Demon-Possessed, Blind, and Mute Man | Miracles of Jesus Christ

You may remember reading about Jesus delivering the demon-possessed man who could not speak and once he was made whole, he could talk and the people marveled. If you missed that study, you can read it here. Today we will read Matthew and Luke's accounts of Jesus healing another man demon-possessed and unable to speak but also blind. As with all of these miracles of Jesus, we will find that the healing was not the only thing taking place, but also Jesus was building up a large witness against the religious leaders of that time who chose to not believe in Him. Let's look at the text together.

Matthew 12:22-24 Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and He healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Luke 11:14-16 And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven.

Someone who cared a lot about this man tormented of the demons that took ownership of his body, leaving him unable to speak or see, took him to Jesus to be healed. Someone must have known the power Jesus had over unclean spirits. We know from studying these miracles that Jesus has been getting more famous as He heals in ways no one had ever seen or heard of before. Jesus was doing the work of His Father and of course we see the religious leaders stalking Jesus yet again. They are not concerned about asking God to give them wisdom concerning Jesus and the miracles He performed, but they rather want to lord over Him. They are not pleased that He is not under their thumb. They are jealous and angry because people are looking to Him for healing and not running to them.

The world will persecute us because we bear the name of Jesus. The world is controlled by the devil and he hates Jesus. So we will be targeted as well, but we are to consider ourselves blessed if they persecute us because it means they see Jesus at work in us and through us. It is a good thing to be counted worthy of persecution. It confirms we are on the right path. Let's see what Jesus's response is to the doubters and accusers.

Matthew 12:25-29 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Luke 11:17-22 But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his good are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Jesus makes perfect sense here. He tells the crowd including the Pharisees and scribes, that if He was casting out the devil with the power of a devil, then He would be fighting against Himself. He then asks them what power and authority they are using to cast out devils. And I love the statement He makes, "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come to you." Meaning, if Jesus is casting out the devil by God's authority and power then they need to support Him and stop hindering Him or else they are fighting against God.

Jesus always explains how this is spiritual and not natural forces at work. Jesus is conquering the devil through the power of God but since that is too much for them to understand, He gives them an example anyone should understand. If you have a home and you choose to protect it, but someone bigger and stronger comes in, disables you from stopping them, they will rob you of all that you have. This is what is happening in the spirit realm. A demon is coming to these weaker vessels (humanity) and when given the opportunity the unclean spirit will dwell in that person and take over their life. It brings sickness, diseases, pain, and suffering. Jesus is stronger than the devil. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:18 "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." The devil has to obey Jesus. He is not smarter, stronger, or able to overtake Jesus. So when Jesus commands the unclean spirits to leave, they must obey because they are defeated.

Matthew 12:30-37 He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Luke 11:23 He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.

Jesus is drawing the line in the sand. The Pharisees need to make a choice. They can keep going against Him, or they can stand united with Him and conquer the forces of darkness. They must choose. Jesus makes it very clear that it is one way or the other. They cannot have it both ways. Jesus says if they are not gathering people together with Him, then they are scattering the people. In other words, Jesus is trying to unify the Body of Christ and these religious leaders are bringing division. They are jealous and angry because Jesus is doing righteous and good things.

Jesus tells those listening to Him, and He is telling us today, that we can know if someone is good or evil based on their actions. We can look at a tree and know it is an apple tree, an orange tree, or a cherry tree based on the kind of fruit hanging on the branches. We do not have to wonder what kind of tree it is. We can label it what it is based on the fruit it produces. We have the same ability to see what people are like based on the fruit in their life. Is it good fruit or bad fruit? Do they help others, serve in their community, honor God with their lifestyle and not just words? They have good fruit if they do these things. Do they help themselves, serve their own needs before looking out for others, honor themselves with lavish lifestyles and activities that only make them better, more prosperous, more popular? That is bad fruit. If they have pride and arrogance those are not fruits of the Spirit. We must watch and label people according to the fruit in their life.

Jesus also addresses the unpardonable sin. They can attack Jesus but when they say the Spirit of God at work in Him and through Him is an unclean spirit, they will never be forgiven of that: not in this lifetime nor eternity to come. It is unforgiveable. The Spirit of the Most High God is Holy and pure and blameless. It is blasphemy to speak such things and it is dangerous! 

Matthew 12:38-42 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered saying, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He answered, and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall not sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

These men are incredible! They literally just watched Jesus deliver this man of at least one demon and the man can speak and see again and yet they ask Jesus to give them a sign. What are they even doing? Jesus tells those unbelieving leaders of their day that the only sign they will get from Him is the sign of Jonah. He was in the belly of that great fish three days and three nights and Jesus was speaking of how He would be buried three days and three nights. He even says that the people of Nineveh that Jonah preached to repented and changed from their wicked ways. They will rise up in judgment against those religious leaders because the Son of God is walking the earth with them and showing them the way to God and they are so blind and deaf they can neither see nor hear what He is saying. The queen of the south traveled a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon that she had been told about. She wanted to see it for herself. You can read that in 1 Kings 10:1-13. She will rise up and condemn this generation of people because she would have loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear the wise words that came from His mouth. They have the opportunity and they reject Him.

Matthew 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Luke 11:24-26 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Again Jesus shows us there is no middle ground. You are either with Jesus or you are with Satan and there is no neutral territory. When Jesus delivered the man in this story, for example, he is made clean. This man can choose to go back to the lifestyle he lived prior to this miracle, or he can choose to follow Christ. He cannot say that he will abandon his old way of life and also not follow Jesus. Choosing to reject Jesus is to accept Satan and that is as clear as it gets. When the man's vessel is not filled with the Spirit of God, the unclean spirit will examine the man and find a vacancy and Jesus tells us that he doesn't just move in, he also picks seven other unclean spirits that are worse than it is and the end of that man is a lot worse than it was in the beginning. Jesus says this is also the case for this wicked generation that has the chance to serve Jesus now and chooses not to.

Friends, it all comes down to choices and consequences. We can choose life and walk with Jesus enjoying the rewards of the labor. We have the freedom to choose good things. We also can choose death and eternal separation from Jesus for all eternity. We can serve ourselves, do what feels good, whatever it is that makes us happy, and live with reckless abandon, throwing caution to the wind, and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, but in the end, we find death and destruction is our reward.

I hope that you choose Jesus. I hope that you choose life. I hope that you choose to walk the straight and narrow path before you. The road to hell is a wide path and many choose that way, falling for the illusion that it is more fun and enjoyable to laugh and party your way through life, never considering anyone else, or how much Jesus sacrificed to give you pardon. You can take hold of that liberty and walk in newness of life, or you can choose to dance your way into the unquenchable fiery flames of hell. Jesus leaves that choice to us. Choose well.

I hope that something you have read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

An Abundance of Great Rain | Fuel For The Weekend

Here in southern Indiana, where I live, it has been raining a lot! I was thinking about how much I love rain and thunderstorms. To me, it makes perfect napping or sleeping weather. I love the relaxing sound of the rain falling and I like to watch as the buckets of rain pour over the vehicles and soak into the ground. We can get encouraged about the rain! Remember when Elijah had caused it to not rain on the earth for 3 1/2 years? JAMES 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. Imagine how much the people on the earth at that time wanted rain! Their crops could not grow, water holes dried up, and just think of the impact of a three and a half year drought.

When there was no rain in sight, ground dry and dusty, Elijah said he heard the abundance of rain. In his spirit, he could sense the rain was coming. 1 KINGS 18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. Elijah is a prophet and Ahab is a wicked king. He knew what God had done through Elijah and so he obeyed. He got up to eat and drink. Elijah went to the top of Mount Caramel and he prayed. Just like it took earnest prayer to stop the rain, it was going to take a fervent prayer to bring the rain!

JAMES 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

He told his servant to look toward the sea and the servant said, "Nothing is there." He told him, "Go, look again!" seven times. Six times there was no sign of a cloud in the sky, a drop of rain in the air, or even the darkening of the sky. Elijah knew what he heard and he did not give up.

1 KINGS 18:44-46 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, and say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The seventh time the servant saw a cloud so tiny coming from the horizon. It looked like the size of a man's hand. That was all it took. Elijah said, "Go tell the king to prepare his chariot and get out because the rains are coming." Elijah was not expecting a sprinkle or tiny rain shower. He was expecting abundant rain! Once the man of God spoke it out of his mouth, then it was materializing in the natural. All of a sudden the sky turned dark with clouds and the wind started to pick up, and the Bible says there was a great rain! Not a little rain storm, not just enough to wet the ground, but a great rain! And God was with Elijah so much that he literally outran the chariot taking Ahab to Jezreel. This is the king's ride. It would have been pulled by the fastest horses they could find. Yet, God has His hand on Elijah and he outruns the king's best attempt to get back to the city before the rains washed out roads and made travel impossible.

What are you praying for? What are you expecting God to do for you? Do not ask for a rain shower, ask for the abundance of rain. Speak it out of your mouth that it is coming and the abundance of rain is here! Even when the circumstances do not seem like it. Six times the servant came back with a negative report. "There is nothing!" Sometimes we look at our situation and we say, "There is nothing there!" But we must not give up or lose heart. Let's remember the God we serve is more than enough to meet any need we have! He can answer any prayer we pray. We must believe it and speak it out. If friends say they don't see a change and begin doubting, just say to them, "Go look again!" God is up to something and He wants to move for those who will not stop believing even when it looks like there is still a drought, remember the abundance of rain is on the way! In fact, it is here! Let's start speaking it into the here and now. The great rain is here and soon friends, we will see it to be so!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 12 | Wednesday Bible Study

Hello friends. Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are in the book of Psalms all this year. If you want to go back to see the other Psalms studies, there is a search box you can type in Psalm and the number and see what all we have been studying. If you are on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on VIEW WEB VERSION. It should look like this:

When you click View web version as shown above, it will take you to a page that looks like this:

On the right sidebar you will see a search box and Blog Archive. You can either type in the blog title in the search box and click on the search button, or you can scroll through the blog archive and click on any title you want to open up. You can see a close up of that below:

Today we are going to cover Psalm chapter 12, which was written by David. This is a psalm of lament. If you have not done so, please take a few moments to pray and ask Holy Spirit to open up your understanding to what He is saying in this passage. Read through the eight verses of this chapter and then come back to this study with your Bible still open, so we can discuss it today.

I will not be writing out this whole chapter for today's lesson, but I am going to break down these eight verses. It is important to take our time and carefully observe what is happening in each verse and watch the transition from lamenting and sorrow turn to hope and promise.

Verse 1

David begins the verse by saying Help, or SAVE, LORD. David is in distress. He does not see anyone around him honoring God, loving God, or doing things that would please Him. Have you ever been there? Maybe you feel like you are the only one in fellowship with God on your job, in your family, or in whatever situation you might be facing. Are you looking around to find the faithful and instead see others claiming to be one thing and yet living their lives to please themselves?

David is not the only one who looked around and felt like he was the only one saved by God. Do you remember Elijah? He has been threatened by Ahab's wife, Jezebel to kill him so he ran for his life. He went to Beersheba and left his servant there, but then he went on to the wilderness a day's journey away. He wanted to move as far away from Jezebel as he could because he knew she did not make idle threats. The angel of the LORD strengthened him there and he was able to go 40 days and 40 nights on that one meal. He went to Mt. Horeb where he found a cave and he stayed there. God asked him what he was doing there. Remember this? 

1 KINGS 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

Do you remember what God told him? Here he is hiding out in a cave, talking to God our Creator, and instead of asking for a miracle or thinking back to how God had moved before, he was distraught. He tells God that he is the only one left that will serve God. God saw it a different way.

1 KINGS 19:18 Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

In other words, God is saying you are not alone. You are not the only one left to serve Me. I have 7,000 others in Israel who have not compromised, have not served the idols of Baal. You know Jesus told us in the New Testament that He has other sheep. The chosen ones were of Jewish descent, but they rejected Him, and it was opened to whosoever will. Now, Gentiles, like you and I are able to freely come and join the flock of God.

JOHN 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.

David says here in verse one that he is the only with faith in God that he can see. He looks around him and the people are compromising, serving themselves, and dishonoring God. Are you in the same situation? Do you think there are fewer people God has redeemed than who are living for themselves?

ROMANS 11:1-5 (1)I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (2)God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, (3)Lord, they have killed the prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. (4)But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (5)Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Make no mistake about it, God has a reserve of people that belong to Him. Throughout every generation, in every nation, and every tribe, God has carved out His own. Even if it gets hard, and the journey seems long, and the battle hot, trust and believe God has His people saved back for His purpose and His plan.

Verse 2

David gives us a clear picture of what it is like in his culture. The people are full of cursing, deceit, fraud, false flattery, and wrong motives. They speak one way to your face and they are trying to sabotage you behind your back. Does this sound familiar in our culture? Do we know people who will lie to our face, looking us straight in the eye, and find nothing wrong with that? I know I have seen this very same type of behavior in my little corner of the world. It is true today as much as it was in the day David wrote this psalm.

Verse 3 and 4

In the third verse, David makes a proclamation of what God will do to these people who speak great things against God's people. They make their bold statements of how they will prevail against the ways of God. Inverse four they say, "Our lips are our own: who is Lord over us?" They will soon see and I pray they see it now and can repent, then wait and find out in the day of judgment!

Verse 5

The first part of this chapter is a plea for God to help and save or deliver. David felt that there was no good or faithful people left on the earth. Now God is going to make a statement. He reassures His people that He is going to stand up against the evil men in the land. He will set His people in safety and security. We do not have to fear the naysayers. God is going to fight for us. This is God's promise to all of us facing adversity in our lives.

Verse 6

David describes God's words as silver tested in a furnace and purified seven times. Seven is the number of completion. We know God's Word is true and He will bring it to pass. Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. That is a beautiful picture of God's love for us. He is protecting us, shielding us from the fiery darts we keep reading about. We must keep our confidence in God and what He can do about our situation. His words are pure. There is nothing defiled about what He says. He has stood up and is coming to the aid of His children.

Verse 7

I want you to underline this verse in your Bible! Claim this promise for yourself and for your children and your family. This is a beautiful promise of God. It reads, Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. So do not let anyone tell you that just because this is in the Old Testament it does not apply today. The Word of God says from this generation, when David was speaking this out of his mouth, until forever! That covers us in this season of our lives. Claim that promise! You are not alone and even if you were the only one believing God for anything, He has you!

Verse 8

David ends the psalm with saying the wicked walk wherever they want. The vilest of men are exalted. We live in a day and age where sin and abominations are praised and celebrated. Men and women are compromising because of a twisted theology leaders in the churches are spouting out. The things that are wrong and go against God's Word are seen as alternatives to the way God ordered things to be. Instead of standing up for truth and sharing God's love and wisdom with the world, many use their influence to further confuse those who hear their messages. God is not pleased. He does not want it to be this way. In closing, let's read what the prophet Isaiah said about this very thing.

ISAIAH 5:20-24 (20)Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (21)Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (22)Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: (23)Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! (24)Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.

We will see that one day God will set all things right, but until then, we must keep following God and doing those things that are right and pleasing in His sight, even if we feel like we are the only ones doing so. Keep shining the light and being the example and witness God wants you to be in the dark places He calls you to.

I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

It's Definitely Going To Rain | Fuel For The Weekend

Happy Friday friends! We have successfully made it through another week! God is so faithful. He has blessed me all week long. He is a wonderful Savior. I wish the world could truly know who Jesus is and I am convinced there would never be another lost soul on earth. 

I have a confession. I am not proud of it, but I am not waiting well. Sometimes I am, sometimes it is okay and I am not longing for what I had in Alabama. Sometimes I am at peace to be back in Indiana. I have moments where I feel happy to be back and things are good. Then other times I am tired of waiting. I am growing weary. To be honest I stop trusting and I begin to look at my circumstances instead of remembering the promise. And it's easy to beat myself up over this. It's easy for me to criticize my doubts, but I am human. It does not make it okay, but it is a natural reaction after waiting so long on what God had said and not seeing it materialize, and even seeing one door slam in our faces after another.

Sometimes I say to God, "Lord Your Word says that the way of a transgressor is hard. (Proverbs 13:15) So Lord if I am having a tough time and things seem so hard, please show me where I am sinning." And you know what He does? He shows me! He shows me where I am allowing disbelief and discontentment to overtake my faith. He told me to trust Him even when it doesn't look like it will happen. I didn't do that. And he used my friend Doris Cush to show me a beautiful message on Instagram by straightenyourcrown.1 and then Doris dmcushite posted a beautiful message on Instagram also that uplifted me and opened my eyes to some things. And the Lord Himself showed me again in the word of God this morning in my Bible reading time. I want to share what He showed me today.

The verse of the day in my Bible app from YouVersion is John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. That got my attention first. I have read this verse many, many times and today it really stood out to me. It was like I heard Jesus telling me to not get discouraged. I believe in God, so I should also believe what Jesus said. His Word says that He will give us the desires of our heart in Psalm 37:4. We must first delight in Him by staying in His Word according to Psalm 1:2. He promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory when we read Philippians 4:19. And when we pray, if we believe, we can ask what we will and it shall be done because the Bible tells us so in Mark 11:24. But God went on to show me myself as I read about Elijah and He taught me out of the book of First Kings. 

In 1 Kings chapter 17, God told Elijah to go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. He said that He had told a widow who lives in Zarephath to give Elijah something to eat. So Elijah got up and went to that city and just like God said, there was a woman gathering up sticks. He called to her to bring him something to drink. She went to get it and he called to her to also bring him some bread. She told him she did not have what he asked her for. Then she told him what she had: a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little cruse of oil that she was going to make a fire with the sticks she had collected, make her and her son their last meal, and die.

God told Elijah to go and this woman would sustain him. He could have looked at the situation in the natural, like I am doing in my situation and started to complain. He could have picked up on the woman's depression and start asking God, "Where is my blessing? She can't even feed herself and her son. How can I ask to take her last meal?" But he didn't do that. He knew what God said and so he looked past the situation. Why can't I? Elijah tells her to not be afraid. There is the key! Behind every person in doubt is fear! Elijah knows what God can do! God is not a God of subtraction and deficits. He is a God of addition and multiplication! So Elijah says, "Feed me first, and then make something for you and your son." He knew God said he would be fed and he knew that God would make sure the widow and her son would have food, too. Then he prophesies to her and says that her barrel of meal and her cruse of oil will not run out until God brought rain on the earth! Elijah is looking for rain and he prophesied a miracle to this widow that was coming for her! The Bible says in 1 Kings 17:15, 16 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which He spake by Elijah."

That's an incredible story of God pulling the woman and her son through a time of starvation and approaching death, as well as keeping His promise to Elijah. He was sustained from the abundance as well because we read that they were able to eat many days. Now that is not the end of their story. After God performed such a great miracle, the widow's son got sick and died. I am much like the widow in this story, not only the first time she had a conversation with him about the meal and the oil but even now. She looks to Elijah and asks him what he has done! She wants to know what she did to him so bad that he wants to bring up her past wrongs and even kill her son! It's not a proud moment for me to admit that I did this, too. I looked at God and said, "Your Word says the way of a transgressor is hard. Am I being punished for something I have done? Did we come to Indiana at Your Word and then not even get what I thought You would give me?" I wanted things to look a certain way. I wanted things to happen a certain way. I look at the last six months and I see nothing I was expecting. I became disappointed. But I did get the things God told me I would have. Things happened exactly the way God said they would. I was just sidelined by my expectation of how things should be.

Elijah took the child and laid across him three times and asked God to give the widow back her son. God revived the child and Elijah took him to his mother and said, "See, thy son liveth." (verse 23) 1 Kings 17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the Word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth. So it wasn't enough that the miracle of having food to eat in a famine could prove Elijah was a man of God and that God's Word is true. She believed after she got her son back from the dead. I need to believe God's Word is true because God is God and He cannot lie. I need to hold on the promise of not just having our own home, but also of the other things He promised me and not wait for a big miracle or some sign to reassure me. I am doing better but it has been so hard. Life is not always easy and fun and good. We must not lose heart when the days turn cold and bleak and no hope is in sight. God is still in control.

In 1 Kings chapter 18, there was a famine in the land. That is kind of how I feel in my life right now: like there is a famine. It feels like lack and dry barrenness. God gives Elijah another promise and another mission. He told Elijah to show himself to Ahab and God said He would send rain upon the earth. Now if I were Elijah, I would think that meant once I presented myself to the king that the clouds would fill the sky, I would hear the cracks of thunder as lightning zig-zagged across the sky, and then the rain would fall. 

So Ahab and Elijah meet up. Elijah calls for a throw-down to prove God is the only God. He challenges Ahab and his 450 false prophets of Baal and 400 false prophets of Asherah to meet him on Mount Caramel to see if their false gods could bring fire down from heaven, or if it would be the true and only God who would bring down fire. So all the people gathered like spectators at a sporting event. They wanted to see what would happen. Elijah was the only prophet of God on one side, and the 850 prophets of evil were on the other side. Elijah asked the people, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him." But the people didn't say a word.

Elijah said that he was the only prophet of the LORD, but Baal has 450 prophets. He wagered that each would take a bullock, cut it in pieces, lay it on wood, but not put any fire beneath it. Then the prophets of Baal were to summon their gods, and Elijah said he would call on the name of his God, and "the God who answers by fire, let Him be God." So the people liked the idea and the challenge was on.

Elijah let them go first. The 450 men set up the sacrifice, but did not put fire beneath it, and from the morning until noon they cried out, "O Baal, hear us." No answer came. The fire did not fall. They jumped on the altar. Then Elijah started making fun of them. He said, "Call louder. Surely he is a god! Maybe he is talking, busy, traveling, or maybe he's asleep and you need to wake him up!" This is not true of Jehovah God. We know He is always listening to our heart's cry. He is not too busy for us. He is in all places at all times and He never slumbers nor sleeps. Elijah must have really enjoyed seeing these 450 men jumping up and down like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

The 450 prophets of Baal screamed and cut themselves until blood gushed from their veins. They began to prophesy until it was time for the evening sacrifice, but no voice sounded from the gods. There was no one to answer them or pay attention to them. These men were so deceived by Satan. 

Elijah had the people gather around him. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. Elijah took 12 stones according to the 12 tribes of Israel, and built an altar in the name of the LORD. He made a wide trench around the altar, put the wood in order, cut the bullock in pieces, and laid them on the wood. He instructed the people to fill four barrels with water and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. They did that three times, and the water ran around the altar filling the trench.

The time had come to do the evening sacrifice. Elijah said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy Word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the LORD God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again." Then the fire of God fell on the altar. It consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and licked up the water in the trench. Immediately the people fell on their face to the earth! They said, "The LORD, He is the God; the LORD, He is the God."

Elijah took the prophets of Baal to the brook Kishon and killed them there. He told Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the abundance of rain." God showed up in a much bigger way than what I imagined He would do if He had told me to meet up with Ahab. He displayed His power and glory. All that looked upon this great Mount Caramel challenge knew who was God and who was not. The bigger picture was to turn the hearts of the people back to God. Sometimes I just want to get to the promise and I miss the bigger picture of all that God is doing in the middle. Like the way we were able to see my father-in-law before he passed, and the way we were able to reconnect with our families, and the way someone we love stopped drinking after becoming an alcoholic. We see the way we are prospering and God is moving and providing and doing so many things that occur in the journey and I'm upset that we have not seen the "rain" yet. 

Elijah told Ahab that the rain was coming. He said he heard the sound of not just rain, but the ABUNDANCE of rain. He wasn't predicting a sprinkle. He was expecting a rain storm to water the earth like it had not done in three years! He was expecting something BIG! God had promised it.

And many of you may remember how Elijah squats down in a birthing position, head between his knees, as he sent out his servant seven times to "Go up now, look toward the sea." Time and time and time again the servant came back and said, "There is nothing." Each time the man of God could have started to doubt he heard God correctly. Each time he could have started to give in to fear and doubt that the rain would come. But Elijah was not in fear and doubt. He did not question what God had said. He knew he heard correctly. Elijah positioned himself to give birth in the supernatural to the promise God made. He prepared for it. He was waiting for it. Each time he urged the servant to go look, and each time the answer was "There is nothing."

Each time we look at what God promised us, do not give up! Do not let the enemy in your head! Remember what God told you and do not give up! Listen!!! Do you hear that? It is the abundance of rain. Get yourself ready. It is time for the rain to fall from heaven. It is time to get everything God promised us. It is time to feel the rain on our skin! The dry, barren places are getting hydrated and nourished. New life is coming! New hope is welling up because God is about to give us everything He said we could have!

This is not a prosperity gospel message. This is an encouragement that if God said He was going to give you something specifically, hold on to it and don't let go. Hold your head up high and pop open that umbrella because blessings are coming down!

1 Kings 18:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. and he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

That was all Elijah needed. A cloud the size of man's hand was in the sky. That was what he was waiting for. He told his servant to tell the king to get his chariot ready and head back home before the rain came and prevented him from leaving. Meanwhile, the sky was black with clouds and wind and there was a great rain and Ahab rode back to Jezreel in his chariot. God's hand was on Elijah, like it was on Ezra (remember this week's Bible study), and Elijah literally outran the chariot Ahab was in. You can trust and believe Ahab had a fast chariot. It just proves again that with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

I have repented of doubting and not trusting when the waiting is longer than I thought it should be. I have asked God to search my heart and show me where I am messing up, and He did. He lovingly showed me four different ways and none of it made me feel condemned. I only felt convicted and had a heart to repent. I want to please my Jesus and I want to honor Abba Father with my life. It is not easy to wait so long but God did not tell me it would be. He only promised that He would see me through.

I can honestly say that this has helped me. I hope it helps you, too. I always pray that something I share on this blog post will give you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Laundry | Bible Study

Laundry is the one chore that I actually enjoy. It is very satisfying and in 2020 we have it pretty easy compared to when my mom and my grandma had to do laundry on a wringer washer or by hand using a washboard. I remember watching my grandmother do that and it was WORK! Now, all I have to do is drop in a detergent pod, push the start button and walk away! The machine does all the work for me. Even though it is a simple process, sometimes life happens and I get behind on the laundry and when I am facing Mt. Washmore, I get discouraged and struggle with feeling guilty for not doing it sooner and feeling stuck with where to get started!

Before we moved from Indiana to Alabama, we had a lot of laundry to wash. We were facing a tight deadline to get things packed and ready to go. The kids had too many clothes and we wanted to wash everything before we left. The task was too overwhelming to do with our washer and dryer at home, so we went to a small, neighboring town to their laundromat. Their washing machines are larger than my washing machine and so we were able to get more washed. We started the machines and sat down to wait.The room was large and hot. Washing machines and dryers were left unattended and the repetitive buzz of the machines made me drowsy.  I watched the water rise, clothes tossed around, and I began to think how life is a lot like washing laundry.

Here are five ways I found laundry to be symbolic of life:

1. You are not in it alone.

It would seem wasteful of time and resources to wash only one garment in a washing machine. Often we wait until we have gathered several garments together to make up a load and that gets tossed inside the machine. When we get overwhelmed in life, we sometimes think that we are by ourselves, no one else feels this pain, no one else has this hardship, and no one else is going through the difficulties we are. During this pandemic when social distancing and safer-at-home practices are in place it can feel like we are isolated and alone but the truth is we are not. We truly are all in this together.

Elijah was a powerful man of God; a prophet who showed many mighty signs and wonders with God's power inside him. He made Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, mad and Jezebel sent word to him that she would kill him the next day. He knew she would keep her promise because she had killed before. He was so scared he ran into the wilderness and traveled a day's journey to get away from her. He thought this was the way it would all end. Exhausted, he lay down under a juniper tree where an angel of God fed him and gave him some water. The angel encouraged Elijah to take strength from the food and drink. He lasted 40 days and 40 nights on that meal! At just the right moment, God will send provision for us and it will get us through the tough times.

Elijah finds a cave and moved in. The Word of the LORD came to him and asked him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" If God was to look at us right now, would He ask us the same thing? Are we thinking it's over, this is the end, as we hide out in our own caves? Would God ask us, "What are you doing here?"

Do you feel disconnected from the world? Maybe you find solitude to be a blessing. There is no pressure to do anything. There are no deadlines, no assignments, no tasks hanging over your head. Is God asking you what you are doing there? Remember we always have the assignment God gave us to reach others and win souls. What are we doing where we are?

Elijah tells God in 1 Kings 19:10, "I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." He feels like he's the only one left that will serve God, the only one left who is doing the right thing, the only one left that is trusting God. He looks around and sees the evil. He listens to the threat of the enemy that wants to take his life. His circumstances show him that he is isolated, alone, and outnumbered, but God sees it differently.

1 KINGS 19:18 Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

God reminds Elijah that He has a remnant of people who still serve Him, who won't compromise, and who won't worship another god. God is telling us the same thing today. He has a people who love Him, serve Him, worship Him in Spirit and in Truth and we are not alone.

2. God is in control.

Sometimes life feels like it's out of our control. You spin one direction and it takes a little bit for everyone to get on the same page and things are going pretty good and then out of nowhere someone changes the rules and you spin the other way. Like the clothes that get tossed like a salad, you feel things are changing faster than you can keep up. Suddenly you feel you are on a carnival ride at the mercy of the operator. It is scary and you might start to feel helpless and hopeless. Don't lose heart, God is right there with you.

David was a man after God's own heart. He wrote a Psalm to God when he felt overwhelmed and reading it comforted me many times. David is a king when he writes this and I am sure as the ruler of many provinces he had his hands full. He knew where to go when he felt like the clothes on the spin cycle and we can go to the same place.

PSALMS 61:1-3 (1)Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. (2)From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (3)For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

We can run to the Rock that is higher than us, too. That Rock is Jesus and He will sustain us. He will help us. He will lead us and guide us. He will tell us what to do and Holy Spirit will comfort us.

3. God is with you in the middle of the mess.

Lately I feel the large task of moving back to Indiana while recovering from Covid and having little strength is more than I can bear. I know God is with me and He is for me and I know He always makes a way where there seems to be none. You may be facing a situation that seems bigger than you or your resources but do not give up! God is with you. He will not let you drown. He will go with you!

ISAIAH 43:1-2 (1)But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. (2)When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

What an incredible promise! If you keep reading the LORD our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior, says we are precious in His sight. He goes on to say He loves us. He tells us not to fear for He is with us, even everyone that is called by His name, for He created us for His glory. Let's look away from our circumstances (and yes, I know that is hard!), and turn our eyes to the Savior. He is telling us He loves us and He is with us. Regardless of the hard or difficult or painful situation we are in, He promises to be with us. God said we will come through victorious and free from harm! Do we trust Him that much?

4. There is purpose in the pain.

It does not seem like much when we drop a detergent pod, or sprinkle washing powder, over the clothes. The water activates something in the soap and it begins to make suds. If we are careful it will not spill out of the machine and onto the floor. Even having the correct amount of soap, it can get really sudsy in the water and the bubbles start to take over. We are happy to see that in the washing machine, but we are not as comfortable in the natural. We want to be cleansed, but sometimes the purification process is no joke! The spiritual soap gets rid of spots and stains on our spiritual garments. We have to allow the process to purify us so we can be clean.

PSALMS 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

PSALMS 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

When we face hardships in life, God can use those circumstances to purify us. Often the rough times can be the stain remover we need on our souls. The times of strain and struggle are like the scrubbing of the clothes on the washboard. It may not be pleasant at the time but the results are wonderful!

HEBREWS 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Even though it is not fun in the moment to get corrected by the LORD, it is profitable because we get the peaceable fruit of righteousness. There is a purpose for the pain. We must look to God and ask Him to help us see the point in the problems we face. What lessons does He want us to learn? How can we be cleansed through the turmoil? He will show you!

5. You are being planted, not buried.

We can carefully place the clothes in the dryer and gently place a dryer sheet on top, but once we hit the start button everything inside is tumbling about. Along life's journey it gets bumpy and clumsy-feeling at times. Sometimes we start out with a neat plan for our lives and we are on top and before we know it, circumstances start shoving us and moving us and we can find ourselves buries beneath the weight of all that we thought we had conquered. Maybe we have some time to catch our breath and get our life together and the process begins again. A friend of mine recently said to me she was looking forward to when the trials and tests would be over. I gently encouraged her to keep her faith strong because as long as we live we will endure these hard times. It helps to grow our faith and strengthen us as Christians.

2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 4:12-14 (12)Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; (13)But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (14)If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.

The hard times come and the hard times go. It might feel like you are being buried beneath the weight of it all, but you are not. You are being planted. Let the Word of God take root in your heart. He is planting you right where He wants you to be. He may uproot you sometimes but it is always to place you in a fertile place where you can grow, bloom, and thrive. He may uproot you many times in your life and it can cause you to wonder why it has to be like this, but God is developing character inside you, giving you opportunities and experiences you could never have if you stay in the stagnant soil He wants you to leave behind. Trust the Master Gardener.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (14)For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15)Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (16)That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; (17)That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18)May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19)And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Friends, regardless of what we are facing, remember we are not alone, God is in control, He is with us, and there is purpose in the pain. You may feel like you're going under and being buried, but you are not. You are being strategically planted in the fertile soil you need to grow and thrive in order to bloom into the man or woman of God He created you to be. I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens