The enemy is nice at paralyzing our religion with worry. We have a look at the opposition lengthy sufficient and we lose the braveness to do what God has referred to as us to do. Elijah, the prophet of God, stood up in opposition to the enemies of God and stood up for the Lord God. The Lord asks every of us to do the identical.
The 2024 United States presidential election is full and with it got here some legal guidelines which have been codified. A kind of codified legal guidelines is in Colorado, the state the place I pastor Vanguard Church. The individuals of Colorado determined to ratify into the state structure the fitting to take the life of a kid as much as the day earlier than the kid is born. We’ve now grow to be often called the state of dying. Colorado is now essentially the most harmful place in America for an unborn little one to dwell. Within the time of Elijah, resulting from Ahab's management, infants had been sadly provided to the gods as they’re as we speak in Colorado.
God advised Elijah to go and present himself to Ahab. This took nice braveness, as Elijah knew it might value him his life. He did it anyway.
What evil has God requested you to confront in your life? How is God asking you to face for Him in your life? Like Elijah, do you?
Elijah confronted God's individuals earlier than Ahab's prophets of 450. In 1 Kings 18:21 he says, “How lengthy will you limp between two completely different opinions? If the Lord is God, observe him, but when Baal, observe him.” That is the type of management we want in pulpits throughout America and all over the world as we speak. We want pastors who, like prophets, name for God's individuals to concentrate on God's holiness.
In 1 Kings 18:30, Elijah stated to all of the individuals, “Come close to to me.” That’s obedient management. Elijah repaired God's altar earlier than God's individuals. God's individuals have to see God's leaders restoring the church as an altar for Jesus.
As soon as God's altar was restored, Elijah did what any nice preacher would do, he requested the Lord to ship His presence by him in order that God's individuals might see the presence of God in him. In 1 Kings 18:36, Elijah principally stated to God, “God, you’re in command, allow them to know that I’m not, after which allow them to know that I’ve executed what you advised me.”
If I had a nickel for each time somebody in my life stated to me, “Kelly, I respect you doing what you 'assume' God wished you to do,” I'd be a wealthy man! Elijah is saying right here, “No, you don't perceive, I didn't do what I believe God wished. I did what God advised me to do.” We want pastors like this in America as we speak and all through our world.
Now you may say, “What if I'm fallacious?”
Let God communicate to you, however you go do what God has requested you to do instantly and regardless. Dwell it up! It’s God's manner. It’s the obedient manner. Don't put your belief in your self, put it in your obedience to Jesus. Guess your success not in your potential, however on God's faithfulness to reply your request. Elijah stated to the Lord in 1 Kings 18:37, “Reply me, Lord, reply me, that this individuals could know that you just, Lord, are God and that you’ve turned their hearts.” That is how we expertise a holy awakening in our world.
This nice act of God's energy by the hands of Elijah introduced him into the highlight of the opposition. A lot of the opposition melted away at Elijah's braveness to obey the Lord, however Jezebel rebelled in opposition to him much more. This will even be your case. The Enemy's biggest stronghold will search your life, that's what Jezebel did to Elijah. In 1 Kings 18:46 it says, “The Lord gave Elijah particular energy.” Then due to Jezebel's opposition to Elijah, a number of verses later in 1 Kings 19:3 it says, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.”
Publicly opposing a coverage just like the abortion modification that handed in Colorado may be very unpopular in our time and can convey with it undesirable opposition and oppression.
I can determine with Elijah. I'm positive you may too. Elijah lastly begged God to die. Pastorate appears like this to me typically. Oppression is killing my will to dwell. Elijah ran away and hid in a cave.
Possibly you will have misplaced your will to dwell and serve the Lord as a pastor due to the by no means ending negativity you see round you and on the planet you are attempting to make a distinction. You aren’t alone.
God got here to Elijah and stated, “Why are you on this cave?” Elijah tells him in so many phrases, “I lived for you and I'm unsure if it's price it.” God sends Elijah a collection of experiences from wind to earthquakes to fireside, however none of them include the voice of God. As a substitute, after all of the fuss, the Bible tells us that God despatched the sound in a delicate whisper in 1 Kings 19:12.
What was that delicate whisper? We might name it, “The nonetheless small voice of the Holy Spirit.” It’s the voice of God that speaks to our soul. It's a recreation changer.
This nonetheless small voice stated to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:15, “Return the identical manner you got here.” Mainly, “Maintain doing what you're doing for the Lord, it issues!” God tells Elijah in 1 Kings 19:15, “Journey into the wilderness of Damascus,” the identical manner God finally met the apostle Paul to transform him to his nice missionary journeys. He says to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:16, “Anoint Hazael, anoint Jehu, anoint Elisha.” Mainly “elevate some new leaders”.
It could appear like we’re dropping a few of the battles God has requested us to battle. As a substitute of getting discouraged that your work isn't paying off such as you thought it might, ask God to name new leaders to affix you.
God advised Elijah in 1 Kings 19:18, “I’ll maintain 7,000 others who’ve by no means bowed all the way down to Baal.”
God will not be completed. And neither will we. The answer to obedient management within the face of worry is to not stop, however to lift new leaders like Elijah to battle with you.
Be like Elijah, discover your anointing oil and get busy anointing a brand new technology of leaders. A whole technology of infants is hooked on it!
