The widow in this passage experienced a miracle where God provided for her and her sons in a way she never could have expected. In our dealings with our Creator and in our relationship with the living God, God often acts in ways we could never anticipate. When you bring your needs to God, you should bring them in faith and you should be prepared to do what the word of God tells you to do, and you should always expect the unexpected. Other passages mentioned include: Psalm 103:17; Matthew 14:13-2...
Apr 27, 2020•29 min
The Shunammite woman’s simple and unselfish hospitality towards Elisha the prophet is an example for us. The Bible commends hospitality. God never forgets the things we do for Him, even the small things. If you are living a life of obedience and service to God, prepare to be surprised in how God rewards you for that obedience and service to Him whether in this life or in the life to come. Other passages mentioned: Romans 12:12-13; Luke 14:12-14; Ephesians 3:20.
Apr 27, 2020•30 min
In the final interaction between the prophets, Elijah and Elisha, we see one of the great examples of loyalty. If we are not loyal people, then chances are good that we need to repair our loyalty in terms of our relationship with God. Loyalty to God, translates into loyalty to His people and to His work. Like Elisha, do we have the ambition to be used significantly by Jesus Christ our Lord? Also discussed is the significance of the chariot of Israel. Other passages mentioned: 1 Kings 19:21; 1 Ki...
Apr 18, 2020•36 min
King Ahaziah starts with a flip by ignoring the word of God like his father, King Ahab, but later flops by fighting and resisting the Word of God, like his mother, Queen Jezebel. There are three alternatives when we face the Scriptures, we ignore God’s word, we resist God’s word, or we love God’s word by submission and obedience. Our fruitfulness and effectiveness for the Lord will depend on the effect that the word of God has on us. Other passage mentioned: Psalm 1.
Apr 12, 2020•36 min
In this final of four messages on Baptism and Salvation in the Book of Acts, Zane examines the experience of Jews outside of the land of Israel. Passages discussed include: Acts 13:14-39; Psalm 23:4; and Romans 7:22–24.
Mar 24, 2020•36 min
In this third of four messages on Baptism and Salvation in the Book of Acts, Zane looks at the experience of Jews in the land of Israel at the time of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. Passages discussed include: Acts 2:32-47 and Romans 7:4.
Mar 24, 2020•42 min
In this second of four messages on Baptism and Salvation in the Book of Acts, Zane examines the experience of Saul on the road to Damascus. Passages discussed include: Acts 9:1-18, 22:6-16, 26: 12-18; John 20:31; Revelation 20:5-7, 11-15; 1 John 1:7; and Acts 10:47.
Mar 24, 2020•42 min
Zane discusses three ways to get us through troubling times: One, be assured that Jesus knows and is praying for us. Two, see God not superstitions. Three, listen to Him through His Word. Other passages mentioned include: Proverbs 24:10 and Job 1:21.
Mar 21, 2020•29 min
In the lives of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahaziah, king of Israel, we see what made Jehoshaphat, a wise son, and what made Ahaziah, a foolish son. Jehoshaphat was a wise son in that he was focused in doing the right thing before the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a peacemaker, a warrior and a moral person. Jehoshaphat provided security for his people and he learned from his mistakes. Ahaziah, on the other hand, took after Ahab, his father, Jezebel, his mother, and Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Other ...
Mar 20, 2020•34 min
The death of King Ahab is a lesson for us. Although Ahab knew the prophetic word of God, Ahab never submitted himself fully to the authority of God’s word. All of us have made mistakes, but we need to learn from our mistakes. The only safe course of action is obedience to the word of God and to trust God in whatever may lie ahead. Other passages: 1 Kings 21:17-19; Galatians 6:7-8; 1 Kings 20; 1 Kings 22:1-25; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:12-15; 1 Kings 21:1-16.
Mar 16, 2020•36 min
Have we ever made a decision first and then looked for support for that decision from the Bible or gone to a spiritual counselor hoping to hear confirmation of that decision? We see from the last major story of the life of Ahab, that this is a dangerous procedure to follow. When we make up our minds to do something without being open to the word of God, we are setting ourselves up for deception and disaster. All of us, at all times and about all decisions must be open to the word of God and to c...
Mar 12, 2020•37 min
As King Ahab continues his conflict with Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, Ahab stands at a crossroads where he is faced with a decision that will impact his life for years to come. Ahab has seen the power of God’s prophetic word at work while at the same time permitting his wife Jezebel to promote pagan worship and persecute the prophets of God. Will King Ahab take heed from the lessons from the prophetic word of God or continue to be the type of king he has been? Sometimes we fall into a trap that whe...
Mar 07, 2020•38 min
King Ahab can be a model of a Christian who is in-between good and bad. At this stage in King Ahab’s career, he has the opportunity to change the direction of his life. If you believe God’s word and act upon God's word, God will get the job done. There is no pathway to success except by obedience to the revealed word of God. Other passages mentioned: 1 Kings 16:31; Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 21; 1 Kings 18:16-19:1; 1 Kings 17; Exodus 7:17
Mar 05, 2020•30 min
Fresh off his victory at Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah replaces his faith in God with fear and depression. We learn the lesson that you cannot live today on yesterday’s faith. Although we are saved once and for all by an act of faith in Jesus Christ, every day is a new battle of faith. God reserves the right to give us something better than what we ask for. When we are angry, the best thing to do is to put aside such anger and ask the question, “What is God telling me to do from His word?”, a...
Feb 29, 2020•45 min
In Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal, we have one of the most outstanding examples of courage and confidence in the Bible. One of the keys to successful spiritual warfare is courage and confidence in God. The secret to boldness in front of men is humility in the presence of God. Sometimes God answers prayers quickly, but other times God’s answer is to wait. Part of courage and confidence in God, is to believe God will answer our prayers according to His word, even when we see noth...
Feb 20, 2020•32 min
The strange behavior of Obadiah, administrator of King Ahab’s house, serves as a mirror for us to examine whether we are afraid that God will not help us when we are in need. The starting place for all true spiritual wisdom comes from a reverence and respect for the greatness and majesty of the power of God. However, although the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God is not the end of wisdom. What is our image of God? Is it an image, where God is a stern and righteous and judgm...
Feb 16, 2020•26 min
We see how God teaches the prophet Elijah to trust Him day by day, meal by meal and need by need, and then Elijah is able to teach this lesson to others. The secret to effective prayer is prayer based on the word of God. Effective prayer is not thinking of something big, and praying that God will do it. The core of effective prayer is for us to pray for the things that God has promised in His word that He will do. Other passages mentioned include: Deuteronomy 11:16-17; Genesis 19:1-11; Psalm 27:...
Feb 14, 2020•33 min
In this passage, we are introduced to three famous persons in the Old Testament, Elijah, Jezebel and Ahab. When God tolerates evil and delays His judgment against evil, God is using evil to demonstrate His power and to magnify His name. God may tolerate evil for a time, but He will not tolerate evil indefinitely. Even in Israel’s dark days, God’s prophetic word is coming true. We need to base our religion on the Bible and not on the superstition of men. The only religion that God approves is the...
Feb 05, 2020•33 min
History repeats itself in two very similar stories of two different kings of Israel and their sons. These stories serve as a lesson for us. We often repeat the mistakes and failures of our parents, even without us realizing this. What things have you picked up from your home and family life, that God would like to see changed? If there are things in our personal history that need changing, it is not just for us, but also for our descendants. As believers, there is no need for us to imitate our p...
Feb 01, 2020•30 min
Although King Asa undertakes many impressive reforms in removing idolatry from the land of Israel, King Asa fails to remove the high places and make the house of God the unique center of the worship of God in Israel. Unfortunately, King Asa also impoverishes the house of God by using its treasures for security instead of seeking security from God. Likewise, the modern church has also lost the center of its worship. The center of worship in the early church was the Lord’s Supper. Zane discusses t...
Jan 16, 2020•35 min
Are we afraid to confront situations, that need to be addressed, because we are afraid of the consequences? Rehoboam has become a gun-shy king after losing ten of the tribes of Israel from his kingdom. Are we gun-shy from following the word of God, because we are afraid of the consequences that may follow? How should churches handle God’s commandments for women to be silent during the Lord’s Supper meeting of the church? How should churches handle immorality in the church? We must not be gun-shy...
Jan 06, 2020•39 min
Zane’s discussion of this passage, given after the high school shooting at Columbine high school, reminds us of God’s love, mercy and compassion for children, even when it appears negative things are happening to our children. Even if God has tried to get your attention by things that have happened to your children, God is not going to punish you through your children by being vindictive to your children. Everything that God has done in the lives of your children is designed for the good of your...
Dec 25, 2019•30 min
In this passage about two prophets, who are not named, there are lessons for us on testing those who claim to speak for God by the word of God, and that the word of God always remains true, even when the servants who bear the word of God fail Him. Other passages mentioned include: 1 Peter 2:11; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 13:14; Matthew 7:15; 1 John 4:1
Dec 22, 2019•25 min
After the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon, she remarks how the Lord loves King Solomon and the nation of Israel. The real secret of fidelity and faithfulness to God is not to be found in wisdom and knowledge, but to be found in the love of God to which we respond in love. Every day the Lord gives you is a token of His love and mercy. Do you love the God who loves you? Zane reflects upon the heart attack he had earlier in 1998. At the end, a questionnaire asks whether the Queen of Sheba’s ...
Dec 14, 2019•34 min
The Israelites leave full of joy after the feast for the dedication of the temple. Do we go home from the Lord’s Supper, joyful and glad of heart for all that the Lord has done for us? God appears to Solomon 13 years after Solomon’s prayer to warn Solomon to be careful, otherwise, the destruction of his kingdom awaits. Although a believer is saved and permanently secure, if a believer turns his back on God, then the temporal blessings that a believer enjoys may be lost. Solomon did not express p...
Dec 06, 2019•35 min
Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the temple left out something very important. Every day we need God’s help for that day to live acceptably before Him and to honor Him in the sight of others. It is through prayer that we bring our weaknesses to be strengthened by the power of God. Other passages mentioned include: Psalms 119:35-37; Psalms 141:3-4.
Nov 27, 2019•31 min
For the first time in about 500 years, the glory of God appears to the nation of Israel in God’s temple. What lead up to the manifestation of God’s glory after all this time to the nation of Israel, and how can this be applied to Victor Street Bible Chapel? Other passages mentioned include: 1 Kings 6:1; 2 Samuel 6:1-17; Hebrews 13:15-16; Hebrews 10:19-22.
Nov 25, 2019•31 min
The Sea is a giant basin, which represents that salvation is of the Jews. The water carts and the reservoirs that they contain illustrate our need for ourselves to be clean and our sacrifices to be clean when we come to worship God at the Lord’s Table. Other passages mentioned include: 1 Kings 7:13; John 4:20,22; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 5:25-26; 2 Chronicles 4:6; Leviticus 1; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 Timothy 4:3-5; John 4:24.
Nov 18, 2019•31 min
The construction of the pillars for God’s temple illustrate that the temple was meant for both Jews and Gentiles. The pillars represent God’s ability to establish His purposes in strength, to produce beautiful fruit, and to hold all things together. Zane traces God’s ability to do all these things through the history of Victor Street Bible Chapel. Other passages mentioned include: 1 Kings 7:1-12, 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 5; Mark 11:17; Isaiah 56:7; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Job 34:14-15; Genesis 2...
Nov 09, 2019•33 min
One of the greatest gifts that God gives us in life is the gift of friendship. King Solomon had an outstanding friend, Hiram king of Tyre. By examining Hiram’s friendship with Solomon, we learn how to be a good friend to others, and how this friendship between a Jewish King and a Gentile King resulted in the construction of the temple of God. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is first and foremost, as our Savior, but to build on that relationship we need to be a friend of Jesus. The paradigm of...
Nov 02, 2019•33 min
