Today Australians in Australia and New Zealand, France and Gallipoli remember ANZAC Day when Australian and New Zealand troops fought at Gallipoli in 1915. This was a day where we honour our fallen armed forces men and women who lost their lives.
I am reminded of Jesus own Words.
Jesus gave His life for us, Jesus sacrificed His life so we could have eternal life.

STORACALS OF PROPHECY # 23
Hello friends, family, and my brothers, and sisters in Christ.

This is Brother Johnny Gass.

Welcome to Bible study.

Study to show thyself to approved unto God, a Workman unashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Please share these lessons with everyone you know for the expansion of the kingdom of God.

A Jar of Oil and the Most Powerful Spirit in the World.

Elisha could see that the young widow was desperate. She threw herself at the old prophet's feet and sobbed, "The creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves!" The woman's husband had died unexpectedly and left her with a huge debt. In Bible times, a lender had a right to repossess property and even take children as payment if a family could not pay the bills (Job 24:9). "What do you have in the house?" Elisha asked the distraught mother. "I have nothing in the house but a jar of oil," she replied. Little by little she had handed over all the furniture and valuables in her home to the cruel creditor until nothing remained but her two boys and this little jar of oil. Olive oil was considered a most basic essential. It was used for lighting, heating, cooking, and healing. Elisha told the widow and her boys to go and borrow as many empty vessels as possible from their neighbors. They should bring them home, shut the door, and then pour the oil from her little jar into the empty containers. They did as Elisha instructed, and a wonderful miracle occurred. The oil in the little jar continued to flow out until all the vessels in the house were filled! "What shall we do now?" the young mother asked the prophet. "Sell the oil, pay your debt, and then you and your sons can live on the surplus," he said. This woman and her boys left Elisha's presence rejoicing and free because of the miracle of the oil. The Lord wants to free you from a ruthless creditor named Satan. This miracle will happen when He fills your cup to overflowing with His special oil!

1. In the Bible, what is symbolized by a vessel and oil?

Acts 9:15. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen _____________ unto me.

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: The Bible teaches that God is the potter and we are the clay vessels (Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:20, 21). Everyone is created with a purpose. Oil is used throughout the Bible as a symbol of God's Spirit. Pure olive oil was used to keep the lamp burning bright in the Hebrew temple as an illustration of how His Holy Spirit illuminates our minds. It is God's desire to fill all of His people with His Spirit (Joel 2:28).

2. Is the Holy Spirit an impersonal force, or is He God?

Acts 5:3, 4. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy ______? ... thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: The apostle Peter declared that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. Furthermore, Jesus told us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19, 20), thus indicating that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, placed in full equality with the Father and the Son.

The Bible also states that we can grieve the Spirit, which means that He has emotions. He is not simply an impersonal force. In Scripture the Holy Spirit is referred to as Comforter, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, Spirit of the Lord, the seven Spirits of God, and simply the Spirit. All of these titles denote personality

3. What is the primary work of the Holy Spirit?

John 16:13. When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will _____ you into all truth ... and he will shew you things to come.

John 14:26 He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Jesus promised to be with us always, and it is through the person of the Holy Spirit that He is with us and in us (John 14:17).

4. What is the one sin that cannot be forgiven?

Matthew 12:32. But whosoever speaketh _______ the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is not a single offence, but a progressive resistance to truth that results in a final rejection of God's will (Hebrews 10:26, 27). The conscience is seared when a person repeatedly opposes and neglects the impressions of the Holy Spirit until he no longer hears His voice. Therefore, a person who has a haunting fear that he has committed the "unpardonable sin" very likely has not.

5. What are some of the gifts of the Spirit a person might receive?

1 Corinthians 12:8-10. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of _______; to another the word of knowledge ...; To another faith ...; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He brings different gifts. Not everyone receives the same gifts (1 Corinthians 12:29-31). Scripture often emphasizes the importance of being filled with the Spirit. Jesus taught in John 3:5 that "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Sadly, the Holy Spirit and His work is often misunderstood. Some people are taught that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force; others deny His influence in people's daily affairs; and still others are taught that everyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit must speak in tongues.

6. Which spiritual gift became a subject of controversy in the Corinthian church?

1 Corinthians 14:1, 2. Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown _______ speaketh not unto men, but unto God.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: As in the days of the early Christian church, the gift of tongues has again become a subject of confusion and controversy. Therefore we have dedicated a large portion of this lesson to explaining what the Bible teaches about this spiritual gift.

7. How did Jesus promise to help His disciples preach the gospel to all the world?

Mark 16:17. They shall speak with new ________.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: In the Bible, the word "tongue" simply means "language." Jesus' disciples were bright men, but most were uneducated. In order to help them take the gospel to the world, Jesus promised to give them a supernatural gift to speak foreign languages they had not formerly studied or known.

8. What happened when the disciples received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:1, 4. And when the day of ___________ was fully come, ... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Pentecost was a Jewish holy day that was celebrated 50 days after Passover. Devoted Jews from all over the world came to Jerusalem to worship. Through His Spirit, God gave the gift of tongues at this time to empower the disciples to share the gospel with these people in their native languages. Those who believed then carried the good news back to their respective countries.

9. What did these foreign Jews experience when the Holy Spirit was poured out?

Acts 2:11. We do _____ them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: It is sometimes suggested that the gift of tongues is a "heavenly language" understood only by God or by those with the gift of interpretation. The Bible clearly shows that both the disciples and those listening understood what was being preached--"the wonderful works of God." There are only three examples of speaking in tongues given in Scripture. We have looked at the first; now let's examine the last two for a clearer picture of this gift.

10. What happened when Peter preached to Cornelius and his household?

Acts 10:44, 46. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. ... For they heard them speak with tongues, and ________ God.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Cornelius was of the Italian band (Acts 10:1), while Peter was a Jew and spoke Aramaic. History also tells us that the servants in a Roman home could be from anywhere in the world. Consequently, there were language barriers at this meeting. However, when the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius and the members of his household, the men who accompanied Peter could understand them speaking in languages other than their native tongues. They heard them "magnify God" in these languages. When later reporting this experience to church leaders in Jerusalem, Peter said, "The Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." Acts 11:15, emphasis added. Cornelius and his household received the same gift of tongues as did the disciples on the day of Pentecost. They spoke languages that could be understood.

11. What happened when Paul preached to 12 Ephesian disciples?

Acts 19:6. The Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and _____________.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Paul, who was the most educated and widely traveled of the apostles, spoke many languages (1 Corinthians 14:18). When the Holy Spirit came upon these 12 men of Ephesus, Paul and Luke could understand them prophesying in languages they had not previously known.

12. What does the Bible say about speaking in a tongue that is not understood?

1 Corinthians 14:9. Except ye utter by the tongue words _______ to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken?

1 Corinthians 14:19 I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Paul repeatedly explains that the purpose for a tongue (language) is to communicate or to teach truth. A Greek word for "unknown" is not found in any original Bible manuscripts, but was supplied by translators to indicate that the language was foreign to the majority present. The church at Corinth was a melting pot of many different nationalities, and sometimes the services became confusing when members would pray, testify, or preach in languages unknown to the others present.

This is why Paul commanded them to keep silent, if speaking in a tongue unknown to the majority, unless someone was there to interpret (1 Corinthians 14:28). The lesson for us is that we should not speak or pray in a tongue that others present cannot understand.

13. What was one of the main characteristics of ancient Babylon?

Genesis 11:7, 9. Let us go down, and there _______ their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. ... Therefore is the name of it called Babel.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: The tower of Babel is the place where the languages of the world were first confounded. The Hebrew word for both Babel and Babylon is "babel," meaning "confusion." In Revelation 18, God calls His people out of spiritual Babylon. One of the characteristics of spiritual Babylon is a confusion of tongues.

14. Does the Spirit fill those who deliberately break God's commandments?

John 14:15-17. If ye love me, keep my _____________. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, ... Even the Spirit of truth.

Acts 5:32 The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: The tremendous power of the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in those who refuse to obey God's commandments.

15. Paul emphasized that we should desire which spiritual gift?

1 Corinthians 14:4, 5. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that __________ edifieth the church. ... Greater is he that ___________ than he that speaketh with tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:12 Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: In spite of the fact that Paul attached greater importance to the gift of prophecy than to the gift of tongues, some are now teaching that every person who is filled with the Holy Spirit will speak in tongues.

Out of more than 25 Bible examples of God filling His people with the Spirit, only three times is the gift of tongues connected with it. Of the 14 New Testament books written by the apostle Paul, he mentions tongues in only one--1 Corinthians. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, only three make any reference at all to speaking in tongues.

16. What is the main reason why God fills people with His Spirit?

Acts 1:8. But ye shall receive __________, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.

Acts 4:31 They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: God fills us with His Spirit to give us power for witnessing!

17. Is it possible to tell whether or not a person has been filled with the Holy Spirit?

Matthew 7:20. Wherefore by their ______ ye shall know them.

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: We determine that a person has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit not by the gifts of the Spirit, but by the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22, 23).

18. How can I receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Luke 11:13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ___ him?

Answer : ____________________

NOTE: Just as Jesus had the Spirit without measure, we may ask God to fill our vessels to overflowing, but we must first be willing to empty ourselves by surrendering our hearts.

19. Jesus is waiting and yearning to pour the precious oil of the Holy Spirit into your life. Would you like to ask Him now to take possession of your mind and heart?

Answer : ____________________

To learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Sabbath, please visit your local Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Or please visit us at Rossville Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 1737 Mission Ridge Road, Rossville Georgia 30741

Pastor; Greg Hudson

Services start at 11am on Saturday (Sabbath) morning.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 23)

1. When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you;

2. And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man given to appetite.

3. Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceptive food.

4. Do not overwork to be rich;
Because of your own understanding, cease!

5. Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

6. Do not eat the bread of a miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;

7. For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.

8. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.

9. Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10. Do not remove the ancient landmark,
Nor enter the fields of the fatherless;

11. For their Redeemer is mighty;
He will plead their cause against you.

12. Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of knowledge.

13. Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.

14. You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.

15. My son, if your heart is wise,
My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;

16. Yes, my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak right things.

17. Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;

18. For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.

19. Hear, my son, and be wise;
And guide your heart in the way.

20. Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;

21. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

22. Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

23. Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.

25. Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice.

26. My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.

27. For a harlot is a deep pit,
And a seductress is a narrow well.

28. She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.

29. Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions?
Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?

30. Those who linger long at the wine,
Those who go in search of mixed wine.

31. Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it swirls around smoothly;

32. At the last it bites like a serpent,
And stings like a viper.

33. Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things.

34. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

35. “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;
They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

#6 Holy Wit – Bible Study
God Is Faithful to Exhausted People
(God Is Faithful to Flawed People – Elijah)
________________________________________
Scripture Reading (NKJV):
- 1 Kings 18:36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.
- 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
- 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
- 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
- 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
- 41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
- 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.
- 46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
- 1 Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.
- 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
- 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
- 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
- 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
- 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
- 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
- 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
- 9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- 10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
- 11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 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 a still small voice.
- 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.
- 15 Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus…
- 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

1 Kings 18:36–39 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18%3A36-39&version=NKJV
1 Kings 19:1–18 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A1-18&version=NKJV
________________________________________

1. Fire from Heaven Does Not Prevent Collapse
Elijah stands on Mount Carmel in chapter 18 as a towering figure of faith. He prays, and fire falls. Not symbolic fire. Not poetic fire. Fire that consumes stone, water, sacrifice—everything. The people fall on their faces. Revival breaks out in a moment.
And then chapter 19 happens.
One threat. One message from Jezebel. And Elijah runs.
This is one of Scripture’s most honest moments. Great victory does not guarantee emotional stability. Spiritual triumph does not eliminate physical exhaustion. Elijah is not faithless—he is depleted.
God does not rebuke him for collapsing. He records it.

1 Kings 18:38–39 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18%3A38-39&version=NKJV
1 Kings 19:3 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A3&version=NKJV
________________________________________

2. God’s First Response Is Not Correction, but Care
Elijah sits under a broom tree and asks to die. This is not polished theology. This is not composed prayer. This is a man at the end.
God’s response is striking.
He lets him sleep.
He feeds him.
He lets him sleep again.
He feeds him again.
No lecture. No rebuke. No “Elijah, after all I’ve done…” speech.
Just food and rest.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing God gives a man is a nap and a meal.
God deals with Elijah as a whole person, not just a theological problem.

1 Kings 19:4–6 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A4-6&version=NKJV
1 Kings 19:7–8 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A7-8&version=NKJV
________________________________________

3. God Listens to Distorted Perspective Without Panic
When God finally speaks, He asks a question:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Elijah answers with a mixture of truth and distortion. He has been zealous—that part is true. But then: “I alone am left.” That part is not.
God lets him speak it out.
This is important. God is not threatened by your discouraged version of reality. He hears it fully before correcting it gently.
Exhaustion often rewrites the story in our heads. God does not shame us for that—He meets us in it.

1 Kings 19:9–10 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A9-10&version=NKJV
Psalm 62:8 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+62%3A8&version=NKJV
________________________________________

4. God Is Not Always in the Spectacular
Elijah had just seen fire fall from heaven. If anyone expected God to show up dramatically again, it would be him.
Instead—wind, earthquake, fire… and God is in none of them.
Then comes a still small voice.
God is not abandoning power—He is revealing something deeper. Elijah does not need another spectacle. He needs restoration.
The God of Mount Carmel is also the God of quiet caves.
And often, the exhausted soul is healed not by noise, but by gentleness.

1 Kings 19:11–12 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A11-12&version=NKJV
Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+30%3A15&version=NKJV
________________________________________

5. God Corrects Without Crushing
After Elijah speaks again, God does correct him.
“You are not alone.”
Seven thousand remain.
Notice how God does this. He does not mock Elijah’s perspective. He replaces it.
Exhaustion narrows vision. God widens it.
This is divine faithfulness—not agreeing with our despair, but not abandoning us to it either.

1 Kings 19:14 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A14&version=NKJV
1 Kings 19:18 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A18&version=NKJV
________________________________________

6. God Sends Him Back—Not Because He Failed, but Because He Is Not Finished
God’s final act is not to retire Elijah.
He recommissions him.
“Go, return…”
Elijah is still part of the plan. His exhaustion did not disqualify him. His collapse did not cancel his calling.
God restores him and sends him back into meaningful work.
Faithfulness is not proven by never collapsing. It is proven by being restored and continuing on.

1 Kings 19:15 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A15&version=NKJV
Galatians 6:9 (NKJV):
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+6%3A9&version=NKJV

________________________________________

Reflection Questions
1. Why do you think Elijah collapsed so quickly after such a great victory (1 Kings 18–19)?
2. What does God’s response to Elijah teach you about how He deals with exhaustion?
3. In what ways might your current perspective be shaped by fatigue rather than truth?
4. How does it encourage you that God recommissioned Elijah instead of replacing him?

________________________________________

Prayer Points
1. Thank God that He deals gently with you in seasons of exhaustion.
2. Ask for the humility to receive rest, not just push through.
3. Pray for clarity where fatigue has distorted your thinking.
4. Ask God for renewed strength to continue in what He has called you to do.

________________________________________

For Further Study (NKJV):
Psalm 23:1–3
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+23%3A1-3&version=NKJV
Matthew 11:28–30
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-30&version=NKJV
2 Corinthians 12:9–10
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+12%3A9-10&version=NKJV
________________________________________
#HolyWitBibleStudy #GodIsFaithful #Elijah #GordonMcGinnis

THE FIRST 15.
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3

I used to be scared to death any time I heard someone talking about the devil. He always seemed so cunning, too cunning, for me to handle. I saw Christian after Christian enveloped in temptation fall away from what seemed to be God’s will for their life. I heard about the ways in which the world was so tricked by his schemes. And I thought I would never be able to fully defeat this strong and cunning foe.

Do you feel that way? Does your enemy seem too strong to defeat? Does he seem too cunning to outwit? Does it feel like he has so grasped you in his clutches that escape is impossible? The most important fact for you to know about Satan is that he is the father of all lies. John 8:44 says, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Let that truth sink in for a minute. Everything the devil tells you is a lie. He cannot speak full truth. Everything he tells you is in opposition to God, who is the author of all truth. All of the devil’s whispers about his strength and your inability to defeat him are in opposition to the word of God. May we find blissful freedom today in the powerful words of our loving, truthful heavenly Father. May we allow his Spirit to come in and correct the lies of the enemy we have believed so that we might walk in the abundant life available to us through Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Our heavenly Father is a perfect, capable protector from Satan. He promises to establish us and guard us. He is always with us and always knows exactly what we need in order to withstand the temptations of the evil one. 1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” The Holy Spirit will always provide us an exit from temptation. Always. There will never be a temptation that comes your way that you cannot escape when you are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

One of the enemy’s most used weapons is the lie that you cannot defeat him. He reminds us of our past failures, of his great cunning ways, and of his victories over us. He whispers that he is stronger than us and that we will give in eventually. All lies. Past failures do not have to dictate the outcome of future battles. In fact, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to use past failures to reveal to us ways in which he longed to lead us away from temptation, past sins become stepping stones on which we achieve future victories. Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” God’s grace lays the foundation for our victory over the enemy, not our own works. It was in his grace that Jesus died to set us free from this world and restore us to God. His grace leads us away from temptation. And it’s his grace that he offers us every time we confess our sins to him. God’s grace is powerful, freeing, perfect, and full of love. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our frame. But he is also perfectly capable of being strong in our weakness if we allow him to be.

You never have to fall into temptation again. God has a perfect plan for every temptation that comes your way. The enemy is not stronger than you. He is not more cunning than you. And he will not have victory over you because you have God, and God has defeated him. Your protector and guard is the very God who defeated the enemy at the cross and will throw him into the lake of fire, resulting in his ultimate destruction. That God lives inside of you, has grace for you, and plans to use your past failures and current weaknesses to powerfully defeat your enemy.

Spend time in prayer meditating on the truth of God’s power over the enemy. Reflect on your own life and allow the Spirit to take your past failures and turn them into future victories. And allow Scripture to fill you with truth to combat the future lies of the enemy.

1. Meditate on God’s faithful protection over you.

2. Reflect on your past failures. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which he was leading you away from temptation. What did he desire you to do so that you might walk in victory over your enemy? In what ways did he desire to protect you?

3. Allow the Spirit to empower you for future victories. Ask him to make you more aware of his leadership in future temptations and to empower you to follow him. Meditate on the truth of who you are in Christ and the truth of the enemy’s plans for you. May Scripture and the Holy Spirit empower you during this time for every temptation the enemy has planned for you.

It’s critical that we renew our mind to the truth of who we are in Christ on a daily basis. The enemy will never stop tempting us because he will never stop hating us and the God whom we belong to. But you can achieve victory over the enemy every single time because victory is already yours in Christ. You are the enemy’s no longer. You have been given a new nature of righteousness. The most powerful weapon you have is God’s word. Memorize Scripture about your new nature and allow it to redefine the way you see yourself. Walk in light of the incredible grace of God working in and through your life today.

Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 10

GOD'S CREATION = 100 / evolution = 0
BIRD SOUNDS ARE NOT JUST NOISE.

Most people hear birds and think nothing of it. Just background noise. A few chirps, maybe a song, something simple and instinctive. But what if those sounds are carrying structured information? What if what sounds random is actually organized, intentional, and rule-based?

Researchers studying birds like the New Zealand pūkeko are finding exactly that. Bird vocalizations are not all the same. There are short calls used for alerts or quick signals, and then there are longer sequences that follow patterns. These sequences have structure. They combine sound elements in specific ways, almost like building blocks, forming something far more complex than a simple noise.

Scientists recorded thousands of these calls and found that they operate on multiple levels. Individual sounds are combined into calls, and those calls are then arranged into sequences. Each level follows its own set of rules. That means a limited set of sounds can produce a wide range of messages. That is not randomness. That is organization.

And it doesn’t stop there. Some birds can adjust their calls based on urgency. Certain species pack critical information into the first note, allowing others to react instantly. Then they add more detail afterward, extending the signal depending on the level of danger. That is efficient communication. That is information being transmitted with precision.

Now step back and think about what that means. You have structured signals, layered communication, rule-based combinations, and purpose-driven delivery. This starts to look a lot less like accidental noise and a lot more like a system. A system designed to function.

Because information does not come from nowhere. Order does not arise from chaos without direction. What we are seeing in these birds is not the slow accumulation of meaningless sounds. It is a built-in communication system that works from the start.

And once again, creation is doing what it has always done. It is speaking. The question is not whether the message is there. The question is whether we are willing to recognize what it points to.

Good evening, brethren.

1. Evening devotion for today.

i. DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST
(COCIN DEVOTIONAL)

SUNDAY, 19TH APRIL, 2026.

SUB-THEME:
THE CROSS: CULMINATION OF GRACE.

TOPIC:
GRACE PERFECTED AT THE CROSS.

TEXT:
JOHN 19:28-30.
28 After this, when Jesus realized that everything was now completed, He said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), “I’m thirsty.” Psa 69:21
29 A jar of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to His mouth. Mat 27:48 [Mar 15:36]
30 After Jesus had taken the wine, He said, “It is finished.” Then He bowed His head and released His spirit. Joh 17:4 [Luk 23:46].

TOPIC:
GRACE PERFECTED AT THE CROSS.

THE MESSAGE:
"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn. 1:29), is fulfilled in this text. The statement, "It is finished," is not a cry of defeat but a proclamation of victory and the completion of the divine plan of redemption. The grace operating in the Old Testament through sacrifices, covenants, and prophetic promises culminated at Calvary. The Cross was not an accident; it was the appointed moment when God's justice and mercy kissed. Grace culminated in God's justice and mercy, where sin was judged, and sinners were justified. At the Cross, grace stopped being a concept and became an experience. Beloved, the unearned favour of God found its expression in Christ's willing sacrifice. Like the thief on the Cross, embrace the fullness of God's grace today.

REFLECTION:
Grace is ultimately expressed at the Cross.

PRAYER:
Lord, help me to live in the power of Your finished work. Amen.

MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:
COLOSSIANS 2:15.
"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:
1 CHRONICLES 21-25.

ii. Skip to content
Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth

Posted onApril 19, 2026 by Editor
Earthly Truth
Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals
Many Religions

All religions have tried to find God. All faiths have tried to reach God. All philosophies have tried to define God. All philologies have tried to express God. All searches prove fruitless.. except the discovery of the true Anointed. All Babel towers are laid waist.. save His strong arm, mighty to save. All definitions are worthless.. save the One Way, One Truth, One Life All expressions are inane.. save the One expressed through the Lord Jesus.

One Truth

The Bible is the only truth that stands as an eternal monument. The Scriptures alone are shrouded in ineffable glory. Every religion, faith, philosophy and philology are counterfeit toys.. cast in humanity’s path to avert the eye of mans’ understanding from truth. Every attempted definition negates God.. save those of sublime inspiration.

Many Vain Ideas

Take possession of your own vain ideas or distorted images of God and you will not glimpse the living One. Rest your hope on false ideas and relativism’s hypotheses of Him.. and the severed head your Dagon** will smash to the ground.

One Lone Voice

When the fluency and eloquence of poetic utterances about God is hushed.. when the extravagant tints of religious art have been stopped… when the last harmonic strains of musical praise drifts into silence – there is one lone voice that remains: I am the way and the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by Me. John 14:16

Chastened Heart

Only when silenced by the plethora of such considerations about God can we begin to contemplate the enormity of Who He is. Only with a chastened heart that is disciplined and stilled before His throne can we whisper with Job in the fullness of our time. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee – wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42: 5,6

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2. Evening devotion for today.

i. Evening Prayer

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. ⏤ Numbers 6:24-26

A day without prayer is a day without blessing, and a life without prayer is a life without power. ⏤ Leonard Ravenhill

We thank You, O God, for this blessed day. It began with grace, and grace has brightened all its sacred hours. We have seen Your face, and our hearts have been filled with joy. We have waited on You, and You have renewed our strength. We went to Your sanctuary, and You met us there and blessed us. We prayed to You, and You came near to us in love, breathing Your life into our souls.

Sanctify to us all the lessons and influences of this day. Help us remember the words You’ve spoken to us. May we carry in our hearts new desires, higher aspirations, and stronger determination from today’s devotions. May we be stronger for duty, more courageous for the challenges ahead, gentler in spirit, with more tender sympathies and sweeter affections—because we’ve seen You today.

Bless Your people everywhere with the rest and worship of this Sunday. May good come from every sermon preached, every lesson taught in Sunday school, and every holy word spoken in public or in private. May Your people be strengthened in their faith, their love increased, and their zeal deepened because of today’s ministry of Your word.

We now ask for special grace to prepare us for the work of the week ahead. We can’t foresee even one day. We don’t know what the future holds—not even the near future. But You know, and we will go forward into the unknown without fear. Everything will be well because You will lead us, and we’re not afraid to trust You. Choose the path for us. We wouldn’t choose for ourselves, even if we could, because Your wisdom is far greater than ours. So we commit everything to You, and we will go on in Your name. Amen.

https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/14/evening

#taptapstudio
#youdevotion.

This Week's Post from China Partnership

Editor’s note: This month we are praying for Xiangtan, a Hunan city not far outside of Changsha. Xiangtan church leaders say recent years have brought many ministry challenges: increased persecution and pressure, economic stress, and generally hardened hearts. It’s difficult to evangelize students, and they worry they are losing the next generation. These days, both discipleship and evangelism require intentional relational ministry, and Xiangtan leaders say they must walk with people a long time before they are willing to become open to the gospel.


Xiangtan: Ministry Challenges
China Partnership: What are some common challenges, fears, and struggles that you and your church encounter as you minister to people in your city? How can we pray for you?

First Quality, Then Quantity
Brother Hu: How can we build genuine spiritual life among believers? That is an enormous challenge.

Hunan people eat spicy food, are blunt, and tend to be “strong in the flesh.” For instance, 15 years ago I was in a park and saw a woman slap her husband’s face, right there in public. In the Xiangtan church today, we have many sisters, but it is difficult for them to lead their husbands or children to receive God’s word, come to church, and be blessed in the Lord. How can we build life, so we live abiding in Christ’s blessing? There must first be quality, then quantity.

These days, it’s harder and harder to share the gospel. Some elderly believers at our church have been Christians for more than 30 years. They love God and are willing to give. Their children are successful, but not one is willing to come to church. Another man I know brings his 90-year-old mother to church every week, but he himself does not believe.

How can we build life, so we live abiding in Christ’s blessing? There must first be quality, then quantity.

It’s as if there is a door that has been shut. We need God to open a door for the gospel. If God does not open that door, our lives won’t grow and our evangelism won’t bear fruit. The key issue is we are losing young people.

Old Modes Don’t Work
Pastor Li: Our challenges begin with evangelism. We used to share openly, but post-Covid, people are more and more guarded. We used to hand out gospel tracts or small gifts — none of that can be done now. The government doesn’t allow it, and people are more guarded, because there are too many scammers. If you offer someone a small gift, they throw it away because they are afraid. That is the state of society today.

Old modes of evangelism don’t work any longer. University ministry is restricted, and the church can’t go on campus. It’s even hard to organize social charity activities for the church, because our church is “illegal.” Right now, we teach believers to let “life influence life” in the sphere God has given us, because our gatherings are hidden and the church’s social influence is smaller.

It’s as if there is a door that has been shut. We need God to open a door for the gospel. If God does not open that door, our lives won’t grow and our evangelism won’t bear fruit.

We also have to pay attention to the “informant culture” in China. China operates using grid-style management. Oversight works through neighborhoods or local residential communities where people are encouraged to report one another. There are rewards for reporting illegal gatherings – even family gatherings – with too much noise or movement. This means there is immense pressure when we gather, and brothers and sisters feel this.

Although believers grew a great deal after our church was persecuted, not everyone is willing to face warnings from society or the government. If school officials or neighborhood committees or the police come to speak with someone, that’s tough. During the first wave of persecution, probably 70 to 80 percent of our church was called in for questioning. That’s a huge challenge. Although believers have grown, there is still fear. People understand the doctrine of suffering for the Lord – but when the moment really comes, there is still a struggle.

Fear and Fitting In
Brother Yang: The first challenge is government reporting. The second is government propaganda – in schools and workplaces and communities – about “cults.” Many people misunderstand house churches, thinking we are illegal.

On top of all this, because Xiangtan is the hometown of a great leader [Mao Zedong], a lot of people think their political stance will seem suspect if they enter our community. Some have strong reactions because of that.

In the countryside, where there is a tradition of ancestor worship, people think believing in Jesus means they won’t be able to stay in line with their clan. This makes them unwilling to take this step.

“We Have to Walk with Them a Long Time”
Brother Tan: These issues are partly because persecution is more intense. Many families are zealous and willing to dedicate themselves to the Lord. But some households have only one believing spouse – in those homes, the unbelieving spouse puts a lot of pressure on the Christian.

Because house churches don’t have legal status, our gatherings can be disrupted. Believers who work in public institutions often face pressure, and a lot of ministry can’t go forward.

Many young people are depressed… If we just try to reason with them, they are annoyed. It takes a lot of time and energy to build relationships, and we have to walk with them a long time before we can communicate truth.

Xiangtan people are full of anxiety because of the economy. They can’t keep up financially, and coming to gatherings can be difficult. Some are so occupied just trying to survive that they have no time or energy to hear the gospel.

Students have similar issues. Their culture is online, and it highly values personal entertainment, not social or outdoor activity. It’s hard to enter their world, which has its own circles and highly-stimulating entertainment. When students hear the gospel, it feels too traditional, too old-fashioned. They seek novelty, and tire of things quickly.

Students are influenced by post-modernism, and their schools repress them with constant pressure to study hard. Many young people are depressed or emotionally heavy. If we just try to reason with them, they are annoyed. It takes a lot of time and energy to build relationships, and we have to walk with them a long time before we can communicate truth to them. It is not easy.

“Love Has Cooled”
Sister Jiang: In this age of rampant material desire, people want to eat, drink, and be merry. They don’t have time for Jesus. They just want to have fun, play mahjong, and pursue things that profit them. One woman came to church for a while, but it didn’t seem like her heart ever really came in. She said, “There’s no payoff in going to church – but there is in playing mahjong!”

It’s very hard to shepherd and support people. When you evangelize, you have to be constantly attentive, accompanying people, building relationships. That takes a lot of thought and effort. Sometimes people come, but after a while they stop. It’s like the fellowship life of our church does not suit their tastes or fit what they are pursuing.

Those who share the gospel can feel discouraged, because it’s getting harder and harder. We need to recognize that life-on-life influence is harder than before. Before, if you handed out a tract, someone might show up. But it’s very difficult now.

Even believers have grown cold in heart after the pandemic and the persecution that followed. Love has cooled. What’s more, it’s hard to make money and the economy is sluggish, so some are just focused on earning a living or worrying about finances.

Brother Hu, Pastor Li, Brother Yang, Brother Tan, and Sister Jiang are pseudonyms for house church leaders in Xiangtan, Hunan Province.

Jesus stood up for what belongs to God. May we have the courage to do the same

#ZealForGod #FaithInAction #Lordsbook #PassionOfChrist #Courage

*“Thank You for the Music” (ABBA)*

And so, people from far and wide descended on the small town of Lindley this weekend. Friday was a flurry of activity in the town as the new VKB opened its doors. Numerous exhibitors were present, where visitors, pancake in hand, could marvel at the latest agricultural technology. Enormous pumpkins were entered in a competition, the largest of which weighed 20 kilograms. The sounds of OFM's music and the aroma of grilled meat greeted visitors at the grand new entrance, where rows of products and enthusiastic staff proudly welcomed customers.

The local hotel and guest house were fully booked for the weekend, and Lindley's streets were quite busy with traffic.

Saturday evening had a different sound than usual. At the Lindley Hotel, a group of singers from Bloemfontein put on a "Mama Mia, here we go again" ABBA performance.

You're probably ready to ask what all this has to do with prayer. Yes, that's precisely what's on my heart. Marelise and I were invited by friends to attend both of these events. The music of the ABBA performance took me back to my younger days when the group was just becoming famous and their songs were playing everywhere.

The music was very moving for me, and I stepped out of the hall. I contacted a few friends from my youth, my brothers, and also my daughter in England because she used to love singing ABBA songs when she was little. I stood by the door each time so they could clearly hear the music in the background.

And suddenly, everything became spiritual!

Saturday evening in South Africa is Sunday morning in New Zealand, and a friend of mine living in Auckland was in church at that very moment. Apparently, he also had to stand by the door, because I heard the most beautiful music in the background. At the same time that we were singing on one side of the earth: "Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thank you for all the joy they're bringing," they were singing on the other side of the earth: "I could sooner count the stars than number all Your ways. Though I only know in part, that part exceeds all praise. As sunlight fills the skies, Your goodness fills my life." And then I prayed that the ABBA singers would also come to church.

On Sunday mornings, there is often a church service in the chapel at the hotel. I made an effort to attend that service, expecting that the Father would answer my prayer regarding the ABBA singers. Marelise and I arrived at ten, and the preacher said he had just one song on his heart and invited us to sing it together. While he continued talking, I sensed that I should go and invite the ABBA people to come and sing one last song together before they left.

I stepped out and saw that some of the people had already driven off. Quite bewildered, I went to the restroom, and behind the closed door, I asked the Lord what I should do. At that moment, I heard voices outside the door. I stepped out, and there stood the last two members. In response to my invitation, one replied that they would even bring a guitar.

A few minutes later, they stood with us around the piano singing hymns. What a privilege!

And then the singer suggested we sing another song, one that deeply touched my heart: "Let your living water flow over my soul." And then the chorus repeats: "Father, Father, Father." The ABBA singer, without realizing it, led us to sing about and affirm our Father's fatherhood and intimacy. The word ABBA in Romans 8:15 places us under the Spirit of adoption as His children, through whom we cry: Abba, which means Father!

That church service then turned into a song service. The ABBA singer was so excited to be able to sing gospel music again.

*Prayer for ABBA:*
_Abba ... Father, thank you that we can find You everywhere ... even in the words of a song. Turn our hearts back to You continually in everything we do. And may we, from this small place called Lindley, also serve the nations. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen._

*What began with a pancake and a pumpkin, and with "Thank you for the music," and with the name ABBA, ended in prayer and the intimate whisper: "Abba, Father!"*

Peet Bekker, April 2026, Lindley/Ntha
#peetbekker #radiokansel #radiopulpit #pilgrimstories #abba