" WORD of TRUTH Lighthouse "

Thursday, November 5, 2026

"Where is the Fire of GOD Today ?"

2nd.Kings 1:16-18 "And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Beelzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no GOD in Israel to enquire of HIS WORD ? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the WORD of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat King of Judah; because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel ?"

The real fire of GOD today is manifest whenever a Bible based ministry serves the LORD humbly and faithfully according to the absolute truth of HIS WORD. Notice 1st.Corinthians 2:1-13. The "speech" and the "words" of the Apostle Paul were, as stated in verse four, the "demonstration of the SPIRIT and of power." GOD's WORD alone defines HIS work and power today (Romans 1:16 pictured above; 1st.Thessalonians 2:13 pictured below), we walk by faith according to the light of the Scriptures, not by sight and extrabiblical display.

The LORD requires HIS servants to look to HIS WORD alone for answers. Ahaziah turned to false gods - but "not because there [was] no GOD in Israel to enquire of HIS WORD" (vv.16-17). The King fell not only from his upper chamber (v.2) but also eventually from his high opinion of himself. He learned too late that the ONE to WHOM he had to answer in the end was the same ONE he should have looked to in the beginning. Rebellion against GOD's WORD exacts a terrible price. We can count on the LORD to bring to pass all that HE has spoken, whether it is promised blessing or eventual judgment.

The Bible - not only hearing it but understanding how to apply and obey its truths - will set us "on fire" for GOD. Think of the glory, the unspeakable display, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and yet 2nd.Peter 1:16-19, pictured above, tells us that, in comparison to this miraculous manifestation, "We have also a more sure WORD of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed. . ." According to the promises and precepts of the WORD, a faithful ministry will, in and of itself, be a SPIRIT wrought demonstration of the hand of GOD, for the "fire" of the LORD manifests itself through HIS holy WORD. DWC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

"Fire from Heaven !"

2nd.Kings 1:9-15 "Then the King sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of GOD, the King hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of GOD, then let fire come down from Heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from Heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of GOD, thus hath the King said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of GOD, let fire come down from Heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of GOD came down from Heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and sought him, and said unto him, O man of GOD, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from Heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the Angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the King."

The point of today's text is not the spectacular nature of this miraculous phenomenon - the fire coming down from Heaven and consuming the soldiers sent to apprehend, and thus silence, the prophet of GOD - but rather, it is the power of the prophet's message. The LORD wanted the King of Israel to understand that Elijah was simply HIS mouthpiece and that what was spoken by Elijah was, in fact, the WORD of GOD - all-authoritative and not to be taken lightly. And so it is in our own contemporary religious context. Today, GOD's "fire" is not in the form of signs and wonders, dynamic speakers, or ecumenical gatherings that impress nearly everyone. Notice that the "fire from Heaven" in our text came in response to the charge: "If I am speaking the very WORDs of the ALMIGHTY, then let fire . . ." The authority with which Elijah spoke revealed the true power of GOD; the fire merely authenticated the divine sanction behind what he said. The authority of GOD's WORD was, and still is, the issue (2nd.Timothy 3:16 pictured above).

Vain, proud, and sick Ahaziah reflected the attitude of the first two captains - oblivious to the danger of strutting before GOD and withstanding HIS decree (vv.9b,11b). So, who had the authority: the two captains that declared the King's command or Elijah, who spoke the WORD of ALMIGHTY GOD ? The answer was unequivocally revealed through great loss of life: 102 souls burned up ! Humble resignation to GOD's will was the only way to avoid judgment (vv.13-15). We today must "serve GOD acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Why ? "Our GOD is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29 pictured above). DWC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

"Is There Not a GOD in Israel ?"

2nd.Kings 1:1-8 "Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the Angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite. Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a GOD in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron ? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shall surely die. And Elijah departed. And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are you now turned back ? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a GOD in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalezbub the god of Ekron ? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shall surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words ? And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Ahaziah, Ahab's son, needed to learn a crucial lesson. Because he wanted to know if he would recover from his illness (v.2), he sent inquiry to Ekron where "the gods" were notoriously favorable in their answers. He knew he would hear a positive message from the prophets of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, even though they would be lies. But the King of Israel should have known that the GOD of Israel was, in fact, the only true GOD, as the Angel of the LORD made abundantly clear through Elijah (v.3). King Ahaziah paid the price for ignoring the word spoken by the faithful prophet of GOD. His arrogant disregard for the ONE TRUE source of help for GOD's people resulted in his death (v.4b cf. v.17).

Although man's spiritual needs today are great, not many desire what the LORD says will suffice those needs: sound doctrine, straightforward warnings, and solemn exhortations (1st.Timothy 4:1-2 pictured above; 2nd.Timothy 3:1-5 pictured above; 2nd.Timothy 4:1-4 pictured below). Few want what is essential for a faithful fellowship of believers: sincere love for the true WORD Of GOD. Supposed "miracle services" and religious self-help programs are nothing more than contemporary "gods of Ekron." "Strange fire," like that offered by Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-3, abounds where superficial experiences and fleshly entertainment draw the crowds; these man-made religious "fires" by charismatics and compromisers are not from on HIGH (Isaiah 50:10-11 pictured below). Fidelity to the WORD is the only valid demonstration of the power of GOD.

Ahaziah thought his antagonist was Elijah, but, in reality, it was the word of the LORD delivered by the prophet (vv.7-8). Keep in mind - when we faithfully warn against that which does not square with Scripture, we, too, will be considered "the enemy." DWC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation

Friday, October 30, 2026

"The Drifting Series: The Antidote for Drifting"

Hebrews 2:1-3 " Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the WORD spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the LORD, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard HIM;"

Over the last few days, we have looked at the danger of spiritually drifting, but let us consider those in Scripture who, rather than giving in, were continually "fighting the good fight" even amid hardship:

Daniel, from the beginning, "purposed in his heart" (Daniel 1:8) that he would not succumb to the culture or to the desires of the flesh but, instead, chose to be faithful to GOD. Scripture never records Daniel drifting away from a proper fellowship with the LORD; on the contrary, he continually made his relationship with GOD the priority of his life even when it meant he would face dire consequences for his faithfulness (Daniel 6:7-10).

Paul endured more trials in his ministry than we will ever suffer. Yet, when he came to the end of his life, he declared that he was ready to meet his SAVIOR because CHRIST was everything to him (2nd.Timothy 4:6-8).

JESUS declared, "I do always those things that please [the FATHER]" (John 8:29 pictured above).

If you are currently drifting, STOP ! But if you are enjoying close fellowship with CHRIST right now and spiritual things are a priority in your life, then do not start to wander away. It is so easy to do, and we see it all around in the church today. This is why the New Testament writers use the language of labor, toil, warfare, and perseverance when referring to the Christian life. Slacking off never leads anywhere good ! The Bible clearly teaches that it is possible for believers to "be ashamed before HIM at HIS coming" (1st.John 2:28 pictured above). Our purpose in life is more than just "I'm saved and going to Heaven"; it is about living for GOD right now. The choice whether to drift or faithfully strive to put the things of GOD first is a continual decision - which do you choose ? MDC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation

"The Drifting Series: Biblical Examples of Drifting"

Hebrews 2:1-3 "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the WORD spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the LORD, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard HIM;"

GOD's WORD provides us with many examples of those who were at one time focused on HIM, but who fell away from proper fellowship with their LORD. Lot decided to take the land that looked good to him, even though it was not a spiritually beneficial choice. As a result, he became comfortable with the world to the point of spiritual ruin (2nd.Peter 2:6-8 pictured above). Elijah was one of Israel's most notable and important prophets of GOD, yet he was guilty of falling into despondency when he got his focus off GOD and onto himself (1st.Kings 19:9-18). David is notorious for the consequences of his spiritual carelessness - he committed adultery and even murder when he should have been waging war against the enemies of Israel (2nd.Samuel 11:1-5,14-15). Solomon, although the wisest man who ever lived, was foolish enough to drift away from the LORD when he chose to "go with the flow" of the surrounding nations and take wives and concubines in an effort to forge political alliances with the enemies of Israel (1st.Kings 11:1-10). The entire Old Testament records the Israelites' unfaithfulness to their GDO as they simply floated along with the world around them rather than "fighting the good fight of faith." They intermingled with the pagan culture and soon found themselves embracing it (Isaiah 1:4 pictured below). In Jeremiah 3, GOD continually describes Israel and Judah as a backsliding nation that drifted away from the LORD despite all HE had done for them.

Drifting always starts with a focus on self, which leads to inactivity and then to a moving away from GOD. May we labor in our faith and relationship with GOD rather than choosing to take the easy path of succumbing to our flesh and doing nothing. MDC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation

"The Drifting Series: The Mechanics of Drifting"

How, exactly, do we slip away from fellowship with GOD and from a fruitful Christian life ? How does one spiritually drift ? To drift is so easy because all we have to do is nothing as far as our spiritual growth and priorities are concerned. The picture here in today's text is of a boat without and anchor, moving about with the flow of the water. If you were to put a boat out into the middle of the ocean or a lake and fail to anchor it or choose not to propel it forward or backward, it would simply sail along with the current or tide, without any effort at all. In the Christian life, we fall away from the LORD when we focus on self and fulfill the desire of our own flesh and "take is easy" with regard to spiritual things. In other words, failing "to give the more earnest heed" (v.1) will always result in drifting as we choose to simply "go with the flow" of the world or our own whims and desires. It takes no exertion at all to drift. We just let ourselves do what we want to do rather than what we know is right.

Dear Friend, it is probably safe to say that, sadly, the majority of those who profess to know JESUS CHRIST today are drifting. They are not earnestly hearing and heeding the WORD of GOD (v.1), and, therefore, they are neglecting the "so great salvation" that the SAVIOR has graciously provided them. They are failing to truly fellowship with the LORD and bear spiritual fruit, and that is exactly the opposite of what HE desires of HIS own (John 15:14-16 pictured above). Do not carelessly drift in the Christian life ! Earnestly make much of the truth and of your relationship and communion with GOD. Spiritual growth takes a determined, intentional effort, but it will be well worth it in the end (1st.Corinthians 3:14 pictured above). MDC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation

"The Drifting Series: The Consequences of Drifting"

Hebrews 2:1-3 "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the WORD spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the LORD, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard HIM;"

To drift away from the wonderful grace of GOD that HE has afforded us through HIS finished work on the cross is a serious offense. When we "neglect so great salvation" (v.3 pictured above), we become focused and enamored with ourselves or the things of this life rather than with the LORD and our spiritual growth in the truth of HIS WORD. The author of Hebrews reminds us that should we fail to remain focused on the person, WORD, and will of JESUS CHRIST, then we will inevitably turn from HIM. Notice the words he uses: "Lest at any time." The phrase "we should let them slip" could also be rendered "we should drift away." The Greek construction here is very important. The word "we" is the object, not "things." We can understand it this way: "Lest we should slip away." In other words, it is not the truth that can slip away - it is us ! Sadly, believers can (and often do) stray from where GOD would have them to be.

The author of Hebrews is saying in essence, "Don't go back on the steps you have taken !" The crux of these three verses is this: Pay attention now more than ever to the truth given by GOD because a failure to do so is to spiritually drift away - to "neglect so great salvation" (v.3a pictured above). This is a very serious charge ! Are you, right now, focused upon making the things of the LORD, including HIS church, priorities in your life ? If not, then you are drifting away and neglecting the very salvation that GOD has so graciously provided for you. Beware of allowing this to happen in your life. MDC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

Used with permission. www.featoday.org

https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation