AFRAID?

Here are seven true facts. Of course there are much more but these are fine with me for now!

• Fact 1: Terrorism still lives on. For example…Bin Laden’s death – may mean little for Al-Qaeda’s capabilities.
• Fact 2: The Middle East crisis will escalate into something no man or organisation can handle. This is an extremely hard period for Israel.
• Fact 3: Catastrophic times are ahead. The Nipah brain damaging virus in South India, the Volcano in Hawaii, Famines, wars, natural calamities and a huge financial meltdown that is going to affect nations like dominoes in a row.
• Fact 4: And don’t forget the nuclear threat. Many of today’s leaders have no moral issues. If they truly have the bomb, poison gas, viruses or whatever…then nothing would stop any of them to threaten and use that anywhere, anytime!
• Fact 5: Vague doctrines, and the twisted thoughts of men are being fed to the Church by False Teachers who claim special revelation from God.
• Fact 6: Our morals are gone out of the window. There is no honour left towards the old and especially parents.
• Fact 7: All this needs to usher in an intense and prolonged season of prayer for the Church of Jesus.

Afraid? I am!

Well not ‘afraid’ afraid actually, because my trust and hope is in the Lord always. But afraid in the sense that our lives are so very frail. Therefore, our day-to-day living needs to become more God centred and Biblically solidified that ever before.

Let me repeat the two important points I make this morning…

• ..it is time to make serious decisions whether you go on in God…or stay where you are!
• ..today is the day to sort out your priorities in life and become diligent in building His House.

Putting it plainly…in the midst of this wicked, rebellious and self-righteous world, it is time to clean up your life, straighten out your attitudes, and walk in the humility that God so requires, striving to do His will for you.

I’m looking at what was said to us last Sunday, 1Ki 17:1-3 KJV

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

I am immediately struck with two thoughts that I’d like to bring you this morning.

My first thought is that God has the divine ability to take us from fruitfulness to barrenness in a matter of moments. Ahab consistently and continually disobeyed God. In fact the Bible says the Ahab did more unrighteous acts than any of his predecessors who had been kings, and provoked the Lord! Tell me…what kind of a society we live in today? Does this affect the Church? Oh yes it does! David Wilkerson said that the Church is married to the world! Hard words…for the Church of today, but true words nevertheless.

If any Christian consistently and continuously disobeys the Word and walks in his own ways despite the voice and the directions of a loving God, then what ruin can come to him, and how quickly?

We are in a serious time and need to take serious steps with serious decisions.

Secondly, not only, God has the divine ability to take us from fruitfulness to barrenness in a matter of moments…but God has a way of ‘hiding’ His people from the calamities that are coming. Elijah was told to hide himself. That means no one could find him, except God! No one knew where he was except God! And God would sustain him miraculously for that season.  It also means God knew where to reach him and how to keep him despite the devastation around him.

So it is with the Christian who walks in obedience, humility and a gutsiness to do the Father’s will. There is Divine protection, Divine sustenance and the Divine Presence of God to keep you through the storm.

We are living in such a season. Things can happen overnight. Governments can topple, stock exchanges can wobble and banks can go bust. This can happen anytime at anyplace, no nation is secure.

Afraid? I am indeed!

If you so refuse to do what God says and choose to walk your own way, you’d better be afraid!