WHY ELIJAH -in the last days?
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
************************************
From: INPUTSNET@aol.com
Date sent: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 14:45:05 EST
"Why Elijah in the Last Days?"
-copyright (c)2004 Thomas B. Fideler.
Recently, the online newsletter, The Voice from Zion,
published an article entitled, "The Spirit of Elijah" It was
this timely article that provoked me to ask, "Why Elijah?"
"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before
the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he
will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and
the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and
smite the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6).
Why would God choose the sign and personage of Elijah
for a Last Days' ministry? Were there not others from which
to choose - other mighty men of God?
The era in which Elijah ministered was a unique period in
the history of the Jews. King Ahab and the wicked Jezebel
governed Israel, the northern half of the divided kingdom.
They were unencumbered by any allegiance to "Yahweh"
(the Hebrew name of God, but rendered, "LORD" in most
English translations of the Old Testament). In fact, they
were what we might term, fundamentalist Baalites, "doing
more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than
did all the King's before him." (1 King's 16:33).
King Ahab, his murderous wife and the priests of Baal were
passionate about their unholy personal purpose. They ruled
as though their calling was to extinguish all worship and
knowledge of the Living God from the land of Israel, to break
down and destroy the "altars of the Lord." It was unto this
setting and time that God called and raised up his servant Elijah.
Now let your heart ponder the era in which we live today.
What is the nature and calling of the secular fundamentalists
in our own country who are rising up to extinguish the
worship and knowledge of the Living God from the land?
With great passion and personal conviction of purpose they
are breaking down the "altars" of the Lord, so as to remove
every trace and memory of the Living God from our society.
The current-day "prophets of Baal" promote and promulgate
any ungodly form of worship, relationship, passion, activity
or subject matter, in their quest to fully pay homage to their
god called Freedom. This form can be more succinctly
stated, "freedom from rules that make me feel guilty." The
only rule is that none of these activities shall involve the
knowledge or worship of the God of the Jews or Christians -
and especially not His Son - lest you end up having your
right to freedom removed. The average non-Christian and
complacent ("good enough is good enough") Christian is
being made ready for the charismatic powers of the Anti-
Christ and the false prophet, when they come on the scene
with new hope and promises.
Elijah was a man of flesh just as common as our own (see
James 5:17). Yet he was filled with the Spirit and power of
the living God; he shook all of Israel. When he prayed the
rain stopped for three years and six months; when he
prayed, fire from God came down out of heaven and
consumed the altar as well as the offering-after which he
led the slaughter of 450 prophets of Baal. And then, when
he prayed, the rain returned. All this caused the Jews of
the northern kingdom to declare, "The LORD he is God!
The LORD he is God!" More literally they were saying,
"Yahweh, he is God" since Baal also means "lord or master."
If there is one message that is clearer to me each day it is
this: We serve a living God who will do all that he has said
and who has all the power that is needed to accomplish
what he has asked us to do! If the LORD is God, serve
him, in fullness of spirit and power with all our hearts, not
allowing ourselves to be lured into complacency or fear.
********************************
"The Spirit of Elijah"
-by Voice from Zion.
What can one man do in his brief lifetime if he is willing to
be a living conduit through which the power of God may
descend on men? There is absolutely no limit to the
possible usefulness of such a life.
The life of the prophet Elijah is an example for today of
such a life. As he came to manhood the tide of human
events had been running strongly against the truth of God.
Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, rose to power in Israel
and began to systematically kill off the prophets of God
and to establish the pagan worship of Baal. The system
was supported by an immense organization of idolatry
administered by priests of Baal that like a fungus growth
infected the national life of Israel to its very heart.
Yet, the circumstances were changed instantly when
Elijah arose and said to king Ahab, "As the Lord, the
God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there
shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my
word." the situation began to change. (1 Kings 1:1)
At the time Elijah spoke to king Ahab most of the Jews
living in the northern kingdom of Israel believed their God
Jehovah was dead and defeated, but to Elijah He was the
one supreme reality of life. Because of his faith and
through the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit this
lowly and unkempt man dared to stand and speak forth
the word of God, "As the Lord God of Israel lives" to king Ahab.
In his spirit there was the conviction by the Holy Spirit
that he was chosen by God as one of his called and
recognized servant messengers, and it was in this
capacity that he stood before the king of Israel.
IN WHAT CAPACITY DO YOU STAND TODAY?
In America today are not the prophets of Baal killing off
and seeking to silence the prophets of God and the Elijah's
of the 21st century? Consider what happened to the dear
Judge in Alabama when he refused to obey the order to
remove the granite stone monument with the 10
Commandments inscribed on it? Not only did the
prophets of Baal force the removal of the stone monument
displaying the 10 Commandments, they saw to the orderly
and swift removal of the judge.
The same prophets of Baal have removed prayer and the
10 Commandments from our nation's schools. The same
prophets of Baal have forced the teaching of evolution -
that there is no God - into our nation's school system.
The prophets of Baal have arisen in some of our major
Christian denominations and have ordained homosexual
priests. The prophets of Baal have recently declared in
one of our state courts that homosexuals may now legally marry.
IF THEY HATED ME THEY WILL HATE YOU!
Jesus said the days would come when we who are of God
would be hated! "If the world hates you, you know that it
has hated Me before it hated you... 'A slave is not greater
than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you" (John 15:18-20).
The days are fast approaching when it will be like the days
of Elijah when to most, Jesus will seem to be dead and
powerless. What will you do when you see this happening?
Will you be an Elijah who stood before the king and
effectively declared, "I know that my redeemer lives?"
When you are called before men and persecuted for the
love of Christ what will you do?
Will you be an Elijah and begin to stand to turn the tide
against the rising idolatry so that the existence and power
of Jesus Christ may be vindicated? Do not be quick to
say, "Yes Lord, send me," for the price will be high. Only
if you are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit can you
hope to overcome the powers and principalities that will
arise against you. Yet, if like Elijah you know and believe
that "My redeemer lives," you will prevail.
Source: http://www.voicefromzion.org/artman/publish/article_88.shtml
********************************************