Is There No Prophet?

2 Kings 3:9-12

9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out; and when they had made a roundabout march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that were with them. 10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The Lord has summoned us, three kings, only to be handed over to Moab.” 11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” Then one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah, is here.” 12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

Upon the death of Ahab, the Moabites revolted against Israel.  Three kings banded together to stop the revolt; the king of Israel (who was Jezebel’s son), the king of Judah, and the king of Edom.

They marched their armies for seven days and stopped at a wadi that had no water for their armies or for the animals. The king of Israel feared that they would be defeated by the Moabites.  It was at this time of great physical need that they realized their great spiritual need.  They realized they needed the one true God.

Sometimes it takes a Moabite rebellion for us to discover that we cannot save ourselves.

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Baldy

2 Kings 2:23-25

“23 He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and then returned to Samaria.”

We often interpret things of the Bible through the eyes of our modern culture with our Western norms and values.  It is a mistake to read the Bible in this way.  The scripture above is an example of how we will be horrified, misled, and lost if we do.  

Today, calling someone “baldy” is not even regarded as an insult.  But in biblical days, lustrous hair was indicative of authority and God’s blessing.  We do not know if Elisha was bald, or balding but he, a prophet of God, was being insulted by people who knew who he was.   Calling Elisha bald was mocking his authority and calling him an imposter (a serious charge to make against any prophet of God).  Finally, their insults were, in effect, an insult to God. 

The punishment they received reflected the fact that this was not the first time the people of Bethel had insulted God.  Apparently this was  a repeated offense.  In Leviticus we read “If you continue hostile to me, and will not obey me,…I will let loose wild animals against you, and they shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock; they shall make you few in number, and your roads shall be deserted” (Lev. 26:21-22).

Through the eyes of the ancient Jewish people, the story of the killing of the 42 insolent youths, proved that Elijah was God’s prophet.  

Through our modern eyes, once we can get over the shock of the story, if we allow ourselves, we can see our own reflection in those youths and the people of Bethel, who mocked the things of God through their words and actions.  

And if we can see this, we can come to understand our desperate need for a savior.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Salt of Healing

2 Kings 2:19-22

“19 Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.”

We may think we know everything about the story of Jericho and how God caused the walls to come tumbling down.  But what we don’t remember is that Joshua, after the victory, put a curse on the city.  “Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries to build this city—this Jericho! At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation,and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!” (Joshua 6:26)

Elisha arrived in Jericho to find a city under God’s curse, with a spring of polluted water flowing into it that brought sickness and death to Jericho’s people, and barrenness to its lands. Elisha performed the miracle of cleansing the spring by He throwing salt into the spring. God, in His mercy, then used the salt to heal the water so that it became clean and life-giving.  Even to this day, the cleanest spring in Jericho is called Elisha’s spring.

Jesus told his disciples that they were “the salt of the world” (Matt. 5:13).  

Christianity offers the world healing and eternal life. 

Follow Christ.  Be the salt.  

And offer the world living water.

“but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Allowing God to Lead

2 Kings 2:11-15

“11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.  13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.” 

Elisha watched as his adopted Father, his master and Lord, Elijah, ascended in a whirlwind to heaven.  This was a sign that God had given Elisha a double share of Elijah’s spirit.

The chariot of fire and horses of fire were a symbol of God’s power, might and protection of Israel and were a message to Elisha as he began his ministry as Israel’s prophet. Elisha tore his clothes in grief, then picked up the mantle of Elijah.  

With the mantle he parted the waters of the Jordan as Elijah had done and crossed to the other side.  The 50 prophets waiting on the other side bowed down and recognized Elisha as God’s prophet.

I am sure that Elisha never forgot Elijah and always grieved over him.

But from our grief can come new purpose… if we allow God to lead us.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

A Double Share

2 Kings 2:7-10

“7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.” “9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10 He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 

Elijah wanted to be alone with Elisha in his final moments on earth.  Fifty prophets had followed them at a distance so Elijah, with God’s help, parted the waters of the Jordan river with his mantle (cloak). 

After they crossed, and out of sight from the fifty prophets, Elijah granted Elisha one request before he was taken up.  This was similar to the request that God gave to King Solomon (1 Kings 3:5).  Solomon asked for wisdom, and  Elisha requested something similar; he asked for a double share of Elijah’s spirit.  

Elijah was one of Israel’s greatest prophets.  A double share of his spirit meant that he wanted a double portion of God’s indwelling spirit.  It meant that he recognized that Elijah was a man of God and that his power, his words, his actions and his deeds were from God.  He saw how blessed Elijah was and what a blessing he was to Israel and Elisha asked for a double share so that he too could serve God in such a powerful way.

Elijah put the granting of this request squarely in the hands of God.  Elijah did not know how God planned to take him, but if God allowed Elisha to witness it, that would be a sign that God had granted Elisha’s request.

Interestingly, scripture records exactly twice as many miracles through Elisha as took place through Elijah.

When the time comes that the mantle of leadership is passed to us, let us recognize that it is God that works in us and through us.

And let us ask for a double share of His spirit so that we may serve Him better.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Sacrifice of Service

1 Kings 19:19-21

“19 So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21 He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”

Elijah threw his mantle or cloak, made of hair, over Elisha as he plowed a field.  This act signified that Elisha had not only been chosen to be Elijah’s disciple but that he had also been adopted as Elijah’s own (a person would throw his mantle on a child to indicate adoption).

When he asked Elijah for permission to go back and kiss his father and mother, Elijah rebuked him.  Because of this, Elisha sacrificed all 12 of his oxen in repentance.  

Then he set out to follow Elijah, and he became his servant.

Christians are to serve Christ.  To serve Christ is to love and serve others.  To love and serve others is to follow Christ.

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” John 12:26

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

What Are You Doing Here?

1 Kings 19:9-18

“9 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking 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 sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

God asked Elijah a question that is very hard to answer unless you have searched your very soul.  “What are you doing here?”  The answer Elijah gave was more of an excuse for being there and reflected his discouraged frame of mind. He was being hunted, his life was in danger, so he had fled there. 

God then gave Elijah a powerful experience of His presence; a great wind, an earthquake, a fire, and a sound of sheer silence. Out of the silence, God asked Elijah the same question, “What are you doing here?”  Elijah gave the same answer, showing no more insight than before the experience.

The answer was that God brought Elijah to Mount Horeb.  Ahab and Jezebel had nothing to do with his presence at Mount Horeb. He not only brought Elijah there, he brought him there for a purpose.

Elijah’s time on earth was indeed coming to an end, but first He was to anoint two Kings and a prophet.   The prophet, Elisha, would be anointed to take his place.  

God wants us to know that it is not the wealthy, the powerful, the Kings or the Queens of the world that control human history.  God is in control.  And after the chaos and turmoil of the world are over, a voice will come to us from the silence.

And it will be God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Bread of Life

1 Kings 19:5-9a

“5 Then he [Elijah] lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.”

Although Elijah was scared, frustrated and discouraged to the point of asking God to kill him, God looked after Elijah and planned to send Him on another journey, to a cave on Mount Horeb, which was the holy Mount, the mount of Moses and the burning bush, the mount where water flowed from the rock, the mount of the Ten Commandments, the holy mountain of God.

God intended to speak to Elijah in a special way, in this holy place.

Elijah ate the food given to him by God and was strengthened in such a way that he could travel 40 days and 40 nights.

Although we may be afraid or discouraged even to the point of death, God still loves us and can use us for His purposes.   All we have to do is eat the food given to us by God.

“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Fear of Elijah

1 Kings 19:1-4

“1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.”

Elijah had just killed 450 false prophets of Baal and 400 false prophets of Asherah.  God had demonstrated His awesome power to the people of Israel and they had praised God. Yet, Elijah was so stricken with fear because of a threatening letter from Jezebel that he fled into the wilderness over 130 miles away and he asked God to kill him.  What is going on?

The key to this puzzle lies in Elijah’s statement, “for I am no better than my ancestors.”  He was a man who was used by God to communicate His messages to the people of Israel; a man who could, with the help of God, work miracles; who was frequently so filled with the spirit of God that he could transport himself to different geographical locations instantly.  Elijah was to be regarded by the people of Israel as one of its greatest prophets.  Yet, he felt he was no different than the other prophets.  Why did he say this?

After Elijah had killed the false prophets of false gods, he discovered that the world had not changed.  Just like the other prophets, Elijah was unable to stem the flow of evil in Israel.  The weak Ahab was still King.  The evil Jezebel was still Queen, and she wanted him dead.  So, he fled into the wilderness and asked God to kill him.

As Christians, we may feel this same disappointment, that despite our efforts year after year, the poor remain poor, the lost remain lost, and the powerful continue to exploit the weak.  We may think, “What difference does it make whether the Church exists at all?”

But just because God does not meet our expectations, it does not mean that He is not working in the world.  God used Elijah according to His plans, His will, His schedule.  God may be using us to open the door, lay the groundwork, or to influence another person that He will use in a more powerful way than He used us.

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” (1Cor. 3:19)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Embrace the Light

1 Kings 18:40-46

“40 Elijah said to them (the people), “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there. 41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Then he said, “Go again seven times.” 44 At the seventh time he said, “Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.” Then he said, “Go say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” 45 In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was a heavy rain. Ahab rode off and went to Jezreel. 46 But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”

Elijah killed 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.  The reason for their deaths was that they were proven to be false prophets (Deut. 18:20-22).  Since the prophets of Baal and Asherah were not prophets of the one true God and had led the people of God astray, they had to be killed so that they would no longer be able to deceive the people.

Since the people of Israel were now praising God, Elijah told Ahab through a messenger that the rains would fall.  Instead of dealing with Elijah himself, Ahab fled to Jezreel, where his Queen, Jezebel, was.

When Ahab saw the power of the God of Israel and the impotence of Baal and Asherah, his response was not to embrace the God of Israel, but to embrace Jezebel, the Queen who was, in reality, the king’s false god.  Ahab chose to embrace  darkness rather than the light of God.

The power and the presence of God surround us, yet we continue to embrace the false gods and false truths of this world.

Jesus said, “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

Embrace the light.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Lord Indeed is God

1 Kings:18:32-39

“32 with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 33 Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. Again he said, “Do it a third time”; and they did it a third time, 35 so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water. 36 At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.”

Ahab, the evil King of Israel, had led the people of Israel astray through the worship of false gods.  Elijah led them back to the one true God.

Paul said that faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  The people of Israel had little faith and it took an act of power to convince them that the God that had led them out of Egypt and into the promised land was indeed real.

What does it take to convince us that God is real, a prayer that is answered, a miracle healing, God’s audible voice?

We are to accept the existence of the one true God on faith.  And on our faith journey maybe our prayers will be answered, maybe someone will be healed, maybe we will hear God’s voice.  But if we do not, God still exists; God is still present and working in the world.

The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The One True God

1 Kings 18:20-29

“20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty. 23 Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.” All the people answered, “Well spoken!” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. 29 As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.”

Elijah contrived a way to demonstrate that the gods that Ahab, Jezebel, and the prophets of Baal had been worshiping were false gods, and that the prophets of Baal were false prophets.  The test was simple.  He asked the prophets of Baal to put some meat on an altar and ask Baal to set it on fire.

The prophets cried out to Baal all morning and cut themselves with swords and lances to show their sincerity, but still no fire.

We sometimes, in our time of need, call out to our false gods; the gods of money, materialism, popularity, fame, power, ambition, drugs, alcohol, etc.  But they never solve our problems, in fact they may compound our problems.

There is only one true God.  

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Willing to Serve

1 Kings 18: 5-6

“5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.”

Obadiah, a good man, a man of God, served God in secret and served Ahab, an evil king and ruler, each day.  Reading about Obadiah today, we may think that Obadiah should have chosen God and distanced himself from Ahab; that Obadiah should not have helped Ahab find good pastures for his animals or managed his palace.

But Obadiah saw his position as Ahab’s palace manager as an opportunity to serve God.  He used his wealth and influence to keep the prophets of God alive.

We may think that we can serve God only in the company of godly people.  The examples of Obadiah, Moses, Abraham, Paul, Philip, show us that it is possible to serve God in all places and in all situations. 

All we have to do is listen to God’s Holy Spirit, be open to the possibilities,… and be willing to serve.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Even in Chaos

1 Kings 18: 1-4

“1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; 4 when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)”

After WWII, stories began to spread about the people who helped to save the Jews who were being persecuted and killed by the Nazis.  These were people who risked their lives as well as the lives of their family members to help people they did not know.  They saved thousands of lives as well as the children, the grandchildren and the great grandchildren who were born of these people. 

Obadiah was such a person.  Jezebel, the wife of the bad King, Ahab, was killing the prophets of the one true God.  Obadiah was a man of importance and position, but above all he loved the Lord.  

Because of his love for God he risked everything he had and his life when he hid 100 of the prophets of God in caves in various places.  He not only hid them, he continued to visit them and give them food and water.

Throughout history humans have persecuted and killed innocent people and fought wars that have caused massive destruction and loss of life; 

But even in the midst of this chaos God’s love has survived through the lives and actions of a few people who were willing to risk everything because of their love of God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Never Quench the Spirit

1 Kings 18:17-19

“17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Ahab, the evil King of Israel, had forsaken the one true God and begun worshiping the Baals, yet he called Elijah the “troubler of Israel”.  Ahab blamed Elijah for the drought and the subsequent famine.  In reality, God had withheld the rain because of Ahab and his worship of false gods.

Our sins often cause us to be blind to the impact that our actions have and deaf to the people who try to offer us advice.  We become irritated by these “know-it-alls” and we might even blame them for the trouble that has arisen because of our sins.

The Holy Spirit that indwelles each believer, will convict us of our sins and lead us to repentance… only if we will listen to the voice of the Spirit.

“Never quench the Spirit.” (1 Thess. 5:19)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)