Exit Stage Left | Elijah: The Power to Stand

Hey there, thanks for listening to the Greg Laurie part just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries. To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org discover Bibles and turn to first Kings chapter 17 first Kings 17 were looking at the life of Elijah, and the title of my message is exit stage left. Let me start with the question have you ever faced a time in your life where you were isolated and alone. Maybe your friends and family. Even abandoned you. Maybe your husband or your wife walked out of you, maybe even your dog left you cats always leave you. They've never been your friend just deal with that. Or maybe you right now as I'm giving this message during the time of difficulty or trial similar to a desert because there once was a time in your life. We were active. Now your inactive once your mobile now your immobilized if any of these things resonate with you and I think this message I'm about to share with you will help because this is a story of the prophet Elijah storming into the court of the wicked King Ahab and is even more wicked wife Jezebel throwing the gauntlet down at the nerve center of Israel and telling these idol worshiping people that it wasn't gonna rain God is going to withhold the water because of their worship of false gods.

And here's where Elijah got his boldness, his courage is chutzpah. If you will first Kings 17 one and the light of the to strike of the inhabitants of Gilead, said the way Is the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there will not be due nor rain these years except my work over the secrets of this miracle working prophet. By the way he was a human just like your just like me get his shortcomings in this clause will see that later. He says it in his opening statement is the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand alike to serve the living God. He knew God was alive and powerful.

And he constantly stood in the presence of God.

He understood that wherever he went. The Lord went with him and so that gave him a courage and that's something that will give you courage as well.

So when he first walked in I think that probably Ahab and Jezebel thought it was a joke out of this guy get past security memories, while looking these all hearing dressed strangely in their in their beautiful royal robes and any makes this bold statement. They probably thought that such a joke and then it stopped raining and I wasn't a joke anymore, and suddenly Elijah became public enemy number one.

Basically, the Queen and the King put a contract on on, we gotta get this guy whacked fast because he is a threat to our nation.

So what was alive to the do its exit stage left Lord said you got to get off the grid. No Instagram posts no tweets no anything nobody needs to know where you are, because the Lord said to him. In verse two. You've got to hide yourself. By the way, just read an interesting little article that said one week off of social media can ease your depression and anxiety. One week and they said you also gain nine hours of free time that you do not have think about that. I want to go social for one week.

Will Elijah was off the grid.

Nobody knew exactly where he was, why was he hiding because the king and queen wanted him dead but also because God was getting him into shape for what was ahead, so Elijah went from the palace to the barren wilderness you want from the throne of power to the desert of security. He's in oblivion and here's what happened. First Kings 17 verse two and the Lord said well I did go to the east in the high by the chair of Brooke near where it enters the Jordan River drink from the brook, and eat what the ravens bring you pride commanded them to bring you food so Elijah did as the Lord told him in camp beside her throat east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening. He drank from the brook, and after a while the brook tried up and there was no rainfall anywhere in the lab.

There give you're taking notes is point number one we learn things in deserts that we don't learn anywhere else we learn things in deserts. We don't learn anywhere else. When I say desert. I'm using it as a metaphor for a difficulty at trial. A hardship whatever it is you might be going through similar to that which you will learn things in that place that when we think of the brook chair everything a little babbling brook, you know, sort of like snow white in the forest and the animals are gathered around :-) no was not with it all. Actually, the word sheriff means the cutting place. The Cutting Pl., God was getting Elijah ready for his showdown with the prophets of bail. There was going to be the shootout at the Carmel chorale.

This is going to be big and he was getting have to be almost a different person when that event came with incredible faith. This is sort of like Elijah's boot camp experience know at the beginning of the chapter is introduced to assess Elijah from the town of Tish Beth at the end of the chapter he is introduced as a Elijah of the men of God. Something happened in that cutting place on her from talking to somebody right now it's in a cutting place or a spiritual desert you're walking through a valley, but you need to know you're not the only one.

Moses spent 40 years in the desert before he was able to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt.

Joseph spent a number of years in a prison cell before he became the second most powerful man in the you're in this save the lives of many people's Paul Paul. That's Paul. There is no small small was Paul's brother but there's so much about them in the Bible, the Paul Paul spent three lonely years in the Arabian desert after his conversion before he began his public ministry for us are cutting place was 14 years ago, we entered into a valley than the many ways work still in and out as the Valley or the cutting place when our son Christopher died in an automobile accident.

It's a very hard thing to go through and anyone who was lost a loved one, especially a child knows what I'm speaking of right now, but I have to say in this valley.

We have been and we have learned things we would not have otherwise learn we come closer to God and the Lord is been with us in this special way, and he has changed us and continues to change us and he'll do the same for you no matter what kind of valley herein. I love how David sums it up in Psalm 23 says yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, then he gives the answer for you are with me see if the Lord is with me. I can get through it. When you know the Lord is with you. You can face anything. I'd rather be in a desert with Jesus and anywhere else without a not so Elijah understood the exciting and exhilarating days really good for the prophet including Mount Carmel, but before there would be amount Carmel. The first real brook called Sheriff. There has to be a cross before there can be a crown before there can be a resurrection there is to be against 70 and a Calvary dress to be done before there can be life.

Jesus said if you will lose your life you'll find what is that mean it means that if you will give your life to God and recognizing his plans for you are better than your plans for yourself. You will find another dimension of life that you would not known, even existed, but we ask all men, one where the growth of these valleys.

Why do we have to go through these trials one away up to whether these storms. Why can I just go from mountaintop to mountaintop.

Here's the answer. James 12 brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces in torrents and led endurance have its work in you that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Number two God allows trials in the life of the Christian so we will grow up spiritually and we think we know certain things of the Lord will test us periodically. Did you know God gives pop quizzes member when you were in school. Some of you are in school still. The teacher would say it's a pop quiz today.

All the nerds and the gigs would be like right leave and laughingly not me because I gonna because I was a guy drawing cartoons distracting other students messing around.

Why were the current geeks in the needs why my McKinney words so we have spall the brother of Paul and I we goods and speeds or whatever. I said but why were they geeks in the nerds so excited because they were prepared by the way, we don't: geeks and nerds anymore.

We call the boss now pretty much to good thing to be a geek today, especially if you know how to fix computer things but Jesus will test us all. You think you know that you say you trust me, you say that you believe I'm in charge in your life, there comes a test not to make us miserable not to hurt us to test our faith and strengthen our faith, so will understand this truth is really true is see so we can advance as Christians. Thirdly, God allows hardships to show us his power sometimes will just allow it to allow a difficulty so we can deliver you from it or even remove the difficulty from you know honestly, there are times we have to go through it and that you were not delivered but then there are times he'll take us out of it all together and forth trials and testing to produce unnecessary quality in our let me go back to that statement from James to a reader from another translation that shed some light. James one verse two when all kinds of trials and temptations crown of your life. My brothers don't treat them as intruders but friend. I love trial because I don't trial intruder. No, maybe it's a friend, why would it be a friend realized.

James continues that they come to test your faith produces new equality of endurance. Let the process go on until your men and women of mature character men and women of integrity with no weak spots so like working out at the gym.

How many of you go to the gym or to some kind of a health club every week, raising okay and a lot of fit people in the service. I think it was even worse for service in Riverside right so you don't you don't go to the July II go, but I don't like it. My favorite time of going to the gym is when the workout is over and it's all the obnoxious people, like the guy it takes away something slams him on the ground right or the person it's sweats all over everything, sweat sweat, and then, this person taking pictures of themselves with a workup. Please don't do that. I don't want to scroll through and see you working I just don't buy the lot of you like to hear him in the gym. Look at me now you know that sort of thing look you go to the gym to get stronger, not weaker. You break down the muscle in order to build up the muscle. God does the same for us.

Trials are like God's gym where he strengthening us for the present and for the future. It's been said character is not meeting crisis.

It is revealed. So here now is Elijah and this time of trial by the brook chair is going to get better every day.

How ravens basically Raven postdates is the new delivery system. I want to think about a Raven for a moment. I don't know what you think of when you figure Raven. Here's a photograph of her Raven. Not the prettiest bird out there. These are birds that will let's just say you see a dead squirrel in the middle of the street almost 6 gross that bird that's called lunch. He's happy to see it. So they're bringing little bits of meat and some bread to Elijah phone like you're flying in with little bags of In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A. By the way, I dreaded my own sandwich of Chick-fil-A's very exciting.

He wanted to reveal it to you.

My own thing so I take the regular Chick-fil-A.

I like that and the spicy one. I think the spicy fully put it on top of the old filet. That's it. You'll thank me later. This is why have to go to the gym because I stuff like this, but does so the food comes every single day.

How would he let the birds know it was time Beatty would shoot out to eat there would always arrive. You missed the Joe Tweed birds, people.

These are the jokes funny to be the what a weird way to feed someone why not go back to the man a miracle that was a good one to get up in the morning.

As a child of Israel while cutting your little tent there is Amana waiting for you have banana for breakfast mentor for lunch mentor for dinner now will I just got away the birds to bring little bits of meat and some bread to him each and every day I think the reason the Lord that this is God likes to mix it up if you ever notice that Jesus never healed any two people in exactly the same way. Sometimes they touched him like a woman what the medical condition. She was healed. Sometimes he touched them. Sometimes he would just speak the word and they would be healed. One of my favorites is when a guy wanted to be healed of blindness in Jesus spit on the ground and wiped it on the dirt and put it in the side. Can you imagine become due a positive for prayer as to what you pray for me no problem with it. What what's in the Bible the only one so but I think Jesus changed his methods. If you will, so people would not look to the method but they would look to the Messiah God may provide for you in a certain way for an extended period of time and you come to almost trust in that thing instead of him. What I've always worked at this organization of a preemie every week, yes, but it's God who's been giving you that money ultimately, right is God's been providing for you. Similarly, mix it up and something may happen all of a sudden your provision isn't coming from that source anymore is coming from another source, and you discovered it was never from that source. It was always from this source.

The Lord himself. So the birds come and bring him his food. Maybe the Lord in this way, so Elijah would have a little companionship can always all alone out there nobody to talk to probably mean the birds are here they come. We have a little birdfeeder outside of our window in our kitchen and so we have these were to come we name the birds. There are two birds I come to dominate that there was one that was there all the time and my granddaughter Allie named named China could flick you held under name Irene Irene look at what she's a kid Irene.

She says so. The Myrtle gets good when Elvis said she shows up with some boy. He's getting a little red front carries he's a pretty birds eye while listening him George.

I said George and Irene say why George and I thought George Clooney I don't know because I called him Brad or Leo or Greg. I don't know but so they can now all the birds.

Overdeliver the birds of the go live a hummingbird feeder to and we recently moved it and all the hummingbirds are coming anymore. Their salutes, hummingbirds are like the caps of the bird world. Another difficult George and Irene every day that they're getting the seed hummingbird. I may come. I may not come. I don't know but I am pretty awesome.

They're very hyper. Is there caffeine in nectar. I don't know what's going on with them, but maybe a little companionship for Elijah, maybe even started to enjoy in the morning and get some water from the broken wing for the birds to show up and bring me lunch one day. The brook dried up the brook.

Just try and stop see he had to face the consequences of the plague coming on the land to other was a drive, and now he's facing the Trenton. I wonder if I'm talking to somebody right now. We just had their brook dry up your bank account business full as it once was. I think that's true for most of us right now with this economy you want a growing career not so much anymore. You had an amazing ministry and is not what it used to be your brook dried up your career stall. Things are looking so bright as they were before your kids love tall, which frankly is a relief because they're in their 50s but still your brook is dried up. But don't despair because God is not done with you yet God was not done with Elijah. He was just done with this chapter in the life of the prophet. Now Elijah was ready for the next stack it was ready for the next chapter in his life. Everything was going according to plan God's plan. I know it's been said before but there is truth in it. When God closes one door he opens another. The brook dried up, but now the Lord St. Laurent.

I have some other things to teach you, so let's move right along. You never know.

I read about some farmers who are raising cotton in the South and the dreaded bull we've all invaded and started eating their crops now creepy thing. The bull we've a lot of creepy animals today ravens in bold weevils and so these bug shop and they just destroy crops of cotton and the farmers began to despair that invested their life savings into these crops within one of them had an idea. Why don't we plant peanuts instead amazing of those peanuts made the more money the average made with caught so they had a monument dedicated to the bull we've all another you visibly. This this is real, so the Photoshop versus monument thank you bull we've all and sometimes a bull. We will comes into your life. What's this all about what's this person doing here wind of this problem start why is this happening to me and then later you look back in Eagle.

Thank God for the bull weevil.

Thank God for that interruption because it because we depended ago this different direction that I would've never gone in before and so God was still at work in the life of Elijah, and sometimes weird stuff happens in our life. It doesn't always make sense at the time. Think about it. Paul was in the middle of a very successful missionary journey when he was stoned and left for dead. You might say his brook dried up, but then God raised him up and he went on to change the world. Joseph was on a roll of running the house upon a firm but he was falsely included accused and sent to prison. This brook is dried up. But God delivered him and he saved the world.

So now it's time for chapter 3 or Act III. The life of Elijah, the Lord is going to expand Elijah's life and grow his fate, frisking 17 verse eight then the Lord said to Elijah, this is after the brook is dried up, go to the village of Sarabeth in the city of Zide.

Now, by the way, the city of Zide and Seiden was the center of Beale worship. This is word sheds a bell. The wicked queen came from some of the Lord is effectively sending Elijah to bail central which is kind of ironic and then the Lord says will be a widow there to feed you. So we went to Sarah for the right of the gates of the village's widow gathering sticks in the Oscar would you bring me a little bit of water in a cup and she was going to get it. He called work to bring me a bite of bread to find this humorous okay I'll get you some water damage to which my with this woman is so gracious and think of how I like to look strange looking all hairy and he comes up to this lady whose basically at the brink of death. She even protestants that I don't open up bread does share I'm out of flour and olive oil to make more. This is my last meal is like yeah, whatever. Just give me some the but it wasn't that way. So he was testing her immortal point the Lord was testing or would you trust God in this case, the men of God and she said yes and look what happened next or something. She did this. Elijah said that she and Elijah and her family continue to eat for many days, there was always enough for achieving a flower and olive oil left in the containers. Just as the Lord of promise through Elijah hello see me things from scratch. My wife is an amazing chef.

If you follow me on social media. You see, because I post food all the time in my my story and Instagram II posted my omelette from this morning. This was an amazing omelette and she just gets all the ingredients together mixed up I never make anything I used to make scrambled eggs for myself. There came a point where I couldn't even eat my own food. I mean I used to make them okay and something went south. Another the worst effect was that maybe the work in a greenish looking like what up but there the grandkids won't even eat them. They used to eat my eggs nothing woman to make scrambled eggs. Nothing Q pop psych the other day my granddaughter Allie got out some flour and some other things that said Allie what are you doing, she said, to make crates you just a little kid you're making crates very impressive. I am very good at toast so I do think that a master toast. There is a technique never mind so this what would make these meals from scratch, but here's something to think about this was humbling for Elijah. Why well, let's be honest men. Men don't like to be dependent on anyone. Men like to think that we fix things were the ones with the answer to the question were the ones with a solution to the problems that we are as often as we think we are good to go be dependent on a woman and not just a woman, a widow, and not just a widow and impoverished widow and to be dependent on each and every day. But this is the thing I find so impressive about Elijah is whatever God told him to do. He just did it was just obedient. He is obediently little things that may not seem like a big thing for you to sit by a river about the birds bringing food may not seem like a big thing for you to go and be dependent on a widow may not seem like a big thing for you to do some of the things he did but it was a little things that built up to the picnic if you want to be used by God. You have to be faithful in the little things because of this simple truth.

You're never too small for God to use only to pick this guy went into the court of Ahab and Jezebel threw down the gauntlet that was source of power in Israel. I've had the opportunity to go to the White House quite a few times in a bin in the Oval Office twice been able to pray for the president. That's an intimidating thing to walk into the Oval Office.

For starters it sexy, small finger want this. What practical room is completely well and ended any think of all the history that's happened in that room you look at that desk at the president sits behind and the decisions that have been made at that desk and and then you're there with the leader of the free world. And that's intimidating as well imagine how intimidating it was for Elijah Webb, Ahab and Jezebel. I member another Oval Office. I was in. Years ago it was the office of pastor Chuck Smith. It felt like the Oval Office to me because I was 17 years old I was a brand-new Christian.

So I went there to pastor Chuck's office and I thought I want to be used by God's choice of pastor Chuck, I want to come and serve here. I'll do whatever you need done wherever you want me to go all go to church at all really. I was thinking that it's a great weather to preacher me Sunday morning and I've been a Christian, six months, why not right or go do this other ministry thing or pray for that person over there. He said Greg I want you to go talk to pastor Romain I didn't pastor Romain was and then I went to Romain hi Chuck, sent me to you, and I didn't realize it was like there was a message a hidden message there like here's another one. Romain, as I discovered later, Romain was a drill sergeant in the Marine Corps prior to being a pastor so I said yeah we want you to do some work.

Here's a broom goes sweet. There was this tree called Peppertree.

All it did was probably something in this is the most worthless tree never planted you sweep and the leaves drop in you sleep and that all I did was sweep under this stupid Peppertree, but I realize what they were doing they were getting free janitorial work for me that there was something else. There were going to find out is this kid humble enough to do a menial task because of your faithful little little thing like that how can you be given the responsibility to do greater things. Jesus said if your faithful and little things you'll be faithful in large ones.

Whatever you're dishonest in little things you will not be honest with greater responsibilities. Elijah was so faithful and he was so obedient and he did this for the Lord in this woman continued to provide for him. Point number five.

God loves to take what we have and multiply. God loves to take what we have a multiplet I had so little to offer to God. After my conversion I had drawn these cartoons and that's kind of it nano but the Lord was giving me gifts that would develop in time. Ironically, for me to be a teacher is almost a laugh.

The student that got bad grades is not going to be a teacher think the Lord have a little fun without one. You have no idea what God may call you to do so one can of a behind-the-scenes person organizing put you in front of everybody that's a nuclear person you you I think I like to be in front of people. I like Big crowds watch me work might say to put you behind the scenes now another person he might take a moment to give you this gift that you never had before.

It's a supernatural gift for someone else to do a different thing. Because of the Tico we have and multiply like a little boy with the loaves and fishes that he gave to the Lord listen. There are three things that support there are three things we can give to God, time, talent and treasure every one of us can give our time are talent in our treasure to Lord versus our time. We have a given day. What we dedicate any of that time to the Lord will be dedicate any of that time to Scripture what we dedicate any of that time to prayer. We dedicate any of that time to worship in church. We dedicate any of that time to sharing our faith with others.

You have your time, then you have your talent and we all have different kinds of talents don't.

We then got to give you gifts on top of those talent so we give those to him as well. And finally, there's your treasure your resources and I have found that God is faithful to provide for our needs. If we will honor him. There's an amazing promise in the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, where God says bring all of the ties into my storehouse, that there may be food enough in my temple. If you do some of this promise.

If you do the Lord says all open up the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing so great you won't have room enough to take it in. Then the Lord says this try, let me prove it to you but you love that you got a safe take your income. Always give a percentage of it for the work of the kingdom of God.

That's why we have an offering by the way, if you wondered what is this mysterious bed pressing by what is happening. That's for you to invest in the kingdom. You don't have to do it no one's pressuring you to do it if you don't want to do it don't do it, but do you realize the blessing that can come your way is your faithful to give to the Lord. Elijah passed every test that God gave him in the window did to now is going to face the biggest test so far, first Kings 17 verse 17.

After these things underline that phrase after these things the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse. He finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah what you have against me all man of God that you come to remind me of my sin and show my son while pretty accusatory. After these things we read after what things after Elijah's trusted God with every test of this come his way.

Every face-off with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel after he's gone off the grid and waited for the birds to feed, feed him after he's been dependent on this poor woman, and seeing God provide after these things the worst case scenario, her son.

She even accuses Elijah and when tragedy strikes.

Sometimes people lash out at God, what did you do this to me God, why did you let my son or my daughter.why did you let my parents die.

Why did you let my sibling.why did you let this tragedy will forming why we seek a fist in the face of God.

It's understandable. We do it, but we need to remember this simple thing.

It's not a punishment when a loved one dies, she thinks. Why are you punishing me God.

No, sorry to break this to you. People die the stats on death are pretty impressive one out every one person will.right.

That's what we all need to be prepared for eternity.

So it's not a punishment on you, its life and its death, and it happens to everyone. The Bible says there's a time to be born in the time to die, but I can understand this woman's pain. As I said earlier, my wife and I have been there, but to her credit, Elijah says give me your son. He took a hit, by the way he could've said while you yelling at me, I'm in here helping you all this time he just as I hear you okay give me your son Jesus here. There's something there that knows that God can intervene still and I wonder if we could just take those things and give them to the Lord and having problems with my son is a prodigal why don't you just give him to the Lord.

Right now having problems with my daughter. She's just so so much drama whether to give her to the Lord.

Right now having problems with my husband.

He's such a loser. Maybe change your attitude and then give him to the Lord I'm having troubles with my why they give her to the Lord my career.

Give it to the Lord. My minister given to the Lord, my anxiety, my fears give it all to the Lord. That's what you did.

What happened next report is this morning. Okay I like seven more minutes and we could not everyone clapped a sentence first Kings 17 verse 21 and he spread some soap over the child three times I cried out to the Lord, O Lord my God, please let this child's life return again.

The Lord heard Elijah's prayer the life of the child returned and he revived then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and keep him to his mother, look, he said your son is alive.

Then the woman told Elijah. Now we know for sure you're a man of God that the Lord slowly speaks through you. Well this took a lot of faith. Up to this point no one had been raised from the dead before okay so there was no precedent.

Elijah could not approval, Lord, as you raise people from the dead. In the past due to get known and been raised from the dead. This was a first time a person came back from the grave he was developing next level, they will. Elijah asked God to do with the widow's son was minor compared to what he was can ask God to do on Mount Carmel listen God is preparing all of us for what is next.

Everything in life is preparation for something that still is yet to come. So let's review the enclosed number one we learn things in deserts. We do not learn anywhere else number two God allows trials in our lives, so we will grow spiritually. Thirdly, God allows hardships to show us his power. Fourthly, God her trials and testings produce unnecessary quality in our lives for the Leslie God likes to take what we have and multiply it. Listen to this you think Elijah was close to God and he was God would speak to them. The Lord wouldn't speak to him for a while using nano I wish God would speak to me like that. Listen to this, you are closer to God as a Christian then Elijah the prophet was and I'll tell you what Elijah the prophet stood in the presence of God.

He was aware of the presence of God.

But you have God himself living inside of you because of what Jesus did on the cross. If that's GIVE your Christian well were all God's children know. Actually, we aren't were all created by God were all loved by God, but the way you become a child of God is by asking Christ to come into your life after you have acknowledged you're a sinner. This is why Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. And he rose again from the dead. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become children of God have you received Christ in your life when we come back to this one point I can imagine the joy of this mother to have her son back again. I wish God had raised our son Christopher from the dead. We couldn't even view him after his accident and I had a dream the other night was so vivid and you then of lost love ones will understand this. But I was with both of my sons Christopher and Jonathan. They were both younger. They were married yet so just dad and the sons we often did things together and so in this dream were standing a little ledge by the ocean and both of them are swimming and they going to this little underwater cave and I can see him but I hear them talking and Doug. Jonathan says the Christopher. You can catch a really cool wave here and I said come out of there.

I can't see you. I was getting really nervous and agitated and then they came in their swimming underwater and I see them underwater and I reached down and I pulled them both up on the ledge.

Understanding their I'm happy that there I said to them one day when you guys get married and have kids.

You'll know what it's like to be a dad and worry like I just did and then it just occurred to me. I'm standing here talking to both my sons, both of them, not just one of them. Christopher is standing right next to me and I'm looking and I realize how wonderful it is I'm talking to him and then I wake Sony lost a loved one.

This this happens in your dreams. So on one hand you're sort of happy let me rephrase that one can you're really happy to see them, but always in the dream they have to leave her there going away from you or you wake up from your dream. Anyway, she could live in that space again but one day I will see my son again because of the resurrection.

I know there are people here listening to music grid, spent 14 years but you know every time I bring this up people, they think Nancy we just lost our child and that really helped us what you said, you know, and I always think of those people because were all can a part of the little family that we never wanted to join a club.

We never wanted to be in.

But I it's always encouraging to be reminded that when our loved ones who have died in faith, leave us that they're not just a part of our past. There also a part of our future. That's very important missing. Let me close this message by saying what I said earlier, you can be closer to God than even Elijah was yeah God spoke to Elijah all the time. He never speaks to me. You say question. Do you own one of these by the way, this is called the Bible.

Yes, filled with the words of God, and God will speak to you through the Bible will like you have to read it. Can you scroll it no is got on Instagram, not really candy. Just shoot me a quick tweet or text that it was for the wrong direction will just keep moving no he wants you to discipline yourself and open up the word of God and you will find God is speaking to you. God speaks to me all the time that the Bible will speak to you as well. You can have this relationship of the Lord, you can of the whole of the afterlife and more than the afterlife. The hope of being with Christ in the hope of being with loved ones and the proceeded you to heaven who died in faith, but that hope only comes to Christ.

And if you've never asked him to come into your life.

You can do it right here right now. Let's pray father I pray for every person in this room. If they don't know you yet. If you're not living in their hearts. Let this be the moment they believe. Let this be the moment they invite Jesus into their hearts.

We pray on a heads up. Your eyes are closed and were praying together. Maybe there somebody here today that would say I need Jesus. I don't know that he lives inside of me right now I don't know that I'll go to heaven when I die, but I want to I want to start a relationship with God.

Would you pray for me. Listen if you want Jesus to come into your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die if you want this relationship with God, I've been talking about wherever you are, would you just lift your hand, let me pray for you. Lift up your hand saying I need Jesus today.

Pray for me. God bless you wherever you are. Raise your hand up a pray for you today, bless you wherever you are, Jesus will come and take residence in your heart and forgive you of all of your sin but you have to call out to him. The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Anybody else you want Christ to come into your life raise your hand up, let me pray for you accomplish you, that of raise your hand. Pray this prayer with me now Lord Jesus, I know that I must center but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead come into my life now be my Lord, my Savior, I choose to follow you from this moment forward in Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody, thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God