Called or Chosen
We think that God calls a bunch of us, and then He chooses those that He really wants. When we say it out loud it sounds foolish.
If God knows everything and He knew it before the foundation of the world, why would He call a bunch of us and then decide who He will choose? Is God indecisive? Do we think that He can’t make up His mind? Or Maybe, it isn’t God who chooses, maybe it is us who makes the choice!
There used to be a draft in this country. Many were called and when you appeared before the draft board you went through a series of tests and after the physical, mental, and IQ evaluation you were chosen for active duty or made 4F (which was a deferment for physical or mental health reasons): not suitable for active duty.
If you were accepted then you went to boot camp and through the trials and tribulations in boot camp if you couldn’t handle the mental torment that they put you through, or physical riggers, they sent you home letting you out with a certificate stating that you were released for the betterment of the service under honorable conditions. Of course there were those who were not teachable and rebelled at every command, would not submit to authority, and maybe created such a problem that they were released with a bad conduct discharge (known as a BCD).
Anyone who has been in the military will agree that BOOT CAMP has got to be the equivalence of going to hell. You are told what to do, when to do it, and how quickly it must be done. You are treated like dirt, called names you have never even heard before, and hope never to hear them again; and all of this while being sleep deprived. The purpose of boot camp is to break your individual spirit and all resemblance of independence
They deprive you of sleep to the point that you are totally submissive to the authority above you and you no longer think, you simply react to the order that has just been given. You do not analyze the situation, determine the pros and cons, you simply react. I can remember an order being shouted in the middle of the night, (which was not supposed to happen). I was in an absolute sound sleep, yet my body leaped out of a top bunk bed and I was standing at rigid attention before I ever woke up. I found myself standing there before my mind could even ascertain where I was or what I was doing. I was programmed to react and I did. Why would the government do this to its youth. Vietnam was raging and they knew that the immediate response to an order could be the difference between life and death. They were gearing us to obey, not to think. It did work.
I could have chosen to lay back, mess up and I could have eventually been dismissed from the call, but I had never been so challenged in my life, and I knew if I could survive this I could survive anything. So I chose to sacrifice my body, mind, and soul to what they were asking of me. I have never been in better physical shape, or mental alertness. Of course I was 18 at the time.
Here is the revelation that I believe God has given me this week. We are the ones that choose to be chosen. Through and by our obedience to the Lord. The call that goes out is the opportunity, those who accept the challenge are chosen.
Not every fire that we are going through is from the devil. Not every valley that we are in is spiritual warfare; maybe it is God who is trying you in that fire. Maybe it’s God who has you working for that boss, or has you at that job, married to that mate, or is allowing you to be sifted like sand.
I Kings 18:37-39
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You]. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!Miracle of fire, verse 41- 44, Miracle of rain verse 44-46 super natural speed 3 miracles of God.
I Kings 19:2-18
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow. Then he was afraid and arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba of Judah [over eighty miles, and out of Jezebel’s realm] and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a lone broom or juniper tree and asked that he might die. He said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers. As he lay asleep under the broom or juniper tree, behold, an angel touched him and said to him, Arise and eat. He looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals, and a bottle of water at his head. And he ate and drank and lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you. So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and nights to Horeb, the mount of God. There he came to a cave and lodged in it; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.
And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice. When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? He said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left, and they seek my life, to destroy it.
And the Lord said to him, Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah to be prophet in your place. And him who escapes from the sword of [a]Hazael Jehu shall slay, and him who escapes the sword of Jehu Elisha shall slay. Yet I will leave Myself 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.
Elijah gets a message.
Verses 2 & 3
Jezebel wants to kill you. I just watched the Lord bring fire down, bring rain down, and I just out ran a chariot and horses. I’m thinking that I would be so full of myself and my faith in God must be at its absolute zenith. It couldn’t get any higher. Yet look at Elijah terrified and he runs for his life.
This is not that unusual even today. Most ministers if they are going to sin or go into a depression it happens the day after they minister. Huge anointing on Sunday morning and maybe Sunday night and Monday hits, the anointing has left and the body is drained. God’s Holy Spirit is doing all the work, but unfortunately He only has our flesh to work through. All of this glory flowing through the minister’s flesh and when the anointing leaves the body is let down, like an adrenaline rush, that happens after a mother sees her child hit by a car and is under the vehicle she runs over to the car and lifts it up and pulls her child out from under it. Miraculous things take place as the Holy Spirit is moving. To glorious to speak of, to miraculous to explain, and then its gone. The body is drained, and depression sets in and it doesn’t take a big disappointment to set you off. You are stunned by how easily you can fall into fear, or depression.
Verse 2 & 3
So Elijah runs as fast as he can as far as he can, to the southernmost city in the kingdom of Judah in Beersheba. He leaves his servant there and moves into a wilderness so that his servant won’t see how broken he is.
Don’t we sometimes hide from those who are close to us so they won’t see our cracks, chips, or faults? We will even run from God, and the church instead of running toward the Lord.
He was so depressed that he wanted to die. I’m no better then my fathers. I am weak, and I give up! Ever been there?
Verses 5-8
God ministered to Elijah. He sent “The Angel of the Lord” (who we know is Jesus) to Elijah two times and fed him food from heaven that sustained him 40 days and nights. This time he goes to the mountain of God. He went 200 miles in 40 days to MT Horeb which is another name for Mt Sinai the very place where God revealed Himself to Moses and the children of Israel.
When we are at our lowest if we allow God to minister to us, that is not blame Him, and shake our fist at Him, but allow Him, He will bring us to that place where we know He was.
- God sends some fire before Him to burn some stinking thinking out of our minds.
- He sends His strong wind to blow the hot air out of us.
- He sends the earth quake to shake us up and to get our attention
- So that we are finally capable of hearing His still small voice.
Verses 9-18
God gently speaks to us as He did Elijah. He might even listen to our pity party as He did Elijah Then He Reveals Himself, comforts us, and may even and give us 3 more tasks to accomplish as He did Elijah. Even though Elijah was depressed, disillusioned and worn out, he was still willing to obey God, He gave him 3 more tasks to complete before He allowed him to rest. Verses 15-17 he said, anoint Hazael King over Aram, Jehu King over Israel, and Elisha to take your place.
He did this to Elijah to let him know that if he goes in the strength of the Lord there isn’t anything that cannot be accomplished no matter how tired, depressed or worn out you thing you are.
Because Elijah chose to Hide in God, believe in God, and then decided to obey God. He was chosen.
God is no respecter of persons. Allow yourself to be chosen.