2-23-25 Cawood Church Of God Sunday service: Why God Sends Us to the Unqualified: Discovering a Widow’s Faith

An inspiring exploration of faith and obedience through Elijah's journey. This episode highlights the importance of trusting God's provision, even when circumstances seem dire. Listeners will learn about the significance of isolation for spiritual growth, the concept of divine timing, and unexpected sources of blessing.

• Reflection on the hymn "Victory in Jesus" 
• The importance of isolation and trust in God during challenging times 
• Elijah's journey from Cherith to Zarephath 
• God's divine provision through an unqualified widow 
• Themes of obedience and giving all to God 
• The impact of God's timing in our lives 
• Lessons learned from preparing for miracles in our struggles 
• Calls to reflect on personal faith journeys 

Chapters

• 0:00 Victory in Jesus Song Reflection
• 7:00 Opening Thoughts on Elijah and the Drought
• 17:00 The Journey to Cherith and Its Lessons
• 42:00 Trust and Obey: The Path of Righteousness
• 1:12:00 God’s Provision in Troubling Times
• 1:49:00 The Widow at Zarephath: A Meeting with Destiny
• 2:49:00 God Uses the Unqualified: Lessons on Faith
• 4:00:00 The Power of Obedience in God's Plans
• 4:46:00 Conclusion and Calls to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

I'm glad for victory in Jesus. For those keeping score, that's page 120. Sister King at the Dresden Church of God used to run her 94-year-old self to the choir. She would sing victory in Jesus and would shout all over the place almost like she had victory in Jesus. Amen, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.

Speaker 1: 0:32

If you have your Bibles with you, let's go back to where we were last Sunday the book of first Kings, chapter 17,. The book of 1 Kings, chapter 17. 1 Kings 17. It gets gooder and gooder. How many of you know the Word of God gets better every time you read it. You can be seated. I don't know when I'm going to read to you.

Speaker 1: 1:04

Last week we looked in 1 Kings 17, verses 1 through 7. We saw where it wasn't going to rain for about three, three and a half years, because the prophet Elijah had spoken and said it's not going to rain. Why wasn't it going to rain? What brought on the need for no rain? Well, I'll tell you what it was.

Speaker 1: 1:30

The previous kings of Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord and the current king, which was Ahab, had done more. I think I read that to you in 1 Kings 6 and 33, that King Ahab had done more to provoke God to anger than any of the other Kings before him. So I want to be very clear with you today you do not do evil and get by with it. We'll say that again you do not do evil and get by with it. It just doesn't work that way. That's not how. That's not how this thing works. God has a way of getting our attention, amen. Aren't you glad that he cares about you enough? Amen, that he's not going to leave you in the condition you're in, but he's going to get you to where you need to be so we can call on his name and trust in him? Amen. So I want to say it for clarity's sake you do not do evil and get by.

Speaker 1: 2:28

Therefore, god told Elijah anytime there's evil taking place, how many of you know that God has to raise something up or somebody up? Amen, to declare righteousness and to preach holiness and to preach living right and to preach getting back to the ways of God? Amen, you're not going to stray very long before God gets your attention. Amen, I need your prayers today. Amen. As Sister Misty said, I don't know what's fighting against us, but something is Amen. But I'm going to go ahead and declare today, amen, that he that is within us is greater than he that is in the world. The word of God says if God be for us, who can be against us? Amen. So I desire and covet your prayers today, amen. But I want you to know something you can only stray so far before God will get your attention, before God will start speaking to you and start dealing with you. Amen, and start trying to get your attention. You and start dealing with you. Amen, and start trying to get your attention. Amen, not to forget who he is and what he does. Amen.

Speaker 1: 3:29

So God told Elijah to go. Amen. After he declared the drought, he said, even though there's not going to be water, amen, man of God, I'm going to lead you to a place, a hidden place. I'm going to send you all by yourself. I'm going to isolate you, I'm going to seclude you. Amen, because it's there that I'm going to speak to you. I want you to go to Cherith, and there's a brook in Cherith and there's cool, clear water flowing in Cherith, and the word Cherith means to cut off. So Elijah did as the Lord told him to do Elijah went to Cherith and there he found a brook, amen, and he was able to drink when he was thirsty.

Speaker 1: 4:11

But it was at Cherith, amen, that Elijah was isolated, and Elijah was secluded so that God could speak to him and cut some things off of him. I came to tell somebody today it's time that we lay aside the weights and the sins that doth so easily beset us, amen. It's time to cut some things off, things in our life that we know does not belong. It's time to cut it off. So we couple lessons we learned from last week.

Speaker 1: 4:49

Number one trust and obey. God gives one step before God gives the second step. God's waiting on us to obey the first one before he gives us the next one. We're a people that like to know the plan ahead of time. Sometimes God says you just need to blindly follow me, amen, you do what I say. If you do what I say in step one, then I'll give you step two, but you're not getting step two until you have successfully completed and obeyed and trusted me with step one. He didn't want to go to Cherith, undoubtedly, but he knew if he was going to live, he was going to have to go there and he knew that he had to trust and obey God. Number two, the second thing, and before I get to where we are today number two God will always somebody say always take care of the righteous, even if it means isolation.

Speaker 1: 5:51

This isn't easy preaching today. God will always take care of you when you're living right, but it might be in a place of lonesomeness loneliness where he can get you to yourself so he can talk to you, because you're not going to listen to him any other way. You're too busy. Thank you, holy Ghost. I don't know who this is, for. I told you, one of these days he's going to give me names and I'm going to say them Amen, amen, amen.

Speaker 1: 6:23

But you've surrounded yourself with too many voices. You take that up with God. God told me to say that you, you, you have, you have served, you have encamped yourself with voices you have and I'm going to take it a step further it's even people you love and you trust. Here's a word that's not a word that we use in Pentecost People, you confident, help me, jesus. And because the length of their garments, you trust the power of their words, and it might be their words are speaking the opposite of what God's trying to speak to you. I wish to God that you would start saying I know the voice of God, just like other people know the voice of God. People want you to think that you don't know the voice of God. Only they do. I don't know why I'm here, but here we are and I'm going to follow God's leading. Amen, you know his voice and you know his voice. And you know his voice and you know his voice. Stop surrounding yourself with voices and listen to his voice. That's why he took him to Cherith, so he could talk to Him. That might be why you're in a place of unfamiliarity. It's because God is trying to talk to you and teach you and show you and lead you and direct you into some things that he wants you to do.

Speaker 1: 7:59

Number three after you've trusted and obeyed and after you know that God is taking care of the righteous Amen. Number three God will provide. It may not be filet mignon and a Diet Coke. Come on, praise the Lord. If the president can have a Diet Coke button, so can the pastor right. Come on. Amen, praise the Lord. If the president can have a Diet Coke button, so can the pastor right. Come on, amen, praise the Lord. He'll provide. It might be water from a brook, but it'll be the best water you've ever drunk. It might be bread and flesh given to you from the ravens, the dirty birds of your life, but it'll be the best bread and meat you've ever eaten.

Speaker 1: 8:50

What did our parents and grandparents tell us? When you get hungry enough, you'll what. You'll eat it, even though there's still some that'll argue with you I'd rather die. No, you wouldn't. No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't rather die. You love you too much to die, man. When you get hungry enough, you'll eat it. I'm going to stand on this side and say this Him dogs will eat old Roy, when they get hungry enough. Tate, you're my bodyguard today, brother. Amen, no, I get it, I get it. I get what you clean up after they eat all, roy, I get all that. You don't want none of that, amen. After cleaning that up, one good time you'll go get on the good stuff, right, amen. But God will provide for you, god will make a way for you. God will some way open a door where there's no door even to be opened. God not only opens it, he creates it and then he opens it. Amen, amen.

Speaker 1: 9:52

I look around and I see people in this room, amen, and I'm including myself and all across the landscape of this congregation, amen. There are people, amen, that prior to Christ, we were living in the slums, so to speak. Right, come on, I need some people that'll admit amen and wave their hand in the air like they just don't care that before Jesus came into your life amen. You were one breath away from dying and being buried six feet under and spending eternity in a devil's hell. But guess what I said, guess what he saw you, he cared about you and he made a way for you. Now, lord, help me.

Speaker 1: 10:37

Jesus, I'm not doing this to call anybody out or to get into anybody's details, and I'm not going to. But, archie and Rebecca, when I look at you and I see, over the course of a couple years, where God has brought you from and to where you are today, I got good news for you too. God's not even close to being finished with what he's got in store. Why? Because you love the Lord, you worship the Lord, amen. When you didn't have two pennies to rub together, you were in this congregation with your hands lifted and your eyes to heaven, and God saw you and God heard to heaven. And God saw you and God heard you and God provided for you, and God made a way for you, and God's not even close to being finished with you. How many of you more could say that's me too, that's me too, but his grace was sufficient. He provides, he provides. It may not be the best of the best, because we've got a gospel that's being peddled today Peddled, pimped and promoted, a prosperity gospel, when there are people in third world countries who love Jesus just as much, if not more. You know why? Because they've had to love Him, they've had to love Him, they've had to trust Him and they live in very impoverished conditions, but they still love God, he still loves them and they're being provided for. Amen, god will provide.

Speaker 1: 12:44

Number four God will sometimes sustain you by means that you deem unfit and unqualified. The ravens were known as the unclean animal, were known as the unclean animal, and the church world of Harlan, the religious world of Harlan County today, would not eat it because they say it's unqualified. They won't partake in it because to them it's unfit. Let me tell you something. You better be careful. What you call unqualified and unfit. Do you know why Israel missed out on Jesus being the Messiah? Because he didn't come in a royal garment and riding on a stallion. He came in a tattered robe, on a borrowed donkey, and because of that they didn't receive him. You better be careful. What you call unfit and that's what makes religious people mad is when God uses people they deem unqualified. The ravens and we're going to get a little bit further here in just a minute. The ravens were considered unfit and unclean.

Speaker 1: 14:12

Number five God will make things dry up. The brook stopped flowing, brother Steve. It went from a steady flow to a stream, to a trickle. I'll tell you what Elijah didn't do. Elijah didn't get nervous. Elijah didn't get worked up. Elijah didn't get worked up. Elijah didn't get tore up. Elijah sat there. He sat there and he knew that if God brought me this far, he won't leave me for dead.

Speaker 1: 14:55

Verse 6. Verse 6. I'm sorry. Verse 8. You're good, you're good, you're good, you're good. And the word of the Lord came unto him saying so, while Elijah is sitting there watching the brook that God led him to dry up. He's sitting there waiting for the next step. He did not try to take matters into his own hands and do it himself. He did not try to get the cart before the horse and try to figure out God's will on his own. He sat there until verse 8 came to pass. Verse 8 said and pass. Verse 8 said, and the word of the Lord came unto him saying, and I believe Elijah said I knew you'd come through. I knew you'd come through.

Speaker 1: 15:53

How many of you can be truthful with me today and have thought there were times that God wasn't going to come through. Come on, come on, come on now. Don't be like that, don't be so religious. Come on now. In the spirit of tax season, tax returns, I told y'all in the group I've never heard of her. Amen, amen. We sit and we wonder if the way is going to be made. But Elijah sat there knowing that God is going to come through for me and the word of the Lord came unto him saying, I believe when, sister Serena, I believe, when the word of the Lord came unto Elijah, I believe he stood up because he was ready to go. All right, lord, I knew you'd come through. Listen to me. I'm just here encouraging you today. Listen to me. God's coming through, god's coming through. Some of you are down to your last dollar Before the week's over God's coming through. Some of you are down to your last dollar before the week's over God's coming through. Pastor, I just don't have it. I just don't have it to put in the blessing box. Bring it, bring it. I don't have to bring it. All I've got is one more can of SpaghettiOs and that's all we've got. The Lord is telling you right now. Go put it in that box, but I won't have Sunday dinner. Go put it in the box because the word of the Lord is coming to you today, amen. You see, elijah didn't have water and he didn't have food. Amen. You see, elijah didn't have water and he didn't have food. Amen. But he was where God told him to be and the word of the Lord came to him saying verse 9, come on. Verse 9, look here, look here, arise and get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zion, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you. Hang on a minute. Hang on a minute, arise and go to Zarephath. I believe he got on Google Maps and he typed in distance from Cherith to Zarephath. I'm going to tell you from my studies and your studies may be different, but from what I've studied, this is on foot, brother Jason, approximately a 100-mile journey on foot. Arise. The brook has dried up. This is now here. I've got another, I've got a new there for you. Amen, it is time for you to leave this dried up brook, because I'm sending you a hundred miles down the road to a place called Zarephath, and it's there. I've already told a widow woman what to do. Hold on, who fed him at Cherith? Or what fed him at Cherith? The what the ravens? The ravens were considered what Unclean. Now he said I want you to go to Zarephath. I've commanded a Gentile woman. I've commanded a Gentile widow woman. Strike one, she's a Gentile.

Speaker 1: 19:39

In Bible days Jews had no dealings with Gentiles and Gentiles had no dealings with Jews. It was a two-way street. It wasn't a one-way street. So the Jews had nothing to do with the Gentiles and the Gentiles had nothing to do with the Jews. The Jews thought the Gentiles were unclean and unfit, unqualified. Unqualified why? Because they don't look like us, they don't worship like us, they don't act like us, they don't live like us, they don't do like us. So they must be unfit, unclean and unqualified. And the Gentiles thought the Jews were too holy for their robes. I about said britches. Anyway, they didn't wear them. So we've got another dilemma. I want you to go to Zarephath. Oh, it gets deeper than that. It gets deeper than that.

Speaker 1: 20:44

Guess what Zarephath is, the hometown of Baal worship. Guess what Elijah's command was to do several years prior to this To declare judgment upon Baal worship. B-a-a-l. It was an idol, god, that all the people worshiped and God told Elijah to proclaim judgment on the people of Baal worship. It's easy, I promise you I'm going somewhere.

Speaker 1: 21:18

Let's say this is Zarephath, this whole section is Zarephath. It's easy for me to proclaim judgment on Zarephath from here. Judgment's coming to all you bunch of unfit people. It's easy to preach on Facebook and TV and internet and radio without an audience to look at and to know who you're preaching to. But now God said I want you to go to Zarephath. He's already proclaimed judgment on this bunch. Sorry, I didn't mean to step on you. Sister Faye Punch me right in the gut, not you. What's an adverb? Anyway, billy knows. So now he's in the middle of the people who worship Baal and, physically speaking, he's in the middle of the people who worship Baal and, physically speaking, he's alone. So now these people remember that this loud-mouthed preacher or prophet has already declared judgment upon them. And now God sent him to the middle of it. That's just like God. God sent him to the middle of it. That's just like God. He'll send you right to the middle of the mess that you're preaching to Hold on. So here he is.

Speaker 1: 22:49

And not only is this the town where Baal worship took place and was birthed Guess. What else Guess who? This is the home of, where Baal worship took place and was birthed. Guess, what else Guess who? This is the home of? Anybody know who was chasing Elijah and wanted him dead? Anybody. What was her name? Jezebel. This was Jezebel's hometown, guess, who still lived here, jezebel's dad. So now he's in the middle of a town where he's already declared judgment on the people, and he's also in a town of the father of the one who wanted his head on a platter and wanted him killed, and God has sent him right into the middle of it.

Speaker 1: 23:37

Now here's what we would do we would try to negotiate with God. Are you sure now you want me to go to this place where all these people are considered unfit, unclean and unqualified? God says that's exactly where I want you to go. Can I tell you why? Real quickly, real quickly, I promise I'm about to close Real quickly.

Speaker 1: 23:59

Why these people? These people, the land in which they live? Zarephath? It was actually won by Moses, amen. And it was actually distributed. It was actually distributed to the tribe, the Israeli tribe of Asher. So Asher comes in, brother Jamie, they come in, the people of Asher's tribe. They come in, they conquer the land.

Speaker 1: 24:25

But guess what they were told to do? They were told to drive out the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Mosquitobites, all those people. But there was one group of people they didn't make leave and it was the Canaanites. All those other ites left except the Canaanites. And you may say, well, I can handle one out of 15, 20 groups of people. No, no, no. Let me tell you something One group of people have the ability to destroy the whole thing. So because they didn't drive out the Canaanites, now the Canaanites have multiplied and now they've taken back over.

Speaker 1: 25:09

So now God has sent him to Zarephath to dwell there and he said I have commanded a widow woman to feed you. And he said I have commanded a widow woman to feed you, sister Gala, she's a widow. So it would be like God sending Elijah to this widow woman. Or maybe you have a situation in your life that the enemy wants you to think that you're some kind of not qualified to do the work of God. You see, he wants to say you're a woman, or you're a widow, or you're this or you're that. Or he wants to say you're this, or you've done this sin, or you've committed that sin, or you've committed another sin and you're unqualified. And I'll tell you this there are church people that'll do you the same way. They'll write you off. I'm going somewhere because I want to help you today, all right. So now he's told to go there and there was a widow woman that was going to sustain him. So guess what happens? I would use leacate, but I won't. She'll be mortified.

Speaker 1: 26:13

Come here, nikki. Come here. So Nikki's over here gathering sticks. She is going to play the part of the widow woman. She's over here gathering sticks. Just stand there, you're good. She's at the gate gathering sticks. You know why she's gathering sticks? Because she has just enough oil and just enough meal or flour for her to bake her and her son one more cake, and they're going to eat it and they're going to die. She's got just enough oil and just enough flour and the same exact time, she's at the gate gathering sticks.

Speaker 1: 26:59

Guess who shows up from a hundred mile on foot journey at the gate at the same exact time Elijah, because God's timing is perfect. This is not coincidence. She's not here to feed this man, she's here to gather sticks to go home and prepare a fire and bake a cake for her and her son to die. But wait a minute, I thought. God said I have told a widow woman to sustain you. He has, she just don't know it yet. So at the same time she's there preparing for death, a prophet comes up to provide life, not just for her and her son, but for him too. Everybody wins in this story. This is a story where everybody gets a trophy.

Speaker 1: 27:55

God's timing you write that down. Somebody needs that today. God's timing is you write that down, somebody needs that today. God's timing is perfect. It's perfect. You're going to be at the right place at the right time that God is going to provide for you.

Speaker 1: 28:10

Right then. And it's not coincidence Listen to me, christian. Listen to me, christian. You need to eliminate from your vocabulary the words luck, coincidence, happenstance. If you've got a ball game, you're not getting good luck out of me, because there's no such thing. You're going to get best wishes, play hard, do your best, but it ain't got nothing to do with luck, because there's no such thing. And it should not even be remotely in the vocabulary of someone who lives by faith, because faith and luck are contradictory one to another, because what luck takes credit for, it was faith somewhere down the line that made the way for you. It wasn't luck, it was faith. So stop saying good luck. There's no such thing. God's timing is perfect. You hear me? God is making a way for all of you, not some of you. All of you, hear me. Now God's making a way for you. I feel that. I feel that I feel that I'm not saved. Preacher, god's making a way for you, amen. God's doing some great things for you, amen.

Speaker 1: 29:32

So at the exact time he shows up, at the exact time he shows up, and here's this poor widow woman that has barely enough oil and just enough flour to make a cake for her and her son, and they're going to die after they eat it. And here comes this preacher that says make it for me. God didn't send Elijah to a CEO. God didn't send Elijah to a billionaire or a millionaire In a minute. God didn't send Elijah to somebody who could easily meet the need and never miss it, to somebody who could easily meet the need and never miss it. God sent Elijah to a woman who couldn't even take care of herself and her child, let alone some stranger. I want you to pay attention. So he arose and went to Zarephath. I love the Bible. I do wish that they would have.

Speaker 1: 31:03

I do think there are times that we don't get the full effect of what was going on. Was Elijah hesitant? I don't know. It doesn't say that he was. So all we can go by is he jumped to his feet and he headed to Zarephath. Was Elijah hesitant? I don't know, it doesn't say that he was. So all we can go by is he jumped to his feet and he headed to Zarephath.

Speaker 1: 31:18

What would you have done? A hundred miles? Nobody. Are you kidding me, you, god? Come on, come on. There's some of you that shook your fist at God. A hundred miles? How do you expect me to get a hundred? What is it? Martha Lou would say to me hey, mom, bring me a bottle of water. What would she say? You got two good legs, come get it yourself. But you're coming. You'll appreciate it more if you come get it yourself.

Speaker 1: 32:09

So he arose, and I don't see any questioning. I don't see any complaining. I don't see any questioning. I don't see any complaining. I don't see any negotiating. I don't see. Can you just zap me? Can you just translate me? Can you just teleport me from here to there? No, because every mile of the way a lesson had to be learned, and it was another time for him and God only to be together. I'm telling you, I'm telling you, your prayer life and your study life cannot be in the middle of chaos. You've got to steal away and do it.

Speaker 1: 32:46

So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold the widow woman. The widow woman, the one that God had spoken to, was there gathering sticks, and he saw her. She wasn't there to meet a preacher. She was there gathering sticks, but little did she know she was having a meeting with destiny. I need to get this. You may think you're just going to work that day, but you may be going to a meeting with destiny. Be on the lookout.

Speaker 1: 33:34

Why do we walk around? I mean, there's some Christians. I see some of y'all walk around. I don't want what you got. You look like you've been sucking on a sour lemon. Have you ever met those Christians that look miserable? Put a smile on your face and act like Jesus is in your heart and you're on your way to heaven, would you? Don't be that person that people dread seeing you come, because when they ask you how you are, you're going to spend 10 minutes complaining about it. Come on, oh, I could name her name. Baby Worked at Magic Mart. I'd be like Mother. Please don't ask her how she's doing today. So help me, god, out of routine. How are you? I'm like, oh goodness, and you're looking for a button with a trap door for either you or her. At that point you don't really care.

Speaker 1: 34:37

The Bible says be not forgetful to entertain. Huh, be not forgetful to entertain angels. Somebody say angels Because thereby some have entertained angels unaware. Did you know that person with that sign at the end of the interstate that said needs help may have been an angel. I'll never forget it Nailed a sign, brother.

Speaker 1: 35:07

Steve. Didn't say need money. Didn't say need food. Didn't say need work. Didn't say need groceries. Didn't say need food. Didn't say need work. Didn't say need groceries. Didn't say need a hamburger. Didn't say need a cigarette. Didn't say need a bottle of beer or whiskey or whatever. You know what it said Need help. You know what that could mean. That could mean an array of things.

Speaker 1: 35:38

I drove on by them, like we normally do. Anybody Come on and we immediately start justifying why we're driving by them. Bless God, I can't give them money. They'll go buy booze. First of all, if God told you to give them money, it's not your money anymore anyway, and what they do with it is on them and it ain't got nothing to do with you. And no, that little excuse you use. Well, I don't want to support their. That's not the point. The point is they need help and what they do with what you give is between them and God. But you had a meeting with destiny and you obeyed God and did what God said to do Need help.

Speaker 1: 36:15

I drove by, I got about a mile down the road and the Holy Ghost. Anybody ever had an encounter with him. I ain't talking about the shouter, the tongue talker, the prophet and the falling out and the running and the dancing and the swinging. I'm not talking about that part of the Holy Ghost. I'm talking about the part of the Holy Ghost that makes you feel like a low down, dirty dog. It's called conviction. Aren't you glad that he cares enough about us to still?

Speaker 1: 36:40

convict our hearts Need help, need help. I drove by making myself feel all kinds of good, going to go home, going to go sleep, like a baby, amen. But the Spirit of the Lord got a hold to me. There's a song we used to sing. Something got a hold of me, amen. And I immediately thought if Jesus saw the man that said needs help, what would he have done? He would have crossed four lanes of traffic to say what can I do for you, my child.

Speaker 1: 37:21

So my point is you may have an appointment with destiny. Be on the lookout. There may be angels show up at your job tomorrow. There may be an angel show up in the bread aisle when you go to the store today. There may be an angel at the restaurant when you go eat today. You need to be on the lookout for angels because it might be a meeting with your destiny and you don't want your destiny to be delayed another minute, do you? No, it may be that God has something not only for them, but also for you.

Speaker 1: 37:49

So she's not there collecting sticks, she's not there thinking. What she's doing is what she's supposed to be doing. She's there because there's an appointment and there's a meeting with her destiny. So here. I'm about to close. Tyler, come back, whoever's with him, come back. Look here, look here, fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel that I may drink. Go to 11. Go to 11.

Speaker 1: 38:25

And as, turn that way, just face that way, as she's going to get him some water, he said, oh yeah, as she's going to get him some water. He said oh yeah, and as she was going to fetch it, he called to her and said hey, by the way, bring me some bread with you. Yeah, maybe you didn't hear what I said a while ago. She had just a little bit of oil and a little bit of flour or meal to make her and her son. One more cake to divide between them, and they were going to eat it and die. Yeah, and die.

Speaker 1: 39:14

And here God does sends the man of God not to the richest man in Zarephath, but to the poorest widow woman of Zarephath. Not only did the ravens have to feed him, which were considered unfit, now we've got a Gentile widow woman, man that tears up every religious doctrine ever known to man, because now God is going to use a three-strike rule to sustain the man of God. A Gentile widow woman. I don't believe in this and I don't believe in that. I'm going to tell you right now You'll eat when you're hungry. He said by the way, I'm closing with this, by the way bring me the bread. Listen, he wasn't asking for a portion, he was asking for all she had left. Did you hear me?

Speaker 1: 40:46

For those of you that say the amount doesn't matter probably the dollar number, amount doesn't matter, but the amount matters. God doesn't want you to give him a little, god wants you to give him all of it. He said don't just bring me a portion of what you and your son are going to eat. Bring me all of it. Stop a minute right now. Right now, I'm probably going to tell that preacher one Come on, me and my baby. This preacher, come on, come on. He must be one of those prosperity preachers. He must be one of those prosperity preachers.

Speaker 1: 41:37

First of all, I am not a prosperity preacher, but I do know this. God has a plan for this church and it's going to happen one way or another, if he sees fit for it to happen. Don't bring me a portion of it, sister, bring me all of it. I'm going to stop there. I'll get to the rest of it next week. What I want you to know right now is that God doesn't want a Monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday version of you and just a Sunday to him. He doesn't want just a portion of you, he wants all of you. And I'm going to tell you right now you can tell your mind and your brain that you're on your way to heaven. But if you're not living right and you're not living according to that book right there, and you're not doing what God says to do, heaven is not yours. I don't care when they sprinkled you, I don't care how many times you've been dunked. You could be dunked so many times. The fish know you by name. That doesn't matter. That doesn't matter. You must be born again. You must be born again.

Speaker 1: 42:48

We're having prayer next Saturday. I hope there's so many names on Georgina's list back there in the sound booth that there's so many people show up here to pray. Everybody shows up on Sunday. We need some people to show up on Saturday to pray for one hour. For one hour. She said it a while ago.

Speaker 1: 43:09

The disciples fell asleep. Jesus came back and found them. What did he say to them? Them, could you not pray with me for an hour? Sleep on at that point. That's what he said sleep on, sleep on.

Speaker 1: 43:25

So here's what I want you to know today. Listen to me, god may send you into the middle of your trouble to shine your light to a people that need to see the light of Jesus. Are you willing to go, number two? Number two it may be a 100-mile journey on foot. Are you willing to go where he says to go, no matter the terrain, no matter the time it takes? He wants you to obey Him. Number three Now we're going to shift gears.

Speaker 1: 44:02

Are you going to be the woman who's gathering sticks and tells the man forget you, or are you going to offer it all to Him? I'm not talking about your money. I'm talking about you Because when you give it all to God, your money, not talking about your money. I'm talking about you Because when you give it all to God, your money and everything else falls into place. Are you going to give it all to God? He don't want portions of you, he wants all of you. Stand to your feet, father.

Speaker 1: 44:45

We know, lord Jesus, that there is a heaven to gain and there is a hell to gain and there is a hell to shine. And, lord, we know that everybody under the sound of my voice today, right now, right now. Right now, everybody is either going to heaven or hell if they leave this world today. I pray that Lord, we will recognize the state of our soul and we will determine today that we're going to give it all to Jesus. How many of you right now, with every head bowed and every eye closed, You're here today and it's heaven or hell. And the thing of that is only you and God know. Only you and God know where you stand. I've already told you right now, god's making a way for you, god's making a provision for you. I believe with all of my heart right now that before the week, this coming week, is over, that God will have supplied your needs some way, need some way, and maybe God's going to use you to supply somebody's need.

Speaker 1: 46:26

The one lady in the Bible gave her two mites. Again, it wasn't the dollar number, it was the amount. She gave it all, not just a portion. And you've tried to give God a couple days a week, but God says this thing's not going any further until you surrender everything to me. Who are you today? I'm going to follow the Lord, the leading of God, if that's okay, jacey, I want you to come stand down here, and Christian and Jared. Vicki, would you come up here? Callie, you and the baby come, and Kaylee, is Elora still standing back there? Elora, come on up here, turn around face. I'm just following the leading of.

Speaker 1: 47:52

God. I want you to know that God is here today to do something. I feel a drawing. I feel a drawing Number one. I don't care what your age is. If you're lost, you need Jesus. And Jesus will save you today, but I feel.

Speaker 2: 48:39

Hey, you're listening to the Caywood Church of God with Pastor John Carter. Hey, go check out our website at hor421showbuzzsproutcom for all your latest content and information. You can catch all the content on Google, apple, spotify or whatever platform you're choosing. If you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal, slash, hor421 or hor421showbuzzsproutcom. H-o-r-421showbuzzsproutcom. Recorded at the 421 studio. For contact information for all of your studio needs, you can email at H-O-R-421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502. Thank you.