God Can

Now a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow containers elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few. Then you shall come in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all these containers; and you shall set aside what is full.” So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they began bringing the containers to her, and she poured the oil. When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he said to her, “There are no more containers.” Then the oil stopped. So she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

2 Kings 4:1-7

This account from 2 Kings gives us 4 lessons about the Lord.

**God works in desperate situations

**We need to believe God for big things

**God provides for His people.

**God provides according to our faith

Trust in the Lord and believe!

Tony French

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Patient

7 Therefore be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

James 5:7-8

Be patient, Child of God. The Lord’s arrival is nearer and nearer each day.

The farmer exercises patience as he plows the field and sows the seed. The harvest will not come right away. The good agriculturist must wait and fertilize the crop so that a bounty will be produced from it. And as the farmer prepares for the harvest, so we must wait joyfully prepare for the coming of the Lord.

James also tells us to strengthen our hearts. Now is not the time for weakness. Let us strengthen our relationship with the Lord through prayer, the Word, the Church and the working of the Holy Spirit.

Be patient, Child of God. The coming of the Lord is near.

Tony French

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Comfort

The God of the Bible is the God of all comfort. God, as He is revealed in Holy Scripture, brings comfort to His people in various ways. He is good, holy, righteous, and loving.

(2 Corinthians 1:3)

Let us give thanks today for the Savior who comforts us and let us rejoice in His greatness!

It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio Spafford

When peace like a river attendeth my way.

When sorrows like sea billows roll.

Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blessed assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul!

It is well with my soul,

It is well, It is well with my soul.

Tony French

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Act Justly

Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies. You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.

James 5:4-6

God condemns those who oppress the poor. The workers were being deprived of their wages and James calls them to account in these verses. The Apostles message declares that the employer should treat the employees fairly and justly. Failure to do so brought disgrace on the gospel of Christ.

Pleasure and luxury are never to be the ultimate goal of the Believer. It is true that God may bless someone with wealth. However, the Christian with means should realize that they have been entrusted with wealthy in order to advance the Kingdom of God. The Believer should not be concerned primarily with their own kingdom. Instead, may all of God’s people focus on bringing people to Jesus no matter their station in this life.

Tony French

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The Return of Christ

The return of Jesus…………………….

**Will be accompanied by signs

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 

Matthew 24:29

**Will be seen by all

 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:30

**Will gather His people

31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24:-31

**Will be unexpected

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [f]heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

Be ready, child of God. He’s coming again!

Tony French

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Riches

1 Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.3 Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

James 5:1-3

Do not trust in wealth. That sentiment is clearly stated at the beginning of James 5. And the teaching is strong and forceful.

Do not trust in wealth. Money is uncertain. Finances can be gained and can also be lost. A portfolio can grow and expand, or, it can contract and lose value very quickly. Do not trust in these earthly things because they can let you down.

Do not trust in wealth, dear Christian. Trust in the Lord. God is your supply, your provision and your source.

Tony French

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Character Traits

They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

Psalm 145:7-9

Character Traits of God. Let us meditate on His………….

**Goodness V7

**Righteousness V 7

**Graciousness V8

**Compassion V9

Tony French

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Do Good

16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 4:16-17

Failure to do good when given the opportunity is a sin for the Believer. That is the message of James 4:16-17 and it is our message for today.  Those who cease to do good when they know they should be helpful are committing an act of treason against the Lord.

Sin is not simply trespass, falling short, lawlessness, or transgressing God’s law. It is all those things. But, sin is also eschewing the chances that God gives us to do good things for others. Let us not be guilty of this transgression. May we always be looking to fulfill good for those around us. And may God bless us in this endeavor.

Tony French

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The Lord’s Character

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.

Psalm 145:3-6

Character Traits of God. Let us meditate on His………….

1. Greatness V3

2. Worthiness V3

3. Majesty V5

4. Activity V5, V6

5. Power V6

Tony French

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A Vapor

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.

James 4:13-14

Life on this planet is brief and uncertain. We can make our plans and preparations and there is wisdom in doing so. However, our path can be changed in an instant. Nothing is guaranteed in this life and we must acknowledge that fact.

Life is short and no one is promised tomorrow. James tells us that our lives are like a vapor, a cloud. We appear for a short while and then we are gone. The words of the Apostle are true and faithful.

As a result of this, let us live our lives in a way that honors and pleases God. May we, as the Lord’s people, be faithful to His Word, His will, and His ways. Only one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Tony French

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