The voice of the Lord cries out,
Burning like a fire
Summoning the earth
Calling the heavens
–
For the glory of the Lord
Encircles creation
And the voice of the Lord
Judges His people
–
And the heavens proclaim
As the earth joins in
Holy holy is the Lord
The Lord our Creator
Scripture
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
Observation
Elijah is soon to be taken up to heaven. He embarks on a journey, along with Elisha whom Elijah keeps on encouraging to stay, but Elisha insists on following him.
At Bethel, the company of prophets comes out and tells Elisha that the Lord is going to take Elijah away. Elijah tells them not to speak about this. This scenario is repeated at Jericho.
Elijah and Elisha cross the Jordan river at Jericho. Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.
A fiery chariot and horses come down and separate Elijah from Elisha, and Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind.
Application
Elisha is a true spiritual son to Elijah, and this is shown in his behaviour on this last day of Elijah’s life.
* he refuses to leave Elijah’s side as it becomes clear that Elijah is about to leave the earth
* he refuses to listen to those who self-importantly prophesy Elijah’s departure.
* he asks for the son’s inheritance- the “double portion”
* he is genuinely distressed when Elijah is taken up, more concerned about the relationship than his own promotion as the nation’s chief prophet.
Prayer
Lord stir up the spirit of sonship in me so that I might have the same love, loyalty and dedication to my leaders that Elisha had for Elijah. Amen.
Scripture
So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases and he cast out many demons. But, because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.
Observation
Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with high fever, so Jesus goes to her bedside and He heals her.
That evening many sick and demonised people are brought to Jesus and He heals them.
The next morning Jesus rises before daybreak to go to a lonely place to pray. Then He sets off travelling throughout Galilee preaching and casting out demons.
Application
Jesus was a man of action and not just theory. He preached, “The Kingdom of God is here” and demonstrated it with healing and casting out demons.
In the midst of the ministry, Jesus always took time out for prayer. In this passage He goes off before dawn to commune with the Father. At other times we read of Jesus drawing away to pray or spending whole nights in prayer.
I am sure that the two biggest reasons that we see so few healings in Australia are lack of faith and lack of prayer. By and large we don’t seek the Father enough. And we don’t believe that He will heal us or our friends who need healing.
Prayer
Lord I believe; help my unbelief. Build in me the faith in you that moves mountains, heals the sick and raises the dead. Amen.
In November of 1996 First Things hosted a symposium titled “The Judicial Usurpation of Politics” in which contributors discussed the threat to American democracy posed by the Supreme Court instated imposition of abortion on America. Nothing rivals the sheer volume of innocent human beings killed by abortion and yet First Things saw fit to focus not on the babies themselves or the mothers and fathers, but on the threat to democracy and the American experiment posed by the judicial over-reach that legalized abortion.
The legalization of same-sex “marriage” does not bring with it the innocent blood which cries to heaven, though it is perhaps the single most audacious social engineering initiative in American history. But the way in which it has been imposed in state after state, as courts have seen fit to ignore ballot initiatives, sets the stage for a United States Supreme Court ruling on par with Roe vs. Wade. The Supreme Court has announced it will rule on same-sex “marriage” in this sitting—exactly ten years after Canada legalized same-sex “marriage.” It is important for Americans to look at what has happened in Canada.
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex “marriage.” On that day the sun rose as it always does, people went to work, daily Mass was celebrated in Catholic Churches and daily life continued to unfold as it normally does. In the days and months following there was no massive spike in the numbers of same-sex couples getting “married” (it had already been legal in 8 of 10 provinces since 2003), the speculated upon possibility of same-sex “marriage” tourism from the United States never really materialized and the Canadian flag was not changed from the maple leaf to the LGBT rainbow. But something very significant happened with the legalization of same-sex “marriage” in Canada and it wasn’t about the freedom of gay people to marry, and it wasn’t really about marriage.
July 20, 2005 marked a very significant step towards totalitarianism in Canada.
Free speech, the rights of parents, the right to preach and practise one’s religion and the worn and tattered fibers of normative decency were all deeply damaged. With the legalization of same-sex “marriage” what had been aberrant only a few years earlier became entrenched as a legal right, and what had been a normal and natural view of sexuality had been reduced to the retrograde thinking of hate crime dinosaurs.
Read the rest here
Scripture
Preaching the good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News.
Observation
Paul preaches because it is God’s compulsion and calling . How terrible it would be for him to deny that calling.
If this was his own idea, Paul could demand payment for services rendered, as a right. But it is God’s call and therefore it is Paul’s privilege to preach without payment.
Paul lives in such a way as to open the doors for the Gospel, trying to find common ground with everyone to gain the right to save some.
Application
Paul preaches the Good News because it is a passion planted in him by the Lord.
We all need to find the one thing that God has planted us on this planet to do, and then go and do it with all our heart.
I have heard of young women going to remote parts of Africa and feeling that they have arrived home, and then achieving the most amazing things for God’s kingdom.
I have been called by God to Narrabri to pastor a congregation here, and I will do that for as long as I have the strength to do it, or until the Lord says it is time to move on.
When God calls is to a mission, He gives us all the resources and the passion to persevere until the job is done.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for the calling you have placed on my life. May I ever walk in that calling and be faithful to you in that. Amen.
Scripture
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired
and young men will fall in exhaustion
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength
They will soar high like eagles
They will run and not grow weary
They will walk and not faint.
Observation
The Lord is great and mighty, sitting high over the earth. People are just like grasshoppers to Him. He judges the princes and mighty ones of the world, blowing them away like chaff in the wind.
There is no one like the Lord who calls the stars by name, arranging them like a mighty army.
For those who trust Him, The Lord is their strength. He will raise them up on wings like eagles, and they will not grow weary.
Application
The Lord is greater than we can imagine- so powerful that He calls all the stars by name. He raises up princes and world leaders, and He pulls them down again.
This same God knows me by name too. When I trust Him, He renews my strength. When I turn to Him, He brings refreshment and energy to thrive in the midst of difficulties.
God is big enough to know the names of the stars, and to overthrow political and military powers.
He is big enough to know my name, to hear my prayers, and to overcome all the obstacles and bondages in my life.
Prayer
Lord you are amazing. I thank you for your great love for me. Help me to put my trust in you and to let you renew my strength. Amen.
From the ABC:
Chocolate lovers unimpressed as Cadbury cuts family block size by 20g, keeps price tag
Updated
A plan by Cadbury to cut the size of its 220g chocolate blocks while keeping the same retail price has left a bitter taste in the mouths of sweet tooths around Australia.
Cadbury confirmed its family size blocks, which are manufactured in Hobart’s northern suburbs, would be reduced to 200g.
In a statement, the Claremont-based chocolatier blamed rising manufacturing costs for the size reduction.
The company said it was being upfront about the change before the smaller chocolate blocks hit supermarket shelves.
“We had to make a choice – increase the price we recommend to our retailers or change the size a little,” it said.
“We wanted to maintain the taste and quality while keeping Cadbury family blocks affordable as we know how important it is to people to maintain their shopping budget.”
But thousands of chocolate lovers on Cadbury’s Facebook page and on Twitter were unimpressed, blaming everything from corporate greed to Halal certification.
The number of comments climbed steadily, reaching 2,800 just hours after the announcement was posted at 3:00am (AEDT).
Some were thanking the company for being upfront and saving local jobs but others were scathing.
“Your logic is that if you start charging $4 for five rows people will still buy it? I know I won’t,” one person wrote on Facebook.
“So the slogan will be … with 3/4 glass of milk in every block. Boo to you Cadbury. What a load of rubbish,” another person wrote.
It it understood Cadbury has been struggling with the increasing cost of imported cocoa beans recently, asking about 300 of its Hobart-based staff to take a longer summer break in a bid to save money.
Cadbury employs about 500 workers at its Claremont plant.
The company was promised $16 million during the 2013 federal election campaign, which has yet to be handed over.
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