If you will recall the story of John the Baptist and how he angered Herodias because of his 'inconvenient truth' about her infidelity, you might also recall that he was hesitant to kill John on her account. (Matt 14:9) The daughter of Herodias, Salome, had danced in her undies before Herod and his round table of visiting generals and dignitaries. All had heard Herod promise Salome anything she desired. Salome had danced with a mission - to claim the head of John for her mother.
This is where it gets interesting. Herod believed John was a man of power. He knew the masses loved John - and the masses claimed he was Elijah, returned from heaven as scripture promised:
Mal 4:5 ASV
(5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.
Herod believed that maybe it 'was' Elijah, and that perhaps he had killed the mightiest and most powerful of all the prophets. As Herod saw it, if the guy had come back from the dead once... he just might come back from the dead again, only this time with a score to settle. Herod was nervous.
Enter Jesus. Recall again... some thought Jesus was also Elijah (Elias), and He performed miracles that made John seem like a librarian. Herod became much more nervous-er. Can we see the bent against Jesus that the local politicians had? Can we see how superstition works against Love?
Showing posts with label Elijah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elijah. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Living for Manifestation
Christians in certain circles and with certain backgrounds get a bad rap for seeking the 'manifest' Presence of God. You might hear things like: they just want a sign. Or, they're just thriving on emotionalism!
God's Presence is amazing in all the uncountable ways He may choose to reveal Himself to us. His Presence is something to desire - whether physically manifested or not! But we should not be living for His physical manifestation. We should not allow ourselves to get into a funk whenever He chooses not to blow us away in some manner or another. It just might be that our tendency to fall into depression prevents Him from doing what He would otherwise do.
The problem that I see from most of the critics is that they live lives devoid of the Presence of God, so they attempt to explain away - in any way they can - the power they don't see. Mockery is a typical cover-up. My guess is Elijah experienced some of that.
Picture this: Elijah is weary. He has had a full day. He called fire down from heaven. Then he put to death 400 priests of Baal. He has run up and down Mt. Carmel a few times in a supernatural fervor... and has called in rain upon a parched land. As he slowly walks down the street towards home, some clueless individual yells something like: "Hey Eli! Have you 'seen GOD' lately?" *chuckle chuckle snicker snicker*
God's Presence is amazing in all the uncountable ways He may choose to reveal Himself to us. His Presence is something to desire - whether physically manifested or not! But we should not be living for His physical manifestation. We should not allow ourselves to get into a funk whenever He chooses not to blow us away in some manner or another. It just might be that our tendency to fall into depression prevents Him from doing what He would otherwise do.
The problem that I see from most of the critics is that they live lives devoid of the Presence of God, so they attempt to explain away - in any way they can - the power they don't see. Mockery is a typical cover-up. My guess is Elijah experienced some of that.
Picture this: Elijah is weary. He has had a full day. He called fire down from heaven. Then he put to death 400 priests of Baal. He has run up and down Mt. Carmel a few times in a supernatural fervor... and has called in rain upon a parched land. As he slowly walks down the street towards home, some clueless individual yells something like: "Hey Eli! Have you 'seen GOD' lately?" *chuckle chuckle snicker snicker*
Friday, August 06, 2010
A Generation Without Fear
Many people do not mind war as long as it's not on their own doorstep. This applies to spiritual warfare, too. With greater anointing comes greater attacks. God is looking for a people who do not care when or where the enemy comes. They don't fear. They simply take care of business.
Remember, the key to dealing with the enemy is realizing that he is already a defeated foe. All he does is done out of desperation. Do not make him bigger than he is. If you are a spirit-filled Christian, there is no power greater than the power within you. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. We all can wield this. The enemy is yet to find a defense against it.
The final generation - the Elijah generation that sees in the return of Jesus - is a generation that calls fire down, destroys the flesh, and all in the 400-fold presence of the enemy. Fear will not prevail over them.
Remember, the key to dealing with the enemy is realizing that he is already a defeated foe. All he does is done out of desperation. Do not make him bigger than he is. If you are a spirit-filled Christian, there is no power greater than the power within you. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. We all can wield this. The enemy is yet to find a defense against it.
The final generation - the Elijah generation that sees in the return of Jesus - is a generation that calls fire down, destroys the flesh, and all in the 400-fold presence of the enemy. Fear will not prevail over them.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Who Sustains Who?
1Ki 17:9 LITV
(9) Rise up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon; and you shall live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.
Elijah had been camping by a brook, being fed by birds, waiting for God to give him instruction. Have you ever been in that spot where you knew it wasn't a long-term deal? This was such a spot.
When Elijah arrived at Zarephath, he met the "commanded" one, the widow.
1Ki 17:11-12 LITV
(11) And she went to bring it. And he called to her and said, Please bring me a bit of bread in your hand.
(12) And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, only a handful of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a jar; and behold, I am gathering two sticks and will go in and prepare for myself and for my son; and we shall eat it, and die.
This brings a question to mind. Did she know she had been commanded to provide for Elijah? Did God make a mistake?
1Ki 17:13-14 LITV
(13) And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only first make me a little cake of it, and bring to me and afterward prepare for you and for your son.
(14) For so says Jehovah the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be consumed, and the jar of oil shall not fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the land.
Who provided for who? Did the widow provide for Elijah or the other way around?
When God puts it in our hearts to provide for someone, it just might be in our best interest to jump on it. This shouldn't motivate us beyond simple obedience, but a very notable thing happened to this widow. She didn't run out of bread - at all - during a period of time when NOBODY had any bread!
Let us recap: God commanded a widow that didn't know she had been commanded. God sent a prophet who had just been on a camping trip where all the hot dogs and buns were provided by the birds. The prophet operated out of faith because 'he had already' heard from God. The widow had to work a little, and gave her "widow's mites" to the prophet, so to speak. The little she gave became sustenance for her and her family during a famine.
By the way, Zarephath means 'refinement'. How does this refine us?
(9) Rise up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon; and you shall live there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you.
Elijah had been camping by a brook, being fed by birds, waiting for God to give him instruction. Have you ever been in that spot where you knew it wasn't a long-term deal? This was such a spot.
When Elijah arrived at Zarephath, he met the "commanded" one, the widow.
1Ki 17:11-12 LITV
(11) And she went to bring it. And he called to her and said, Please bring me a bit of bread in your hand.
(12) And she said, As Jehovah your God lives, I do not have a cake, only a handful of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a jar; and behold, I am gathering two sticks and will go in and prepare for myself and for my son; and we shall eat it, and die.
This brings a question to mind. Did she know she had been commanded to provide for Elijah? Did God make a mistake?
1Ki 17:13-14 LITV
(13) And Elijah said to her, Do not fear, go, do according to your word, only first make me a little cake of it, and bring to me and afterward prepare for you and for your son.
(14) For so says Jehovah the God of Israel, The pitcher of meal shall not be consumed, and the jar of oil shall not fail, until the day that Jehovah sends rain on the land.
Who provided for who? Did the widow provide for Elijah or the other way around?
When God puts it in our hearts to provide for someone, it just might be in our best interest to jump on it. This shouldn't motivate us beyond simple obedience, but a very notable thing happened to this widow. She didn't run out of bread - at all - during a period of time when NOBODY had any bread!
Let us recap: God commanded a widow that didn't know she had been commanded. God sent a prophet who had just been on a camping trip where all the hot dogs and buns were provided by the birds. The prophet operated out of faith because 'he had already' heard from God. The widow had to work a little, and gave her "widow's mites" to the prophet, so to speak. The little she gave became sustenance for her and her family during a famine.
By the way, Zarephath means 'refinement'. How does this refine us?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Point of Acceptance
Sometimes as believers we just need to realize that God is God, He is Holy, and He does not have to share His glory with us at any point. I know I dwell, often, on the state of our nation and the world at large. It seems like such a downward spiral - it can easily grab your focus.
But my focus should be on Him. He's the reason. He sets up kings and brings them down. He promotes His children, and demotes them, as He sees fit to mold us.
He has a plan. None of this is happenstance, or out of control - as chaotic as it looks. I do believe He allows us to coast for extended periods of time upon His wave of grace, and I do believe we can prolong - or avoid altogether - judgment by simply repenting. Yet most of the time we as a culture do not. We push Him further and further away.
Godlessness shows up in our beauty pageants. In our legislation. In our foreign policy. In our churches. In our TV shows.
God, on the other hand, has no choice but to show up in everything else. If we'd honor Him with TV, He might not have to show up in the earthquake. If we'd honor him in our foreign policy, He might not have to show up in a hurricane.
God told Elijah that He was not in the violent shaking of the earth, the fire, or the wind... but rather a still small voice - to Elijah. Elijah belonged to God. Elijah honored God. For a world that does not know Him, or honor Him, I believe very often the only way He can grab attention is through quakes, fires, and floods.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Waiting For Rain
1Ki 18:42-45
(42) And Ahab went up to eat, and to drink; and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he stretched himself out on the earth, and he put his face between his knees;
(43) and said to his young man, Now go up, look closely to the way of the sea. And he went up and looked closely, and said, There is nothing; and he said, Go back seven times.
(44) And it happened at the seventh time, he said, Behold, a little cloud like the hand of a man is coming up out of the sea. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Bind up and go down, that the rain may not stop you.
(45) And until this and this, it happened that the heavens became black with thick clouds and wind, and the rain was heavy; and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel;
There is a spiritual principle about praise that can be gleaned from a word-study on the word "Judah". Hosea 10 says, "Judah shall plow". We all know that plows are used on earth to make it plantable - to break it up so 'water' and 'seed' can penetrate. Jesus used earth as an example of the heart of man. Some hearts are hard, as the earth along the roadside. Others are fertile, as is earth with dark soil. Judah means praise, so we can imagine that praise will plow up the hardened ground of our heart so that the water of the Holy Spirit and the seed of the Word can penetrate.
When we have a fantastic worship service - I mean - truly fantastic - we all get plowed up... broken... ready to be 'productive'. That's when we screw up. We quit... and we go home... right before the rain comes. I've heard some very wise men teach on this, and they all say that the key is to wait... wait... wait... It may not be the first prayer, or the second, or the third, but pretty soon, the cloud is on the horizon. When the rain does come, it comes in torrents and the miraculous is released. What might that look like?
1Ki 18:46
(46) and the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab until [the place where] you enter Jezreel.
Elijah outran Ahab's horse-drawn chariots from Carmel to Jezreel. What will it look like when it happens to us? We may be outrunning a Crown Victoria back to the house.
(42) And Ahab went up to eat, and to drink; and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he stretched himself out on the earth, and he put his face between his knees;
(43) and said to his young man, Now go up, look closely to the way of the sea. And he went up and looked closely, and said, There is nothing; and he said, Go back seven times.
(44) And it happened at the seventh time, he said, Behold, a little cloud like the hand of a man is coming up out of the sea. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Bind up and go down, that the rain may not stop you.
(45) And until this and this, it happened that the heavens became black with thick clouds and wind, and the rain was heavy; and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel;
There is a spiritual principle about praise that can be gleaned from a word-study on the word "Judah". Hosea 10 says, "Judah shall plow". We all know that plows are used on earth to make it plantable - to break it up so 'water' and 'seed' can penetrate. Jesus used earth as an example of the heart of man. Some hearts are hard, as the earth along the roadside. Others are fertile, as is earth with dark soil. Judah means praise, so we can imagine that praise will plow up the hardened ground of our heart so that the water of the Holy Spirit and the seed of the Word can penetrate.
When we have a fantastic worship service - I mean - truly fantastic - we all get plowed up... broken... ready to be 'productive'. That's when we screw up. We quit... and we go home... right before the rain comes. I've heard some very wise men teach on this, and they all say that the key is to wait... wait... wait... It may not be the first prayer, or the second, or the third, but pretty soon, the cloud is on the horizon. When the rain does come, it comes in torrents and the miraculous is released. What might that look like?
1Ki 18:46
(46) and the hand of Jehovah was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab until [the place where] you enter Jezreel.
Elijah outran Ahab's horse-drawn chariots from Carmel to Jezreel. What will it look like when it happens to us? We may be outrunning a Crown Victoria back to the house.
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