power or authority, you are going to be tried to see if you're going to abuse what you've been given.  I'd like us to note the very next thing He speaks about. (Mat.4:2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. (3) And the tempter came … What does fasting have to do with a trial? Remember, I'm not taking anything away from the letter. Jesus was fasting in the letter; He was physically fasting, denying Himself food. So far, we've seen that there is a spiritual manifestation now in the New Testament for the people who walk in the steps of Jesus. We are not doing away with the letter. We're still talking about literal fasting. But there is also a spiritual fast, and if you keep this spiritual fast, no matter how much the devil tempts you, you will win every time. Isaiah speaks about this spiritual fast.   Let me point out some things to you. (Isa.58:3) Wherefore have we fasted, [say they,] and thou seest not? [wherefore] have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find [your own] pleasure, and exact all your labors. In other words, there is selfishness in there – selfish desire and ambition. The old man is not only living, he is thriving in the midst of their fast. You can refrain from eating food and still be a big sinner, but you cannot do a spiritual fast and walk in sin. I will point that out to you. (Isa.58:4) Behold, ye fast for strife and contention, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye fast not this day so as to make your voice to be heard on high. (5) Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? He is being rather critical of a natural fast that has no spiritual component, no spiritual focus.  Then Isaiah speaks about another kind of fasting. (Isa.58:6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke … What is “wickedness” and what is “the yoke”? It is the old man. Remember when the three Hebrews went into the fire and the only thing that burned up was their bonds (Daniel 3)? What do you think that means? It means the wood, hay and stubble, the old man, was burned up. That's what binds us; that's the “wickedness” and “the yoke” right there. Jesus came with the Isaiah 61 anointing to open the prison for those who were bound and to set the captives free. How does He do that? The old man has to die here. (Isa.58:6) Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? So there is a fast that breaks every yoke. God is about to tell you about His fast, not just their natural fast. They were failing to do anything but sin in the midst of their fast. (Isa.58:7) Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry … It is not just refraining from eating it; it is giving it to somebody who needs it. It is denying yourself.  First of all, a physical fast is to deny your physical self food. A spiritual fast is to deny your self food because “self” is a spiritual entity. It is a sinful, carnal entity, and if you do not feed “self”, “self” dies. How many of you know that you can refrain from feeding your body and still feed “self”? That's what God is talking to them about here. He is saying, “Okay, you are fasting, but it is not doing you any good whatsoever. Let me tell you about My fast.” It is a fast that actually does away with the bondage to the old man. It's not enough to not eat it; give it to somebody else. Deny your “self”; don't feed self. Instead, give.   (Isa.58:7) Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? We all like our privacy and our peace, but it is also a sacrifice to bring people into your house. For years, we have had people in need in and out of our house. It is a big sacrifice. You have to give up a part of you; you have to bend toward their needs. You have to resist your flesh, and that's a big temptation, especially if people come to live with you for very long. But the Lord is saying, “Deny yourself; don't feed the old man. Do something for the Kingdom here.”  Now let me say that there are a few verses in here that speak about the fast, and all the rest of the verses in this text are promises to those who do fast. Here is one promise: (Isa.58:8) Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall by thy rearward. (9) Then shalt thou call, and the Lord will answer (That is an awesome promise!); thou shalt cry, and he will say, Here I am. (And then here is a part of the fast:) If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly. Now that is a fast! It is denying feeding “self”. Self wants its way; self wants you to give it the reins and let it run. You have to pull back and say, “No. I deny self. I will not feed “self” today. I will not feed the flesh today.” Anytime you give the flesh its way, you are feeding it. When you are denying it, it is dying. Jesus said, Whosoever doth not bear his own cross (which is to die on), and come after me, cannot be my disciple (Luk.14:27). A fast is taking up your cross. It is not really something we should ever stop. In a literal fast, you have to stop, and it may not gain you anything. But it's good if you use it as a means to an end in the Kingdom. For instance, when you give your bread to someone else, it's good.  As we read on, we see another part of this fast. (Isa.58:10) And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry (In other words, in what your soul desires, make sure you are meeting someone else's need.), and satisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thine obscurity be as the noonday; (11) and the Lord will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. (12) And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations (Well, that's what we need today, folks; we need to go back and restore again the foundation that is fallen.); and thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Here's another part of the fast: (Isa.58:13) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day … Now we know that the Sabbath is not a day anymore, according to Hebrews 4. It is a sabbatismos, a continual ceasing from your works, which are the works of the old man, and entering the rest. In other words, it's denying the flesh; it's not feeding the old man. That is what the Sabbath is.  (Isa.58:13) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, [and] the holy of the Lord honorable; and shalt honor it, not doing thine own ways (again, not feeding self), nor finding thine own pleasure (instead, attempting to please the Lord, meeting the brethren's needs and sacrificing yourself, etc.), nor speaking [thine own] words. That's an important one right there because the tongue [is] a restless evil (Jas.3:8), and the tongue can no man tame (8). Only the Lord can tame it if you give Him faith. (Isa.58:14) Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth; and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. That is an awesome promise of God's spiritual fast! There definitely has to be a fulfillment in the Spirit, and we can look at Jesus or the Man-child ministry as showing us how to do a spiritual fast.   I believe that the Man-Child ministry's corporate body is going to be tried in this question about power and authority, and I do not think that they are all going to overcome it. I have seen dreams and visions about this. But I believe that if we do this spiritual fast, we cannot fail. If you do what the spiritual fast calls for – if you do not feed your old man, if you deny yourself in the midst of trial – then you're not going to listen to Satan, and you're going to be an overcomer. As you read the Book of Revelation, all of the promises to the churches are for overcomers. There is no promise to people who are not overcoming. What are they overcoming? They're overcoming self and temptation because they're overcoming self. Notice that God is not necessarily doing away with the natural fast. He is saying, “Look, if you don't eat food, give it to somebody who needs it.”  I want to share a revelation with you about fasting. It says the exact same thing about the spiritual fast, and it was given to Hermas, who wrote The Shepherd of Hermas, which you can read on our site. At the end of the first century, the Shepherd came to Hermas and gave him revelations in the way of visions to give to the Church, which was just about to go into great tribulation, as we are in our day. In fact, they were going to face the Beast and the Harlot of their day and many of them were going to lose their lives. The Lord gave them an exhortation through Hermas. That exhortation was then sent throughout the early Church, and he gave them a revelation on fasting. Notice its similarity to what we just studied. Let's begin in similitude 5, chapter 54. (My comments are in parentheses.)  While I was fasting and sitting on a certain mountain, thanking the Lord for all that He had done for me, I saw the Shepherd (the Shepherd here is the Lord) sitting beside me and saying these things to me: “Why have you come here so early?” “Because, sir,” I said, “I am on guard duty.” “What,” said he, “is the guard?” “I am fasting, sir,” I said. “But what,” said he, “is this fast that you are keeping?” “Sir,” I said, “I am fasting just as I have been accustomed to do.” “You do not know how to fast to God,” he said, “and this useless fast that you are keeping for Him is not a fast.” (He called this fast “useless.” I'm sure Hermas was refraining from eating food, but the Lord called it a “useless fast.”) “Why, sir,” I said, “do you say this?” “I am telling you,” he said, “that this is not a fast you are keeping, but I will teach you what an acceptable and a complete fast to the Lord is.” “Yes, sir,” said I. “You will make me happy if I may know the fast acceptable to God.” “Listen,” said he. “God does not wish such a futile fast as this, for by fasting in this way, you do nothing for righteousness, (It can be, as we just saw in Isaiah 58, that they were fasting diligently, but getting nowhere and doing nothing but feeding the flesh because they were leaving selfish ambition alive.) but fast to God in this way: Do nothing evil in your life. (He is talking about a spiritual fast here. In other words, do not feed the flesh.) But serve the Lord with a clean heart, keeping His commandments, following His orders. (Again, do not feed the flesh. The commandments of God crucify the flesh; they do not permit it to live. That's why there is so much emphasis on ear-tickling doctrines out there, because they all permit the old man to live. If you obey God, the old man dies. It's like you're starving him. You're not giving him what he wants, so he dies.) And let no evil desire arise in your heart. (Do not listen to him; do not feed him; do not let him live.) Believe in God, because if you do these things and fear Him and abstain from every evil deed (in other words, not feeding the flesh), you will live to God. And if you do these things, you will complete a fast that is great and acceptable to the Lord.”  Wow! That is a spiritual fast! He didn't touch on the physical fast, but in one of the next chapters, he does talk a little bit about the physical fast and how it can tie into the spiritual fast. You can see here the spiritual fast, which was the most important. You can fast for the rest of your life for selfish ambition, and you will not do anything for the Kingdom. Your sacrifice is worthless before God. But, if you do a spiritual fast, you are going to grow in God. I am not denying that you can mix this with a physical fast, but if you do a spiritual fast, you will conquer the devil every time. The only thing in you that he can use to conquer you is your flesh, so if you do not feed your flesh, your flesh is not going to be able to conquer you. Let me go to chapter 56.  I said to him, “Sir, I do not understand these parables, nor could I comprehend them unless you interpret them to me.” “I will interpret everything to you,” he said, “and whatsoever I tell you, I will explain. Keep the commandments of the Lord and you will be pleasing to Him and be enrolled in the number of those who keep His commandments. If you do something good beyond the commandment of God, you will gain greater glory for yourself. (This is an important issue here. You can go beyond what God commands and God will give you good credit for that.) And you will be more honored before God than you would have been. If then, while keeping the commandments of God, you add also to those services, you will rejoice, and you will keep them according to my commandment.” I said to him, “Sir, whatever you command me I will follow, for I know that you are with me.” “I will be with you,” he said, “because you have such zeal for doing good, and I will be with all,” said he, “who have the same zeal. This fast,” he said, “is very good, if you keep the commandments of the Lord. So observe this fast which you are going to keep in this way: First of all, guard against every evil word and every evil desire. (Do not feed “self” and do not give “self” permission or the right to give in to evil thoughts or evil words. Otherwise, you are wasting your fast.) And cleanse your heart of all the vanities of this world. (In other words, there are a lot of things in the world that have no point in the Kingdom. The Bible says to lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race (Heb.12:1). And the sin? Some weights are not sin, but they hold us back. They themselves are not sin, but they keep us from doing things that are important in the Kingdom.)  (Many people do not take the Great Commission seriously. They figure they hired their preacher to do that, so they just live their lives the way they want to all week long and then at the end of the week, they go to church and call that “service.” No, actually we're called to be disciples of Jesus Christ and we're called to keep and to do the Great Commission and do the works of Jesus. (Joh.14:12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. We are called to do His works, and if the Church had been doing that all along, just think how much of the world would have been taken into the Church by now. The Lord says to avoid the vanities of this world, which are not necessarily sin, but have this uselessness. There are so many things that Christians do that are useless. If you are really devoted to God, your hobbies ought to be His hobbies. Your loves ought to be His loves. You ought to be doing the things that are pleasing to your Father. Even as a child, Jesus said (Luk.2:49) Knew ye not that I must be in my Father's house? In other words, “be about my Father's work”? That's right; that's what we are here for.)   If you observe these things, this fast will be complete. And here is what you will do: When you have finished the above-mentioned, on that day when you are fasting, (Now he is talking about a physical fast.) you will taste nothing except bread and water, and you will be aware of the cost of your food you would have eaten on that day which you are going to keep. Having set it aside, you will give it to a widow, or an orphan, or someone else in need. And in this way, you will be humble-minded, so that from your humility, the one who receives may fill his soul and pray to the Lord for you. (So, here's a way that a physical fast can actually be a spiritual fast in denying yourself and then furthering the Kingdom, by not only refraining from eating, but giving it or the monetary equivalent to someone who needs it, or through sacrifice.) If then you complete the fast in this way, as I command you, your sacrifice will be acceptable to God. And this fast will be recorded, and the service done in this way is good and joyous and acceptable to the Lord. This is the way you shall observe these things with your children and all your house. If you observe them, you will be blessed, and as many as hear them and keep them will be blessed, and whatever they ask of the Lord they will receive.”  That is very interesting because Isaiah 58:7 basically says that, too, “to deal thy bread to the hungry,” give that which you would have eaten to the hungry. Then Isaiah goes on to talk about the same principle, but in many other ways that are dealing with “self”, such as using something that you would consider yours to meet the need of someone else. In this way, a physical fast can be a spiritual fast. I dare say that a lot of people who fast are sometimes too miserable to even pray and take advantage of their fast. Have you ever caught yourself doing that? I used to fast regularly and I still do, but I would catch myself and say, “Wait a minute! I'm not taking advantage of this sacrifice here. I need to be fasting and praying.” So I would remember and go back to praying and making my fast count for something. I was always giving, and a person who fasts should use it to further the Kingdom and bless God's people. Now, if you do that and the devil tempts you and you keep on fasting and denying self in order to let your Spirit man live, there is no way the devil can beat you.  If you look at the Book of Matthew, you see that Jesus received this great power from God and He was going to be tried by the devil to see if He was going to use that power wisely. (Mat.4:2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. (3) And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. (4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. What kind of temptation is this? First of all, with “If thou art the Son of God,” the devil was tempting Jesus to believe that He was not Who He was supposed to be, and that is the Son of God. He was tempting Jesus to use His power to feed His flesh. Look at it in the Spirit, not just in the letter.   In what way can you use your power to feed your flesh? Well, for example, you could be in the prosperity doctrine. You can use your power and authority to live high above the average means of the people around you, to consume upon your flesh the things that would be detrimental to your spiritual health. (1Ti.6:9) But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. Many people fall away, according to Paul in 1st Timothy, because of their lusting after the things of the world. They use God's power and even their bodily efforts, which is again using God's power because ye were bought with a price (1Co.6:20), to live after the lusts of their flesh.  Now let's look at the next temptation. (Mat.4:5) Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. (7) Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. What is the devil tempting Him with here? He's tempting Jesus with proving to others Who He is. Why do we have to prove to others who we are? Isn't that really something that should just be left up to God? There are people who abuse the power and authority that the Lord has given them to make themselves great in the sight of other people. That is a temptation, especially if you have power.   I see it today in people exercising power in such a way as to put on a show. You've seen it; you've seen the wave of the hand and half the audience falls down. What's the purpose of that? Who is getting the glory for that? When did Jesus ever do such a thing? Even when He healed someone and they were entering the town, He said, Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee (Mar.5:19), not “Remember me when you tell the story.” How many times did He disappear like the Lone Ranger after He did a good deed? That was because He was not looking for the credit for it. You do not have to prove who you are to anybody. As a matter of fact, it's better if you are pretty quiet about it. If you did not deny yourself or fast spiritually, if you did not deny the flesh its right to prove who it was, then to glory in the things done would just cause your flesh to grow.  Here is another temptation. (Mat.4:8) Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (9) and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. (10) Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (11) Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. What kind of a temptation is that? Well, the glory of the authority over the world. When we receive power from God, there is a temptation to use it to gain the glory of this authority. In these days, there are many people who run around calling themselves apostles or prophets or giving themselves great titles, none of which the early disciples did or used. But they do that in order to profit “self” and glory in the authority that they have. They count the numbers of people in their churches so they can glory about how big their church is. They talk about how many churches are under their authority or how many men are under their authority. They use power and authority to glory and to build “self”. Jesus was being tempted to see if He would abuse authority and power. Of course, God knew the outcome, but you still have to go through the temptation. It has to be proven. That was the whole gist of this temptation, from beginning to end.  I believe that the Man-child ministry will go through the exact same testing, and those people who are making somebody of themselves, taking advantage of other people because of their authority, plundering the flock because of their position, will not be qualified to be in the Man-child ministry. When you look at Jesus, when you look at His disciples, you see humble people. You see people who did not plunder the flock for the sake of themselves, to live high on the hog. You don't see fancy-dressed people who take positions of authority or who glorify self. Jesus and His disciples denied “self” in order to meet the needs of others; love caused them to pass up many of the things in the world that people take for granted. They didn't have time for the world or vanity because their ambition and their hobby was God's people, meeting their needs and serving them.   The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. If Jesus did that, how much more should we? Glory to God! We are going to be tried. Everybody who is called to this latter rain ministry of restoring the Church will be tried and it's a fairly small number who will remain in the Man-child. We will be tested and tried to see if we will abuse that power. If we do, we will not be qualified. But Jesus overcame and, therefore, God sent Him to the Church. You say, “Well, why wouldn't He be qualified? He was the Son of God.” But when He came, He had to be made in all things like unto His brethren, and He came as a Spirit-filled Man in order to do the works of the Spirit and to be used of God. He could have come in all the omnipotence of God, but He didn't. Jesus became tired; He got weak; He had to eat. He came as a Spirit-filled Man and laid aside His omnipotence and, in some cases, omniscience, because He said that God knew things that He did not know and could not reveal in order to come and be as a man.  We know that He was God in flesh, but did you know that your spiritual man, “Christ in you,” is also God in flesh? Christ is God wherever He is, and He is God in you, in your heart. Before we can be trusted to be used of the Lord, we are going to be tried to see if we're going to be abusive of His power or authority. It doesn't matter if you are in the Man-child ministry or not. You are going to be tried, and if you fail, that does not mean you will not keep on being a minister or a preacher or having your title or your church; you just will not be doing it in God. There were lots of ministers around when Jesus came, but they were a bunch of apostates. In fact, He said, All that came before me are thieves and robbers (Joh.10:8). They had stolen the position that they had over the flock, and they were plundering the flock.   But Jesus had the kind of authority from God that they did not have. They had natural authority that was given to them, given to their title, given to their position. But Jesus' authority came only from God, and it came in the form of meeting the needs of God's people, of serving God's people and feeding them spiritually, of delivering them from demons and healing their bodies. I do not care what kind of ministry you have. You are going to be tried to see if the position of authority over God's people you have is abused or if the power that God gives you to use your supernatural gifts is abused. If it's abused for the purpose of aggrandizing yourself, then you are not qualified to do this for God. You might continue on in religion, and they may still give you a position and a salary, but you are not doing it in God.  We see that Jesus has overcome and it was obvious that anybody who took this position in the world to glory was worshipping Satan, not God. (Mat.4:10) Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God … The word “worship” is proskuneo and it means “to kiss toward.” It is an act of love toward God. If you love God, you're not going to aggrandize “self” and you're going to keep His commandments. You're going to be humble. You're going to know that you can do nothing without Him and that it is all by grace, and you're going to know that you don't deserve this position any more than anybody else does. It was given to you by grace. You cannot take it for granted.  (Mat.4:11) Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (12) Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee. Here is Jesus coming right out of His temptation and going to Galilee. Luke tells you some things that are not told to us in Matthew, so I would like to look at that. (Luk.4:14) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and a fame went out concerning him through all the region round about. Fame is something you need to be careful of. A lot of people fail when it comes to fame and they will lose their humility and begin to abuse their position and power. (Luk.4:15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. This did not last long, but as soon as He was anointed and was tried and had overcome, God sent Him to the people of God. Where were they? They were in the synagogues, which were very apostate, as Jesus made clear to them. I am sure He was extremely graceful for a short while, but there were teachings He had to get out to them because He had an extremely short ministry. So He had to get around to some of these hard things. Well, in the beginning He was “glorified of all” and I can tell you He had to have been very weak to the weak (1 Corinthians 9:22) in order to get away with some of those teachings, being Who He was and having the power that He had, with the authority that He had. For Him to be accepted among these apostate synagogues, He had to be weak to the weak. I tell you, the first sermon when He was not as graceful, they wanted to kill Him.  (Luk.4:16) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. (17) And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written, (18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (20) And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. They were saying, “What's your point here, Jesus? What are you getting at?” (21) And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears. Uh-oh. They believed that this text was written about the Messiah, and now Jesus is taking credit for being the Messiah, in a subtle way.  I think they're finally getting the point here; they're looking at Him and wondering. (Luk.4:22) And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth: and they said, Is not this Joseph's son? “Wait a minute now; we know this guy. We watched him grow up. He's nothing special. He's human like we are.” They were probably thinking all these things. (Luk.4:23) And he said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto me this parable, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in thine own country. (24) And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. (25) But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; (26) and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. (He had to even go to a Gentile, didn't he?) (27) And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. Wow! They're really getting mad now, aren't they? (28) And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things; (29) and they rose up, and cast him forth out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. (30) But he passing through the midst of them went his way. There is no doubt this was supernatural. When you're on the edge of a hill and there's a crowd behind you that wants to kill you, how are you going to pass through the midst of them, unless it's supernatural? That's what I think happened here.  At any rate, the honeymoon was over, as they say. Jesus was basically telling them who He was and what He was sent to do. And they thought instead that He was glorifying Himself, but in this case, He was telling the absolute truth because He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). He was pointing out to them, “There are a lot of Gentiles out there more righteous than you are.” Of course, that's still true today, and the opposite is still true for the Church. There are a lot of Jews out there more righteous than some Gentile Church folks. That's why God is going to turn back to the Jews once again at the end of the gathering of all the last Gentiles. But the honeymoon was over, and now they wanted to kill Jesus because He told them the truth, and the ministry that's coming is going to be the same way. There is going to come a time when the Man-child ministry will be weak to the weak and they will go into the apostate churches because now it's the Christians who are the lost sheep of the house of Israel, circumcised in heart and not in flesh (Romans 2:28-29). He called those believers the Israel of God (Gal.6:16) because they were sons of Abraham through faith.  So this time, the Man-child is going to go to the apostate church that is not willing to know the truth, not willing to know that Jesus is once again in their midst. You know, when Jesus sent out His disciples, He said, He that receiveth you receiveth me (Mat.10:40). Those disciples had Jesus in them because He had spoken His Word into their hearts and recreated His life in them. They were called “Christians.” They were anointed to go and serve, to teach, and to heal the sick and cast out demons. Jesus was in them. It will be the same with the last days' disciples of the Lord, who are going to go forth with the authority and the power of Jesus to do these things. But their teaching and even their very lives are going to be rebuked by the apostate church, especially by the apostate leaders. They're going to want to kill them, but they're not going to be able to do that with the Man-child ministry. It's not going to be possible. They will pass right through their midst and the apostates will not be able to kill them because their time is not yet (John 7:6). We will come a little later to the crucifixion and how that applies to the Man-child ministry, but for now, it suffices to know that these people are going to be hated by the Church, just exactly the way Jesus was hated by the Jews.  There was a first-fruits company that came out from among them and followed Jesus. John the Baptist pointed them out and said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29). They followed Jesus, but they were in the minority. The rest of the Jews really loved their religion and respected their religious leaders, for whom Jesus had absolutely no respect because they were in total apostasy. And in these days, it's again going to be just as we've studied. Before the David ministry can come, the Saul ministry has to lose its life on Mount Gilboa to the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:1-6), meaning the old man has to put them to death. They were twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jud.12). There will once again be a great falling away in our day of the Saul ministry, to make room for the Davidic Man-child ministry.   They are falling away as they are plundering the sheep and stumbling in everything we saw that the devil tempted Jesus in. They're falling right into temptation and they're loving and serving the devil; they're worshipping the devil and they don't even know it. They're living high on the hog, taking advantage of their position, glorying in the authority that has been given to them by the world. Remember, the devil said, “I'll give you all this if you just worship me.” He had this dominion, and it was under his authority to give it. It is under his authority, actually, to “prosper” people if they will serve the devil to obtain it. If you are prospering in the world while your brother is not and you are not paying any attention to him, misusing your position to aggrandize yourself, then you are worshipping the devil. It does not matter if you call him Jesus; you are still worshipping the devil.  So the Man-child ministry is coming to leadership. Remember what Jesus said as the Man-child of His day: (Joh.10:8) All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. Wow! There was a group who recognized Jesus when He came. They recognized integrity, sacrifice, and humility. The rest of them were all fawning over the apostate leadership, totally submitting to them and respecting them because they had no eyes to see nor ears to hear. This is where we are heading again. History is going to repeat on a larger scale this time. We know that the Man-child ministry is what it is because Jesus lives in their hearts. He is the One Who is doing the works! Even Jesus gave credit to the Father for doing the works in Him, and these people will give credit to the Lord for doing the works through them. Everything they have is by grace. The apostle Paul said, But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1Co.15:10). Amen. 

Offense is one of the greatest traps the enemy sets for believers—it can derail destinies, shipwreck faith, and keep people from walking in the fullness of God's plan. In this powerful episode, we break down why offense is so dangerous, how it can creep into our hearts, and most importantly, how to overcome it through the power of forgiveness.We'll dive deep into Jesus' warning that offenses will come (Luke 17:1), the story of Naaman's offense blocking his breakthrough, and practical steps to ensure offense doesn't rob you of your calling. If you've ever struggled with church hurt, unmet expectations, or bitterness, this episode is for you!

If you've ever felt like your prayers go unanswered or that heaven is silent, you're not alone. The psalmist cried out, “Do not hide your face from me” (Psalm 27:9), and even Jesus Himself prayed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Divine hiddenness is a mystery – but could it also be the very ground of faith? Mother Teresa, a symbol of unwavering devotion, wrestled with deep spiritual darkness. Some of her words reveal the tension of longing for God in the silence.

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Join the pastors and me as we talk through the life of Elisha. We look at his calling, how we were called ourselves as pastors, how we need to properly handle transition in ministry leadership, and the story of Naaman!

Thank you for joining us for Christian Faith Center's Sermon of the week. This message is from our Nampa Location. Pastor Jordan continues his series message "Bounce Back"2 Kings 5:1-5;9-15Naaman was called a mighty man of valor! Naaman was used by God! Scripture said, it was God that gave victory! But Naaman had a secret. A struggle. A sickness. Naaman was mighty in public and struggled in private. Not everything we need to bounce back from is immediately obvious to everyone else! Not everything that's private is secret..... sometimes the battle is private. Anxiety. Depression. Hopelessness. Statistically most people today are in the same place! Although you might be mighty in public you struggle in secret.

This week pastor Kyle takes us through the incredible conversion story of Naaman. He looks at our calling as a the people of God to be a missional people. 

Scripture References: Genesis 1:26, 2:1-3, 2:15; Romans 12:2; 1 Timothy 1:12-16; 2 Kings 5; John 15Intro: Welcome! This sermon continues our "Word and Deed" series, exploring identity and purpose. We previously discussed being witnesses with our words; today, we focus on being witnesses at work. Since the average person spends about 90,000 hours—a third of their life—at work, it presents a vast opportunity. Let's reframe work through God's lens, understanding its divine origin and purpose, so our actions and attitudes align with His Word, creating a powerful testimony.Key Points:Work's Divine Origin & Purpose (Gen 1-2): Work existed before the Fall. God Himself worked (Hebrew: malaka - skilled, masterful work) in creation. Work isn't a curse, though sin brought frustration to it. God designed us in His image to work—to cultivate, care, create, and bring order (Gen 1:26, 2:15). This gives inherent dignity to all forms of labor, from the boardroom to the restroom.Reflecting God's Character (1 Tim 1:12-16): Our workplace is a stage where God displays His perfect patience and overflowing grace through us, just as He did through Paul. How we handle failure, admit mistakes, and offer apologies speaks volumes about the God we serve. We live by grace daily.Planting Kingdom Seeds (John 15): Jesus calls us to abide in Him and bear fruit. This fruit contains the "seeds" of the Kingdom. Through our consistent character, integrity, and care at work, we scatter these seeds daily. It's often a long game, subtly influencing the environment and people around us.Moments of Boldness & Transformation (2 Kings 5): Alongside seed-planting, God creates "transplanting" moments—opportunities for dramatic change, like Naaman's healing prompted by the captive Israelite girl. She saw past Naaman's position and illness to his need, showing compassion and courageous boldness rooted in her faith narrative. A renewed mind (Rom 12:2) helps us see people as God does.Humility & Vulnerability (2 Kings 5): Naaman initially resisted healing because the method seemed foolish and required humility. Pride can prevent us from receiving God's help or admitting need. True strength lies in vulnerability, knowing our identity is secure in Christ, not our performance or position.Conclusion: Work is not separate from our faith; it's a primary context for living it out. We have the opportunity to reflect God's character, plant seeds of the Kingdom through consistent faithfulness, and be ready for moments requiring bold compassion. Our security in Christ frees us to work with dignity, humility, and purpose.Call to Action: Reflect on your work life: What kind of "seeds" are you planting through your actions and attitudes? Is pride hindering you from vulnerability or acknowledging need, like Naaman initially? Ask God to renew your mind, give you compassion for coworkers (even difficult ones, like the slave girl had), and empower you to be His witness. Embrace humility; don't despise simple acts of obedience or seeking prayer for healing or help. Be part of God's work in the 170 million-strong US workforce. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Charles Murr joins Terry Gospel - Luke 4:24-30 - Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl Him down headlong. But He passed through the midst of them and went away. Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986.  Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post NAAMAN THE SYRIAN appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV Oblates of the Virgin Mary.

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!What happens when pride confronts the simplicity of God's healing? The ancient story of Naaman washing in the Jordan River provides a powerful metaphor for our Lenten journey and approach to confession.We're approaching the halfway mark of Lent, and today's reflection invites us into a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Penance through the lens of Naaman's healing. This Syrian general, accustomed to honor and recognition, initially rejected the prophet's simple instruction to wash in the Jordan seven times. His indignation mirrors our own resistance to spiritual practices that seem too humble to bring transformation. Yet when he finally submitted, complete healing followed.This narrative brilliantly illuminates how we should approach confession – not with reluctance or skepticism, but with the faith St. John Vianney describes as recognizing "God present in the priest," the hope that believes in God's pardoning grace, and the charity that places in our hearts regret for having offended divine love. The daily examination of conscience becomes our practical tool for preparation, helping us identify patterns that reveal the shape of our soul and highlighting areas needing correction.As St. Padre Pio reminds us, the Lord awaits us with "infinite tenderness" in the Sacrament of Penance. If your Lenten practices have faltered, now is the perfect moment to renew your commitment. Incorporate a nightly examination into your routine, work against your predominant fault, and approach confession with humility. The healing waters of God's mercy are waiting – will you step in?Support the showSponsored by Recusant Cellars, an unapologetically Catholic and pro-life winery from Washington state. Use code BASED25 at checkout for 10% off! https://recusantcellars.com/Also sponsored by Quest Pipe Co. Get your St Isaac Jogues pipe here: https://questpipeco.com/discount/Amish?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fst-isaac-jogues-limited-edition********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise: https://shop.avoidingbabylon.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comRSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rssSpiritusTV: https://spiritustv.com/@avoidingbabylonRumble: https://rumble.com/c/AvoidingBabylon

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:“Amen, I say to you,no prophet is accepted in his own native place.Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israelin the days of Elijahwhen the sky was closed for three and a half yearsand a severe famine spread over the entire land.It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.Again, there were many lepers in Israelduring the time of Elisha the prophet;yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”When the people in the synagogue heard this,they were all filled with fury.They rose up, drove him out of the town,and led him to the brow of the hillon which their town had been built,to hurl him down headlong.But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

In this week's message, we explore the transformative nature of healing and the obstacles that often stand in its way. The central story of Naaman's healing in 2 Kings chapter 5 serves as a reminder that God's methods may not align with our expectations. We're challenged to examine our own pride and preconceived notions about how God should work in our lives. We're reminded that healing is not earned, but rather a gift from God that requires us to surrender our pride and religious notions. This message encourages us to create an atmosphere of faith, letting go of offense and allowing God to move in unexpected ways. As we reflect on this, we're invited to consider: How might our own pride or expectations be hindering God's work in our lives? Are we willing to humble ourselves and follow God's instructions, even when they seem unconventional or illogical? Join us for service live every Sunday at 10am at 1852 95th St, Naperville, IL 60564 (The education-wing entrance of Wheatland Salem Church)Connect with us at our website www.revivechicago.church

We dive into the Story of Naaman this week in our "Miracles Vol. 1" series! A soldier who struggled with leprosy secretly. But when a little girl said that he could be healed by a prophet in Samaria, he went off to get healed. When he found the house of the prophet after speaking with the king of Israel, he expected the miracle to take place how he wanted it to; with a grand gesture, and unction of heaved and a wave of the hand. But he was told to bathe in the Jordan seven times. After going off in a rage because the miracle wasn't going to happen how he wanted, and being convinced by a servant of his, he finally did as the Prophet had instructed. And Naaman was healed to a state better than anticipated. Through Naaman's story, Pastor Brandon teaches us that Miracles only happen when we connect with the Author of Life; and though we often look for miracles in the wrong place, if we choose to follow God's direction for us then we will get where He wants us to go. - Key Verses // 1 Kings 5:1-14 - For Sermon Notes, the Connect Card, and our other online resources: https://linktr.ee/Celebrationchurchlive

03.16.25- None was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian

Cyrus and his friends are reminded of the power of "simple" faith like Naaman's—it can lead to miracles! Will Kyler choose Naaman's path?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/discovery-mountain--2408141/support.

Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army who had leprosy. He was insulted when the prophet instructed him to dip himself seven times in the muddy Jordan. However, thanks to his humble servant the even turned out differently for Naaman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naaman is finally healed of leprosy: Naaman insists Elisha take a gift, but Elisha refuses Naaman asks for Israeli earth to take home to Syria Elisha tells Naaman to go in peace Gehazi is angry that the Syrian commander doesn't have to pay for his healing Gehazi pays the ultimate price for his greed   Click all the links for more cool stuff: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

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A Syrian man with a big problem needs to find a solution: Naaman hears about Elisha from his Israeli servant girl Naaman decides to pay Elisha a visit He is infuriated that Elisha refuses to see him Naaman takes the advice of his servants and washes in the Jordan Naaman is healed   There are so many other things P40 does! Check it out: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  

Today on Bold Steps with Pastor Mark Jobe … we’re learning how to adjust our thinking so that God can move us into our next season. Have you ever been disappointed by the reality of a situation because it didn’t match your expectation of it? I think it’s safe to say that most of us have experienced that a time or two. And that’s why on today’s program, Mark will be showing us how to align our own expectations with the will of God. We’ll be learning more from the biblical character Naaman about the perspective we need in order to step into our next season. Bold Steps Gift: A NON-ANXIOUS PRESENCE: HOW A CHANGING AND COMPLEX WORLD WILL CREATE A REMNANT OF RENEWED CHRISTIAN LEADERSBecome a Bold Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/boldsteps/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:• Billy Sunday• Find a complete transcript here• Scripture References: 2 Kings 5, verse 1-19; Psalm 42, verse 5• Find out more about Covenant Church at ⁠covenantexperience.com

2 Kings 5:19-27 & 1 Timothy 6:10 Today, we continue our Elisha series with a story full of surprises, sneaky plans, and an important lesson! Last time, we saw how God healed Naaman’s skin, and he was so thankful that he wanted to give Elisha a big reward. But Elisha didn’t take anything. However, someone else had different plans! Gehazi’s greed led to big consequences, and he learned the hard way that honesty, obedience, and contentment are far more valuable than gold and silver. Join us as we learn why loving money too much can lead us away from God, and how we can always trust Him to provide for our needs! Thanks for listening! ------------------------------------------------- ❤️Special February 2025 Offer: Give One, Get One!For this month only, when you purchase a 1 year Patreon membership, you’ll get to gift a membership of equal value for FREE!

Navy Seal, Chad Williams shared his journey to Christ through his time in the military. He parallels Naaman's deliverance from leprosy to his journey to Christ.

2 Kings 5: 8-15 In today’s episode, we continue our Elisha series with the story of Naaman, the mighty army commander who had a big problem—he had leprosy! He expected a grand, powerful miracle when he went to Elisha for healing, but what he got was something much simpler... and it wasn’t what he expected at all! Join us as we explore how God’s healing works in unexpected ways, why Naaman almost missed his miracle, and how trusting God—even in the small, ordinary steps—leads to something greater ------------------------------------------------ ❤️Special February 2025 Offer: Give One, Get One!For this month only, when you purchase a 1 year Patreon membership, you’ll get to gift a membership of equal value for FREE!

2 Kings 5:1-8 Welcome back to our Elisha Series! Today, we begin one of my favorite Bible stories—the story of Naaman, a mighty warrior with a big problem: leprosy. But help comes from an unexpected person—a young servant girl with great faith in God! Even though she was far from home, she trusted that God could heal Naaman through the prophet Elisha. Join us as we explore how God can use anyone, no matter how young, to share His truth and help others!