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Days of Elijah pt7—From Breakdown To Breakthrough

[Jas 5:17 NASB95] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…

[1Ki 19:1-21 NASB95]

Sometimes, powerful people of God are not ok.

Elijah was fresh off the victories of calling fire from heaven, defeating the prophets of Baal, and praying for a drought-ending rain. Now, he is praying for God to end his life.

God comforted Elijah and helped him overcome his breakdown to finish his purpose.

What should we consider as we overcome the breakdowns to finish God’s purpose?

Here are seven considerations for overcoming emotional breakdowns.

Remember that powerful people deal with breakdowns.

James tells us that Elijah had a nature like ours.

[2Co 1:8-11 NASB95]

Just because you are dealing with an emotional breakdown, it does not mean you are weak, just human.

Do not underestimate the negative effect of being unwell emotionally.

V. 3-4, 9, 13 – Fear caused Elijah to run away. He wanted to die. He was not where God wanted him to be.

Being unwell emotionally is not something to ignore. The enemy wants to steal what God has for you. Ignoring the problem is the fastest way to being destroyed.

Jesus went to the cross for your mental health. Isaiah 53:4-5. Why? It is important.

Being unwell emotionally affects your relationships and your future.

Be self-aware. Be active in getting well. Be willing to get help from someone if needed. (Dr. Michael Gannon says three days.)

Taking care of your physical needs is important to overcoming breakdowns.

V.5-8 – He slept, ate, and drank.

Taking care of your body is very important to emotional health.

Eating properly. Drinking water. Sleeping. Exercising. Supplementation.

And yes, on rare occasions, taking medicine is acceptable.

Learn to grow in your interaction with God.

V.11-12 Elijah had to grow in his understanding of hearing God.

Sometimes, God is in the fire, wind, and earthquakes. Elijah knew God in those ways. He did not know God in the gentle blowing.

Allow your walk with God to grow beyond your current understanding of God.

Keep your mind on His Word and call on your life.

V.13 & 15-18 – He wrapped his head in his mantle. He gave himself over to what God called him to do.

The mantel represents God’s call on his life and, to some extent, the Word of God.

[Col 3:2 NASB95]

You need to choose what you’re thinking about to have peace.

Focus on God’s Word and His call on you.

Stand against the outside forces that affect your mind.

V. 14 Elijah was surrounded by evil people and a demonically inspired leader (Jezebel.)

Two outside forces:

Who you hang out with will affect you. Relationships with people affect you. [2Co 6:14-15 NASB95]

Demons affect us. [Rev 2:20 NASB95]

Invest in relationships with Godly people and resist demons that negatively affect you.

Take hold of God’s promise of peace.

Not in this passage, but implied.

[Phl 4:6-7 NASB95]

God’s peace is available. It will not be forced upon you. You will have to take it by force.

God comforts us when we have emotional breakdowns and will help us to overcome them to fulfill His purpose.

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Days of Elijah pt6—Everyday Pattern for Miracles Everyday

[Jas 5:16-18 NASB95]

[1Ki 18:41-46 NASB95]

Miracles do not have to be rare.

James holds Elijah’s example of getting a miracle as pattern faith-filled NT believers should follow.

What pattern can NT believers follow from Elijah’s life?

Here are three parts of the pattern NT believers can follow from Elijah’s life.

A prophetic statement of faith.

V. 41 – Was he hearing these in the natural or by faith? By faith of course.

Everything God said in Genesis 1 occurred after He said it.

Mark 11:22-23

Positive or negative, your words produce for you. Other miracles will confirm this truth.

Tips on prophetic statements of faith:

Needs to follow closely with the Word of God as you can. Some situations might not be addressed directly in the Bible.

Stay away from things that will negatively affect people.

What are you believing God for today? Not to antagonize you, but to help you.

Are your words being used on purpose? They (your words) should be used on purpose.

An expectant prayer.

V. 42-43

He prayed and looked. Eight times total.

The Word of Faith message is one of the most potent systematic theologies in Christianity. Applying the principles of the Word of Faith has helped and continues to help my family and me to experience great miracles.

One principle that is taught is wrong. The erroneous Word of Faith principle is that if a person continues to pray about an issue after they have already prayed, they do not believe that God has heard them the first time. The subsequent prayers would be considered full of doubt and unbelief.

Was Elijah in doubt? Is James wrong to use this as an example of Bible faith? No. No.

The message we get from Elijah’s prayer life is simple. Pray and look. Pray and look. Keep praying and keep looking. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop looking.

An act of faith.

V. 44-45 – a cloud the size of a man’s hand caused Elijah to know things were moving.

Learn to act when God acts.

Thank God when you see any movement.

Many miracles are progressive.

Don’t only praise God or move when you see the miracle completed.

How God works in our life with the Word. [Mar 4:26-29 NASB95]

[Jas 2:17-26 NASB95]

Act in faith when you see God move. These acts can include praising God and testifying to the miracle.

Bonus: A supernatural empowerment.

V. 46 – Activating these principles with tap you into the power of the Holy Spirit. Walk (run) in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God wants us to experience miracles as we make statements of faith combined with expectant prayer and acts of faith while experiencing supernatural empowerment.

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Days of Elijah pt5—Confront the Enemies of Your Faith

[1Ki 18:20-40 NASB95]

God calls us to confront the enemies of our faith. Those enemies can be internal or external. They can be spiritual, emotional, biological, financial, or relational. These enemies might be global, national, or individualized.

The enemies of your faith are trying to get you to stop serving Jesus and distract you from fulfilling your call.

Elijah confronted Ahab and the priests of Baal. Ahab and the priests of Baal have all but destroyed the faith of the people of Israel. There was a small remnant of God-fearing people. The rest of the people were mixed in their devotion to God. God called Elijah to confront the enemies of the faith.

How does God want us to confront the enemies of our faith?

Elijah gives us a blueprint for confronting the enemies of our faith.

God wants us to be totally devoted to Him.

V. 21

[Jos 24:15 NASB95]

[Mat 6:24 NASB95]

FB – to be separate means fearing God, hating sin, false teaching, injustice, improper relationships with hypocrites, and total devotion to God’s perspective.

[Luk 9:62 NASB95]

[Jhn 21:22 NASB95]

No more trying to serve the world, the flesh, and the devil. No more looking around at other people or considering other options. Single focus.

God wants us to be bold in confronting the enemy.

V. 27

Elijah was mocking the enemies of the faith. Maybe “a euphemism for bodily elimination.” (Patterson and Austel)

[Mar 11:17 NASB95]

Remember David when he confronted Goliath.

It is time to be bold as a lion about confronting the enemies of our faith.

God wants us to live with unlimited faith in Him.

V. 30-35

Elijah created an adverse situation for fire: water. This was done to demonstrate the power of God in any situation.

[Eph 3:20-21 NASB95]

Take limits off of God. [Psa 78:41 NASB95] (to set marks or limits. Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon) (marked, outlined, sketched, designed – Klein Dictionary)

God wants us to pray intense prayers.

V. 36-38

“It was no whim of his to chastise the nation with a drought. It was no scheme of his, concocted in his own brain that he should put the Godhead of Jehovah or of Baal to the test by a sacrifice to be consumed by miraculous fire.” (Spurgeon)

This intense prayer had the following:

Acknowledged God

Declared his position before God.

Based upon the Word of God.

Was declarative, “Hear me… hear me…”

Was not just about him but also focused upon the Lord and others.

No more small prayers. [Psa 81:10 NASB95]

When confronting the enemies of our faith, God wants us to be totally devoted to Him in boldness, unlimited faith, and intense prayers.

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Days of Elijah pt4—Honor Marks You for a Miracle

[Jas 5:17 NASB95]

[1Ki 17:24 NASB95]

[Luk 4:22-27 NASB95]

Why did the woman get the miracles she received? Was it random? Or was there a reason?

Jesus said that she honored Elijah as a prophet. That is why she received the miracles. When you look at this situation comprehensively, He said this in reference to why He could not do any mighty works. (See also Matthew 13:57-58 and Mark 6:4-5)

They were familiar with Him.

Honor will include the people (leadership), place (house of God), and principles (methods) of God.

We live in a culture of dishonor. Many of us do not know about honor. We need to grow in this area.

Since honor marks us for a miracle, what must we consider about honor?

Here are four important things to know about honor.

Honor those over you in the Lord.

[1Th 5:12-13 NASB95]

“In the family of God, we are all equal. In the Kingdom of God, there is a hierarchy.” Debbie Shaut.

[Heb 13:7, 17 NASB95]

[1Ti 5:17 NASB95]

There needs to be recognition that God has placed people over us in the Lord.

Honor the office.

[Eph 4:11 NASB95]

“Paul revered the office.” (Kenneth Hagin, Biblical Keys to Financial Prosperity) [Act 23:4-5 NASB95]

What about titles?

Jesus –

[Mat 23:8-10 NASB95]

David Guzik – From the rest of Scripture, we can see that Jesus did not intend this as an absolute prohibition, rather as speaking to the heart that loves, collects, and cherishes such titles. We know this because, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, godly men spoke of themselves with some of these titles.

John – John did not contradict Jesus.

[1Jo 2:13-14 NASB95]

[3Jo 1:4 NASB95]

Paul –

Called Abraham, father of us all. [Rom 4:16 NASB95]

[1Ti 2:7 NASB95]

[Tit 1:4 NASB95]

[2Ti 1:11 NASB95]

[1Co 9:2 NASB95]

Jesus was teaching against people who were not genuine fathers, teachers, or leaders. Those positions are God-ordained, not people-ordained. They need to be legitimate. “That which he forbids is, 1. An affectation of such titles, and hunting after them. 2. Rom tituli, the exercise of an absolute mastership, or a paternal, absolute power.” (Poole)

Honoring the offices that Jesus instituted is important.

Quick word of note: There is an appropriate way to rebuke a leader. [1Ti 5:19 NASB95]

Honor opens the door for the blessing of God.

Jesus points out that the woman was blessed because she honored the prophet. She obeyed the Word of the Lord by giving to him and made a room for him in her house.

[3Jo 1:2-8 NASB95]

When we honor the people of God in our lives, blessings follow.

Honor manifests in several ways.

Speaking good, not evil.

Serving with obedience and joy.

Shares financially.

[1Co 9:7-14 NASB95]

[Gal 6:6 NASB95]

Honoring the people of God will mark you for a miracle.

Ask the Holy Spirit how to honor those He has placed in our lives better.

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Days of Elijah pt3—A Miraculous Message in the Mess

[Jas 5:17 NASB95] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

[1Ki 17:17-24 NASB95]

There is no message without a mess. Or a testimony without a test. Miracles usually involve confronting the forces trying to push us back or keep us from going forward.

There are times you will experience miracles in one area and a crisis in another.

The unnamed woman and Elijah experience a miracle of continual supply, and then her son dies. It is a crisis that both Elijah and the woman (mother) must face.

What does God want us to know about miracles in the mess?

Here are five lessons God wants us to know about miracles in the mess.

Do not think it strange to experience a setback amid a miracle.

V. 17… the miracle of supernatural continual supply continued when the boy died.

How can God do miraculous things on one side and other situations go wrong? It just does not make sense. It would make more sense that if God is involved, everything would be good.

[1Pe 4:12-13 NASB95]

Stay steady when troubles come. Remember the good God is for you.

Resist the blame game.

V. 18 – she was efficient with her blame. She blamed God through Elijah because of her sin.

We live in a fallen world.

[Jhn 9:1-3 NASB95]

[Luk 13:1-5 NASB95]

We all have sinned. We all deserve judgment. Judgment will come unless we repent.

The point is that while it is common to attribute our troubles as judgment because of personal sin, personal sin is not always the reason for the troubles.

Ultimately, sin is the cause of all trouble, so repent. But do not blame God’s wrath on your negative situations.

Learn to give it to God.

V. 19 – Elijah (in the place of God here) asks her to give him the boy.

[1Pe 5:7 NASB95]

God is asking us to do the same.

Elijah took the boy to his own bed. [Isa 53:4-5 NASB95]

Give “it” to God. He wants to take it and fix it.

PUSH – Pray until something happens.

V. 20-22…

First, Elijah does not accuse God.

He prays three times.

God heard him.

[Luk 11:1, 5-13 NASB95]

[Luk 18:1-8 NASB95]

Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking.

Practice the spiritual gift of being annoying in prayer.

Miracles might help others’ faith.

V. 23-24

Her faith was strengthened.

Miracles DO NOT ALWAYS cause people to believe. [Luk 16:30-31 NASB95]

If a person is a seeker, miracles help people. [Jhn 2:11 NASB95]

Allow miracles to strengthen your faith. Share with others what God has done and is doing in your life.

Bonus: Learn to honor those who are called into the five-fold leadership.

[Luk 4:22-27 NASB95]

In a cursed, sin-filled world, God wants us to keep trusting Him.

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Days of Elijah pt2—Five Elements of Continual Supply

[Jas 5:17 NASB95] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

[1Ki 17:7-16 NASB95]

It’s easy to prosper when everything is favorable. God wants you to enjoy continual supply in any environment.

Here, in Elijah’s second miracle story, we see a supernatural continual supply.

What are the elements of the continual supply in Elijah’s life?

Here are five elements of continual supply.

Be willing to change when God directs you to change.

V. 7-8 – Then the word of the LORD…

The venue change did not occur because of circumstance but because of direction.

We must be willing to change and do something different when God says.

Notice: Elijah did not change just because the water dried up.

Seek God, not circumstances. Make changes when He tells you, not when circumstances change.

“BE” “THERE.”

V. 9 – there to provide for you.

Supernatural supply comes when we are there.

BE – as far as fully bought in. [Isa 1:19 NASB95]

“There” = find your grace and get in your place.

Recognize that “there” might not look like a place of continual supply.

V. 9-10 – the widow gathering sticks.

Most people would not want a widow to be a supply source.

Remember, it is not only about you.

V. 10-13 – for you and your son

[Pro 11:25 NASB95]

Your giving opens the door to continual supply.

V. 14-16

[Pro 3:10-11 NASB95]

[Luk 6:38 NASB95]

[Phl 4:18-19 NASB95]

How to become a giver?

Tithe. To God. Ten percent of income.

Offerings. To God. Any amount.

Alms. To the poor. Any amount.

In any environment, God wants us to enjoy continual supply as we make changes at His direction, find our place, give ourselves wholeheartedly to His call, be a blessing to others, and become cheerful givers.

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