The Enemy is great at paralyzing our faith through fear. We stare at the opposition long enough and we lose our courage to do what God has called us to do. Elijah, the prophet of God, stood against the enemies of God and stood for the Lord God. The Lord is asking each of us to do the same.
The 2024 presidential election of the United States is complete and with it came some laws that have been codified. One of those laws codified is in Colorado, the state where I pastor Vanguard Church. The people of Colorado have decided to ratify into the state constitution the right to take the life of a baby up to the day before the baby is born. We have now become known as the state of death. Colorado is now the most dangerous place in America for an unborn baby to live. During the time of Elijah, because of Ahab's leadership, babies were being offered to the gods sadly like they are today in Colorado.
God told Elijah to go show himself to Ahab. It took massive courage to do this because Elijah knew it could cost him his life. He did it anyway.
What evil has God asked you to confront in your life? How is God asking you to stand for Him in your life? Like Elijah, are you doing it?
Elijah confronted the people of God in front of the prophets of Ahab, 450 of them. He says in 1 Kings 18:21, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." We need this kind of leadership today in the pulpits across America and around the world. We need pastors crying out like prophets for the holiness of God to be the focus of God's people.
In 1 Kings 18:30 Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." This is obedient leadership. Elijah repaired the altar of God in front of the people of God. God's people need to see God's leaders restoring the church as an altar for Jesus.
Once the altar of God was restored, then Elijah did what any great preacher would do, he asked the Lord to send his presence through him so the people of God could see the presence of God in him. In 1 Kings 18:36 Elijah said to God in essence, "God you are in charge, let them know I am not, and then let them know I have done what you told me to do."
If I had a nickel for every time someone has told me in my life, "Kelly, I respect you for doing what you 'think' God wanted you to do," I would be a rich man! Elijah is saying here, "No, you don't understand, I didn't do what I think God wanted. I did what God told me to do." We need pastors like this today in America and across our world.
Now you might say, "What if I am wrong?"
Let God address you, but you go do what God has asked you to do, immediately and regardless. Live that way! It's God's way. It is the obedient way. Don't put confidence in yourself, put it in your obedience to Jesus. Stake your success not on your ability but God's faithfulness to answer your request. Elijah said to the Lord in 1 Kings 18:37, "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back." This is how we experience a holy awakening in our world.
This great act of God's power at the hands of Elijah propelled him into the limelight of the opposition. Most of the opposition melted at Elijah's courage to obey the Lord, but Jezebel revolted against him even more. This will also be the case for you. The greatest stronghold of the Enemy will seek your life, this is what Jezebel did to Elijah. In 1 Kings 18:46 it says, "The Lord gave special strength to Elijah." Then due to Jezebel's opposition to Elijah, just a few verses later it says in 1 Kings 19:3, "Elijah was afraid and fled for his life."
Standing publicly against policies like the abortion amendment that passed in Colorado is very unpopular in our day and it will bring with it undesirable opposition and oppression.
I can relate to Elijah. I am sure you can too. Elijah eventually begged God to die. Sometimes this is what the pastorate feels like to me. The oppression kills my will to live. Elijah ran and hid in a cave.
Maybe you have lost your will to live and serve the Lord as a pastor due to the never-ending negativity that you see around you and, in the world, where you are trying to make a difference. You are not alone.
God came to Elijah and said, "Why are you in this cave?" Elijah tells him in so many words, "I lived for you, and I am not sure it is worth it." God sends Elijah a series of experiences from a wind to an earthquake, to a fire but God's voice was not in any of those. Instead, after all this commotion, the Bible tells us that God sent the sound a gentle whisper in 1 Kings 19:12.
What was this gentle whisper? We would call it, "The still small voice of the Holy Spirit." It is the voice of God that speaks to our soul. It is the game changer.
This still small voice said to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:15, "Go back the same way you came." In essence, "Keep doing what you're doing for the Lord, it matters!" God says to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:15, "Travel to the wilderness of Damascus," the same road God would eventually meet the Apostle Paul on to convert him to his great missionary journeys. He tells Elijah in 1 Kings 19:16, "Anoint Hazael, anoint Jehu, anoint Elisha." In essence, "raise up some new leaders."
It may look like we're losing some of the battles God has asked us to fight. Instead of getting discouraged that your work is not paying off like you thought, ask God to raise up new leaders to join you.
God said to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:18, "I will preserve 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal."
God is not done. And neither are we. The solution to obedient leadership in the face of fear is not quitting but raising up new leaders like Elijah to battle with you.
Be like Elijah, find your anointing oil and get busy anointing a new generation of leaders. A generation of babies are dependent upon it!
