God is your source

Let Faith Prevail- by Mike Evans
Jerusalem Prayer Team
"Do you sometimes feel that your needs exceed your supply? Do you run out of money before you run out of bills? Do you feel physically drained? Are you afraid of emotional bankruptcy? Do you feel like you are spiritually starving? Again, whatever your need, God is your Source, and His provision is perfect!

First Kings 17 shows how God brought a drought to the land of Israel to punish Ahab, the King of Israel, for his wickedness. The drought lasted for 3 ½ years, and it resulted in a great famine. Yet, despite the shortage of food and water, God took care of Elijah. He told the prophet, “And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (1 Kings 17:4).

God used birds to feed Elijah, and He supplied water from a small stream. If you are facing a famine in your life, take heart! God has not forgotten you! He will meet your needs, even if He has to use birds and brooks! The famine that hit Israel lasted a long time and was devastating. You may feel devastated by your circumstances today. You may have a serious shortage in your finances. You may feel pressured, worried, and upset. You may have unmet emotional needs, and as a result, you feel depressed and alone. You may be experiencing a physical setback through sickness, disease, mishap, or outright catastrophe. You can live in fear—or, you can turn your attention to the Source.

When you have calamity in your life, you can do one of two things: You can turn to God and learn from the experience, or you can give in to fear, worry, and unbelief.

If you permit fear and doubt to dominate your thinking in times of need, you will be unable to receive the provision God has for you. The dry period will escalate into a full-blown famine. You must be on guard during the dry times, or you will be overwhelmed by your own needs. When famine comes, you cannot talk yourself into abundance or bargain your way out of debt. Famine will drain you of your life, energy, hope, joy, finances, and health.

Elijah's attitude was to focus on God's goodness and mercy, making the best of his situation and learning from this experience. He refused to let fear and unbelief dominate his thoughts. Instead, he was grateful to God. When there is a famine in the land, the Holy Ghost can assist you in being able to demonstrate an attitude filled with gratitude, peace, and joy.

Elijah trusted God to meet all his needs and, as a result, goodness, mercy, signs, wonders, and miracles followed. Elijah had faith that prevailed. What about you? You can lose—or you can win. You can prevail—or you can fail. The choice is yours."

The voice of God

God comes so quietly to Abraham and promises him a son. God makes Himself known to Elijah by a still  small voice  He calls young Samuel  late  night  in the quietness.  He also says " Be still and know that I am God".
He calls no attention to Himself . There is no  voice blaring from heaven over a huge loudspeaker. God sends a message to a teenage girl that she will have a baby  and that she will name him Jesus. The Savior is born and then his ministry is in small forgotten country  in the small corner next to  a Roman empire. He has time for women and children and lays his hands on miserable people who live in  dirty places. He is telling us that the Kingdom of God is like a hidden treasure. He who wants God will have to desire to find Him. Jesus does not come marching down the streets with bands playing, flying flags, dressed in the king's clothes, waving to a jubilant crowd. He does not come marching in the front of legions of angels to impress us with His strength.
He rebukes the evil spirits who recognized Him as the Holy One of God  and tells them to be quiet. He is not showing off.  Jesus never tries to  impress anyone with Himself.
He has lots of power people never had seen before, He heals every sickness, raises the dead ones to life, orders the storm and wind to calm down, comes in God's authority to forgive  sin. He is somebody. He is the king. He knows the truth. If anyone was to brag about himself , He should be the first one to have the  right to, yet  He does not blow a trumpet before Him.

Even His brothers said "Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!  You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!" John 7; 3-4
Why is He so humble ? As a King He had a right to enter Jerusalem on a horse, but no... He rides a donkey. He doesn't choose  influential theologians but very simple people to be His apostles. He is not a nationalistic deliverer. Not the one  how most Jews imagined. He is not throwing lightnings to show His power. He is not going to enforce His rule over anybody. His message is righteousness and peace. Why is He not coming to demonstrate His power like many expected of the Messiah?
Then we would only admire Him for His power and we would admire Him in a crowd. As`somebody already said" We would only wave to Him. We could never get close to Him. But the thing we need is to be recognized." Not to have a Savior to admire from the distance but to get close to Him and have a personal relationship with Him. Otherwise we would be lost in the crowd. Religious people whose life was only their 'religion'  but not close relationship with God  wanted Him to show powerful signs in order to believe Him that He is the Messiah. Jesus refused. That was not the way. 

He said " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11;29

 You have to humble yourself to come to God. He is opposing the pride. He doesn't want to impress you with miracles but wants your faith!
He doesn't want  you   just to watch Him in the crowd but  to be close to Him. He wants to be your   personal Savior!

He shows utter humility at the end of His life. He takes the cross to die on.  " He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter."
He doesn't protest when Roman soldiers come after Him, He doesn't try to run away or deliver Himself from the cross. He hears the others saying;

"You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" Matthew 27;40

He does not open his mouth. We would think it is a weakness. Jesus does not submit because He has no other way out.

" Don't you realize that I could appeal to my Father and He would at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels to defend Me?"

 He also said about his life; "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again."
John 10;18

Somebody said " He dies to save the world  that does not want to be saved. He forgives sins and yet a few want to be forgiven. He brings a peace that continually will be abused."
 The world still doesn't care much what happened  on the cross and  doesn't feel the need to be forgiven. We tend to rely on  ourselves. But if we could save ourselves the cross would not be needed.  Jesus wouldn't have to come to deliver us.
 We say, we have no time for Jesus, we have our own business. We forget He is the author of life. You are not living out of your own power- even if it seems so to you. Your life is in God's hands.
  God gave  all the judgement all to His Son. And His Son could say "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" Matthew 28;18
Jesus is the One who will call your name either to everlasting life with Him or  to pitiful judgement and  death.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." John 5;25
v.28 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice "

If you ever wondered how you could hear God and make your life right with Him, come to the cross. " God's forgiveness  is a very costly gift. A gift which cost Him unimaginable pain and anguish a gift which cost Jesus unbearable  suffering and death." He gave Himself for you!