On the way to Sunday . . . Finding Purpose in LIfe

One of my favorite questions in the Bible comes from 1 Kings 19 in the life of Elijah. God asks Elijah, "Why are you here?"

That is the ultimate question and it doesn't seem fair that God is asking it of Elijah. Shouldn't it be the other way around? After all isn't that our mission as followers of Christ --- discovering God's will for our lives?

What is our purpose?

What is our mission?

Finding purpose in life is important. It can keep us going. It can keep us hoping.
But what if our purpose isn't so much about discovering our purpose, but rather it is living the purpose we were given at birth?

What if we have multiple ways of living out our purpose in life?

What if the question isn't ours to ask, but instead it is God's?

Why are you here? Are you even in the place that God wants you to be? Should you, or could you, be someplace else?

Why are you here?

And while we are at where we you last Sunday?

I'll see you Sunday as we seek to discover some answers . . .

Elijah: Taking a Stand

"Let's get ready to rumble!" is the trademarked phrase used to introduce the featured bouts on televised boxing events. This phrase is notably used by American boxing announcer Michael Buffer who had it trademarked. The full version of the famous quote is: For the thousands in attendance... and the millions watching around the world... ladies and gentlemen... (dramatic pause) LLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

At the 1999 Indianapolis 500, Buffer served as guest public address announcer, and changed the phrase to "Let's get ready for racing!" The trademarked quote has been used extensively in the media to hype almost every type of sporting event. Perhaps “Let’s get ready to rumble!” was first used thousands of years ago at the Battle at Mt. Carmel.

The phrase conjures up images of a great battle about to begin and that is exactly where we are in the life of Elijah the beginning of a great battle.
King Ahab and the nation of Israel have been trying to please God and Baal for too long. Elijah has brought the message that it is time to stop wavering and make a choice. Elijah has brought the challenge and has announced, “Let’s get ready to Rumble!”

TICKETS: Free of charge
LOCATION: Outdoor Arena at base of Mt. Carmel
EXPECTED ATTENDANCE: The nation of Israel and assorted others
WEATHER: Sunny, No Clouds, No Rain. Same as the past 3+ years!
TIME: The battle is expected to begin at about 9:00 am
MATCH UP: The Idol Baal vs. Yahweh the God of Israel
COMPETITION: Sudden Death (First to bring fire wins!)
HOME TEAM CAPTAIN: King Ahab
HOME TEAM LINEUP: 450 Prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah
VISITING TEAM CAPTAIN: Yahweh
VISTING TEAM LINEUP: Elijah

19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

On the surface it doesn’t look like a fair fight. Plus the home team gets to go first and the first to score wins match. The prophets of Baal prepare their sacrifice and begin praying at about 9:00 in the morning. Their prayers go unanswered for nearly three hours.

27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

At noon Elijah begins to make fun of them. They respond by trying even harder. They dance with more crazy dances. They yell even louder. They jump even higher, but none of it works and finally after nearly 6 hours of futile activity Elijah steps to the plate.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." 34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

Elijah not wanting to be out done and desiring perhaps to put on a good show for all that are in attendance. Elijah prepares the altar and has everything soaked with lots of water. This is going to make it very hard to start a fire in deed. After all this is done, Elijah steps back and prays.

36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."

It’s a simple prayer, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."

38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!"

And in the instant that Elijah ended his prayer, fire from above came down and consumed everything! The sacrifice, the wood, the altar, the water, and the earth around the altar! Victory was God’s and the people fell to the ground and worshiped God.

40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

GAME OVER

God used Elijah on this day to begin to change the world. This was the start of the cleansing of the nation of Israel from all idol worship. From an ordinary man from humble beginnings, a kingdom and its people are about to be changed.

Want to be a make a difference in your world?

Remember that a divided allegiance is as wrong as idolatry.

God instructs us that you can not serve two masters. Jesus tells us we must choose to be with Him or you are against Him. People, this world has come to the place once again of declaring brazenly, that Christ and other religions are one in the same. We need these to become the Days of Elijah where individuals stand up and take a stand for Christ.

Want to be a make a difference in the world? Take a stand.

Remember that your most effective weapon or tool in taking a stand will be prayer.

Want to be a make a difference in the world?

Then never underestimate the power of one life, no more matter how small, how young, how old. There is power in one person that is dedicated to God.

Want to be a make a difference in the world?

Begin today with a simple prayer and take a stand. No divided allegiance.

Make your life one that is dedicated to God for there is no God like Jehovah.

On the way to Sunday . . . Taking a Stand

take a stand: to publicly express an opinion about something, especially to say whether you support or are against something

I find it interesting that we are most often called to take a stand by joining others.

Take a stand against bullying; war; hate; you name it ____________

Take a stand for peace; love; marriage, you name it ____________

We are constantly asked to join others in taking a stand and yet inherent in the idea of taking a stand is the individual decision to stand for something. While it might be easier to join a group in making a stand, it can also be easier to remain silent in a group.

Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!” The people did not say a word. I Kings 18:21

Sometimes taking a stand is a lonely proposition. We are asked individually, by name, to follow Christ. Remember the song "I have decided to follow Jesus"? Remember the line, "if none go with me, I still will follow." That is taking a stand. When no one else, if no one else, stands with me, I will still take a stand.

Caught in chains, Shackles on too tight.
Squirming for your life because you've gone and lost your freedom ...
Stand for something! Or you'll fall for anything.

Skindred "Stand for Something"

There are plenty of causes worth fighting for, but don't get lost in the world of causes. Find the sweet release of freedom by declaring your faith and making a stand for Christ.

Stand for something! Or you'll fall for anything!

What are you willing to make a stand for all on your own?

See you Sunday . . .

Elijah: Overcoming Fear

Today we will meet a new character – Obadiah whose name means: “Servant of Yahweh”. This Obadiah (one of 14 in the OT) is not to be confused with the minor prophet of the same name. He is a servant in the King Ahab’s house. Actually he is in charge of the king’s house. Obadiah was a man caught between a rock and hard place. He was a man who served Yahweh, the One True God, while also serving in the house of an idolatrous master.

His master’s wife, Jezebel, sought to purge the land of God’s prophets while Obadiah secreted away 100 hundred of God’s prophets and fed them as well at risk to his own life. Obadiah was stuck trying to balance his loyalties while fearing that his faith will be discovered.

This is the condition of things as we enter the 18th chapter of I Kings, but I want to jump ahead to the end of our story to begin with:

Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!” The people did not say a word. I Kings 18:21

Our story will end today with the people being silent.

That is also reflective of our condition. The church today is filled with people living in silence as a result of fear. We have become fearful of even talking about our faith. The reality is that we talk “euphemistically” about our faith while remaining truly fearful, or at the least totally uncomfortable, of even speaking the name of “Jesus” in or outside the walls of the Church.

Church has become the home of living dead. It is no wonder that we have difficulty getting people to respond to our invitation to come to church when we walk around like the place sucked the very life out of us.

We don’t talk about our faith in part because we don’t understand it or because we fear that everyone else knows more. For some of us we go to church out of fear. As if, if I don’t go something bad will happen or we go believing that I have to go in order to get to heaven.

Let’s face it when it comes to our faith - we are more apt to be living in silence and fear than we are to be living out loud with joy. As we enter today’s story in the life of Elijah he is at a turning point. In our lives of faith we are at a turning point – Will we live by our faith or fear?

1-2 For three years no rain fell in Samaria, and there was almost nothing to eat anywhere. The LORD said to Elijah, “Go and meet with King Ahab. I will soon make it rain.” So Elijah went to see Ahab.

The Lord tells Elijah to go back to Ahab and announce the drought will end soon. Have you taken note that through all of these 3+ years God has kept his Elijah safe and provided for?

3-4 At that time Obadiah was in charge of Ahab’s palace, but he faithfully worshiped the LORD. In fact, when Jezebel was trying to kill the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah hid one hundred of them in two caves and gave them food and water.

Obadiah and Ahab are on a quest to find green grass. In order to cover the most ground Ahab goes in one direction and Ahab the other. Ahab has a great deal of trust for Obadiah.

5-6 Ahab sent for Obadiah and said, “We have to find something for our horses and mules to eat. If we don’t, we will have to kill them. Let’s look around every creek and spring in the country for some grass. You go one way, and I’ll go the other.” Then they left in separate directions.

Ahab says to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

It is so bad that they are struggling to find any grass to feed the animals. And if they don’t find some soon, the king has made the choice that the cattle will go first.”

Note there is not one bit of acceptance of responsibility, and no repentance. So blind is the king that he has no concern for the people. The people are starving in the midst of a great famine and yet his concern is for his army.

Fear is leading Ahab to spend all of his resources seeking safety and security in the things of this world while God has been providing safety and security for Elijah and the prophets.

Do not let it escape your notice, that Obadiah – “Servant of Yahweh”, has been made insignificant in this story of faith by his own decisions as well. He could have said, “But King Ahab, what about the people? How can we work to preserve the beasts of your army while ignoring the plight of your people?” Perhaps he feared retribution for presuming to correct the vision of his leader?
People, we are in the world and must function in the world, but we are not to be of the world. When man’s (government, corporation, or personal) goals and aspirations oppose Godly living and conscience, we must stand against them, or be dragged down with them. Fear should not keep us silent.

7 As Obadiah was walking along, he met Elijah. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down, and asked, “Elijah, is it really you?”

As Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and fell to the ground before him. Is it really you, my Lord Elijah?" Obadiah was stunned. You have to believe that over the last three years Elijah had become a legend among the believers. They had certainly heard of Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab and the numerous quests to find Elijah that always ended in failure. Perhaps for the believers, Elijah was a bit like Robin Hood or the Lone Ranger – always around but never caught.

8 “Yes. Go tell Ahab I’m here.”

Elijah replies, “Now go and tell your master I am here.” Elijah wastes no words. He is ready for Ahab.

9-13 Obadiah replied: “King Ahab would kill me if I told him that. And I haven’t even done anything wrong. 10 I swear to you in the name of the living LORD your God that the king has looked everywhere for you. He sent people to look in every country, and when they couldn’t find you, he made the leader of each country swear that you were not in that country. 11 Do you really want me to tell him you’re here?12 What if the LORD’s Spirit takes you away as soon as I leave? When Ahab comes to get you, he won’t find you. Then he will surely kill me.I have worshiped the LORD since I was a boy. 13 I even hid one hundred of the LORD’s prophets in caves when Jezebel was trying to kill them. I also gave them food and water.

Obadiah protests and make excuses --- “Look don’t you know all that I have been doing in your absence. Why would you ask me to do this?” I read this and wonder what is going on with Obadiah. This is same man who hid 100 prophets and risked his own life to feed them. Why such a response to such a simple request?

Perhaps he had experienced the temper of Ahab and Jezebel. How often had reports of Elijah that didn’t “pan out” result in punishment or death? Maybe he was fearful to be discovered as having split loyalties. Would they ask, “How do you know Elijah?” and “Why would Elijah show himself to you - Obadiah?” Perhaps an already paranoid Ahab might put two and two together.

Maybe there is a bit of jealousy of Elijah? You came three years ago command a drought left us to suffer and now you want to fix it? Who made you the hero? I have been working hard here. This is my mission field and it seems you are about to disrupt everything. Who are you to come in from the outside and tell us what we should do. I have been here and you have not.

Maybe too it was the jealousy of an ordinary man – Obadiah - of the extraordinary prophet - Elijah. Why can’t I be like Him? Why can’t I be recognized for being an extraordinary man of God?

14-17 Do you really want me to tell Ahab you’re here? He will kill me!”
15 Elijah said, “I’m a servant of the living LORD All-Powerful, and I swear in his name that I will meet with Ahab today.” 16 Obadiah left and told Ahab where to find Elijah.Ahab went to meet Elijah, 17 and when he saw him, Ahab shouted, “There you are, the biggest troublemaker in Israel!”

Elijah pleads once more ... Go and tell your master that Elijah is here! He also swears that he will present myself to Ahab that day. So Obadiah tells Ahab that Elijah has come and Ahab goes out to meet him.

Elijah comes out of the wilderness and confronts the very one who had been seeking to take his life. Elijah is emboldened by God’s provision and protection. Elijah has learned to trust God even in the face of absurdity.

Elijah has no fear . . . Elijah, who had so completely given himself over to the care of God in a barren and hostile land, walked boldly back into the presence of the enemy at God’s beckoning, because he was in the center of God’s will.

People, when we dwell in that place then our heart fully understands Paul’s question: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

18-21 Elijah answered:”You’re the troublemaker—not me! You and your family have disobeyed the LORD’s commands by worshiping Baal.19 Call together everyone from Israel and have them meet me on Mount Carmel. Be sure to bring along the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 Ahab got everyone together, then they went to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!” The people did not say a word.

At this point there is a reckoning as it were . . . Ahab, Jezebel, Obadiah, the nation of Israel, all the false prophets must make a decision:

“How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the LORD is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!” The people did not say a word.

But, what will YOU say in this our day?

Are you still living with fear, doubt, unsure what to do with your faith?

Take a stand for your faith. They may call you a trouble-maker, as Ahab called Elijah. But if like Elijah, you have dwelt in the secret places of the Most High; if you have been fed at God’s table and not at Jezebel’s; if you have learned at the Master’s feet, you will go discover His strength and His wisdom.

Then you can overcome your fears and take a stand for your faith.

When you are secure in the things of God and not need the security of worldly things - When you believe that God is still in control and seated firmly on the throne of the universe - When you reach the point that you can declare like the Psalmist: “God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2). Then you are ready to overcome your fears and take a stand for your faith.

When you discover like Elijah that your security is in your faith, not in your safety - for security is not about safety. It is about faith and courage. When we discover that, then we can overcome our fears and take a stand for our faith. When we learn like Elijah that even we fear tells us we are alone – God is there.

We know that God is everywhere, for Jesus has promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). It is this faith that gives us the courage to take a stand. You can overcome your fears and take a stand for your faith.

Elijah steps out of the past and is still asking us today, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways?”

Do not remain silent.

You can’t have it both ways.

Pick a side - take a stand for your faith.

On the way to Sunday . . . Overcoming Fear

Fear is a horrible feeling one we never want to feel and one we go to lengthens to avoid. We live in a time and a country where it's possible to avoid the things that scare us most: violence, disease, natural disasters, dangerous animals, and even in many cases - death. Instead, we get to sit around watching television shows...about violence, disease, natural disasters, dangerous animals, and death. We are a strange lot, we humans.

A quick search on the internet and you can find 621,000,000 entries that reference fear. Search for overcoming fear and that quickly refines to 15,900,000 including the following:

"Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it."
Bill Cosby

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

The interesting thing about the results is that they are all seemingly focused on you:

What is stopping you from getting what you want in life?

You may be wired to worry (or fear).

Overcoming fear is a skill that anyone can learn.

And seemingly everyone has something to say about fear and overcoming it. The reason to overcome fear is so you can be successful and get what you want from life.

Interesting that the most often repeated phrase in the Bible is "fear not" or "do not be afraid." Even Jesus used that one with His Disciples.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 New International Version(NIV)

The recurring message throughout the entire Bible is that God's people do not need to be afraid of anything, because He is ultimately in control of all things. Whether it's a minor life setback or a seriously frightening situation, Christians are called to face it without fear because they can trust God.

What is fear keeping you from doing?

Elijah: Living Your Faith

Have you ever been in a situation, seen something, or had someone tell you something so utterly astounding that you found yourself saying, “You have got to be kidding!”


This week as we continue our look at the life of Elijah, we will find Elijah in numerous situations that will lead him to cry out, “God, you have got to be kidding!” As we ended last week, Elijah had been drinking from a brook and the brook had just dried up.


Sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
I Kings 17:7

I want you to remember that phrase “sometime later” it implies that just when everything looked good ... everything was comfortable ... everything was right ... sometime later ... then ... it’s always the "and then" that gets us ... if no other way we can relate to the "and then" for Elijah this week.

Sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath.

God now sends Elijah to a new place for protection, training, and nourishment. God’s provision at this time would seem to be even more extreme than the last. This time God has directed Elijah to the center of the enemy’s camp and of Baal worship. Zarephath is a suburb of the capitol of Sidon. You might remember that Sidon is where Queen Jezebel’s father lives and is King. He is not only king, but he is also the high-priest for Baal. From Elijah’s view point, he is not getting farther away from his problems, but rather he is going straight into the proverbial lion’s den.

Additionally, God has instructed Elijah that he will be cared for by a widow that he will meet in Zarephath. This alone is a strange request. Widows were not to be taking care of others. Quite the opposite, the people were called to take care of the widows.

Remember this is still a patriarchal society and women have no real means of support other than their husbands although it was possible that a widow could be well taken care of as a result of her husband’s wealth and inheritance. Remembering his experience with the ravens and the brook, Elijah is obedient and travels to Zarephath several 100 miles to the northeast with the expectation he will meet a widow that will be able to care for him.

When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks.

Upon his arrival in Zarephath, Elijah sees a widow near the town gate. He is able to identify her as a widow by her clothing (black dress). She is gathering sticks. This woman obviously had little or no means as evidence by her collecting remnant sticks for a fire. These sticks would have fallen off wagons that entered the town. They would have been of such little consequence or size that no one bothered picking them up, except the poorest of poor. At the least Elijah must have been curious, “Is this really the widow that God told me about?” As a test or as an act of obedience, Elijah calls out to her. I think it more of a “you aren’t the woman I am to meet are you? Please say no, please say no, please say no!”

He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

"As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."

I think at this point Elijah is certainly thinking to himself (if not yelling under his breath), “God, you have got to be kidding! I trusted you and went to the ravine, I trusted when you said the ravens would come, I trusted you when the brook dried up, I trusted you when you said go to Zarephath, I even trusted you when you said a widow would care for me, but now you must be mistaken, God you must be kidding, surely it is not this widow!”

But, Elijah is again obedient to God’s leading and calls out to her one more time making an even greater request of her.

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

For nearly three years, the jar of flour and oil never fill up and never run out. There had to be a moments of déjà vu. How long did it take before they stopped being amazed every morning? How many times during this time did they try to save flour and oil only to have it spoil?

But wait there is still more to this story in Zarephath.

Sometime later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.

Sometime later (same phrase when the brook dried up – kinda just when everything seemed good) The widow’s son becomes ill and dies.

She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"

The widow reasons that this is Elijah’s fault and at this point even Elijah gets in on the act and exclaims to God, “God, you have got to be kidding me!” --- well sort of at least in my translation that his what he says.

"Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.
Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"
Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

The son’s life is returned and the widow’s eyes are opened to see clearly for the first time that this man Elijah is no ordinary man, but rather he is an extraordinary man of God.

This man doesn’t just say his God is Yahweh (remember the meaning of his name?)…
this man lives it with his life and his actions!

Are you looking for something more in your journey of faith?

Then allow God to lead even when it doesn’t seem to make sense.

For you will discover God’s leading is often surprising. Just ask Elijah.

Looking for something more in your journey of faith?

Remember that continuing your journey is often the hardest. God is faithful, but sometimes the provisions are only enough to get you by day to day. Just ask Elijah.

Looking for something more in your journey of faith?

Obedience will always be required. In order to take in all that God has promised and is ready to give requires your obedience and your trust.
Just ask Elijah.

Are you looking for something more in your journey of faith?

It is said that “A journey of a 1000 miles begins with but one step.”

That first step is TRUST the second step is OBEDIENCE

God wants more from you than ordinary.

God has planned extraordinary things planned for your life.

Unlock the extraordinary and begin to make the choices to live your faith.

What is (or has) God been calling you to do?

What are you waiting for?

Take a step of faith and begin living your faith.

On the way to Sunday . . . Living our Faith

Learning to live our faith is simply learning to "walk the talk."

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

In 1887 following an evangelistic meeting held by Dwight L. Moody, a young man, John Sammis, stood to share his story. As he was speaking, it became clear to many that he knew little about the Bible or Christian doctrine. His closing lines, however, spoke volumes: I'm not quite sure. But I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey.

Daniel Towner was so struck by the power of those simple words that he quickly jotted them down, then delivered them to John Sammis. John further developed the words to become the lyrics to the hymn Trust and Obey. Towner then composed the music and the song has been a church favorite ever since.

This story reminds me that God can use every faithful word that we utter and every deed that we do in ways beyond our comprehension. Certainly Sammis had no idea what his simple words would mean to generations that followed. He was simply being obedient to the Holy Spirit's prompting as he spoke.

In our lives we over analyze everything. We want to know what the results of our actions will be before we will act. We choose our words in attempt to calculate the response. We constantly ask, "What's in it for me?" The simple answer in our lives of faith is that sometimes the act of obedience is what is in it for us.

We need more obedience in our lives as followers of Christ. We need more people willing to walk the talk.

Why?

Well, I'm not quite sure. But I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey.

I'll see you Sunday. Until then keep singing:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word,
what a glory He sheds on our way! . . .

Elijah: Learning to Trust God

God uses that which confounds us so often to teach us . . . teaching us to rely on HIM and not that which we can so easily understand . . .

I believe in the church we make it easy for people to feel ordinary. When we take our lives and place them along side the likes of John Wesley, Mother Teresa, Peter, Paul, Mary, or Martha we become very ordinary by comparison. Yet, I still believe God is calling the ordinary people in the world to do extraordinary things. I believe God is still in the business of transforming people. We just need to learn how to trust God.

The story of Elijah could just as easily be the story of any ordinary person transformed by God into the extraordinary. Elijah's story begins as if Dickens were telling it: “It was the best of times and the worst of times”.

From the worlds’ perspective King Ahab had built on his father King Omri’s success. Israel was a great regional power with extensive military might (2000 chariots and 10,000 troops fought the Assyrians to a stand still in 853). Israel was experiencing great economic prosperity. Archaeology has shown that the craftsmanship of the Israelites was unequaled in this era.

On the other hand, Ahab performed more evil in the eyes of God than his father.
Ahab introduced pluralism or polytheism to the nation. He married Jezebel who sought to rid the land of God’s prophets and brought Baal worship to the nation.

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe (of the settlers) in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."
I Kings 17:1

If there were any doubt that Elijah was ordinary, we need only look to his introduction. We have no idea where or what a Tishbite is, this was a man from a small town so small that nobody knew or cared where it was so no record of it was kept. For all we know Elijah may be the only claim to fame the town ever had and he was so ordinary no one bothered claiming him. One unique thing about Elijah is his name which means “My God is Yahweh.” This name will be significant in the role that Elijah will play in proclaiming God’s sovereignty.

Elijah announces to the king that there will be no rain in the land. This is significant for several reasons:

1) Baal is the god of the clouds and the rain.

2) Elijah is making a pronouncement that it is Yahweh and not Baal who is in control

3) This announcement comes at the same that the 6 month long dry season is to be ending

Immediately after delivering the message to King Ahab, Elijah will disappear from the public eye for the next three years.

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. I Kings 17:2-6

God directs Elijah first to camp out at the Kerith Ravine. It is there that God will supply all of Elijah’s needs. It is there that Elijah will learn to trust God.

In the Ravine, God will send ravens to feed him meat in the morning and in the evening. The very thought of ravens becoming providers is absurd! Ravens by their nature are scavengers. Only an act of God could cause this to happen.

This very process of provision for Elijah sits starkly in contrast with God’s law. God’s law delivered through Moses and Abraham clearly dictated that the nation was to care for the prophets of God. However, during this time period the nation was using its resources to support the false prophets of Baal and Asherath. So Elijah must learn to trust that God will take care of him.

I wonder how Elijah handled the waiting for the birds. Did Elijah search for food? Did he wake early to find the birds had already been there, or did he have to wait wondering if they would come? How long did it take before Elijah trusted God that the provision that God had promised would be there?

While daily meat was being supplied, God was also supplying daily drink to Elijah through the brook that runs through the ravine.

Sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.
I Kings 17:7

No doubt Elijah had been watching the level of water go down every day, anxiously wondering what was going to happen to him when it dried up. This brook was fed by the spring rains which are not going to come. Perhaps this contradiction between promise and reality did not go unnoticed by Elijah. But he lived as if to say, “No, God commanded me to be here, and I am going to be here until he tells me to leave.”

What was it like for Elijah as the brook began to dry up? Did he look for other sources of water? Did he cry out to God in frustration over the dried up brook? The dried up brook which was a result of God’s action (foretold by Elijah) could have easily become a point of frustration.

But when the brook dried up, Elijah was not anxious. What did Elijah do? Oh, he may have second guessed whether or not he was in the right place – certainly camping out near the Jordan River would have made more sense. But instead Elijah stayed where he was and waited for further direction from God. He was learning that he must not lean on his own understanding but instead learn to trust God.

How often do we become we frustrated in the very moments in which God is taking care of us? We spend most of our lives living in these type of moments … the space between God’s promise and our reality. Too often we quit on God before the promise is delivered. Elijah provides us an example of someone who trusts in that moment as he stays in the Ravine ... even as the brook dries up … Elijah learns to trust God in the moment between the promise and reality.

We leave Elijah this week at the Ravine, as the brook dries up, sorting out what it means to trust God. Elijah is an ordinary man trying to discover what it means to follow God’s leading.

It is in his willingness to follow God’s leading that he will discover the first steps to becoming extraordinary.

Want to be more than ordinary? Begin by submitting yourself to God’s leading.

Elijah has learned that God’s direction will include provisions and that these provisions can come from some surprising places.

Want to be more than ordinary? Trust God to supply the provisions. You just might be surprised.

Elijah has also learned during his camp out that faith must fill the gap in the time between promise and reality.

Want to be more than ordinary? Learn to trust in the promises and allow your faith to keep you while you wait for the assurance of the promises you are trusting in.

Elijah has learned that a dried up brook can be signs of God’s pleasure.

Want to be more than ordinary? Learn to read the signs in your life.

Find the brooks in your life that are there to feed you. Allow yourself to be drawn to those brooks, but remember that God can also call you away … come back next week to continue the journey.

Want to be more than ordinary?

Begin today by learning to trust God in all places and at all times…

It won't be easy, but the rewards are worth waiting for.