Elijah rested his head on the cloak he had rolled up for a pillow. It was cool and quiet in the cave. Caves were often used as shelter, but the forefathers Abraham and Isaac had buried their dead there and David had hid in caves from pressures and distress. Elijah’s cave reminded him of his troubles, dead dreams, and failed expectations. While Elijah was thinking back over his life , he heard a voice he knew, could only be the Lords. “What are you doing here Elijah?"

Did God mean what was Elijah doing in the cave or what was Elijah doing in that state of mind? Was God was asking Elijah “Do you want commiseration in your pain or a new commission in your purpose? God was moving Elijah on because there is no future in the past and no future in the cave. God was encouraging Elijah, if you are ready for a new commission, come out of the cave, and forget the past for the past can affect the way you hear, what you can hear and even what you expect to hear.

Sadly, it seems that Elijah never really left his cave. We can leave our cave physically, yet remain there mentally or spiritually. Elijah may not have been in his cave, but the cave was still in him.

Friend, self-pity or past failures will rob you of your usefulness and your future. The past can imprint us more powerfully than our future. Come out of the cave with your hands up and get ready to hear from God. Our ability to be useful to God is limited to our boldness before the throne and before the world. Stand on the mountain before the Lord with your back to past pain, the dead things, the persecution and the failed expectations. It is time to break agreement with fear, low expectations and self rejection. If you can turn your back on all the things that are in your cave and stand before Him, you will hear His new commission!

 King Ahab and Jezebel were the worst. They made God angrier than anyone else before them. While they spent their time worshipping Baal, Elijah had been standing before the Lord to listen. The state sponsored religion of Baal worship had taken a dark grip over the people’s minds and their nation. It is amazing what people can’t see when everyone else is doing it. Elijah was sent by God to confront the king and prophesied there would be no more rain except by his word.

During the drought God provided for Elijah by feeding him with bread carried by ravens and by drinking from the brook Cherith.

Now ravens are not that reliable. The book of Proverbs says they won’t even feed their young, let alone give scarce food to a prophet, so we can imagine that Elijah hoped they would come before they ate the food themselves.  Perhaps he prayed a lot, but after three months of faithful delivery by the birds, he grew a little more relaxed and only prayed for a while before breakfast down by river.  After seven months Elijah was really confident, so he’d wander out of the shade, looking for the birds, right on tea and breakfast time.

About that time, he just noticed that the water level in the brook was dropping so he began to pray a bit more. As the brook continued to dry up over the days to just a trickle, he may have begun to seek God in earnest. We all do that don’t we? Perhaps Elijah got used to Gods provision and began to take it for granted. Maybe he was beginning to trust in the ravens reliability rather than Gods faithfulness.  Perhaps he needed circumstances that would position his heart in readiness for the word of the Lord? God’s new direction came.

In new situations we can’t rely on ourselves anymore; we are out of our depth and have no pat answers; we need the Holy Ghost. But great things can begin to happen. Changes in our life, develops the fear of the Lord.  We draw closer to God and are desperate for Him to turn up in our life.

Friend, is God using changes in your circumstance to get your attention and to position you to hear His voice afresh? Are your circumstances only dry and unsustainable because God is setting you up to encounter you, or take you to a new place of service, or a new level of supernatural supply? If your brook is drying up - look up and listen.

 Gideon kept his head down as he threshed his grain in the wine press. As he hid from from the Midianites, he secretly wondered why Israel was being crushed by her enemies.  He couldn't believe it when God appeared and told him that he was chosen to deliver Israel. Nor could he believe it when God called him a mighty man of valor.  Gideon was Mr. average. He had no political pull or stately position.

But through out Israel’s history, God seemed to choose people from less than notable families. Because of their weakness and ordinariness, we stand back and are amazed at how God changed history through them. God’s army has always been an army of “hollow” men and hollow women; empty people, whose very hollowness, invited the residence of Almighty God. It is easy to think that Gods great last day army, should be unaffected by the ailments of mortal men but God does not to require a people of titanium strength and chromium brilliance but people trusting God in spite of weakness. Sometimes all we can see is the human weakness in our own life and we think is, “What could God do with me?” The answer is everything He wants if we will be courageous and obedient.

Friend, it will always be a challenge to step up and do what God asks us individually or in a team. Maybe it's God's plan that we never feel self confident, so that we rely upon Him. We might think that in two years’ time we'll feel adequate, but it may never change.  We are never going to get the point where we don't need Gods help or His grace. It is not God’s plan to deliver us from human weakness, only from human sin. If you feel weak it is a God sign that you can be powerfully used today! My friend Stephen McCracken wrote today “God’s desire for people to be truly and eternally free in Christ has not changed! He has not changed His nature, His commission, His anointing, His provision, His power, His might, nor His partnership with His people! So, we say Yes Lord, to all that He has planned!” Come on Gideon.

In ancient times the king had absolute command over everything and everyone, in his kingdom. But he was also responsible for his subjects and was the “minister” of defence, health, education, social welfare and justice. When the King of Israel led them out of Egypt, He fed them, watered them, protected them and healed them. He was a good and responsible King, but the subjects complained and asked for a human king.

When King Jesus came, He too looked for subjects throughout Palestine but found few. Again, Israel loved the King’s provision, but they did not like His provisos. They wanted Jesus to be sovereign over their needs but not their will - to be King over their problems but not king over their hearts. It takes two to make kingdom. The king, and subjects who are in harmony with the will of the King. Jesus proclaimed “Good news - you can be part of my kingdom. Your part is to get your heart in line with the will of heaven”. God’s kingdom comes wherever His will is done.

This is why we pray “Let your kingdom come, your will be done”, and for the same reason Jesus said, “If anyone would be my disciple, let him take up his cross and follow me” As David McCracken says, “the cross is the instrument upon which our will dies. The cross is even the shape of an “I” crossed out”. A disciple is someone who has denied self-will and embraced the will of the king.

As divine King Jesus promised “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the necessary earthly things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33). And from Pentecost onwards His disciple subjects found that His kingly power and rule, brought them peace, blessing, victory and dominion over all the enemies of demons, depression and fear.

Friend, there are no cross-less followers of Jesus. But he is no fool who gives up his own short-sighted self-will, to accept the will of Someone who loves us more, whose plans are perfect for us and who has the ability to bring them to pass. Sure, as we follow Him, His path may pass through a garden or even a “cavalry”, but it will always lead us to His presence with exceeding great joy, for there is always joy for Him and for us, beyond the cross.

The evening turned out to be quite unusual. First Jesus washed their feet and as the disciples hung out after supper, Jesus said something they thought they would never hear but something they would always remember. “I no longer call you servants… but I have called you my friends.. all that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.” John 15.15.

That was a lot to grasp for young Jewish men, who knew the only other friends of God were the great Abraham and the powerful Moses. God had revealed himself to them. The friends of God were people that He shared his secrets with. They even understood how God felt in some small way.

Where can God find a friend? God finds friends among men and women. Angels feel no pain and seraphim live in contented, unchanging bliss.  Only people, whose hearts feel love for their children and whose hearts can be broken, can understand the heart of the Father. Abraham, understood Gods pain as He walked up the long path to Mount Moriah to offer His Son.  Another servant of God who became Gods friend was Job who experienced great pain and loss.  Job lost property, his children and his dreams, just like God who lost His planet, His creation and His children, all in one day.  Who can understand the pain and hurt that God felt when His innocent Son, was riddled with putrid disease as He bore our sins?  Maybe people like Job as he suffered without a cause.

Friend, every painful, lonely, disappointing moment in our lives, reminds us of the privilege of friendship with God. He certainly understands us, and knows how we feel and because we understand His pain a little better (the fellowship of His sufferings), He reveals Himself to us further and invites us to become an even closer friend.

Has anyone noticed how many rainbows there are around these days? We have rainbow footpaths, office windows, pedestrian crossings, buses and toys. So many that I thought people must be either reading their Bible or totally forgetting the meaning of the rainbow. I decided to print my own tee-shirt to explain.

This morning I climbed the steps to enter our city council gym and was greeted by an archway of balloons arranged in rainbow-order. I thought “I wonder who is telling them to promote pride week and whose rates are paying for it? That got me thinking. Why pride?

Pride is something we feel when a child or adult has achieved something notable or has demonstrated character in the face of difficulty.

The other use of the word pride is in the context of lack of humility and rebellion and the first instance of this type of pride was a long time ago. Lucifer was the most decorated created being in heaven. He wore beautiful garments, which glistened with jewels of every colour of the rainbow.

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold... "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you” (Eze 28:13-1)

Sadly, as Lucifer led the parade in worship to God, he began to think that the worship should belong to him. Iniquity and pride entered his heart, and he was cast from heaven to become Satan, the hater of mankind and God.

Pride in this context of arrogance and rebellion has never benefitted anyone. As Kevin Conner said "If pride can turn and archangel into a devil, what can it do to us"?

Has pride ever helped a couple resolve their issues? Has pride ever helped a broken relationship be restored? Has pride ever helped reconcile a son to his parents or enabled them to confess their faults? Never. God took pairs of males and females into the ark for the good of the planet. Homosexual pairs animal or human would be non-regenerating and an evolutionist might say, a threat to the survival of the species. Not much to celebrate there either.

Why would we be proud of pride? We don't celebrate “lust week” for adulterers, or “greed week” for thieves and gangsters, so why would we celebrate pride week for those caught in homosexuality? It makes no sense.

Why would the U.N. and government promote and celebrate a lifestyle that on their own admission and figures, has a far worse suicide and mental health outcomes than the general population? Canadian figures put suicide risk at fourteens time higher for LGBTQ people. That is not fair on our young people.

Of course, homosexual people look for acceptance and they should find acceptance from us all, for every human being is infected with the same disqualifying sin. Gay or straight, black and white. Whether we live in Remuera or Manurewa, are atheist or religious, sin affects us all differently but affect us all, it does.

Some of my friends have gay children. We love and accept them because they too are us. All of us must find our way back to God through the same narrow gate, Jesus Christ.

Israel Folau was given a hard time for saying that homosexuals will go to hell. But maybe he and everyone else missed the point. It is not just homosexuals that will be excluded from heaven (Hell) but every person that hasn't asked found forgiveness from God, though a personal faith in Jesus Christ. This includes rugby boards, politicians, presidents and preachers. In short, no one will live with God unless they are humble enough to acknowledge their imperfection and need for God's forgiveness. And humble enough to accept the only salvation that God has provided (at great cost to himself), the cleansing blood of his Son.

So, while doing my leg press, I thought “Why should we be celebrating pride week in a government run gym? Soon our primary schools will be full of rainbows. What to do? I know, I'll wear my rainbow bow tee-shirt to the gym next week.” Then I thought “This only happens because everyone is too afraid to speak up. I should say something today,” So I went to the gym instructor and asked “What is the meaning of these rainbow-coloured balloons? Who told you to display them?”

He said “I went overseas to bury my mother and got stuck over there with a lockdown. My staff put them up to celebrate my return to work”. :)

Oh well there is still way too many rainbows with the wrong meaning out there!

When you discover what God is asking you to accomplish in your voyage of life, don’t be surprised if it takes a little while.  Like a lifetime! If your dream is big and if it is from God it will not happen overnight. Some people leave a church because they think they should have “arrived” after 4 years. God chose Moses and prepared him for his task. It took God 80 years just to get Moses ready to start.  Some Christian soldiers lay down their arms after 15 years in the battle.

When Jesus was walking toward Jerusalem people left Him to Himself. “they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem” Luke 9:53 ). They would have entertained Jesus but they could see that Jesus had resolutely set His course. Stopping along the way, was not His priority. If you set your face toward something, wrong things and even good things won't distract you.

The reason Jesus, the Apostle Paul and even Columbus, achieved their life purpose was because they heard from God, counted the cost, charted their course and followed it.  They went the path less travelled. Columbus had done the easy things for 10 years. He had been east to the Mediterranean, south to Africa and around to India but now his compass was set west, out into the darkness of the Atlantic. To discover the hidden treasure of God we must first allow all the known country to slip away behind us.  Don’t live your whole life and never become who you are meant to become.  We cannot become an admiral from the arm chair. Hard winds will seek to drive you off course.   Fog may come in and night will fall but you must stay at the helm.  Don’t let people hijack the dream. Instead we have to learn to repel the negative “borders” that assail us and adjust the sails to stay on course. Don't run aground on the rocks of past and present failures. Don’t sink under the waves of ruined dreams and aborted goals. You must not let the past determine your future.   Walt Disney went bankrupt five times before he succeeded.  Though you fail you are  not a failure.  Failure is an event not a person.  Invariably we all fail- its part of being human but whenever we do it’s our only our beliefs that are failed us.  We thought wrongly that we could do life without God or we believed that somehow we would be able to pay for things later that we cant afford now . Mostly when we fail it is just time to change our beliefs and align the to God’s Word.  God’s dream for your life will take time and constant focus. And our Father knows exactly what spiritual successes and natural troubles are needed for us to develop the maturity we will need to arrive at our destiny.

Joseph sat on an imposing throne surrounded by the trappings of ancient royalty. The end of Joseph’s life looks easy. We would all like to be him; riding on golden chariots and banqueting for breakfast. He was on top of the world and people bowed low before him as he rode past. But the process God used to get him there, was not as easy. He was attacked, abused, and accused and his integrity was tested.

There are sure ways to enter the blessing of God and our destiny but there is no easy way. As it says on the wall of my gym “There is no elevator to success, you will have to take the stairs “

Sometimes we would like to be removed from the process which God is using to bring us into His promises. As someone once said, “There is no glory without a story”. There is also no degree without study. People learn nothing on graduation day apart from the fact that perseverance pays off. It is the journey that benefits us most, not arriving at the destination. It was not standing at the border of the Promised Land that prepared Israel for conquest, but their long journey there. Few people become “great” without going through great difficulties.

Every believer has troubles; they might be different from yours or they may even not appear to have them, but they do. We all live in a broken world. Living with Jesus in heaven will be easy, living for Jesus on earth is our challenge. David McCracken used to say, “God is more interested in our character than He is in our comfort”. So, He is the God of all comfort, but occasionally, He allows dis-comfort, to produce in us, something more valuable.

Friend, your journey may be difficult, it may even be a “mess” but as you travel onwards trusting, it is accomplishing more in you, than arriving at your desired destination, ever could.