Clinging to the Promises of God

Dr. Michael you sent. I want to tell you most assuredly that whenever you bring your effort into alignment with God's will is for your life you will whenever you fulfill the confession of the promise.

I want to tell you safely playbook from thank you for joining Dr. Michael you Seth for leaving the way audio Peer into the life of Elijah see how trusted God and be challenged to cling to God's promises to experience victory in one of our life brings you today if you'd like to know more about leading the way and how to stand with Dr. you Seth, perhaps even becoming one of his front-line mission partners give us a call 866-626-4356 or visit LTW.org. More later.

Right now though Dr. Michael you set with the message he's called clinging to the promises of God.

We (the word of God first Kings chapter 18 beginning of verse 41 and here were going to say a larger clinging to the promises of God. Psalm of God's promises are conditional promises by the other man the fulfillment of these promises depend on something that I have to do you have to do, but under other promises are unconditional promises.

Second, I wanted to remember this, some of God's promises are personal promises there limited to one person at a given time.

But then there are other promises that for all believers all the time now. Have you found first anxiety, and here immediately following the magnificent event that incredible supernatural event incredible intervention of God while fire falling from heaven supernatural that looked everything inside stones and words and sacrifice of water right after that month, illogical string. I have verse 41 is home quickly because the rain is in the forecast. If I would translated literally might not make sense. But here's how it sounds I hear the feet of rain approaching has exceeded by faith here herded by faithfully, literally, doesn't really matter goes down to eat and drink what is the mind of God go. He goes up to Mount caramel in order to meet you on the promises that God has given him. He went up to pray. Listen carefully place the promises of God plus prayer of the fulfillment of the promises of God. Let me put it another way, keeping the condition of the conditional promises of God. Plus, trusting that God will fulfill equal intervention in the fulfillment of God's promises.

The promises of God are always certain, always for them are not mature not nice. I have often said that when God makes a promise faith has to believe it anticipates and in patients awaits. I'm going to make a confession. I know the Bible so confessed one another and I will confess to you publicly when it comes to God's promises.

I'm okay with that. Where even when it comes to believing it well.

I'm okay with that too. And even when it comes to hope anticipates it a little harder but I can go along with that, but I have the hardest time with the last one patients quietly awaits it. I want to tell you I have calluses on my hands for pounding on the doors of heaven.

Back to that because I want to I want to be faithful to the text I have to deal with what kind of a promise of God make to Elijah's revenue text can you find God made him a conditional promise.

Where is less a conditional promise. He was there as fast with that widow and God said to him, go down, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send the rain that is a conditional promise. God is saying. Elijah, if you do that I will send the rain. Remember, it hasn't rained for 3 1/2 years, but Elijah's obedience was a condition of the fulfillment of God's promise. There are so many promises in the Scripture that are conditional promises I find myself frustrated when I see Christians are confused about this issue running around claiming the promises of God. Listening to those memory of them claiming the blabbing of them grabbing that preachers and when it doesn't happen again devastated as I was, what is happening is that you have not understood the biblical principle here, you have not understood how God works.

Most Christians today love to play in the promises of God, but they want this. The conditions God must be true to his word.

God sent those things in motion and here's not going to change the Bible said so and you reap what you saw is what you reap in kind.

The Bible said you will be given unto you. Now, of course, is a period of waiting between the time you show the time you read.

I'm noticing a farmer going out there and digging the seed to see how is doing. To be sure there is a time and sometimes there are setbacks but I will tell you they are as true as God's own word that if you so you will read the kind of things that you will so you will read and if you so caulking I've never seen the formal circle and reap wheat or corn. If he says we think it's wheat if you so Scott gets caulking this picking and choosing what I believe this and I'll believe this, but I'm not gonna believe this, I'm ready to go this week or somehow Fargo is going to go away as the cafeteria Christians on a pick and choose understood no longer kowtowing to pick this year like this, not a like this model like this.

I despise you like God's word is one word for you about this is out of the three sisters who went to waiting for the first on their little bit the wedding before when they come home from the wedding.

They decided to play wedding day one was going to be the bright yellow is going to the groom and the others going to the minister and as a bride and the groom, role-playing here so standing next to each other. The minister wasn't playing the role of the minister. She said to the bride and she said would you take this man, for richer or for poorer little dresses for richer, how like adults, we pick and choose one to believe that Barbara don't believe that part Proverbs 3516 is a conditional promise. The Bible said that if you commit your ways to the Lord. He will bring it to pass. If you want to pilot your own ship your own way and then when you get into trouble you cry out to the Lord, Lord, why blessing.

My plan when I have violated the condition of the promise. I should not expect the fulfillment of it. First John 19 is often rattled by combo Christians. Almost like just dialing 911 you trouble. Just dial 190. Since I didn't realize at first John one not. I just noticed, Christians don't have any which way they want to live. And then it just gets my first John one is if you confess your sins sure it's a conditional promise. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Is there but I confess all the time. Now you don't let confessions without determination to change is a cheap repentance that does not obligate God to forgive confession must include a decision to forsake some of God's promises are not only conditional but they are personal promises. There are personal promises under our universal promises. This promise here for Elijah was a personal promise made for a specific person for a specific period of time, you will make a mistake you get into trouble when you try to make a personal promise to be a universal promise.

Now you understand the principle you see how God works in you say will now Lord, I want you to speak to me in this way you can learn from that. And that's what we doing this whole series, see understanding how God works. We often think that we somehow have to spend hours in prayer convincing God that he should bless what you're trying to accomplish.

Instead of spending hours in prayer, trying to discern what is God's will in my life.

I want to tell you most assuredly that when ever you bring your effort into alignment with God's purpose for your life you will be blessed of God's word on Elijah understood that when ever prayer aligned with obedience, together with the promises of God. He was going to see an answer to his prayer.

Whenever you fulfill the condition of the promise. I want to tell you this is the true naming of them claiming whenever you fulfill the condition of the problems you can safely claim the promise of God will give it, God cannot lie. He cannot deny himself. Now, if you're spending many a night on the side of your bed instead of sleeping in it. I want to tell you. Listen to me. I'm going to tell you from the heart of experience instead of sitting on the side of your bed asking God for what you want, save the time. Save the energy and begin to ask him what does he want. I have went down to eat and drink, but electric went up to me you on the promises of God. Both men saw the hand of God working mightily.

Men saw the power of God manifested, together with the thousands upon thousands of people, both men experience the greatest supernatural intervention since exit us one went down in a brutish and animalistic way to eat and drink in the other went up in humility before God, clinging to the promises of God. You know I hear people say we just see more miracles in our day, people will believe I'd tell you they will not submit to you that the miracles happening all around us every day. The spiritually blind will not believe in will not see even if it is done in the most magnificent way to remember Jesus telling the story of Lazarus and the rich man that is not a parable that is a true story.

Jesus Christ who preexisted with the father before the foundation of the world telling us a true happening this man referred to as the rich man was Amanda self-centered. He didn't have a thought of God never thought of God's kingdom. He thought only of himself.

His successes discomfort and Jesus said there was a man by the name of Lazarus who trusted God he didn't have a thing in the world, but he believed God. He put his trust in God and both died. One went to heaven and one went to hell and after a few moments, and hello want to tell you some encouragement turn out to be a great evangelist of the few moments of torment yelled out, the father Abraham his father Abraham. He said he thought that his ethnicity he felt that his Jewishness was going to get into heaven. So he call out to Abraham, the father of the Jewish studies at father only finally realize that it is too late.

Please send Lazarus let them rise from the dead, so that my family would believe and not come to this place of development.

Remember what Jesus said Abraham told him he said if they don't believe the Bible even if somebody would rise from the dead, they will not believe there were miracles right before I did not scratch his heart.

The spiritual blindness was there miracle made no difference.

The something else here that I want to tell you about the largest prayer when a larger went up to prayer Mount caramel. He prayed specifically right can you find it. There is no prayer recorded here is not recorded in this passage listen, the Holy Spirit, who is the author of the Bible from beginning to end, does not recorded in first Kings 18 but he records it in James chapter 5 verse 17 listen to it. Elijah was a man just like us and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for 3 1/2 years, and again he made in heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. That's where you find it when you think Elijah was praying all God bless everybody everywhere.

Go to sleep, so most Christians do. I am convincing my heart.

She was praying all you promised me that if I start you will send the rain I got to keep your promise for you know why prayer is such a burden to so many Christians I want tell you why, because of the ambiguity of our prayer.

The so many Christians will look upon prayer as a task all the hard work of prayer we feel the tasks to heavy wind up praying that prayer. God bless everyone everywhere in men another. Some Christians out of false sense of reverence. Even though there are afraid to be specific with God. I hope I put an end to this fallacy because when Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10 verse 30 that the hairs on your head accountant does not mean that he simply knows how many he knows that when he said there are numbered, meaning that he knows hair that fell in the brush when you brush your hair this morning that he has chronological records over every one of your hair and if God is not specific in details with you. You need to be that specific and be dealt with him as much as I'm not big on details. I want to tell you what it comes to prayer. You better find a different Michael because I pray specifically and in details. Elijah prayed specifically but he also prayed obediently. He also prayed clinging to the promises of God and then he prayed persistently is a part that's a challenge for me. Jesus taught that it is not the length of prayer is not the language of prayer is not the posture of prayer, whether you kneeling or standing on your head or whatever, but it is the persistency prayer that he taught again and again in the Scripture.

I confess to you, I don't understand everything about persistence in prayer, but I know that it is the word of God, and I told him to get back to the subject of my greatest challenge patient's perseverance. Persistence is always too conflicting for me, but I seldom bring your message before God has already penetrated deep into the will of my soul and this is no exception to Jesus said in Luke chapter 18 we told about the woman who persisted with the unjust judge because that woman was breathing on his door and beating on his door finally said well I might not be a godly person but I will answer her because of her persistence, Jesus himself in Gethsemane.

He persisted in prayer regarding the will of the father.

This outer Phoenician woman who came to the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of her daughter.

She persisted in prayer until Jesus answered don't know everything about persistence in prayer. I really don't. But everywhere in the Scripture where you encounter the biblical teaching about persistence in prayer.

It is there is something I see in the Scripture somehow that persistence in prayer and the promises of God belong to give, talk about personal desires or wants. I'm talking about God's promises.

How did Elijah persist in prayer. Look at it there. Marketing your Bible verse 43 foot persistence mixture that verse. He sent his servants to look for cloud and he didn't send him once he didn't send them twice. He didn't send three times.

He didn't send them four times.

He sent them seven times after the first time he could've given up after the second time he could've said, or God is not going to answer me after the first time he could've said well you know I have enough victory for one day after the fourth time he could've said all I must have misunderstood God's promises after the system began to doubt God after the sixth time not become angry with God as so many of your but he was persistent in prayer.

Even to the service time so we prayed specifically prayed obediently. He prayed clinging to the promises of God. He prayed persistently and then he also prayed expectantly. He believed with all of his heart that God is going to keep his word and that's why he kept sending his servant seven times he really did he believe that God is going to do it and if you would have been shocked if God didn't you know why he was expecting that you can tell because as soon as the servant came back and he said well there's a piece of cloud in the sky as big as a man's hand and literally can also mean as a heel of the foot of a man is the same thing. It's a tiny cloud you know what Elijah was doing that's expected in prayer. He was handing out umbrellas know if you look at this passage real close leave in the notice of Elijah would've been absolutely surprised his wits.

If God did not suspect many of us were praying and praying price would go to answer prayer with which are so surprised, not Elijah. That is why we are reading about Elijah.

Why because he persisted in prayer because he was not surprised when God answered his prayer phone that I wanted to notice one thing here when God fulfilled his promise. Elijah stayed humble before God. I have seen it in the Christian community.

The some Christians who don't know how to handle victory they can handle a crisis but somehow they can handle victory can handle blessings I've seen others swing when victory and blessing come they begin to take credit for. Well, it was my hard work. It was so and so and it was there so that was that nothing others who often victory in a blessing come report natural face on it. It would have happened anyway. Please listen carefully you do not need to be a great theologian to know that this kind of attitude does not honor God. Elijah after the victory. He tucked his cloak and he ran before King. I know you might've missed it because he got understand this is an act of humility is an act of submission in the Middle East. When you run before the king is a form of subordinating yourself to the king is also hey listen, illogical, said I got.

I have exactly what I wanted. I got to Monroe said listen, I have you around. And amen.

What he didn't because Elijah was adamant that everybody must know that this great is God's not Elijah's master. This what are you doing with the conditional promises of are you refusing to keep your end of the bargain rationalizing why you refusing to keep the condition of the promise or have you simply just given up your listening to leading the way with Dr. Michael you sent in your life. Gonna get sideways. Have you walked away from God and his promises. Maybe you'd like to talk with someone about your spiritual journey. Just reach out and began my conversation with one of the leading the way pastors fill out a contact form at LTW.Ord/Jesus, as we close out today's leading the way we want to take just a moment with Dr. you set right here and asking about his new book it's called never get that back to you set how will this book encourage people who may feel weary and discouraged or even burned out. How will it help them in their spiritual walk. This book never give up. It doesn't matter where you are in the spectrum whether you are encouraged or discouraged. Whether you are experiencing victory and dominion or you are not. This book is going to give you the foundational biblical foundational that will anchor your life. Your decision-making in your thoughts and even your ministry. It will anchor the forward of the book written by one of the great Christian leaders, in my judgment in America.

After all, as Hawkins and he said that a few times and all of the years of his ministry that he seen books that can really impact an individual like this book impacted him and that's why he wrote the forward so it will encourage you regardless of where you are on the face spectrum get your copy out never give up. Wherever books are sold or you can call leading the way. 866-626-4356 866-626-4356 and of course you can order securely. LTW.LTW.meeting, the rate is listener supported lying on your prayers and your financial support to passionately proclaim the uncompromising God's word in your neighborhood neighborhood like it doing that next time edition leading the way