Podcasts about when elijah

When Elijah was in despair he cried out to God from the beneath the broom tree. Rev. Richard Stryker asks us about times of despair in our lives. Have you found yourself in such a situation? Did you cry out to God?

Saturday July 24th Science, Scriptures and the Supernatural 6 Yesterday we established the fact that a God-Man partnership is necessary to operate in the supernatural. When God was making man, He put the spirit of man in an earth molded body and with God's breath man became a living being. In this process of creation, God was showing a principle that if He's to manifest his glory on the Earth it must be a partnership with man. We see another example of this in the ministry of Elisha. 2 kings 6:5-7 (NLT) 5 But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. “Oh, sir!” he cried. “It was a borrowed ax!”6 “Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. 7 “Grab it,” Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it. An axe head has just sunk into the river. Elijah takes a stick which naturally should float, and throws it into the river at the spot that axe head sank. The stick sinks, and the axe head begins to float. This certainly is a miracle. But how did all these take place? Elisha did something in the natural before the Supernatural happened. First, he got a stick and threw it into the river; God did not do any of those things for him. When Elijah did what he could do, God did the supernatural act He couldn't do by causing the stick to sink and the axe head to float. What Elisha did was a practical, repeatable action and it ushered in the supernatural. In 2Kgs.3, Elisha was consulted by the king of Judah over a battle that he was about to fight, he went in the company of the idol worshipping king of Israel. When Elisha saw the king of Israel, he was angry and in that state of mind he could not access the supernatural and get direction. To access the supernatural wisdom, he asked for a musician to play some music. Everyone knows that there is a science to the art of music, as the musician began to play, he was able to receive inspiration from God. The supernatural came from what God said, but by a “scientific action” Elisha re -conditioned the atmosphere to become conducive for God to work. Like we asked yesterday, what are the “ordinary things” as we partner with God to perform then supernatural in our lives? May God open our minds in Jesus' Name. God bless you and enjoy your day.

Our focal scripture is 1 Kings 19:1-18 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. The Lord Appears to Elijah And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” As read by Elvyre Bright (@elvyre_bright) #DailyWordBytes #FocusOnGod #ElvyreBright --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dailywordbytes/message

In Family Worship this week, we explore part three of the Press Play: Get in the Mix series with a Bible story about how Elijah showed confidence that God could do the impossible. When Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal, He believed that God would come through for him and send fire from heaven. God showed up and proved His power over the impossible. Bottom Line: God can do the impossible.

When the brook runs dry!In this podcast, I share from the 1 Kings 17:1-8. Elijah stands before King Ahab and prophetically declares that there will be no rain according to “his word”. Elijah had to HIDE himself at Cherith. The “hiding place” is a place when one comes to a standstill from active ministry. This time of hiding is not a waste of time but it is preparation time for greater things ahead. Cherith, is a place of cutting and piercing. God will take you to Cherith before he ever takes you to Carmel. God sustains Elijah and provides water and food for him. Yet after a while the brook dried up. God's word was seasonal and not permanent. We need a fresh word from the Lord continuously. We have to know that sometimes a word from the Lord may have an expiration date to it. The God who led Elijah TO Cherith is the same God who let him OUT of Cherith. “The Lord is my shepherd” and he is my shepherd even at Cherith. God does not normally lay out the long-term scenario. When Elijah spoke to Ahab, he had no idea what the next step would be. God made the next step clear as Elijah was faithful in what God had already given him to do. As you take a step of obedience, then God will show you what to do next. Be blessed ❤️

The man ahead of me at the carwash was on a mission. He purposefully strode to the back of his pickup and removed the hitch, so it wouldn’t snag the high-powered rolling brushes. He paid the attendant then pulled onto the automated track—where he left his truck in drive. The attendant shouted after him, “Neutral! Neutral!” but the man’s windows were up and he couldn’t hear. He zipped through the car wash in four seconds flat. His truck barely got wet. Elijah was on a mission too. He was busy serving God in big ways. He had just defeated the prophets of Baal in a supernatural showdown, which left him drained (see 1 Kings 18:16–39). He needed time in neutral. God brought Elijah to Mount Horeb, where He had appeared to Moses long before. Once again God shook the mountain. But He wasn’t in the rock-shattering wind, earthquake, or raging fire. Instead, God came to Elijah in a gentle whisper. “When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out” to meet the Lord (1 Kings 19:13). You and I are on a mission. We put our lives in drive to accomplish big things for our Savior. But if we never shift down to neutral, we can zip through life and miss the outpouring of His Spirit. God whispers, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Neutral! Neutral!

When Elijah was taken up to heaven to be with the Lord he asked Elisha what he wanted from him, Elisha asked for a double portion of the spirit that was upon Elijah. Elisha went on to perform double the miracles that Elijah did. In the New Testament Jesus told His disciples not to go out until they were indued with power. When we are clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit miracles happen! The Holy Spirit can touch lives in ways that we never could on our own! We invite you to explore our podcast and the teachings of Chad Everett - Lead Pastor, visit our website and come join us for one of our services livestreamed on our website every Sunday morning at 8:30 & 10:30 CT.  You can also join us at our Norris City, IL campus and our Mt. Carmel, IL campus.  Make sure to connect with us on social media too with the links below. If you would like to give to the ministry of The Roads Church visit: https://theroads.church/giving/  Or text: Amount NC or Amount MTC to 84321  (ex. 50 NC) Follow The Roads Church on social media: Website: https://theroads.church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theroadschurch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theroadschurch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theroadschurch #mtcarmelchurch #norriscitychurch #chadeverett #theroadschurch

Dr Lynn Lucas looks at parts of Elijah’s life – how God moved, how God provided, how God did miracles. When Elijah passes the mantle to Elisha, Elisha’s desire was for a double portion of the Spirit of God!

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:27-30) 107 Never does He omit or change His way. God never changes His system. Do you know that, brethren? Sure, you do. He never changes His system. He always keeps it going in continuity, the way He started. 108 He never dealt with a world, only under preaching, with one man, Noah. He never had four to go down and deliver them, or an organization, in the days of Moses. He never had two on the earth at the same time. Each one of us different from one another, our features, our make-up. God just gets a hold…All He needs is one person that He can get in control; that’s His example. He did it by Moses. He did it always. 109 When Elijah and Elisha was on earth, they both couldn’t stay the same time. One was taken, the other one got his mantle upon him. 110 When John came upon the earth, He was the manifested Word of God for that hour. We know that. He was God’s manifested Word. Because why? Isaiah said, “There would be a voice of one crying in the wilderness.” Malachi, the last prophet, said, “Behold, I send My messenger before My face, to prepare the way before the people.” Now, that was not Malachi 4; that was Malachi 3. John was Elijah of Malachi 3, not Malachi 4. 111 Because, when Malachi 4, when that prophecy comes forth, the earth is to be burnt with a fervent heat, and the righteous walk out in the Millennium, up over the ashes. And it never happened in the days of John. 112 In Matthew 11, we find out that when John sent disciples down to there where…John paid Jesus the—the least respect that he could, after he had already seen the sign over Him. And said, “That’s Him. He that told me in the wilderness to go baptize in water, said, ‘On Whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, He’ll baptize with the Holy Ghost.’” He said he was sure of that. He saw the sign. Then after his eagle eye got filmed over, down in the prison, he said, “Go ask Him if He really is the One, or another.” That was disregarding the Word. 113 But Jesus knew that. He paid John a great respect. He said, “Who did you go out to see, a man dressed in soft raiment? They don’t handle the sword. They’re kiss the babies and bury the dead, they’re in kings’ palaces.” Said, “What did you go out to see, a reed shaken with any wind?” When one organization offer him a little more than the other, or some community, he’ll move to that community ’cause…? Not John. 114 Said, “What did you go to see, a prophet?” Said, “I say unto you, and greater than a prophet.” He was. He was the messenger of the covenant. He was the breach. He was the keystone between law and grace. “What’d you go out to see, a prophet? And I say unto you, more than a prophet.” 115 He said, “He was a bright and shining light, for a while.” Why? He was the Word made light. He was the Word manifested. 116 Then when He come on the scene, he said, “I must decrease; He must increase.” Two of them couldn’t stay at the same time. John had to go; Jesus remained. See? It’s always that way. 64-0206b - "Paradox" Rev. William Marrion Branham ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Order your own copy of the Family Altar at http://store.bibleway.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ten-thousand-worlds/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ten-thousand-worlds/support

When Elijah chose Elisha to be his apprentice and the next prophet of God, Elisha left everything behind. He burned all of his wealth and fed the whole town with a BBQ of his oxen. When God calls us to be His followers, we likewise must leave everything behind to pursue Him. There is no safety in following Jesus. Rather, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross to walk with Jesus. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ferncreekcc/message

We are proud of your steps thus far towards transformation and betterment of oneself. You've worked hard not to stay the same by combining dedication, commitment, and hard work on resharing our minds. Now be warned because others will start viewing you as strange due to your commitment towards development. Outsiders will inquire why it is crucial to remain focused in these current times of uncertainty. Stand and guard your goals and dreams; because you're created with a divine appointment, and if we remain focused on our purpose by deflecting the naysayer, we will meet keep all divine appointments. Here's our Power Word for today: 1 Kings 19:11-23 "The LORD said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" In this passage, Elijah is in hiding. The threats from Jezabel swung over his future, and he ran for the hills, even after seeing God rain down fire and give victory when Elijah stood against the prophets of Baal. In God's presence, the unhealthy thoughts and the shame that blinds us diminishes. YOU'RE A MIRACLE! God wants you to LIVE life on PURPOSE.

"Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor 10:3-5)      Self-talk is a mechanism of our reasoning that includes mental dialogues that can be quite complex. The dialogue can originate solely within our mind, or be influenced by external experiences or discussions. Sometimes these dialogues are pleasant, and sometimes not. And they can approximate reality, or be pure fantasy. The Bible presents a number of passages that address what today would be called self-talk (Gen 17:17; Deut 7:17; 8:17; 9:4; 18:21; 1 Sam 27:1; Psa 14:1; Isa 49:21; Jer 3:17-25; Luke 7:39; 16:3; 18:4). On several occasions, David faced pressure in life that disrupted his mental state and he took control of His thoughts and directed them to God (Psa 13:1-6; 42:1-11; 131:1-2). In these instances, David was his own biblical counselor as he applied God’s Word to his own situation and effected stability in his soul.      The mind is a busy place. As Christians, we face competing systems of thought all around us, via sources such a TV, radio, literature, daily discussions, and experiences. The brain needs to be healthy for the mind to work properly. The brain is our hardware and the mind its software. If the brain is damaged, the mind will not work properly. Or, the brain can be operational, but the mind corrupt. Volition tends the gate of our mind, determining what enters, its level of activity once inside, and the duration of its stay. For the most part, we determine what we let into our stream of consciousness. Sometimes—without our being fully aware—we accept antithetical beliefs, which result in cognitive dissonance and fragmentation. The rational mind will recognize incompatible thoughts and seek to find reconciliation, or eventual correction by means of expunging aberrant thoughts that cause trouble. Of course, this assumes a standard by which to evaluate our thoughts and values. For the Christian, the Bible is God’s special revelation to us to help us understand truths and realities we could not obtain by any other means.      Self-talk refers to our inner reflections, the mental-dialogues we have with ourselves. But self-talk is never neutral. There’s always a bias. A desire to think a certain way. Thoughts align with God and His Word, our personal desires, or the fallen world around us. Often, self-talk pertains to how something or someone impacts us, and what we can do to make sense of it and manage it along with other activities or pressures. As a Bible teacher, it’s my every intention to get into your mind, to promote God’s Word in every aspect of your reasoning so that you learn to think as He thinks and that His Word will govern every mental discussion. Others are trying to get into your mind as well. Some are helpful, others hurtful. You must choose what you allow in, and you must regulate the mental discussions you have with yourself.      Sometimes external activities or discussions with others can carry over into mental dramas and discussions we have with ourselves when alone. We create scenarios that play out an emotionally charged debate we had earlier in the day or week.[1] We do this because there’s a natural part of us that wants to make sense of what happened, so we replay the scenario in our minds, albeit imperfectly and with a bias. We might even assign a motive that may, or may not, correspond to reality. Often, real people and experiences come into our mental plays, as we set the stage and cast characters in various roles. We write the script of what each person says, how they act or react, and where the story goes. We play a part in our mental productions, either as the victim or victor. Emotions can flare during these staged productions, and this helps push the storyline in various directions, for better or worse. Often, our mental productions are an effort to anticipate how another person will act in reality, and various scenarios allow us to work out how we might respond if/when the real-life situation goes as we anticipate. Sometimes we do this with past experiences, recreating a scenario that is not true to the occasion, so that the outcome is more to our liking. The problem is that perception is never equal to reality, and sometimes we can misperceive another person’s words, actions, or motives; and when this happens, it drives our mental production into areas that might actually prove harmful.      Biblical self-talk is where we deliberately and consciously insert God and His Word into our thought processes. The purpose is to produce mental and emotional stability as we orient our thinking to divine viewpoint. This can be very challenging in a culture that excludes God and where the mind is conditioned to think about all matters from the perspective of how things relate to us. The mental stability of the Christian is predicated, to a large degree, on the biblical content and continuity of his thinking. It’s not only what we think, but the consistency of our thoughts that produce mental stability. But this is not the only factor, as our mind can be impacted—for better or worse—by things such as sleep, hydration, nutrition, exercise, and socialization. If we’re tired, hungry, and have not taken care of ourselves, then we are naturally more vulnerable to the pressures of life.      In personal trials and tribulations, I know God is at work in my life, using the furnace of affliction to burn away the dross of weak character and to develop those golden qualities that reflect His character. God wants me to grow up spiritually, and suffering is a vehicle He uses for that purpose. Suffering is like the manure that helps the plant grow; we don’t like its smell, but we understand it’s nourishing value. Joseph understood this, and even when his brothers treated him poorly, he saw it from the divine perspective and said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Gen 50:20). Joseph could not control how his brothers treated him; but he could control his response, which was based on divine viewpoint and the choice of faith. As a Christian, I know that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Below are some ways to strengthen the mind: Take control of your thoughts. Solomon wrote, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Pro 4:23). And Paul stated, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Your mind is your own, and you must regulate what enters and stays, and what you choose to focus on at any given moment. Spend time in God’s Word. The person who is daily in God’s Word is like a tree planted near water that constantly receives life sustaining nourishment. David writes of the righteous person, saying, “his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Psa 1:2-3). The Lord spoke to Jeremiah, saying, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit” (Jer 17:7-8). It’s only in the daily activity of biblical meditation that the Word of God begins to saturate our thinking and flow freely within the stream of our consciousness, permeating all aspects of our lives. Spend time in prayer. Jesus taught His disciples “that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1). As Christians, we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th 5:17). This means our prayer life should never end, but should be ongoing, day by day, moment by moment. Life can be stressful, but we are to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phi 4:6). As Christians, we are to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). Spend time with growing believers. Scripture states we are to “encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb 3:13), and “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). Paul wrote, “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours” (Rom 1:12). When writing to the church at Thessalonica, Paul said, “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith” (1 Th 3:1-2). Growing believers are marked by love for each other as we seek to encourage each other to love the Lord and to serve Him in humility and faithfulness. Spend time giving thanks to God. The psalmist wrote, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually” (Psa 105:1-4). Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phi 4:4a), “and “Give thanks always for all things” (Eph 5:20a), and “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:18). An attitude of gratitude to God strengthens the heart of God’s people. Take care of yourself physically. Make sure you get good sleep, hydration, nutrition, exercise, and socialization. If we’re tired, hungry, and have not taken care of ourselves, then we are naturally more vulnerable to the pressures of life. When Elijah the prophet was threatened by Jezebel, he became fearful and fled for his life, even wanting to die (1 Ki 19:1-4). And God sent an angel to Elijah, not to rebuke him, but to care for him. And twice, while Elijah slept, the angel cooked a meal for him in order to strengthen him for his journey (1 Ki 19:5-8). On one occasion, Jesus told His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while. For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31). Sometimes, when engaging in ministry, we’re in a better frame of mind to handle those situations if we are rested and taking care of ourselves physically.   [1] Emotion is connected to thought, like a trailer to a truck. One pulls the other along. We drive the truck. We determine where our thoughts go, and emotion follows. However, once in motion, the truck cannot stop easily, for when the brakes are applied, the force of the trailer pushes the truck, reducing the braking process. How far we travel to come to a complete stop is determined by how much the trailer weighs, how fast the truck is going, and the external road conditions. I’m sure the metaphor could be developed further, but you get the point. Thoughts and feelings are connected systems that either work for us or against us, but they are never neutral.

Scripture tells us that there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces, but YHWH was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but YHWH was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but YHWH was not in the fire; and after the fire a “sound of sheer silence.” When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The link to the Brother Lawrence PDF Book referenced in the sermon is here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xksvym788lkhkpf/Brother%20Lawrence.pdf?dl=0(The book is public domain) Based on 1 Kings 19:11-13Originally Preached February 21, 2021 at St Timothy Cumberland Presbyterian Church

God SpeaksHouse of Prayer | Week 5January 31, 2021 | Dave Brown--God speaks to us Powerfully, Softly, and BiblicallyGod Speaks PowerfullyExodus 3:1-4 NIVNow Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”God speaks powerfully to engage us in His mission.God Speaks Softly1 Kings 19:11-13 NIVThe Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”God speaks softly to give us personalized guidance.God Speaks Biblically2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIVAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.// DALLAS WILLARDGod speaks biblically to engage us in a relationship with Him.

Executive Producer Album Art Credit: Steve Webb This episode is brought to you in part by Executive Producer, John Anonymous. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 14-15 NASB, Ch. 16-18 WEB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. Thoughts Elijah, as we will come to see, is a significant figure in the Old Testament, and his appearance here in 1 Kings 17 is the first mention of him. We are not given any background, no genealogy, nothing other than the fact that he was a Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead as it says here in the WEB version, or the NIV says he is from Tishbe . In our chapter here, Elijah goes with a message from the Lord to Ahab, the king of Israel. The message is that because Ahab has not worshipped God, but idols, there will be no dew or rain in Israel. And then God told Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith by the Jordan river, where he was fed by ravens and drank from the brook. And then the brook dried up after some time because of the drought. So God sent him to Zarephath, where He would move on a poor widow woman to give him food and shelter. And this is what I want to talk about for just a minute or two. This woman and her son were at the very end of their rope. When Elijah first saw her, she was out looking for a couple of sticks that she could cook her and her son’s last meal. There was only a little flour and oil left, and after this, they were going to starve to death. The drought had been hard on the land, and she evidently had no more options left to provide for herself and her son. But God chose her to provide for Elijah until such time as He would end the drought. And isn’t that just like God? He often chooses people who do not, by all appearances, have the ability to do the work God calls them to do. He used an old couple who were well into the 90s to be the parents of a great nation, he called a man with a speech impediment to lead that nation out of slavery, He called a shepherd boy to be their king, He called uneducated fishermen, a tax collector and a few other men to care for and grow the infant church.  And he chose a windshield repair guy in Riverside, California to start the world’s first Christian podcast. When He calls you to do something for Him, He supplies what is needed to accomplish the work.  When He called this poor widow to feed Elijah, the food never ran out. And to prove that it was God who supplied their need, when her son died from an illness, God restored life to the boy when Elijah prayed for him. Do you think you have nothing that God can use for His kingdom? Good! That’s exactly the building blocks that He needs!

Culminating the draft coverage, JP caught up with the coaches of the draft picks. Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim and Kansas assistant Norm Robert join to talk about Elijah Hughes and Udoka Azubuike, respectively. Here’s a rundown of this week’s episode: Intros. 2:35 — “Well first off, you’re getting a great person” 6:10 — Udoka’s background 8:50 — Jim Boeheim on Salt Lake City 10:15 — When Elijah first popped up 16:45 — Coachable

Pastor Erick shares an insight message that will bless and challenge your faith. He speaks on the power of the Secret Place and how God meets us in the Secret Place. When Elijah thought he has seen it all, God met him in the secret and asked him as He is asking us today, "What are you doing here?"

When Elijah faced down the false prophets on Mt. Carmel, he helped turn the nation back to God.  Then Jezebel threatened him and he ran all the way to Mt Horeb.  In his discouragement and frustration, Elijah asked God to allow him to die.  But God responded, I still have work for you to do, Elijah.  You're not done yet!  As 2020 draws to a close, don't allow emotions to speak for you.  Instead seek Your Next Assignment from God. 

In the JOURNEY WITH MARY we reflected on “Dedicated and Consecrated to God ” – choosing God above everyone and everything else. Have you finished the reflection and reading? How do you feel? This is the 6th Episode titled “NECESSITY TO BE SILENT AND IN SOLITUDE LIKE MARY: to be attuned to the promptings of the Spirit. God made us in His image and after our birth, the world changed our image and made us in its own image. Silence and solitude is the factory where we can get back to the original identity – humans as God's companions and friends and not enemies! Revelation 3:20 “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and eat with you, and you with me.” - Different levels of beings – God & Man Like the ecological pyramid - Need to raise awareness - mindset - thinking has to be changed - the thinker has to separate himself from his thoughts / thinking - identification with one's own thoughts creates problems A teacher thinks like a teacher In other words, to be a teacher is to think like a teacher! A police like a police A doctor like a doctor Therefore, we need to put on the hat of the divine to think like God Philippians 2:5 “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” Elijah Meets God at Horeb Ahab - Jezebel all that Elijah 1 Kings 19:11-13 11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” - There's a need to be attuned to God - Being in the present moment - Being in the HERE AND THE NOW Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God! - Silence and solitude – depth, darkness, and silence - Silent of the body and mind - Solitude of the body and mind Solitude: Vs Loneliness Today more than ever human beings are lonely, though busy with people virtually through the social media, but in reality, we are going away from oneself and others. - The more we are with people and less with oneself - will become one of them - will lose the individuality For more information (Questions & Biblical Passages) visit the blog, by clicking the link: https://frcgeorgemclaret.blogspot.com/2020/11/journey-with-mary-episode-6-6-necessity.html Link for Karl Rahner's views: file:///C:/Users/hp/Downloads/1900-Article%20Text-3186-1-10-20120724.pdf --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/greatergloryofgod/message

When Elijah asks a widow to give him water and food during a drought (1 Kings 17:1-16) she had a difficult decision to make. Would she show hospitality and starve? Would she perserve her own life and let him go hungry? Through faith God presented a third way. How can faith help you find a new way to make room for others this week?

The Lord Appears to Elijah And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gracepointedaily/support

It is tempting to comment further on the Pauline triad found in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (see meditation on October 11), but the confrontation on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) beckons.The most shocking thing about that confrontation is that it was needed. These are the covenant people of God. It is not as if God has never disclosed himself to them. The corporate mind of the ten tribes of the northern kingdom has all but abandoned its heritage. When Elijah challenges the people with the words, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21), the people say nothing.Yet before we indulge in too many self-righteous musings, we need to reflect on how often the church has moved away from her moorings. The Great Awakening was a powerful movement of the Spirit of God, yet a century later many of the churches that had been filled with fresh converts, robust theology, and godly living had degenerated into Unitarianism. Who would have guessed that the land of Luther and the Reformation would have given us Hitler and the Holocaust? Why is it that twentieth-century evangelicalism, as it mushroomed between, say, 1930 and 1960, soon bred varieties of self-designated evangelicals whom no evangelical leader of the earlier period would have recognized as such? The sad reality is that human memory is short, selective, and self-serving. Moreover, each new generation begins with a slightly different baseline. Since all its members need conversion, the church is never more than a generation or two from extinction. If we forget this simple point, it becomes all too easy to rest on our laurels when we are comfortable, and somehow lose sight of our mission, not to say of our Maker and Redeemer.The setup on Mount Carmel was spectacular: one prophet against 850, Yahweh against Baal—and Baal was often thought of as the god of fire. It is as if Elijah has set up the contest on Baal’s turf. His mocking words whip up the false prophets into an orgy of self-flagellation (1 Kings 18:28). By God’s instruction (1 Kings 18:36), Elijah increases the odds by soaking the sacrifice he is preparing. Then, in the evening, his own brief prayer brings down explosive fire from heaven, and the people cry, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!” (18:39). And in response to Elijah’s intercessory prayer, the rain comes again to the parched land.Something deep in the hearts of many Christians cries, “Do it again!”—not, of course, exactly the same thing, but a focused confrontation that elicits decisive and massive confession of the living God.But did even this change Israel? Why or why not? This podcast is designed to be used alongside TGC's Read The Bible initiative (TGC.org/readthebible). The podcast features devotional commentaries from D.A. Carson’s book For the Love of God (vol. 1) that follow the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Erin Stair chats with Sharonza Penson, a very talented artist and single mom in Texas. Sharonza is mom to Elijah, her beautiful four year old son.When Elijah was born, Sharonza learned that Elijah had a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. The doctors told her that Elijah wouldn't be able to do much and in the podcast, Sharonza talks about that day and how that conversation made her feel. While Elijah has many medical difficulties, has already undergone numerous surgeries, and is currently non-verbal, Sharonza is confident he will talk one day. Elijah has already found other ways to communicate though, including the keyboard and the drums. He has a peg tube to assist with feeding and though he's small for his age, Elijah has a larger-than-life personality. In the podcast, Sharonza discusses Elijah's medical issues and what her day-to-day looks like as Elijah's sole caretaker. In fact, she recorded the podcast from the hospital, because Elijah is there for a procedure. Sharonza is also an incredibly talented artist, and you can see for yourself on her Instagram feed. In the podcast she discusses her art, what inspires her and her goals. When Elijah was born, Sharonza left a successful career to take care of him full time, though as you can imagine, that hasn't been easy. She talks about that transition and the financial difficulties it brought, especially after a car accident that totalled her car. In fact, she sells her art and raises funds with the hope of raising enough money to purchase a new car to take Elijah to his frequent doctor appointments. After you listen to the episode, if you are interested in contacting Sharonza or seeing more of her art, you can contact her on Instagram or via email: sharonza@sharonza.com. If you are interested in contributing to her and Elijah's cause, you can do so via GoFundMe or Zelle ( sharonza@sharonza.com), Paypal (smp3716@yahoo.com), or CashApp : ($Sharonza9) Thanks for listening and hope you find her story inspiring! To get in touch with Dr. Erin Stair, please visit her website, Blooming Wellness.To follow her on Instagram, click here.To find her on Twitter, click here.To follow her health page on Facebook, click here.To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the wellness industry, Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling, click here.Or you can listen to it from Google Play or Walmart!To read Manic Kingdom, click here.

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

When Elijah raises the widow's son there is a lot more going on in the story than meets the eye. God is demonstrating his sovereignty over the false pagan gods Baal and Mot. Baal was supposedly the god of life and Mot was the god over death. Many times Mot would prevail over Baal. Elijah demonstrates that the God of Israel is Lord over death and life.

Elisha was the prophet who performed more miracles than anyone other than Jesus. Elisha became the protégé' of Elijah. Elisha served in the background for tears doing menial tasks for Elijah. When Elijah's life came to an end, he gave Elisha a wish/blessing. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's anointing – and it was granted to him!

Elijah was a great prophet for God. He faced many battles of fear. But he learned that our perspective tends to shape our reality. When Elijah's perspective shifted from faith to fear, he ran for his life. Perspective is a choice: we are only alone if we choose to be alone! God is always with us, and God's plan is always better than our own.

Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome his great friend, Rabbi David Wolpe, to the podcast today. Perhaps the greatest Torah commentator in the world, David is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, and he has been named the ‘Most Influential Rabbi in America’ by Newsweek, and one of the ’50 Most Influential Jews in the World’ by The Jerusalem Post. Over ten years of his sermons can be found on the Sinai Temple website, and together they form an anthology of how the deepest Torah understanding manifests in the Torah being a guidebook for living better, happier, and more meaningful lives. The passage he has chosen to discuss today is 1 Kings 19:11-13. David begins by sharing his summary of the passage, the meaning it holds for him, and the lessons he finds within it. Together, he and Mark explore what makes the Torah so wonderful, the nature of prayer, and God’s subtle presence in our lives and the ways in which we can hear Him. They also discuss the evidence and power of ‘Elijah moments’ in our lives, including David’s particularly touching example, and their conversation concludes, as do all our episodes, with our guest sharing the lessons he has learned about mankind. As Mark states, David engages in a magnificent and instructive conversation here today as he shares his own insights and wisdom regarding the Torah, and just how pertinent its lessons are in our lives today. Episode Highlights: David’s summary of the passage and why it’s meaningful for him The lessons he finds in the passage What makes the Torah so wonderful The nature of prayer God’s subtle presence in our lives and how to hear Him ‘Elijah moments’ in our lives The lessons that David has learned about mankind Quotes: “You’re not allowed to go off on a mountain and criticize people. You have to go back, and you have to be involved and you have to be there.” “God operates from within you.” “That’s the God that I understand who gives us the chance to hear, but also the chance to ignore.” “I feel that this could be in some ways the sort of paradigmatic example of what the Torah tells us about how God works…in our own day.” “If God is not ignorable, then there is no merit in paying attention to God.” “The whole virtue of living a good life is the living of it.” ‘”Sometimes the ‘doing’ of it tells you what you need to hear.” “Imagine how one’s life would be transformed if you actually woke up in the morning and said, ‘I could have ten Elijah moments today’.” “It’s a very counter narrative to what we see going on around us.” “You don’t change the people on the other side by yelling at them. You change the people on the other side by accepting them, understanding them, and talking to them, and trying to get them to understand your own point of view.” “If you pray properly, you’re pulling yourself closer to God.” “Returning to the tradition and something solid and something stable over and over again is intended in part to act almost as…tuning the instrument.” 1 Kings 19:11-13 “Come out,” He called, “and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And lo, the LORD passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind—an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake—fire; but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire—a soft murmuring sound. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his mantle about his face and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice addressed him: “Why are you here, Elijah?” https://www.sefaria.org/I_Kings.19.11-13?lang=bi Links: The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/ Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

Why do we care about mental health? It is Biblical Jesus cared about the body, mind, and spirit. Matthew 9:35 KJV  //  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 22:37  //  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' It is Historical It is Personal 1 in 5 adults are currently experiencing mental health challenges. 1 in 5 kids experience mental health issues in childhood. 11% of teenagers are currently battling depression. In June, 40% of US Adults reported struggling with Mental Health or Substance Abuse. It doesn't mean that you are not deeply connected to God. It just means you're human. Worship creates a shift of responsibility. 1 Kings 19  //  Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said “Get up and eat.”  6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” If you can accomplish the dream of God for your life alone, it's not the dream of God.

1 Kings 19:9-189 There he went into a cave and spent the night.The Lord Appears to ElijahAnd the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

When Elijah stood before the prophets of Baal and the people of God, he told them to make a choice, and take a stand. If More ...

When Elijah stood before the prophets of Baal and the people of God, he told them to make a choice, and take a stand. If More ...

We had some issues related to damage from Hurricane Isaias, but we muddled through somehow, thanks be to God :)   Reading 1 Kings 19:9-18 At Horeb, the mount of God, Elijah came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” Music Amazing Grace, Jimmy Cousins Come My Way, My Truth, My Life, Blackfriar Music Poor Wayfaring Stranger, Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra

The Spirit and Power of Elijah Mt 17:12Stop being afraid.Elijah has come. No, it was not when he was here 5 minutes ago. He was here in the same spirit and power of John the Baptist. When Elijah actually came was not the time when the prophesy was fulfilled From Malachi 4:4-6. It was in John the Baptist as predicted in John 1:21.And again, uncomfortably, another prediction of Jesus's suffering. This is going to get louder and more frequent. I suppose we'd better get used to it.Listen and enjoy the OT NT tennis match.

Paige sat on the porch, ready to bite into her last cookie. Her friend Julie came running over. Uh-oh. What should Paige do? When Elijah was hungry, someone shared with him. “He is our God and we are . . . under his care.” PSALM 95:7, NIV. God uses others

Paige sat on the porch, ready to bite into her last cookie. Her friend Julie came running over. Uh-oh. What should Paige do? When Elijah was hungry, someone shared with him. “He is our God and we are . . . under his care.” PSALM 95:7, NIV. God uses others

     The purpose of this lesson is to understand what the Scriptures state about the reality of angels and to consider how they impact the world in which we live. Angels are basically classified as either righteous or evil. The former retain their holy state and service to God and are called elect angels (1 Tim 5:21), whereas the latter have defected from their original state and continue in constant rebellion against God. The existence and impact of angels is real, influencing individuals and groups in matters pertaining to social, political and moral life. Holy angels continue to serve God and advance His agenda for human history.        Thirty-four books of the Bible teach the existence of angels. The word angel occurs approximately 275 times throughout Scripture. The word angel translates the Hebrew word מַלְאָךְ malak and the Greek word ἄγγελος aggelos, and both words mean messenger. Angels are created beings (Psa 148:2-5; Col 1:16), were present at the creation of the world (Job 38:4-7), have volition (Matt 8:28-32), emotion (Mark 1:23-26), and intelligence (1 Pet 1:12). Angels are spirit beings who help advance the gospel (Heb 1:14), are distinct from humans (Luke 8:27), have great power (Psa 103:20-21; 2 Pet 2:11), are innumerable (Heb 12:22; Rev 5:11), cannot die (Luke 20:36), and do not reproduce after their kind (Mark 12:25), which means there are no baby angels. As creatures, angels are not to be worshipped (Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). Seraphim—angels with six wings—are devoted to the worship of God (Isa 6:1-3), and Cherubim—angels with four wings—are devoted to protecting the Lord’s holiness (Ezek 28:14).        As spirit beings, angels function in an invisible realm and were only observable to people when God chose to reveal them (in theology, this is called an angelophany). For example, Elisha’s servant saw the angelic chariots of fire only when God opened his eyes (2 Ki 6:15-17), and John was permitted to see myriads of angels around God’s throne (Rev 5:11). The vast majority of us are never given the opportunity of direct observation, but rather, we learn about angels through the revelation of God’s Word.        God used holy angels to minister to His people. For example, angels were instrumental in protecting Lot and his family before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:1-25). When Israel was in Egyptian captivity, God judged Egypt by means of “a band of destroying angels” (Psa 78:49), who were apparently involved in administering the plagues (Psa 78:43-49). When Israel was fleeing Egypt and being pursued by Pharaoh and his army, God sent His angel to protect them (Exo 14:19-20; Num 20:16). When Elijah was fearful, depressed, and running for his life, God sent an angel to provide for him and encourage him until he came to the end of his journey (1 Ki 19:1-8). When a powerful Assyrian army came against Jerusalem to destroy it, (2 Chron 32:1-19), King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet “prayed about this and cried out to heaven” (2 Chron 32:20), and the Lord rescued them by sending “an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria” (2 Chron 32:21). When three of God’s servants refused to submit to the tyranny of the king of Babylon and were thrown alive into a furnace of fire, God honored their faith and “sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him” (Dan 3:28). Later, when Daniel was persecuted and thrown into a den of lions for not following a foolish edict, God protected His servant and “sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Dan 6:22). God also used an angel named Gabriel, who told Daniel, “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I [Gabriel] arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him” (Dan 11:1). It was Gabriel who announced the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, telling Mary, she had “found favor with God” and informing her, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:30-33). Later, when the baby Jesus was facing danger, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream” and instructed him, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him” (Matt 2:13). And afterward, “when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, ‘Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead”’ (Matt 2:19-20). After Jesus experienced fatiguing temptations from Satan, it is written that “angels came and ministered to Him” (Matt 4:11). After Jesus’ resurrection, “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it” (Matt 28:2). When some of the apostles had been arrested and thrown into prison, we are informed that “during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison and released them to continue preaching” (Acts 5:19). And when Peter had been arrested by King Herod, the church prayed for him, and God “sent forth His angel and rescued” Peter from certain death (Act 12:11).        The book of Revelation reveals angels are instrumental in executing God’s judgments upon the earth (Rev 7:1-2; 8:1-3; 5, 8, 10, 12; 9:1, 13-14; 10:1, 5, 7-9; 15:1, 6-8; 16:1; 21:9). About half way through the Tribulation, there will be “war in heaven, [with] Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon…and his angels” (Rev 12:7), and Satan and his angels will be thrown out of heaven by force (Rev 12:9). And after the Tribulation “the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will repay every man according to his deeds” (Matt 16:27). Furthermore, God’s “angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them [the wicked] into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13:49-50).        Though we don’t see holy angels, by faith in God’s Word we know they are present and active in our lives to help protect, provide, and strengthen us as we walk with the Lord. We also know they are active in the affairs of everyday life, helping to advance God’s purposes in a fallen world.

Read more on BishopMike.com August 9, 2020 is Pentecost 10A/Proper 14A/Ordinary 20A 1 Kings 19:9-18 – (complimentary series) …and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ OR Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 (semi-continuous readings in Genesis until September) – 17-year-old Joseph is loved by his father the most, and hated by his brothers, who sell him into slavery.  Psalm 85:8-13 (complimentary series) – Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. OR Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b (semi-continuous) – Give thanks to the Lord, offspring of Abraham, children of Jacob, who caused famine in Egypt, and sent ahead his servant Joseph, who saved them, and became a lord in Pharaoh’s house. Romans 10:5-15 The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Matthew 14:22-33Jesus walks on water. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught [Peter], saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

When Elijah was completely out of options and even despaired his own life, God was still soveriegn—and provided for each of the prophet's needs in some incredible and unique ways. This week, we continue our study from 1 Kings.

When Elijah called Elisha, times were difficult for any follower of Jehovah, but especially for a prophet. We consider Elisha's courage and the courage we need to demonstrate. In Mark 7 we follow Jesus into a Gentile-dominated area and learn from a Syro-Phoenician woman.

When Elijah cast his cloak on Elisha, that was symbolic of the Spirit of God clothing a person God call us to serve Him in whatever capacity He puts us God provides everything we need for what He calls us to do. Serving God means serving other people Not just people like you Not just people you are comfortable with Not just people that “deserve” to be helped

No matter how the enemy tries to trap or discourage us, as believers we have victory through Jesus Christ, and an exciting responsibility to be ready to step up in whatever opportunity He puts before us. When Elijah shows up at Elisha's house and throws his mantle on him, Elisha not only responds without hesitation, because he knows the Lord is at work. He also seeks after a double portion of the anointing and blessing that he saw on Elijah's life. The Bible tells us these were people just like us, with the same Holy Spirit...which proves to us that we can have similar spiritual influence on anyone we meet. Video of this service is also available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fik9y39kQnk&feature=youtu.be

When Elijah was hiding out in a cave, trying to save his life, God asked him a question - "What are you doing here?" He asks us the same question when we are hiding in our own self-imposed prisons caused by fear or guilt. It's a question we must answer. Tune in and let's discuss!

1 Kings 18:20-39 - When Elijah is faced with the impossible, he allows God to be God Psalm 16 - be my refuge Mat 5: 17-19 - being sent to fulfill a mission 1 Kings 18 Elijah said to the people, “I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD, and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. Give us two young bulls. Let them choose one, cut it, place it on the wood, but start no fire. I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood, but shall start no fire. You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD. The God who answers with fire is God.” People said, “Agreed!” Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no sound, and no one answering. And they hopped around the altar they had prepared. When it was noon, Elijah taunted them: “Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating, or may have retired, or may be on a journey. Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until blood gushed over them. Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state until the time for offering sacrifice. But there was not a sound; no one answered, and no one was listening... Elijah repaired the altar of the LORD that had been destroyed. He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the LORD had said, “Your name shall be Israel.” He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones, and made a trench around the altar large enough for two measures of grain. When he had arranged the wood, he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood. “Fill four jars with water,” he said, “and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.” Elijah said, “LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things by your command. Answer me, LORD! Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to their senses.” The LORD's fire came down Responsorial Psalm Psalm 16:1-2, 4, 5; 8, 11 R. (1b) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope. Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.” R. They multiply their sorrows who court other gods. Blood libations to them I will not pour out, nor will I take their names upon my lips. R. O LORD, my allotted portion and cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. R. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sofia-fonseca7/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sofia-fonseca7/support

Despite the stereotypes that I do not fit, I am not an anomaly. When Elijah hid and whines to God that he alone was serving God, God told him that there were at least 7000 that had not bowed Baal. I’m not the only black man that loves God and family, and that dresses appropriately on occasion. I Am A Child of God!

When Elijah ascended he left his cloak and Elisha took it up. When Christ ascended his cross, his garments were dispersed among his assailants. But when Christ ascended into heaven, he left not merely an article of clothing, but the mysteries of heaven, his Word and Sacraments, His Law and Gospel, and with the promise of his presence and sending of his helper.

Sunday, May 24 is Ascension Sunday, the one day each year we set aside to specifically remember Jesus’ return to heaven. On May 31, we will observe Pentecost, when the church remembers and celebrates God’s gift of the Spirit following Christ’s ascension. I think the ascension of Jesus is an often overlooked event that deserves a little extra attention.Welcome to the May 19, 2020 post from Peachtree Baptist Church, my name is Paul Capps, pastor. What I find especially meaningful in thinking about the ascension of Jesus is the level of love he has for us. He promised the Spirit would ‘take it from here’ and he loved us and trusted that we would reach back and accept the call He places on us to move His story of redemption forward. As we continue to move through this difficult season I'm reminded of the gift Jesus gives us to freely accept his mission of restoration. Jesus rose above the Earth even though the Earth was and is still broken. He trusted us enough to know we would do great things in His Name by the power of the Spirit in us. And so we ascend as well, to a place where our love for others remains despite the brokenness we find ourselves in. Some put the economy first; some put themselves first. Jesus calls us above it to put God and others first; in heave, also upon the Earth. Jesus calls us to ascend above it as he did on the cross, putting the lives of others before his own, and revealing in His resurrection a future where all people for all the time can have access to a heavenly life.So let’s start with the word ascension. What does it mean and how is it used? The English word comes from Latin, and the usage it Latin is as a verb: to go up, climb up, rise, mount, the action of moving upward. She ascended the mountain, or the throne. Jesus ascended into heaven, an act of glorification that he had spoken to his disciples about earlier in his ministry. But only the gospel of Luke provides the story of the event itself, in Luke 24. Here’s the description from those few verses at the end of Luke:Luke 24:50-53When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.In the Greek, the language of the New Testament, taken up into heaven is one word, and it has the idea of being taken, carried or lifted in it. Luke also uses this word in Luke 9:51 which reads, ‘As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.’ This was the turning point in Jesus’ ministry and I think it’s interesting that Luke focuses on the ascension as the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry rather than the cross and resurrection, which is the case in the other gospels. I think this is due in part to the way Luke wants to portray the role of the early church in following in Jesus’ footsteps. And following Jesus means not only our relationship with God and one another now, but also our relationships when Jesus returns.The connection between the Spirit being given and the ascension of Jesus has a parallel in the Old Testament as well. When Elijah ascended in 2 Kings 2 Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit and that Spirit was acknowledged by the other prophets. But it was only Elisha receiving this gift. The gospels also connect Jesus and John the Baptist and their prophetic rolls to Elijah and Elisha. The difference in Luke and Acts is the fleshed-out idea of the Spirit made available to all people precisely because Jesus died, was resurrected, ascended, remains at the right hand of God, gave His Spirit and will one day return. Christ's work of restoration exampled in his resurrection continues from Heaven through us in the power of the Spirit by faith in Jesus. It’s a kind of tether or constant outpouring. Jesus was fully human but also fully God. In is heavenly throne now He and God and the Spirit, One but the distinct, provide us with the ability to continue Jesus's work of restoration until it is completed on his return. The Ascension, James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum.

Sunday, May 24 is Ascension Sunday, the one day each year we set aside to specifically remember Jesus’ return to heaven. On May 31, we will observe Pentecost, when the church remembers and celebrates God’s gift of the Spirit following Christ’s ascension. I think the ascension of Jesus is an often overlooked event that deserves a little extra attention.Welcome to the May 19, 2020 post from Peachtree Baptist Church, my name is Paul Capps, pastor. What I find especially meaningful in thinking about the ascension of Jesus is the level of love he has for us. He promised the Spirit would ‘take it from here’ and he loved us and trusted that we would reach back and accept the call He places on us to move His story of redemption forward. As we continue to move through this difficult season I'm reminded of the gift Jesus gives us to freely accept his mission of restoration. Jesus rose above the Earth even though the Earth was and is still broken. He trusted us enough to know we would do great things in His Name by the power of the Spirit in us. And so we ascend as well, to a place where our love for others remains despite the brokenness we find ourselves in. Some put the economy first; some put themselves first. Jesus calls us above it to put God and others first; in heave, also upon the Earth. Jesus calls us to ascend above it as he did on the cross, putting the lives of others before his own, and revealing in His resurrection a future where all people for all the time can have access to a heavenly life.So let’s start with the word ascension. What does it mean and how is it used? The English word comes from Latin, and the usage it Latin is as a verb: to go up, climb up, rise, mount, the action of moving upward. She ascended the mountain, or the throne. Jesus ascended into heaven, an act of glorification that he had spoken to his disciples about earlier in his ministry. But only the gospel of Luke provides the story of the event itself, in Luke 24. Here’s the description from those few verses at the end of Luke:Luke 24:50-53When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.In the Greek, the language of the New Testament, taken up into heaven is one word, and it has the idea of being taken, carried or lifted in it. Luke also uses this word in Luke 9:51 which reads, ‘As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.’ This was the turning point in Jesus’ ministry and I think it’s interesting that Luke focuses on the ascension as the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry rather than the cross and resurrection, which is the case in the other gospels. I think this is due in part to the way Luke wants to portray the role of the early church in following in Jesus’ footsteps. And following Jesus means not only our relationship with God and one another now, but also our relationships when Jesus returns.The connection between the Spirit being given and the ascension of Jesus has a parallel in the Old Testament as well. When Elijah ascended in 2 Kings 2 Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit and that Spirit was acknowledged by the other prophets. But it was only Elisha receiving this gift. The gospels also connect Jesus and John the Baptist and their prophetic rolls to Elijah and Elisha. The difference in Luke and Acts is the fleshed-out idea of the Spirit made available to all people precisely because Jesus died, was resurrected, ascended, remains at the right hand of God, gave His Spirit and will one day return. Christ's work of restoration exampled in his resurrection continues from Heaven through us in the power of the Spirit by faith in Jesus. It’s a kind of tether or constant outpouring. Jesus was fully human but also fully God. In is heavenly throne now He and God and the Spirit, One but the distinct, provide us with the ability to continue Jesus's work of restoration until it is completed on his return. The Ascension, James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum.

1 Kings 19: 11b-1611 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

April 19, 2020 Elijah Flees The example of Elijah is a complicated one. At first, it seems like a fairy tale ending as Elijah kills all of the prophets of Ba’al and seems to turn the heart of the people to the Lord. But now we will look at “the rest of the story.” After Elijah prays 7 times for it to rain, the rain storm comes and fills Israel with new life. But when Ahab tells his bride, Jezebel, about all that Elijah has done and how he has slaughtered the prophets of Ba’al, she is furious. Those prophets were always telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. They were always encouraging her and promising her great fortune. She has invested a considerable amount of money and effort in establishing their religion. Now it is all ruined by that troublemaker, Elijah. She sends word, “Ba’al do so to me and more also, if you are not like one of the prophets you killed by this time tomorrow!” Elijah has just gotten into Jezreel, but now he must tuck tail and run for his life. He and his servant fled down to Beersheba which is on the southern edge of the nation of Judah. Surely no one would ever find him there. Staying alive isn’t all that is on Elijah’s mind. He knows the amount of influence Jezebel is wielding as she shares the throne with Ahab. One would think that the whole city would rise up after what they just experienced and stand on the side of Elijah, but that didn’t happen. The king and all the people are unwilling to accept the truth about Jezebel and her fake god. It is just a matter of time before she convinces all Israel to put their trust in Ba’al again. Elijah Pleads Elijah leaves his servant in Beersheba and sets out a day’s journey into the wilderness where he tells the Lord to let him die. He says, “I’m no better than my fathers.” Elijah is tapping out. Elijah is so discouraged by what has happened to him that he wants to die. Elijah is not suicidal. He does not make a selfish or rebellious decision to take his own life. He wants the Lord to take his life. The pain is too much for him and he begs God to end his suffering. Why would he feel this way? Imagine spending 3.5 years praying for drought and hoping that the people would return to worship the Lord. Then, they act like they are returning to him with their heart so you pray for rain. As soon as the rain comes they start to compromise and go back on their decision to worship only the Lord. Elijah has done everything he knows to do and nothing has worked. The miraculous signs could do nothing to turn their heart of stones into flesh. After all of the excitement and wonder of the last chapter, we find Elijah in deep despair. Have we ever felt this? Have you ever poured yourself out for someone to obey the gospel? All of that blood sweat and tears ended up resulting in nothing. I remember teaching someone in Huntsville when I worked at Stanley Steemer. He seemed very interested and I was driving to pick him up every Sunday. Then, he asked a lot of questions and seemed very receptive to everything I was saying. There was a splurge of enthusiasm in him. Then, it fell flat. Reality hit him. If he were to choose the way of faith in Christ, he would have to give up too much. He never answered a phone call. I showed up at his house and he brushed me off. This is the nature of loving the Lord while caring for the souls of others. If we don’t want broken hearts, we do not need to become Christians. That is the nature of the relationship. God wants us to love others as he has loved us. We killed him for loving us. Elijah is still faithful to God as he prays for this. His pain and suffering is the result of his zealous love for the Lord not the result of his own selfish gain. He is not ready to die because he didn’t get the job he wanted in the palace. He is ready to die because he feels completely ineffective in his life’s devotion to serve the Lord. All that he wants is to help people. But all that he has experienced is a complete let down and a broken heart. He is ready to die because he can’t make people turn to God like they should. Elijah Finds God Notice how God responds when Elijah pleads for God to let him die. God doesn’t let him die. He does not rebuke him or condemn him in any way. God does not take away his calling to be the Lord’s prophet. He does not tell him, “You shouldn’t have these feelings.” He sends an angel to cook for him and tells him to “Arise and eat.” Then, he gives him some more to eat and drink, but this time the angel touches him to strengthen him. This happens with Daniel and Jesus as well. Their weakness is overcome by the touch of an angel. He says, “Arise and eat for the journey is too great for you.” Elijah goes on the strength of that food for 40 days and 40 nights until he gets to Horeb, the mountain of God. When Elijah comes to Horeb at the end of the 40 days, he comes to a cave where he hears the Lord say, “What are you doing here Elijah?” Why would God ask this question? Did God not tell Elijah to go to Mount Horeb? Even if he did not tell Elijah to go there, God knows why Elijah is there. He knows the answer to every question he would ever ask. Elijah has had 40 days to think about what he might say to the Lord. He says, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” What a bleak outlook on life this is! Elijah has been very jealous for the Lord. The people have definitely broken the covenant that was established there at Mount Horeb/Sinai. But were Obadiah and all of his hidden prophets found and slaughtered? Maybe they exposed themselves with rejoicing thinking that the tide has turned. We do not know for sure, but Elijah seems to think they are dead or that they are unfaithful. God tells Elijah to go out of the cave and stand in his presence. But as Elijah begins to leave the cave the Lord passed by and a great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains, shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then, the mountain began to shake with an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then, a fire broke out, but the Lord was not in the fire. I imagine that Elijah was terrified. He was just told to go out of the cave, when all of that happened. Imagine the power he would feel as everything around him is falling apart. That would be enough to make us cower in fear. Finally, Elijah heard the sound of a gentle voice. So he wrapped his face in his mantle and stood at the entrance of the cave. The Lord said again, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The first time was confusing enough, but now the second time completely throws us for a loop. Was Elijah supposed to learn something from the wind, the earthquake, and the fire? If so, he missed it because he says the same thing as before. He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” Elijah is drawn into the presence of the Lord and this is what he says. He has served the Lord, but he is the only prophet left because of the rebellion of God’s people against his covenant. What does Elijah want? What is Elijah calling for God to do? He brings up the covenant which is important in this context because they are at Mount Horeb/Sinai. By mentioning the rebellion against the covenant, Elijah is calling for God to remember the covenantal promises and deliver the judgment upon Israel that they deserve. It is interesting that Elijah merely mentions how guilty they are without prescribing a recommended punishment. He tried to prescribe the punishment by asking for a drought, but now he wants God to prescribe the punishment. He is looking for God to solve the heart problem. That is why he is here. This is exactly what God does. God tells Elijah to go to another foreign country and do something bizarre. He tells him to go to Syria and anoint Hazael to be their next king. This is the first time God has sent his prophet to a foreign king in order to anoint him. Then, he tells him to go to Jehu and anoint him to be king over Israel. Finally, he tells him to anoint Elisha to be the next prophet in his place. The purpose behind these anointings is to prescribe judgment. Those who escape the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill, and those who escape the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. God is bringing in a foreign nation and a new line of kings to punish his people for their hard hearts. (Actually Elisha is anointed and Hazael/Jehu kill so many people that Elisha doesn’t have to kill many at all.) But that is not all that God says. He also tells Elijah that he is still preserving 7000 who have not bowed a knee to Ba’al or kissed him. Elijah’s perception is not reality. Here he was ready to die, thinking that all of his work was fruitless, thinking it was a waste of time, and thinking that he was all alone. But God has used his work to turn the hearts of some of the people back to him. There is still hope because God is still in control. What Do We Learn? This is a major event in the Bible. After all of the miraculous things that have happened to Elijah, this is the one event that sets him apart. Why? Elijah has come to the mountain of God to see God. This greatly resembles the time when Moses came to the mount of God and asked to see God’s glory. Notice how the circumstances are similar. The people of God have greatly sinned at a time when they should have the most faith. Under Moses they built a golden calf right after crossing the Red Sea. Under Elijah they killed the prophets after seeing fire come down from heaven and saying, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!” The hard heartedness of the people is the exact same. Both Moses and Elijah turn to God as this happens and they seek greater understanding. They both take shelter in a cave or a cleft (which is basically the same thing) and they are both allowed to see the nature of God. He is full of patience, mercy, and abounding in steadfast love for thousands, but by no means clearing the guilty. To Elijah he is a gentle voice. In the New Testament we see Elijah and Moses together on the mountain at the transfiguration of Christ. They are called together to see God’s glory face to face in human form. They see more fully in Jesus what they were searching for at Horeb. What an amazing image this is and what a statement this makes for the significance of this event. But what does it mean? The point of the story is simple and threefold. 1. God hasn’t changed. In all of this time, he is still the same God that Moses saw on the mountain years ago. He is still compassionate and merciful, abounding in steadfast love, but also able to judge those who rebel. It seems like God has changed to Elijah, but he hasn’t. The people are worse than ever from Elijah’s perspective. He is in deep despair and very discouraged by all that has taken place. Try to imagine what the worst thing God has seen might be. God has seen people worse than what Elijah has seen. He is not surprised by their disobedience. But somehow he is still able to love them. This is an amazing statement about the resilience of God. He says, “I will leave 7,000 in Israel.” All of this is very encouraging. It is great to know that we serve a God whose patience is so much deeper and more resilient than ours. The depth of his love is endless and eternal 2. The Journey Is Too Far For Us Throughout this story, we can’t help but relate to Elijah. As James says, his character is a lot like many of us. He is jealous for the Lord, he wants the Lord’s name to be glorified, and so he asks God to demonstrate his power for everyone to see that he is real and believe in him. How many of us think that if God will just do one miracle for everyone to see it would change everything about the way people believe? If he did that, no one would be able to say that he doesn’t exist. But they would. Adam and Eve were in the garden with God and they still rejected him. Jesus said this in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man begs Abraham to send someone back form the dead to tell his brothers about this place, but Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” Then, the man pleads with him and Abraham says, “If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.” This story is teaching us a very important lesson: We often fail to understand how the transformation process works. Elijah comes to God defeated. He comes to God recognizing that all of his effort has not transformed the hearts of people. Maybe he was proud, attempting to be greater than his fathers, but now he is humble and looking for guidance and understanding. Elijah wants to know what we all want to know: How do we address the sin in people’s hearts? To this, God provides nourishment and he tells Elijah, “The journey is too far for you.” I think these words go beyond Elijah’s trip to Horeb. They tell us what we all need to hear on a daily basis. We often think that we can fix society, the church, or each other? The prime example for this is our spouses. We think we can fix our spouse by being critical of them. How does that work out? We tell them what they are supposed to do and provide them with all the proof they should need. Then we get discouraged when we see the problems only get worse. We think that the solution is to come down harder and get angrier, or maybe we try some new approach. But the problem in our spouse does not go away. What can we do? As a result, we become proud, arrogant, and attempting to manipulate or control. Maybe they obey or do what they should for a time, but there is still sin in their heart. Then, we get impatient and think, “It’s all their fault,” or we get depressed and think, “I am no better than anyone else.” 3. The Journey Is Never Too Great For God But God says, “The journey is too great for us.” Changing people’s hearts to love God is God’s business. He has the power to move mountains. So this story gives those who are jealous for the Lord answers to our frustrating problem. When we feel the depression from our journey we see that God cares for us, and he wants us to rest and find strength in him. The journey is never too great for him. He has more work for us to do. As God was able to use Elijah’s work to keep seven thousand for himself, we must pray that God would use us to do the same. The number of those who reject God will always be more than those who accept him. We may not see the fruit of our own labor. There will be times when we feel like we are the only ones who care, but God is always able to preserve a remnant of faithful followers. We are always going to be discouraged as we see the hard hearts of this world. But we must go to the mountain and see the glory of God. We must enter his presence without telling him how things ought to be done. He is full of compassion, mercy, and steadfast love for those who love him. He knows the journey is too great for us and he wants us to press on knowing that he will help us along the way. Our prayer has great power as it is working. We may not get what we want, but God will give us what we need. Our jealous request for him to be glorified in our work will not go unanswered, even if it happens after we are dead and gone.

Please visit the website and complete the survey! As well as checking out the Daily Devotionals by Faithwalker! https://becomingadivinelady.com (https://becomingadivinelady.com/) Speak to Me! In this Entry, We discussed the topic Speak to Me God! I would like you to ask yourself these questions below: 1.) Do you ever wonder if God can hear you? 2.) Are you facing problems that you cannot get through, and you are waiting for God to Speak to you? 3.) Has God spoken to you, but you feel like you need to hear more? 4,) Do you actually set aside time to hear from God?  Scriptures: Psalm 46:10 New International Version (NIV) He says, “Be still, and know that I am God”   1 Kings 19:11-13 New International Version (NIV) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Romans 15:4 New International Version (NIV) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.                                                       1 John 4:1 New International Version (NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. James 2:14-26 New International Version (NIV) Faith and Deeds What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.   Matthew 11:15 New International Version (NIV)  Whoever has ears, let them hear. Please Do Not Forget to Rate, Subscribe, and Leave a Comment! Thanks for listening! 

What's In A Name? Reader: Calum Cameron Date: 29th February 2020 Time: ------------------- Names are important. You may be called after your Granddad or Granny or maybe you were given a name that had no connection with your family at all. What about Elijah's name? It was very important and I'll tell you why. We don't know who gave him his name — possibly his father or his granny but it was a name that was making a statement in a very difficult time in his country. When Elijah lived, Israel was surrounded by several heathen nations who worshipped false gods. They had gods of the hills, gods of the valleys, gods of rain, harvests and so on. Even in Israel itself there were people who worshipped these false gods — the Baals that are often mentioned in the Old Testament. That is why Elijah's name was so important. His name means **'the Lord (he and only he) is God'**. Elijah's name was telling people what he believed and what they should have believed too. There is only one living and true God, the God who makes himself known to us in his word and (in the New Testament) by his Son, Jesus Christ. Elijah really lived up to his name. People came to speak of the God of Elijah. When people think of you and your name, do they know you are a follower of Jesus Christ? God calls us to live up to the name Christian. As Elijah found, that takes courage, but it also brings help.

The book of 1 Kings 19: 9 - 13 says, "There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”"----Visit https://hmsda.org to get updates and more messages like this.----Do you follow us on facebook?https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonadventist

Shakings bring forth the eternal that can’t be shaken. Courage comes and the chapter closes and a new chapter awaits. What is next? Comfort and renewed strength now happen and the course is set for a new way forward. Elijah was a man that experienced the same human emotions as us. He felt the frailty of his limited humanity after the shakings of the battle with the prophets of Baal. Elijah has just brought a nation to repentance, defeated prophets of Baal and God sent rain. Even though he had won the battle he was left shaken in his soul and body. He has a panic attack because he hears that Ahab and Jezebel are after him so he runs away and wants to die – under a tree. He had shown courage and now he needed comfort. He is supernaturally fed by an angel before he journeys to the top of Mt. Sinai, a trek oåf forty days and nights where he hears God. He keeps hearing God but all God does is ask him the same question ‘What are you doing here Elijah?’1 Kings 19:7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a still small voice. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.And the voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat to follow you as my prophetAfter Jesus went through wilderness temptation for forty days and nights he stood on the top of a mountain and received comfort from the angels he began his ministry and went back to his home town and declared his vision mandate. This not always about courage, but how to sit and wait recover and rest and wait for the future word - not look to the past performances. After the shakings there needs to be the stillness that receives the still small voice of the new thing that God wants us to hear. Elijah had seen The Lord in the wind and the fire and the earthquake on Mount Carmel and he expected to see God in those things again. He was hanging onto past experience to find the future, but God wanted to speak something new into the present stillness. Forget the past, surrender the future, and be present to the now. God will show the way.            

In today's episode, we are discussing the Holy Spirit and how to communicate with spirit. When we are able to clear our minds and become open to receive, the spirit will send us messages. The goal of learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is to live our lives more fully in flow and find the fulfillment we desire. Being led is about being devoted and consistent in honoring your mind, body, and emotions. What You'll Hear In This Episode Learning to communicate with the Holy Spirit enables you to live your life with greater flow and to achieve greater fulfillment. Even billionaires like Sara Blakely have embraced the idea of talking with the universe in order to find her way. She recently spoke at Business Mastery in Palm Beach Florida and told her story of how she learned to trust the universe. God can speak to us in a number of ways. When we are in our being, we are able to get messages from everything from movies to animals. In 1 Kings, the story of Elijah has the prophet in a state of despair, indicating he was no better off than his ancestors. Eventually he communicates with the spirit through an angel. The angel guides Elijah to communicate with God. He then provides him specific guidance on how to journey back and interact with others. God pushes him back into his purpose. The voice or feelings we are given help us to hear direction which can seem like we are hearing a voice guiding us on our way. When Elijah listens as he is pulled or guided to go stand on the mountain and listen for God, he begins to get the guidance needed. The voice came in the gentle whisper for Elijah. It was not in the wind or in a boom. It was in the stillness of a whisper. The busyness that exists in our lives is keeping us from true connection and our true being ness. Life is and needs to now be about the blending of being and doing. It is about being woke, switched on, and plugged in. When we are fully present in that moment, the voice will speak to us. Discipline your mind, honor your body, and nurture your emotions on a daily basis. meditate on a daily basis and do breath work. Move your body in a way that serves and honors your body. Eat foods that are healthy and serve you. Learn to feel your emotions in each part of your body and listen to what they are telling you. Magic happens in our lives when we are plugged into that voice. Get out of your head and into your soul. God talks to everyone. Slow down and hear the gentle whisper. Subscribe and Review in iTunes- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-anthony-john-amyx-podcast/id1492458217 Are you subscribed to my podcast, If not, please go do that now because that is what helps get this message to reach more people? Plus, I don't want you to miss an episode. Each week, I'll be releasing two new episodes and if you're not subscribed there's a good chance they'll fly under the radar and you'll miss out. Links Mentioned In This Episode Aj Amyx Book www.ajamyx.com/book Verses Mentioned 1 Kings 4, 5

Hello and welcome to season 2 episode 59 of The Berean Manifesto, brought to you by The Ekklesian House.  This is Pastor Bill and over the next 10 minutes, or so, we are going to be talking about waiting on The Lord. There was this time in the life of Elijah the prophet where he sat down under a tree and prayed to die.  God sent an angel with some bread and a jug of water.  He ate and slept and ate again then headed out on a journey of forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb.  Then starting in verse 9 of chapter nineteen, of 1 Kings, 1 Kings 19:9-14 CSB, “[9] He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" [10] He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life." [11] Then he said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the LORD's presence." At that moment, the LORD passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. [12] After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. [13] When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" God wasn't in the mighty wind, God wasn't in the earthquake, God wasn't in the fire.  God was in the soft whisper.  Now, this account may be literal, but even if it's poetic instead of literal, the message is the same.  The world is competing for your attention, but all that noise is just distraction.  You may never hear an audible whisper, but God speaks to us with many voices using several languages and through lots of mediums. We can talk about waiting on The Lord and enduring till we're blue in the face, but until we talk about practical application, we're just spinning our wheels.  It's not just the world throwing distractions at you, you've also got your own mind with its doubts and insecurities to deal with, and the challenges brought by others.  Both non-believers, and other Christians.  So, for the rest of this episode will be devoting our time to addressing one specific doubt that challenges the modern Christian. The enigma in question is this, “If Jesus is the only salvation, then Christians believe that everyone who was born before Jesus was damned to Hell.”  Despite the fact that no one is damned to Hell until after The Judgement, so ultimately that call is above our pay grade, it's a question that I've pondered in the past and one that I recently heard put forth by an atheist in an attempt to confound Christians.  What I've found is that the answer was a common part of Christian theology that faded from belief over the last thousand years or so.  For this, we're going to turn to Psalm 16, and 1 Peter 3 & 4. But first, let's look at Romans 8:2 CSB, “[2] because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  Before Christ, everyone was subject to the law, first the law of Noah that anyone or thing that kills a human will be put to death by a human, and then the law of Moses that Paul commonly refers to as the law of sin and death.  It was by these standards that everyone who died was weighed against at the moment of death and then taken to the place of the dead, known as Sheol, and then either deposited on one side of a chasm reserved for lawbreakers or the other side reserved for the innocent. It was here, Sheol, that Christ went upon His death.  King David prophesied about it in Psalm 16:9-11 CSB, “[9] Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. [10] For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. [11] You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Peter writes about this too 1 Peter 3:18-20a CSB, “[18] For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, [19] in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison [20] who in the past were disobedient,”  this proclamation to the “spirits in prison” Peter goes on to clarify in 1 Peter 4:6 CSB, “[6] For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead, so that, although they might be judged in the flesh according to human standards, they might live in the spirit according to God's standards.” So, no, everyone who lived before Christ isn't damned to Hell.  To get a little bit more clarity and have this make a little more sense of it we can also turn to Romans 5:13 CSB, “[13] In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person's account when there is no law.”  The law of the Spirit that Paul speaks of in Romans 8 that salvation through faith in Christ wasn't given before Christ lived.  Therefore, no one who lived before Jesus could be held accountable to that law or receive its benefits. We talked in the last episode that everyone who surnames the name of the Lord.  Everyone who takes on that name of the Lord will be saved.  This salvation, this spiritual salvation of eternal dwelling with the Lord.  If that law didn't exist for those people, then they couldn't take advantage of it while they were alive.  The couldn't until after they were presented the Gospel, and no one could do that except for the one who had conquered sin and death.  He submitted Himself to death and then conquered death because He had done no wrong, took the keys to death, Hell, and the grave, so on and so forth.  We now see it tying back into what we still hold as common solid theology. Along the same lines the question of whether someone born after Christ who lived their whole life in seclusion.  They're in some country where the Gospel hasn't reached, they never heard the Gospel, it was never preached, they were never told about Jesus, they were never visited by Jesus.  They never had this revelation of the Gospel.  Are those people damned to Hell or not?  Once again, that is above our pay grade to say and will be sorted by The Judge, at The Judgement.  God is a just judge who will rightly decide the eternal fate of those in question.  Until then it's our duty to love the Lord, love ourselves, love others wait on The Lord and endure until He comes. This is Pastor Bill saying, “Until next time…”

Day 7. Fervent Prayer James 5:16: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Fervency speaks of our level of intensity, passion and persistence. Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether because we lose heart or give up. But God invites us to keep them before Him and trust Him for an answer in His time. (Matthew 7:7-11) The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, practiced a lifestyle of fervent, intense prayer and he witnessed incredible miracles in his lifetime as a result. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, we read of a woman whose only son became ill and died. When Elijah heard the news he quickly took action and did what he knew best – he fervently cried out to God. Elijah fully believed that God could bring the boy back to life, and he didn’t pray just once. It is recorded that he prayed three times for the boy’s soul to return to him. He prayed fervently, repeatedly and he wasn’t going to give up. Verse 22 reads, “then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.” God honored Elijah’s obedience and fervent prayers and brought the boy to life. God hears your prayers as well and will bring an answer in His perfect timing. But don’t be discouraged or disheartened if the answer is not exactly what you expected. Commit to praying to God with passion and persistence, trusting the answer will come in God’s perfect way and in His perfect timing. As we close out this first week, continue to pray fervently for the main areas of concern in your life. Trust God to bring an answer as you journal your thoughts and inspirations through this time.

Day 7. Fervent Prayer James 5:16: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Fervency speaks of our level of intensity, passion and persistence. Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether because we lose heart or give up. But God invites us to keep them before Him and trust Him for an answer in His time. (Matthew 7:7-11) The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, practiced a lifestyle of fervent, intense prayer and he witnessed incredible miracles in his lifetime as a result. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, we read of a woman whose only son became ill and died. When Elijah heard the news he quickly took action and did what he knew best – he fervently cried out to God. Elijah fully believed that God could bring the boy back to life, and he didn’t pray just once. It is recorded that he prayed three times for the boy’s soul to return to him. He prayed fervently, repeatedly and he wasn’t going to give up. Verse 22 reads, “then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.” God honored Elijah’s obedience and fervent prayers and brought the boy to life. God hears your prayers as well and will bring an answer in His perfect timing. But don’t be discouraged or disheartened if the answer is not exactly what you expected. Commit to praying to God with passion and persistence, trusting the answer will come in God’s perfect way and in His perfect timing. As we close out this first week, continue to pray fervently for the main areas of concern in your life. Trust God to bring an answer as you journal your thoughts and inspirations through this time.

God has marked out a race for each of us, but the enemy is actively working to sabotage our run. This week, we hear from Elijah about what he’d want us to know when life seems like it’s falling apart around us. Elijah would want us to know that we have to choose to let go and let God! It is important to understand that our perspective shapes our reality. When Elijah’s perspective shifted from faith to fear, he ran for his life. God didn’t change. Neither did Elijah’s calling or potential. His perspective changed, and this can work for good or negative. Remember that perspective is a choice: we are only alone if we choose to be alone! God is always with us, and God’s plan is always better than our own. When we choose to let go and let God, we must go all in, we must come stop hiding and start following we must trust God’s provision for our problems. first have to choose to let go of it all by approaching God without holding back. We also have to let go out of it all by coming out of hiding in darkness and into His presence. Lastly, in the presence of God, Elijah would encourage us to let go of it once and for all by placing all of our problems in God’s hands.

  PRINCE HANDLEY PODCAST REVELATION WITH DIRECTIONA MIRACLE PODCAST PRODUCTION ~ ~ ~ PRINCE HANDLEY PORTAL 1,000's of FREE ResourcesWWW.REALMIRACLES.ORG ~ ~ ~ INTERNATIONAL Geopolitics | Intelligence | Prophecy WWW.UOFE.ORG GOD IS GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL OUT OF YOUR LIFE TODAY UNDERSTANDING GOD'S TRANSITIONS You can listen to the above message NOW. Click on the pod circle at top left. (Click “BACK” to return.)OR … LISTEN NOW >>> LISTEN HERE 24/7 release of Prince Handley teachings, BLOGS and podcasts > STREAM Twitter: princehandley ___________________________________________________________ DESCRIPTION OF THIS TEACHING In this podcast teaching we will discuss how to understand God's transitions IN and FOR your life. There is NO shortage in God's Kingdom! You can live in the freedom of God's provision for YOU … and for those whom God wants to bless through you. What do you need today? God wants to make something beautiful out of your life … because there's no shortage in His Kingdom. ___________________________________________________________ GOD IS GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL OUT OF YOUR LIFE TODAY UNDERSTANDING GOD'S TRANSITIONS God is going to make something beautiful out of your life today! MUSIC Elijah had a beautiful life because he was beautifully obedient to the will of God. Yet there were a lot of times that he probably said, “God, what is it now? Why are you doing this now?” And yet God had a man here that could believe God, not only for great ministry to the leader of the nation―not only for great prophetic messages to deliver―but he could believe God for the provision of his life in day to day circumstances. He was as much a man of faith in the little things of life as he was on the mountain top. I want to tell you today that there is no shortage in God's love for you, my friend―no shortage in God's mercy―no shortage in God's provision for you today. What do you need today? God wants to make something beautiful out of your life … because there's no shortage in His Kingdom. MUSIC Elijah sure had a running experience with God. Every day he was stretched out. Every day he had to lean on God. God would never let him rest in faith. You might say, “But I thought that the walk with Christ was a faith-rest walk.” It is, but you rest by not stopping; you rest by not retiring. You rest by NOT being upon the shelf―latent as a servant of God―retiring from the field. You cannot do it, brothers and sisters. You cannot do it because God has not designed that you stop being a servant. And if you're on the shelf today, there's only one way off. That's to jump! You can't slide off the shelf. You can't climb down. You have to jump. And when you jump out into the arena of faith, you will obligate God to pick you up. You may be bored today and if so, it's because you're not moving in faith. I want to tell you that Messiah Jesus will thrill the depths of your soul every day of your life―IF you let Him. I've never had a bad day since I've met Jesus. There have been some days that I've had some problems―but instantly as I loosed them to Messiah Jesus―they were no problems any longer because he dissolved them. Jesus wants to come into your life with POWER as He did into Elijah's life to let you be a vessel that he can bless … so that you can be a blessing wherever you go. You see, God wants to bless you, that you may be a blessing. Elijah down at the brook of water leaned on God just as much as he did when he went to deliver a message to the king. And at the brook, when the water ran out, he leaned upon God again. Elijah realized there was a transition in his life. He realized that change was coming up. He said, “God, you sent me to this brook; you sent me down here and I obeyed you … but the water's running out. As a matter of fact, God, it's dry.” And then he realized this was one of those times when God had a change coming up. You may be in that situation today. God may seen very far from you, but he's not. He's not, my friend. God is right in the depths of your soul IF you're seeking him today. And God wants you to know that there is a change in your life from time to time―there is a transitional period―but this is the MOST important time to lean on God in faith. It's at the very time you think God's done using you, that God is getting ready to use you MORE than He ever has before. It's that very time the enemy would try to throw oppression and depression into your midst that God is getting ready to lead you into a powerful work that will smite Satan and flood the earth with God's Glory. DON'T QUIT DON'T MISS YOUR MIRACLE My friend, that's the time you need to realize there's a transition in your life. You see, Elijah was in that period. He probably could have murmured. He could have complained. He probably wondered, “What is it God, what is it this time? Why do you reveal great things to me concerning others and yet in my own life, I don't understand what you're doing many times?” And then the Spirit of God dropped an air of faith into his heart and said, “Elijah, you're in a transition … you're in a transition.” You may be there today, my friend. Listen to God, because God MAY have a different option for your life. God said to Elijah, “Option A is completed, Elijah. Now I want you to go to a widow's house.” And then Elijah thought, “Oh, that's why the rains stopped. I remember I spoke a word of faith to the King and said, there won't be any dew these years ... there won't be any rain these years, according to the Word of the Lord.” Elijah realized he was eating his prayers―that in God's Providence―God had designed the best for him. God wants the best for you, my friend. God wants to bless you today abundantly, so you can be a blessing to the nations of the world … and to everyone with whom you come in contact. Elijah probably realized, “I see it now. God has something new, something different.” So he went to Zarephath. By the way, “Zarephath” [in Hebrew] means “Refinement.” God refines his prophets. God refines his servants. And if you've been fruitful in the kingdom of God, God is going to refine YOU because he wants you to be MORE productive: to bring forth more fruit. Remember, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) said, “I am the vine. You are the branches ... Without me, you can do nothing. And every branch that brings forth fruit, my Father will purge it.” You see, He's going to prune it so that it can bring forth more fruit. God prunes only those that are bringing forth fruit … so that they can be more fruitful, not just in the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control ... but as the Christian bears fruit. A lemon tree brings forth lemons, a Christian brings for Christians. So Elijah went to the widow's house and he was hungry. He probably thought, “I thank God I can go to a widow's house instead of letting those ravens feed me.” So he went to her and said, “I would like some water to drink.” The widow lady said, “I will get you a drink of water.” And as she was going, Elijah said, “I would like a little bread, also, would you make me a little cake?” She answered, “I can't do that. I've just got enough grain left for me and my son.” As a matter of fact, she said, “I'm going out to pick up some sticks to make a fire so we can cook our last meal. My son and I will eat the last of our meal, and I only have a little cooking oil left … and we're going to die here.” And Elijah spoke something to her that was seemingly preposterous. He said, “Bake me a little cake first!” (Something inside that widow lady let her know that this was a Prophet of God speaking to her.) She made Elijah a little cake from the last grain she had left for her and her family! The Bible tells us that God multiplied that meal. And she and her house did eat many days until the day that God sent rain back upon the earth. Then … God had another option for Elijah! I am certain that God didn't send Elijah to the widow's house so much for himself as he did for the widow's sake. For Elijah was used to living by faith. Elijah was used to having God provide for him, but the widow was not. My friend, God may be designing things in your life, and this change―this period of transition in your life―has some new things that are approaching you in the Spirit. God says to YOU, "I have designed nothing for you, my child, except the best. I want to bless you." Open up and receive everything God has for you today. You may not know what God's doing, but God will never deny you anything (or anyone) ... except to give you something (or someone) better! When Elijah was in Option A at the brook, God provided for him naturally through ravens, but when he went to Option B at the widow's house in Zarephath, God provided for him supernaturally by the multiplication of food. You see, it doesn't matter how God works … just so He works. It doesn't matter whether God works naturally or supernaturally, just so he works. And my friend, God may work differently in your life today than he did last year or last month. He may work differently in your life than he does in the life of another believer, but it doesn't matter how God works in your life, just so he works! Today … God wants to come in and touch your life. There's no shortage in God's Kingdom. MUSIC I want to give you a FREE book that will teach you how to draw on God's bank of provision daily like Elijah did. God has no shortage in His Kingdom. Elijah had vibrancy in his life because daily―moment by moment―he leaned upon the provision of God. My friend, God's provision is directed at you in various avenues ... so learn the principle in this FREE book titled, “When to Give and When NOT to Give!” and then teach it to others. Email to princehandley@gmail.com. Ask for SG-20 in the “Subject” line. MUSIC Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai. Your friend, Prince Handley Podcast time: 16 minutes, 38 seconds. Copyright © Prince Handley 2019 _________________________ Rabbinical & Biblical Studies The Believers’ Intelligentsia Prince Handley Portal (1,000’s of FREE resources) Prince Handley Books OPPORTUNITY If you would like to partner with Prince Handley and help him do the Spirit exploits the LORD has assigned him, Click thIs secure DONATE or the one below. God will reward you abundantly on earth … and in Heaven! A TAX DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT WILL BE SENT TO YOU ___________________________

1 Kings 19:1-18 Our emotions were created by God as a way to connect with him and others, but in our brokenness, can sometimes divide us from God and others. When Elijah is depressed, he turns his emotional pain into prayer and experiences the intimate love and care of God restoring his connection to God and his connection to the people of God. We can be open to God in our emotions by turning our emotions into conversations with God where we hear the intimate whisper of his loving Word. Visit https://www.jennaperrine.com/ for a free step by step resource to write your own biblical lament.

My God answers prayer! He is a God of Fire and Power! How do you set fire to wet wood? - You can't, but God can! When Elijah called upon the Name of the Lord, Fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. O God send the Fire of the Holy Spirit, we are waiting and expecting You to answer, now! 'Holy Ghost Fire' - used by kind permission of www.vinesong.com

  Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV  11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 1 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.       FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod                  

158 The Still Small Voice of God A Christian Meditation on 1 Kings 19:11-13 I’m Chaplain Jared and I work as a hospice chaplain and an ICU chaplain, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open for your heart to be changed by the Spirit of God.  By using centuries old form of Christian Meditation named Lectio Divina: Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes. Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to contacting God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate. Bible verses for Meditation: 1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV  11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 1 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. KJV 11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? Meditation on Scripture:   When we turn to God it is often in desperation. Something happens to remind us of our need of Him. Sometimes we realize a distance between Him and us and we may with to bridge it. As we find ourselves in this state of deep spiritual need we often reach out to God for guidance and comfort. We may even approach Him with faith asking for him to do some grand gesture for us to make sure we know when He answers us. Elijah was a prophet of God in the Old Testament, long before the birth of Jesus. He was serving the Lord faithfully and had commanded incredible miracles to be done. One of which involved the fire of heaven coming down to consume the enemies of the prophet. This did not go over well with the earthly government and they were trying to kill Him. He escaped into a cave in the mountains as he prayed. He was seeking the guidance and blessing of God. He wanted an answer regarding what he was to do. As someone who had seen the fire from heaven, he knew God could be mighty and command the elements.  Finally he received an answer “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by” There was a catastrophic set of things that happened, yet this was not God’s answer. What his answer was came in the form of a gentle whispering. I think this is an important thing that we can encourage and foster inside of ourselves. I anticipate that this is the most frequent way in which we receive guidance from God. A gentle prick of our conscience, a gentle warmth of having our faith corroborated.  As you seek God and His answers for your life remember this lesson. You don’t have to wait until you receive some profound sign or test of your faith. You can allow it to steadily and constantly grow by increased intimacy. We need to practice listening to this small whisper of the Spirit for there are the beginnings of the mysteries of God.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials.   Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Updates: Final Question: Do you need to understand your hardship? Final Thought:     FIND ME ON: Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Android App Store: Recenter with Christ Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/ChristianMeditationPodcast Youtube.com/ChristianMeditaitonPodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod                  

When Elijah, the Prophet, experienced fear and anxiety, he ran to God! Don’t sit and die in fear! Change Your Position!

The Rev. Gary Dawes was today's guest preacher. Rev. Dawes is a retired Methodist minister and a familiar face at Greenfield. Today's sermon is preceded by Rev. Dawes explanation of the scripture reading and then the scripture from I Kings 19:1-15a. Elijah Flees from Jezebel 19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” Elijah Meets God at Horeb 11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

1 Kings 19-9-15 -NIV- - 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him- -What are you doing here, Elijah-- 10 He replied, -I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.- 11 The LORD said, -Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.- Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, -What are you doing here, Elijah-- 14 He replied, -I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.- 15 The LORD said to him, -Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.

On Episode 25 of What Now with Anna & Eric we talk about what are we sometimes called to give up when we follow Jesus.  When Elijah is up on the mountain with followers of foreign gods, he says, “Which are you going to choose? Baal or God?” And as we step into following Jesus sometimes Jesus asks us to choose a new life over our old. On What Now? we ask the question, what are things in our own lives that God has asked us to give up?  What now?  Have a conversation with the Holy Spirit. What is God asking you to give up as you follow Jesus? 

2019-06-30 - Year C - Proper 8 - GAFCON Sunday - The Rev. Christopher M. Klukas 1 Kings 19:15-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-62 A lot has happened in the Anglican Communion over the past sixteen years. Structures are shifting, but the faith has not changed, God is still good, and his Kingdom is still expanding. When Elijah was at his darkest moment, God reminded him that he was not alone, and that there were still 7,000 people who had remained faithful. In our dark moments God continues to do the same, he reminds us that we are not alone and that there will always be a faithful remnant ready to continue the work of the mission of God. For sermon notes and more information about Good Samaritan Anglican Church, please visit our website: https://www.goodsamaritananglican.org/sermons/preserving-the-faith-engaging-the-mission/

June 23, 2019 "In the Country of the Gerasenes" 1 King 19: 1-15 Luke 8: 26-39 The Rev. Dr. Milton H. Gilbert 19 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. The Lord Appears to Elijah And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.   26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

How do we hold onto the the power of Jesus' promises for us in the face of fear and doubt? READING 1 Kings 19:1-15a Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." [Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you."] He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." Then the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus."   MUSIC Hold On, DEM Alleluia Sing to Jesus, First Plymouth Church, Lincoln Nebraska, Tom Trenney, piano, and organ, Nick May, saxophone, Eric Hitt, bass Amazing Grace, Jimmy Cousins

Pastor Steven King'uyu taught us about Discerning The Voice Of God. Elijah, whose name means 'my God is Yahweh' was a prophet of God in the old testament. We are all familiar with the story of Elijah and Jezebel and how Jezebel wanted all the prophets of God dead. When Elijah, in fright, ran to the wilderness, God asked him what he was doing there. Today our focus is on what we are doing here. This doesn't necessarily mean a place but it can mean a situation we are facing. What is our purpose and reason for being where we are today. Is God the reason? The number 40 symbolizes the period of testing and trial. Elijah walked in the wilderness for 40 days and nights towards the mountain of God, where he was able to discern God's voice. He was able to pick out the voice from every event that happened on the mountain,which was a still small voice. The book of John 10 talks about sheep knowing their Shepherd's voice and following him. We cannot discern God's voice until we decide to choose to listen and focus on His voice.

God calls his people to mission. In 1 Kings, the prophet Elijah is used by God to confront the idolatry of Ahab and Israel. When Elijah steps out in faith, God sustains his prophet and works through him in powerful ways. However, following a...

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is burnt out, freaked out, depressed, afraid, and anxious. God used 5 things to get Elijah back to a healthy place, and he wants to use those same 5 things to help you be healthy this year. 1 Kings 19:3-19 1. Sleep “Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree…” (v. 5) 2. Good Food "But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” (v. 5) 3. More Rest “So he ate and drank and lay down again.” (v. 6) 4. Experiences with God “And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 12-13) 5. Friendship “So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field.” (v. 19)

Quality of prayer means MORE than Quantity. When Elijah prayed, his earnest prayer reached heaven, and God answered by sending fire from heaven. God is an "all-consuming fire," what areas in your life does God need to consume? 1 Kings 18: 17-40 Women's Bible study, this Thursday, November 15th at 7 pm PST at the home of Nathania Kingsland. You don't want to miss it! If you need the information please email and we will send it to you. Thanksgiving luncheon/potluck next Sunday, November 18th following service. Bring a side dish or dessert! Join us at our Life Groups Bible study every week. Mondays in Rialto starts at 7 pm. Our study is on spiritual warfare. Hope to see you there! Don't forget to like NLCC and Rooted Youth Ministry on Facebook.

Matthew 11:15 – He who has ears, let him hear. (Repeated nearly verbatim in Matthew 13:9, 13:43, Mark 4:23, and Luke 14:35) 'Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. ' 'If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. ' Mark 4:23-24 'It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." ' Luke 14:35 'And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'' Isaiah 6:8-9 1 Kings 19:11-13 – The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the 11 presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake 12 came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.* When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out 13 and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” https://manupuniversity.org http://facebook.com/TheManUpUniversity http://twitter.com/umanupu http://instagram.com/man_up_university

Statistics from The American Institute for Stress: 77% of people say the regularly experience the physical symptoms of stress 44% of Americans feel more stressed than they did 5 years ago 1 in 5 Americans experience EXTREME stress 60% of all disease and illness is caused by stress. 3 out of 4 doctors visits are for stress related ailments. Stress increases the risk of heart attack by 25% and a stroke by 50%. 50 Common Signs and Symptoms of Stress: 1. Frequent headaches, jaw clenching or pain 2. Gritting, grinding teeth 3. Stuttering or stammering 4. Tremors, trembling of lips, hands 5. Neck ache, back pain, muscle spasms 6. Light headedness, faintness, dizziness 7. Ringing, buzzing or “popping sounds 8. Frequent blushing, sweating 9. Cold or sweaty hands, feet 10. Dry mouth, problems swallowing 11. Frequent colds, infections, herpes sores 12. Rashes, itching, hives, “goose bumps” 13. Unexplained or frequent “allergy” attacks 14. Heartburn, stomach pain, nausea 15. Excess belching, flatulence 16. Constipation, diarrhea, loss of control 17. Difficulty breathing, frequent sighing 18. Sudden attacks of life threatening panic 19. Chest pain, palpitations, rapid pulse 20. Frequent urination 21. Diminished sexual desire or performance 22. Excess anxiety, worry, guilt, nervousness 23. Increased anger, frustration, hostility 24. Depression, frequent or wild mood swings 25. Increased or decreased appetite 26. Insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams 27. Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts 28. Trouble learning new information 29. Forgetfulness, disorganization, confusion 30. Difficulty in making decisions 31. Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed 32. Frequent crying spells or suicidal thoughts 33. Feelings of loneliness or worthlessness 34. Little interest in appearance, punctuality 35. Nervous habits, fidgeting, feet tapping 36. Increased frustration, irritability, edginess 37. Overreaction to petty annoyances 38. Increased number of minor accidents 39. Obsessive or compulsive behavior 40. Reduced work efficiency or productivity 41. Lies or excuses to cover up poor work 42. Rapid or mumbled speech 43. Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness 44. Problems in communication, sharing 45. Social withdrawal and isolation 46. Constant tiredness, weakness, fatigue 47. Frequent use of over-the-counter drugs 48. Weight gain or loss without diet 49. Increased smoking, alcohol or drug use 50. Excessive gambling or impulse buying I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NIV) How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:1-6 (NIV) Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there… 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Have a SUPPORT SYSTEM …while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Be HONEST Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Listen to YOUR BODY The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Find a HEALTHY RHYTHM There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11 (NIV) Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Get in the PRESENCE OF GOD Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” …The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Discover HIS PURPOSE for your life Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet… Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:3-18 (NIV) Relax… and trust that God is in control. But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. Psalm 3:3-4 (NIV) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

When Elijah was in fear and despair, convinced that he was the last person left who honored God, he cried out to God to start over with a new covenant. But God was silent. Instead of giving Elijah new revelation, God sent Elijah back to what He had...

Paige sat on the porch, ready to bite into her last cookie. Her friend Julie came running over. Uh-oh. What should Paige do? When Elijah was hungry, someone shared with him. “He is our God and we are . . . under his care.” PSALM 95:7, NIV. God uses others

Paige sat on the porch, ready to bite into her last cookie. Her friend Julie came running over. Uh-oh. What should Paige do? When Elijah was hungry, someone shared with him. “He is our God and we are . . . under his care.” PSALM 95:7, NIV. God uses others

When Elijah called Elisha to follow him, we see the example from Elisha of what radical, single-hearted devotion looks like to follow the Lord in discipleship. Elisha radically purged out any hindrance to his following the call of God by slaying his oxen and burning his plowing equipment too. He removed his back-up plan or his rainy day fund to pursue Christ. Our radical discipleship should look odd to the world, and should also make lukewarm Christians uncomfortable.

Readings for this week: Gospel | Luke 4:1-134 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted[a] by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’[b]”5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.10 For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d]”12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e]”13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. First Reading | 1 Kings 1919 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”3 Elijah was afraid[a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anointJehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. Second Reading | Hebrews:1-312 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Find us online at: AdventNYC.orgCome to a service and hear the sermons live and in person Sunday morning 9am and 11am in English and 12:30pm in Spanish at 93rd and Broadway.

1 Kings 19:1-18 Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Elijah’s Journey to Horeb 19 Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!” 3 Then Elijah became afraid[a] and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, 4 but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my fathers.” 5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” 8 So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 He entered a cave there and spent the night. Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are looking for me to take my life.” 11 Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. 18 But I will leave seven thousand in Israel—every knee that has not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

When Elijah decides not to have a Bar Mitzvah, Neal plans an emergency cultural trip to "The Jewish American Homeland" - New York City - with decidedly mixed results.

When Elijah called down fire on Mount Carmel, the Israelites acknowledged that the Lord was God. However, they didn’t serve him. They refused the opportunity to repent and save themselves from God’s wrath. Then, when Jesus Christ laid down his life on Calvary, he set a second Mount Carmel. The call was the same: “Sinner, save yourself from the wrath to come!” But in this second Mount Carmel, the Israelites weren’t indifferent. They shouted, “Crucify him!” and demanded that a […]

Where am I going? If you’re running on empty [Elijah] came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. 1 Kings 19:4-5 • Food for the journey The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 1 Kings 19:7-8 • Hiding places There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah? 1 Kings 19:9 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Psalm 139:7-8 Can’t see what’s ahead? The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” 1 Kings 19:11a • Not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 King 19:12b-13a • God knows where you are going I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 Refreshed and back on the journey …The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there…anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.” 1 Kings 19:15-16 • Do as God desires Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17 • Finish well So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah…Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. 1 Kings 19:19-21 Jesus is your journey and your destination “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24

In the conversation for Sunday, June 25, 2017, VLC member and dear brother, Grant, shares with us his story about discovering how God speaks to him and offers suggestions on how to listen so that we would hear what God is saying to us. Sacred Reading, 00:00–09:52Conversation, 09:52–52:55The God Who SpeaksBe still.Visualize Jesus.Tune into the thoughts entering your mind.Write it down.“God is speaking to me, continually, so that I can know him, and particularly his love for me.”Sacred ReadingA note about the recording of the Sacred Reading:The reader will pause between each of the four readings. The pauses have been left in the recording so that the listener can experience the rhythm of the gathering and even participate in the reading.The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV)

There is a period of time between God’s promise and the fulfillment of that promise. How we live during that time determines much about the fruition of that promise in our life. Most times, that time increment is a very frustrating time of life. It is easy for the flesh to convince us that God’s promise was not what we thought it to be. Often we will have to wrestle with our situation for much longer than we want to. Elijah was facing such at time. In our text Elijah has prophesied that there will be no rain until he says it will. After three and half years, there was a great famine in the land. Then God sends Elijah to declare that the rains would come. All of the things that Elijah did in the few chapters in which we see him, are an illustration to us on how to be an overcomer and see God’s promises come to pass in our life. In desperate times when things were at their worst; when it would have been easy to give up on ever seeing the promise come to pass. Through all this, the power of his faith showed through. When Elijah turned to Ahab and told him to get up to receive the abundance of rain, he too went on an upward path. He took himself to the top of the mountain. As Ahab elevated himself with food, Elijah elevated himself with prayer. After praying, Elijah sends his servant to look for rain. Six times, the servant returned with a report of NOTHING. After each of those six disappointing reports, Elijah simply says “Go Again.” Instead of being discouraged by repeated negative reports, he prayed even more fervently. On the seventh time, the servant returns with encouraging results, but not the magnitude that we would expect. There are three things about Elijah’s faith that are worth knowing. First was Elijah’s confidence. There was no indication that there was any chance of rain, but he trudged up that mountain confidently. Second, he had patience. There was a long time between promise and the fulfillment of that promise. No matter how many times he was disappointed, Elijah remained faithful He kept praying.Finally he persevered. He prayed and prayed again, and then prayed some more.

In chapter one, Ahaziah, who was the son of the evil king Ahab, and who was himself evil, fell through some sort of lattice work and was injured. We know that Ahaziah was evil because we are told as much at the end of 1 Kings, and the fact is reinforced here in chapter one when he commits the heinous sin of sending messengers to Ekron’s god Baal-zebub to ask if he would recover. This is huge. And God sent Elijah to intercept the messengers to tell them that because Ahaziah insulted God, intending to ask Baal-zebub, Ahaziah would die from his injuries. When Ahaziah found out from the messengers who it was that delivered the Lord’s message to them, he ordered one of his captains and fifty men to go and get Elijah. It is important to note the manner in which the captain approached Elijah. He said, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’” First, if this captain really believed that Elijah was a man of God, he would not have barked orders like this. A man of God answers to a higher authority, so the fact that the king is speaking would not carry a lot of weight. Also, a man of God does not take orders from anyone other than God, even a king. In essence, this captain was being impudent and disrespectful to Gods prophet. Amazing how quickly we humans forget. How could Elijah’s earlier experience with false prophets, and God raining down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice not cause these men to approach Elijah with respect? But, they showed no respect, and God’s fire again came from the sky, and this time the captain and his fifty soldiers were consumed. This was repeated a second time with a second captain and another group of fifty soldiers. But the third time, the captain came and kneeled at Elijah’s feet and begged him to consider his life and the life of his men. And since he showed respect, the angel of the Lord told Elijah to go with them to Ahaziah. When Elijah was before the king, he told him that since he had ignored God and went to Ekron’s god, he would surely die of his injuries. In chapter two, we see Elijah taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Listen to what Matthew Henry had to say about this: God had determined to take him up into heaven by a whirlwind. It is not for us to say why God would put such a peculiar honor upon Elijah above any other of the prophets; he was a man subject to like passions as we are, knew sin, and yet never tasted death. We may suppose that herein, 1. God looked back upon his past services, which were eminent and extraordinary, and intended a recompense for those and then in encouragement to the sons of the prophets to tread in the steps of his zeal and faithfulness, and to witness against the corruption of the age they lived in. 2. He looked down upon the present dark and degenerate state of the church, and would thus give a very sensible proof of another life after this, and draw the hearts of the faithful few upward towards himself, and that other life. 3. He looked forward to the evangelical dispensation, and, in the translation of Elijah, gave a type and figure of the ascension of Christ and the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Elijah had, by faith and prayer, conversed much with heaven, and now he is taken thither, to assure us that if we have our conversation in heaven, while we are here on earth, we shall be there shortly, the soul shall (and this is the man) be happy there, there forever. And some believe that since Elijah has not yet tasted death, he is one of the two prophets that will come to earth during the tribulation, just before Christ returns. What do you think?

As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet 2:4-5). Christ, as a stone rejected by men, became a cornerstone for God’s kingdom—the church. Then, we also, by following his example, are to be rejected by men and this world, and give ourselves to God as living stones. The above words are found in Peter’s letter, and in fact, Peter himself, whose name Jesus gave (petros means “rock”), learned this truth through some bitter experiences. One time Jesus went to the region of Caesarea Philippi, which was outside of the Jewish territory. John the Baptist was already dead, and being aware that the time for him to go up to Jerusalem to die was approaching near (less than a year), he wanted to spend some time quietly with his disciples discussing some important matters. It was at this time that he acknowledged himself as the Messiah before them. Peter said, “Your are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus said: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Mat 16:18). Feeling good at these words, he had boldness to say to Jesus who had just prophesied how he was going to die in Jerusalem, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Then, to his surprise, Jesus turned and said: Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men (v. 23). The rock upon which Jesus said he would build his church became a stumbling block to him! If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it (vv. 24-25). “To deny himself” means to “to be rejected by men,” and “to take up his cross” means to give yourself to God by following his example. This is the rock upon which the church is built. Peter completely misunderstood Jesus’ words, and was ignorant about this truth. It is interesting to know that about a week later, Jesus and three of his disciples including Peter went up to a high mountain. As Jesus was praying, his face began to shine and his clothes became so white, and Moses and Elijah appeared before them, and talked to him concerning “his departure” that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). “His departure” refers to his death, resurrection, and ascension. Interestingly, it was not an angel, but Moses and Elijah who appeared to speak about it. This was because these two had a similar experience at the same mountain, Horeb (also called Mount Sinai), and departed from this world in a strange way in the same Transjordan region (east of River Jordan). Compare the following passage in the story of Elijah with the one in Exod 34: The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, … After the earthquake came a fire, … And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah (1 Kgs 19:11-13)?"

Elijah, as we will come to see, is a significant figure in the OT, and his appearance here in 1 Kings 17 is the first mention of him. We are not given any background, no genealogy, nothing other than the fact that he was a Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead as it says here in the WEB version, or the NIV says he is from Tishbe. In our chapter here, Elijah goes with a message from the Lord to Ahab, the king of Israel. The message is that because Ahab has not worshipped God, but idols, there will be no dew or rain in Israel. And then God told Elijah to hide by the brook Cherish (KER-ith) by the Jordan river, where he was fed by ravens and drank from the brook. And then the brook dried up after some time because of the drought. So God sent him to Zarephath, where He would move on a poor widow woman to give him food and shelter. And this is what I want to talk about for just a minute or two. This woman and her son were at the very end of their rope. When Elijah first saw her, she was out looking for a couple of sticks that she could cook her and her son’s last meal. There was only a little flour and oil left, and after this, they were going to starve to death. The drought had been hard on the land, and she evidently had no more options left to provide for herself and her son. But God chose her to provide for Elijah until such time as He would end the drought. And isn’t that just like God? He often chooses people who do not, by all appearances, have the ability to do the work God calls them to do. He used an old couple who were well into the 90s to be the parents of a great nation, he called a man with a speech impediment to lead that nation out of slavery, He called a shepherd boy to be their king, He called uneducated fishermen, a tax collector and a few other men to care for and grow the infant church. And he chose a windshield repair guy in Riverside, California to start the world’s first Christian podcast. When He calls you to do something for Him, He supplies what is needed to accomplish the work. When He called this poor widow to feed Elijah, the food never ran out. And to prove that it was God who supplied their need, when her son died from an illness, God restored life to the boy when Elijah prayed for him. Do you think you have nothing that God can use for His kingdom? Good! That’s exactly the building blocks that He needs! What do you think?

Heritage Church — September 6, 2015 Pastor David Bamberry Trusting God in Difficult Times — Pt 1 1. LOOK for God in the Change “If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.” Jeremiah 29:13 NLT 2. Ask God For WISDOM “If you need wisdom — if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” James 1:5 NLT 3. Listen for God’s WHISPER “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 NLT 4. Don’t Ask Why, But What Do I NEED TO LEARN Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:18 NLT 5. Focus on What NEVER CHANGES The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isa. 40:8 NLT 6. Don’t Face it Alone. ACCEPT Help From Others Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Ecc. 4:9 NLT 7. Become a PROMISE Person And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT 8. Tell God You Will Trust Him NO MATTER WHAT

Romans Chapter 11~  Paul says. God most definitely has not rejected the Jews. After all, they're his peeps. His main squeeze. His chosen crew. Paul should know. He's one of them, after all. He tells us the story of Elijah to demonstrate. When Elijah's whole community had turned against him and started worshipping other gods, God told him that it was cool. See, God still saved a few of those people for himself. A few that hadn't totally gone over to the dark side. The same is true now, Paul says. Some Jews have been chosen for salvation because God is just oh-so-nice like that. It's true. As a whole, the Jews have stumbled a bit when it comes to believing in Jesus. But Paul is careful to note that doesn't mean they've fallen flat on their faces. No sireee. Sure, they did trip over their own feet while they were supposed to be running the ball in for the touchdown. But God hasn't permanently benched them. He's just brought in the second team.  Jesus came to bring God's message to the Jews. Now, because the Jews don't all believe in him, God has decided to spread his message out to non-Jews.  After all, the Jews are like a tree with holy roots. Each individual person is a branch on that tree. But some of the branches have died and fallen off.  In their place, God grafted on some wild olive branches that didn't belong on the tree (the Gentiles) They're growing and fitting in nicely though so it's all good.The one problem is that sometimes these new branches can get a bit cocky. But Paul reminds them not to get too full of themselves. After all, they're not the ones supporting the tree. That's a job for the Jewish roots. Anyway, they only got a spot on the tree because some of the branches fell off. They should be grateful they're even on there. God didn't go easy on the original branches.  Thank you www.shmoot.com

Evolution of the God Concept Among the Hebrews (1062.1) 97:0.1 THE spiritual leaders of the Hebrews did what no others before them had ever succeeded in doing — they deanthropomorphized their God concept without converting it into an abstraction of Deity comprehensible only to philosophers. Even common people were able to regard the matured concept of Yahweh as a Father, if not of the individual, at least of the race. (1062.2) 97:0.2 The concept of the personality of God, while clearly taught at Salem in the days of Melchizedek, was vague and hazy at the time of the flight from Egypt and only gradually evolved in the Hebraic mind from generation to generation in response to the teaching of the spiritual leaders. The perception of Yahweh’s personality was much more continuous in its progressive evolution than was that of many other of the Deity attributes. From Moses to Malachi there occurred an almost unbroken ideational growth of the personality of God in the Hebrew mind, and this concept was eventually heightened and glorified by the teachings of Jesus about the Father in heaven. 1. Samuel — First of the Hebrew Prophets (1062.3) 97:1.1 Hostile pressure of the surrounding peoples in Palestine soon taught the Hebrew sheiks they could not hope to survive unless they confederated their tribal organizations into a centralized government. And this centralization of administrative authority afforded a better opportunity for Samuel to function as a teacher and reformer. (1062.4) 97:1.2 Samuel sprang from a long line of the Salem teachers who had persisted in maintaining the truths of Melchizedek as a part of their worship forms. This teacher was a virile and resolute man. Only his great devotion, coupled with his extraordinary determination, enabled him to withstand the almost universal opposition which he encountered when he started out to turn all Israel back to the worship of the supreme Yahweh of Mosaic times. And even then he was only partially successful; he won back to the service of the higher concept of Yahweh only the more intelligent half of the Hebrews; the other half continued in the worship of the tribal gods of the country and in the baser conception of Yahweh. (1062.5) 97:1.3 Samuel was a rough-and-ready type of man, a practical reformer who could go out in one day with his associates and overthrow a score of Baal sites. The progress he made was by sheer force of compulsion; he did little preaching, less teaching, but he did act. One day he was mocking the priest of Baal; the next, chopping in pieces a captive king. He devotedly believed in the one God, and he had a clear concept of that one God as creator of heaven and earth: “The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he has set the world upon them.” (1063.1) 97:1.4 But the great contribution which Samuel made to the development of the concept of Deity was his ringing pronouncement that Yahweh was changeless, forever the same embodiment of unerring perfection and divinity. In these times Yahweh was conceived to be a fitful God of jealous whims, always regretting that he had done thus and so; but now, for the first time since the Hebrews sallied forth from Egypt, they heard these startling words, “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man, that he should repent.” Stability in dealing with Divinity was proclaimed. Samuel reiterated the Melchizedek covenant with Abraham and declared that the Lord God of Israel was the source of all truth, stability, and constancy. Always had the Hebrews looked upon their God as a man, a superman, an exalted spirit of unknown origin; but now they heard the onetime spirit of Horeb exalted as an unchanging God of creator perfection. Samuel was aiding the evolving God concept to ascend to heights above the changing state of men’s minds and the vicissitudes of mortal existence. Under his teaching, the God of the Hebrews was beginning the ascent from an idea on the order of the tribal gods to the ideal of an all-powerful and changeless Creator and Supervisor of all creation. (1063.2) 97:1.5 And he preached anew the story of God’s sincerity, his covenant-keeping reliability. Said Samuel: “The Lord will not forsake his people.” “He has made with us an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.” And so, throughout all Palestine there sounded the call back to the worship of the supreme Yahweh. Ever this energetic teacher proclaimed, “You are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you, neither is there any God beside you.” (1063.3) 97:1.6 Theretofore the Hebrews had regarded the favor of Yahweh mainly in terms of material prosperity. It was a great shock to Israel, and almost cost Samuel his life, when he dared to proclaim: “The Lord enriches and impoverishes; he debases and exalts. He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggars to set them among princes to make them inherit the throne of glory.” Not since Moses had such comforting promises for the humble and the less fortunate been proclaimed, and thousands of despairing among the poor began to take hope that they could improve their spiritual status. (1063.4) 97:1.7 But Samuel did not progress very far beyond the concept of a tribal god. He proclaimed a Yahweh who made all men but was occupied chiefly with the Hebrews, his chosen people. Even so, as in the days of Moses, once more the God concept portrayed a Deity who is holy and upright. “There is none as holy as the Lord. Who can be compared to this holy Lord God?” (1063.5) 97:1.8 As the years passed, the grizzled old leader progressed in the understanding of God, for he declared: “The Lord is a God of knowledge, and actions are weighed by him. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, showing mercy to the merciful, and with the upright man he will also be upright.” Even here is the dawn of mercy, albeit it is limited to those who are merciful. Later he went one step further when, in their adversity, he exhorted his people: “Let us fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great.” “There is no restraint upon the Lord to save many or few.” (1063.6) 97:1.9 And this gradual development of the concept of the character of Yahweh continued under the ministry of Samuel’s successors. They attempted to present Yahweh as a covenant-keeping God but hardly maintained the pace set by Samuel; they failed to develop the idea of the mercy of God as Samuel had later conceived it. There was a steady drift back toward the recognition of other gods, despite the maintenance that Yahweh was above all. “Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (1064.1) 97:1.10 The keynote of this era was divine power; the prophets of this age preached a religion designed to foster the king upon the Hebrew throne. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. In your hand is power and might, and you are able to make great and to give strength to all.” And this was the status of the God concept during the time of Samuel and his immediate successors. 2. Elijah and Elisha (1064.2) 97:2.1 In the tenth century before Christ the Hebrew nation became divided into two kingdoms. In both of these political divisions many truth teachers endeavored to stem the reactionary tide of spiritual decadence that had set in, and which continued disastrously after the war of separation. But these efforts to advance the Hebraic religion did not prosper until that determined and fearless warrior for righteousness, Elijah, began his teaching. Elijah restored to the northern kingdom a concept of God comparable with that held in the days of Samuel. Elijah had little opportunity to present an advanced concept of God; he was kept busy, as Samuel had been before him, overthrowing the altars of Baal and demolishing the idols of false gods. And he carried forward his reforms in the face of the opposition of an idolatrous monarch; his task was even more gigantic and difficult than that which Samuel had faced. (1064.3) 97:2.2 When Elijah was called away, Elisha, his faithful associate, took up his work and, with the invaluable assistance of the little-known Micaiah, kept the light of truth alive in Palestine. (1064.4) 97:2.3 But these were not times of progress in the concept of Deity. Not yet had the Hebrews ascended even to the Mosaic ideal. The era of Elijah and Elisha closed with the better classes returning to the worship of the supreme Yahweh and witnessed the restoration of the idea of the Universal Creator to about that place where Samuel had left it. 3. Yahweh and Baal (1064.5) 97:3.1 The long-drawn-out controversy between the believers in Yahweh and the followers of Baal was a socioeconomic clash of ideologies rather than a difference in religious beliefs. (1064.6) 97:3.2 The inhabitants of Palestine differed in their attitude toward private ownership of land. The southern or wandering Arabian tribes (the Yahwehites) looked upon land as an inalienable — as a gift of Deity to the clan. They held that land could not be sold or mortgaged. “Yahweh spoke, saying, ‘The land shall not be sold, for the land is mine.’” (1064.7) 97:3.3 The northern and more settled Canaanites (the Baalites) freely bought, sold, and mortgaged their lands. The word Baal means owner. The Baal cult was founded on two major doctrines: First, the validation of property exchange, contracts, and covenants — the right to buy and sell land. Second, Baal was supposed to send rain — he was a god of fertility of the soil. Good crops depended on the favor of Baal. The cult was largely concerned with land, its ownership and fertility. (1065.1) 97:3.4 In general, the Baalites owned houses, lands, and slaves. They were the aristocratic landlords and lived in the cities. Each Baal had a sacred place, a priesthood, and the “holy women,” the ritual prostitutes. (1065.2) 97:3.5 Out of this basic difference in the regard for land, there evolved the bitter antagonisms of social, economic, moral, and religious attitudes exhibited by the Canaanites and the Hebrews. This socioeconomic controversy did not become a definite religious issue until the times of Elijah. From the days of this aggressive prophet the issue was fought out on more strictly religious lines — Yahweh vs. Baal — and it ended in the triumph of Yahweh and the subsequent drive toward monotheism. (1065.3) 97:3.6 Elijah shifted the Yahweh-Baal controversy from the land issue to the religious aspect of Hebrew and Canaanite ideologies. When Ahab murdered the Naboths in the intrigue to get possession of their land, Elijah made a moral issue out of the olden land mores and launched his vigorous campaign against the Baalites. This was also a fight of the country folk against domination by the cities. It was chiefly under Elijah that Yahweh became Elohim. The prophet began as an agrarian reformer and ended up by exalting Deity. Baals were many, Yahweh was one — monotheism won over polytheism. 4. Amos and Hosea (1065.4) 97:4.1 A great step in the transition of the tribal god — the god who had so long been served with sacrifices and ceremonies, the Yahweh of the earlier Hebrews — to a God who would punish crime and immorality among even his own people, was taken by Amos, who appeared from among the southern hills to denounce the criminality, drunkenness, oppression, and immorality of the northern tribes. Not since the times of Moses had such ringing truths been proclaimed in Palestine. (1065.5) 97:4.2 Amos was not merely a restorer or reformer; he was a discoverer of new concepts of Deity. He proclaimed much about God that had been announced by his predecessors and courageously attacked the belief in a Divine Being who would countenance sin among his so-called chosen people. For the first time since the days of Melchizedek the ears of man heard the denunciation of the double standard of national justice and morality. For the first time in their history Hebrew ears heard that their own God, Yahweh, would no more tolerate crime and sin in their lives than he would among any other people. Amos envisioned the stern and just God of Samuel and Elijah, but he also saw a God who thought no differently of the Hebrews than of any other nation when it came to the punishment of wrongdoing. This was a direct attack on the egoistic doctrine of the “chosen people,” and many Hebrews of those days bitterly resented it. (1065.6) 97:4.3 Said Amos: “He who formed the mountains and created the wind, seek him who formed the seven stars and Orion, who turns the shadow of death into the morning and makes the day dark as night.” And in denouncing his half-religious, timeserving, and sometimes immoral fellows, he sought to portray the inexorable justice of an unchanging Yahweh when he said of the evildoers: “Though they dig into hell, thence shall I take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.” “And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I direct the sword of justice, and it shall slay them.” Amos further startled his hearers when, pointing a reproving and accusing finger at them, he declared in the name of Yahweh: “Surely I will never forget any of your works.” “And I will sift the house of Israel among all nations as wheat is sifted in a sieve.” (1066.1) 97:4.4 Amos proclaimed Yahweh the “God of all nations” and warned the Israelites that ritual must not take the place of righteousness. And before this courageous teacher was stoned to death, he had spread enough leaven of truth to save the doctrine of the supreme Yahweh; he had insured the further evolution of the Melchizedek revelation. (1066.2) 97:4.5 Hosea followed Amos and his doctrine of a universal God of justice by the resurrection of the Mosaic concept of a God of love. Hosea preached forgiveness through repentance, not by sacrifice. He proclaimed a gospel of loving-kindness and divine mercy, saying: “I will betroth you to me forever; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and judgment and in loving-kindness and in mercies. I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness.” “I will love them freely, for my anger is turned away.” (1066.3) 97:4.6 Hosea faithfully continued the moral warnings of Amos, saying of God, “It is my desire that I chastise them.” But the Israelites regarded it as cruelty bordering on treason when he said: “I will say to those who were not my people, ‘you are my people’; and they will say, ‘you are our God.’” He continued to preach repentance and forgiveness, saying, “I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely, for my anger is turned away.” Always Hosea proclaimed hope and forgiveness. The burden of his message ever was: “I will have mercy upon my people. They shall know no God but me, for there is no savior beside me.” (1066.4) 97:4.7 Amos quickened the national conscience of the Hebrews to the recognition that Yahweh would not condone crime and sin among them because they were supposedly the chosen people, while Hosea struck the opening notes in the later merciful chords of divine compassion and loving-kindness which were so exquisitely sung by Isaiah and his associates. 5. The First Isaiah (1066.5) 97:5.1 These were the times when some were proclaiming threatenings of punishment against personal sins and national crime among the northern clans while others predicted calamity in retribution for the transgressions of the southern kingdom. It was in the wake of this arousal of conscience and consciousness in the Hebrew nations that the first Isaiah made his appearance. (1066.6) 97:5.2 Isaiah went on to preach the eternal nature of God, his infinite wisdom, his unchanging perfection of reliability. He represented the God of Israel as saying: “Judgment also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet.” “The Lord will give you rest from your sorrow and from your fear and from the hard bondage wherein man has been made to serve.” “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it.’” “Behold God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord is my strength and my song.” “‘Come now and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like the crimson, they shall be as wool.’” (1066.7) 97:5.3 Speaking to the fear-ridden and soul-hungry Hebrews, this prophet said: “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” “The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and has covered me with his robe of righteousness.” “In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them.” (1067.1) 97:5.4 This Isaiah was followed by Micah and Obadiah, who confirmed and embellished his soul-satisfying gospel. And these two brave messengers boldly denounced the priest-ridden ritual of the Hebrews and fearlessly attacked the whole sacrificial system. (1067.2) 97:5.5 Micah denounced “the rulers who judge for reward and the priests who teach for hire and the prophets who divine for money.” He taught of a day of freedom from superstition and priestcraft, saying: “But every man shall sit under his own vine, and no one shall make him afraid, for all people will live, each one according to his understanding of God.” (1067.3) 97:5.6 Ever the burden of Micah’s message was: “Shall I come before God with burnt offerings? Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand rams or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown me, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And it was a great age; these were indeed stirring times when mortal man heard, and some even believed, such emancipating messages more than two and a half millenniums ago. And but for the stubborn resistance of the priests, these teachers would have overthrown the whole bloody ceremonial of the Hebrew ritual of worship. 6. Jeremiah the Fearless (1067.4) 97:6.1 While several teachers continued to expound the gospel of Isaiah, it remained for Jeremiah to take the next bold step in the internationalization of Yahweh, God of the Hebrews. (1067.5) 97:6.2 Jeremiah fearlessly declared that Yahweh was not on the side of the Hebrews in their military struggles with other nations. He asserted that Yahweh was God of all the earth, of all nations and of all peoples. Jeremiah’s teaching was the crescendo of the rising wave of the internationalization of the God of Israel; finally and forever did this intrepid preacher proclaim that Yahweh was God of all nations, and that there was no Osiris for the Egyptians, Bel for the Babylonians, Ashur for the Assyrians, or Dagon for the Philistines. And thus did the religion of the Hebrews share in that renaissance of monotheism throughout the world at about and following this time; at last the concept of Yahweh had ascended to a Deity level of planetary and even cosmic dignity. But many of Jeremiah’s associates found it difficult to conceive of Yahweh apart from the Hebrew nation. (1067.6) 97:6.3 Jeremiah also preached of the just and loving God described by Isaiah, declaring: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you.” “For he does not afflict willingly the children of men.” (1067.7) 97:6.4 Said this fearless prophet: “Righteous is our Lord, great in counsel and mighty in work. His eyes are open upon all the ways of all the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” But it was considered blasphemous treason when, during the siege of Jerusalem, he said: “And now have I given these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant.” And when Jeremiah counseled the surrender of the city, the priests and civil rulers cast him into the miry pit of a dismal dungeon. 7. The Second Isaiah (1068.1) 97:7.1 The destruction of the Hebrew nation and their captivity in Mesopotamia would have proved of great benefit to their expanding theology had it not been for the determined action of their priesthood. Their nation had fallen before the armies of Babylon, and their nationalistic Yahweh had suffered from the international preachments of the spiritual leaders. It was resentment of the loss of their national god that led the Jewish priests to go to such lengths in the invention of fables and the multiplication of miraculous appearing events in Hebrew history in an effort to restore the Jews as the chosen people of even the new and expanded idea of an internationalized God of all nations. (1068.2) 97:7.2 During the captivity the Jews were much influenced by Babylonian traditions and legends, although it should be noted that they unfailingly improved the moral tone and spiritual significance of the Chaldean stories which they adopted, notwithstanding that they invariably distorted these legends to reflect honor and glory upon the ancestry and history of Israel. (1068.3) 97:7.3 These Hebrew priests and scribes had a single idea in their minds, and that was the rehabilitation of the Jewish nation, the glorification of Hebrew traditions, and the exaltation of their racial history. If there is resentment of the fact that these priests have fastened their erroneous ideas upon such a large part of the Occidental world, it should be remembered that they did not intentionally do this; they did not claim to be writing by inspiration; they made no profession to be writing a sacred book. They were merely preparing a textbook designed to bolster up the dwindling courage of their fellows in captivity. They were definitely aiming at improving the national spirit and morale of their compatriots. It remained for later-day men to assemble these and other writings into a guide book of supposedly infallible teachings. (1068.4) 97:7.4 The Jewish priesthood made liberal use of these writings subsequent to the captivity, but they were greatly hindered in their influence over their fellow captives by the presence of a young and indomitable prophet, Isaiah the second, who was a full convert to the elder Isaiah’s God of justice, love, righteousness, and mercy. He also believed with Jeremiah that Yahweh had become the God of all nations. He preached these theories of the nature of God with such telling effect that he made converts equally among the Jews and their captors. And this young preacher left on record his teachings, which the hostile and unforgiving priests sought to divorce from all association with him, although sheer respect for their beauty and grandeur led to their incorporation among the writings of the earlier Isaiah. And thus may be found the writings of this second Isaiah in the book of that name, embracing chapters forty to fifty-five inclusive. (1068.5) 97:7.5 No prophet or religious teacher from Machiventa to the time of Jesus attained the high concept of God that Isaiah the second proclaimed during these days of the captivity. It was no small, anthropomorphic, man-made God that this spiritual leader proclaimed. “Behold he takes up the isles as a very little thing.” “And as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (1069.1) 97:7.6 At last Machiventa Melchizedek beheld human teachers proclaiming a real God to mortal man. Like Isaiah the first, this leader preached a God of universal creation and upholding. “I have made the earth and put man upon it. I have created it not in vain; I formed it to be inhabited.” “I am the first and the last; there is no God beside me.” Speaking for the Lord God of Israel, this new prophet said: “The heavens may vanish and the earth wax old, but my righteousness shall endure forever and my salvation from generation to generation.” “Fear you not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” “There is no God beside me — a just God and a Savior.” (1069.2) 97:7.7 And it comforted the Jewish captives, as it has thousands upon thousands ever since, to hear such words as: “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have created you, I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.’” “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you since you are precious in my sight.” “Can a woman forget her suckling child that she should not have compassion on her son? Yes, she may forget, yet will I not forget my children, for behold I have graven them upon the palms of my hands; I have even covered them with the shadow of my hands.” “Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (1069.3) 97:7.8 Listen again to the gospel of this new revelation of the God of Salem: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom. He gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might he increases strength. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (1069.4) 97:7.9 This Isaiah conducted a far-flung propaganda of the gospel of the enlarging concept of a supreme Yahweh. He vied with Moses in the eloquence with which he portrayed the Lord God of Israel as the Universal Creator. He was poetic in his portrayal of the infinite attributes of the Universal Father. No more beautiful pronouncements about the heavenly Father have ever been made. Like the Psalms, the writings of Isaiah are among the most sublime and true presentations of the spiritual concept of God ever to greet the ears of mortal man prior to the arrival of Michael on Urantia. Listen to his portrayal of Deity: “I am the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity.” “I am the first and the last, and beside me there is no other God.” “And the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear.” And it was a new doctrine in Jewry when this benign but commanding prophet persisted in the preachment of divine constancy, God’s faithfulness. He declared that “God would not forget, would not forsake.” (1069.5) 97:7.10 This daring teacher proclaimed that man was very closely related to God, saying: “Every one who is called by my name I have created for my glory, and they shall show forth my praise. I, even I, am he who blots out their transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember their sins.” (1069.6) 97:7.11 Hear this great Hebrew demolish the concept of a national God while in glory he proclaims the divinity of the Universal Father, of whom he says, “The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” And Isaiah’s God was none the less holy, majestic, just, and unsearchable. The concept of the angry, vengeful, and jealous Yahweh of the desert Bedouins has almost vanished. A new concept of the supreme and universal Yahweh has appeared in the mind of mortal man, never to be lost to human view. The realization of divine justice has begun the destruction of primitive magic and biologic fear. At last, man is introduced to a universe of law and order and to a universal God of dependable and final attributes. (1070.1) 97:7.12 And this preacher of a supernal God never ceased to proclaim this God of love. “I dwell in the high and holy place, also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit.” And still further words of comfort did this great teacher speak to his contemporaries: “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul. You shall be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters fail not. And if the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a defense against him.” And once again did the fear-destroying gospel of Melchizedek and the trust-breeding religion of Salem shine forth for the blessing of mankind. (1070.2) 97:7.13 The farseeing and courageous Isaiah effectively eclipsed the nationalistic Yahweh by his sublime portraiture of the majesty and universal omnipotence of the supreme Yahweh, God of love, ruler of the universe, and affectionate Father of all mankind. Ever since those eventful days the highest God concept in the Occident has embraced universal justice, divine mercy, and eternal righteousness. In superb language and with matchless grace this great teacher portrayed the all-powerful Creator as the all-loving Father. (1070.3) 97:7.14 This prophet of the captivity preached to his people and to those of many nations as they listened by the river in Babylon. And this second Isaiah did much to counteract the many wrong and racially egoistic concepts of the mission of the promised Messiah. But in this effort he was not wholly successful. Had the priests not dedicated themselves to the work of building up a misconceived nationalism, the teachings of the two Isaiahs would have prepared the way for the recognition and reception of the promised Messiah. 8. Sacred and Profane History (1070.4) 97:8.1 The custom of looking upon the record of the experiences of the Hebrews as sacred history and upon the transactions of the rest of the world as profane history is responsible for much of the confusion existing in the human mind as to the interpretation of history. And this difficulty arises because there is no secular history of the Jews. After the priests of the Babylonian exile had prepared their new record of God’s supposedly miraculous dealings with the Hebrews, the sacred history of Israel as portrayed in the Old Testament, they carefully and completely destroyed the existing records of Hebrew affairs — such books as “The Doings of the Kings of Israel” and “The Doings of the Kings of Judah,” together with several other more or less accurate records of Hebrew history. (1070.5) 97:8.2 In order to understand how the devastating pressure and the inescapable coercion of secular history so terrorized the captive and alien-ruled Jews that they attempted the complete rewriting and recasting of their history, we should briefly survey the record of their perplexing national experience. It must be remembered that the Jews failed to evolve an adequate nontheologic philosophy of life. They struggled with their original and Egyptian concept of divine rewards for righteousness coupled with dire punishments for sin. The drama of Job was something of a protest against this erroneous philosophy. The frank pessimism of Ecclesiastes was a worldly wise reaction to these overoptimistic beliefs in Providence. (1071.1) 97:8.3 But five hundred years of the overlordship of alien rulers was too much for even the patient and long-suffering Jews. The prophets and priests began to cry: “How long, O Lord, how long?” As the honest Jew searched the Scriptures, his confusion became worse confounded. An olden seer promised that God would protect and deliver his “chosen people.” Amos had threatened that God would abandon Israel unless they re-established their standards of national righteousness. The scribe of Deuteronomy had portrayed the Great Choice — as between the good and the evil, the blessing and the curse. Isaiah the first had preached a beneficent king-deliverer. Jeremiah had proclaimed an era of inner righteousness — the covenant written on the tablets of the heart. The second Isaiah talked about salvation by sacrifice and redemption. Ezekiel proclaimed deliverance through the service of devotion, and Ezra promised prosperity by adherence to the law. But in spite of all this they lingered on in bondage, and deliverance was deferred. Then Daniel presented the drama of the impending “crisis” — the smiting of the great image and the immediate establishment of the everlasting reign of righteousness, the Messianic kingdom. (1071.2) 97:8.4 And all of this false hope led to such a degree of racial disappointment and frustration that the leaders of the Jews were so confused they failed to recognize and accept the mission and ministry of a divine Son of Paradise when he presently came to them in the likeness of mortal flesh — incarnated as the Son of Man. (1071.3) 97:8.5 All modern religions have seriously blundered in the attempt to put a miraculous interpretation on certain epochs of human history. While it is true that God has many times thrust a Father’s hand of providential intervention into the stream of human affairs, it is a mistake to regard theologic dogmas and religious superstition as a supernatural sedimentation appearing by miraculous action in this stream of human history. The fact that the “Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men” does not convert secular history into so-called sacred history. (1071.4) 97:8.6 New Testament authors and later Christian writers further complicated the distortion of Hebrew history by their well-meant attempts to transcendentalize the Jewish prophets. Thus has Hebrew history been disastrously exploited by both Jewish and Christian writers. Secular Hebrew history has been thoroughly dogmatized. It has been converted into a fiction of sacred history and has become inextricably bound up with the moral concepts and religious teachings of the so-called Christian nations. (1071.5) 97:8.7 A brief recital of the high points in Hebrew history will illustrate how the facts of the record were so altered in Babylon by the Jewish priests as to turn the everyday secular history of their people into a fictitious and sacred history. 9. Hebrew History (1071.6) 97:9.1 There never were twelve tribes of the Israelites — only three or four tribes settled in Palestine. The Hebrew nation came into being as the result of the union of the so-called Israelites and the Canaanites. “And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites. And they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to the sons of the Canaanites.” The Hebrews never drove the Canaanites out of Palestine, notwithstanding that the priests’ record of these things unhesitatingly declared that they did. (1071.7) 97:9.2 The Israelitish consciousness took origin in the hill country of Ephraim; the later Jewish consciousness originated in the southern clan of Judah. The Jews (Judahites) always sought to defame and blacken the record of the northern Israelites (Ephraimites). (1072.1) 97:9.3 Pretentious Hebrew history begins with Saul’s rallying the northern clans to withstand an attack by the Ammonites upon their fellow tribesmen — the Gileadites — east of the Jordan. With an army of a little more than three thousand he defeated the enemy, and it was this exploit that led the hill tribes to make him king. When the exiled priests rewrote this story, they raised Saul’s army to 330,000 and added “Judah” to the list of tribes participating in the battle. (1072.2) 97:9.4 Immediately following the defeat of the Ammonites, Saul was made king by popular election by his troops. No priest or prophet participated in this affair. But the priests later on put it in the record that Saul was crowned king by the prophet Samuel in accordance with divine directions. This they did in order to establish a “divine line of descent” for David’s Judahite kingship. (1072.3) 97:9.5 The greatest of all distortions of Jewish history had to do with David. After Saul’s victory over the Ammonites (which he ascribed to Yahweh) the Philistines became alarmed and began attacks on the northern clans. David and Saul never could agree. David with six hundred men entered into a Philistine alliance and marched up the coast to Esdraelon. At Gath the Philistines ordered David off the field; they feared he might go over to Saul. David retired; the Philistines attacked and defeated Saul. They could not have done this had David been loyal to Israel. David’s army was a polyglot assortment of malcontents, being for the most part made up of social misfits and fugitives from justice. (1072.4) 97:9.6 Saul’s tragic defeat at Gilboa by the Philistines brought Yahweh to a low point among the gods in the eyes of the surrounding Canaanites. Ordinarily, Saul’s defeat would have been ascribed to apostasy from Yahweh, but this time the Judahite editors attributed it to ritual errors. They required the tradition of Saul and Samuel as a background for the kingship of David. (1072.5) 97:9.7 David with his small army made his headquarters at the non-Hebrew city of Hebron. Presently his compatriots proclaimed him king of the new kingdom of Judah. Judah was made up mostly of non-Hebrew elements — Kenites, Calebites, Jebusites, and other Canaanites. They were nomads — herders — and so were devoted to the Hebrew idea of land ownership. They held the ideologies of the desert clans. (1072.6) 97:9.8 The difference between sacred and profane history is well illustrated by the two differing stories concerning making David king as they are found in the Old Testament. A part of the secular story of how his immediate followers (his army) made him king was inadvertently left in the record by the priests who subsequently prepared the lengthy and prosaic account of the sacred history wherein is depicted how the prophet Samuel, by divine direction, selected David from among his brethren and proceeded formally and by elaborate and solemn ceremonies to anoint him king over the Hebrews and then to proclaim him Saul’s successor. (1072.7) 97:9.9 So many times did the priests, after preparing their fictitious narratives of God’s miraculous dealings with Israel, fail fully to delete the plain and matter-of-fact statements which already rested in the records. (1072.8) 97:9.10 David sought to build himself up politically by first marrying Saul’s daughter, then the widow of Nabal the rich Edomite, and then the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. He took six wives from the women of Jebus, not to mention Bathsheba, the wife of the Hittite. (1073.1) 97:9.11 And it was by such methods and out of such people that David built up the fiction of a divine kingdom of Judah as the successor of the heritage and traditions of the vanishing northern kingdom of Ephraimite Israel. David’s cosmopolitan tribe of Judah was more gentile than Jewish; nevertheless the oppressed elders of Ephraim came down and “anointed him king of Israel.” After a military threat, David then made a compact with the Jebusites and established his capital of the united kingdom at Jebus (Jerusalem), which was a strong-walled city midway between Judah and Israel. The Philistines were aroused and soon attacked David. After a fierce battle they were defeated, and once more Yahweh was established as “The Lord God of Hosts.” (1073.2) 97:9.12 But Yahweh must, perforce, share some of this glory with the Canaanite gods, for the bulk of David’s army was non-Hebrew. And so there appears in your record (overlooked by the Judahite editors) this telltale statement: “Yahweh has broken my enemies before me. Therefore he called the name of the place Baal-Perazim.” And they did this because eighty per cent of David’s soldiers were Baalites. (1073.3) 97:9.13 David explained Saul’s defeat at Gilboa by pointing out that Saul had attacked a Canaanite city, Gibeon, whose people had a peace treaty with the Ephraimites. Because of this, Yahweh forsook him. Even in Saul’s time David had defended the Canaanite city of Keilah against the Philistines, and then he located his capital in a Canaanite city. In keeping with the policy of compromise with the Canaanites, David turned seven of Saul’s descendants over to the Gibeonites to be hanged. (1073.4) 97:9.14 After the defeat of the Philistines, David gained possession of the “ark of Yahweh,” brought it to Jerusalem, and made the worship of Yahweh official for his kingdom. He next laid heavy tribute on the neighboring tribes — the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians. (1073.5) 97:9.15 David’s corrupt political machine began to get personal possession of land in the north in violation of the Hebrew mores and presently gained control of the caravan tariffs formerly collected by the Philistines. And then came a series of atrocities climaxed by the murder of Uriah. All judicial appeals were adjudicated at Jerusalem; no longer could “the elders” mete out justice. No wonder rebellion broke out. Today, Absalom might be called a demagogue; his mother was a Canaanite. There were a half dozen contenders for the throne besides the son of Bathsheba — Solomon. (1073.6) 97:9.16 After David’s death Solomon purged the political machine of all northern influences but continued all of the tyranny and taxation of his father’s regime. Solomon bankrupted the nation by his lavish court and by his elaborate building program: There was the house of Lebanon, the palace of Pharaoh’s daughter, the temple of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and the restoration of the walls of many cities. Solomon created a vast Hebrew navy, operated by Syrian sailors and trading with all the world. His harem numbered almost one thousand. (1073.7) 97:9.17 By this time Yahweh’s temple at Shiloh was discredited, and all the worship of the nation was centered at Jebus in the gorgeous royal chapel. The northern kingdom returned more to the worship of Elohim. They enjoyed the favor of the Pharaohs, who later enslaved Judah, putting the southern kingdom under tribute. (1073.8) 97:9.18 There were ups and downs — wars between Israel and Judah. After four years of civil war and three dynasties, Israel fell under the rule of city despots who began to trade in land. Even King Omri attempted to buy Shemer’s estate. But the end drew on apace when Shalmaneser III decided to control the Mediterranean coast. King Ahab of Ephraim gathered ten other groups and resisted at Karkar; the battle was a draw. The Assyrian was stopped but the allies were decimated. This great fight is not even mentioned in the Old Testament. (1074.1) 97:9.19 New trouble started when King Ahab tried to buy land from Naboth. His Phoenician wife forged Ahab’s name to papers directing that Naboth’s land be confiscated on the charge that he had blasphemed the names of “Elohim and the king.” He and his sons were promptly executed. The vigorous Elijah appeared on the scene denouncing Ahab for the murder of the Naboths. Thus Elijah, one of the greatest of the prophets, began his teaching as a defender of the old land mores as against the land-selling attitude of the Baalim, against the attempt of the cities to dominate the country. But the reform did not succeed until the country landlord Jehu joined forces with the gypsy chieftain Jehonadab to destroy the prophets (real estate agents) of Baal at Samaria. (1074.2) 97:9.20 New life appeared as Jehoash and his son Jeroboam delivered Israel from its enemies. But by this time there ruled in Samaria a gangster-nobility whose depredations rivaled those of the Davidic dynasty of olden days. State and church went along hand in hand. The attempt to suppress freedom of speech led Elijah, Amos, and Hosea to begin their secret writing, and this was the real beginning of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. (1074.3) 97:9.21 But the northern kingdom did not vanish from history until the king of Israel conspired with the king of Egypt and refused to pay further tribute to Assyria. Then began the three years’ siege followed by the total dispersion of the northern kingdom. Ephraim (Israel) thus vanished. Judah — the Jews, the “remnant of Israel” — had begun the concentration of land in the hands of the few, as Isaiah said, “Adding house to house and field to field.” Presently there was in Jerusalem a temple of Baal alongside the temple of Yahweh. This reign of terror was ended by a monotheistic revolt led by the boy king Joash, who crusaded for Yahweh for thirty-five years. (1074.4) 97:9.22 The next king, Amaziah, had trouble with the revolting tax-paying Edomites and their neighbors. After a signal victory he turned to attack his northern neighbors and was just as signally defeated. Then the rural folk revolted; they assassinated the king and put his sixteen-year-old son on the throne. This was Azariah, called Uzziah by Isaiah. After Uzziah, things went from bad to worse, and Judah existed for a hundred years by paying tribute to the kings of Assyria. Isaiah the first told them that Jerusalem, being the city of Yahweh, would never fall. But Jeremiah did not hesitate to proclaim its downfall. (1074.5) 97:9.23 The real undoing of Judah was effected by a corrupt and rich ring of politicians operating under the rule of a boy king, Manasseh. The changing economy favored the return of the worship of Baal, whose private land dealings were against the ideology of Yahweh. The fall of Assyria and the ascendancy of Egypt brought deliverance to Judah for a time, and the country folk took over. Under Josiah they destroyed the Jerusalem ring of corrupt politicians.* (1074.6) 97:9.24 But this era came to a tragic end when Josiah presumed to go out to intercept Necho’s mighty army as it moved up the coast from Egypt for the aid of Assyria against Babylon. He was wiped out, and Judah went under tribute to Egypt. The Baal political party returned to power in Jerusalem, and thus began the real Egyptian bondage. Then ensued a period in which the Baalim politicians controlled both the courts and the priesthood. Baal worship was an economic and social system dealing with property rights as well as having to do with soil fertility. (1075.1) 97:9.25 With the overthrow of Necho by Nebuchadnezzar, Judah fell under the rule of Babylon and was given ten years of grace, but soon rebelled. When Nebuchadnezzar came against them, the Judahites started social reforms, such as releasing slaves, to influence Yahweh. When the Babylonian army temporarily withdrew, the Hebrews rejoiced that their magic of reform had delivered them. It was during this period that Jeremiah told them of the impending doom, and presently Nebuchadnezzar returned. (1075.2) 97:9.26 And so the end of Judah came suddenly. The city was destroyed, and the people were carried away into Babylon. The Yahweh-Baal struggle ended with the captivity. And the captivity shocked the remnant of Israel into monotheism. (1075.3) 97:9.27 In Babylon the Jews arrived at the conclusion that they could not exist as a small group in Palestine, having their own peculiar social and economic customs, and that, if their ideologies were to prevail, they must convert the gentiles. Thus originated their new concept of destiny — the idea that the Jews must become the chosen servants of Yahweh. The Jewish religion of the Old Testament really evolved in Babylon during the captivity. (1075.4) 97:9.28 The doctrine of immortality also took form at Babylon. The Jews had thought that the idea of the future life detracted from the emphasis of their gospel of social justice. Now for the first time theology displaced sociology and economics. Religion was taking shape as a system of human thought and conduct more and more to be separated from politics, sociology, and economics. (1075.5) 97:9.29 And so does the truth about the Jewish people disclose that much which has been regarded as sacred history turns out to be little more than the chronicle of ordinary profane history. Judaism was the soil out of which Christianity grew, but the Jews were not a miraculous people. 10. The Hebrew Religion (1075.6) 97:10.1 Their leaders had taught the Israelites that they were a chosen people, not for special indulgence and monopoly of divine favor, but for the special service of carrying the truth of the one God over all to every nation. And they had promised the Jews that, if they would fulfill this destiny, they would become the spiritual leaders of all peoples, and that the coming Messiah would reign over them and all the world as the Prince of Peace. (1075.7) 97:10.2 When the Jews had been freed by the Persians, they returned to Palestine only to fall into bondage to their own priest-ridden code of laws, sacrifices, and rituals. And as the Hebrew clans rejected the wonderful story of God presented in the farewell oration of Moses for the rituals of sacrifice and penance, so did these remnants of the Hebrew nation reject the magnificent concept of the second Isaiah for the rules, regulations, and rituals of their growing priesthood. (1075.8) 97:10.3 National egotism, false faith in a misconceived promised Messiah, and the increasing bondage and tyranny of the priesthood forever silenced the voices of the spiritual leaders (excepting Daniel, Ezekiel, Haggai, and Malachi); and from that day to the time of John the Baptist all Israel experienced an increasing spiritual retrogression. But the Jews never lost the concept of the Universal Father; even to the twentieth century after Christ they have continued to follow this Deity conception. (1076.1) 97:10.4 From Moses to John the Baptist there extended an unbroken line of faithful teachers who passed the monotheistic torch of light from one generation to another while they unceasingly rebuked unscrupulous rulers, denounced commercializing priests, and ever exhorted the people to adhere to the worship of the supreme Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel. (1076.2) 97:10.5 As a nation the Jews eventually lost their political identity, but the Hebrew religion of sincere belief in the one and universal God continues to live in the hearts of the scattered exiles. And this religion survives because it has effectively functioned to conserve the highest values of its followers. The Jewish religion did preserve the ideals of a people, but it failed to foster progress and encourage philosophic creative discovery in the realms of truth. The Jewish religion had many faults — it was deficient in philosophy and almost devoid of aesthetic qualities — but it did conserve moral values; therefore it persisted. The supreme Yahweh, as compared with other concepts of Deity, was clear-cut, vivid, personal, and moral. (1076.3) 97:10.6 The Jews loved justice, wisdom, truth, and righteousness as have few peoples, but they contributed least of all peoples to the intellectual comprehension and to the spiritual understanding of these divine qualities. Though Hebrew theology refused to expand, it played an important part in the development of two other world religions, Christianity and Mohammedanism. (1076.4) 97:10.7 The Jewish religion persisted also because of its institutions. It is difficult for religion to survive as the private practice of isolated individuals. This has ever been the error of the religious leaders: Seeing the evils of institutionalized religion, they seek to destroy the technique of group functioning. In place of destroying all ritual, they would do better to reform it. In this respect Ezekiel was wiser than his contemporaries; though he joined with them in insisting on personal moral responsibility, he also set about to establish the faithful observance of a superior and purified ritual. (1076.5) 97:10.8 And thus the successive teachers of Israel accomplished the greatest feat in the evolution of religion ever to be effected on Urantia: the gradual but continuous transformation of the barbaric concept of the savage demon Yahweh, the jealous and cruel spirit god of the fulminating Sinai volcano, to the later exalted and supernal concept of the supreme Yahweh, creator of all things and the loving and merciful Father of all mankind. And this Hebraic concept of God was the highest human visualization of the Universal Father up to that time when it was further enlarged and so exquisitely amplified by the personal teachings and life example of his Son, Michael of Nebadon. (1076.6) 97:10.9 [Presented by a Melchizedek of Nebadon.]

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him:“What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 1 Kings 19:1-16 (MSG)

When Elijah needed food during the famine, God sent him to an unusual source. God is always your provider, but he may provide in unconventional ways.

When Elijah needed food during the famine, God sent him to an unusual source. God is always your provider, but he may provide in unconventional ways.