"For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth'” ~1 Kings 17:14 We're continuing to look at the story of Elijah in 1 Kings chapter 17. Many fascinating things happen in this chapter. Last week, God fed Elijah from the mouth of ravens. This week, through the words of Elijah, God performs a miracle for a single mother and her son. After leaving the brook, the Lord co

"Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he dran

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ~Matthew 19:14 As a child, we held awe and wonder of creation. Everything was new: the taste of food, the names of colors, the time, and the seasons. Sadly, as we grow older, we tend to become cynical about life: we are fed up with the cost of living, the fallibility of those in leadership, or the "way the world is heading." One of the beautiful things about life

“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes." ~Matthew 11:25 From the wise and prudent, God has hidden the truth of the works of Jesus. In this Gospel reading, Jesus rebukes "the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done." They were being rebuked because the Almighty walked among them, performed miracles, offered them salvation and pardon for their sins, and still, the

"...an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). Your inheritance is reserved. For all those who believe, your inheritance is eternal life along with the rewards God has laid up for you. Remember when you were a child and your birthday was coming up? I remember it was all I could think about as the time drew near! The delicious food, the mouthwatering dessert, the colorful boxes and bags filled with prese

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The sign of a true follower of Christ is one who does the will of God which always bears good fruit (Matt. 7:15-20). Paul says, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Galatians 2:20a). Now, this is easier said than done, but remember Jesus would not have said those who do the will of His Father will enter the kingdo

In today's scripture reading, Paul proclaims, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16a). Since becoming a Christian, Paul had dealt with a lot...and I mean a lot. In 2 Corinthians 11, he recounts, "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the op

In Matthew 5:22, Jesus says, "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire." In today's world this may be a startling statement, considering how quickly and often demeaning words are thrown around. Maybe your parents or spouse upsets you, or someone cuts you off on the highway. I know I've been cut off a lot recently. How quickly do we mutter or blurt