I Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. Elijah was pretty sure that he was the only man of God left in Israel. How many times have I felt like that! Not to mean […]
Archives for February 2016
Troubling Israel
I Kings 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. Ahab is […]
Being in the “There”
I Kings 17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. This is one of those verses that teach us so much. Elijah was told to go “there” and that God had commanded a widow to feed him “there!” God […]
Worst of the Kings
I Kings 16:33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. Ahab follows in a long line of bad kings. He is famous for being the worst. Then he marries a woman that takes him […]
David’s Perfect Heart
I Kings 15:3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. David failed God in many ways. The sin against Uriah is specially mentioned in this passage. The interesting […]
Be careful about listening to advice
I Kings 12:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than […]
Sunday in Review
Our baby dedication service was this past Sunday. We had the pleasure of seeing James Hamilton Elrod dedicated to God. As Pastor Gardner informed us, this service does in no way grant salvation to the child or say in anyway that the child is saved. It is merely for the parents to declare to the […]
God brought evil on the nation of Israel
I Kings 10:9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil. When God’s people forsook Him then […]
God’s grace writes the most exciting stories.
II Corinthians 8:1-15 February 20, 2016 (High School Class) God’s grace just changes everything. This story uses a giving event to show off the power of God’s grace. This is not rich churches giving to poor churches, as we would expect should happen, but really poor churches giving to other poor churches. The churches of […]
Consequences even for believers
I Kings 9:9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil. Grace is never an excuse to […]
Putting God first
I Kings 7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. This verse should get our attention. Solomon took seven years to build God His house. Then proceeded to take thirteen years to build his own house. How often do we make more out of our house, our […]
Obedience brings blessings
I Kings 6:12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: God gives Solomon a conditional promise of great blessing. […]
Praying for wisdom
I Kings 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. God I would ask of you the same things you gave to Solomon. I ask for wisdom. I want to be able to know what to do, how to […]
Solomon continues cleaning house
I Kings 2:44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; David had allowed people to mistreat him in private and publicly. He had forgiven and overlooked their […]
It will catch up with you
I Kings 2:31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. Joab was David’s nephew. He was one of the mighty men. He had been […]
Sunday in Review 2/14/2016
We had 244 in attendance this Sunday morning. Pastor Gardner preached from Galatians 3:1, on the Galatians being deceived by false doctrines. The vow renewal service was held in the evening service. The married couples of the church stood in front of the church and restated their vows to their spouses in English and Spanish, as […]
Loving your children too much
I Kings 1:6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. David had loved Absalom very much. He must have carried quite a bit of guilt over the whole way he […]
He lifts up the humble
II Samuel 22:28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: But thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. David praises God for what He has done in his life. He realizes how God works. God helps those that are suffering and in need. God worked in David’s life because David […]
Don’t get even
II Samuel 19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? David had every right […]
Bitterness
II Samuel 14:33 So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom. The king, David, refuses to see his son Absalom. He has finally allowed him […]
Mourning for his sons
II Samuel 13:39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. David loved his sons. Amnon had been killed by Absalom. David had mourned him for 3 years. He loved both sons. He has been hurt on both sides. One son, […]
Displeasing the Lord
II Samuel 11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. David has sinned with a woman. He has now killed one of his best men. Everything seems to […]
Misunderstood
II Samuel 10:2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. Apparently, David wanted to genuinely […]
David remembers his friend
II Samuel 9:3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. David loved Jonathan. Jonathan is now dead but David wants to […]
Sunday in Review
This week we were privileged to welcome a new family to the church! Sarah and Brady Van Winkle, who have been serving in the children’s ministry and teaching the ESL classes. So when you see the Van Winkles be sure to congratulate them on becoming members of the church. Pastor Gardner preached out of Galatians […]
The Lord preserved David
II Samuel 8:14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. It is easy to think that David had his mighty men and was also a great warrior. We will think that David took care […]
Beauty of discipline
II Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put […]
Waiting on Him
II Samuel 5:24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. David wanted to know if he should go and fight. God […]
Vengeance is not ours to seek
II Samuel 4:11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? David doesn’t need to protect his position. He doesn’t need to kill all of his enemies […]
He pleased the people
II Samuel 3:36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people. Joab has killed Abner. Abner had been the leader of the opposition to David. He had also killed one of Joab’s brothers, a nephew to David. David does not agree with […]
Time to stop fighting
II Samuel 2:26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? Joab is leading David’s troops. Abner was leading the troops of […]
Don’t air the dirty laundry
II Samuel 1:20 Tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Askelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Saul was dead. David didn’t want that story told among the Philistines. He didn’t want them rejoicing over the death of the king of Israel. […]
Sunday in Review
This Sunday, in the morning service, we were able to see 259 in total attendance. The service went on as usual, and Pastor Gardner preached out of Galatians 2 on justification. Explaining that justification comes from Jesus Christ alone and nothing else. A foundational doctrine for the church of Jesus Christ, we need to remember […]
Encouraging yourself in the Lord
I Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. David’s mistakes have caught up with him. He has been living in the […]