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“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). James 5:17 tells us that “Elijah was a human being, even as we are,” yet he played a role in some of the most amazing demonstrations of God’s power in Biblical history (see James 5:16-18; 1 Kings 17:17-24, 18:16-46). What made Elijah so effective in dealing with unbelievers, enemies, and political leaders? What kind of man can God use as He did Elijah? Six principles allowed Elijah to experience tremendous personal power and intimacy with God. Today, we will look at three. First, Elijah’s response to the Phoenician widow can serve as a study in setting self aside and letting God take over. When the widow verbally assaults him, Elijah does not defend himself or give her a Bible lesson. He simply takes her son in his arms and tries to help her. He knows she is speaking from the pain of her son’s death and the guilt she […]

“Repentance for the poor in the spirit, for they are the angels of the heavens” (Matthew 5: 3) Poverty is not a common denominator. The difference that exists in it is far from God, and we do not know the nature of human beings. We are the poor souls in the spirit of the Holy Spirit. We cannot choose sincerity and penetration in the realm of personal interest without being poor in spirit. It is not possible to get rid of it, but it is possible to get rid of it. p> ِّنَّ الانكسار الذي نختبره عندما نقص خلاص المسلم على الدوم ، وعندما ننضج في اليمان And when we enjoy the life of our worlds, we return to the one and only source and the source of all blessings in our life, our hearts are filled with joy and happiness. Prayer: O Lord, I know that I do not list things without you. Thank you for your superiority over […]

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). In 1 Kings 18, we see that Israel was at a crossroads. They had lost their awe of God. To them, He was a million miles away. They still claimed to follow Jehovah, but He was no longer a part of their daily lives. God knew that only a vivid reminder of His power would awaken these people from their spiritual sleep. So God used Elijah to bring about a turning point in their lives. With the odds stacked against him—one man standing against hundreds of pagan leaders—Elijah showed the strength of God. In 1 Kings 18:22-39, the people watched a strange competition. Two bull sacrifices […]

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14, NKJV). Today, there are professing Christians who believe that being a good person is the path to salvation. They do not feel like they need someone to save them because their sins are nominal. It is enough that they attend church and have never committed “major” sins. They are perishing as they believe a lie. The Bible says that every one of the 7.9 billion people living today was born with sin. This sin was passed along to us genetically from Adam and Eve—the root of a sin system that exists in every person. Like Adam and Eve, we want to do things our way. We want to stay in charge of our lives while paying God lip service. We justify our sin and minimize its consequences. We hide from God and others in our shame. Instead of confessing our sin and turning to a […]

“Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12). Some of the gifts of the Spirit are also commands given to all believers. For example, every believer must tithe, and yet, giving is listed as a gift of the Spirit. We are called to be witnesses for Christ, and yet, evangelism is listed as a gift of the Spirit. There are certain people who have been given an extra measure of certain gifts to serve to build up the body of Christ. As we discuss spiritual gifts, we must also be aware of counterfeit gifts. Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Satan is a supernatural being with supernatural power, and he uses that power to deceive. In the last days, Satan and the Antichrist will try to […]

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The gifts of the Holy Spirit laid out in 1 Corinthians 12 are not simply human talents. They may not even be what we like or what best suits our personalities. These gifts, freely given to us by God, have a divine origin and are to be used for the accomplishment of a divine goal. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, we read, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” God empowers His children with these spiritual gifts for a purpose: that the church may be built up. God’s purpose in giving us spiritual gifts is to edify the body of Christ. These gifts are not given to enhance our self-esteem or to be used for our own advantage, but rather that we might serve others. We are given these gifts so that we might encourage, […]

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63). When we do not seek the Holy Spirit’s filling each day, we become more and more influenced by our sinful nature. Paul warned the Galatians: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (Galatians 5:16-17). However, for those of us who are sealed and daily filled by the Holy Spirit, we can experience His fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. . . . Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. […]

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4). When we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and experience the moment-by-moment filling of the Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit. We begin to manifest the outworking, or the results, of the Holy Spirit’s presence. His work is manifested in our thoughts and emotions and in our behavior toward others. If you have ever watched the harvesting of grapes, you know that two people usually work together. One person holds an open basket while the other cuts the grapes and lays clusters in the open container. In a similar way, as long as a person is walking closely connected to the Lord and is keeping his life open to receive the daily filling of the Holy Spirit, he will see his life […]

“‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all people on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty'” (Revelation 1:7-8). The book of Revelation tells us about Jesus, the glorified, returning King. He will wear many crowns as the conqueror of sin and Satan and as the eternal King of kings. His diadems will testify that He has no rivals. While many try to ignore Jesus, when He returns in power and might, this will be impossible. Jesus’ first coming was in humility. His body was crucified on the cross to save all who would believe in Him. But in His second coming, He will return in His full glory. At the cross, He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. […]

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). While many try to ignore Jesus, when He returns in power and might, it will no longer be possible to look the other way. Jesus’ first coming was in humility. His body was broken to save all who would believe in Him. But in His second coming, He will return in full splendor. At the cross, He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. At His return, King Jesus will lead the victorious parade of His faithful soldiers. In His first coming, He wore a crown of thorns. In His second coming, He will be crowned with many crowns. Our Savior is the King of kings who reigns and rules the entire universe. He is superior in His nature, infinite in His wisdom, mighty in His reign, and He is from everlasting to everlasting. Have you forgotten who […]

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Jesus described the end of the age as a time when “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:10-13). Satan knows he cannot remove Jesus from the throne of heaven, but he will stop at nothing to see Jesus removed from the throne of our hearts. This is his agenda until Christ returns. How are we to respond to his schemes? The Bible clearly teaches that Satan and his minions are very real. This present world is a battlefield where unseen and powerful forces operate (see Ephesians 6:11-12). We see […]