1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a

holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the

praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful

light. - (NIV84)

Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.

Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17 “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to

the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On

my account you will be brought before governors and kings as

witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest

you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time

you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking,

but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. - (NIV84)

The privilege to be called by God Almighty

1. We did not receive a job description but a calling

2. Everyone has a choice : Job, Career or Calling

3. If you walk in His calling you fulfill His purpose

4. Your heavenly calling will give you ability to go on

5. God’s calling is a never ending stream of grace

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible

qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly

seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are

without excuse. - (NIV84)

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from

me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - (NIV84)

John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide

you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only

what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will

bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to

you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the

Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. - (NIV84)

Greatness is rooted in humility

1. In this world we witness a struggle for greatness

2. Whoever is proud can never commune with God

3. God Father, Son & Spirit: totally rooted in humility

4. Those who humble themselves will be lifted up

5. Walking in the footsteps lead to true greatness

1 Kings 19:19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of

Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he

was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle

on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please

let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And

he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 So

Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered

them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it

to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and

became his servant. - (NKJV)

Luke 4:25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s

time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a

severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of

them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there

were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet

not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” - (NIV84)

The blessing of a dedicated life

1. The memorable day that altered Elisha’s life

2. He willingly dedicated his life to serve Elijah

3. Elisha stays committed until God took Elijah

4. A double portion of Elijah’s spirit confirmed

5. Elisha’s ministry of compassion & miracles

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world

to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to

shame the strong. - (NIV84)

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show

that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We

are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but

not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,

but not destroyed. - (NIV84)

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The

virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him

Immanuel. - (NIV84)

Luke 1:30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you

have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give

birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. - (NIV84)

Weak vessels reserved for great glory

1. God is not dependent on human ability or power

2. He did chose the weak things to shame the strong

3. An answer to prayer to provide a vessel for God

4. No weakness hinders God to accomplish his plan

5. God accomplished what was humanly impossible

Isaiah 40:21 Do you not know? Were you not told long ago?

Have you not heard how the world began? 22 It was made by

the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the

sky; the people below look as tiny as ants. He stretched out the

sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live. - (GNB)

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the

beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him

nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and

that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness,

but the darkness has not understood it. - (NIV84)

John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with

the glory I had with you before the world began. - (NIV84)

See beyond the horizon of creation

1. There are two barriers that man cannot cross

2. Science has limited itself to human discovery

3. God has revealed what man cannot research

4. Intelligent people ought to cooperate with Him

5. Let’s step out with faith like the heroes of faith

Joshua 4:21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your

descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22

tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the

LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had

crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he

had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had

crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth

might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you

might always fear the LORD your God.” - (NIV84)

Isaiah 41:17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there

is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will

answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. - (NIV84)

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is

impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then

they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three

days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 Now when they

came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they

were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And

the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we

drink?” 25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed

him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made

sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and

there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the

voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give

ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none

of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians.

For I am the LORD who heals you.” - (NKJV)

How a tree made bitter water sweet

1. God redeemed His people from the bitter bondage

2. On their way to worship they ended up in complaints

3. The lesson of bitterness turned into life & grace

4. Palm Sunday is just 5 days away from Good Friday

5. The solution is provided in the darkest hour of agony

God's Creation depends upon God's Grace

Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven

and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers

or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is

before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the

head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from

among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on

earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed

on the cross. - (NIV84)

Matthew 4:3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are

the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But

He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’

God’s creation depends upon God’s grace

1. Vegetation needs good soil, light and rain to flourish

2. Creation came into being through Him and for Him

3. God was present in His creation from the beginning

4. When sin hid God mankind build temples to find Him

5. It will finish as it started: God will be among His people

Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month

of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2

Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men,

and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the

exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who

survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble

and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates

have been burned with fire.” - (NIV84)

Ezra 9:8 “But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the

Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has

given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes

and granted us some relief from our slavery. 9 For we were slaves,

but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery.

Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived

us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He

has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Yearning to remove disgrace from Zion

1. God planted the desire to act into Nehemiah’s heart

2. The calamity of broken walls destroyed God’s work

3. Nehemiah motivated his people to start building

4. Focus and vision was required to defeat opposition

5. Ezra’s call for repentance and declaration of grace

Our Guest today is Rev Jim Cantelon. He is a Pastor, author,

church-planter, Christian television and radio personality, Jim Can-

telon is founder and President of WOW – Working for Orphans

& Widows, a Canadian Charity whose mission is to empower the

local church in sub-Saharan Africa and southern India in the care

of the sick and the dying. WOW is currently assisting those church-

es in that mission by providing Home Based Care to vulnerable

orphans and widows.

Currently Jim produces and hosts a national television show called

“Jim Cantelon Today”