Podcasts about zarepath

This Sunday, we follow Elijah's journey from the brook "Cherith" (Cut-off) to "Zarepath" (a place of smelting). What is clear is that often, after God prepares us, He brings us to a place of testing. Why? Because God is more interested in our character than our comfort.

Elijah and the widow of Zarepath has much to teach you about your grief! What is your version of enough? We learn from Elijahs journey that depending on God for our next step isnt always easy, but it is in his provision where we find rest for our weary souls. Elijah existence rested completely on God's provision.  2. The widow of Zarepath. What does she have to teach us? The cost was much more than she was willing to give, yet she was obedient. Where does that kind of stenght come from. Not from human hands, thats for sure. 3. Life through the eyes of the widow.  God works in ways we couldn't possibly understand for our good. He takes our circumstances that are not good and turns them into something that will bring good from it. See    Next Live Q&A is April 18th, questions need to be submitted by April 16th. Don't have a question and want to attend, no worries just check that box on the form. This is a safe place for bereaved parents to come and just be with like minded grieving parents who understand what its like to have your child leave this earth.  How do you attend? Become a Grief Mentor Insider, and follow the directions found in the newsletter.  Become A Grief Mentor Insider : Here Do You Need Help Overcoming Obstackles  in Your Grief Journey? Click  Here Order the devotion book: Finding Hope And Healing In the Midst of Grief Here Journal: Here Follow me on Facebook @ Here Follow me on Instagram @ Here Email me at teresa@      

When The Brook Dries Up - Pt 2 Now this study will look at the next part in chapter 17:8-16 when the brook dries up 7 After a while the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. 8 And the word of the Lord came to him: 9 Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her, Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. 12 And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have not a loaf baked but only a handful of meal in the jar and a little oil in the bottle. See, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it—and die. 13 Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and do as you have said. But make me a little cake of [it] first and bring it to me, and afterward prepare some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: The jar of meal shall not waste away or the bottle of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. 15 She did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not spent nor did the bottle of oil fail, according to the word which the Lord spoke through Elijah. Where to next Lord? 1 Kings 17:7 After a while the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land. Notice the brook drying up is a function of natural phenomenon under a spiritual command. Eliha shut up rain for 3 years and naturally brook has to dry up if the natural cycle of sustenance did not happen. Rain is needed to plant crops, grow them and mature them. Without rain, there would not be sustenance. I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.—Deuteronomy 11:14 1 Kings 17:8 And the word of the Lord came to him: Notice when the Word of the Lord came to him? It was after the brook dried up. This word was for a specific instruction on the direction that should be taken. When you find yourself in a transitory path, it is important to seek and expect the direction that God would have you take. 1 Kings 17:9 Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food. So the brook dried up and Elijah sat still until the word of the Lord came to him. God called him to go to Zarephath which is in Sidon. So Elijah was sent to Zarephath, which means the 'place of refining or smelting furnace'. It is interesting that the first place Elijah was sent to (Cherith) meant a 'cutting or to cut off' and from there he is sent to a 'smelting furnace or refining'. From this you can see that God is working in the character of His prophet. But also notice a few things: ⦁ God told him to go at once or to arise and go. It is a time bound action and notice also what he was meant to do when he gets there? Dwell there or stay there. The same he had a dwelling at Cherith, he must now have a dwelling at Zarepath. ⦁ God commanded a widow to feed Elijah at Zarepath. So a bit of georgraphy to see what God did (See map) From Brook Cherith to Zarepath is about 80miles apart which is about 130km apart – that is like driving for a distance of about 2 hours if you drive at 70km/hr. If you were to walk this distance (as I would expect Elijah to have done), that would take him about 26hours. It is unlikely that Elijah will work 24hours non-stop so let's us assume he walked 12 hours everyday, he will need to have travelled for at least 2.5 days to get to Zarepath. So, what did Elijah eat for the 2days during that journey to an unknown land? Let that question settle in your heart – and relate it to your own peculiar situation: How does God take care of me when I am in a holden pattern between his promises for my life and my current reality? How does God take care of me when I am building a multi-million pound business but creditors are tearing the gates down? How does God take care of me when I know I am healed but the symptoms persist? How does God take care of me when my strength fails but I still have dreams burning deep in my heart? How does God take care of me when at 60, I am still at a loss for what to do but I know I was made for more? And so on… The Bible never explained how God fed Elijah over those days he walked towards the promise – with nothing but trust in the God who never fails. I bring you the same encouragement that if God has shown you where you are going or given you an instruction or revealed to you how things are going to pan out, then He will take care of you whilst you are in the holden pattern of life. May God, who is our Sustainer, sustains you in every season of your life in Jesus name. What made this story very peculiar what where and who God sent Elijah to: ⦁ God sent him to a city of pagans to be fed by the same people whose daughter corrupted Ahab (Israel's king) which brought the curse on the nation of Israel. ⦁ What does this mean for you? That no matter what the economy of the nation in which you find yourself may be corrupted by lust, greed and all sorts of vices, God will find a way to take care of you. ⦁ God sent Elijah to a gentile widow. A widow by definition has no husband to protect her. During the times of Elijah, women are largely domesticated – so if a woman loses her husband, she becomes vulnerable but it is unto this woman that God sent Elijah to. Not only that her people and the Israelites are not the best of friends. Jews did not, in those days, associate with Gentiles. But God is actually calling him there and is saying 'look, even though this doesn't appear to be normal, I am going to provide for you in this area' ⦁ At times, God's help to you may come from uncommon quarters. Learn to be grateful for the provision, not how it comes. Why was Elijah sent to this woman? Is there anything about this woman that made God visit her specially during this trying period? Jesus gave us a hint: Luke 4:22-30 AMP 22 And [as He continued on] they all were speaking well of Him, and were in awe and were wondering about the words of grace which were coming from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph's son?” 23 So He said to them, “You will no doubt quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal Yourself! Whatever [miracles] that we heard were done [by You] in Capernaum, do here in Your hometown as well.'” 24 Then He said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25 But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was closed up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26 and yet Elijah was not sent [by the Lord] to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and not one of them was cleansed [by being healed] except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 As they heard these things [about God's grace to these two Gentiles], the people in the synagogue were filled with a great rage; 29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to hurl Him down the cliff. 30 But passing [miraculously] through the crowd, He went on His way. This widow's heart believed God even though she lived among unbelievers. There were those widows in Israel who did not believe God, Elijah was not sent to them. What does this have to do with you? Under the New Covenant, God is always with us and He loves us and favours us but we must believe Him when He leads. We must trust Him. The other thing God is saying here is that sometimes a door will close, just like the brook drying up - that is a closed door. However another door will always open. When the brook dried God provided someone else to make provision. You don't expect God to act or work in this way, but Elijah was called to trust what God had planned. Have you seen the unseen hand of God? 1 Kings 17:10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" They believe it was about 80 miles for Elijah to travel from the brook to this place. It doesn't say how long it took or how he went, either on foot or by donkey, but it is a fair way to travel. But I love scripture because you see the providence of God and the hand of the unseen God everywhere. So he arose and went to Zarephath and came to the gate of the city where a widow was gathering sticks. At the very precise moment that he arrived at the gate, here is the woman that God has commanded to make provision for him. All through scripture you see the providence of God. Here I want you to go with me and use your imagination. Imagine this woman a week before this day checking what she has left of her flour and oil and knowing help was not coming from anywhere assessed how long her food supply will last for. At that moment in Cherith, Elijah brook was running dry but he was still being fed by ravens. Now, on the day the brook dried and God said to Elijah to arise and go to Zarepath (assume it is 2-3 days journey), the widow had her ration also dwindling but able to feed only 2 of them but look at her face as she resigned to the impeding death but look into her heart as she cried to the God of Israel whom she did not know but believed can help her. Imagine God impressing on her the need to be compassionate and share what she has with someone who will show up in 3 days time. Imagine God leading her out to pick woods the exact same time that Elijah shows up. Just imagine how God's providence works! May your blessing and that which God has given to you that is in the hands of someone else locate you this month in Jesus name! Say with me: May I be at the right place, at the right time to meet the right people and my destiny helpers and do amazing feats in Jesus name! Another really good example of providence is Abraham when he wanted to seek a wife for Isaac. Abraham said to his servant 'I want you to go to my own household and find a wife for my son.' The servant went and when he reached the well he prayed 'Lord, if this is the one, I will ask her for a drink and if she says 'yes, but I will water your camels as well', that will be the one'. He hadn't even finished praying and the Bible says that 'out she came'. God is always working above and beyond what we can believe and this is the providence of God. He arranges things so perfectly without us actually knowing what is going on. When you look at your own life you can see God's hand of providence in many ways. You can have divine appointments through the people that you meet or the places that you go to. God's hand is actually behind it. My example: How I met the Oladipos Only God could order all of those things. He knows, he acts, and that is providence. And it's all through scripture. Quite often there is providence in our lives and we don't always recognise it. Sometimes there are big incidents where we do, but the unseen hand of God is always in the things that we are doing. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-lights-house/message

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.Scriptural study: Luke 24:1-6; 1 Cor 15:20-23; Phil 3:20-21Although details about the crucifixion and burial of Christ are found in the NT, nothing is related concerning his resurrection. When we read of the empty tomb (Luke 24; John 20; Matt 28; Mark 16) he has already been raised.What had happened? Was this the same as happened in the case of Lazarus, or Tabitha, or the son of the widow of Zarepath? Not at all.They all died again.None of them possessed a resurrection body.As the firstfruits of the resurrection, Jesus was the first person ever to possess a resurrection body (1 Cor 15:20-23).When he returns, we too will have a resurrection body. We will be transformed (Phil 3:20-21). ImplicationsNo human being has ever been resurrected, in the full sense of the word.Resurrection will take place at the last day. This is called the General Resurrection.We will be totally new creations when Jesus comes—with a resurrection body like his. We have new life now, but this is only a taste of what is to come.If life in Christ—as wonderful as it is—is just the beginning, just imagine how exciting and comforting and energizing and fascinating and refreshing and amazing we will be as new creations in the new creation!ConclusionAll the new beginnings, purifications, exorcisms, healings, reanimations, and fresh starts of this life are but a faint glimmer of the new creation. Let's look forward to our resurrection, and praise our awesome God for his goodness, his plan, his glory!

You have to sometimes be 'put away' to learn to listen to the voice of God. He will lead you to the still waters and the green, healthy paths. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/revessie/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/revessie/support

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://revessie.com/2022/03/20/elijah-bootcamp-from-cherith-to-zarepath/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/revessie/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/revessie/support

John 11:7-16 ESV 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” WHEN GOD DOES NOT MAKE SENSE After two full days, Jesus decided to return to Bethany in Judea. He was determined to return to Mary and Martha's home in keeping with His comforting response via the messenger sent by the sisters. Certainly, this was shocking to the disciples. They were staying in Bethabara, a two days' journey from Bethany. In their minds, the time to attempt a rescue mission for Lazarus was long over. They would have assumed the issue was settled when Jesus's sent the messengers back. Their return would only put Jesus at risk of arrest or stoning. Even Thomas, in his candidness, had expressed that their going back was as going to a suicide mission. At this point in time, it doesn't make sense from the disciples perspective. Nobody else know except Jesus Himself. His purpose, as seen later, is to ensure that Lazarus' miraculous resurrection is entirely credited to the glory of God (John 11:4, 41–44). It did not appear sensible enough that Naaman will wash at the murky river Jordan, for for Moses to lead the multitude of Jews towards a dead end, at the edge of the Red Sea and for Elijah to ask food from a destitute widow at Zarepath. In the midst of these confusion, Jesus' answered them, saying, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” In other words, their safety hinges on the idea of walking and obeying the will of God. Following God's will can be dangerous from an earthly point of view. In short, Jesus has reminded His disciples that following God is always the "safest" course of action, even when the world sees it as foolish or dangerous. That's not to say that obeying God's will always keep Christians from all possible harm. Quite the opposite; obedience to Christ can result in persecution and death (John 16:1–2). Rather, it means that God is in control, and our most beneficial choice is to follow His lead. He'll provide as much protection as His will requires. Since Jesus is "walking in the light"—according to the knowledge and will of God—His actions are only as dangerous as God intends them to be. ----------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

2 Kings 4:1-7 ESV Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” BRING MORE EMPTY VESSELS One of the sons of the prophets died. His widow approached Elijah seeking for his help. Why? The creditors were going to take his two children soon to enslave them as payment for her debts. Definitely, like the widow, only those who are desperate do seek God's help in prayer, don't they? Is the feeling of self-sufficiency the reason why most don't seek God today? Like the widow, every sinner is in bondage of sin. And, the wages of sin is death.[Rom 6:23] Like the ceditors, death is sure and inevitable to happen, sooner or later. May the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin to people and make them realize their need of salvation in Christ alone. [John 16:7-9] Like the widow at Zarepath who Elijah helped, she had nothing but a jar of oil. Elisha had instructed her to borrow empty vessels as many as she could, from her neighbors. She has to pour the oil into these jars, one at a time. And, she has to do it secretly at home. She did exactly what Elisha had told her. Out of God's miraculous power, she poured the only oil of her jar and filled all the jars, one at a time. Thus, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But, there was nothing more. Thus, the flow of the oil ceased. Simply put, the problem lied to the lack of empty vessels and not on the lack of supply of oil. In our relationship with God, the problem does not lie in God but in us who limit God. The issue is not that God won't use us. But, we lack the consecration that God could use us. As Paul had said, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”[2 Tim 2:21] The power of God depends upon our cleansing. Are we empty vessels fit for God to use? God won't use a vessel full of self and pride, would He? May we all yield to the Spirit's control. As Paul had expressed, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”[Eph 5:18] The Spirit who resides in our hearts should have more of us. ---------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

1 Kings 19:9-12 ESV 9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, ELIJAH?” Unlike to God's previous appearances to Elijah, this time God had appeared and had asked him a question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Did not the all knowing God know what He was doing? Definitely, it was not a question for God to know but for Elijah to come to his own senses. We may minister effectively to the discouraged by just asking simple questions, like “ Kumusta ka na?” Discouraged people are talking from their hearts not from their heads. It's almost impossible to talk rationally with a person overwhelmed with so much passion. A diagnostic and prescriptive approach may not work, even counterproductive to defensive heart. The person himself must be honest to process and come to his own senses for having been provoked by a simple question. Elijah's answer to God had been skewed and exaggerated. The ‘bread and water' that the angel gave him should have reminded him of both the raven's bread and meat daily provision and the widow's jar of flour and jug of oil at Zarepath. But, evidently, he had a selective memory. Did he remember that the ruined altar was restored, the wicked prophets were killed and the nation of Israel was brought back to Yahweh at Mount Carmel? He discounted all these and had focused on one woman, Jezebel. He needs to be reminded of the past in order to see God clearly who He really is and what He has done. We shouldn't dwell in the past but draw strength from our experiences with God in our past. He was definitely better than his ancestors but he felt not. Instead of talking, God opted to display His object lessons. It wasn't entertaining I suppose but a nerve wrenching display of power for Elijah to witness at Mount Horeb – His great and strong wind that tore and break mountains and rocks, respectively, the earthquake and fire. A similar display was seen when Moses received the law from God that caused fear and awe to the nation of Israel. In this case, there was just one audience – a discouraged prophet. After the display of fire, he must had remembered the fire that came from heaven and devoured the offering and the altar at Mount Carmel. But the Lord wasn't in the wind, earthquake and fire. Of course God was there but it was too blinding and deafening to Elijah. God did whisper and he was able to hear God clearly. To a distressed soul, a soft answer gets attention more than a shout, is it not? As Proverbs 15:1 says “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Perhaps today, you're discouraged like Elijah. Don't look for the spectacular. God is there in our silence. Let's have a posture of quiet listening to the still small voice of God. As the psalmist had admonished us, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” [Psa 46:10]

1 Kings 17:8-16 ESv 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.'” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. FULLNESS DESPITE THE FAMINE. When the brook dried up, God commanded him to go to Zarepath and a widow would feed him there. It may appear ridiculous yet Elijah did as the Lord told him. He journeyed 100 miles north to Zarepath, a small Phoenician town. Interestingly, this was the homeplace of Jezebel. To be at the brook of Cherith was silly but to traverse towards enemy's territory was even sillier. God's thoughts and ways are indeed beyond ours.[Isa 55:8,9] When the widow met him at the gate, he commanded her to give him water to drink and a morsel of bread. The poor woman who was preparing for her last meal with his son found found it unreasonable. Elijah didn't budge but had convinced her to feed him before themselves according to God's word. And he assured her that ‘the jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.'” It exactly happened. Why? It was because this Gentile widow believed and obeyed the word of God. She experienced fullness in the midst of famine. “Zarepath” means a “smelting place”. Indeed, God had refined Elijah's faith as well as the widow's. If the brook Cherith was a test of obscurity, Zarepath was a test of absurdity. Like Elijah, we must believe God is in control in both obscure and absurd circumstances. It's not that we can understand the command clearly that matters but that we hear the clarity of His command . As the puzzled apostle Peter said to Jesus, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”[Luke 5:5] Today, we could just confidently say with David, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”[Psa 18:30] Even Solomon wrote, “Every word of God is tried: he is a shield unto them that trust in him.”[Prov 30:5] ------------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram

We need to be made ready for God's service. How does that precious thing inside you become purified? It has to go through the fire! God uses Zarephath, the melting pot, to bring us through fire and His hand of love stays upon us along the way.

We need to be made ready for God's service. How does that precious thing inside you become purified? It has to go through the fire! God uses Zarephath, the melting pot, to bring us through fire and His hand of love stays upon us along the way.

Ezra 4:23-24 ESV 23 Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. 24 Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. THE WORK ON THE HOUSE OF GOD THAT IS IN JERUSALEM STOPPED. It is said that the Lord who guides our ‘steps' also permits our ‘stops.' Their rejoicings were cut short because of the enemy's slanderous accusations before the King Artaxerxes. The most sovereign God had allowed it for a reason. We may have setbacks but this doesn't mean God isn't on top of everything. Have you wondered why there are ‘stops' in your life. Everything went well in your life until an unexpected thing happened. You have approached a ‘dead end'. But, as you listened to God and looked around, you saw a ‘bend'. Our lives are governed neither by luck nor chances. We believe on a loving God who directs our every step. “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.” [Psa 37:23]. Didn't Solomon admonish us, saying; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”? [Prov 3:5,6] Did not Satan hinder Paul to go to Thessalonica? He said, “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.” [1 Thess 2:17,18] Just that it did not hinder Paul from being a blessing through his epistle to them, we should not allow Covid-19 to hinder us as instruments of blessings by ministering with one another through virtual platforms. Think about Elijah's experiences. He hid himself by the brook of Cherith only to see the water of the brook drying up. He went to Zarepath to ask food from a widow reparing her last meal with her son. These all he did everytime ‘the word of the Lord came to him' before he faced King Ahab boldly. [see 1 Kings 17:1-16] There is a time to hide and grow in our faith before the show of it. The silence of sawing woods and hammer poundings didn't mean God's inactivity. When the Lord's work sops, it doesn't mean He stops working. In many cases, it is when we pause working that God is accomplishing the work inside of us. Doesn't the seed germinate and grow when the farmer is resting and fast sleep? Isn't the beauty of a musical rendition accentuated by pauses and rest? Yes, our God who did make the sun stood still so that Joshua could finish his work in a day is the same God who also allow the work of His temple to stop for many days, even years. God is in control so that let's wait upon Him. Let's obey what He said we need to do by His grace and let Him do that which only He could. As David had declared, “The battle is the Lord's.” ------------------------- Visit our website and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube and Facebook.

The word of God is demanding and stretches our Faith. Faith requires us to take the first step and allow God to move with you. Just because you are in a drought season doesn't always mean you outside God's will. 1 Kings 17:1-24

When life gets difficult it tends to leave us clinging to menial tasks. The widow from Zarepath proves to be a great illustration of how the gospel can come into our lives and transform us from the inside out. God has the power to take what we have and what we do, and transform it into something of purpose. Many think this transformation is difficult but for God its a piece of cake.

1 Kings 17:9-24

In 1 Kings 17, the widow of Zarepath was faced with several dilemmas. Not only was she grieving the loss of her husband, but she was now forced to face that she and her son would die too. Too add on to her stress, God sends Elijah to the widow's residence to be sustained throughout the famine. Upon his arrival, asks for her to bring him water and bread. However, he soon discovers that the duo only have enough for one more meal before they die. Despite this the widow moves in faith knowing that her situation is now beyond her control.

Proverbs 11:25 says: ‘whoever refreshes others will be refreshed’. You will start seeing your strength renewed and your talents multiplied when you start using them to bless others. Just like the widow of Zarepath who gave her last bit of flour and oil, the Lord will multiply what you give.

Proverbs 11:25 says: ‘whoever refreshes others will be refreshed’. You will start seeing your strength renewed and your talents multiplied when you start using them to bless others. Just like the widow of Zarepath who gave her last bit of flour and oil, the Lord will multiply what you give.

Today's standouts (good and bad) are Jehoshaphat, Ahab, Elijah, and the widow of Zarepath. Today's Scripture: I Kings 15:24; I Kings 22:41-47; 2 Chronicles 17:1-13; 2 Chronicles 20:31-33; 2 Chronicles 18:1; 2 Chronicles 17:13-19; I Kings 22:44; 2 Chronicles 18:1b; I Kings 17:1-16, 17-24; I Kings 18:1-20

I was in second or third grade and I was in a particular math section.  The teacher was trying to teach us some math concepts, and for some reason, my brain could not get it.  She gave exercise after exercise and she circled the plane ten different ways.  Now when my kids come home and they ask for help with math, there's like 117 different ways to it and they have to know them all, I'm like, "Can't help you, dude, sorry."  I was not getting it.  She gave us this very specific process to follow to explain this particular type of math.  Then she gave us a test.  As teachers often do, she asked us to show our work, which means you've got to show them to do it the way they taught you to do it.  I didn't like that because it seemed real hard, so I came up with my own way to solve the problem.  A new technique, if you will.  On the top right of my paper, I wrote, "Here's a new way to do this the proper way."  I was trying to teach my teacher the right way to do this.  I wrote this formula---here's how you do it---and I was hoping she'd learn from this---it's going to be in a textbook someday.  I showed my work according to my own sort of plan and then I solved the problem.  She was not as excited about this path as I was, which is really, really interesting.  The other thing is.....it was ALL wrong!  Every bit of it!  The process was wrong.  The final answer was wrong.  All of that!  After sort of going I don't want to choose this hard path, I had to go back and choose the hard path, because she made me redo it all.  I still don't understand how to do it! We're in the series called "Hills and Valleys" and we've been exploring what do we do during uncertain times and how do we navigate through those?  We're looking at the life of Elijah to help us walk that journey.  Last week, Ryan talked about how being in the wilderness is a training ground.  I remember listening to that and going, I don't know about you, but I hate that.  I was like I do not like this --- the wilderness is a training ground.  I think it's because I wish there were a better way to experience growth.  But I've learned, as many of us have, that it seems like those wilderness moments have such power to shape us into who God created us to be...

Find us on Twitter @magicdesigncast, @bradleyrose, @madolaf, and @alexisjanson Email us! beaconcreation@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beaconofcreation/ Theme song is Hey, Happy Birthday to You by Dee Culp Full version available at: (https://soundcloud.com/daleculp/letterbox-edition-hey-happy) For more notes and designs from this week's episodes see beaconofcreation.com

The Widow of Zarepath

To protect Elijah, and test his faith, God tells him to go to the brook of Cherith and then to Zarepath. Each test is more difficult than the last. Here we see a timely word from God and a trying word that literally puts Elijah into the furnace of faith. So often we focus on the provision instead of the provider. Our dependence must be on God and not on what He gives.

Find us on Twitter @magicdesigncast, @bradleyrose, and @madolaf Email us! beaconcreation@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beaconofcreation/ Theme song is Hey, Happy Birthday to You by Dee Culp Full version available at: (https://soundcloud.com/daleculp/letterbox-edition-hey-happy) For more notes and designs from this week's episodes see www.madolaf.com

In this episode Zarepath tells us about his cyberpunk set Netropolis and we talk about top down design.

04/03/2016Mitch MorrowWidow of Zarepath/Trusting God1 Kings 17:8-24