IT IS TIME TO PROVE GOD

At New Hope we have been journeying through “The Story,” a chronological approach to the Bible. It has been wonderful to see how God is building us line upon line and precept upon precept. I love the way we are gaining a view of the big picture of how God works through history. At the same time we gain more clarity of how God wants to incorporate our story with His.

Yesterday we were blessed to have Jason Alvarado share with us from the Word. I was so happy to hear what God gave hime to share. In prayer before the service God dropped some things into my heart, and it was all I could do not to run completely with that word. I am glad I held it in a little to deliver via this blog because I appreciated what Jason shared so much. I want to share with you what God laid on my heart.

In short, “It is time to prove God.”

This week we are in chapter 15. This chapter deals with the messengers that God raises up to speak to the culture of the day. The nation has been divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom Israel will never have a king that follows the ways of the Lord. How tragic. Because of this it is the first to decline.  “Righteousness exalts a nation.” The inverse is also true. When a nation does not pursue righteousness she will fall quickly.

A messenger from God explodes on the scene in chapter 18 of 1 Kings. Elijah declares there will be no rain until he gives the word. The nation goes into a drought for 3 years. Meanwhile Elijah hides out first by a brook where he is fed and then with a widow where  God performs amazing miracles for them to survive.

During the 3 years the ungodly king Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel turn the hearts of God’s people away from the Lord and turn them instead to Baal and Ashtoreh, the pagan god and goddess of fertility. Jezebel had many of the prophets of God killed. And because of the drought that Elijah had pronounced he too was a wanted man. (I can imagine a western style Wanted Dead or Alive poster with Elijah’s name a picture on it.)

Then God tells Elijah it is time. He is to show himself and he challenges the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreh to a spiritual showdown. The meet at Mt Carmel. And the ground rules are set. They will both offer sacrifices and the god who answers by fire will be declared the true God. It is time to prove God.

The prophets of Baal and Ashtoreh start off. They begin to call on their gods, but there is no answer. They call louder as Elijah begins to taunt them (spiritual trash talk I love it). He says: “Maybe your god can’t hear or maybe he has gone to the bathroom. Maybe he wants a little blood.” They begin to cut themselves. After several hours of this commotion with no result they give up.

Elijah’s turn now… He rebuilds the altar with 12 stones, one for each tribe. This is to remind the nation who they are and whom they serve. Then he brings out the sacrifice and before he begins, Elijah has them bring out water and soak the sacrifice. Keep in mind there is a drought in the land. Elijah still has them pour out the water until it soaks the sacrifice, soaks the altar and runs into the ditch surrounding the altar. Then Elijah calls to the Lord and the Lord answers by consuming the sacrifice with fire.

A side note here, sometimes you have to pour out that which is scarce and precious to receive God’s ultimate blessing raining down!

Elijah has the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreh killed and then he prays for rain. And the rain comes.

There are many ways in which we find ourselves in this same state of affairs as Elijah and Israel was in that day, and it is time to prove God.

The past 3 years have been years of drought. The economic situation has humbled many and embolden and embittered many others. This has been a direct assault on the false god of prosperity.

Baal and his counterpart Ashtoreh were the god and goddess of fertility and rain. When the drought came for three years the true and living God, Jehovah was revealing who the real source of power was.

In our culture the false gods of sex, money and power are running rampant. And God has declared there will be no other gods before Him.

Leaders in our culture have launched an all out assault on God and his messengers. The Church has become the object of ridicule by many of the elite. But God is not nervous. He is still on the throne and He is miraculously caring for His messengers in this time. The time has come to prove God. Behind Ahab stood Jezebel manipulating all along. Understand that behind the Ahabs of our day there is a far more sinister Jezebel spirit that seeks to lure and destroy the people of God.

Many have become discouraged thinking they are walking alone, but God is working where and though you cannot see it all. God has Obadiah’s  and widows caring for messengers. God is strong and mighty. It is time to prove God.

The one you count on in the drought is the god you have chosen. The false gods of many are being revealed in this day to be powerless, and unable to answer. Don’t waver in this day. Don’t look to the opinions and the gossip that floods the airwaves. Serve the God that answers.

I believe we are in a time when “the drought” is ready to be lifted. I see the cloud and rain is coming, but the war is not over.

After Elijah called down fire from heaven, killed the false prophets, and prayed for rain he thought there would be a major shift in politics. I don’t know if he thought Jezebel would come to her senses and repent or what, but that clearly did not happen. In fact Jezebel became more defiant and lived many more years until she met her demise at the bottom of a wall that she was thrown off.

It is time to prove God, but let me warn you. There are many evil spirits of the day that will continue to rise and show power. Know that God is God and He will deal with those spirits and those evil doers in His time.

Please do not think of a specific person or leader or political party as the Jezebel and Ahab of the day. But there is a Jezebel spirit lose in this day. This seductive spirit aims to allure and destroy God’s people. God will deal with Jezebel. His Word will come to pass.

So be encouraged. Rise up. Prove God. Serve Him faithfully. He is the God who answers!