Tag Archives: Elijah

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Like Elijah: Are You the Only One Left?

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In an ‘anything goes’ world interested in pursuing pleasure more than God, even inside the Church, it’s easy to feel isolated. Overwhelmed. Like you’re the only one chasing purity, charity, and transformation as YHVH desires (e.g., Hebrews 13:16, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, and 1 Timothy 4:12). It’s easy to feel like He’s far away and disinterested! If that’s you, you’re in good company! Allow me to introduce the eighth-century BCE prophet Elijah, who thought he stood alone against the wickedness of his day.

Let’s set the stage first. Israel’s king was Ahab, and his pagan wife Jezebel introduced Baal worship. Bad? Yep! They were to have only ONE Elohim: YHVH. And they killed infants and engaged in the sexual perversions and deviances we see today. Don’t be surprised. King Solomon wrote about 100 years earlier: “. . . there is nothing new under the sun.” Anyway, YHVH withheld rain for 3.5 years because of Israel’s rebellion. Enter Elijah.

Read 1 Kings 18:20-40, and you’ll find an elated prophet who overcame 450 of Baal’s prophets by YHVH’s power. Victory! Rain! On the other hand, continue reading 1 Kings 19:4-18, and you’ll find a depressed Elijah on the run from Ahab. In verses 10 and 14, he cries, “Am I the only one?” In a small, still voice, mighty YHVH whispers: “No! Seven thousand others are like you!” (1 Kings 19:11-18) Similarly, you are not alone!

You are not alone! Statistically, up to 90% of a church’s congregation is passive, spiritually lethargic, unfruitful, and doomed. But that means that 10% or more are authentic God-fearing, Christ-following partners and not pew-warming freeloaders . . . They’re disciples. They study, pray, care for others, and devote their bodies to YHVH. You are not alone! Others love justice and mercy and salvation, too!

You are not alone! You’ll see! Jesus revealed this post-end-times rescuing to John: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb . . .” (Revelation 7:9-10)

You are not alone! You’re not the only one! Stay the course! “. . . the one who endures to the end . . . will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)

Summary: Elijah believed he was the only God-fearing, righteous person left. He was mistaken. If you think you’re the only one today, you, too, are wrong. You are not alone! But I encourage you to encourage others: tell them they’re not alone as you’re not! Now what? I mentioned discipleship and transformation in this article, so we’ll consider the relationship between foundational discipleship and formational spiritual disciplines as we go to the ‘spiritual gym’ next. Meanwhile, remember that if you claim Christianity, you and yours belong to Christ, not to yourself for carnal pleasure.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Elijah – From Elation to Depression

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Life can be great; it can be challenging. Ups bring joy, and downs deep despair. Sometimes, it seems as if we’ve descended too deeply to return to the status quo, let alone ascend to joy or elation! If this describes your state of being sometimes, as it can mine, we’re in good company! This week, I’ll introduce you to Elijah, who went from great joy and confidence to deep despair in a hurry.

Elijah lived and prophesied during the reign of Ahab, uttering God’s words to an unfaithful Israel: Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (1Kings 17:1)

Many of you already know of God’s victory against Ahab, Jezebel, and the prophets of Baal. But, just in case you don’t . . . Through Elijah, God informed rebellious Israel that He would bring drought. And why not? Sometimes, it’s good for entitled people to remember just how powerless they are and how much better off they’d be if they’d honor a relationship with God! Evil Queen Jezebel, who forsook the God of her ancestors (e.g., 1Kings 18:18-19), consorted with prophets of the lesser god Baal (the god of the Canaanites). In a showdown, Baal’s prophets couldn’t coax Baal into consuming a sacrifice with fire despite dancing, yelling, and flesh cutting (1Kings 18:26-29). God’s turn.

No yelling. No cutting. No dancing. Elijah’s prayer was simple, and God’s response instant and complete. Fire from the sky consumed the sacrifice and the water Elijah had drenched it in (1Kings 18:30-39)! Elation for Elijah! But the joy wouldn’t last.

As you can imagine, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel weren’t pleased! They chased Elijah, who ran for days to escape their wrath. Discouraged and tired, he wished he were dead (1Kings 19:4). What a departure from the incredible elation of just a few days earlier when he basked in the glory of God’s victory! But swinging between highs and lows is what we often do as humans as the memories of successes and excellent stuff fade.

God nursed Elijah back to health and spoke to him. In a thunderous voice? No. In the middle of great wind or earthquake? No. The quiet space was God’s medium for parlaying with Elijah (1Kings 19:9-13). Our moods swing, but God is loving, patient, and faithful in responding to His children. You are one . . . right? If you aren’t (or aren’t sure), let’s talk! Regardless, listen carefully as God may speak to you in ways and places you don’t expect!

In summary, be on God’s side to help overcome adversity and deep depression. In the following article, we’ll revisit something many of us learned as kids: “Be careful little eye what you see, little ear what you hear!”

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How Dry I Am! How Dry . . .

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“Dude! I don’t I feel God’s presence? Maybe He has left me!” You’d be surprised at how often these thoughts or questions come up! Perhaps you’ve wondered or asked them yourself. It’s OK. Let’s talk about why we think we need to ‘feel’ the presence of God.

Our creator designed us to bear His image.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

Do you know that He and the One we know as Jesus felt emotion (and, logically, still do)?

God: “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:13)

Jesus: “Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him . . .” (Mark 10:21); “When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” (Luke 7:13)

We are imagers of God. He operates by free will; so do we (with good or bad consequences!). He feels; we feel. So God understands our emotions. The downside is that we can mistake feeling for Spirit and go into a tailspin when we don’t ‘feel’ Him. The truth is that, although our interaction with God can produce human feelings, the Spirit of God isn’t an emotion. He is either with us or not, regardless of what we feel. Old Covenant Elijah and David exemplify this reality.

God was with Elijah, as evidenced by His destruction of pagan priests and an animal sacrifice (1 Kings 18:20-40). He was probably on top of the world! Yet, he had a complete reversal when running from King Ahab soon afterward. Elijah was so depressed that he wished to die. He didn’t ‘feel’ the presence of God. However, he learned that God had not left Him as revealed in a ‘gentle wind’ (1 Kings 19:11-13).

David? Within the first 100 Psalms, you’ll discover quickly that David’s emotions were up one minute, down the next. He knew that God was his foundation (e.g., Psalm 18), but, later, he cries, “Where are you?!?” (as in Psalm 13).

And then there’s my dear wife, who felt like she was in a ‘spiritual desert’ for several years. Once she realized that God had been with her all the time and was waiting for her to do her job of introducing His Kingdom to others in work, play, and life, her outlook changed, and she’s been fine ever since.

In summary, our emotions (or lack thereof!) may keep us from remembering that God gives His Spirit to His own; feelings are ours. Next week, we’ll take a deep dive into Jesus’ washings in the upper room as we contrast born-again forgiveness and continued forgiveness.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley