"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  (Acts 2:21)

"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

Then He said, go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.  And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

Her husband had labored long and hard for God's kingdom and now his widow was in a financial situation of severe magnitude.  When she cried out for help by going to the prophet Elisha, an answer began unfolding for her. God is no man's debtor and will not be held accountable to anyone. He will make His Word good. God is the ultimate and fair bookkeeper.

The Bible says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)

King David made a statement that has stood the test of time and eternity: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed." (Psalms 37:23-26)

EVERY PERSON HAS SOMETHING HE CAN USE AS A KEY TO RECEIVE A BLESSING

No one is so poor or insignificant that God will bypass them. Certainly, each individual is unique and has qualifications and usefulness that others may not have. God spoke to Moses on the backside of the desert: "What is in thine hand?" He answered, "A shepherd's stick." God said, "Throw it upon the ground." He did and it became a serpent.

Later, Moses was commanded to pick it up by the tail and it became a rod in his hand again. God then spoke to Moses telling him to take the rod in his hand and to go to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, demanding the release of Jewish slaves.

The Scripture says that Moses embarked on his journey, "with the rod of God in his hand." (Exodus 4:20)

It had been only a shepherd's rod but under God's Divine leadership it automatically became "The Rod of God." Little becomes much when God is in it!

GOD KEEPS THE BOOKS - THE WIDOW'S HUSBAND HAD BEEN A MAN OF GOD AND THE WIDOW WAS REWARDED FOR THIS

The widow woman told her problem to the prophet Elisha. Her husband who had been a faithful man of God had passed away leaving behind a stack of bills. She had no money to settle the account, and now the creditors were threatening to take her two sons as payment! The prophet asked her, "What hast thou in the house?" She answered, "Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, SAVE A POT OF OIL." (2 Kings 4:2)

She was like many today who say: "I have nothing to offer; I am nothing; what I have doesn't amount to anything!"

That pot of oil was going to be the KEY TO HER DELIVERANCE.  It was something the prophet could use. It was a starting point in her recovery out of debt.  God certainly keeps the books.

Concerning the ‘Tabernacle in the Wilderness’, God instructed Moses to command everyone to bring something as an offering to God. The rich could bring a bullock from the herd, the middle class - a lamb or a goat from the flocks and the poor - two turtle doves or pidgeons. The very poor could bring an offering of flour and salt.

NO ONE WAS TOO POOR TO GIVE TO GOD

St. Paul expected every believer to bring an offering to God's work on a regular basis in accordance with His blessings upon them! "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)

GOD WANTS YOU TO USE YOUR BRAINS - THE BIBLE SAYS "BE NOT SLOTHFUL IN BUSINESS"

The prophet said, "Go to your neighbours and borrow all the empty vessels you are able."

Jesus made the statement, "...the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” (Luke 16:8)

Very definitely God wants us to use our brains! St. Paul stated, "Be not slothful in business..." (Romans 12:11)

GOD IS NOT A GAMBLER - GOD DOES NOT OPERATE A LOSING BUSINESS

God wants us to be profitable for Him. He does not operate a losing business. IN THE END WE ALL WIN! But we must not hide our talent in the earth (Matthew 25:25), but use our faith and ability.

God wants us to be innovative, inventive and original. HE WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIM, BUT HE IS LOOKING FOR LEADERS!

All of us have neighbours or relatives we can speak to about Christ. Some of them owe us favours. We have been good to them; they may be close to us and we can use our relationship or friendship to ask of them a favor...LIKE COMING WITH US TO CHURCH!

We can invite them to our home, so that we may show them kindness and be able to introduce them to the ‘Living Jesus’!

THERE'S A WAY OUT FOR US ..as there was for the Widow.

The prophet of God instructed her to borrow from her neighbors all the empty vessels (to be returned at a later date).

God has instructed me to humble myself and ask largely. Possibly some of our friends are able to send a  gift for MISSIONS! God has promised to reward those who give willingly, gladly and in faith!

The little boy who shared his few fishes and bread with Jesus was instrumental in providing sustenance for thousands, when the Master's blessings were on it. (Matthew  14)

Peter's boat gave Jesus a place from which to preach. Later, God blessed both him and his partners with a shipload of fish each. (Luke 5)

Let us use our heads and invest in God's Kingdom.  God is keeping the books.  Jesus said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)

THINK BIGGER IN YOUR OUTLOOK AND SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE

Many of us think too small. We look through a narrow angle lens. We can't even see the forest for the tree.

LET US USE A WIDE ANGLE LENS in our outlook and spiritual perspective. WE MUST BEGIN TO THINK BIG!! And we must use our faith. The prophet said, ‘BORROW NOT A FEW’!

The King's business requires haste. The most important work in the world is the gathering together of finances, people and programs to assault the Kingdom of Satan, and to take the battle to the very “gates of hell” in order to rescue precious souls for God's Kingdom!

‘The Supreme task of the Church of the Living God in this generation is to win precious souls to Christ, both at home and abroad!’  Our mammoth overseas crusades reach literally multitudes for Jesus and help to shape the thinking of great numbers of people; turning them toward God.

Great numbers are healed by God's grace and power - Thank the Lord! Therefore, we should put Our Best into the work of the Kingdom and think big!

One of the trademarks of being filled with the Holy Spirit is that we magnify God! In each case where the Early Church believers were baptized with the Blessed Holy Ghost, we find that two things always happened:

1)  They spoke in other tongues.  They magnified God.

"For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." (Acts 10:46)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MAGNIFY GOD?

It is impossible to make God bigger than what He already is. He is so big that the heavens can't contain Him, and the earth is His footstool! To magnify God means to believe what He says about Himself, to glorify Him and articulate His greatness & goodness among the people!

The problem with us all, is we have been brainwashed by secular humanists, evolutionists, and unbelieving, modernistic preachers, to picture God as distant, irrelevant, unconcerned and small. But we have begun believing  in a very big devil!

Let us change that, by glorifying God and praising Him by telling people everywhere how great, powerful and gracious He really is. May we magnify God by our witness and testimony of His saving grace and healing power to us!

King David - a man after God's own heart - was always magnifying God! (Psalms 34:3) About forty (40) years ago, Rev. Jack Coe related a revelation the Lord had given him.

He was seeking God for answers to the questions of life. And about future revivals and how they would affect humanity.  The Lord showed him the little dipper and the big dipper in the Northern Hemisphere. "Do you see how small the little dipper is in comparison to the big dipper? asked the Lord.

"The revivals of the past are like the little dipper in comparison to the great revivals that are going to come. The mighty outpouring of God's Holy Spirit in the future will dwarf the manifestations of His power in the past."

We who are doing the WORK OF GOD need to begin to think in a big way about God's plans of reaping the harvest, and we must remember that God is keeping books and God does not forgot the good we do.

GET ALONE WITH GOD

The prophet told the widow to close the door, in order to give her and her sons privacy as they exercised their faith in God. Before beginning to pour the oil into the empty vessels, she needed to be alone with God!

In order for us to be effective in helping people in a spiritual,  psychological & economical way - through prayer, ministry and financial assistance - we need to get ALONE with God..

Jesus said, "Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation." (Matthew 26:41) "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:6)

Jesus put out all the unbelievers from the home of Jarius before raising the little girl from the dead. (Luke 8:51)   Simon Peter went alone to meet God in the "housetop experience" of prayer, as well as when he raised Dorcas from the dead! (Acts 10:9; 9:40)

And Abraham stood alone with the Lord to intercede for Sodom, Jacob wrestled alone with the "Angel of the Lord" and Joshua encountered the "Captain of the Host of the Lord" alone! (Genesis 18:22; 32:24; Joshua 5:13)

Very definitely, there are times we need to get alone with God - as well as with other true believers - in order to see God's gifts operate in our lives!  We must separate ourselves from unbelief, worldliness and from negative people, as we seek God in fasting and prayer.

POUR OUT & TAKE THE MARCH OF FAITH

With her two sons present - and the door shut - she started pouring the oil from her pot into the empty vessels.  And praise God, the miracle happened! So long as she poured and as long as there were empty vessels, the creative works of God continued operating! Her faith and obedience was getting the job done!

We must get our ideas off the drawing board!! In other words, "FAITH IS ACTION."  Faith is a fact, but it is also an act of obedience. She was obedient and poured out what she possessed, into the empty vessels.

There are several lessons here: First - If you pour yourself into others by helping them you will always have enough left for yourself.

Secondly - If you obey God's instructions - regardless of how ridiculous it seems - you will get results!

As the widow poured, the oil continued to flow - It was a miracle of provision. When all her empty vessels were full, she asked her sons to bring more but they informed her that they had used them all.

No doubt, she felt badly that they had not borrowed more! The prophet had stated, “Borrow not a few” - In other words, she should take advantage of God’s blessings - to the maximum - because the oil would flow and meet every need, as well as give her an abundance of supply for her family

SHE SOLD THE OIL & PAID HER OVERDUE BILLS

The widow returned to the prophet with a praise report. She had done everything he had instructed her to do and God had performed the miracle! Then he instructed her to sell the oil and pay her bills. And he assured her that there would be enough left over to look after her family!

It is so important to return to the ‘Man of God’ and report what God has done! When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to give glory to God. Jesus exclaimed, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? there are not found that returned to give glory to God, save (except) this stranger”. (Luke 17:17-18)

And it is imperative that WE KEEP FOCUSED on the objective, the goals we had before the miracle happened.

When God has blessed us, let us use the blessing to pay our bills in order to secure freedom for those who are lost. The two sons are a picture of those who are targeted for slavery by Satan, to be used for his enjoyment and their misery!

When we have looked after our own obligations, provided for our families and wisely invested for the future, let us not forget the work of God. Let us reach the lost for Christ. May we stay focused, so that we not only live for today but provide for the future by investing in God's Kingdom!

Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you". (Matthew 6:33)

The Bible says, "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine". (Proverbs 3:9-10)    May God richly bless us all!

PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD

Prepare to meet thy God! This was the admonition that Prophet Amos thundered out in his day. God’s people had backslidden, corrupted themselves and forsaken the true and living way.

They had gone after the strange gods of the heathen, and were worshipping at the altars of pagan idols. They had forgotten how gracious the Lord is and turned their backs on Him.

GOD HAD A FEARLESS PROPHET THAT HE COULD USE: A MAN WHO HADN'T SOLD OUT!

But God had a man He could use!  Amos was a prophet who had not corrupted himself as others had done. God had a vessel He could use - a mouthpiece with which to warn and admonish His people of coming judgment for sin and forgiveness for those who would repent!   

God’s message to the people then is the same as now: “Prepare to Meet Thy God”! One day every living soul will stand before God and give an account of his or her life.

THE BOOK OF LIFE WILL BE OPENED & 
THE DEAD WILL BE JUDGED

“And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)    

It is the same today. God has not changed, but many of ‘today’s preachers’ have compromised and are not preaching ALL THE TRUTH because of FEAR. They lack the boldness, courage and faith to stand up and tell the Truth.

JOHN WESLEY  - founder of the Methodist Church - whose Ministry is accredited with turning England back to God and saving it from the same fate as that which befell France in the ungodly, brutal and bloody French Revolution, stated: "I must preach law before I preach grace."

What did he mean? Simply this, that in order for people to realize that they need God's FORGIVENESS, they must be convicted of their sins! And how does that take place? In several ways: God can arbitrarily speak to people by His Holy Spirit in answer to the fervent prayers of relatives or other concerned spiritual prayer warriors!

Usually, however, sinners are convicted through the anointed preaching of God's Word. Millions of believers are saved today because of the powerful preaching of anointed Spirit-filled men and women of God, who have refused to compromise their message!

In 1970, Edmonton Transit bus driver, Eric Dykstra and his entire family, were converted to Christ in our  Church because of the dozens of Bus Seat benches which carried our advertising with the clear-cut message: "Get Right With God!" 

In a letter to me, dated May 8, 2002, about five weeks before his death, Eric wrote: "It has been 32 years almost to the day that I accepted the Lord's saving message as preached by you that Wednesday evening at the Edmonton Revival Centre. That was May 6, 1970.

"After you laid your hands on me and my family, the roof of the old theatre didn't split open for angels to descend, but I received a depth of peace in my inner being I had never before experienced. Without realizing it, we stood at the jump-off point of an exciting brand new phase of our lives.

"Our kids all believe in their Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. (One is even an M. Div and has been a pastor for five years). Our grandchildren are taught the Word and the ways of the Lord Creator, at home and at their respective churches. Your faithfulness to God and perseverance in your Ministry has brought wonderful blessings to countless families around the globe!

"I have at times speculated what would have happened if in the late 60s all these messages, 'Get Right With God!' hadn't been scattered throughout the city by way of bus stop benches. Driving my routes and spotting those ads gave me repeatedly opportunity to meditate on their meaning!"

DR. OSWALD SMITH SPEAKS OUT!

Oswald Smith states: "When I was converted in the year 1906 in the great Torrey-Alexander campaigns which was held in Massey Hall, Toronto, I noticed, as I walked along the streets or through the stores, or rode in the street cars, thousands of little white cards, one inch wide and six inches long. On both sides these four words were printed in bright red type, "Get Right With God." 

"It made no difference which way the card fell, the message was always there. As a result, thousands were convicted. So many tens of thousands of these little white cards had been distributed that it was impossible to get away from them. Everybody saw them. They were lying about on every side and those four little words preached a sermon that could never be forgotten."

I remember hearing Oral Roberts - while  in his prime - speaking on the sin of  compromising  the truth. In his anointed message, the man who won ten million souls to God and brought the healing  power of God to  our generation, thundered out these words: "I hate compromisers!"

Our Lord Jesus Christ emphasized: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23:15) He said: "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me: and him that cometh to Me I will in wise cast out." (John 6: 37).  He also stated: "... but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 3: 13)

St. Paul warned: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." (Romans 13: 11-14)

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror (wrath)  of God, we persuade men..." (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

The great Apostle admonished: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick (living) and dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the WORD; be instant in season , out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." (2 Timothy 4: 1-2)

You may be able to fool your husband, wife, friends or even the preacher, but you cannot fool God. He knows all about you, and if you reject Him as your Saviour, He will be your Judge on that day.

“When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the Holy Angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal”. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Listen to the words of invitation given by our blessed Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ: “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28)