When God Comes Near

A lot has been happening this past month keeping me from making a new entry. Sorry this has been so long in coming. Barb has had a rough month but is doing better, except for being so tired all the time. However, she is nearing the end of her chemo treatment.

I preached a Christmas message this past Sunday, December 21 in Greensburg, Kansas, at the Greensburg Christian Church. Barb and I had a great time. We greatly enjoyed meeting so many outstsanding people who walk with Jesus. It was great to be back in the pulpit. Looking forward to returning there sometime soon.

Tomorrow is Christmas day, a day for celebrating the birth of our Savior. The birth of Jesus in a lowly stable out back behind an inn that had no rooms available was hardly what Mary and Joseph had in mind for a deliverly room. But then who would even consider second-guessing God? They certaiinly would not. The stable was just fine, and the manger worked perfect as a cradle.

The central part of the Christmas story is found in Luke 2:1-20. The first seven verses tell of the birth of Jesus in the stable, while verses 8-20 tell us about the role of the shepherds. They were called upon by God to announce His birth to the world. So let's dig in!

The Christmas story has everything a great story needs. There is amazement, along with conflict and fear as the story begins. There is an upright man who is engaged to be married, but he finds out his wife-to-be is with child. What should he do? How will he handle this delicate situation? Then an angel appears in a dream and tells him of wondrous things he couldn’t even imagine.

There is concern, as well as anticipation as the story continues and a census is required. Joseph and Mary make a long, treacherous journey from Galilee down to Judah, to the city of Bethlehem, the city of their ancestors.

There is drama throughout, from the journey itself, to their arrival in Bethlehem where the streets are crowded with all sorts of people and there are no rooms available in any of the inns. Seeing that Mary was with child, a kind innkeeper allows them to stay in the stable out back, where soon Jesus is born.

Then there is also political intrigue; a government wanting to eliminate anything that might affect the status quo and a king seeking to find and kill this baby, a baby people refer to as a King. Again, danger is in the mix as eventually Joseph, warned in a dream, has to take Mary and baby Jesus and flee for their lives to Egypt.

And yet the Christmas story is really quite simple and straight forward. It begins in an insignificant village, Nazareth, when an angel of God visits Mary and Joseph separately. It ends in another insignificant little town, Bethlehem, when baby Jesus is born in a stable and laid in a manger.

But that is what makes everything about the Christmas story so intriguing! In insignificant places, Nazareth and Bethlehem, God finds and uses insignificant people, a carpenter and his betrothed wife, and through an insignificant event, the birth of a baby, He changes the world!

The 'happening' places of the world at that time were Rome and Syria. The world rulers lived there. No one gave much thought to Palestine, tucked away in a small little pocket of the Roman Lake, also known as the Mediterranean Sea, except God.

When God comes near, everything changes. When God acts, the important places become less important and the insignificant places of the world suddenly become important and are noticed.

The Christmas story focuses on little places, like Nazareth and Bethlehem. When the order was given for the census (Luke 2:1-2), “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.” (vs. 4-5).

Nathanael once asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). That is how the world viewed these small towns—as insignificant. Yet it was in Nazareth where God found Mary, a faithful woman, and Joseph, a faithful man, and put His work of salvation in motion. Yes Nathanael, something good can come out of Nazareth.

Bethlehem is called “the city of David” because David was born there, but it really was not a city of any noticeable size and it had no great importance as far as the world was concerned. “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

Who would expect anything great to take place involving a manger in a stable? Yet that is where Jesus was born. And God visited the fields outside of Bethlehem, where the shepherds were watching their sheep, to announce the birth of His Son. “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (vs. 10-12).

When God comes near, common things are no longer common. When God comes near, insignificant places are remembered throughout history. When God comes near, ordinary things are looked upon with favor and even remind us of the great things God has done.

The important people of the world were Caesar Augustus and Quirinius (vs. 1-2). But they weren’t called on by God. He used them in a way, but He didn’t call them to do His work. No, He called on the common folk.

First there is the young poor couple from Nazareth, Joseph and Mary (vs. 4-5). Joseph was but a poor carpenter, albeit a good one, and Mary was just a young teenager. Yet they were chosen by God for a great work; a work that would ultimately change the entire world.

God also chose the shepherds: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (v. 8). Throughout the Bible shepherds had important roles, as we see in this story, but socially they were outcasts. They were considered unreliable, untrustworthy, and larcenous. In the eyes of the world they were insignificant, yet God chose to use them.

“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger” (vs. 15-16). They never expected to hear such things or see such sights, but they did.

God chose the despised shepherds to carry the announcement of the birth of the Savior to the world. And they did not disappoint. “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (v. 17). “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (v. 20).

Even the lowly innkeeper was chosen by God to see that Mary and Joseph were not left out in the elements that night. The innkeeper is so insignificant a person that he is not even mentioned in the text. There is only a slight reference to his role: “because there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7b). Yet it was this unnamed innkeeper whom God used to protect the baby Jesus and keep Him warm.

God uses common people still today to do His work. He uses towns like the one you live in, churches like the one you attend, and people like you to do His bidding. Simply respond to God as Mary did to the angel, “Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).

The big events of the day would be plastered all across the front page of the morning paper in Bethlehem. You would read all about the census. It may even mention the enormous influx of people and catch everyone up on how the economy is fairing because of the people and all the money being spent in local businesses. But a baby born to a poor carpenter? At best you might find it in the “living section,” somewhere around page 5 in section D. Most people wouldn’t see it as important enough, even though it was unusual, having occurred in a stable.

But that one event, the birth of Christ, would ultimately overshadow everything else that went on there that day. The rest of the news that day is gone. The census that was taken is only known because of the role it played in bringing Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. It is but a minor detail in the great event. What everyone remembers is the birth of Jesus, the birth of our Savior. That is the most important event of the day. Why? Because God came near and a Savior was born.

An ordinary event. Yet to the believer, an event that is anything but ordinary. God came near and prophecy was fulfilled. God came near and a virgin was “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), conceived, and gave birth to the Savior. God came near and lowly shepherds were visited by angels and brought the good news of the birth of the Savior to the people (Luke 2:17). God came near and wise men from the east saw a star that guided them to the Savior (Matt. 2:1-2, 9-10). God came near and Joseph was warned in a dream about King Herod and fled to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus to keep Him safe (Matt. 2:13-15).

Another event about thirty-three years later would finish what God started that first Christmas morning. That baby grew and though He “knew no sin” He became “sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The birth led to the cross, providing forgiveness of sin and salvation.

That is the ultimate truth of the Christmas story. It is God coming near to provide salvation for us. It is about God coming near to us still today. All places, all people, and all events matter to God. You matter to God! We tend to see ourselves as insignificant. In the greater scheme of things in this world we think we are of little importance. But you are just the person God most wants to use to accomplish His purposes. Have a little faith. Let Him have all of you. And let God use you to His glory. Amen.

A Primer on Prayer

It has been far too long since my last post. There has been a lot happening. My wife started chemo treatments (3 so far). She is doing well but is having troubl sleeping and is quite tried  Pray for her.

We left Elijah having called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-38), thus defeating the prophets of Baal. Then in verse 40 he had the prophets of Baal put to death by the Lord's command. When the people saw the fire from heaven come down in anwer to Elijah's prayer, "they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!'" (v. 39). They all bowed low before the Lord in worship.

King Ahab was witness to all that happened and to everything God did in answer to Elijah's prayer. So Elijah turned to Ahab and said, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain" (v. 41). The drought is over; rain is coming! A sweet sound in the king's ear. It is what he had been waiting for.

Our text then turns to prayer, Elijah's prayer. 1 Kings 18:41-46 is in some repeects a primer on prayer. The few verses before us show Elijah "opening a window heavenward" as he prayed to the Lord. All that had taken place and all that was happening at the moment compelled him to go to his knees in prayer. It was something he could not help but do. It was something he felt he must do!

For the Christian prayer is habit forming and it should be something that we cannot help but do. It is something we must do! That means to be in prayer often. It means always be ready to shoot a quick prayer toward heaven. But it also means to plan out blocks of time for praying. And as you pray, intercede for others. Be an intercessor!

Learn from Elijah. First, he humbled himself before the Lord. He didn't come all puffed up and making demands for God to fulfill. "Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees" (v. 42). In his time and in our's, kneeling on the ground with your face between your knees is a position of humility.

God’s last act in chapter 18 has to do with answered prayer. Three years before Elijah had announced that it was his word that stopped the rain and only his word could start it again (17:1). He was referring to the power of his prayers, power that came from the Lord as he spoke only the words God gave him. Now "he had told Ahab, 'there is the sound of abundance of rain'" (v. 41), so he went to the top of Carmel to pray and ask the Lord to send the much needed rain.

When you know of a need, humble yourself before the Lord and pray. Seek God's face as you pray. The Word says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

That means to pray according to God's Word. James uses Elijah’s prayer life to encourage us in our prayer life: "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17-18) Like Elijah, pray for God’s work to be done. Pray according to the word God gives you.

Get alone with God to pray. Elijah went to a quiet place, a place where he could be alone with God. Carmel was just such a place. Jesus did the same: "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed" (Mark 1:35).

And when you pray, expect an answer. As he prayed, Elijah "said to his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.' So he went up and looked, and said, 'There is nothing.' And seven times he said, 'Go again'" (v. 43). Seven times! Elijah prayed for rain according to God's Word and he expected there to be rain.

And do you know what? God answered Elijah’s prayer just as He had promised. The seventh time the servant came back and said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!" (v. 44a). And the first part of verse 45 adds, "Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain." God is so good!

When God answers, act accordingly. As soon as there was "a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea" (v. 44a), Elijah took action. He said to his servant, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you'" (v. 44b). God answers—Elijah responds. "So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel" (v. 45b). He went to tell Jezebel what Elijah had done to her prophets, no dought.

"Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel" (v. 46). What a scene! What a sight! On foot he outran Ahab’s chariot! When God is in it, all things are possible. Nothing is impossible with God.

Not only did the Lord prove that He was the true and living God, the God of heaven, but He also put His stamp of approval on Elijah’s ministry. Elijah had no chariot, no manmade vehicle of any kind to carry him. What he did have was the power of the Lord. In the power of the Lord he outran Ahab’s chariot, passing it by as if it were stopped on the side of the road.

The distance was about seventeen miles, yet Elijah reached Jezreel ahead of the king. Quite a feat for an old man; for anyone for that matter. Empowered by God, this feat was a sign to the people of Israel that the powerful hand of God was upon Elijah.

When the powerful hand of God is upon you, you can do all things. Whatever God asks, you can do. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). Indeed we can! All things! Nothing is too great or too difficult. When God is in it and His all-powerful hand is upon you, you can accomplish whatever task or ministry He has for you to do.

But that is the key: when God is in it. That is why we are to humble ourselves before the Lord and pray the Word. Unless we are praying and doing exactly as God has directed, it won’t happen! We must be humble before Him and follow all of His Word, not just the bits and pieces we have picked out.

That is why it is so important, when you pray, to expect an answer and to accept the answer God gives. When God is in it and you are praying according to the whole Word of God, He will answer according to His promises. He will answer in a way that accomplishes His purposes. So accept what God has done in answer to your prayer.

And in all your prayers follow God’s lead. Pray as God leads you by His Word and by that still small voice of the Spirit. When you follow God’s lead in what you pray, great things will take place because of your prayers. He will use you mightily because nothing is impossible with God. In Christ you can do all things. Amen.

The Lord, He Is God!

In 1 Kings 18:17-40 the real issue in Israel is revealed. The people no longer believed that God could take care of them. Their God was too small. Way too small!

As a result, they began to adopt the gods of the Canaanites, the people of the land. They intended simply to supplement their God, to give Him a little help. In their way of thinking, He needed help because He could not handle everything Himself. Their needs were too great. They believed they needed one god to watch over their health, another to protect them along the way as they traveled, another to ensure a good harvest, and on and on it goes.

Walter Kaiser, President Emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Boston, sets up the context of 1 Kings 18 as to the life and times of Israel in Elijah’s day. He explains:

     These were not the best of times politically. Neither were they the best of times

     spiritually, for the nation had been won over to the worship of the Canaanite gods,

     especially Baal. The decline of national and spiritual strength was enough to make

     any God-fearing person weep. But where was that godly remnant? (Walter Kaiser,

     Revive Us Again, Christian Focus Publications, Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire,

     IV20 1TW, Scotland, 2001, 76)

Indeed, “where was that godly remnant?” It seems it has all but disappeared. If ever there was a time that revival was needed in the land, this was the time. The people no longer recognized God. He had become very small in their eyes. And in much the same way, God has become small in the eyes of many people today as well.

Like Israel in the days of Elijah, we need to adjust our eyes so that we can see God for who He is. Like Israel in the days of Elijah, we need to be awakened to the reality of who God really is. We need to let God be God in our lives.

You see, in Israel in Elijah’s day, no longer did the people fear and respect the Lord. No longer did they trust the Creator God. No longer did they recognize the real truth. Instead they would waver back and forth between gods that were no gods at all. Does that sound familiar?

They were mixing religions, much like those in this day and age who think that God needs help, so they mix in New Age thought, which is just a revamped eastern mysticism, with Christianity. They do not understand. Simply put, they are just plain lost!

J.B. Phillips said:

     God may thunder His commands from Mount Sinai and men may fear, yet remain at
     heart exactly as they were before. But let a man once see his God down in the arena
     as a Man, suffering, tempted, sweating, and agonized—finally dying a criminal's death,
     he is a hard man indeed who is untouched. (J.B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small, A
     Touchstone Book, Published by Simon & Schuster, New York, 1952, This Touchstone
     Edition 2004, 109)

People today need to be touched. If ever there was a time that revival was needed in this land, now is the time. God has become way too small in the eyes of too many people. It is time for reality to hit. It is time to awaken a sleeping giant. It is time for believers every-where to awaken from their slumber. It is time to share the truth of Jesus boldly with our neighbors. It is time for unbelievers across this nation and around the world to realize the truth, leave their wicked ways, and turn their hearts toward God. It is time for God to pour out His Spirit upon us afresh. It is time for a new great awakening. It is time for revival to sweep all across this great land of ours like a raging fire.

Our story begins with Obadiah, the steward of Ahab, being faithful in taking word to Ahab that Elijah has come: “So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah” (1 Kings 18:16). It would seem that Ahab has no clue as to what is about to take place. He does not expect to be chastised by Elijah for being the one who walked away from God, the one who was the “troubler of Israel,” the one who led the people away from God.

“Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have’” (vs. 17-18a). Ahab saw Elijah as the one causing the trouble because he had spoken the words that brought drought and severe famine to the land. But the real trouble in Israel was a failure to experience God’s peace and life.

There seems to be an underlying theme behind the words spoken between Ahab and Elijah. That theme is God’s plan—peace and life. Ahab, along with all of God’s people, should be experiencing “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7), but they are not. Why not? Because they had walked away from God.

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The people don’t have that peace because they don’t have that faith. They have all walked away and gone astray. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b). Abundant life and eternal life—that is God’s plan. So what is the problem? Lack of faith and trust in God; living in sin and rebellion—that is the problem.

Elijah points this out to Ahab: “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals” (v. 18b). He had walked away from God and bowed down to other gods, the gods of the land of Canaan who are no gods at all.

Rather than living by faith in God, he chose sin and rebellion. Rather than living in peace with God and experiencing life abundant according to God’s plan, he chose sin and rebellion. He was the true “troubler of Israel” (v. 17). And the problem was that of walking away from God. So the first step to peace with God is to recognize the trouble—walking away from God.

In order to shake things up a bit, and to shock Israel back into right thinking about God, the Lord sent a simple, yet humble man, Elijah the Tishbite from Gilead (1 Kings 17:1). His was a lowly beginning. Gilead was a high, stony region in Transjordan just to the east of the Sea of Galilee. Elijah was a nobody, yet his very name shouted from the rooftops. It means “the Lord is God,” and that was exactly the message that the people of Israel needed to hear loud and clear.

The people had followed Ahab in going their own way in life instead of God’s way. Even today so many people continue to make that same wrong choice. People need the Lord, but tend to walk away from Him instead. Like the people of Israel, they choose sin and rebellion against God. The end result is separation from God.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). James says that such people, those who choose to continue to live in sin and rebellion, are “like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6b, 8)

The people were like sheep without a shepherd. To meet their need, Elijah laid down a challenge: “Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table. So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel” (vs. 19-20).

When the people were gathered he challenged their faith: “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word” (v. 21). They were mixing religions. They were faltering back and forth. They were unstable and double-minded. It was about time the people recognized the truth and made a choice for or against God. But the people just stood there speechless. They were separated from God, yet speechless.

Standing before a great chasm that separated them from God they needed to bridge the gap. Somehow, some way, they had to find a way to bridge the gap. Try as they might, they could find no way across that great chasm of separation. They could find no way to renew their fellowship with God, who was on the other side.

They had to recognize the trouble and they had to understand the problem. They could no longer walk away from God. They could no longer waver from false god to false god. It was time to choose. Would they follow God or would they continue to walk away? So the second step to peace with God is to understand the problem—wavering between two opinions.

Elijah’s view of God was developed during the long days at the brook Cherith, when he had no place to go and was fed by the ravens (1 Kings 17:3-6). Then when the brook dried up (17:7), God sent him to Zarephath, where a widow would provide for him (17:9). Three years Elijah spent in prayer and meditation upon the Word of God in spiritual preparation for this one grand act that God had called him to do.

You might notice that Elijah does not yet call for rain. Before the favor of the rains can come, there must be a sacrifice, a substitute for sin. That is the theology of the cross: Jesus became our substitute so that we could be forgiven. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” (vs. 22-24)

Everything that happened on the top of the mountain that day had one main purpose. Though it was Elijah’s intent to expose the false god Baal as powerless, his main purpose was to bring the people to the Lord, and that required a sacrifice. Forgiveness is received only through the cross. Bringing the people to the Lord also meant convincing them that the Lord is the one and only true God.

You might note three things here: First, Elijah let Baal’s prophets choose the best bull. He would then sacrifice the one that was left. He would not give them the excuse of an imperfect bull. Second, they were not to put any fire under the bull, in order to allow their gods to provide the fire. Third, he allowed them to go first, giving them all the time they needed. He knew he needed little time for the true God to act.

When Elijah said, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD” (v. 22), he had not forgotten the prophets Obadiah hid and protected. He was simply stating that he alone was serving the Lord openly. Therefore he was greatly outnumbered. But with God one faithful servant is a majority. So Elijah had nothing to fear.

Elijah went right to work making the necessary preparations for sacrifice. In the Old Testament the sacrifice of animals was all about the blood being shed for the forgiveness of sin. But it was at best only a temporary covering. Yet those temporary sacrifices looked forward to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross—a once for all, perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Jesus shed His blood for your forgiveness and to give you new life, an abundant, eternal life in Him.

So God’s remedy is the cross and our hope is Jesus Christ. The only way to bridge the gap is through the cross of Calvary. Only by faith in Jesus can that great chasm be crossed. Only by faith in Jesus can our fellowship with God be renewed. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Jesus told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And Paul adds, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

Jesus is the only answer to the problem of separation from God. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead, He paid the penalty for our sin. Our sentence was spiritual death (eternal separation from God in hell), but the penalty has been paid in full. Through the cross, Jesus bridged the gap, He eliminated that great chasm of separation and restored our fellowship with God. “God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, himself man, is between them to bring them together” (1 Tim. 2:5, The Living Bible). So the cross, like the fire, is a miracle that reveals the truth. The third step to peace with God is to realize the truth—God is the One who answers by fire.

“Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.’ So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’ But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’ So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.” (vs. 25-29)

From six in the morning until three in the afternoon the false prophets did all sorts of things—jumping around, shouting and cutting themselves with swords and knives—all to no avail. Meanwhile, Elijah just watched the entertainment. However, about noon he decided to have a little fun and offer a little advice—perhaps he “is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping!” In Canaanite religious writings, Baal was known to go on trips or take naps. The truth is, he could not answer, because he does not exist. He is powerless because he is no god at all.

All their religious ranting and raving went on “until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice” (v. 29a). All day! Still no one responded, no one did anything, there was no fire from heaven. As the text says, “There was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention” (v. 29b).

The Psalmist said, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision” (Psalm 2:4). God laughs, but we must reject false gods. We must not even entertain them. To toy with false teaching can cause us to stumble. A day spent with a false teacher can cause us to compromise the truth. We must not let that happen! False teaching will always fail. False prophets are always failures. The fourth step to peace with God is to reject the failure—false gods are no gods.

Elijah repaired God’s altar and dug a trench around it (vs. 30-32). He put the wood in place, prepared his sacrifice and then drenched it with water. He filled the trench with water as well (vs. 33-35). Then “At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice” he prayed, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (vs. 36-37). And what happened? “Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (v. 38). God put His power on display!

God rained down fire from heaven. He was telling His people that they were forgiven. He was also telling them that He would turn their hearts back to the worship of the true God. When the fire fell from the heavens it totally devoured everything, the sacrifice, the altar, and even the water in the trench around the altar. There was nothing left. But the altar to Baal still stood as a monument to a lost cause. The false prophets had to be in shock. The people of Israel, however, received the answer well. “They fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” (v. 39). Then Elijah had the prophets of Baal put to death by the Lord’s command (v. 40). Those who refuse to believe will receive everlasting punishment in hell. Those who believe will receive eternal life in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in His eternal kingdom.

The thing to remember is what the people of Israel learned that day. The Lord is the true God and the offering of the sacrifice of His Son on the cross still stands. Through the cross, God’s offer of salvation still stands.

In this great story of Elijah calling fire down from heaven to fall upon his sacrifice to consume it, we see the people on their faces ready to respond in faith and to receive the Lord as their God. That was the right response. They had received the answer God had given—that the Lord is God. Their eyes were opened to the truth by this miracle. God offered salvation in Christ and they responded in faith, receiving the Lord into their lives as their God. So the fifth step to peace with God is to receive the answer—the Lord, He is God!

We must respond in faith, receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. John said, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10).

God’s offer of salvation in Christ still stands and our response must be to receive Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. A Christian is simply a sinner saved by grace. Confess Jesus as Lord and believe in the resurrection with all of your heart, and you will be saved. Amen.

I'm Back!

I have been out of pocket for awhile. Sorry I haven't had a post in so long. Barabara has had five different surgerys, the latest was having her gall bladder removed. Meanwhile, I spent five days in the hospital fighting a serious infection. We're both on the mend now. PTL! Anyway, I'm back! And so is Elijah as king Ahab will soon discover.

"And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, 'Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth'" (1 Kings 18:1). Elijah's time in Zarephath is over. It is time to go meet the king, the king who wants him dead!

Elijah responded in faith. "So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria" (v. 2). This is a story about courageous faith. Only that courageous faith is on the part of two men, not just Elijah. Enter Obadiah, king Ahab's right-hand man.

"And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly. For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.) And Ahab had said to Obadiah, 'Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.' So they divided the land between them to explore it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself." (vs. 3-6)

Giving no thought to what it could cost him, Elijah simply obeyed God’s calling and did what God asked him to do. And it could cost him his life! Now he is going to challenge another of the Lord's servants to do the same.

"Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, 'Is that you, my lord Elijah?' And he answered him, 'It is I. Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here"'" (vs. 7-8). Obadiah has to be thinking that this isn't good at all. Ejijah is going to get me killed!

Elijah was stepping out in faith with that very prospect before him. Nothing had changed. Ahab was angry at him and had been searching for him all these three and a half years. In fact, he had a contract out on Elijah's life! So to go and face Ahab directly was a dangerous endeavor. That takes courageous faith.

The thing about faith is that it will always lead to obedience in doing God’s will, no matter what the cost, because faithful men and women know that God is ultimately in charge. Jesus said, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). Man can do no real harm. Even though they may kill you, that would only send you straight to heaven, albeit a little early. But God can condemn you to hell if you fail to believe in Jesus. So do you obey men or God? I will choose God every time, no matter the personal cost.

Not only did Elijah understand this truth, it seems that the faithful Obadiah understood it as well. "And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly…)" (v. 3). The text says plainly that, although his earthly master Ahab called him, it was the Lord whom he truly feared.

Like Elijah, Obadiah knew that no real harm to come to him from Ahab. But with God, that was another story. So he listened to God over men and tried to do God’s bidding and carry out God’s will in his life. But that took courage, especially being the steward of Ahab’s house. He worked for the very man who most wanted to kill Elijah and likely any other believer in the Lord God as well.

Christian courage is the willingness to say and do the right thing regardless of the earthly cost, knowing God promises to help you and to save you on account of Christ. Obadiah showed such courage: "For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water" (v. 4).

Courage is indispensable for both spreading and preserving the gospel of Christ. Jesus promised that spreading the gospel would meet resistance: "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name" (Matt. 24:9). So evangelism and teaching the Word will take courage.

Elijah knew the Lord and trusted fully in His power. He served the Lord and did only the Lord's bidding, not his own. Like Elijah, we need to know the Lord personally by faith and trust Him in all areas of life. When we do, God will make us bold in the face of all dangers. Then nothing will stop us from standing firm for the Lord. He will turn our simple faith into courageous faith.

The problem in Israel was that they no longer trusted the Lord. They had strayed far from Him and were even worshiping false gods. They were not walking with God. They trusted only in themselves. They were in need of an encounter with the incomparable God. They were in need of revival.

The question to ask is the question Elisha would later ask: "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" (2 Kings 2:14). That is what the people of Israel should have asked themselves. "Where now is the LORD?" Indeed, that is the question Obadiah should have asked himself as well. He should have looked around him and asked, "Where now is the LORD?"

Instead, fear came over Obadiah. Fear, not courage. He said to Elijah, "How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. And now you say, 'Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here"'! And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me." (vs. 9-12a)

But as quickly as he spoke about his fears to Elijah, Obadiah remembered who he was in Christ. So he stopped mid-sentence and added: "But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth" (v. 12b). That is the key to godly courage—to fear the Lord more than men and to put all your trust in Christ.

Obadiah continues, returning to his fear of Ahab: "Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD’S prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now you say, 'Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here."' He will kill me!" (vs. 13-14)

A reminder that he fears the Lord more than Ahab should serve to spur him on to taking action. After all, he has been doing a great and courageous work for the Lord already, so why not continue on for the Lord now?

When the Lord is with you, you need not fear what men may say or do. It is God who will protect you. It is God who will take care of you. Step out in faith and God will use you. He will accomplish His purpose in and through you. God will do great things when you step out in faith.

Elijah settled all of Obadiah’s fears, as he said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today" (v. 15). Being assured that God had spoken, Obadiah trusted and went willingly to the king. Suddenly a flash of courage. The courage of faith arose inside of him and he stepped out in faith and went to Ahab as Elijah had asked.

When you see God for who He is and you trust the Lord completely, you will find courage to carry out whatever it is He asks you to do. Such was the case for Elijah. With spiritual courage he would go to Ahab and finish the work God had for him to do.

Elijah would confront evil and do what the god of Ahab could not do—end the drought. The gods of Ahab specialized in rain, dew, and thunder, yet they couldn’t end the drought for obvious reasons. They were powerless, false gods. Elijah served the true God, and by His power working through Elijah, God would finish His work.

Obadiah would also finish the work God had for him. Assured by Elijah that he would indeed show himself to Ahab, Obadiah found the courage in Christ to go and deliver the message Elijah asked him to give to Ahab. "So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah" (v. 16).

The faithful finish the work God has for them. They are obedient to Him. They show courage by trusting in Christ at all times and in all things. They step out in faith and do as God asks. They take action and God provides the results.

Are you counted among the faithful? I pray you are. Listen for that still small voice from the Lord. Then faithfully follow His lead. Live by courageous faith! Amen.

He Lives!

It has been much too long since my last post. I apologize. My wife is cancer free now, but she had a major setback with infection causing her to have two more surgeries. That has taken me out of pocket for these last few weeks. Infection is finally gone and with your prayers she should begin to regain her strength. She will apparently not have to undergo chemo. PTL! She is still quite tired and weak, however, so be sure to keep on praying for her. Thanks.

Now back to our story: We left off with Elijah staying in the home of the widow God led him to at Zarephath. Elijah, the widow, and her son were enjoying the fruits of Elijah’s labor in the truth of God. They were experiencing the miracle of the bin of flour and the jar of oil never running out. God was blessing them beyond measure because of their faith and trust in Him and His Word. It was a joy to behold.

But then something happened—the son died. “Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. So she said to Elijah, ‘What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?’” (vs. 17-18). The widow had to be asking herself, “What happened? Where is God? Did I do something wrong? What is going on?” It is at moments like this that God’s resurrection power shows through—times when we are driven to be totally dependent on Jesus.

It was at this time that Elijah’s faith would shine. “And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?’” (vs. 19-20).

He did not stew or fret or pound his fist in the air blaming God. No, he simply took the boy upstairs to his room, got on his knees, and prayed. He turned to God for wisdom and help. He was walking by faith.

His trust was in the Lord. He knew that only God had the answer. He knew that only God had the power, the resurrection power, to meet the situation head on and bring the son back to his mother. So he prayed and trusted God. He relied only on God.

“And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, ‘O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.’ Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived” (vs. 21-22). Elijah obeyed God. He lives God’s Word as sure as he speaks God’s Word. He did as the Lord directed and God revived the boy and brought him back to life.

Now might be a good time to point out that the word “Zarephath” comes from a Hebrew word meaning, “to melt,” or “to smelt.” As a noun, it means  “crucible.” Zarephath is the place of the cross. It was here that God first raised someone from the dead. The two always go together. No cross; no resurrection. So when you experience a cross, rejoice, because that is when God’s resurrection power is close by.

The stories of Elijah go back and forth between what God was doing in the world through Elijah, to what God was doing in Elijah to prepare him for those things. In my previous posts, we saw the things God did to get Elijah in a place where he was totally dependent on Him. He weakened him; He removed his strength and his ability to provide for himself, so that Elijah would be totally dependent on God, which would be the place from which Elijah’s greatest power would flow.

The channel of God’s blessing is often our weakness. Are you experiencing something that renders you weak? That is not a sign of God’s judgment. It is a sign that God is working the power of His resurrection in you. When you are weak, it is an opportunity to depend on Him. When you are weak, it is an opportunity to hope in Christ and a time to demonstrate to everyone that you have a hope that goes beyond this life. When you experience the cross; it is a chance for God to pour out the power of His resurrection.

God saved the world through an innocent man dying in weakness. If He is going to bring that power into your life, into your family and your world, He will not do it in your strength; He will do it in your weakness. Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). It is when you share in “the fellowship of His sufferings,” that you can walk in “the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10b).

The son was restored: “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives!’” (v. 23). In Elijah's moment of weakness, God acted in strength and answered his prayer. Even the widow recognized that God was the one at work.

When I was in college, I was involved with the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. They always said, “Share the gospel clearly and leave the results to God.” That is what Elijah did. He did God’s work and made His Word clear, then he left the results to God. God provided the miracle and God also led the widow to respond in faith. She clearly saw that Elijah stood for God and that his word came from God: “Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth’” (v. 24).

For Elijah it was a time of waiting on God and a time of trusting in God. God was working through him to make him into the man God intended—a man of faith; a man of character; a man after God’s own heart. For three and a half years God was molding and shaping Elijah for the mission He had for him.

He wants to do the same with you. Being built by God takes time. What He wants from you is for you to have faith and trust in Him. He wants you to let Him make you new, to change and reshape you into the person He wants you to be—a man or woman after God’s own heart. Amen.

The Case of the Endless Bin and the Bottomless Jar

Had a lot going on with my wife's surgery and all, but I am back. Barbara is doing well, though she is still a little weak and tired. To be expected. Please continue to pray for her recovery. The good news is that there was no sign of cancer in the lymph nodes, so she is cancer free. PTL

We left Elijah staying "by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan" (1 Kings 17:5). He was waiting out the drought and famine until the Lord moved him to pray for its end. Meanwhile, "the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook" (v. 6), just as God commanded.

But then a funny thiing happened: the brook began to run dry (v. 7). As we read on, God says to Elijah, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you" (v. 9). The Lord continues to choose unlikely characters to provide for Eliijah's needs during the drought and famine. First the ravens, who are scavengers, God commands to bring him bread and meat. Now a widow is commanded to provide for his needs. My, how mysterious are the ways of God.

Being "in tune" with the Spirit of God, Elijah "arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, 'Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink'" (v. 10). With no more water to drink, it was time to exercise faith and look to God for direction.

Paul said: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). And he added in Romans 8:5, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Elijah was a man who walked according to the Spirit. He truly walked with God.

When you take the time to read the Word of God and you spend ample time on your knees in prayer, God will reveal Himself to you. Spending time with God is how you get to know Him better and learn to walk more constantly with Him.

As you grow closer to the Lord your life is “in tune” with His Spirit. Being “in tune” with the Spirit of God is what I like to call “flying closer to the flame.” It is simply my way of saying “walk in the Spirit.” Walk in His power. Let Jesus be your guide.

When you are faithful to “walk in the Spirit” every day, God takes care of you. He meets your needs, just as He did for Elijah. When you trust in the Lord and live by the power of His Spirit, He will never leave you hanging. He will never say, “So the brook dried up. Now what will you do?” He will never say any such thing. What He does is He provides a new avenue for meeting your needs. For Elijah, first the brook and the ravens; now the widow at Zarephath. In the same way, at every bend in the road, God will meet your needs.

Elijah trusted God explicitly, even though it meant going right into the heart of enemy territory. Zarephath was a town on the Mediterranean coast about seven miles south of Sidon. It was a territory controlled by Ahab’s father-in-law, Ethbaal (Jezebel’s father and homeland). In this way, as God provided for the widow, her son, and Elijah during the famine by a miracle, the power of God was shown in the area where the false god Baal was worshiped. My, how God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

God is always faithful. Elijah found everything just as God had said. He was immediately met by a widow, so he spoke with her: “And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand’” (vs. 10b-11).

This widow was given a great honor by God. In her humble home she was to host the man who stands before God and at whose word the clouds are sealed or opened. She was to host the man whose prayer would bring fire down from heaven and who would not even die before being taken up into heaven.

A widow such as her could not even hope for such honor. She had not even dreamed of such distinction. She was but a poor widow, so poor that she had no servant and no fuel in her house! She was a widow with a son, and both at the point of death! But praise be to God that His ways are not our ways. He is a God who brings unlikely things to pass. How little we know about the intentions of His heart toward us! He has great things in store for us. We need only be faithful.

As Elijah spoke with the widow, a new challenge arose. He had presented her with a test—to bring him food to eat. “So she said, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die’” (v. 12). It was actually a ministry opportunity.

Elijah responds with a request: “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth'" (vs. 13-14).

This is the test. This is God’s will spoken plainly. Will she follow this directive from God? God’s servant faithfully speaks the will of God. It is up to us to follow His will and live by His Word. It is up to the widow to trust God and follow His will by making a cake for Elijah first. If she does, God will honor her faith with a supply of flour and oil that would last as long as the drought lasted.

"So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah" (vs. 15-16). She passed the test. She took Elijah at his word. She obeyed and everything came to pass just as he had promised. She had an endless bin of flour and a bottomless jar of oil!

God’s provision here stands as a testimony to the availability of God’s full provision to all who believe and obey. At each new bend in the road, Elijah and this widow watched as God faithfully fulfilled His promises. And God always does what He says He will do. He will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling His promises. You can count on it!

As you step out in obedience to the voice of God by faith, your faith grows. All along life’s way, God builds you up in Christ as you obey Him and consistently follow His direction. Listen for that still small voice and follow His lead, wherever that may be. Amen.

The Road Less Traveled

You might notice the borrowed title to my blog today. I use it because if ever there was a road less traveled it would be the road that leads to heaven. Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matt. 7:13-14). If ever there was a minority in this nation and in this world, as Jesus indicates, it is the Christian, and by Christian I mean those who truly believe and are born of Christ.

Let's take a look at that "road less traveled." The gospel of Jesus Christ is presented in the Book of Romans and is fondly referred to as "The Romans Road." I will expand that message of Romans by looking at a few verses in other books of Scripture as well.

Let's begin is in Romans 3:10-11: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands: There is none who seeks after God." Everyone is totally and completely lost in sin. No one can be saved apart from Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" And in Romans we read: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). If it were not for Jesus we would all be destined for an eternity in hell, a life separated forever from God.

But that is not God's plan. In fact God made you for a purpose: to fellowship with Him. He loves you and wants you to love Him back and to have a special relationship with Him. But sin got in the way, as we have just seen. Man was made to freely live a life in fellowship with God but man took a wrong turn, choosing to walk away from God and disobey Him. And so sin entered the world, and through sin, death: "Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). So sin caused a break between God and man. Fellowship with God was broken and there is nothing we can do about it.

But God could do something, and He did. The Bible says, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). The Bible also says, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13). Because of His love for us, Christ died for us. He paid our penalty. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10).

That brings us back to Romans: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). He bore our sin: "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus was completely without sin. That is what qualified Him to die in your place. He became sin for you by taking your sin upon Himself and dying, shedding His blood, for your forgiveness.

So by God's grace are you saved through faith in Jesus. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" (Eph. 2:4-5). "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).

When Peter first preached the gospel at Pentecost the people came under conviction and asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). And so we ask, "What shall we do to be saved?" The answer is simple: "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10).

Pray. Confess your sin. Ask God to forgive you. Receive Jesus into your life by faith. John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." Trust Jesus by faith and you will be saved.

That is "The Romans Road" (expanded), the gospel in a nutshell, or the gospel made plain. When you have received Jesus by faith and know Him as your personal Lord and Savior, you have a certain assurance that you are saved. 1 John 5:11-13 concludes, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." Amen.

Even the Ravens Obey

Hi! This is my first blog. Hopefully I can figure this site out. Actually, I already started writing and saved my work only to have the blog site lose my data. So I will start again. My intent is to do what I do best and that is to write on passages of Scripture. I thought I would start with a few insights from the chapters in First and Second Kings that cover the life and times and ministry of one my favorite Bible characters: Elijah. Right now I am preaching on these same passages on Sunday mornings. I thought I would share some of the things we can learn from these Bible stories here in my blog.

Elijah is known as the Prophet of Fire. He called down fire from heaven and He went to heaven in a whirlwind as a chariot of fire and horses of fire cut off Elisha from him. In the opening passage concerning Elijah (1 Kings 16:29-17:6) a contrast is set up between two men: king Ahab, who was both evil and sinful beyond measure, and Elijah, a man of God, a true servant of the Lord who walked in constant recognition of God’s presence and authority. So we have the ultimate example of good vs. evil.

The setting is given in 1 Kings 16: “In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years” (v. 29). It was a divided kingdom—Judah to the south and Israel to the north. At this time, Asa was king of Judah and he was a good king. He was the third king of Judah and the fifth king in the line of David. It is said that “Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David” (1 Kings 15:11).

Not so for Ahab. He was the seventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He reigned from about 874-853 B.C., and it is said that he “did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him" (v. 30). He took Jezebel, a foreigner, as his wife, and “he went and served Baal” (a false god) “and worshiped him” (v. 31). He even “set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria” (v. 32). “Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (v. 33).

Ahab was right down evil in many ways. He “made a wooden image” (v. 32). Asherah was the wooden image of a woman. As the moon-goddess, Asherah was often presented as the wife of Baal, the sun-god. Asherah was also worshiped as the goddess of love and war. The worship of Asherah was known for its sensuality and involved ritual prostitution. The priests and priestesses of Asherah would also practice divination and fortune-telling.

Ahab even violated the directives of God by having Jericho rebuilt. “In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun” (v. 34). Note the prophecy of Joshua 6:26—“Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, ‘Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.’” Prophecy given; prophecy fulfilled!

The disbelief and disobedience of this evil king brought God’s wrath down on him, according to the Word. Deuteronomy 11:16-17 says: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the LORD’S anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.”

God’s punishment for idolatry is drought. The result of evil is drought. Enter Elijah—a godly man who confronts an evil king. 17:1 says: “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.’”

When Solomon built the temple, the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:11-14).

When a nation strays from God, He withholds the rains, brings destruction on the crops, or causes a plague or some sort of contagious disease to spread among the people for a purpose—to call them back to Himself. When God’s people humbly repent, pray, and seek after God, He forgives their sin.

The same can be said for individuals. When you fail to serve God and you stray from Him and sin, you will experience spiritual drought. Disobedience brings God’s wrath. Humbly repent of your sin, pray, and seek after God and He will hear you, forgive your sin, and restore your fellowship with Him.

James 5:17 says that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” In that context, James says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (5:16). When a godly man or woman prays, a great deal of good occurs. Elijah was no different than you and me. Like him, when we are faithful our prayers accomplish much.

When Elijah confronted Ahab he began with these words: “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (v. 1). He knew who it was that he served. He stood before Ahab, but was ever conscience of the fact that it was God before whom he really stood.

After he delivered the message God gave him, that “there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” (v. 1), God did something very interesting. He told Elijah, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (vs. 3-4). Ravens! The drought brought great famine to the land and God chose ravens, scavengers, to bring Elijah "bread and meat in the morning, and... in the evening" (vs. 5-6). The brook provided water at first, and God made the ravens, unclean birds who were scavengers and unlikely candidates for such a task, to bring him food. When you are obedient, God will take care of you.

The Lord met Elijah’s needs throughout the entire three and a half years of drought and famine across the land. No doubt this strengthened Elijah and prepared him for all that God would ask him to do when the three and a half years were past. He was in the “school of hard knocks,” you might say. He was learning to trust in the Lord, even with his most basic needs.

To walk with God we must trust Him and obey Him. As you learn to rely on God in all things, He builds your faith. As we look at the life and faith of Elijah, you see this principle in action. As Elijah obeyed and saw the river slowly dry up, he saw God meet his needs in new ways. With each bend in the road, his faith was made even stronger.

Walk with Jesus. Trust Him at all times and in all things. He will take care of you and build your faith. Amen.