Podcasts about Naaman

In this message, we look at the story of Naaman, a powerful commander who was desperate for healing—but almost missed it because of pride and partial obedience. When Naaman finally followed God's instructions completely—no shortcuts, no edits—he received more than just physical healing; he stepped into a future of transformation and belief. This message will challenge you to stop delaying or diluting your obedience and start trusting that what God asks of you now is the key to the future you've been praying for. God's design for your destiny always requires your full surrender. Partial obedience may seem easier, but it won't unlock the fullness of what He's prepared for you.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 4-5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy 2 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode—June 20th, 2025—we journey through Second Kings, chapters 4 and 5, Psalm 83, and First Timothy, chapter 2. Host Hunter guides us through powerful stories of miracles, faith, and God's provision. We'll hear about Elisha's compassion as he brings hope to a struggling widow, restores life to a grieving mother's child, purifies a poisoned meal, and heals the mighty Naaman of leprosy. As we reflect on these acts, we see vivid foreshadowings of Christ—the one true Mediator who brings life and reconciliation. Alongside these narratives, we explore prayers from Psalm 83 and mindful instructions from First Timothy on worship, prayer, and living a godly life. Join us as we open our hearts to what the Spirit is saying, seek God's presence in prayer, and are reminded—no matter where we are or what we face—that we are deeply loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: There is only one man who can make things right. The woman of Shunam knew this deep in her soul. In her hour of loss and grief, when her boy had died, she didn't want just anyone—she sought after the man of God. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, or anyone else simply wouldn't do. She believed, against all hope, that somehow this one man could bring her son back to life, could set things right that had gone terribly wrong. And Elisha did something unexpected. He went up to the lifeless boy, stretched himself out face to face, hand to hand, eye to eye over the child. It is as if Elisha was absorbing the death of the boy into himself so that the child could be restored to life. What a powerful image—a man of God bridging the gap between death and life. But this isn't just about one miracle centuries ago. It's a living picture pointing forward to another man who would come and absorb death—not just for one boy, but for the whole world. Jesus, the true Man of God, stepped into our story. He absorbed our sin, our sorrow, our death into himself upon the cross. He defeated death, and with tender care, draws us into his life—face to face, hand to hand, eye to eye. In him, we experience resurrection even now, the beginning of eternal life. Paul, in today's reading, reminds us: “For there is one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” Jesus stands alone as the One who can bridge the gap, the only One able to make things right between us and God. His resurrection life is offered to us. His victory over death is our hope, our foundation, our future. May God open our eyes to see that death has been defeated. May we recognize the One who stands before us, calling us into a resurrected life—today and always. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Almighty and ever loving God you have brought us to the light of a new morning. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may walk this day in peace. Guard our steps from temptation. Shield us from the weight of fear and shame, and lead us deeper into the joy of your presence through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. O Christ, light of the nations, shine in every place where shadows dwell. Call the scattered home, heal the wounds of division and gather all people into the communion of your grace. May the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Amen. And our Lord, make my hands ready for mercy. Make my eyes quick to see the hurting, my ears open to the cry of the lonely, and my feet swift. To bring good news. Let me seek to bless, not to be noticed, to serve, not to be praised, to forgive, not to hold back. For in your way is life, in your mercy is healing, and in your love is the peace this world cannot give. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Sometimes the biggest thing standing in the way of God's help… is us. In this episode, we look at the story of Naaman and see how pride can block the rescue God wants to give. Humility isn't easy, but it's the key to experiencing God's best.

Naaman was man of great influence afflicted by persistent pain. Out of desperation, he searches for relief, but he is led down an unlikely path that challenges his expectations, and ultimately reveals a God whose power and mercy transcend all boundaries. Catch the latest sermon at bridge.tv/sermonsSupport the show

Naaman's Leprosy Healed 5 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on[a] raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from […]

The LORD cares not only for Israel; He cares for all the nations. That's why He places His Word in the mouth of a little Israelite slave girl to her master Naaman that healing is available for his leprosy if he goes to the prophet of the true God. The king of Israel knows his own limitations, but Elisha knows the power of God's Word. Elisha therefore sends Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River with the LORD's promise that Naaman will be healed. Naaman's servants cut through their master's anger to point him to the greatness of God's Word, and by that great Word of God, Naaman receives full cleansing and health. Naaman's faith in the LORD contrasts with Gehazi's greed, and the leprosy of Naaman comes upon the unfaithful servant of Elisha. Rev. Brady Finnern, president of the Minnesota North District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Kings 5:1-27. "A Kingdom Divided” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Kings. The division in the kingdom of Israel in this part of history was greater than a matter of north and south. The biggest division was between the people and their God. Yet even as the people rebelled against the LORD as their King, still He remained faithful to call them back to Himself through His prophets, working through history to send the good and gracious King, Jesus Christ.

Power in Real Faith (1) (audio) David Eells 6/11/25 Here is the faith Jesus told us to use always for anything. Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (In Greek) them, and ye shall have them. As we will see Jesus and His disciples did not use men's methods and works. When we don't believe we have received, we rely on our own works. (Isa 38:21) Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover. Why does it appear that God is using a physical means to bring healing here when normally Jesus and His disciples would just pronounce a healing? It's because those figs symbolize something in the Scriptures and that's why it was a “cake of figs,” or, I might say, even a “congregation” of figs. There is power in numbers. Deu 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight… Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. You see, the figs there represent the body of Christ, or Israel, such as in Jesus' warnings about bearing fruit. (Luk 13:6) And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? The fig tree is a physical parable of a spiritual people, the people of God, and He's calling His people the “figs,” which means we have to bear fruit. That's very clear in Revelation, where it talks about a great falling away. (Rev.6:13) And the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth… The “stars of the heaven,” represent Abraham's seed in (Gen 22:15) And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, 17 that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. Today we are Abraham's seed by faith, as the Bible says. (Rom 4:16) For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. And in (Rev 6:13) And the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. The unripe figs are God's people who don't bear ripe fruit, but (Joh 1:47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Jesus identified Nathanael as an Israelite without guile, and where did He see him? Jesus saw him under the fig tree, as one who is among those who bore fruit. That's where we are. All of us who are true disciples of Christ are “under the fig tree.” Now if we go back to the previous verse in Isaiah, it says, (Isa 38:20) The Lord is [ready] to save me (They added in the word, “ready,” but it actually says, “The Lord is to save me.”): Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of the Lord. So there's the “cake of figs,” the people of God, and they were singing praises to God for healing Hezekiah. It wasn't the cake of figs that healed him, that was just a physical symbol who exorcised their faith for his healing. It's similar to what happened with Naaman the Syrian when he came to Elisha to be healed of leprosy. (2Ki 5:9) So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing (his own works), would Est thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Naaman was offended when Elisha told him to dip seven times in the dirty old Jordan, but it was a matter of obedience and faith. An act of faith was required because faith without corresponding action is fruitless. When his servants turned him around and Naaman obeyed, he received the healing, but a person doesn't get healed from leprosy by any kind of water, so the water and the seven times must represent something. What does the water represent? (Eph 5:26) That he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word. The water represents the Word. What does “seven” represent? It represents the “seventh day,” the “Sabbath rest.” “Seven” represents entering into the rest, which is ceasing from your own works through faith as we can read in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4. (Heb 3:18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient? 19 And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief. Paul goes on to talk about how the “rest” is to cease from your works. (Heb 4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest… (Heb 4:9) There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. In other words, stop trying to save yourself; believe God has done it. So, Naaman dipped in the water seven times. The water represents the Word of God, and seven represents the rest, and he received his healing. Nobody would say the river water healed Naaman, and nobody would say the cake of figs healed Hezekiah, either. The “cake of figs” that healed him was the saints, who were praising the Lord for the healing. Praise is the language of faith. I'd like to share a testimony from a brother that fits this so well. B.A. said to us, I'm pretty partial to that story in the scriptures of Naaman, when he came to the prophet for to heal the leprosy he had. I guess it was about three years ago when I had a growth that was on my forehead, and I was reading that Scripture in a morning meditation. I had been reading it for a couple of days and studying it, and when I was in the shower, the Lord just really spoke to me very clearly. I was actually going to ask the Bible study group to pray over this growth that was on my head, and the Lord just said, “Why don't you just wash it seven times?” See, it was just like it was with Naaman. I said, “Okay, Lord.” So, I started counting, and on the seventh day, it was gone. Unbelievable! There was no trace of it. It was just a wonderful miracle. It was like, on the seventh day, “Okay, today's the day!” And sure enough, that was the end of that. Well, praise You, Father! You know, when you trust God with real faith, you're going to praise Him; you're going to give thanks to Him. I think healing is 99% giving thanks and praising the Lord for the answer, and only 1% prayer. Because it says in (Mar 11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (The Greek word there is in the past tense, although a lot of Bible versions translate it as “receive.”) them, and ye shall have them. How would you behave if you believe you have received? Well, you're going to be joyful and full of thanks toward God. And you're going to confess Him before men. (Rom 10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. What does it mean to “confess” Him before men? “Confess” in Greek means “speak the same as,” so you'll thank God and confess that He's healed you and delivered you (1Ti 6:12) …Confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. Now, people might look at you funny, but if you'll confess Him before men, the Bible says He'll confess you before His holy angels and His Father in heaven. What are we actually doing when we confess our healing, our deliverance, our salvation, and so on, before men? We're using “the things that are not...to bring to nought the things that are.” (1Co 1:26) For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called:] 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, [yea] and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: 29 that no flesh should glory before God. And how do we use “the things that are not...to bring to nought the things that are”? We do what God does. (Rom 4:17) … God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. By faith, God calls the things that “are not, as though they were.” Notice that's past tense: “as though they were.” We can see this all through Scripture, for example, before Christ's sacrifice we see in (Isa 53:5) … and with his stripes we are healed, and after His sacrifice, (1Pe 2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed. It's not “by whose stripes you are going to get healed,” it's “were healed.” We call the things that are not, as though they were. We consider it done at the Cross, and that's the whole point. Since it was done at the Cross, God's not going to say, we have to do it ourselves, in our own works. One thing we must have is a clear conscience towards God in order to have faith. It's not that God doesn't offer His provision to you. Think about all the people who boldly came to Jesus; they were stiff-necked, hard-hearted Jews, and yet they all received their healing. But, you see, there's a big difference when a person has something on their heart that they need to get off their heart. The difference is that you can't have boldness towards God when you're in that state. The Bible says in (1Jn 3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; 22 and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. A clear conscience is what you need when you go to God. Why do you confess your sins? It helps you to have a clear conscience so you can exercise faith the way you should. God is faithful. Jas 5:16 Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed… There are other places in the Bible where people have considered that maybe Jesus used physical methods, such as when He healed the man who was blind from birth. (Joh 9:6) When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay, 7 and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing. I asked the Lord about that one time and He told me, “He didn't get healed when I smeared the mud in his eye; he got healed when he washed the mud out of his eye.” Then the thought came to me that mud represents our human nature. Adam came from the dust of the earth. As long as we see according to the way of man, the way of Adam, we don't get what we received from God at the Cross. We have to wash that out of our eyes. We have to be able to see clearly and to accept what the Word says about our condition. For instance, health doesn't come through any of man's methods. Health comes from the fact that Jesus already bore our curse on the Cross. It's past tense as we see here. (Gal 3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. It comes from the fact that (1Pe. 2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed, and not from herbs or vitamins or supplements. Some of those things are expensive and besides that, they're not available to everybody. All over the world, people eat different things. It makes no difference to God. All they have to do is believe in the Gospel of healing, and they will receive it. The Lord says in (Exo 15:26) I will put none of the diseases upon thee which I have put upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Those Egyptians and Egypt, in type, represent the world, and the whole world is under the curse, but we are not under the curse because of what Jesus did. If we're trying to earn God's gift through our own works, then we are not being weak. When we're trying to negotiate with the curse by our own strength, then God's power is not going to be there. We need God's power, so we need to glory in our weaknesses in order to have God's power. That's what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:30, and 12:5,9. Paul said to call “the things that are not, as though they were,” and give up all your efforts to save yourself, heal yourself, deliver yourself. It is a free gift. Jesus told His disciples, (Mat 10:8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give. He sent them out to give these gifts to God's people freely, so believe the Lord and accept His free gift. Now look in (Act 19:11) And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the evil spirits went out. Why were they procuring handkerchiefs from Paul and touching people with them? Handkerchiefs don't heal people, do they? And why does God command us to lay hands on the sick? Is it because our hands are special? No, the laying on of hands is something that helps us to imagine the healing, just as baptism is something to help our imagination because we're doing something physical. Also, we who are filled with His Spirit have His power in us and it flows through our hands. When we get baptized, we're able to imagine that we were buried with Christ when we go down in the water, and that we're a new creature in Christ when we come up. It's an act of faith. The water doesn't do anything. It's not the cleansing of the flesh with the water, it's the faith and obedience. The same thing applies to the laying on of hands. When we lay hands on somebody for healing, we imagine that the power God has put in us is being transferred into the other person. I do that. As a matter of fact, quite often I feel something like electricity running through my arm and going into people, but you don't have to touch anybody for them to get healed; you can just speak the Word for them to be healed. It's a point of contact to release the power of faith. God uses these physical things to help you because your imagination is something that connects your mind, your tongue, and your actions. The Bible says in (Rom 10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, so there's a real connection with our imagination. If you can't imagine something, you are not going to be able to believe for it. You may be saying with your mouth that you're healed, but if your mind can't even imagine it, then you're not exercising any faith. Your imagination helps you come into the Image of God. (2Co 3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That “image” is an imagination. If you're seeing Jesus in the mirror, that's imagination. And if you're seeing Jesus in the mirror, is that Person in the mirror sick? Is He demon-possessed? Is He sinful? Absolutely not! He's delivered from all of those things, which is exactly what the Bible says about us. We're delivered from all of those things. We accept those free gifts by faith, and because our works are not involved in it, man doesn't get any credit. God alone gets the glory. God's power is there. A lot of people imagine the worst and speak the worst, and they destroy themselves by doing that. But if you use that same energy in the opposite direction, it's amazing what you can do. You know, everything that a man creates has to first be seen in his imagination before he can create it, so we need a renewed imagination, we need a renewed mind. We're told in (Rom 12:2) And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Your imagination is in your mind, so you see yourself as healed, you see yourself as delivered, and so on. It doesn't matter what you feel, because the truth is that the devil can manipulate your feelings. The devil is going to tell you that you're not healed, that you're not delivered, that you're not saved from sin. He's going to tell you all of those things, but we need to have a renewed mind where we do not accept those lies. (2Co 10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), 5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. If we do that, and if we receive in our mind only the thinking of the Lord and the Word of the Lord, it doesn't matter what we feel. It matters what we believe and what we accept. We need to do the warfare and cast down those vain imaginations and thoughts. Brother B.A. tells us this story. One time we got an email from somebody that we had counseled with, and the person was talking about some of the sinful nature that he was dealing with in his walk, and he started rattling off a lot of things, and then in the next email, he said them again. I had written him about trying to walk by faith and taking authority over the devil, but he sent me a second email and said, “No, these are not my present sins, these are my sins from before.” I wrote him back and said that he must not believe that these sins are forgiven if he's still talking about these sins as if they're not forgiven. Why are these sins anymore if they are as far as the east is from the west? These should be far from his mind because of what the Lord has done for him. True forgiveness with true repentance means it's over. And you can understand that it's the devil's work that would bring these things back to our remembrance, and what happens is, and it was what this young man was dealing with, he didn't believe he was forgiven, and he didn't have any faith to walk by faith. He was not able to exercise authority over the devil and was continually in bondage. So, it's the devil's work when we don't receive forgiveness, and we don't recognize how perfect the sacrifice at the Cross was. Well, we know the Bible says in (Rom 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The King James version adds in there, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” but that's not in any of the ancient manuscripts. If you have to walk in the Spirit in order to have God's blessings, you're in real trouble. No, you have to accept God's blessings by faith, even in your failure. You have to call “the things that are not, as though they were.” It's all by grace, it's all by “unmerited favor.” We are not good enough, and we can never be good enough to receive the blessings of God. As we've seen, we need to confess your sins so that we have a clear conscience. (1Jn 3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (But walking according to our conscience is powerful.) 22 and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. But even if you do confess your sins, the devil is going to tell you that you're still guilty. Who are you going to believe? Are you going to believe the devil, or are you going to believe God? The Bible says, (1Jn 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you have confessed your sins, God has forgiven you. Accept that. When condemnation goes past the time of repentance and confession of sin, you need to know it's coming straight from the devil. He knows that if you're in condemnation, then you won't have any faith. You can't have faith and condemnation at the same time, so if you have condemnation, you're no threat to him. The devil can continue to curse you and keep you in bondage. When you confess and repent of your sins, God removes them as far as the east is from the west (Psa.103:12) and casts them into the depths of the sea (Mic.7:19), so why are you remembering them? Accept His forgiveness, go on, and walk by faith. Don't pay any attention to what you feel; the devil manipulates that. Pay attention to what the Bible says and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Cast down the vain imaginations that are against the knowledge of God, and you will win the victory. None of those people whom Jesus healed, delivered, and gave provisions to were worthy. They weren't what you would call “born again” people, but they had the Covenant with God. They were in Covenant and that's why Jesus said that He'd only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Today we have a better Covenant, based on better promises (Heb.8:6), and as Jesus said in (Luk 7:28) … Among them that are born of women there is none greater than John: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Can you receive a healing just by confessing your sins and accepting by faith what God said? Of course. If we have a better Covenant, based on better promises, and He healed every one of those Jews who came to Him by faith, what's He going to do today? The Bible says, (Heb 13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and forever. So He's going to do the same thing today. The problem is that so many of God's people have different doctrines today, even though the Scripture tells us in (1Jn 2:24) As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. One of those different doctrines is that “These days, sometimes God heals, and sometimes He doesn't,” but that's completely wrong. God has already healed. It has nothing to do with what God will do and what God won't do. The Bible says, (1Pe 2:24) … by whose stripes ye were healed, so it's already done. You can stop praying for hours trying to get God to heal you, because you're not saved by works. If you're going to convince anybody, you need to convince yourself. The Word of God is true. He already healed you. That's why it's called the “rest.” (Heb 4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest; even as he hath said, As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. When you believe what God says, you can rest and not worry about it anymore, because God has already taken care of it and you believe it. God says He has saved you and when you believe it, then you're not continually having to be good enough, as some religions teach. I was raised in the Catholic church, and it was all about salvation by works. In other words, you had to be good enough. Jesus administered these gifts of God to His people and He told His disciples, (Mat 10:8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give. “Freely ye received.” You can't pay for it. But, for example, if you have to go buy a bunch of expensive herbs to try and get healing, or if you have to go to an expensive doctor, that's not free. If you have to buy those expensive drugs, that's not free. Herbs, doctors, drugs…those are all things that are, they aren't things that are not. The things that are not are for the purpose in (1Co 1:29) that no flesh should glory before God. God doesn't want anybody to be able to take the credit. He's a very jealous God. We should just accept this free gift from God and be healthy. I remember a lady who used to come to our Bible study years ago, who understood everything we're talking about, and she ministered to a lot of the people who came to her business. She would tell people about healing and deliverance and all that God does, but people were rejecting her. In fact, in some cases, she lost business telling people that. So she started dealing with them on a level that they could accept and got heavily into this herbal healing business to the point where, if you could say anyone was a real guru of herbal healing, this lady became one. She did all the studying and she knew what was naturally better for this and naturally better for that. Sometimes her herbs backfired on her and made a person sick. I'm not saying that there aren't some natural things that are much better than drugs. When I came to the Lord, I had inherited from my dad and his dad, a generational curse of sinus problems and chest congestion. I'd get pneumonia and had all kinds of sinus problems. That was just normal for me. And I had taken so much penicillin that it didn't do me any good anymore. Then I switched to vitamin C and found out that it worked way better than penicillin. Then I came to the Lord one day, and I threw down my Neo-Synephrine, which I was carrying year-round to try to keep my sinuses open. My sinus linings were finally burned out from that stuff, and I threw it in the garbage when I realized that Jesus Christ already healed me at the Cross. So now my nose and sinuses haven't stopped up in fifty four years. Well, there's something that's better than vitamin C, folks. Do you want a miracle, or do you want to keep paying with your own efforts to deliver yourself? This lady was using her own efforts, her own works, because it was more acceptable to her clients and she could help them on that level. I told her, “You don't have permission, nor a commission, to save people from the curse through that method. The Great Commission is when you offer them the Gospel, and if they don't accept it, then let them stay under the curse.” Of course, she thought that was kind of harsh, but let me point something out to you. If you read Deuteronomy 28, you'll see that God instituted the curse to bring men to repentance. I said to her, “What you're really doing by all your works is trying to take the curse away from those people so they won't have to repent to get healed.” We are to offer people the Good News, and if they don't want that, then let them stay under the curse to bring them to repentance. God Almighty is the One Who sent the curse. Some churches teach that the devil sent the curse, but the devil is not sovereign. Read Deuteronomy 28, which says that God sent the curse. The devil just administers it. God is Sovereign. He said to us, (Exo 15:26) … If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. God might use the devil to do what He wants to do, but He's still Sovereign. (Php 2:13) For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Just as He works in you, He does the same thing with all of His creation, and He has His vessels of honor and His vessels of dishonor. (2Ti 2:20) Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master's use, prepared unto every good work. So you see, God uses the devil. He works in him to will and to do of His good pleasure, too. (Deu 32:39) See now that I, even I, am he, And there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; And there is none that can deliver out of my hand. The prosperity teachers think all the bad comes from the devil and only the good comes from God, but when you need a whipping, that's good, and it comes from God (Job 2:10). People need a whipping when they go their own way. God has to get our attention before we come to the end of this road, and the truth is that the curse gets our attention better than anything else in the world. The apostle Paul turned men over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh so that their spirit would be saved in the day of the Lord. He used the curse to save men. We're supposed to let the curse do its work, but we're also supposed to offer people the only real cure, and that's the Gospel. One caveat, if others are under our authority, like children or the elderly or even under our roof, we can give them a gift of healing. Back to this herbal guru who was offering her clients a cure that didn't have anything to do with the Gospel, or bringing people to the knowledge of repentance and faith. She wanted to help them to live comfortably under the curse so that they'd have no need for God and would eventually fall off into hell at the end of their lives. If you stop and think about it, folks, that's what you're doing if that's what you're preaching. It's another gospel, not the Gospel of the Kingdom. God has done it this way on purpose. All of our salvation is past tense because, if you believe it, you have to cease from your works and enter into the rest. (Heb 4:1) Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. 3 For we who have believed do enter into that rest; even as he hath said, As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. … 9 There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest (Notice that the Greek word there is sabbatismos and it means “a continual rest.” This is the only place in the Bible where sabbatismos is used.) for the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience. So you see, the “rest” is not one day of the week anymore. When you believe the promises of God, you enter into the rest. You're supposed to stay in the rest by believing all of the promises concerning all the curse and concerning all of your problems. You're supposed to abide in the rest because you believe the great promises, and that's what the Old Testament Sabbath pointed to as a shadow of the good things to come. The Bible says Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath in Matthew 12:8. If you abide in Him, then you are keeping the Sabbath, and to “abide in Christ” means you believe the promises and you are obeying Him. Since you were healed, you were “delivered out of the power of darkness,” you were saved from sin and perfected at the Cross (Heb 10:14), what can you do to bring it to pass? Nothing. If you try to bring it to pass yourself, it proves that you are an unbeliever. God's people are not receiving the blessings that were given through Jesus Christ because they are unbelievers. Repent, cease from your works, and enter into the rest. Accept the free gift of God. It's really Good News, because we don't have to do anything except believe. That's our part of the Covenant. God's part is to supply the power, the deliverance, the healings, and supply the sanctification. That's God's part. Our part is to believe. We have the easy part of this. What can you add to what Jesus did without dishonoring His sacrifice? These principles cannot be imposed by law for they only work through personal faith.

Naamân, chef des armées araméennes, arrive à Samarie, demandant à être guéri de sa lèpre. Face à l'affolement du roi, Élisée invite ce dignitaire à se rendre auprès de lui.  NOTES  ·        Texte (aelf) 2Rois 5, 1-27 Guérison de Naamân et châtiment pour Guéhazi ·        BIBLIOGRAPHIE | CARTES & DOCUMENTS | CHRONOLOGIE·        Plateformes d'écoute | Réseaux Sociaux | @Contact | Infolettre | RSS  ·        Épisode enregistré en Vendée (85, France), 06/2025. Image de couverture : Pieter Fransz de GREBBER, Élisée refuse les dons de Naaman, 1637 (source : Wikimédia commons). Génériques : Erwan Marchand (D.R.). «Au Large Biblique» : podcast conçu et animé par François Bessonnet, bibliste. Sous Licence Creative Commons (cc BY-NC-ND 4.0 FR)Soutenez le podcast avec Tipeee  ou Ko-fi  CHAPITRES 00:00 Générique et présentation 02:25 (1) A Damas, un général lépreux 5, 1 - 5 06:20 (2) A Samarie, un roi affolé 5, 6 - 8 09:45 (3) Près de la maison, la guérison 5, 9 -14 14:45 (4) Face à Élisée, la foi de Naamân 5, 15 – 19a 20:20 (5) La perfidie de Guéhazi 5, 19b - 27 27:10 (6) Conclusion 28:45 Générique de fin

A powerful general is healed and transformed in the waters of humility, while a prophet's servant misses the character of God by chasing after selfish gain. With Pastor Kaleb Allen.

Who listens to you? In this message, VFC house church pastor, Tom Van Gundy shares how you can be a person that impacts lives for God. 2 Kings 5:1-8[1] Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. [2] Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. [3] She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." [4] So Naaman went in and told his lord, "Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel." [5] And the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.  [6] And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy." [7] And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."[8] But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel."This little maid lived a life that made others listen to her. Your walk talks louder than your talk. Her life exhibited characteristics that enabled God to move with power through her. 1) Selfless compassion - This little servant girl demonstrated love. She wanted the best for her owner. 2) Steadfast Conviction - The servant girl had faith. She had absolute expectancy. Luke 4:27 None were cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. She believes even though she hadn't seen it. 3) Servant Consistency - She served well as she waited in Naaman's wife. 

Please note that the 1st part is in English, and the 2nd part is in Malayalam startin13:58 mark.Most of us attend church and listen to sermons by a priest or pastor.  Some of us read the Bible on a regular basis knowing that it is the word of God.  In the Bible we see occasions when God spoke to people directly, like Moses and Abraham.   They were very ordinary people.  Also, we can see God spoke to us through prophets, who were ordinary people.  Something usually we ignore is what an ordinary person speaks to us about matters of God.  It is very important to know that God speaks to us through ordinary people even today.  A few examples from the Bible where God spoke through ordinary people are discussed.2ndKings 5:2, 3 – “Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman's wife.  She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were  with the prophet  who is in Samaria!  Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” അരാമ്യർകവർച്ചപ്പടയായി വന്നിരുന്നപ്പോൾ യിസ്രായേൽദേശത്തുനിന്നു ഒരു ചെറിയ പെൺകുട്ടിയെപിടിച്ചുകൊണ്ടു പോയിരുന്നു; അവൾ നയമാന്റെ ഭാര്യക്കു ശുശ്രൂഷ ചെയ്തുവന്നു.അവൾ തന്റെ യജമാനത്തിയോടു: യജമാനൻ ശമർയ്യയിലെ പ്രവാചകന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ഒന്നുചെന്നെങ്കിൽ അവൻ അവന്റെ കുഷ്ഠരോഗം മാറ്റിക്കൊടുക്കുമായിരുന്നു എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു.If we pray to God, God's angels will watch over us. God miraculously connects us with the right people in the right time to deliver the right message to us or to direct us in the path we need to go.  Our hearts and minds should be open to receive message from others and to deliver the right message to others.My name... Cicilysunny@gmail.com

Luke Looks Back Chapter 5 Study 5 - Luke 4:14-30 The Announcement of the Messiah We start off this study with a question. Question 1: Where was your hometown? What was, or is, memorable about it? Read Luke:4:14 to 23. Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus, where he grew up. It was a small village in the middle of the province of Galilee, mainly of Galileans but including some Jews from the far away province of Judea. The people of Galilee were often of mixed ancestry so there is likely to have been considerable antagonism between them and the purer blooded Judean Jews who regarded themselves as the only proper Jews. As a result Judean Jews of Nazareth, as the family of Jesus were, were most probably foreigners in their own community. The two slightly different peoples were probably not friendly to each other. That, not the best of places, was where Jesus spent most of his childhood days! Luke uses the story of what happened when Jesus read from the OT book of Isaiah in the synagogue there, to start explaining how we are to understand the ministry of Jesus. Jesus had to deal with a strong expectation among ordinary people that the Messiah would behave in certain ways. He had a major job to change that expectation. Jesus read just one and a half verses from Isaiah 6. We will read more verses to get the context of what he read. We may assume his listeners knew the passage well so that hearing the verses he read they would immediately remember the following verses. Listen carefully to the picture these verses give. Isaiah 61: 1 - 7. Question 2: What would those verses have made them think Jesus was going to do if he really was the Messiah? What would they have been expecting him to call on them to do? Like many of the other passages in the Old Testament that talk about the Messiah these verses would have made them expect leadership in a successful military campaign against the Romans. Brothers, called the Maccabees, had led Israel against the Syrians 200 years earlier with great success. If he succeeded the men would expect to have to join his army. Of course, we know that such a venture would have been hopeless. The Roman armies were exceedingly difficult to beat. Only the most warlike of peoples in other parts of the Empire had any success against them, and then not for very long. Question 3: The next half verse in Isaiah to the one Jesus read says 'and the day of vengeance of our God'. He stopped without reading that out. What would that have suggested to the people who listened to him? I think they would have found it a great puzzle, which is why they listened to what he said next so carefully. He seemed to be promising that he would be a mighty spiritual leader but not a war leader. They would have thought of 'the day of vengeance' as the day when their God would bring the world they knew to an end with the defeat of the hated Romans. Read Luke 4:24 - 30 Question 4: Jesus went on to remind them of the stories of the widow of Zarephath and Elijah (1 Kings 17: 2 - 10a the brook Kerith was east of Jericho, Zarephath was the other side of Israel near Sidon, a Phoenician city)) and of Naaman and Elisha (2 Kings 5: 1, Aram was another name for Syria ). Why did Jesus do that? What point was he making, apart from the obvious one of 'not in my hometown'? All these places were outside Israel. He was saying that as they rejected him he was going to go to other people outside Israel. They did not like that idea at all. Quite why he did that is a bit of a mystery. Question 5: If a politician, wanting to influence people and starting off an election campaign was nearly lynched - murdered by a mob - as Jesus was he would not be likely to get on very well. The story does not give a good impression of Jesus. Why does Luke tell us about this episode when he could so easily not have done so? What is it about the ministry of Jesus that Luke wants us to think about? Luke is expecting what he writes to be read mainly by Gentiles - Romans. He has emphasised that the 2 great prophets Elijah and Elisha helped Gentiles. Christian faith is for all peoples, not any special nation or people group. Probably the fact that Jesus was rejected by the Jews like this made him sound better to a Roman, like Theophilus! But, above and beyond that, Luke will have chosen this episode because it gives such a clear picture of what Jesus was going to do in his ministry. Question 6: It says, "Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way". What does that suggest? It tells us that Jesus had an unusual air of authority about him. Perhaps too, that angels protected him. Question 7: Looking now at the whole story - what 2 things is Jesus emphasising by what he says and does that are of fundamental importance in our understanding of God and of faith? He has appealed to the Scriptures of the Old Testament to establish who he is. And the Scripture he read emphasised the work of the Spirit both for preaching and healing. These are the 2 fundamental sources for our understanding too - the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit - though we have, of course, the tremendous advantage of having the writings of the New Testament as well as those of the Old. Click here to download as an audio mp3

Kencan Dengan Tuhan - Rabu, 4 Juni 2025Bacaan: "Percayalah kepada TUHAN dengan segenap hatimu, dan janganlah bersandar kepada pengertianmu sendiri." (Amsal 3:5) Renungan: Setelah sembuh dari kusta yang dideritanya, Naaman dan pasukannya segera berangkat dari Sungai Yordan untuk menemui Elisa. Sebagai ucapan syukur atas kesembuhan yang diterimanya, Naaman ingin mempersembahkan sesuatu kepada Elisa, namun Elisa menolaknya. Naaman mencoba mendesak agar Elisa menerima persembahannya, namun semua usahanya sia-sia. Elisa adalah abdi Allah berhati lurus, yang tidak mencari keuntungan materi dari karunia rohani yang Tuhan berikan kepadanya. Elisa mengerti bahwa pelayanannya yang disertai oleh tanda-tanda mujizat bukan untuk diperdagangkan. la merasa tidak layak mendapatkan untung dari apa yang Tuhan lakukan melalui pelayanannya. Ketika Gehazi mengetahui bahwa Elisa menolak semua pemberian Naaman, ia membiarkan pikirannya dipengaruhi oleh keinginan daging. Gehazi menafsirkan pikiran Elisa menurut versinya, "Sesungguhnya tuanku terlalu menyegani Naaman, orang Aram ini, dengan tidak menerima persembahan yang dibawanya. Demi TUHAN yang hidup, sesungguhnya aku akan berlari mengejar dia dan akan menerima sesuatu dari padanya." la lalu memutuskan untuk mengejar Naaman. Apa yang dipikirkan Gehazi berasal dari keinginan dagingnya semata. Dengan memakai istilah yang rohani, "Demi Tuhan yang hidup, "Gehazi ingin meraup keuntungan untuk memuaskan kedagingannya. Menjalani hidup dengan memakai pengertian sendiri dapat membuat kita menjauh dari rencana dan kehendak Tuhan. Kita seringkali terjebak di dalam melangkah atau mengambil keputusan karena kita diperhadapkan oleh suatu keuntungan yang sudah sangat dekat dengan kita. Begitu dekatnya kita dengan keuntungan itu, sehingga kita tanpa sadar berpikir bahwa tanpa pertolongan Tuhan pun kita sudah dapat meraih dan memperolehnya. Kita mulai meninggalkan Tuhan di belakang kita beserta dengan segala rencana, tuntunan dan kehendak-Nya. Kita melangkah maju sendirian dengan menggunakan pikiran kita yang sudah tercemar oleh keserakahan dunia ini. Itulah yang terjadi dengan Gehazi, dan sangat mungkin juga sedang terjadi dengan kita saat ini. Adakah kita sudah meninggalkan Tuhan dengan rencana-Nya yang indah buat hidup kita? Kembalilah kepada-Nya, jangan bersandar kepada pengertian kita sendiri! Tuhan Yesus memberkati. Doa:Tuhan Yesus yang baik, biarlah Roh-Mu memimpinku setiap hari, sehingga segala keputusan dan jalanku tidak menyimpang dari kehendak-Mu. Amin. (Dod).

Sunday Sunday Morning Service - June 1st, 2025Church websitehttps://www.biblebaptistcc.com/Support our Ministryhttps://app.pineapplepayments.com/HostedPaymentForm/HostedPaymentPage2.aspx?hash=iWUmR5OrxHT6wGMKmTXpUEui/6CNujhngmTaVzYvWY4%3DListen and Subscribe to our Podcasthttps://anchor.fm/bbcpreachingpodcast

Shouts and Whispers: "What to do when God's Way Seems Crazy" By Bobby Wallace, Preaching Minister 6/2/25 Sometimes God's way seems...strange. What do you do when God is calling you to do something that goes against your plan? Let's look at the Word and learn from Elisha and Naaman. What do we do when God's way seems crazy? 

2 Kings 5:1 & Mark 1:40-42 

In what ways can unmet expectations serve as obstacles to experiencing God's transformative power in our lives, as they initially did for Naaman? As we explore 2 Kings 5:13-19, we uncover important insights to consider as we pursue our own transformation. 

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!

Pastor Collin preaches about idolatry. Idolatry is making anything but God the ultimate thing. Collin explains how addressing sin is less about treating symptoms and more about determining the root cause, and this cause is often idolatry. One pernicious form of idolatry is the seduction of success. Collin tells the story of Naaman being healed in the Jordan River, and explains how this story illustrates the simplicity of following Christ. The simplicity of following Christ challenges our idolatry of achievement and success.

We sure are enjoying the Unnamed Heroes series and we hope that you all are as well. In this episode, Danny and Kurt look at Naaman's servant girl. she is the servant of Naaman's wife, and she has a very important message for her master.

The simple instruction to wash in the Jordan River becomes a test of Naaman's willingness to trust and obey. This narrative invites us to consider: Where in our lives are we resisting God's simple instructions? 

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

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

In this episode of Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro, the hosts dive into The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser, focusing on Old Testament themes. Heiser's “Deuteronomy 32 worldview” explores a divine council of spiritual beings (Elohim) surrounding God, distinct from polytheism. Key passages like Psalm 82:1, Genesis 6:1-4, and Deuteronomy 32:8 highlight rebellions (Fall, Nephilim, Tower of Babel) and cosmic geography, where Israel's land is uniquely tied to Yahweh. Naaman's request for Israelite soil (2 Kings 5) underscores this. Heiser's framework, rooted in ancient context, clarifies “weird” texts but requires caution due to speculative elements. Part 2 will cover New Testament applications.Overview of The Unseen RealmCore Thesis: Heiser proposes a “Deuteronomy 32 worldview,” emphasizing a divine council of spiritual beings (Elohim) that God interacts with, distinct from polytheism.Heiser's Background: His interest sparked as a PhD student when reading Psalm 82:1, which mentions God judging “among the gods” (Elohim, a plural Hebrew term).Writing Style: Heiser leans into “weird” or overlooked passages (e.g., Genesis 6:1-4), offering fresh interpretations grounded in biblical languages and ancient Near Eastern context.Audience Appeal: Engages readers unfamiliar with scholarly study through accessible writing, YouTube presence, and podcasts.Key Old Testament Concepts DiscussedThe Divine Council (Psalm 82:1)Text: “God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the gods” (Elohim).Explanation: Elohim can mean God or spiritual beings, depending on context. Heiser argues this passage depicts God surrounded by a council of spiritual beings (not gods in a polytheistic sense).Key Idea: God is unique, but other spiritual beings exist, serving advisory roles, not as equals. Heiser emphasizes, “There is no Elohim like Yahweh.”Deuteronomy 32 Worldview (Deuteronomy 32:8)Text: “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance… he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (Dead Sea Scrolls/Septuagint reading).Context: Refers to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), where God divided nations and assigned spiritual beings (“sons of God”) to oversee them.Implications: These beings rebelled, leading to judgment (Psalm 82). This explains why nations worshipped other gods, tied to spiritual rebellion.Textual Note: The Masoretic Text reads “sons of Israel,” but earlier texts (Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint) support “sons of God,” a more difficult but likely original reading.Three Rebellions in GenesisFall (Genesis 3): The serpent, a rebellious spiritual being, deceives humanity, opposing God's plan for humans to rule the earth.Sons of God and Nephilim (Genesis 6:1-4): Spiritual beings (“sons of God”) intermarry with human women, producing Nephilim (giants), leading to increased wickedness and the flood.Tower of Babel (Genesis 11): Humanity rebels by building a ziggurat to reach the heavens, defying God's command to spread out. God divides nations and assigns spiritual beings (Deuteronomy 32:8).Cosmic GeographyConcept: The land of Israel is uniquely tied to Yahweh's presence, distinct from other nations under rebellious spiritual beings.Example: Naaman's Story (2 Kings 5:14-17):Naaman, a Syrian...

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.

{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

Naaman had a big problem—but an even bigger pride issue. This message unpacks how humility opens the door to God's healing and grace.

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.

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/  

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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!