God's Hiding Place

This is a message from leading the way with Dr. Michael. You sat we pray that it will encourage you in your walk of faith. If you would like to learn more about Dr. you Seth for leading the way, please visit LTW.or when people read the book of James chapter 5 verses 17. About how large or just like one of us a man like us to provide for the right. I'm stopped and he prayed for the rain to come down in the rain came down. I often get to reactions.

One reaction says what God doesn't answer prayer this way now. The second responses. Well, I am not one of God's super spiritual like a larger and that is why God doesn't answer my prayer. I want to tell you that both conclusions are wrong because the problem is that most people never take the time all the effort to understand how, why, and when God answered Elijah's prayer because as we going to see in the series of messages. Elijah was far from being super spiritual. We got to see him depressed and discouraged we going to see him scared and frightened. We going to see him doubting and defeated.

In other words were just like you and me.

Like us in every way, is not going to tell you at the outset of the series on beginning today you going to learn less about Elijah more about God people forever asking me how do you discern the voice of God. How do you know it is the will of God. How does God deal with you while there's really no secret to the way you know God is from his word and you see how God dealt with his people. How he's dealt with individuals how we've dealt with nations and God is a consistent God. God's character is a consistent character and that is the only way you going to discern the will of God as you pour your heart upon his word and here is we going to see how God worked with a large we going to know more about God than we were about Elijah. Turn with me please in your Bibles. Chapter 17 of first Kings. The first thing you notice that verse one is that Elijah comes from nowhere in the movie just popped up on the scene.

No background, no family tree, no qualifications, no explanation just appears but here is what I want to communicate with you today. If you want to be effective for God.

If you want to make a difference for God. If you want to God to use you in a mighty way. Listen carefully to how God works because I want to tell you at the outset God is not impressed with what impresses people God is not moved by what moves people God does not judge people the way we judge them.

God has a different set of criteria by which he uses individuals each one of us is different and he uses us all in a different way will demonstrate this for you before I begin. Oliver Cromwell was in charge of the treasury of England and one day the mint runout of silver to make the silver coins for the realm of England. So, Cromwell sent his men on search for silver in order to bring it into the mid to make the silver coinage. The mentor that looked everywhere and they couldn't find silver so they came back to Oliver Cromwell and he said to him, sir. We have looked everywhere for silver. We cannot find silver. The only silver that we can find is in the statute of the saints in the Cathedral, which give rise to the magnificent court from Cromwell when he said well let us melt the saints and put them in circulation and before God can use his men before God can use his woman before God can put his servants into use and into circulation. God has to put them through a meltdown. I can tell you truthfully this day that many of us saints have been sitting as statues and cathedrals for pool all God is not been able to use you. God is not been able to make you effective. God is not been able to get service out of use simply because you are satisfied to be asked to enter Cathedral instead of a silver coin in circulation and the reason God was able to use men like Elijah. The reason why God was able to use women like Esther is because they were willing to step forward, there were willing to get out of their comfort zone. There were willing to be used of God that were willing to be melted down for Jesus to tell you a word about King Ahab before I get back to larger, I cannot leave him out. It is very important.

It is not pop up again and again is an important element in the series I have probably was the most wicked King in his room and talk about the kingdom of Israel. The northern kingdom is after Solomon remembered was split. Judah was in the southern kingdom, Israel, the 10 tribes were up in the north. He was the most wicked king that Israel had that was not his only problem he married a woman from Sidon she's the daughter of the king aside modern-day Lebanon who was more wicked than he was the best possible he had another problem. It was a first-class wimp didn't have a spine and him this.

Another problem Jezebel had a superior mind to that of her husband. Jezebel had a superior intensity that her husband Jezebel had a superior strategy than that of her husband. Jezebel had almost superior dry that her husband, in fact, some people have named Jezebel the Lady Macbeth of the Old Testament. I thought that he knew better than his forefathers.

So instead of marrying a godly Jewish woman he went out and married a worshiper of bail, the God of the Phoenician and tried to use my imagination.

How I have rationalized this and probably while he was dating Jezebel. He was a boy just wait until I marry her. Israel is going to gain a new convert wait until I'm she'll be part of Israel. How can she go to church with me, she will have no choice but to tell you something that seldom happens. I want to tell you further that you can do anything you want to do as long as you know, that the Scripture could not be clearer on this matter that you must not be equally yoked. This was in Paul's suggestion.

This was not Paul's idea was merely telling us what the whole Bible is telling us Paul was merely telling us what the holy God said to his people not to marry a nonbeliever. Jezebel was an intense worship of bail. So instead of he converting she converted him and is often the case, she was worshiping the God of the Phoenicians and their worship bail bail was a symbol of Satan and God told his people when they come out of Egypt into the promised land.

He asked him to do one thing he said when you go there. He said why Bob bail wipe out the worship is about.

That was God's judgment upon those who refuse to believe in him. But what did the people of God do they danced with bail and the worshipers of bail.

They did not obey God, and they lost the privilege as God's people once and for all and forever.

And that is why, in the fullness of time, God sent his son, the Lord Jesus Christ and now the church is the chosen people. Burial was a God of power without righteousness. Bail was the God of lust without love. There wasn't moral and immoral God bearer was like the force in the Star Wars SQL. He had a good start and had a bad sign and the people forever confused which side they were dealing with please him the right I want to tell you this and comes from my heart. There is a little bail and every one of our hearts. There's a little shrine in every one of our hearts and God has been telling you to deal with it know God is not telling you to pray about it is not fast about it is not telling you to read books about it is not telling you to understand the background to it and how you came what you are God wants it exterminated you know what it is.

Maybe the plus that has not been conquered. Maybe the lying spirit that forever shading the truth may be a habit that you need to overcome maybe a relationship that has no place in your life. God has been saying to you deal with it did with those little bales deal with those little shrines destroy them. For if you do what Israel did they make keep on tolerating it. Keep on feeding it.

Keep working with it. It could prove to be your undoing. Little bales in our lives like the gas leak in the room and it keeps leaking just a little bit every day in a little bit every day until it's ignited a spark will send the room to flame. And that's exactly what happened. Israel that's exactly what happened in Israel for years the Israelites floated with bail and worshipers of bail and when Jezebel came from Felicia bringing her gods of bail. The whole nation plunged into immorality. Elijah the man who came from nowhere and whose name means Jehovah is my God you remember on the cross Jesus. It is really really know much about the name and people said is he calling upon Elijah. No Elijah's name means Jehovah is my God and he was given an awesome task limiting something I will.

I thought about this knowing that I would have easily taken this responsibility, God gave him an awesome task of confronting a morality uncompromising the nation have gotten them to do. It will look at verse one. He comes in and he confronts the evil in society by confronting the leadership using societies are like fish. They rock from the head down. There is no home. There is no business there is no organization there is no church. There is no nation that will rise above its leadership. Elijah looks at a company says, as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except that my word and then the wants of something very curious to Elijah wicked after he went and delivered his message God said now go hide yourself books generous east of the Jordan you will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there. Some of your wanderings who know about the rain. What is a Jew we see the land of Israel got about 1/50 of an inch of you every morning that kept all the vegetation that coated the grass and recorded all the greenery that would give the greater life if it were not for the Jews, there would be no vegetation. Everything will die in the mind of God said there will be no due no rain for years. Why the prove that Jehovah is the living God and not bail of the Phoenicians. Now imagine Elijah taking this message and going. The thing I have in there in the court. Jezebel was sitting in all of bail profits. The cheap imported from Lebanon that she brought from Felicia and they were all sitting. Elijah walks in and he makes a pronouncement God before whom I stand, that's what literally means there will be no rain. I can imagine after Elijah left the pub looked at each other and laughed. Who is this politically incorrect Yahoo.

He probably smelt bad move bedrest bad talk bad as he think he is going to tell you something that in line for too long, because within a short period of time they were looking for him everywhere but they could not find hypo God was hiding.

Elijah, please listen when God hides you, you are here. When God protects you, you are protected when God shelters you your sheltered when God's user you are shield to be afraid when you are God's hiding places.

God commanded Elijah to hide.

I think the average person's sees this as a weatherman God gave him a message to preach and then the next thing those ideas it doesn't make sense.

That's perplexing. That's right, I will explain something to you, God's hiding places are always a preparation for greater things to come. God's hiding places of all was for greater service to follow, but often our hiding places are puzzling. Often our hiding places a perplexing and I have no doubt at this time Elijah was perplexed with this word from the Lord, saying, Lord, you made me a prophet you call me to proclaim and then you tell it to hide.

Go hide yourself eastward. This was a perplexing command that I want to tell you something else. It was also a purposeful command whenever God is preparing a man or a woman to do great things for him. Invariably he sends him hiding in his hiding places. Joseph goes from being his daddy's favorite boy to the pit.

The part of his house to the present why God was hiding him there so he can become the Prime Minister of Egypt. Moses grew up in all lecturing of Pharaoh's palace ends up in the wilderness in the desert.

How come God was hiding him there.

Esther was hidden from the senior site. While she hiding for so long because of the right time God is going to help us save the nation, our Lord himself head in Nazareth for 30 years until the time came when the father said okay go now. Well you Messiah ship will often encounter the living Christ.

The risen Christ on the road to Damascus because the northern Arabia and he hides there for nearly 3 years is is there a word from the Lord for me in this. Yes to everyone of us. Some of you young mothers with young babies if you like you've been hidden from view because of your responsibility alive seem to be consistent, of one feeding off another one feeling after another, one diaper after about the wonders command Providence.

You there in that place what is God saying to you. God is hiding you there, so that he can do something in your life during that time, there are some shut-ins were listening to us and under hearing this and he said I feel from view.

God is hiding you there for a purpose.

Some of you feel that God is hiding you in the job and you long to break away and get away and move not seem to be hiding you there is hiding you there for a purpose. Some of you were single people long to get married and you are sitting by the brook Sheriff and you say what you doing here God and God says I'm hiding you there for a purpose. Some of you in certain places in your business where you have not been able to see the way out of trouble for some time.

You're working hard and you're wondering what is God doing in my life is hiding you there, for the purpose God will hide you somewhere in the short run until you are ready for what he will do with you. Write this down that the word for God commanded Elijah's servant, he said you going hide. I want to confess to you because just in case you think I'm preaching at your conic infestation that the hiding times in my life of frustrating times, there were perplexing times they seem to me to be purposeless, but you know as I look back and see the hand of God working this purpose are now can rejoice when you have a word with you who have never been in one of God's hiding places. Listen carefully. If you have not been there in God's hiding places. God wants to send you there if you will ever use you. He wants to send you God use you without sending you for a time in his hiding place. God wants everyone of us to have it Sheriff in our lives. Why, because only there he can walk his purpose out a new there. God often works both inwardly and outwardly, he works outwardly because there is nobody else can understand you there.

You have not booked to cheer you up there, you have no friend to relate to their Elijah was at the bottom of the ravine east of the Jordan.

And it is quite a desolate place. There is nothing there but the rocks some trees, some dripping water but don't underestimate these because, as Elijah looked at the rock he learned about the rock of his salvation when he saw the trees. He remembered the words of the psalmist about the tree is planted by the living water as he saw the dripping of the river. He remembered that from his breathing will flow rivers of living water, but you see, God also does and would work in you when you are in one of those hiding places when you are insurance God is doing something inwardly something happened to Elijah inwardly, because in verse one we see him introduce as Elijah the Tisha bike and you go down skipping the verse 24 and there you see the widows that affect a bail worship, a Gentile, calling him the mind of God.

God did something inwardly in Elijah's life.

God can do something inwardly with you when you are in his hiding places. Whether God do with a larger and that hiding place. He kept peeling all the layers that Elijah had because he wanted to get down to the real Elijah is like peeling an onion and you take a lay off tears come down and think another layoff in the tears come down if they can have a layoff.

Tears come down some of you are trying to hold onto these layers, but God wants to get to the real you and the only way he can do this but you cannot do a projection of who you are not your perception of who you are not the public.

You not doubt you, but the real you. That's what God wants to get down to remind me of the young man who visited an elderly monk in a cave in the young man asked that elderly monk is said that what you do here. You fight with the devil. Do you wrestle with the devil and holding his own. I don't do that is what you do should I wrestle with God and the young man was perplexed as he was confused surprisingly so well you hoping to win his own. I want to lose. I will loose its like Jacob in the Valley of Job, who wrestled with God until he lost it larger was wrestling with God until Elijah lost and only then can he expect God's hand of blessing upon him, only then Elijah can move from being a Lodge of the Tisha bike being Elijah the man of God. This command to Elijah was perplexing. It was purposeful, but also thoroughly. It was a place of provision.

Whenever you are in God's hiding place.

You can be sure about one thing is going to care of you psalmist set up in young now mold of never seen the righteous forsaken of his children before Brent, whenever you are in God's hiding places. His shadow is over you, God had the most unusual catering service for Elijah, but part of God's provision was natural.

The other part was super natural drumming brothers God said to Elijah you going drink from the brook that is natural and then he said to him, I am going to command the ravens to come and bring your bread and meat in the morning and then bring your bread and meat in the evening that a supernatural those of you don't know anything about ravens. They are ravenous birds.

They eat everything in sight, and then some more then unknown to even starve very young to feed themselves. Talk about supernatural. These were vultures, kind of birds in your God used him to bring Elijah bread and meat in the morning bread and meat at night. I wanted him to write on getting close. Here don't want to miss this when you are in God's protection program.

God can make the mean godless person kind to you when you are in God's hiding program. He would use the most unusual catering service to take care of you when you are financially faithful to the Lord. He will make the little much.

I have been there. I know what I'm telling you to be true, but I don't want you to miss verse seven verse seven first Kings 17. After while in God's hiding place and Sheriff letter by the brook. The brook dried up. Have you thought about this. Elijah became a victim of his own success. Elijah was suffering with the rest of the nation.

Where is God's.

Have you ever suffered because your faithful to God and have you ever taken a stand and everybody seems to get mad at you and all about that, but I want to tell you again that all kinds of books sometime dryer business Brooks dryer Martha Brooks dryer academic Brooks dryer up ministry Brooks dryer what God is saying you when that happens is this don't be anxious, don't worry because I am planning to do greater things, God sent Elijah from Drive brook to a veil worshiping widow and side effects to take care of him sometime God says go to Terrace and hide with me when you come out you will be more than you have ever been in his a question I pray to God that this question will haunt every one of you today will haunt me. Are you willing are you willing or are you so fearful that your frozen in place of God the Holy Spirit has spoken to you whether you are and Sheriff were out of it. If God's voice have spoken to you from his word. It is my earnest request that you respond say Lord I know you peeling these layers and they hurt, but I know your plan for me is for good, not for evil. Are you afraid to obey him get to Terrace because of uncertainty say Lord God will go whatever you take me because I know you going to be there. Some of you have never committed your life to Jesus Christ in all of our church. You have a vague idea about God you have never really had that intense and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus in the spirit of God speaking to you today and say I wanted to turn to me, I brought you here for a purpose you not here by accident. I wanted to hear my voice, I might've place to where you are, so I can get your ears when you say Lord Jesus, I come to you.

Forgive me of my sins is the only Savior and you will be the only Lord in my life. When you do that precious loving heavenly father. You know our hearts. You know us inside out and therefore when we come to you. We can be nothing but the real us and therefore Lord, we pray the Holy Spirit will come in reveal you to us a fresh teacher still value not to fear you father we stand before you, knowing that you as our only hope. The only hope individually in this church in this nation and we hung out in Jesus name,