Famine | Elder Rosalind Ang

You're listening to a passage to go from at church.

We hope this passage will light up your day.

So I want to share a word. How many of

you were with me when I shed on the Book

of Chronicles? Chronicles? Are not many of you are? Okay?

Never mind? Today we want to go into the Book

of Kings. Yeah, yeah, okay. Where is Kings? Old Testament

or New Testament? Oh? Okay? Only the friend people are

black people? Are you you know? Okay? Never mind? Number

I cannot reach you a lot like that. Okay, it's okay.

Just track along with me, okay. So I'm gonna go

into a story of this guy called Elijah, Elijah, Elijah

and elijahs yeah, gotda gotta Okay, I'm not talking about you, okay.

In case your name is Elijah, all right, okay, So

what do you know of Elijah? Let me do a

quick quiz? All right? So was Elijah a king, a

priest or a prophet? Okay, who says he's a king?

Raise up your hand, king, king, king? Nobody, priest? He

was a great priest? Oh no ah, he was a prophet.

Oh okay. So you're not Elijah, lah right, okay? And

so we're gonna go right into where he first appeared

in the Bible. So this is the first mention of Elijah.

And before this, there's nothing written about him. There's no

family history except that you know, he came from this

tribe of tisch Bite, from the land of Gilead. That's

all we know about him from his beginning. Okay, all right,

so and yes, is there a famine? I think that's

my first slid xtv ah. Okay, is there a famine?

Is there a famine in your life? Right now? Whoa?

What kind of femine? Has anyone of you gone through

a famine? No? Right, I don't think any of us

have really gone through Okay, Well, I remember when I

was growing up, there was a period of no waterla

when I was living in Malecca, because Malecca had a

lot and from Malecca by the way, whoo those Malccans

and okay, also no water right to do? Uh? And

so there was a season in in that particular, you know,

period of my life where we used to have water

cuts all the time. Right, And it's all very stressful.

How how many of you would like to have a

water cut one day? One day? Nobody likes it right,

it's terrible, but this is a different kind of famine, right,

So think about it and and famine it speaks to

me of needs, right, It's not just famine of like

no food, but just neats in your life. Right. And

I believe in this day and ah, what we are

battling with the biggest famine battling this generation is the

famine of the word of God. Hey man, there is

no longer a desire of people to want to hear

God's work or even follow his word. That's why there's

a famine. Think about it. How many of you went

to God's word just the last week? Hmmm? That my

heart reflection? That my hot check, hot check. Okay. So

I believe there is a famine, and we're gonna read

a story where there is a famine that's gonna happen. Okay,

And so let's go to first King's Okay. And oh,

how many of you were here last week when other

people preache? Yes, all right, you'll remember him? Right? Favorite picture?

Did you bring your sort of the spirit? I love it?

Show me, show me, show me the sword of the spirit. Okay.

The rest of you didn't come equip with it? Never mind?

Am I give you a chance. Okay, so next week

you bring up bye. But if you don't have one,

go and buy. There is a bookstore. I think in

some way that's Christian bookstore. Go and grab a Bible.

If you don't know, you can't afford it, it's okay,

come to us, and we want to give you the

sort of this spirit. Amen. It's not just the Bible,

it's the word of God. Amen. And so okay, So

today what we're gonna do is we're gonna read a

scripture and if you brought your physical Bible, open it.

If you don't have, it's okay. You can go to

this app called you Version. Have you heard of you Version? Yes,

you can turn to that. I will ask XTV to

not flash it on the screen, okay, simply because I

want you to be reading God's word on your own.

Is that okay? All right? If you don't have you

don't know what's that? You're new to us, Hey you're

not your friend and say, hey, can share with me?

You know? Can I not? Can I not? Hey? We

have new friends amongst us, Like can you look around

and say, hey, you don't have a Bible? Is it?

Can I share with you, okay, Blair, all right, So

let's go to First Kings, chapter seventeen. First Kings Chapter seventeen.

We will be reading up to verse fifteen for now

we'll see how we go. Are you ready, oh one,

alexis ready church? Are you ready? Okay? Let's open the

Word of God and see what he says to us. Okay,

By the way, can I ask you what is the

role of a prophet? You told? You told me Elijah

is a prophet, right, So what is the prophet supposed

to do? PROPHETI okay, what is the what is the

end goal of a prophecy? Sorry? For it to come true?

Right?

For it to come true? And actually the role of

a prophet is a messenger? Right, and that means there

is a message for your church this morning? All right?

So let's read Elijah. Okay, I'm reading from the NKJV version.

So here it goes verse one, and Elijah, the tisch

bite of the inhabitants of Gilead said to a hap,

as the Lord, God of Israel lives before whom I step,

there shall not be due nor rain these years except

at my word. Then the word of the Lord came

to him, saying get away from here and turn eastward

and hide by the brook Sheriff, which flows into the Jordan.

And it will be that you shall drink from the brook.

And I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

So he went and did according to the word of

the Lord. For he went and stayed by the brook Cherith,

which flows into the Jordan. Verse six. The ravens brought

him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and

meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

And it happened after a while that the brook dried

up because there had been no rain in the land.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, arise,

go to Zaraphath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there.

See I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.

I'm gonna pause there. Okay, what is see your first

reaction when you read this? Okay, I want you to respond.

Think about it. Think about it as you're reading these

first nine verses. Usually when you read, you just read

and end. That's it, right, Okay. I need you to

use your brains this morning. Okay, ken, okay, onny passa

John bought his brains this morning, is it? Okay? Never mind?

What is your reaction when you've read the first nine verses?

The Lord provides? Okay, that's a quick one, a good one.

What else? What else? What else? What else? Just give

me your reaction. It doesn't have to be right or round.

Just give me your first reaction. Trust. Okay, thank you,

there's trust there. Okay, okay, what else? What else? One more?

One more? Faithfulness? Faithfulness? Okay? All right, good good, Okay.

At least your brains are meditating and chewing on the

world of God. This is what we means when we

chew on the word of God. Yeah, it means you

apply your mind. Okay, So you don't just read God's

word and let it go out, but you kind of

meditate on it. So we're gonna meditate on it a

little bit more now. You know. The first thing that

really struck me is quite crazy. Ela. Okay. First of all,

you recognize that out of nowhere, right there was this

man coming into the scene and he straightaway had access

to King ahm. Right, think about it, Think about it, poem.

Suddenly Ganjin is meeting the Prime Minister of Malaysia. That's

a scener. That's a setup. Right, so you must be

wondering what is this about this man Elijah? Okay, how

many of you know what Elijah has done or what

you remember about Elijah the Prophet? Tell me, tell me

anything that you remember or recall about Elijah. Yes, okay,

he raised the son of a widow. Yep, yep, good? Good?

What else? Sorry? I cannot hear that. Can you repeat

that he stopped the rain? Okay? He's okay, okay, yes, yes,

that's what we read, right, he just stopped Hey, this

is a powerful man, yes or not? He came to

if it comes to Subjay and he says there is

no rain for one week? Sub folks, how okay, you

won't welcome him so much, right, don't come here, don't

come here. Now. It's very interesting to recognize this man,

you know. He If you studied the character of Elijah,

you would know that he was a man who did

great things for God. Right. Do you know that he's

single handedly you know, not single handed? Well, he was

the one who caught down fire and defeated the prophets

of Bao. Remember that it's quite crazy, right, one man,

one man defeated the prophets of Bao, who were worshiping him.

Worshiping what am I talking about? It's okay, right, so

he defeated the prophets of Bao. Now he now had

access to king. Now I want to ask you. Was

King Ahab a good king or bad king? Bad king?

Anyone says he's a good king? Okay? So this let's read.

Let's read, okay, so give you a bit of context.

Let's go to First Kings chapter sixteen. Now, this is

how you do your Bible study, Okay, Kennon not. Let's

go and read the context before so you know what's happening.

Otherwise you'll be like, blah blah, I don't know what's happening.

In the middle scene, there is this man talking to

a king, right, okay, So let's read about King a half.

Let's that's in verse thirty, okay, Just a few verses

above that, it says, now ain'hap, the son of Omri did,

even in the sight of the Lord, more than all

who were before him. And it came to pass as

though it had been a trivial thing for him to

walk in the sins of Jerobim, the son of Nebad,

that he took as wife Jezebel he read of this name, Jezebel,

the daughter of f Baal, king of the Sidonians. And

he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he

set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baol,

which he had built in Samaria. And A have made

a wooden image. A have did more to provoke the

Lord God of Israel to anger than all the king

of Israel who were before him. Now, he said, a

good king or bad king? Back ing very bad? Not

just back king, He was a very bad king. Why

because he led the people away from God? Yes, okay,

so you know the context. Now, now look at this man, Elijah, right,

look at this man Elijah. I think that when he

came into the scene, right, can you imagine that he

had to come and tell the king and the people

of the land there will be no rain and there

will be no deal until I say so. Okay, Now,

what kind of man does that? What kind of character

do you need for a man to do that? Sorry? Confidence?

All right? And where does our confidence come from? Okay? Yes,

it's from the Lord. Yes, our confidence comes from the Lord.

But our confidence comes also from a place of conviction.

And I'm gonna give you five seas. Okay, if you're

writing notes, write it down five seas the first sea?

Is this conviction? Right? You can see that Elijah was

a man who was convinced. Yes, conviction comes from a

place of being convinced. He knew that whatever he was

going to preach to the people was not gonna be

good news. Right. Would you like to be Elijah at

that time? Would you have liked to be the one

that made all the miracles? And then God says, now

go and tell the people you know in Subank that

there was no water? Tell them, tell them. Would you

have received him gladly? No? You know confidence? Right? It

has to come from a place where he knew who

his God is. Yes, Church, do you know who your

God is? Do you know your God? Do you know

your God? That's the question, because the reason why we

are not convicted or not convinced is because we do

not know him. And that's why we go through our lives.

You know, it's just like day after day, Sunday after Sunday,

nothing changes. But if you want to see this man

of God work, we can learn something from him. Amen.

We can learn about him just obeying God and we

heard about that earlier, right did we hear that? No

God provides? I heard about faithfulness. But let's learn about

what his response is. So you look at the verse, right,

How did he start into the scene. I think it's

very important because it shows us what kind of character

he has. All Right, so he says there straight away

the first thing that he said, as the Lord God

of Israel list before whom I stand? What a way

to start. What do you say, do you use this

phrase or not? As the Lord God lives before whom

I stand? Do you know that there was an acknowledgement

that there is God? Firstly, yes, there is an acknowledgement.

Say wow, you know before he does something great for God,

he's saying, I am invoking the name of God. That's

how powerful he is, you know. That's how you know.

The reason why they say it as surely as the

Lord lists is because firstly the acknowledge who God is?

He the first, foremost and the center of everything else.

Do you put God like that as surely as the

lot list? I think if we change our language as

surely as the Lord lisser, I think we will the

back part that follow it will change many times we

speak without thinking. We just say whatever that comes from

out right, without recognizing that God is in our presence.

Do you realize that if you realize that God is

in your presence and he is, yes, I think we

will watch out what we say. Many of us don't

have that recognition that God is with us and God

is listening to what we are saying. And then we

just say things like according to how I feel regarding

to you know, whatever people say. As surely as the

Lord lives. There's such a recognition, a reverence to God

in this man's life, you know. And that's how he

has this conviction. Even though he was going to be

a prophet of doom. Yes, he was going to deliver

a disaster message. You know, he's gonna say that there's

gonna be no rain, and we know that the famine

lasted for how long? How long did the famine lasted?

Three and a half years. Can you imagine not living

without running water for tree and a half years? You

probably want to stone the person, right, Yeah, And that's

what he had to do. He had to be bold

enough to say God, I had to deliver this message

no matter what you're thinking, like, hey, welcome welcome Elijah.

Let's hear what the Lord says. There's nothing like that, right,

many times, a lot of the things according to the

word of God. It's not gonna be very nice to

hear that. Right. It's not gonna be easy, guys. Conviction

living by conviction, it's not gonna be easy. Do you

know what Elijah was convicted about. He was convicted about

the evil thing that was happening at the land at time?

Remember what the king a have do?

What the king you have?

Do? We will we reading? Just now? What the king

a have do? He set up altars? Right? Was he

setting up alters? Yes, he was setting up altars and

they were worshiping bal and all that. Do you think

God can stand evil and just let it go without

taking action?

No?

Okay, that is your conviction that God is just and

that he will repay evil when it's time. Do you

believe that? Okay, that's one conviction. Now, how about delivering

bad news and disaster? Would you do it? Even if

the Lord tells you to trila? It's not easy, right,

It's not easy because he's gonna guess what, He's not

not gonna have any friends anymore, No more friends, if

you're gonna do something that's unpopular, you will risk losing everything.

Are you willing to? That's what conviction is. You know.

Conviction is doing something at the word of the Lord,

even if it cost you everything. Do you know it

costs Elijah everything because what they got as him to

do after that go and run and hide? Right? Would

you do it? Are you? Are we convicted people? Are

we people of convictions? Think about it? Are we people

of convictions? What are your convictions? Can I ask you? Maybe?

Let me ask pass Sarah Pascesara? What is one conviction

that you hold? Okay? She doesn't drink? Okay, all right?

The reason? Okay, So that's a person that conviction. She

doesn't drink because she wants to honor the Lord. Let's

ask someone else. Where's graemer? Hey? Lung Radia? Gone radia?

Let's go if what is the conviction that you hold?

Honor your parents? And what did the Bible say? If

you honor your parents? Right? If you honor your parents,

you will live long and well, you're a good life, right,

And many things in our lives we do according to

our convictions. Yes or no? Actually, what's the conviction? One conviction? God?

Or no, uh, okay, now might let you off the

whole you think about it. We're gonna start thinking about

the convictions and the beliefs that we hold. Do you

know just now, when Graham was leading us in worship

and he paused for me, and he says, guys, would

you lift up your hands as a sign you know

that you're worshiping God. Do you think it's something that

we just do because it's nice. No, we do it

not because we are very expressive. We do it because

it's the word of the Lord. In some one hundred

and thirty four vers two, it says, enter into the

sanctuary with lifting up your hands to bless the Lord.

Do you see that? Do you see where your convictions

come from? It comes from the word. Right. It cannot

be like, oh yeah, I'm convinced or something. Everything comes

from the word of God. Your conviction needs to be

based on the word of God. Lifting up your hands.

You know, there's one verse that I like very much,

and sometimes I feel this is from second semoty Right.

You know, sometimes you say, hey, yeah, why you do this?

You know my way of worship is very different. I

know that whether you lift up or your hands or not. Right,

It's not gonna affect your salvation. I know that, and

you know that as well. And many of us just

to come to God like that. Right, But how does

God feel when his children come to him like that?

I don't know. You think about it. If you call

yourself a child of God and you come to him

like that, just think about it. In Second Timothy, it

says in Second Timothy chapter First Timothy, chapter chapter two,

verse eighty says this, I desire therefore that the men

pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting.

Do you need more proof to say that lifting hands

is not a command from the Lord or a desire

from the Lord something that pleases him. That's another conviction

that you have. Right. My conviction is I just want

to do anything and everything that pleases the Lord. And

so you go through the word, and God is pleased.

You know when we will lift our hands as a

sign of surrender. Right. So, so the thing is right.

I cannot see a conviction, but I can see it

from your action. It's evident. And you think if I

can see it from your action, what does God see

He sees right through your heart? Amen? Conviction right. It

comes not just as an immediate thing, but it's a

it's a it comes from a very consistent relationship with God.

Can I say that? It's not like you overnight have

all these convictions. And that's why young people, and speaking

to your young people in ex church, start building your

conviction convictions today, How would you like? Do you know

Elijah when it came into the scene, right, I think

he already had many years of walking with the Lord?

Did did you see that? Because I cannot imagine if

he suddenly it was just a man who didn't know

his God and he could prophesize such a prophecy. You

can't write. The boldness and the confidence only comes from

a place if you've been walking with the Lord. So

there has to be another conviction that you have, right am,

I walking with the Lord every day because when you

begin to have that, then you begin to build your convictions.

And we need a church full of people with convictions, amen,

because otherwise when you go out there, you're going to

just go flow with the world, no convictions, no right

or wrong, Everything goes however you feel like you do.

That's not what God's people are supposed to be like,

we're supposed to stick out. We're supposed to be like

the light right and people of like needs to have convictions. Amen.

So so think about it right down. What is one

whichure I have? Maybe? Okay, So you know, one of

the things is you probably didn't don't see many of

the campus students here is because they came for the

earlier morning service. And when I asked them why, they

said that they had exams this week. So it's like,

well done on you. You did not let your exams

stop you from coming to church. Amen, campus students, that's

one conviction, students. Don't let your exams be greater than God. Amen.

I'm speaking real now. Okay, parents, I'm speaking to you.

If you're gonna put your SPM, your IG exams greater

than God, that's what you're telling your children don't have

to go to church because your exams more important. Ouch? Yeah, ouch?

Do you know? At one point, because we believe in prayer,

So this is one of our convictions. We believe in prayer,

that prayer is important. Yes, do you believe that prayer

is important? Okay? I had to ask myself how often

do I pray? Do I just give thanks for my meals? Right,

And I want to nail this conviction part because I

really believe right it's gonna be the one that really

shows you where you will and not not today, not

next week, but ten years down the road, fifteen years

down on the road. We're talking long haul. Yeah. Christian

faith is not just today. It's going to be when

you meet Jesus. And I don't know when you will

meet Jesus. It could be tomorrow, but it could be

thirty years time. So what kind of person will you

be at the end of this thirty years? Think about it,

You think about it. You add thirty years to your

life right now, what kind of person would I be?

What kind of man? What kind of woman would I be?

What kind of parent would I be at that time?

If I don't start now? Amen? So a conviction is very,

very key important, Okay, So I was I was just

saying that, you know, one of the key convictions that

I had was prayer service, that we want to come right,

and you don't post COVID, right, a lot of things

became easy. Became a good excuser, yes, honest, Li, I'm honest, Okay, Nonigola,

you know, keep the children safe at home and it

became a habit until at one point. You know, what

we will do is the children will finish school, uh,

and then we will just send them back home because

they're like, I don't want to go to prayer service.

Then we're like, yeah, yeah, it'skay. Let them go back

and rest more, tomorrow, go school, right, long day, totally understandable,

very logical, good parents one day. But the Canada sort

of spoke to Elpan who at the time, and like, oh,

are your girls going for preyer service? Then we're like no.

And then the conviction came and I had to ask myself,

if I'm not going to lead my children to pray,

would I expect them to pray? No? Right, I don't.

I do want to go so hard, so fast, But

I think this is what the Lord is leading. You know,

you you you gotta think for yourself, what what kind

of foundations are you laying for yourself, for your family?

If you're a teen, what kind of convictions do you

want to have? Is it going to be non compromised

or is it going to be something that whatever my

friend says goes right. So Elijah was a man of conviction,

and therefore he boldly prophesied and declared. Now with the

conviction that you carry, can I say the next seed

that you have is then there will be a command,

a command meaning that there will be a word from

the Lord for you.

Right.

Do you know that when you live with convictions in

this world that there will be challenges? Yes? I put

that command in the midst of the crisis. How many

of you are in a crisis or you have challenges?

Don't put up your hands. It's okay. I know all

of us too. Someone was pointing to someone else. Okay,

now mind, yes, yes, we are all. If you don't

have any crisis and jealous, can you come and talk

to me on a line your secret? Okay, But all

of us have a challenge and a crisis that we're

going to andy. It doesn't matter, It doesn't matter what

your crisis or your challenge is. God's word will come

to you. Yes, and thank God that you're here in

church because you're hearing the word of God and that

there is a specific word for each one of you.

I believe that, Amen, God wants to speak to you,

and that's why he gave you the will to wake

up this morning and come to church. Do you know

that it was God who enabled you to be here

this morning. Yes, it is so. There is a command

and you know that after Elijah was full of conviction

and he declared the disaster, and then what did God's

world come to him? He says, go and hide in

this brook and there who will feed you? Oh? Wow? Perfect?

Has anyone been fed by a bird before?

Here?

Noah? Seriously, come on, guys this morning, someone to say, no,

I feed the but but they will be me right? Okay,

if you think about it, is it even logical to

think about birds feeding you? No? Are you saying God's

not logical? Yes? Thank you? God defies our logic. Church?

Can I say that to you many times? Right? We

make our decisions based on logic. Yes, whatever makes sense,

whatever I have time for, whatever is convenient. But when

the word of God comes, it will come to you.

And you go to whoo? It's crazy? What now? If

you were Elijah and the word of God says, go

to Taipan and then a black bird day will feed you?

Will you go on not see our Are you crazy?

Did you hear from God? It's crazy? Right, it's crazy.

It's like God's what makes sense? But do you know

many times when we hear a word from the Lord,

it will not make sense to you. But you need

to test it. Can I just say that you gotta

test it and you you will only know if you've

been walking close with the Lord. Okay, So I come

back again to your conviction. Do you believe? And what

kind of convictions that you carry? And will that be

the one that caused you to be able to hear

from the word the word of the Lord. The discernment

is got to be important. Okay, he knew this was

the word. This is conviction. Right, God's what came to

him and what did he do? What was his response,

which is I'm coming to my third see, which is choice. Yes,

every time the word of God comes to you, you

and I have a choice. Yes. I love this word

choice because it gives us the freedom to choose, and

we all like freedom. Right, I want, I don't want.

I want you. Every time the word of God comes, right,

you will either choose to obey or you will choose

to ignore. Hey, ignore loud, You're very good. Ma, I

didn't hear. I didn't hear. God didn't tell me. Or

we just let it go in and go out and

that's it, right, That's that's what happens most of the time.

Can I tell you that every time you come, every

time though you read the Word of God, every time

you heard it being preached, the word of the Lord

is for you, amen. So the question is what will

you choose to do with that? What will you choose

to do? Will you listen? Will you after this say, okay,

now I want to bless God by raising my hands

during worship, or you will say I will still continue

to put my hands in my pocket. I don't know

your choice. Right, No one's gonna stop you, but we're

gonna encourage you because it's a reflection. Right. Do you

know that? For me? Right, there's a conviction that I hold,

which is every morning, the first word I try, I try,

I try, The first word that I want to hear

is not from my WhatsApp or telegram or news. I

want the first thing that comes into my mind that

morning is the Word of God. That's a conviction that

I hold clearly and dearly. And I will not compromise.

And that means, right, the first thing I know, but

three very important enough for your phone, So I will

not look at my phone. I will just charge it

and I will go and meet with a lot first.

Can I tell you that's a conviction. Do you believe

that that is important for your life as Christians? To

grow to hear from God that the first thing I know,

the world is going to tell me all sorts of

bad news. Lah, But I want to hear the good

news from God, and the word of God is good news.

Can I tell you that the word of God is

good news? Because it is the word of God that

will set you free? Amen? Is the word of God,

which is Jesus himself, that will say you free? Do

you believe that because he says it, just says, as

surely as a lordless. Do you believe that your God

is living today? Amen? Because you see even as you

put that context in the first part of your sentence,

as surely as a lot liss straight aware your mindset

change correct because you're saying God livesa my problem? Hey,

come on, what is my problem compared to God? Do

you see that? Many times what happens is we enlarge

our problems and then God is nowhere to be found,

and we say, God, where are you? I cannot see you?

You're not working in my life? But when we turn

it around and we say, God, You're bigger than everything.

I put you first, you become first, and you know what,

everything else becomes shrunk. The sight in the magnificence of

the beauty of the Lord. Amen, would you do? Do

you do that for yourself? I can tell you. You know,

it's not a secret, it's a choice. Right. What will

you choose tomorrow morning? What will you let enter into

your mind and into your ear? Can I tell you so?

Something else about convictions. Convictions is also developed by the

people that you hang out with. Can I say that?

Think about the five people that you hang out with

the most? L lel li leel. Who are the five

people that you hang out with the most? Are they

people of faith or do they speak fear? You think

about it. If they are constantly telling you bad news,

cannot do one lah that person very bad? Like guess what,

that's where your conviction is gonna be la right. Our

convictions is always based on what we interact with, who

we interact with. And that's why I say, the first

person I need to interact with is God. I want

him to be my first one. You know, if I

have five persons to choose that I interact with. He's

gonna be the first my husband not nowhere closed. But

of course he's also a godly manla sorry, thank god,

he's number doula right right right? You see, you see

why I'm going with this? Very practical, you know, do

you know it's very practical. It's not just about reading

God's words, it's about applying it to your life. Yes.

Can you see how it's gonna change your life if

you do that? Again, it's a choice, right, So you

know that Elijah obeyed even though it didn't make sense.

It's not gonna make sense, but he obeyed, right, he obeyed,

and you know, of course, wow this morning? Okay again, mintion?

Do you know mintion? Okay, many of you don't know.

He loves Japan and he loves meat. Why you beef

any any yu beef la versia? Yeah? Guess what what

did the raven feed Elijah every morning? Yes? Why you beaver?

So the raven in verse six, the ravens brought him

braid and meat in the morning, and braid and meat

in the evening, and he drank from the brook. Wow,

how about that? While you beef burger morning and night?

Air flown all the way from Japan because it's a bird, right, Raven, Raven,

I don't know fresh afresh, fresh, very fresh. Wow, crazy

provision right, it's crazy provision a by its provision right.

And then you know, of course that after that what

happened when the brook dried up? So there are seasons.

Some of you are in a seasons where it's gonna

change and God is gonna say, do you know that

when you make choices that goes in accordance to God's way,

He's gonna tell you when's the next step to go? Yes, people,

if you have been walking with the Lord, he will

not leave you because he says, the brook dried up, right,

the brook dried up. So there's sometimes when you walk in,

even in obedience, you know, hey, how come I'm abeying God?

By then the brook dride up? You might think like that, like, hey,

did I make the right choice? Did I hear from God?

You'll question ourselves. Right in this case, if you have

been walking obediently with the Lord, God will say, okay,

the brook's ride up. Now go somewhere else? Correct? Do

you see that? Can you see that happening now? And

then he says Okay, now God another crazy thing. So

now God says, go to this other village in Jeriffith

and go and find a widow. I will ask her

to feed you. Okay, wow, what do we know about

widows by the way, in this in that Israeli age,

what do we know about widows?

No?

Okay, yes we know. We know it's no husband, Thank

you very much. Passin. Sarah's amazing, you know she she's

a great teacher. So we don't mean no husband. Okay,

you'll know that what happens is when you have no

husband in those day and age, you have lost your protection. Husbands,

you are supposed to protect your family and your wife,

your wife and your children. That's what the role of

the husband is, the covering and the protection. Right now

she's lost that covering and protection, which means she is vulnerable. Yes,

she is poor, vulnerable, subject to bully and abuse. Yes,

sounds familiar. And God is saying, go to a poor

destity woman and ask it to feed you. Go to

Tampung Mouhiba one of the b forty and ask one

of the widow there to fit you. I'm putting into

contact for you. Ah, would you obey not Firstly, firstly,

I know I know some of you the righteousness is like,

how can we do this? This is very ungentlemanly. I'm

a man, you know, it's like just a man. Yeah,

go and ask provision from a woman not only that poor,

not only that with her husband away controversial? Hey haramla,

how can do you know? Jesus is very radical and

God is gonna break every traditional norm and culture that

you have in your mind a man, because nothing is impossible, right,

but it's crazy, you know, It's like it doesn't make sense.

If okay, if God told eleg go to a rich

person right who owned the cat, you know, who owned

like ten thousand sheep, and then you will he will

feed you. Correct. Our logical mind will always say, ah, yeah, God,

We'll always bring a rich man. God will always bring

that you know, network partner who's very successful to come

into my business so that I will be successful. But

God says no, go to the poor one, the poorest one,

and she will feed you. Like what, I don't know,

there's gonna be some humbling right to to firstly, it's

like it doesn't make sense. And then I'm gonna add

burden to this poor lady, I'm supposed to help her.

You know why am I adding burden to her? Cannot be?

Not in Koyan, you know it cannot be. How would

you obey? No? Right? Doubt? Okay, we will doubt. We

will always doubt. Like is this truly the word of

the Lord? Can you imagine if Elijah's struggled and did

not obey, what will happened to the story? The answer?

That's it right? And Elijah did not obey the word

of the full stop, then something else will come up? Really,

someone else will come up. Do you know that when

you stop obeying the Lord, he cannot use you anymore?

True or not? Partners believe us? Do you know that

if you stop obeying God, God cannot use you anymore.

He cannot use you to perform the next miracle? Yes?

Because you know after this is another miracle? Right? Did

you know that a miracle is just happening right at

that door of your impossible situation? This is famine? You know, famine?

But would you obey the word of the Lord even

though it doesn't make sense to you? What is the

that that doesn't make sense? Part? Right? It is like

giving when you have nothing? Yes? Giving you know, we

always teach you right, ex church is a generous church. Amen.

If you're new here, I want to tell you that

we believe that we want to be a generous church. Yes,

it's a conviction that we have. And generosity is not

giving when you have a lot. You know, generosity is

giving when you have very little or nothing. That's what

generosity is. Right, But you see, it has to come

to a place where you recognize as surely as a

lot lives. It's not about do you know where generosity

comes from? It's not coming from if my background right,

I'm an accountant by training. By the way I calculate everything.

My husband laughs at me. He's like, oh, my whole

life is on an X ray sheet. Yes, my whole

finances is on an XO shee. If I lose it,

I don't know how my life is gonna be. Right.

We count everything to make sure everything dots. You know

that every cent is accounted for to the extent. If

I want to live a life of generosity, I cannot

depend on what's in my bank account to give. We

do that right? No, No, no, okay, I think this

is why I can give, Then I give right. Generosity

is not seeing how much you have or how much

you don't have, but it's knowing how much he has.

Your God, my God. Do I believe that if God

calls me to sol a certain amount, that He will

provide for every need thereafter? Amen? Would you believe that?

Would you believe that for yourself? Is that a conviction

that you carry that when God speaks it's gonna be

out here? Can I tell you that your conviction is

gonna cost you something, and many times it's gonna cost

you everything. But would you still hold onto that conviction

because you know that he's God. When you know that

he's your God, then you're like, oh, kaela God, I

will Orbaila, it doesn't matter. Do you know when my

husband ether pan whole, we were just married, okay, we

were just married twenty two thousand and eight, two thousand

and seven, and then we were pregnant with our first

child two thousand and eight and nine that time, and

then that's the point where Persec Cannat had a chat

with my husband and invited him to come full time.

He was he was a lawyer by training. I was

an accountant by training. I thought like, Okayla, you know

our life is set, our career is set. And then

he had that talk with Persse cannot and he came

home and told his wife me, I'm I think I'm

going full time. Okay. Of course when he told that

to me, I was like, what you know? In my

of course, I never show him like cool only right?

Cool on you your husband tell you something like that,

you're cool only first. But inside I have like, well,

all this time dating, you know, tell me you got

full time calling land no, no, no, no, no no.

I know all these things in my mind. Okay, all

this time, like what is okay? But of course I

had the fear of God. La. I'm like, God wins law,

God wins okay in this argument, there's no argument because

God wins. I cannot stop you from the call of God,

from the man of God. So he went. But we

had a lot of opposition. Do you know that before

I delivered my first child, my good hearted, good natured,

good hat good hearted father in law, he came to

me and he's like, you know you're gonna deliver, You're

gonna have a family soon, right, you tell my son

that what he's doing is very irresponsible. That time, he

was not a believer. He told me that what whatever

you're deciding on is irresponsible. Can you imagine how I felt.

I was like, oh, I tell my husband on one,

but this is sideways, you know, sideways because he knew

that he couldn't get through to his sun already Saturady

came true to me. He's like, do this like you know,

I carried that burden with me for good many years actually,

just like you know every time. And it was not easier.

You know that his bay cut was I think seventy

percent when he started full time. Yeah, and that meant

that I had to carry the financial burden for the family. Okay,

but you see if I was thinking that, oh my gosh,

you're such an irresponsible husband, if I carried that with

me right, then we wouldn't be here where we are today.

Can I tell you that as we obeyed, even though

it was difficult, it was difficult. I can tell you

that it was difficult, but we never liked. We never lacked.

In fact, sometimes there was more. There was more than enough.

It was more than enough, you know. And I wanted

to then bring you to what kind of choice would you?

You know, when the word of God comes right, what

would you choose church even is tough? But can I

tell you that it was at the point that our

faith grew. Our finances didn't grow that much or that quickly,

but our faith grew like nothing else. Can I tell

you that if you want your faith to grow, you

obey the word of the Lord. Whatever it is. It's

not gonna be the same situation as me. You will

have your own situation. But the word of the Lord

will come to you. And would you obey with faith

and not out of fear? Because you know what the

biggest thing that would have stopped us be fear? Right, Well,

how we send our kids to schooler way we get money? No, no,

all this fear is real, but it's not God. I

had to come back to that place and say, God,

you are God, I am not, and we will obey

and we will see your hand provide. I have other

stories as well, but I've got no time for that.

But can you see that that's what happens. You see,

Let's move on. Let's okay. So that's the man of God, Elijah. Yes,

a strong, convicted man, a man who was not bound

by his personality. Can I can I just say speaking

to that because also right, I realized that sometimes the

things that we do or we don't do, right, we

we kind of hide behind our personality. Can I say that?

Yesterday we were at a discussion with some educators and

one of the topic, broughdup, is you know we we

want to teach people to be confident communicators. Yes, yes,

all the university students teenage or communication key important skill, right,

And so the question was asked to to the person

speaking and said, you know, but what if you know

the person is very introved, and I believe there's probably

about sixty s introverts about the ella about there. So

if they are introverts, right, do we also put them

up into public speaking? Do we also you know, push them?

What if they break down? What's your answer to that? Oh? Okay, introverts,

you'll not need to do anything already. Okay, interverts, you're

just stay at home quite quiet and just read God's

word and pray. That's all your role is intercessors, that's it,

because your introverts, I and I right, introverts intercessores? How

based like you want to be intercest on? But no, right,

you know that's not true. Many of us hide behind

our personality. I cannot because I'm quiet. Do you know

that I'm an extreme introvert? And yet what I'm doing

right here and what I'm doing in my job does

not require me to be an introvert. I cannot be.

I cannot afford to be an introvert. Do you know

what I'm saying that if I want to do God's work,

I want to be faithful. Do you know that He

pushes past through your personality? Yes, and he will form

you to be like Christ because we are not bound

by our personality. Our aim and I'll go is charity

and to be like Christ. And Christ was bold, right,

Christ was courageous and he still is what they use

water is. Christ is alive. Amen. God is alive. So

don't don't use your can I tell you that first already?

Now you know right? Don't say yeah, I are very quiet,

I cannot do this, you know, coming up to chair

leading worship. It's okay. Don't worry about your personality. God

will give you the ability. How about that? Amen? Don't

hide behind your personality. Our God will give you the ability.

It's two different things. Personality is personality. Ability is what

God gives us. Amen. Amen, All right. So let's move

on now to what is the response of the widow.

So crazy, go to a widow, go to a poor

lady and ask her to feed you. Now this is

a response that we cannot brain. Okay, now verse ten.

Are you still in your bible? Let's go to verse ten,

he says, So, okay, let me read from verse nine. Agela.

So this is what the Lord said to him. Arise,

go to Zarafath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there.

See I've commanded a widow there to provide for you.

So of course Elijah, knowing he's God, he arose. So

he arose and went to Zarafath. And when he came

to the gate of the city, indeed, a widow was

there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said,

please bring me a little water in a cup that

I might drink. And as she was going to get it,

he called to her and said, please bring me a

moussel of bread in your hand. So she said, as

the Lord, your god lives, I do not have bread,

only a handful of flour in a bin and a

little oil in a jar. And see, I'm gathering a

couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare

it for myself and my son, that we may eat

it and live. Yes, my Bible and your Bible, different

vision is it, that I might live, that might eat

and die? Okay, same Virginia. Then it says on in

verse thirteen. And Elijah said to her, do not fear

go and do as you have said, but make me

a small kick from it verse first, and bring it

to me, and afterward make some for yourself and your son.

For that says the Lord God of Israel. The ban

of flowers shall not be used up, nor shall the

jar of all run dry, until the day of the

Lord sends rain on the earth. So she went away

and did according to the word of Elijah, and she

and he and her household ate for many days. Wow,

do you see that? What is your reaction when you

go into that drama? Let me set up the scener.

He entered the gate, Oh, he saw a woman neggat

drink sticks. And then he says, please give me some water.

And what did she do? Well? What did she say?

Did she respond? She said okay, right, she said okay,

she said, okay, I will give you some water. And

but you know what's crazy about that? It's famine. You know,

famine means got water or no water, no water, and

yet she could still give Think about that, Think about

this a pool with the way did she get water from?

I don't know, but she still was general. Can you

see generosity in this woman, this widow? In fact, this

widow is not a Jew, she's someone from outside and

to us it's probably a non believer, a non Christian. Yeah.

Do you know that there are many people outside that

that's very generous and kind, many many, right, And so

she's like, okay, great, I know, I will. I'll get

you some water, at least some water for you. And

then what is Elijah? A bit too much? H too much?

She's a very nice way of say, I don't know.

What's the Chinese worla a bit? I don't know, maybe

Thai lama, I don't know. You know what tha Lamia

is like like big man, like trying to ask too much?

Can you sometimes, right, do you feel like God's asking

you for a bit too much? So so she he

asked her, He's like an other Mabel. Bake me some braid, okay, uh,

and and bring it to me? Whoa a bit thy Lamya?

No big bread and bring to me some more. Okay,

I don't know what to make out of this. Okay,

some of the women are the feminism is like no,

what this? No so ungentlemanly, don't marry a man like that.

And then and then of course this woman, of course,

you know when she was generous with the water, now

she said she's desperateler. She said, hey, hello, I can

give you water. But you know, I have only a

little bit of flour and oil in that jar, and

I'm gonna go make some bread for us, my son

and I we're gonna eat it, and we're gonna eat

it in Dilah. What more you want from me? Sometimes

our situation is like that, right, I only have that

little bit left. I'm just gonna do like that and

then die. And then he's like, yah, too much? Yea,

too much is a nice way to describe him. He say, no, no, no, no,

Before you do that, you make the brain for me,

Make the brain for me first, other people, and then

you go and make some for yourself. He didn't say

it in Dilah, make for me first. Sometimes now you

can feel whatever that God commands you are, it's like

a bit mucha it can be like too much. Right,

It's like, can't you see God, my situation is so dire,

And God says, go love, forgive, give, like God, can't

you see how fool I am? I'm going to die already?

God says, no, give God first, Give God first, Give

the man of God first. Can you see the principle

of the first fruit? There? Whatever little that you have left,

give God first, because God is first? Right? God is

first not only when you have a lot. God is

also first when you have a little. And God is

always first when you have nothing, because when you have

nothing that you're like already you right? And so she obeyed?

Did she obey or not? Because then the word of

the Lord came and says does you know that says

the Lord that the bin of flower and a job

or will not run out until the rain comes. Do

you know she a non Christian believed and obeyed. Do

you see that? And the miracle flow? Sometimes we think

that God's miracle only works for us believe us, right,

But do you know that I've come to learn of

this truth that even if you're not a Christian yet,

you're not a believer yet, but you obey the word

of the Lord and his miracles come true. It's God's principles,

you know. Do you know why there are so many

rich people out there even though they're not believers. It's

because they hold to the principles of God. There must

be something about God's principles that they're holding right and

God's ways like that, if you walk by the word

of God, the way of God, you will prosper. Yes,

we want to prosper right, but we don't want to

know his ways. We don't want to walk in his ways.

His ways are not easy. Okay. It says that the

path is narrow, very narrow, and few chooses to walk

on it. Would you want to walk on that narrow path?

There is a price to pay. So she did right,

she did, and you know that the miracle happened. Now

can you see that after this choice, the next sea,

the fourth sea, is continuation that as you make that

choice to obey God, the brook was there. The ravens

were feeding you. God provided a man luxury, noor, meat,

and bread. And then after that the brook dried up.

But by choice and in obedience, God says, go to

the widow. He did again the widow right. But you

see the truth that the same is true for the widow.

She had the crisis. Yes, she was in a crisis.

She was in a child. She was going to die. Actually,

that was the last meal. By the way, do you

know that that was her last meal on earth? She thought,

many of us don't even come to that desperation, that

last meal on earth. But at the very last meal,

her last meal on earth, the word of God came. Yes,

the third see the command came. The second command came.

And then now she had a choice, right, she had

either she could have just said, you, Elijah, and go

and die yourself. I'm gonna just eat whatever is left

and then we will die. She had a choice. Do

you see that again? Even she had a choice, as

we do have a choice, and she says, okay, so

she went. So he did, so he arose. That's can

you see the story the trend. So they did so

they obeyed, ex Church, So x obeyed. Amen, we obeyed.

We always go by obedience. Amen. And so she obeyed.

And you know that they lived and they continued. Do

you know that continue the next slight? Please continuation, the

glimmer of hope. Do you know that as you are

sitting here right now. Breeding a continuation of your life,

that's a miracle. Sometimes we are like, yeah, but I've

never I never had seen a jar like that. Can

I buy a shopping you a job of all that

never runs out? Can I God I can buy? He

cannot write? That's the mirror. And sometimes we are like saying,

but I've never had that kind of miracle before. But

can I tell you that you being here today and

continuing on your journey of faith is a miracle in itself.

It's America, Praise God. It's a miracle. And many of

us don't like this continuation bit because we're thinking it's

not extravagant. Right, the widow had a lot, is it

She could go eat buffey and stay. And sometimes we

our minds as Christians, we are so bound by oh

I must have that kind of success story. Then only

I have a testimony. Right, It's like many of us shy,

I got no testimony, no testimony. But the very fact

that you're alive today, you're in church, you're believing in God,

is a testimony. It's a miracle. So many have fallen

away and fallen from the faith. So the very fact

that you have enough enough for that day's miracle for God.

From God. Yes, you have enough from today, Thank you God.

It's a miracle. It's a miracle. God is at work.

Sometimes we don't see if we wonder the instan story,

the one that goes viral. But you know that every day,

that the very fact that the sun rose this morning,

it's a miracle. The very fact that you had sleep

last night, it's a miracle. And you woke up this morning.

It's a miracle. The continuation. And this woman lives and

you know that she lived for many days. Right, but

guess what something happened? Yeah, someone mentioned before, what would

the Elijah do? He raised a date child? Right, We

won't have time to read it, but you know, can

I encourage you to go back and read it? In

the next few verses, the son died, the widows woman,

the widow's son died. Yes, does this sound like a

challenge again?

Ay?

But we are walking in according to the word of God.

I'm obeying God. How come? Why is there another crisis?

Does I feel like that? Sometimes? As Christians you're like, Hey,

but I'm obeying God while I'm serving him. I'm giving

them everything, you know, I'm Owai. But Why is that

another challenge? What is the purpose of it? So that

you will make another choice? Correct? So that you do

you know that the challenges come so that it can

give you another opportunity to choose whether you would choose

to obey God or you would choose to ignore him.

Our lives as believers and as Christians is going to

be a continuous life of choices, because the final day

when you don't have to make any more choice is

the final day when you meet with Jesus. That's it,

a that's it already, that's the final day of making

a choice. Ready, you know, so from now until then,

Why you live in the past. You cannot undo what's

in the past. You can choose what you can do today?

Write everything in your past? Can I say it's been

wipe clean? If you're a believing in Jesus Christ, it

doesn't matter what wrongs you've done, whatever regrets that you carry,

it's done. Jesus says, I paid it all at the

Christ at the Cross, and our sins are forgiven. And

Jesus says, what's important is today. What you have is today?

How are you going to move forward? And so all

these challenges come for us to say, today, what choice

do I make? I choose you this day, God, or

I choose myself this day. There are many days when

we feel can I say that that there will be

days when we feel there will be days when we

are too sharp? I just experienced this this week. I

was very stressed work, you know, and I was very

shop with my daughter. After that, I'm like, could I

have avoided it? I could have, but I still choose

not to because I was just like, I just want

to let it all. Lah, you know what I'm saying.

And I was like, I have to repent. The Lord

forgive me. La. That's not very christ Like. But do

I sit on it and say, why you know I'm

the worst Christian ever? No? Lah, We're all all seen

and say, by grace right, just recognize it. Lord forgive me.

And I believe. Another conviction is that when I confess

my sin, the Lord forgives. So confess your sin. No,

can you see how this is applicable to your everyday life, Church, Confess,

I'm redeemed by the Lord. Okay, continue on, just do

the work of the Lord. Amen. And you know that

then crisis happened again. Alama. Another situation, another problem, another

hr issue those of your work by problem. Right, human

resource is always the biggest headache. And another this one

this human resources died. La. The sun died, by the way,

if you don't catch my drift, so the sun died again.

Then she came and said, you know what's this? La?

You know I have served you, I provided with for you.

Then now my child died. You know, are you coming

to point out since it says you know? Later on?

And then of course Elijah he's like stress radier men

of God also stress on. You know, do you know

that Elijah was a man very interesting. He went through

different bouts of emotional stuff like okay, anyways, then he

very stressed, and he said, God, I pray to you,

listen to my prayers. Right, And of course you know

that the suddenly because finally, what we're trying to get

at is the fifth se it's the clarity. What kind

of clarity am I talking about? Let's go to the

final verse in First King, chapter seventeen, final verse, verse

twenty four. Okay, so verse twenty THREEA just give you

some contexts verse twenty three, and Elijah took the child

and brought him down from the upper room into the

house and gave him to his mother, and Elijah said,

see your son lives. Amen. Then the woman said to Elijah,

now by this I know that you are the man

of God, and that the word of the Lord in

your mouth is the truth. Amen. Do you know the

whole thing, the whole cycle that we went through is

so that she will have a clarity to know that

our God lives. Amen. Do you get that? Do you

see that at the end of it? You know, God

orchestrated the whole thing so that he would but personally

go to this one widow and show her this miracle

so that she becomes clear in her mind that there

is a God that's our team this year? Right that?

Oh may no. So as you go out today from

this place, are you going through this cycle? I don't

know which part are you at? You know, are you

needing to build some convictions? Are you in the middle

of a crisis all at once? Are you needing to

make a choice and you see a continue of that

that I need to continue to make the right choice,

the choice in God. And finally, then the unbelievers will

know that our God lives. Amen. That's the whole point

so that they will know that God lives. Amen.

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information on our church, please visit as church org. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week. I

hate for you.

God bless