A CHALLENGE FROM GOD TO US ALL ~ A Word from the Lord for today.

 A CHALLENGE FROM GOD TO US ALL

 ~ A Word from the Lord for us today. 

(c) Daneille Gray Snowden 2022

I have been praying and waiting and praying some more on when to begin sharing a 'Word' that the Lord has given me as I was studying in 1 Kings 18.

I truly believe this chapter relates to the times we all are living in today. It is for the church directly and pertains to the world around us. 

The characters in this chapter are strong on so many different levels. The man of God Elijah is the center of this whirlwind (pardon the pun...in regards to later on in his life) that storms forward in this chapter. 

Backing up though, in 1 Kings 17 we see God leading Elijah to a lonely place called the Brook Cherith.

This was a gorge area, known as one of the wildest places to be, in regards to steep ravines and dangerous mountain climbs plus wild animals. Yet, God led Elijah to abide there. 

We see the Brook as a preparation place for this still semi young prophet of whom God's anointing was strong upon. This place of preparation was also a place of protection, as the army of Israel was looking to kill him. All because Baal worship became dominant and there was no repentance among the people and Israel's leaders.  God then sent Elijah to tell them there would be drought in the land, thus King Ahab the King of Israel wanted Elijah dead! 

Elijah was fed by an ugly, unclean bird the raven- daily. This helped Elijah see the Hand of God upon his life. Even when the brook dried and he was led to live with a poor widow a distance away from the brook. The brook and the widows home, only took Elijah's relationship with God to a deeper and more powerful place. He clearly could hear his God's voice and knew God's heart. 

Let me ask you, have you had the Brook experience? Are you there now? I recall several times I have been, particularly a certain six years in my life. God was using us in our call, but we knew there was more. My husband and I were experiencing an ache so deep, and a longing to live out our purpose touching lives. What happened was as we were pastoring, the church situation became really hard causing a lot of hurt. Then my husband became seriously ill, causing him to be in a wheelchair and we then  lost our income. Later, he was told he was going to die. One time, as my husband was in a hospital in Chicago, this was when I found my self staring out a window in a hallway. We were several stories high, when I looked out,  I saw these huge black birds and their nests; they were feeding their young! All right there by the window I was peering out of. They were ravens, and immediately I knew God was speaking to me as I recalled the story of Elijah. It was a time where even I felt God was preparing me for something huge. 

 God supplied everything we needed, and during this time we only grew ever so close to Him. So-much-so, we felt the Lord leading us to become missionaries in Africa. God did heal my husband and we went did go to  Africa and still are missionaries today. 

Elijah's name means: Yahweh is my God. In his path, this is what the objective of Elijah's life would be; that people would know WHO GOD IS in every way. And to turn to Him with all their hearts. Remember this later on in this study.

We read at the beginning of the chapter, God tells Elijah to do something incredibly hard...let's just say it: scary! First God tells Elijah to go basically hide from King Ahab and now He tells Elijah to go to Ahab! 

ENCOURAGING WORD FROM THE LORD: 

STOP NOW...let's ponder on this in regards to our personal lives and then as the church. God shelters us, especially when we obey. Those who obey Him are covered by Him. This of course doesn't mean life will be easy, but we will grow only closer to the God of the universe! 

As a person, is God prodding your heart to go? To step out of that place He provided for you then to a place where you feel alone and basically like a 'TARGET?' But, Elijah did just that!

God took him to Obadiah an amazing, and even quite intelligent man of God. A man that secretly hid 100 prophets from the King himself. This man was the governor of King Ahab's own house. The King had entrusted much to him. He cared for and still fed (in secret) the prophets of God.

Elijah challenged Obadiah even more by telling him to go to the King that; "Elijah wants to speak with him." 

Please recall, Ahab was the most ungodly King of Israel and his wife Jezebel blames Elijah for all of Israel's troubles. Ahab and Jezebel served and believed in Baal. She had the prophets of Baal eating at her table daily; meaning they had a strong influence over the government of Israel. One of the reasons why many of God's anointed prophets were slain. Baal was considered a sky god, who should have been in charge of the rain. 

PROPHETIC WORD:

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIER? Christians today are being blamed for troubles right and left. Especially when ungodly-sick agendas are being pushed upon our society (especially our children). The W.O.K.E. agenda frowns when ones even share their Christian convictions on homosexuality, LGBTQ, abortion, and so much more. The government is behind this all the way too! They are blaming Christians for their so called problems, and it will become even harder as the days continue. Israel was unresponsive to Elijah's message of repentance and turning back to God. Too many today are silent as well, afraid of loosing their jobs, ridicule from friends and family and fear of the unknown future. We can't live by fear, and we cannot lead our lives by fear; it will only lead to destruction!

 Obadiah was afraid, we hear this in his discourse with Elijah. I believe that God gave Elijah a soothing voice as he encouraged him to go. I always thought of Elijah as gruff, not only in his appearance but also his personality. Yet, as I read this passage, the Lord really allowed me to see other possibilities of this man's nature. I believe he was tender hearted; that he loved God with all his heart and because of that he loved people. Look at his experience with the widow of Zarephath, especially when her son became ill. I imagine that he became quite close to this family as he lived with them for sometime. He cried out to the Lord for this boy to be healed:

The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.  Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive! 1 Kings 17: 22-23 

All to say, I believe Obadiah was comforted and still strongly encouraged to obey God's voice to talk with the King. God saw Obadiah and used him for great things, yet still; this was his precipice of where God wanted to use him more!

CHALLENGING WORD FOR YOU: 

In your life walk, in all your 'ups-and-downs' God still has more planned for your life. And it will be to-do greater things, to delve deeper still in Him and even on up to higher climbs. Please, try not to argue with God about it, just listen to His strong, yet comforting voice and simply obey. It will not only touch your personal life, but affect so many more lives. 

ELIJAH IS BOSS...👍

Elijah said, “I have not brought disaster on Israel, but you and your father’s household have, by abandoning (rejecting) the commandments of the Lord and by following the Baals.  Now then, send word and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of [the goddess] Asherah, who eat at [Queen] Jezebel’s table. v. 18

Can you imagine going up to a president, and telling him that; "He is going to do as 'I say?' - no if's and's, or but's about it too?   Tellin ya, there may come a time though, as those who lead us take us to horrible places as they did in this passage; we will have to be bold: ONLY AS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD LEADS. ONLY AS HE LEADS...not in the flesh and not in our own ways. For God's Ways are perfect, and will only lead to the path He intends for all mankind. 

ELIJAH LED BY GOD!  He challenges ALL the people of Israel to choose between God or Baal on Mount Carmel. 

Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people [of Israel] did not answer him [so much as] a word. v.21 

-The people were not just lukewarm, they were COLD! They had a true prophet of God challenging them to turn to God and they did not answer: whatsoever! 

-"There were only 7,000 worshipers of God that remained in the northern kingdom, out of a total population estimated as being between four and five million."

SEEN TODAY!

-To Halter between 2 opinions' meant they would jump back and forth. Act Christian, but do ungodly things. Say one thing and do another. In the Hebrew; HALTER means to limp, hop and dance. 

Many were OK with having some-kind-of-religion! 

There was no objection from the people.

There was no repentance from the people. 

No courage, and no conviction!

Willing to live unexamined lives! 

LET US PRAY TODAY THAT...

*People's heart will melt at the love of Jesus!

*That they will 'fall-in-love' with the ONE Who loves them the most!

*That indeed their ways that are contrary to God's Ways will be changed and they will turn away from them and live according to God's standards that were created for us all.

THE EVIL WAYS OF THE WORLD WILL BE MADE TO LOOK FOOLISH AND FRUITLESS!

Examples: 

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. Ps.14:1 

 "When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord." Prov. 19:3

"Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." Eph. 5:11

--- There were 450 of Baal's prophets to ONE of God's prophet (Elijah). ---

"... they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them." v.28  

            STILL: NO ANSWER FROM THEIR GOD!

It is Elijah's turn now as he repairs the altar of God! He built this altar with the 12 stones that represented the 12 tribes of Israel. NOTE- The altars of God were neglected and in shambles. What about our altars at home and our churches; are they being neglected? Now is the time for all of us to repair the altar of God. 

"And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord:..." v.32

In the Name of the Lord! Remember what Elijah's name means. God's Name is power, is mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, and His name brings peace and salvation! 

Let us build our altar in the NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS!

THE PERFECT TIME: 

"And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near,..." v.36 

                                                                                               HIS TIMING FOR YOU!

God orchestrated this perfectly! The people knew the ways of God and how they were instructed on how to serve and worship, but also when to. When God leads, He has every moment of our lives perfected aligned to His perfect timing. Trust this fact of following God! 

ELIJAH'S PRAYER: [The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16.]

"Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again." v.37

Remember the meaning of Elijah's name? Yahweh is God; the Lord is God! He lived and prayed this purpose God created him to live out! That people WILL KNOW THAT HE IS OUR LORD GOD!

To KNOW in the Bible is very intimate: we will live in His Presence, know His Voice and understand His Ways.  

THE GOD WHO ANSWERS BY FIRE!  

Remember Baal was a Sky god who was said to answer by lightning.

THE FIRE FELL AND IT CONSUMED EVERYTHING! [On God's altar Elijah repaired.]

1) The offering!

2) The Wood!

3) Stones --- whoa now that's amazing!

4) The Dust!

5) The Water! 

       OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE!  

 "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12:29

THE LORD IS GOD!

"And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." v.39 

 

The crucial steps to victory and revival. 

1.) Most important and crucial step was to eliminate Baal and the prophets of Baal. v. 40

2.) Prayer of God's promises to come into fruition, His fire to fall, and people to declare Him as God.

3.) Sin must leave and be repented of and then the victory will follow. 

THE PRAYER FOR RAIN (GOD'S RAIN): 

1.) Come with persistent prayer.

"God's promises are given not to restrain, but to incite to prayer." 

2.) The rain will bring God's harvest and eternal blessings! 

3.) In their climate then, in 'Palestine, vegetation will burst into verdure!'

4.) "Water, a purifier, refresher, vitalizer, fittingly sets forth His energies; and as these are active, so in baptism the element should come upon the person as rain upon the passive earth."  Macdonald 

5.) Elijah was the first to hear the sound of an abundance of rain! "It begins in the higher heavens before it reaches the earth. Those who are much in prayer have the sensitive ear to hear "afar off." Macdonald 

6.) THE SMALL SIGNS that preceded a might work of God! His servant saw a small cloud the size of a man's hand. And still a great rain came!

    - Those who are longing to see souls come to Christ and have prayed and prayed. 

KEEP PRAYING! Pray earnestly and fervently. 

THE 14 MILE RUN!

God gave Elijah SUPERNATURAL strength to outrun King Ahab and his chariots. v.46

To get ahead of Satan's potential schemes.

We all know, when God gets ready to do a work and when He does a great work; the enemy fights 10x harder. Prayer and flowing in the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT will help us overcome. 

TODAY AND RUNNING AHEAD:

People of God; this is YOUR STORY too! 

Walk in the God given purpose of your life, please don't halter; rise up and be that mighty man and or woman by doing God's Work. Speak out, listen closely and pray earnestly + fervently!

Jesus is coming soon, and we are living in the END TIMES! "Do the works of God now, while it is still day!" Jn. 9:4

Our country, and this entire world needs to turn away from their false gods and the wickedness they are in. We are the voice of God; like John the Baptist was known as 'the voice crying in the wilderness.' 

GO AND WATCH GOD MOVE IN AND THROUGH YOU! 

~Daneille Snowden

         TOTALLY INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!