https://anchor.fm/william-earnhardt/embed/episodes/Every-Word-of-God-Proves-True-ebi09i
Month / March 2020
Total Surrender
Here is the sermon I had prepared to share with the Homosassa SDA Church this morning, before church was cancelled.
God Still Needs Older People
I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 NLT
Several years ago now, my friend Jean passed away at the age of 94. She lost her husband a couple years earlier and then became ill with cancer. She was telling her daughter she did not even know why she was still living. She felt old and useless. But one day her
young health care nurse came for a routine visit. She told Jean about her own mother who had Alzheimer’s and would cry and shake constantly. Jean suggested buying a doll for her to hold. The young nurse did so and came back to tell Jean that it worked! No more shaking and crying. Jean was still helping people even though she was widowed, old and sick.
When Daniel was young he purposed in his heart to be true to God. Daniel 1:8 specifically mentions being true to God regarding his diet and health. We are not only stewards of God’s money but also time. The longer we can hold onto our health and strength, the longer we can serve God with all of our heart and strength. Daniel served God faithfully in his younger years, but as Daniel became old God was not finished using him. In Daniel 5 Daniel appears to have been overlooked by the current king, but just as God reminded the butler about Joseph at just the right moment, the queen remembered Daniel at just the right time. Daniel may have been brought out of retirement, so to speak, for that one night. Even so, God was not finished with Daniel even then. Daniel had a future with the next empire. A future in which the king who overlooked him had no share. Just like He used my friend Jean and just like He used Daniel, God will continue using us as long as we keep serving him with whatever heart and strength we have.
Remember Psalms 23:6, God’s goodness and mercy shall be with me all the days of my life! And that was definitely true in Daniel’s case..
David also has a promise for the elderly who remain godly.
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. Psalm 92:12-14 NLT
A few years ago I was visiting an elderly shut-in from my church one morning. As I got ready to go I asked him to pray with me. He prayed that God would use both of us to share the Gospel that day. I thought to myself, he must be talking about me, because he will be here in his home alone all day. There is nothing he can do. I was so wrong! That evening when I got home from my last Bible study he called. He was so happy and excited. The cable repairman had come by the house, and while working on his TV he saw some Christian literature my elderly friend had on an end table. The repairman started asking questions about God, and my friend invited him to church. As I hung up I was reminded about his prayer and how I thought there was nothing he could do. God sure showed me! God showed me He will always use whatever health and strength we have to bear fruit even in our older years. When we love God with all of our health and strength He increases our health and strength even in old age.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
My Open Newsletter to my Ministry Supporters
You may now send your tax deductible contributions online here. Please see third line item under “Local Church” marked “Bible Worker.” Thank you!
Its hard to believe that it was five years ago that my friends and God encouraged me to begin a ministry that works closely in cooperation with the Seventh-day Adventist Florida Conference, but is supported solely by contributions from people like yourself, with no financial backing from the conference. When I began five years ago I had total trust in God, but was not sure what He had in store or how long I would be able to survive relying on God to provide supporters.
I am not a good fundraiser so I am very happy that God has provided for me so I can focus most all of my time and effort into soul winning, and very little time and effort into fundraising. I want to thank those who contribute monthly to my ministry and to those who contribute whenever the Spirit impresses them. In the past I have been told by people that it would be easier for them to contribute online. Well now thanks to God you can! The Plant City SDA Church who hosts my fund is now accepting tax deductible contributions including for my Bible worker fund. You can contribute here. The Bible Worker fund is the third line item under local church. You can still send contributions by mail to the Plant City SDA Church PO Box 5379 Plant City, Florida 33563. If giving to the Bible Worker fund please mark “Bible Worker Fund” on your check.
While God has wonderfully provided over the last five years we are looking forward to many years to come. Like any ministry some people for whatever reason are no longer able to support this ministry, so please pray and ask God if He is asking you to begin systematically supporting this ministry to continue where others who have faithfully supported this ministry over time are no longer with us or just not able to continue.
Bible Work is a constant everyday battle with wicked spirits in high places, so I also truly appreciate all of the prayers and kind words sent my way. Thank you for your prayers, kind words and contributions for the last five years, and please pray for the continued success of this ministry. Thanks and God bless you!
William
The Value of Intercessory Prayer
I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
Its’ a cliche by now, but the question goes “how does intercessory prayer work?” And the answer given many times is, “I don’t know but it works. When I turn on a light switch I don’t understand how electricity works but the light still comes on.” God does not use force, and I have heard that by intercessory prayer we invite God to make radical changes by invitation so that it is not force. That is a theory but regardless if it is true or not I know intercessory prayer works.
In Matthew 9 a group of friends bring their friend to Jesus on the mat he was lying on. He needed physical and spiritual healing. It is interesting that Scripture says, When I was in my early twenties I was a part of a Bible study group. A certain young lady in our group stopped coming to the study and then dropped out of church all together. Our study group started praying for her. I also prayed on my own. Every night I would pray, “Lord please send your Holy Spirit to work on *Tammy’s heart.” I prayed that night after night for I can’t really remember how long. Then one night my phone rang. It was Tammy, telling me she was tired of what she referred to as her heathen friends. She said she wanted to come back to church. We decided to meet that evening at a restaurant. At the restaurant Tammy said, “I want to tell you something but you will think its crazy.” I assured her I would not think she was crazy. She told me, “I just feel like the Holy Spirit has really been working on my heart!” I was overjoyed! She repeated back to me the very words I had been praying every night. Intercessory prayer works. Now remember God never uses force. The people we pray for still have free will, but God surely leaves nothing undone that can lead to conversion. Tammy came back to church and our Bible study group.
Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 NLT
He did not just see the man’s faith who was sick. I’m not even sure he had faith. But when Jesus saw their faith He worked miracles in the man’s life. Again I may not be able to explain how intercessory prayer works, but I can observe it working.
The story of Job tells us how important intercessory prayer is. Let’s take a look,
After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. Job 42:7-8 NLT
God would not accept Eliphaz’s sacrifice unless Job prayed for him. Interesting. The book of Job also gives an example of how God blesses us when we pray for our friends.
When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Job 42:10 NLT
When we intercede and pray for others they are blessed and we are blessed too.
*The name “Tammy” is an alias.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
Please consider contributing to my ministry here.
In Light of The Cross 