Youth Service - A Handful of Meal (5, 6 Pick up Sticks) - Bro Jesse Howell 3-27-2026

Amen. Don't you appreciate the Lord tonight? Amen? Pastor do

you think Brother Nathaniel is out of line? Me? Neither? Amen,

not at all. And I'll tell y'all something. There's a

lot of my messages and my thoughts, and even if

I don't know, I'm gonna preach him if I have

a thought. Me and Brother Nathaniel, we spend about an

hour a day together, thirty minutes to work, thirty minutes back,

sometimes more if if traffic's bad, and a lot of

times it is so. We spend a lot of time

in the car on the week, at least at least

probably seven hours or so. And a lot of times

when I have if I have a thought, or if

i'm in my Bible reading and I have something, you know,

I'll tell him about it and see if what I

think makes sense. Right, I'll just a sounding board. Right, Hey,

does this make sense? You know? Do you get what

out of this? When what I'm getting out of this?

You know what I mean? And I about did that

with this message earlier this week. I guess it would

have been probably Tuesday or Wednesday. I about did that,

and I said, you know what, I'm not going to

I'm gonna I'm I'm gonna wait on this and tonight

I'm I'm so glad I did. Amen, I'm so glad

I didn't say anything to him about what the Lord

had been dealing with me because later on in this message,

and at first you might forget about it. But then

I hope whenever we get to that point, that you'll

remember what the youth pastor just said. Ay Man, I

hope you'll remember that and that'll come back to your remembrance. Amen.

I want to say I appreciate the Lord so very much.

I texted I texted Pastor the other day and I

told you, I'm trying to do my part, Pastor, I'm

trying to pray and I'm not. I don't want to

brag tonight, but I can honestly say that I have

spent I have fasted more meals for this service than

I ever have for a service in my in my

short ministry. Amen. I just felt the Lord push me

that way, and I have fasted plenty before when it

before I preached, but I I wanted a special burden tonight, Amen,

to deliver what God had given me. And uh so

I just I just want to do my part, and

I take my part serious. Amen. And I feel right

now like I have the weight of the world on me.

Amen.

And I feel like that that I've come to this place,

and I bear now from this point on the rest

of the service. Amen. And I will gladly bear this

part of the service. If you will bear, you're part

of the service. Amen. If if you if we in

this altar service tonight, if we will get in and

we feel like we have the weight of the world

on our shoulders. Amen. I appreciate my pastor so very much.

I love him dearly, Amen, the man of God that

he is. Amen. I appreciate Brother Nathaniel on this opportunity.

I'll enjoy this you services, don't y'all? Amen, y'all enjoy

the you services. Amen. I sure do. Y'all know the

nurse free rhyme. Uh, I'm sure most of us have

heard it. One. Two, buckle my shoe, three four, close

the door, five six pick up sticks, seven eight, lay

them straight, nine ten begin again. Amen. And I wanted

to preach for some time on number five and six. Amen.

I wanted to preach on five six pick up sticks. Amen.

And Brother Jeremiah, I'll leave this up to you. Amen.

That's my title. That's what I've been wanted. And I

had forgot about that title that I had gotten. I

told my wife, I said, Man, I want to preach

on five sticks pick up sticks at one of these

youth services. Amen. And I had forgot that I had

that wrote down on my phone somewhere. And the Lord

began to deal with me about this. And I'm sure

you think about that little little part of the nursery

rhyme most of the Bible readers. Amen. There's a passage

of scriptures that would jump out at you real quick, amen.

And that's the Old Widow and Zerah Fath Amen. So

I thought about five six pick up sticks, amen. But

then I also felt like using a handful of meal. Amen,

a handful of meal, Brother Jeremiah. Leave that up to you, amen.

But I do want the Lord to help us tonight. Amen.

I appreciate what Brother Philip said, and I don't want

to take up too much time, but I appreciate what

brother Philip said and when he was when he was

preach on that or testifying exhorting on that. Uh. He

mentioned about how Stephen could have lost his whole testimony

over one bad action, and my mind instantly went. He

mentioned something about Paul standing there, and if I'm not mistaken,

Paul was holding the coat, wasn't he didn't he say,

all held the coat there? And I watched Stephen and

and you know there's later on in Paul's ministry. I

believe he took he took, uh. He he remembered what

Stephen had done. Amen. And he remembered how Stephen acted

whenever they stoned him and in that prison Amen, when

he was being beaten. Amen. And I know we've heard

it preach before. The Philippian jailer probably never would have

been saved if Paul would have acted out. Amen. And

I believe that Stephen was an example to the apostle

Paul and how to act in hard times and how

to handle situations. And I just thank the Lord that

he puts people in our lives, Amen, and to live

the life before us and show us how we should

do things and how we should act and how we

should treat things.

And you know the rest is.

Up to us.

Amen.

It was on Paul that day Stephen showed him to

And I love that brother, Philip, and I don't want

to repreach that message, Amen, or that thought. Amen, help

me here tonight for just a little while. I'm gonna

try to be sure. We'll see how the Lord leads tonight.

First King's Chapter number seventeen. First King's Chapter number seventeen.

We're gonna start reading there in verse number eight, And

the word of the Lord came unto him. This is

Elijah that we're talking about. The word of the Lord

came unto him, saying, arise, get thee to Arafath, which

belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded

a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose

and went to Zerafath. And when he came to the

gate of the city, behold the widow woman was there,

gathering of sticks. And he called to her and said,

fetch me, I pray thee a little water in a

vessel that I may drink. And as she was going

to fetch it, he called to her and said, bring me,

I pray THEE a morsel of bread in thine hand.

And she said, as the Lord, thy God liveth I

have not a cake, but a handful of meal in

a barrel, and a little oil in a cruise, and behold,

I am gathering two sticks that I may go in

and dress it for me and my sons, that we

may eat it. And would you lift your hands to

heaven and ask the Lord to help us.

So much for you.

And your kindness. Speak to someone tonight, Lord, that you

would move on us.

God, that you would anort the lips of my mouth.

God, God, that you would help us tonight to say

something to help someone.

God, help us to take a hold of.

The words of God and the words of truth and

apply them to our life. And we will give you

all the praise, all the glory in the honor we

pray in Jesus' name. Amen, and Amen, thank you, Brother Samuel. Amen.

Only seven verses prior to our text, we are introduced

to a man that was and still is today loved

by many. Not only though as he loved and admired,

he is also despised and hated. Amenon, Brother Philip was

talking about Stephen there, and I'm sure there was many

many of the early Church that adored Stephen and that

loved Stephen with all of their heart. And but on

the flip side of that, it's it seems like such

is always the case with genuine men of God. Amen,

and Elijah here was no different. He is loved by

many for his truth. He is loved by many for

his stand, but at the same time there are just

as many that despise and hate them.

Amen.

Elijah was his name, Jehovah is his God. Truth is

in his mouth. He fears no king or queen, and

he hated no pauper or widow. Amen. Elijah's biblical ministry

begins with the promise of a famine upon Israel. And

that's that's just the first seven verses of Chapter number seventeen.

Elijah walks on the scene of scripture. Amen, as this

man of God that is pronouncing of famine upon Israel,

And the Bible says, there' gonna give a short little

uh uh foundation here. But the Bible says that right

after Elijah warns Ahab of the famine. Amen, that is

on the horizon a uh. Elijah tells Ahab, there's a

famine coming. Amen, there's a land of dry there's a

there's a time of dry and and a time of

lack of food and water. As soon as God, as

soon as God is done with Elijah.

There in Ahab's presence.

God sends the man of God on a journey and

he tells him to go to Cherith.

And we know the story so well.

And one of my favorite times that uh that one

of my favorite things that I guess our pastors has

ever talked about is whenever he talked about when the

brook dried up. Amen, And I think about it often

and I just love that. And and realizing God's divine providence, Amen,

that he would send Elijah to Cherith. That don't mean

God send him to Cherith. It don't mean God missed

it when he sent him to Cherith. Now that the

brook is dried up, that don't mean that God missed

whenever he told Elijah to go to Cherif that God Chareth,

that don't.

Mean God got it wrong.

That just means that Elijah's time at Cherith was expired.

Amen. It just means that what God.

Was gonna do for Elijah at that time, now it

is expired. And now God sends him to a Zarafath. Amen.

And in my studies, I realized that uh Zarahfath is

a eighty The scholars say eighty five to one hundred

miles from Cherith. That's a hall for someone on foot, Amen,

that's a hall. Even if you're riding horseback or donkey back,

that's a ride. And that's a hall. Eighty five to

one hundred miles. Elijah had to pick up from Cherith

where God wanted him, heymen, where God.

Had sent him at first.

And he said, you're done here, and now I want

you to go eighty five miles on them two feet

I gave you, or on them four legs that I

provided for you by that donkey, and I want you to.

Go to Zarafath.

Amen. Now that the brook has dried up, we intersect

our texts tonight. Amen, notice with me the geographic location

to which God sent Elijah verse number nine of the text.

God tells Elijah, arise, get thee to Zarafath. And in

my study I found it most interesting, Amen, that this,

this town Zeraphath, was not within the realm of Israel. Amen,

This was not one of one of the Israelites towns.

In fact, this was the land the Bible tells us

there in Ziden.

Amen, And it was.

And there's and I forgot the name of the king,

but there's a whole nother king and that ruled the

Zidonians at this time. Amen. And so God sends him

up out of each Israel, and he sends them to

this land. Amen of the Pagans. If you will, amen,

this land, and you think you remember Jezebel, And I'm man,

I'm making this sermon longer than I had planned already

because I'm not in my notes. But if you remember, Amen,

if you remember, Jezebel was from Zidon, pray man, from

the realm, the realm of Ziden.

Amen.

And Jezebel Amen, was just really deep in the gods

of that Lamb.

Amen. And she was just a really wicked person.

And I'm sure Amen, that she learned most of that

from that evil king that was her father.

Amen.

Jezebel's father was the king of Thezidonians.

Amen. And Ahab had married that woman. Amen.

And we can look at Jezebel's life and we can

tell that Jezebel was no woman of God.

Amen.

So why did God send Elijah up out of Israel? Amen?

Why did God send Elijah up out of that place?

Amen?

He probably figured he would always minister there. But let

me tell you this, whenever God sent Elijah away from

the Israelites, Elijah became the first prophet within the sacred

rit Amen to go into the gentiles. Amen. Elijah became

the first man of God that God sent divine direction

into his life.

And he said, I want you to go to that country.

Hey.

I want you to minister in their streets, aymen.

And I want you to minister up and down their walkways, Amen,

in their highways and in their headges aymen.

Elijah was the first man.

That God ever sent outside of Israel and said, go

minister to them gentiles. Amen. In Luke chapter number four.

And I won't flip there for the sake of time,

But Jesus is speaking concerning the prophets in their hometowns. Amen.

You remember that dialogue there where Jesus his talking. He said,

a prophet have noth on her, and he goes into

these details, and Jesus he mentions Elijah in that portion

of text, and he mentions this very text, and he

mentions this very thing. Amen. He said there, and I'm

not quoting verbatim, but he mentions how that Elijah wasn't

sent to a widow in Israel. And Jesus said, it's

not because there wasn't widows there it's not because that

there wasn't many widows in the land of Israel at

this time that he could have used to sustain Elijah.

But still he sends him outside. Amen. So it bears in.

My mind, Amen, that God, from the beginning of time, Amen,

has cared about those that some people feel like they're

not worth nothing. Amen. God reminds them again. Jesus reminds

him when he's walking his shoe leather, reminds him, don't forget, Amen,

that I sent Elijah into a gentile lamb. Don't forget

that I said Elijah into a place that most people

fell like they were useless, They felt like they were

worth nothing. Ay Man, he tells them, I sent Elijah

into Sirreptha is how the Lord How. It's recorded there

in the book of Luke Amen. But it is known

as Zarafath in the book of Kings. Amen.

It is the same town. Amen.

But after the divine direction that Elijah receives, Elijah takes

up his abode and he leaves the brook that is

now dry, Amen, that place that sustained him. He leaves

the brook and he begins to make his journey from

Cherith to Zarafath.

Now the bid.

He said, when he came into the gate of the city,

he saw the widow that was commanded to take care

of him, Amen, that was commanded to sustain him. Amen.

And when he comes there to the city gates, he

sees this widow woman and she's gathering sticks. Amen. The

famine now And you can read in the Book of

Luke the same chapter we mentioned earlier, in chapter number

twenty five, in the same passage there, Jesus when he

was speaking there, he said that the famine had spread

throughout all the land. Amen. So it was if it

started out in Israel, it is now not only Israel, Amen,

but it's branched out and it's become great. And now

these Idonians Amen, are facing the same famine. Amen. So

when Elijah gets there, and I have a thinky suspicion

that Elijah knew that it wasn't just Israel that was

being famined, Amen, because I just know how God talks to.

His his men, Amen.

And I'm sure that God had just you know, whispered

down in the bottom of Elijah's heart and said, you know,

don't expect a bount to for harvest when you get

to Zarafath Amen. They're having it just like this, And

Elijah would have knew the fact that he's sending to

a widow anyways. Amen, was just a sign that God

was gonna perform perform a miracle, Amen, that God was

gonna do a miracle in his life. Aymen. I have

no doubt in my mind that by now Elijah is

worn out from his journey.

Amen.

He's been traveling for some time, for several days, I'm sure, Amen.

And I know sometimes that the travel can get hard, Amen.

And we can get tired on the travel, and we

can get tired on the journey. But Elijah kept his

face set like a flint, and he said, God told

me to go to Zerapath, and I'm going to Zarafath.

God put it in my heart to go to Zarafath,

and that's where I'm headed, and that's where there I'm going.

Amen.

I can only imagine the relief Amen, that Elijah felt

whenever he come to the city gate.

Amen.

He didn't even get in the city yet, and God said,

there she is. Amen. He didn't even get all the

way there, Amen. And God put that little woman right

in front of him.

Amen.

And she's down there gathering sticks and she's not gathering

many sticks.

Amen.

Later on in the Bible, she said, I'm just gathering

two sticks. All I need is too little sticks. Amen,

She's just gathering the little sticks. And and uh, I

imagine Elijah was pretty excited when he's seen this widow

woman there gathering sticks. And he realized that I don't

have to go door to door and say, does it

widow live here? Right? And then walk down the next street,

Hey does it? We don't live here, amen, or see

a beggar on the side of the road and said, hey,

where does a widow live around here? Amen?

Where's that woman? Or where's that promise that God sent me?

Ay? Man, Elijah didn't have to go looking for that

promise because when he got to where God wanted him, Amen,

when he got in the place that God wanted him, Amen,

the promise was right in front of him. Amen. The

widow was right in front of him whenever he really

made it, when he finally made it to his destination, Amen,

God had put that little lady right there in front

of him, and she's just waiting on him. Amen. There

are a lot of people, and there's a lot of

young people tonight, and I'm trying to preach to young

people tonight.

Amen.

There's a lot of young people that are wondering, why

can't I find what I'm looking for?

Amen?

Why can't I find the thing that I've set out

and I've started a journey, And why can't I find

what I'm looking for? Why can't I get a hold

of what I know I should have? Aymen? Why can't

I really get rid of those addictions? Amen?

And I know we shouldn't have addictions.

Amen. There should be no of none of our young

people they met to have addictions. And I'm not saying

we do, Amen, But I'm not saying we don't tonight. Amen.

But people wonder, why can't I get rid of this

thought process? Amen? Why can't I get rid of thinking

like this? Why can't I stop acting like this? Well,

if you want to be where God wants you to be,

if you want to get where God wants you to get,

then you must get in the place that he wants

you to get. Too many people they want to do

it their way, and they try their way over and

over and over and over again, and they try and

they try and they try, and they never get over

the issue. They never find the promise fulfilled in their life,

and they wonder, why can't I get over this? Why

can't I beat this? Why can't I Why can't I

I get what God wants me to get? Amen? Why

can't I get the promise that the pastor has promised?

Sight over me?

Heymen? Why can't I get there? Well, that's because you're

stopping at every town. Amen. You're stopping it every end.

You're stopping it every little cutoff road. You've gotta go

all the way to Zarahphath. Amen. Elijah would have wasted

time if he were stopped at every town between Sheriff

and zarah Fath looking for a widow. We waste too

much time looking for things before we're in the right

place to look for those things. Amen, I don't thank

Elijah went door to door for eighty five miles, just

hoping that he'd come across the widow. The hat too,

too sticks and a little bit of meal to hold

him over. Elijah knew, I've gotta go to Xerophath. I've

gotta make the journey. I've gotta make the trip if

I'm gonna find her. Hey Man, I've gotta get my

things in order. If I'm gonna find the promise if

I'm gonna get to that place. She was out the

city gate. Elijah's journey was complete.

Amen. God had brought him safely there.

Amen.

And it was not for lack of effort on his part. Amen.

And half the luxury Hell, I believe it was Philip.

Amen.

Wasn't it Philip that got teleported?

Amen?

I don't think God teleported Elijah. Amen.

It took some doing, Amen. It took some walking, Amen.

And it took some praying. I'm sure Amen. It took

some provision from God. Amen. But Elijah makes it there.

And I'm trying to get to my text quickly. I'm

trying to get to my point quickly. She was at

the city gate and Elishah, Elijah, rather, his journey was completed.

Elijah could have questioned, and he could have asked God,

why did it have to be some eighty miles or

or why did it have to be one hundred miles?

Amen?

They estimate between. I've already said it eighty five to

one hundred miles. But Elijah could have sat there and

Jesus himself said, there's plenty of widows in Israel. Amen.

Elijah could have said, God, couldn't you use this one? Amen?

Couldn't you do it this way? Or couldn't you do

it this way? Amen? Would elied you. I don't believe,

and we don't find it in this Holy writ where

he questioned God one time. He just said, God, that's

where you want me to go. That's where I'm going. Aymen,

that's how you want me to do it. But that's

how I'm doing it. Amen.

I can't come in the other way.

Amen. I find myself a robber. Amen, I find myself

a transgressor if I try to get in any other way.

But I've got to go the way God said, and

I've got to walk the path God said to walk.

You might as well settle it in your mind and

settle it in your heart, and accept the will of God,

and accept the plan of God, and just go ahead

and do it God's way. When Elijah comes to the city,

he sees this widow, and the first thing that our

text records Elijah doing when he sees this woman is

a command. Amen.

I don't know if they had some greetings or not.

Amen. This woman more than likely was not a follower Jehovah.

I don't know Amen. I have zero Bible to believe

that she was, and I have zero Bible to believe

that she wasn't. Amen. But if you look at her culture, Amen,

and if you look in the place where she lived, Aymen,

there's a good chance that this woman was not Amen.

There's a good chance that she didn't fear the Lord.

And I read in the text Amen, And I didn't

write it down, but I just remember right now from

reading this text over and over and over and over

again getting ready for tonight. When she addresses Elijah, she says,

the Lord thy God.

Amen. She didn't say as the Lord liveth Amen.

She didn't say ask the Lord my God or as

the Lord our God.

But she said as the Lord thy God.

Amen.

So I just tend to think that this woman didn't.

Really follow Jehovah Amen, like Elijah did. Amen. Amen. So

So when Elijah here comes to this woman, I don't know.

I mean, they had some kind of either either Elijah

had a reputation that preceded him, or Elijah introduced himself

and said, I'm the one that you heard that voice

word God said, I've commanded a widow woman there to

sustain thee Amen. Maybe Elijah went up to that little

lady and said, you that little voice that you heard, Amen,

that you just kind of wrote it off, and you

were like, man, that was a little strange, that was

a little different.

Amen.

Maybe Elijah introduced himself and said, I am that man

that you've been expecting. Amen. I am that prophet Amen

that you've been expecting. Amen. And Elijah there and recorded

in scripture. Amen, and that's Jesse Howell commentarian.

Amen. That's free, it's not even it's not worth money.

Amen. But the first thing that Elijah does is a

command this woman. And you know what he said, fetch

me a little water in a vessel. Amen, just go

get me a little something to drink.

Amen.

The Man of God needed a little bit of water.

And I see no verbal reply from this woman. Amen.

I see no verbal answer to a I just question.

When the Man of God said, get me a little

bit of water. I'm thirsty. I need something to drink, Amen,

and bring me something to drink it out of Amen,

pour me a little bit of water and bring me

a little something to drink. Amen. I see no verbal

reply to his request, but we find note of her

action in verse number eleven. Amen, no verbal reply was

given that was worth writing in scripture. But the little

woman turned on her heels and she went to get

the Man of God a glass of water. Amen. She

gets went to get Elijah a little water. Elijah asked

for a little bit of water in a vessel. Amen.

She turns around and she goes in verse number eleven Amen,

directly after the request, she turns and she goes, Amen.

And here is where I just want to spend just

a few more minutes tonight, and I wanna try to

talk to some young people tonight. Amen.

Elijah requested a little bit of water.

Amen. He told this widow, go get me a little

bit of water. And I see here a willingness like

that of Rebeccah. Whenever Abraham's servant said, give me a

little drink of your pitcher, Hey man, this woman was

Johnny on the spot. Amen. She said, you want a

little bit of water, Well, I'm gonna get you a

little bit of water. Amen. And she reminded me in

study of Rebecca. Amen, whenever God Abraham's servant said give

me a little bit of water from your picture, old

Rebeccah was just so ecstatic him.

And she was so willing.

She said, I'll give you water, and I'm gonna give

your camels water. And I'm not just gonna give him

a little bit, Amen, I'm going to feed them until

they can't drink no more. Hey man, I'm gonna give

them all they can. Hey man, Them camels are gonna

walk away, amen, with fool bellies of water because I

have a willingness to give the man some water. Amen.

You don't have to say no more. I've got you,

ay man, I'll take care of you. You need a

little bit of water, then I'm on it. Amen.

It's your wish is my command. But picture with me.

And this is what came to me as I was reading.

Elijah tells her I need a little bit of water.

She turns to go get a water, and as she's

walking away, the Man of God speaks, it's there in

the text.

I'll read it again.

And that and arise get the axera fath till he

rose and verse number eleven. As she was going to

fetch it, she had not fetched it yet. Amen. She

was on her way to go get the water, and

the Man of God stopped her in her tracks. Hey miss,

I'm very thirsty and I see your willingness to give

me a little water. I see your your lack of hesitation.

Whenever you asked for a little glass of water, Amen,

Elijah said, bring me some bread. Don't stop with the water.

I'll take some bread too. I'm mighty hungry. And God

said you would sustain me. And now I'm looking for

what you've got. Amen. Now I'm looking for that thing

that God promised me would be here when I got here. Amen.

Now I'm looking for that bread. Amen. That's sustaining Life's

giving bread. That's what I really need. Amen.

No hesitation in the water at all.

And I'm telling you tonight it's not my desire to

cast shade on this wonderful widow. Amen.

I don't want to throw any shade tonight.

Amen. Or making this woman look like the bad lady amen,

or look like somebody she was not. Amen.

But whenever the man of God asked.

For a little bit of bread to go with the water,

you can read it there there's a little hesitation. Oh

you want the water, I got you. I'm trying on

the spot. Amen, I've got you covered. Amen. Say no more.

Nowadays they say say less, Amen, you want some water,

Say less? I got you, I got you a glass

of water coming. But Man of God, don't ask me

for no bread. Aymen, don't ask me for what I

feel like I really need. Amen, don't ask me for

what I feel like I'm really counting on. Amen. This

is where my burden is. Amen. I sensed in this

text just a little bit of hesitation in this woman's answer,

and in this woman's reply with the Man of God

said go a little further, to a little extra a man,

there's a little hesitation in her voice. Now she's got

a long list of why she can't. Now she's got

a long list of why what she's God ain't enough.

I love this story. I love this woman. I love

anybody that's willing to take care of the Man of God. Amen.

So I don't despise this woman. But there's far too

many people. There's far too many other people. I assure you,

I ain't got this down of no notebook, ain't been

out of no website. This came straight from God, and

I fasted, and I am afraid that God would help

somebody be willing to break the bread. God needs somebody

that's willing to go the extra mile. God needs somebody

to bring more than just what's easy. It's easy to

pour a glass of water. I had thirds right down

to dump that out on the floor. It's easy to

pour a little bit of water. It's easy to raise

your hand, it's easy to blend in. But what about

the bread. I've probably fasted more than most of you

in this building tonight, say brother how and.

The brother Nathaniel over this service.

That all want to be. That's because you're not willing

to bring the bread. You do want to do what's easy.

You want a portland of it, a wire, Thank you,

Brother Samuel. God knew I wouldn't need it. I don't

need a wire. I need the bread. The pastor don't

need the water. He needs the bread. He needs you

to get willing at all cost. That woman said, as

the Lord liveth I've got a long line of excuses.

Ask the Lord lives This is why I.

Don't need to do that. Lord dealt with me on

this tonight. Get a little vessel, get a little water.

You know what that tells me when I risten to

her response, and I've lost my spot in my notes

now I'll probably find them in a little bit. But

something tells me when I read this text that she

had a little more water there. She didn't meal. Amen.

Some tells me that her water supply wasn't quite as.

Scarce as her meal supply.

The water wasn't quite as scarce at the oil, because

when God asked for the oil, and when God asked

for the bread, that's where she said, Oh hold up,

oh wait. And I tell you I've never heard I've

never heard this story. Amen. I've never heard this widow

woman preach like this, heymen. And I got this while

I was reading this word of God right here, hey man.

I consulted one commentary, and I can tell you what

I got out of it. I've already said it. You

know what I got out of it. I'll go ahead

and tell you. The rest of this came straight from God.

I'll tell you when I got out of it. Elijah

was the first prophet to go to the Gentiles. That's

what I got out of it. And I loved it,

hey man. And I thought it was beautiful. But the

rest of this I got on my knees. The rest

of this I got it break time when I went

up in the upper law for the inventory garage, and

I flayed before God and now before God, and I said, God,

we need help. God. We've got a few people that

don't want to bring the bread. God, We've got a

few young people that are They want to bring the water,

They want to bring the water, but they don't want

to bring the bread. I know several people, not just

here tonight. I know several young people, and I know

several middle aged people. And that's the age bracket that

I would have preached tonight too. Michael, you're not too young.

I'm preaching to you, boy. I'm preaching the young people.

If that boy right there don't learn how to give

the bread, he likes to give the water alongside mom

and dad. Hey man, when dad's looking at the bed

at the couch saying a prayer, he likes to come

beside me. It's snuggle up there beside me, start praying

the very words the dad's praying. Amen. I say something,

and then I hear them say it, and then I

say it something else, and I'll pause because I know

they're learning. I pray, they're learning how to bring the bread. Amen.

They're learning how to offer the oil. They're learning how

to offer what God give them. Amen.

So I wait until they say that.

And you know, when I realize that they're doing that,

there's a lot of time that my vocabulary changes. Amen.

I start praying words that they'll understand. Amen, And I

start saying things like, God, I don't want to go

to hell. God, I want to be saved, and I'll

hear it on Malachi, God, I want to be saved,

and I hear my God, I don't want to go

to Hell.

I want them to bring the bread, not only the water.

Pastor. If I'm out a line that's bothered me, I'm sorry.

There are certain young people within our youth group and

across this world that I can look at your lives

and I still pray that God helps me bring the bread.

I pray that God. I prayed it more studying this message, Amen,

And I realized it more studying this message, then I

probably ever have that. I've got to bring the bread too,

Hey man, I've got to be willing to give God

what he desires to.

Amen.

But there's a few people, there's a few young men

and a few young ladies.

In this church.

They're willing to do so much. They're willing to go

so far before they reach that cutoff. They're willing to

do so much before they reach that hesitation, hey man.

And you can sense it in their praise, and you

can sense it in that worship.

Then you can sense it in.

Their repentance, hey man, when they reach that point and

they say, God, if you want the water, I'll bring

the water. But God, don't ask no more of me,

because I'm counting on this.

I really want to keep this for myself, hey.

Man, I really want to keep this back because I

feel like I need it and I feel like I

want it.

There's a lot of people.

That as long as it's just a little bit of water,

As long as it's a little bit of water, we're good.

As long as it's a little bit of water in

a vessel, we're good. But pastor, preacher, don't ask much

more of me, or I'll give you a verse number

twelve attitude. I feel like the Lord gave me that. Pastor,

don't ask too much more of me, or I'll stand

over here and I'll give you a verse number twelve attitude, like,

are you serious? You except that from me? I'll give

you a verse number twelve tongue lashing.

You better not.

I ain't saying nobody did or would even have the

guts to do it.

But you better not.

You better not cough for verse number twelve attitude, Well,

I can't do that because of this. I don't think

I should do that. Because of this. I don't think

you should ask for that. I don't think you should

expect that from me. Oh, yes, he should. God send

him there to get it out of you, God said,

Elijah put that little widow to any her last cake.

God sent Elijah to that place.

To get the last little bit that that widow was

holding on to. God sent a man of God to

push us to a point where we get the last

little bit of hindrance, the last little bit of hesitation,

and he pulls it out of us. Will you let

the man of God pull it out of you? Will

you give it you God? Mm.

When the preacher gets where you live, when it gets

on your.

Little meal barrel, your little handful of meal, when it

gets where you at, y'all like that talk, when you

get right there where you at, when he comes down.

My road, when it comes down your road.

And he asked for a little more, and he asked

for something a little different. Amen. There's a lot of

people that when the pastor or the preacher does that,

they start acting different, their attitude changes, They start treating

people a little different.

That widow.

I'm telling you it's in there. Read it with an

open mind. That widow treated Elisha Elijah just a little

bit different. Whenever he asked for her meal. You know,

that was like, I don't know the technical name. It

wasn't a seven course meal. It wasn't a plate of food.

It was like some flour or something. Would that be right, Mama? Yeah,

a meal like a corn meal or something, just a

little ingredients to make a little bread or something. It

wasn't a plate of food with a steak and potatoes. Amen,

Carnea sight on Papa's Amen, steak of potatoes. Vie for

knows what that is. That's Mexican. I'm turning into the

one they tell me. They told me they're gonna name

me a Jose instead of Jesse. Amen. I work with

a bunch of them, and I love them. Amen. I'm

trying to lead them to God. Amen. A lot of

them are willing to bring the water. They like to

go to church. They tell me every week about their

church and how the service was, and oh that they

like to bring the water. But when it comes to

giving more, and it comes to giving what God really

requires of them, when it comes to giving until it

hurts them, aymen, and when it comes to changing their lifestyle, heymen,

this meal had the potential to change this woman's life.

She could have gave it away, and a lot of

them aren't willing to risk it.

So thought he said something about that.

I'm trying to remember. When the preacher gets where you live,

some people they start acting a little different. You've got

something to say, Like this little widow woman, she really

thought she knew something Elijah didn't. Wow, you're gonna tell

the man of God something he don't already know. You're

gonna tell the man of God something that God hadn't

already told him, this little widow woman told Elijah. And

if I've said Alisha, I'm sorry, But this little widow

woman felt like she told Elijah a little She told

him a line.

She spelled it out for him.

Well, Elisha, Elijah, look, I've only got so much meal,

I've only got so much oil. And you know those

two little sticks that I was gathering whenever you came up,

well that was me getting the stuff and the supplies

to cook my little boy his last meal. I'll tell

you you'll do a lot better for yourself and for your

families if you'll give the bread. If you don't give

the bread, If you don't offer the bread, it will

be your last meal. Amen. I don't think that widow

woman would have made it a few more days if

she would have refused Elijah that meal.

We can't afford.

Not to give it. We can't afford our little babies,

can't afford that little boy. Couldn't afford for mama not

to give that little handful of meal.

She said, that's all I've got, baby boy, brother.

Jonathan, And you know this, And I appreciate that he

can't afford for us not to give that meal. He

can't afford for us not to make that cake. That God,

it's requiring of us. And I speak parabolically, Amen. And

we should all know that. Amen. Most of us grew

up in church, Pentecostal church, and we know, Amen, it's

easy to bring the water. And I know us sound

like a broken record, But what about when the man

of God gets down to where we know that it'll

cost us something I already said. I think she had

more water than she did meal. So I don't think

the water would have costed her much.

Amen.

I don't think she felt like she was out much

if she just gave a little bit of water to

the Man of God, if God just required a little

bit of water. But how do we act and what's

our attitude? Whenever God asked to go a little further?

When God asks us to get a little better, when

God asks us to give a little more. There's a

song I believe the wilds Cover sing says, give a

little more. Then you're wanting to go beyond what's comfortable

for you. Amen.

That's a hard part.

That's a hard place for a lot of people.

Amen.

But how do we act? What's our attitude? What's our

reaction when the Man of God tells us where we're at,

and he tells us, I know what it's gonna cost you.

We talked to our youth for just a few more paragraphs.

If we get upset when the pastor admonishes us, amen,

or pushes people we love. If we get upset whenever

the pastor pushes the people that we love into giving

a little more. If we get upset and we change

our attitude whenever the pastor pushes the people we love

into giving a little more than just water. The Lord

will I feel like the Lord wanted me to tell

you this. If you're unmarried, don't get married. If you

get upset when God deals with people you love and

God pushes people you love to do better and give

a little more, don't have children. Please, I'm begging you, please,

don't bring little babies into this world, because they're gonna

need a man of God to get where they're at.

There gonna need a pastor to get right where they're

at and talk to them and tell them what God

said and encourage them to give a little more. Don't

you get a wife and bring beautiful little children into

this world if you can't allow them to be preached

to by the Man of.

God and be talked to by the Man of God.

If you add two changes, that little baby will die,

that wife will die.

I beg you don't do it if you can't handle it.

When God deals with a little nephew, When God deals

with a little niece.

That you love, or a.

Mother or a father, or a brother or a sister,

and you can't stand to see the pastor ge't where

they're at I'm telling you, you'll love them babies more.

You'll love that wife more. God designed it that way.

If you love those nephews too much to let God

deal with them, you love them babies too much to

let God deal with them. And the devil has a twisted,

dimited form of love. Because if you don't allow them

to give the Man of God the bread, if you

don't allow them to give the extra and allow Elijah

to demand the widow give a little more, then your

babies will die. That wife will die. If you can't

stand to see Elijah say, give me some bread, give

me a little more. I need a little more, Give

a little more. I ain't missing it. I'm not mad tonight,

and I'm not mean, but somebody needs to get their

attitude in check. When the Man of God says, give

a little more. When the Man of God said, go

a little further, walk a little further, do a little extra.

It's for your good, pastor is for our joy. Within

a woman, it's for your good. With a woman's son,

it's for your good. We can't afford, we can't do it.

We can't afford to have a Verse number twelve attitude

with the man of God like this widow.

Woman did.

And give a long list of reasons why. I know,

bringing the bread, I need to put a little more

work in, beautiful wife. What's easier pouring a glass of

water or baking a loaf of bread? Pouring a glass

of water. I know that Elijah knows that, the Man

of God knows that it's easier just to give a

little water. But sometimes it takes more than just giving

a little bit of water. What about when God wants

to stretch you? What about when God wants to take

that bucket a meal and stretch it? What about when

God wants to take that and he wants to take

that from you and give you all this. I'm out

of time, and I'm out of my notes too. At

what point in our lives can we stand this evening?

I'm done? At what point in our life do we

begin to hesitate when God begins to require more?

Where's the line for us?

Is it that attitude so we don't want to give up?

Is it that game?

Now?

We don't want to give up? I'm stabbing in the

dark here. You know it, You know what to put

in there? I don't you know what to feel in

the blank there with your cutoff, with how far you'll

go before you'll say, now, listen, that's too much. You've

asked too much of me. You expect too much of me.

Am I closing. If anyone feels like praying, I'm closing

right now. I must mention one last passage tonight. This

will be my closing remarks. Mark chapter number nineteen. There's

a young man. Amen, there's a young man, and he

had great plans, and he had great intentions. I don't

think he would have kicked to Jesus if he didn't, Amen.

But he came to Jesus and he said, what good

thing must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus says

a little something, and I remember right, he says something

back to Jesus, and then Jesus says, one thing thou

lackest believe it was that one thing thou lackest Go

and tell that was his point coming to Jesus was

the water. The good intentions was the water, Amen. The

good intentions was bringing Jesus a glass of water, if

you will. But selling all that he had, that was

the bread, that was his necessities. That's what he felt like.

He couldn't let go of Amen. That's what he had

a hard time, and that's where he drew the line.

Where will we draw the line? Where do we draw

the line and say I'll go right here and I

won't go no further. I appreciate my heart. I feel

like God gave me this for somebody tonight. I think

God wants to help someone. Aymen. I feel like God

wants to move for someone. I feel like God wants

to sustain someone. Not only was Elijah sustained, the widow

was sustained, you will be sustained in your giving. Amen.

I'm done. I wonder if anybody feels like given a

little more tonight. Amen, somebody want to say, I've been

given the water long enough. I've offered water my whole life.

I've been willing to bring water my whole life. But

I understand, and God spoke to me tonight and said

it's gonna take more than just water. Oh God, help

me to be willing to give. But the Master would

require