
Empowered
Empowered
Life Lessons Devotional Series, Friday April 28, 2023
Scripture: 17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
Life Lesson: The prophetic utterance is not man made or of mankind’s initiative, it is the divinely led, God inspired message of the Lord to restrain evil, edify the Church and to bring glory to God.
– Elijah stood before the king of Israel and announced the judgement of God without reservation or hesitation.
– The message was delivered by Elijah, however make no mistake, the message itself was from the Lord! Elijah said that the message he spoke was as certain as the fact that God lives! Elijah was not hoping that the message would come true, he knew with certainty that it would.
– This is the difference between messages that come for the human heart and messages that come from the Lord; every word from the Lord will prove to be true! The prophetic word is not a matter of if but when it will happen.
– Some today believe that such spiritual gifts are not longer at work in the people of God, however the Bible clearly teaches the continuation of spiritual gifts, 1 Cor. 12: 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” The Bible tells us, Rom. 11: 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”
– Church, we must be as bold and unapologetic as the prophet Elijah was in declaring the message of the Lord today! This world is filled with wickedness, violence and depravity and is in desperate need of the prophetic word of God! It must be boldly declared within the church to turn the hearts of God’s people back to faith! It must be shouted in the streets to warn all who have ears to hear to flee the coming judgment!
– God’s Word will never fail and we who believe must not fail in our call to declare it! But let me say it again, we must not speak from our own convictions but from the leading of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to put His Word in your heart and in your mouth as you study God’s Word and to give you boldness in declaring it, Acts 4:29!