Spiritual warfare
Elijah stood in front of all the people and demanded to know how long they were going to limp between opinions. But the people answered him not a word. Canaanite mythology believed that Baal ruled the earth and was responsible for harvest, rain and fertility and that Mot ruled below in the underworld, as the god of death. These two were engaged in constant battle and when Mot was winning, there was cold, drought and famines but when Baal got the upper hand, there was rain and blessings harvest and life. The ministry of Elijah was set in direct opposition to the supposed power of Baal. When Elijah declared that there would be neither “dew nor rain” it was a clear challenge to Baals’ supremacy. At Zarephath, he is seen to overcome death (seen as the power of Mot) when he raised the widow’s son from the dead. We too live our lives on a battleground not a playground but like Elijah, our God is with us to bring victory. The nation had turned away from God. God’s people were not fully following Jehovah but they weren’t fully following Baal either. There was accommodation in their life to his influence. After all, his religion was more satisfying to their flesh. He offered unbridled sexuality without restrictive standards. Baal titillated their imaginations. Many were not fanatical worshippers like Jezebel but they knew his philosophy and Baal was all the gossip around the nation. Sure we love God he has been our traditional God for generations but we like Baal too. We think there are some good things about Baal; we feel we can relate to Baal, he’s not all bad. Friend, surely we can see the picture here of the Western nations in the last days. The nations were forged and strengthened by God and His Word, but now they are post-Christian. They may still have prayer in parliament on occasions but there are new false gods in the land. Our leaders may choose to be like Jezebel in its state-sponsored syncretism and denial of the God of Israel but let not the people on the mount be a picture of ourselves!
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Reconciled
The guilty thief is pronounced not guilty and runs free from the court room. On the streets no one knew the judge was the thief's father. But the boy didn’t return home. Sad-Free but reconciled. We are not just freed and forgiven, we are reconciled to God. If we were only justified that would still leave us in dirty clothes cowering and uncertain although perhaps thankful for the goodness of the judge because He declares us holy and blameless. God is no longer a judge but He is our father and reconciliation is a family term. So we can talk to him relate to him share with him. He is your father. Not only are we reconciled to God but we are reconciled to men of Eph 2: 16 the Jews and Gentiles the most difficult people ever to get on together are now made one through the cross that are due a Gentile can become brothers any of us can become brothers and sisters through the cross. The Cross was the most shameful thing to happen to a person. They would die naked. It was the pits - they would cheer gladiators on the way to die. But never a crucified person. Now Paul was the opposite of the sophist and young rhetoricians of his day. He was old, dressed badly, poor and couldn’t speak that well. He said it is a miracle that the Corinthians listened or heard but it was God! Paul said for them to believe on the gospel is a miracle. I came with a ridiculous message, looking ridiculous to you but you changed it was a work of God.
Friend, the gospel is the power of God. it was then and it is now.
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Are you weak enough yet?
When God comes to Cain after he killed Able, Cain lied, “I don’t know where Able is! It was not me and I don’t know about it . People are healed when they take responsibility for their sin.
When God came to Adam in the garden after he had disobeyed there was no words of judgement - only inquiry "where are you ?" If Adam had of said I have sinned, please forgive me God would have done so.
It is a principle. If we confess our faults God forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Adam blamed Eve. This is the Adamic nature; our fallen behavior and while we blame anyone but us, we cannot be healed.
Cain could have repented and been forgiven. David repented and found forgiveness. Paul repented of murder and found forgiveness.
Friend, trust in Gods unfailing mercy and forgiveness that is offered to everyone who repents and confesses their sin. Only faith will move you forward to your future and receive the cleansing you need. Don’t allow your future to be limited by the past and don’t let your past determine your future.
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Whose Plan
When Philip the evangelist arrived at Samaria he expected to reap a great harvest from the seeds sown there by the Samaritan women and Jesus. When he got there, he found the devil, already had someone there. It seems to be a pattern in the Book of Acts that where the gospel goes, there was a stronghold needing to be broken. The devil brought Simon there as soon as he realized that God was planning something big in Samaria. The devil always tries to mess up your present life, before God “arrives.” He seeks to tie you up with business, porn, poverty or sour relationships. He wants you to discourage you with shame and regret or the pain of abuse. He wants you to stay distracted, because if he can stop you here. Your destiny will remain unfulfilled.
If there’s bondage or weakness right through your family; alcohol, adultery and divorce from generation to generation, the enemy has come to your family because he knows that God is planning to do something really great in your home and family. The devil filled Legion with hundreds of demons but it never stopped Jesus from reaching the legion and setting him free and if you keep praying, the tide of the battle will turn.
Friend, if it seems that the devil has been at work in your life, it’s because God is planning to do something great in your life.
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In focus
A number of years ago some teenagers from a local school were killed in a tramping tragedy. The rains came and the swollen river floated them away. One cried out to Jesus and he is saved but others are washed away. Presumably, they are praying too, wanting to be rescued but they die.
The parents gather around and wonder why one child is saved another is lost. Outside the theologians defend the sovereignty of God and console themselves with the mystery of Gods plan for the accident. Some people look at the tragedy and think God can’t look after his own so he’s either powerless or if he is powerful, maybe not as loving as we think he is. We are better to admit that God is loving and powerful but there are mysteries when it comes to tragedy in His people lives.
A man called Helmet Thielecke says “When you look through a magnifying glass at the cloth, the fabric is sharply in focus in the centre and blurred at the edges. We know edges are really ok because we have seen the centre. Life is like that too. There are many edges that are blurred but because we have seen the centre, the cross, that greatest demonstration of God’s love, we can accept that the edges we don’t understand will be woven by Gods love too.
Friend, we can understand God enough to trust his character when we can’t understand our circumstances
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Where is God now?
Paul was placed in prison, where it seems his life was being hindered or wasted. He wrote to the believers at Philippi, “I may be in prison but God is at work. I may not be preaching around the nations, but God is still at work, so I’m confident, that God is at work in your life too, no matter how difficult it seems.”
If we think God is not at work in our life, to will and to do of his good pleasure, or we think others are really in charge of our life and not God, we actually become idolaters, because we reduce God down to the size of a small Sunday god, a quite time god or a good time only god. We end up murmuring in unbelief, thinking that other people and not God are determining our circumstances and happiness.
Friend, the apostle understood God is always at work, so he says to his friends in lesser trouble than himself, rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is at work!
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Who promised that?
Sometimes we expect more from God that he ever actually promised. Elijah thought God would use him to change the whole nation for God.
Perhaps we thought we would have a great success we’d become the greatest businessman. We expected we’d become exceedingly wealthy like Abraham, and have no financial difficulties. We expected we’d be much better off than our fathers. Better off, better educated, better resourced. But God never said you will be better than your father. He has no favourites but then you don’t love any less that you father either.
God never promised we would see a whole nation turn back to God in one concert, one service, one year or one lifetime.
Perhaps we thought by serving God fully, we’d be protected from harm (actually every one full of Holy Spirit was killed by evil men) We expected to have no troubles in life, for our family and home to be shielded from every pain and that our children would all sere God every week of their life. But every wrong expectation will only increase our disappointment and pain.
Friend, God wants to heal and restore pain in our heart is meant to alert us to the need for healing.
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Weary?
While Elijah slept fitfully in the shade of the tree, he felt the sharp hit on his arm and woke to hear an angel speaking.
Elijah was depressed but God in His compassion and mercy takes the initiative to seek Elijah out. He ate and drank and went back to sleep till again the angel woke him so he could eat some more. Sometimes in life, you just need to rest. If your feet are tired have asleep; if you mind is tired go for a walk.
Yet adversity always introduces us to ourselves. We see the real us. The question was the same as to Adam “What are you doing here?” How did you end up in this position?
Friend, the journey of life, is too great for us alone without God, without His food and His touch but after he ate and drank and rested, he was ready for a 40 day walk to Horeb. Is it time for fresh food and a fresh touch from God? Rest in his presence till you get hungry and thirsty for Him, He will not disappoint you.
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Loving God
Elijah stumbled out of the cave into the sunlight to meet God but he was still disappointed. You could hear it in his voice. He had expected God to turn the nation around but all the people who were not on Carmel and certainly Jezebel seem unchanged. We know that if expectations aren’t met in marriage we can be prone to disappointment which brings about a loss of intimacy. If we feel God has disappointed us too, we can lose our sense of intimacy with God. We love him but we feel disappointed by Him; let down by Him, even abandoned. Maybe you blame God for the actions of others or what happened to someone you care about. You may have prayed for something to happen in your life; stood in faith for the outcome but it has not happened yet or never happened and it hurt because we don’t understand. We reason, well I’m not going to trust Him again or put my faith out there again, and we take back part of our hearts from God. We think “I’m going to hold back some of my love or make a mental list of those things which God must do before we trust Him again. Friend, God has not changed but our perception of Him has. We have to be able to say “Father I lay down all my conditions for you to fulfil, on the altar. I ask you to forgive me for allowing my heart to harden toward you. I have let things I don’t understand, cause me to withdraw my heart from you, but I chose to give my heart one hundred per cent to you again.
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Made for a Purpose
History tells us that Paul was a short man only 5 feet high, with beady eyes, a hooked nose, big eyebrows and bow legs. Apparently, his eyesight was not good neither could he speak that well. Paul was bought up very religious and hated Christians. He put them in jail and enjoyed seeing them killed. It is strange that God chose Paul to be the greatest apostle and church planter among the Gentiles, but Paul came to see that God was using his weaknesses and past. Later he says “I’m the chief of sinners, a pattern to all who believe after me. If God can forgive me you too can be forgiven by Jesus.”He was a strange choice for God to make a preacher. Maybe he asked many times for God to fix his eyes or his speech impediment so he could preach the gospel. But God said, “My grace is made perfect in your weakness.” So Paul said, “In that case, I will boast in my infirmities because when I am weak then God is strong.”Paul had skeletons in the closet in his past and possibly felt inferior about his looks but He came to see that God could work around that and even through it. Tonight friend, you can’t change your past but you can embrace your future by trusting that God has a plan to build you into the likeness of Jesus, including using your past present circumstances for His purposes.
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Marriage Expectations
Sometimes we get into season in life where intimacy seems to go from our marriages. Usually, there has been a conflict which is not fully resolved. The couple says they have forgiven but really they have withdrawn their heart from their spouse. Their heart is not fully given to their spouse as it was on their honeymoon.
We are designed and marriage is designed to give our heart away 100 per cent to another person. Withdrawing of the heart is actually hardening of the heart toward someone you supposed to love? Sometimes offence occurs because expectations are not met, so you harden your heart to protect yourself from further hurt. We find we are less able to trust them and we build a protective barrier around the heart.
Soon after the heart doesn’t work emotionally like it used to; the same words the same environments don’t make the heart feel the same as before.
To feel intimacy and connection once again, you have to unconditionally give your heart back to your husband or wife. That may be scary but the alternative is to stay in the prison you’re in.
Friend, if that sounds like you today, confess that you have taken back part of my heart from your spouse and declare that you will not make them fulfil your list of requirements before you give them your heart. Choose to give them 100 per cent of your heart from this day forward and thank God for restoring intimacy in your marriage.
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Just the way you are
You are the handiwork of God. God doesn’t make any junk. Some of you probably think “If I had someone else’s personality and looks I’d be happy with how I am.
In the US they took a survey amongst 100s of bright and good looking kids from well adjusted Christian families and 95% said there were things they didn’t like about themselves and if they could, they would wave a wand and change things about their life.
In a troubled home, where there has been abuse and pain, it’s hard to think it could be the handy work of God, and the abuse isn’t! Not every bad thing that happens to us in life is from the hand of God. God does not cause it, nor does He plan it or want it to happen, but God will show His love and healing kindness in the midst of our pain.
The whole world is built upon the system of comparison but a comparison of yourself with others is not wise. We can’t all sing like Celine Dion but God didn’t want you to or He would have made you like that.
Friend, if you concentrate on what you don’t have and what you are not rather than on what you are and what you have, you miss out on Gods call and potential of the unique gifting He has put in your life.
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Still small voice
So God says go out, get out of the cave. Go stand on the mountain before me. Stand outside the mountain with your back to the cave. Turn your back on all the things that are in your cave. The death, the troubles, the debt, the persecution the lack of fruitfulness and failed expectations. Turn you back on them and stand before the Lord. The Word of the Lord to us is not just for the supernatural, the spectacular the public and the impersonal. But it is also in the private, the personal the still, the small and the painful. Sometimes past experiences of hearing the word of the Lord lead us to think that God will speak to me this way because that is the way it has happened before. Elijah wasn’t just delivering a message he was the message. And the changes in his life kept him dependent upon God; in his sweet spot of dependence upon Him. In constant prayer and dependence upon the word of the Lord.
Friends, you are not preparing a message to give on Sundays but God is preparing a message in you. You are not giving a message. You are the message.
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Self acceptance
How many people look in the mirror and say “You are awesome¸ you look so cool.” How many of us ever look in the mirror and say “I wish I didn’t have such small eyes, or I wish I wasn’t so tall.”
It may seem strange but many young people find it hard to dedicate her life to God because of how they look or the circumstances in which they were bought up. They think if God really loved them surely would have made him look like Cindy Crawford or Mal Gibson.
They reason. “If God didn’t make sure I was brought up in a perfectly loving and holy family, surely he can’t be as wise or kind as we think. Some people think that God made them on Friday afternoon, hurrying to get finished for the weekend! But there is no Miss universe or perfect man in the Bible. God has no pattern person as far as looks go. This is an invention of commercialism who want you to buy the products that they say can make you gain a perfect skin, body or look in life.
The only pattern or standard God give us in the Bible is for character and that picture is Jesus. Self acceptance is accepting that how God made you to look, the personality you have the back ground you came from is absolutely perfect for you. Not perfect but perfect for you!
Friend, God’s plan is that we come though life and become as much like Jesus Christ as possible even if it means that sometimes we have to face difficult situations and people.
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