What Are You Doing Here?
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 9/14/20261 Kings 19:9–15
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Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores Elijah's retreat to the cave in 1 Kings 19, challenging believers to stop hiding in depression and exhaustion and instead rest, recover, and return to their God-given assignments.
Key points
- •Great spiritual victories do not make a person immune to human exhaustion or emotional crashes.
- •Discouragement can distort your perspective, leading you to believe you are the only one suffering or that your assignment is over.
- •God often provides rest and sustenance before he provides a lecture or a new instruction.
- •God is not always in the dramatic wind, earthquake, or fire; he often speaks in a gentle whisper to those who are still enough to listen.
- •A cave of isolation may be a temporary place for recovery, but it must never become your permanent residence.
Scripture
Spiritual Growth
Purpose
Perseverance
Faith
Hope
Life application
This week, if you are feeling overwhelmed, prioritize physical rest and a healthy meal as a spiritual act. Before making any major decisions to quit or resign, spend time in silence to listen for God's gentle whisper rather than the loud noise of your critics.
Reflection questions
- What 'Jezebel' or threat has caused you to run into a cave of fear or isolation lately?
- In what ways have you been exaggerating your situation by feeling like you are the 'only one' facing these trials?
- How can you tell the difference between healthy recovery and unhealthy hiding?
- What is the 'Damascus' or next assignment that God is calling you to go back and fulfill?
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Full transcript
0:00All right, do me a favor. Would you
0:02please stand as we read from First Kings
0:06chapter 19?
0:09First Kings chapter 19 in honor of God's
0:13word. We will stand this morning.
0:17And God gave me a word from First Kings
0:2219 verse 9 to verse 15.
0:26And here is the word of the Lord this
0:28morning. There he went into a cave and
0:33spent the night. The Lord appears to
0:37Elijah and the word of the Lord came to
0:40him. What are you doing here, Elijah?
0:46He replied, I have been very zealous
0:50for the Lord God Almighty.
0:52The Israelites have rejected your
0:55covenant, torn down your altars, and put
0:58your prophets to death with the sword,
1:00and I'm the only one left.
1:04And now
1:06they're trying to kill me, too. And the
1:10Lord said, "Go out and stand on the
1:13mountain in the presence of the Lord,
1:15for the Lord is about to pass by." And
1:18then a great and powerful wind tore the
1:21mountains apart and scattered the rocks
1:24before the Lord. But the Lord was not in
1:26the wind. And after the wind there was
1:28an earthquake. But the Lord was not in
1:31the earthquake. And after the earthquake
1:33came the fire. But the Lord was not in
1:36the fire. And after the fire came a
1:38gentle
1:40whisper.
1:44When Elijah heard it, he pulled his
1:47cloak over his face and went out and
1:50stood at the mouth of the cave.
1:54And then a voice said to him,
1:58"What are you doing here, Elijah?"
2:01He replied, "I have been very zealous
2:05for the Lord God Almighty. The
2:07Israelites have rejected your covenant,
2:09torn down your altars, and have put the
2:12prophets to death with the sword. And
2:15I'm the only one left. And now they're
2:19trying to kill me, too.
2:24And the Lord said to him,
2:27"Go back the way you came
2:28[clears throat]
2:30and go to the desert of Damascus.
2:35When you get there, anoint Aziel
2:40and Aram.
2:43When you get there, anoint Aziel, king
2:48over
2:50Aram. Father, thank you
2:54that you are speaking
2:56to your people today
3:00that there's somebody's going to log
3:02off. Somebody's going to walk out of
3:03this room. knowing
3:06you spoke directly
3:11to them.
3:12They needed you to say something in this
3:17hour,
3:19this crisis, this issue they're dealing
3:24with.
3:25So, we thank you that you're speaking to
3:28us now in Jesus' name. Amen. Come on,
3:33let's give him a praise one more time.
3:36You [music] may be seated in the
3:39presence of the Lord. So, I want to take
3:43our subject this morning from the text.
3:48What are you doing here?
3:51What are you doing here? [snorts]
3:55God has given me a message today for
3:58every person who has allowed criticism,
4:02exhaustion,
4:04disappointment,
4:05or discouragement to diminish your
4:08passion.
4:10Somewhere along the journey, you have
4:12lost your fire. You still love God, yes,
4:16but you don't serve him with the same
4:20passion you once had.
4:24You still have dreams. There's no doubt
4:27about that.
4:29But you don't pursue them the same way
4:33you once had. You've lost the passion.
4:38You still believe that God has a purpose
4:41for your life, but disappointment
4:45has made you question whether that
4:47purpose will ever become a reality.
4:52And so your courage has been attacked.
4:56Your enthusiasm has been diminished. And
5:01instead of pursuing what God placed in
5:05your heart, you have settled into
5:09survival mode. You are going through the
5:12motions. You're going through the
5:15motions.
5:16But I've come with a message from God
5:19today to ask you this question.
5:23What are you doing here?
5:26What are you doing at the place of fear?
5:29What are you doing at the place where
5:33you're hiding because you've been
5:36disappointed?
5:38What are you doing allowing someone's
5:41criticism to determine your future? What
5:45are you doing allowing exhaustion to
5:48convince you that your assignment is
5:52over?
5:54What are you doing here?
5:56You don't belong into a cave or a place
6:01of discouragement where you're now
6:03willing to throw in the towel.
6:06You may be tired,
6:08but you're not finished.
6:11You may have been criticized, but you're
6:14still called.
6:16You may be discouraged, but you're still
6:18anointed. You may have been attacked,
6:21but God still has an assignment for your
6:25life.
6:26Galatians 6:9 tells us, "Let us not
6:29become weary in doing good. For at the
6:33approper time, the appointed time, we
6:36will reap a harvest if we do not give
6:40up."
6:42Because the enemy doesn't always have to
6:44destroy you to stop you.
6:47Sometimes all he needs to do is to
6:51discourage you enough to make you stop
6:54pursuing what God called you to do. Yes,
6:57sir.
6:58>> And so I want to share six simple things
7:00with you today that I want you to think
7:03about and hopefully you'll apply them to
7:05every area of your life. Point number
7:07one, great victories
7:10does not make you immune to exhaustion.
7:15Just because you are born again, you're
7:17a saved, you're a Christian, you're
7:19serving God, doesn't mean that you won't
7:21get exhausted. You won't feel the
7:23pressure of life. You won't feel as if
7:26God is abandon you. You won't feel as if
7:29depression is attacking you. To
7:33understand first Kings chapter 19, you
7:36have to look at what happened in chapter
7:3918.
7:41Let me paint the story for you this
7:43morning. Here's Elijah. He had an
7:45experience one of the greatest victories
7:49ever in his ministry life. Elijah had
7:53just uh abandoned the the or Israel I
7:57should say had just abandoned the
7:59commandments of God because the children
8:02of Israel started worshiping idols. So,
8:06you know, they they they they started
8:08worshiping this Baal God. And Elijah
8:11challenged the prophets of Baal to a
8:15showdown at Mount Carmel.
8:19The challenge was simply this. The God
8:22who answers by fire, he is God.
8:27>> See, the enemy will come to you
8:29sometimes and he'll he'll test you and
8:31he'll say, "Your God is not real. Your
8:33God is not powerful. Your God cannot
8:35heal. Your God cannot provide for you.
8:38Your God cannot make a way for you.
8:43But that's what the enemy was doing to
8:46the children of Israel and to Elijah.
8:50You got to worship our God, false gods.
8:54Some of you know right from wrong, and
8:56you've allowed the system to force you
8:59to turn to other gods.
9:02And so Israel found themselves
9:04worshiping idols. Let me fast forward
9:07today. Like some of you, you grew up in
9:10church. You grew up going to Sunday
9:12school. You grew up saw your grandmother
9:14praying, your mother, father praying.
9:17And instead of continued to pray and to
9:21trust God, now you're going to
9:25witchcraft workers for answers. Now
9:28you're going to palm readers to give you
9:31answers for your future. This is exactly
9:34what Israel was doing. And Elijah
9:38challenged them. He says, "Now let's SEE
9:41WHICH GOD is going to respond."
9:46And so THE PROPHETS, THE FALSE prophets
9:49of Baal cried out. They shouted. They
9:52danced. They called upon their gods. but
9:56nothing happened.
10:00And then finally, Elijah said, "Let me
10:02pray."
10:04There's something about a believer
10:08who will stand up in the midst of a
10:10crisis and say, "Let me pray to our
10:14father
10:15>> who is in heaven." Glory to God. Elijah
10:19prayed and in chapter 18 verse 38 the
10:24Bible SAID THEN THE FIRE OF THE LORD
10:27fell and burnt up the sacrifice the wood
10:32the stone and the soil God's power was
10:36so real that when God showed up the fire
10:39that he sent down IT NOT JUST BURNED UP
10:42THE ALTAR BUT IT literally burned the
10:44wood it burned the stone it burned the
10:47ground. Let me tell you something. IF
10:48YOU START PRAYING, GOD WILL show up in a
10:51mighty way in your life.
10:56What a victory it was for Elijah.
11:00What a demonstration of God's power.
11:03But something happened between chapter
11:0718 and chapter 19 that every believer
11:11needs to understand.
11:14The same Elijah who stood courageously
11:18on Mount Carmel was now running for his
11:22life. WAIT A MINUTE. YOU JUST WITNESSED
11:25THE POWER OF GOD DEMONSTRATED IN SUCH A
11:29WAY THAT PROVED TO THE FALSE GOD THAT
11:32THERE'S ONLY ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD.
11:35And now you are running. NOW YOU ARE
11:38HIDING. YOU ONCE SAW THE POWER OF GOD in
11:42your life. God did it before for you.
11:45Remember when you prayed for God to help
11:47you through college? He showed up.
11:50REMEMBER WHEN YOU PRAYED FOR GOD TO GIVE
11:52YOU A SPOUSE? HE SHOWED UP. REMEMBER
11:54WHEN YOU PRAYED FOR GOD TO GIVE you the
11:56house, to give you the car, to give YOU
11:57THE JOB? YOU KNOW WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR?
11:59HE SHOWED UP. AND NOW YOU'RE FACED WITH
12:02A PRISON CRISIS.
12:05>> You're running
12:09>> LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR GOD IS.
12:13This courageous man of God was running
12:17because JEZEBEL SENT word
12:21that she intend to kill him. There's
12:23something about when a woman threatens
12:25you
12:28and she going to kill you.
12:31THIS MAN OF GOD, ANOINTED, KNOWS HOW TO
12:34PRAY, WAS RUNNING from this woman. And
12:37suddenly
12:39the man who stood against hundreds of
12:42false prophets
12:44was intimidated
12:46by the threat
12:48of one woman.
12:51Here's the lesson. You see, yesterday's
12:53victory does not exempt you from today's
12:58challenges.
13:00because today's challenges
13:03will exhaust you.
13:05One of the things the devil is doing to
13:07some of you, he wants to wear you out.
13:15>> He wants to wear you out so you can't
13:17breathe. He wants to wear you out where
13:21you SAY, "THIS IS NOT WORKING. THIS
13:23SERVING GOD AND PRAYING AND FASTING AND
13:27GOING TO CHURCH and giving and doing the
13:29right thing, it's not working. Sometimes
13:33your greatest emotional crash comes
13:37immediately after your greatest
13:40accomplishment.
13:45>> ELIJAH JUST ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING GREAT
13:49and his biggest attack came. So for
13:52those of you who are running around
13:53bragging about, look what the Lord has
13:55done. God is so good. OH MY LIFE IS SO
13:58PERFECT. Watch it.
14:00>> Look at your neighbor and say, "Watch
14:01it.
14:02>> Watch it."
14:03>> Cuz your day is coming.
14:06>> Your day is coming. You see, you can
14:10preach successfully and still become
14:13tired.
14:14You can build a business and become
14:17tired. You can raise your family and
14:21still become tired. You can lead people
14:24and become tired. You can spend years
14:27helping everybody else and suddenly
14:31realize,
14:33"I'm tired."
14:37Being exhausted does not mean
14:39[clears throat] that you've lost your
14:41anointing.
14:43>> You're human.
14:47Don't you ever let the devil make you
14:49think because you're exhausted. You know
14:51what you're struggling with right now.
14:53You know the pressure that you're under.
14:55Don't you ever let the devil make you
14:57think that you're not called anymore.
15:00You're not anointed. That God doesn't
15:02love you because
15:04you're under attack.
15:07Point number two, don't make permanent
15:10decisions
15:11during temporary exhaustion.
15:17ELIJAH RAN INTO THE WILDERNESS, SAT
15:19UNDER JUNIPER TREE, AND HE PRAYED,
15:24and this is what he said. I've had
15:26enough Lord.
15:29Take my life.
15:32I read that. That blew my mind, man. HE
15:35SAID, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH.
15:38I don't KNOW WHO GOD SENT ME TO TALK TO
15:40THIS MORNING. YOU'VE BEEN CRYING OUT TO
15:43GOD, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH.
15:46I'm not dealing with this no more. I'm
15:48fed up. I'm angry. I'm mad. I'VE HAD
15:52ENOUGH. I'm done."
15:55Have you ever been there in your life?
15:59>> Have you ever been there where you wish
16:02you would die instead of dealing with
16:04your problems?
16:06>> You've had enough criticism. You've had
16:08enough disappointments. You've had
16:10enough misunderstanding and people
16:12misunderstanding you. You you you know
16:15you've got you've just had enough of
16:18giving without receiving. ENOUGH HELPING
16:21PEOPLE WHO DON'T APPRECIATE YOU. ENOUGH
16:25CARRYING RESPONSIBILITY.
16:27Nobody knows you're carrying. ELIJAH WAS
16:31EXHAUSTED. HE WAS DISCOURAGED and he was
16:34overwhelmed.
16:37>> Had enough. His exhaustion began
16:41speaking louder
16:43than his faith.
16:45And that, my friends, is a very
16:48dangerous thing because when you are
16:50exhausted, temporary problems can start
16:54looking like permanent ones.
16:58>> Elijah didn't realize,
17:01if you will, or Elijah didn't really
17:03need his life to end. I should say
17:06didn't really need his life to end.
17:08He just needed rest.
17:11And I love what God did. God didn't
17:13condemn Elijah. God didn't give him a
17:17long lecture like, "Wait a minute. Why
17:19are you feeling the way you're feeling?
17:20This crazy man. You just witness a
17:23miracle. You know who I am. God didn't
17:25do none of that. God didn't even even,
17:28you know, just just, you know, kind of
17:30go at him and kind of, you know,
17:33[singing] correct him that you What are
17:35you doing, Elijah?" No, God allowed him
17:37to sleep. God simply said to him,
17:40"Elijah,
17:41go sleep."
17:45>> Could it be that God sent me here to
17:46tell somebody?
17:52>> Go to sleep.
17:55Go to sleep because I got this.
17:59I don't know who I'm talking to. that
18:02thing that you're worried about, God
18:04told me to tell you, "Go to sleep
18:06because I got this." Would you just tap
18:09your neighbor and says, "God's got you."
18:11Come on now. Just go to sleep. Just go
18:15to sleep. Go to sleep.
18:18Maybe that's what you need in this
18:20season of your life, just to rest.
18:24THEN THE ANGEL TOUCHED HIM. Touched
18:27Elijah.
18:29when he was resting. Now, THIS IS WHAT I
18:32LOVE. HE SAID, "GET UP and eat.
18:38>> Go to sleep. Get up and eat. Go to
18:42sleep. Get up and eat. Go to sleep. Get
18:45up and eat." Maybe that's those are the
18:47three things you ought to be doing right
18:49now. Stop worrying about today and
18:51tomorrow. Stop worrying about who's
18:53attacking YOU. STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE
18:55THREATS OF YOUR LIFE. AND JUST WHEN YOU
18:58GO TO YOUR BED TONIGHT, JUST PUT
19:01EVERYTHING INTO THE HANDS OF GOD. GO TO
19:03SLEEP, GET UP IN THE MORNING, AND GO
19:06HAVE YOURSELF A BIG FAT BREAKFAST.
19:19>> SOMETIMES THE MOST SPIRITUAL THING you
19:22can do is STOP TALKING.
19:27STOP WORRYING. STOP TRYING TO FIX
19:30EVERYTHING AND JUST REST.
19:36>> Psalm 127 tells us that God grants sleep
19:42to those
19:44he loves.
19:46>> Oh, you going to sleep good tonight.
19:50Some of you are trying to make major
19:52decisions while you're emotionally
19:55exhausted.
19:58>> It's the worst thing you can do.
20:01>> This current situation that you're
20:03feeling and going through, you're
20:05exhausted. Don't you rush to make any
20:10decisions.
20:11Why? Because you're exhausted.
20:14Elijah did that. He was exhausted. So,
20:17he made a couple of bad decisions. We'll
20:19deal with that in just a moment. Here's
20:22my message to all of you today. Don't
20:24quit because you're tired. Don't abandon
20:26your dreams because you're tired. Don't
20:28destroy relationships because you're
20:30tired. Don't walk away from your
20:33assignment because you're tired.
20:37>> Rest before you resign.
20:46Rest before you resign. Point number
20:49three, God will sustain you while you
20:53recover.
20:55>> See what rest does. Rest push you into a
21:00recovery mode.
21:02>> When Elijah was awakened, there was
21:05bread and water waiting for him. Wait a
21:08minute. This guy, this guy, I want you
21:12to think about this. He ran on this
21:15journey. He was running from Jezebel,
21:19running from this woman. And according
21:21to the Bible, he didn't prepare no food
21:23for the journey. He made no provision
21:26for the journey. He didn't know where
21:29the next meal was coming from. Even when
21:32Elijah didn't know how to take care of
21:35himself, in the midst of him running,
21:39God provided.
21:42>> Ah, some of you don't get that, man. You
21:44You didn't get that. In the midst of him
21:47running, in the midst of what he was
21:49battling with, God provided because God
21:53still knows
21:55how to take care of his children. You
21:58see, the angel came the second time and
22:00said, "Get up and eat, for the journey
22:05is too much for you. The weight, the
22:07responsibility,
22:09the pressure is too much for you." And
22:13that statement blesses me. And I'll tell
22:15you why. Because God knows the process
22:19of our journey. He knows our journey at
22:23times is difficult. He knows that this
22:27journey that we're dealing with is very
22:29difficult. God knows that we're carrying
22:31a lot. He knows we're dealing with a
22:34lot. God knows the responsibility many
22:36of us are carrying is heavy. He knows
22:39we've been criticized. He knows we are
22:41tired. God knows that we have been
22:45crying privately.
22:48But here's the good news.
22:50God will provide strength for every
22:54journey that he's assigned you to.
22:58>> Come on, somebody ought to give God
23:00praise right there. He'll give you the
23:02strength. Isaiah 40:29 says, "He gives
23:06strength to the weary and increases the
23:09power of the weak."
23:11>> Amen.
23:11>> He'll increase your strength. And so,
23:15you may not know where your provision is
23:17coming from. You may not know who God
23:20will use. You may not even know how he's
23:24going to work it out. But if God has
23:26called you to the journey, he will
23:29sustain you for the journey.
23:32>> Just like he sustained Elijah. Point
23:35number four, don't let the threats of
23:38the enemy drive you into depression and
23:41isolation.
23:42Now, this is going to be very important.
23:45I want you to hear me clearly. Those of
23:46you who are listening even online,
23:49strengthened by food, Elijah traveled
23:54for 40 days
23:57and 40 nights
24:00until he reached Horeb, the mountain of
24:03God.
24:05This place
24:07where God prepared for him. Follow the
24:10story here.
24:12Elijah now got to this place. AND THE
24:16FIRST THING ELIJAH did when he got to
24:19Mount Horeb,
24:22he looked for a cave.
24:26He looked for a cave. The Bible says the
24:28man WHO HAD BEEN STANDING PUBLICLY FOR
24:31God now hiding privately in a cave,
24:36depressed and wanting to die.
24:41Don't you let people's clothes fool you.
24:45>> Don't you let people's big, fancy,
24:48expensive cars fool you. Don't you let
24:51where people live fool you. Don't you
24:53let people's walking and their style and
24:56whatever fool you. You have no idea what
25:00people are going through behind all
25:04of the stuff we possess.
25:07WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ELIJAH, this
25:10great man of God AT A WONDERFUL,
25:13powerful mountain,
25:17DECIDE THE SAFEST AND BEST PLACE FOR me
25:21is in a cave?
25:25WHY DID HE GO to the FURTHEST HIGHEST
25:29POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN AND STAND WITH HIS
25:32hands up and say, "I TRUST IN GOD. I
25:36BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF GOD. MY FAITH IS
25:38STRONG. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. THE
25:40BIBLE SAID HE looked
25:43>> for a cave.
25:45>> Starts hiding in the cave. Some of you
25:49listen, you have seen the hand of God in
25:52so many ways in your life. You have the
25:56physical evidence of the power of God
25:58working in your life. But you are now at
26:01a place in your life where instead of
26:05talking about the goodness of God,
26:09you're hiding in depression.
26:14You have become so exhausted that the
26:18house you prayed for, now you got it,
26:22you don't enjoy it.
26:27THE MAN YOU ASKED GOD FOR, THE WOMAN YOU
26:29ASKED GOD FOR, YOU HAD THIS BIG
26:31ELABORATE WEDDING, STILL HAVEN'T EVEN
26:33PAID OFF FOR THE WEDDING.
26:38>> You got the ring.
26:42>> But now
26:45you're not happy.
26:48>> You're exhausted.
26:50YOU ASK GOD FOR THE CHILDREN.
26:53CHILDREN ARE DRIVING YOU CRAZY.
26:56Now
26:58you're exhausted. YOU PRAYED FOR THE JOB
27:00AND YOU TESTIFIED, "GOD GAVE ME THIS
27:03JOB. NOW [screaming]
27:06YOU'RE DEPRESSED.
27:11You're depressed."
27:14You see,
27:16that's what the threats of the enemy and
27:19the criticisms of the enemy will do.
27:22That's what the issues of life will do.
27:24It will force you into
27:27embracing fear.
27:31Rejection will do that to you also.
27:34That's what disappointment will do to
27:36you if you let the issues of life affect
27:38you. Threats and disappointment can
27:41damage your faith walk. It can make
27:44gifted people hide and go into
27:47depression. It it it it can make
27:50creative people stop creating. It can
27:53make leaders stop leading. It can make
27:56entrepreneurs stop dreaming. It can make
27:58believers stop serving. And eventually
28:01you start calling the cave
28:04your peace when in reality
28:08>> it's your fear.
28:15>> And for some of you, you say, "I DON'T
28:19WANT TO FOOL WITH ANYBODY ANYMORE.
28:22I don't trust anybody anymore.
28:26I'll never try that again. I I'll never
28:29serve again. I'll never love again. I I
28:32I'll NEVER START ANOTHER BUSINESS AGAIN.
28:34I'LL NEVER PUT MYSELF OUT THERE AGAIN.
28:38BUT MAYBE TODAY, GOD IS ASKING YOU
28:42AGAIN, what are you doing here?
28:49How did you COME SO FAR WITH him and now
28:54finding yourself
28:57>> in a cave?
29:00Depression is your norm.
29:04>> Frustration has become your best friend.
29:08Why are you
29:10in this place of giving up and on the on
29:16what is possible on the other side of
29:18your faith? Why? Why are you in this
29:22place of giving up on what is possible
29:25on what's on the other side of faith?
29:28Don't you know that you're called? Don't
29:29you know that you're called to influence
29:32people? Don't you know that you are
29:34called to serve? that you're called to
29:36build,
29:38>> that you're called to lead, that you're
29:40called to dream. The cave may be your
29:44temporary place of recovery, but it
29:47cannot become your permanent residence.
29:52>> It cannot.
29:54Number five,
29:56sometimes
29:58God doesn't act,
30:01he speaks.
30:04God told Elijah, he says, "Go out."
30:07Watch this. Go out on the mountain in
30:10the presence of the Lord. This This is
30:12amazing. God, he said then then he sent
30:15a powerful wind. And the Bible says,
30:17"But God was not in the wind." God was
30:19not because listen, sometimes God will
30:22put you out there. Watch this. He'll put
30:24you out there and something will come to
30:27blow you away. And and and what God is
30:30saying, I I I I didn't cause that.
30:34I just allowed it. I allow the enemy to
30:38do it, but I'm not the one who did it.
30:41>> Sometimes the fire and the attack he
30:44puts you through. God will say just like
30:47Job when when when God went to the devil
30:50and says, "Have you tested Job? Have you
30:52tested?" God permitted it. God permitted
30:54it. But it wasn't God who actually
30:57performed the test. Sometimes you need
30:59to understand that God will back away
31:02from your enemy and give you room. Oh, I
31:04got to demonstrate this. Come here
31:06quick. Quick. Something just got into my
31:08head a while ago. Oh, God. This is so
31:12good, man. Woo. Glory to God. Here you
31:16ARE, MAN. AND I KNOW GOD IS ALWAYS IN
31:20FRONT OF YOU. And wherever you go, it's
31:23because you're WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS
31:25OF GOD. BUT THERE COMES A TIME WHERE GOD
31:28WILL SAY, "ALL RIGHT, DEVIL, come on.
31:32Hit him WITH YOUR BEST SHOT." GOD WILL
31:34REMOVE himself away from you. AND YOU
31:37WILL SAY, "OH, GOD, WHY HAVE YOU EXPOSED
31:41ME TO THE FIERY DARTS OF THE ENEMY? BUT
31:45WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, THOUGH YOU DON'T
31:47SEE GOD ANYMORE INSIDE OF YOU, THE ANGEL
31:50OF THE LORD ENCAMPED AROUND ABOUT THOSE
31:55WHO FEAR THE LORD. I'M TELLING YOU, YOU
31:58MAY NOT SEE HIM AROUND YOU, BUT HIS
32:01PRESENCE IS always
32:04around you.
32:09SO GOD ALLOWED [screaming]
32:12ELIJAH TO GO OUT THERE AND THE WIND
32:14BLEW. BUT GOD SAYS, "I'M NOT IN IT, BUT
32:17YOU'RE STILL COVERED, BOY.
32:19YOU'RE STILL COVERED." AND THE BIBLE
32:22SAYS, "THEN THE EARTHQUAKE CAME AND
32:25SHOOK THE FOUNDATION, BUT GOD WAS NOT IN
32:28THE EARTHQUAKE." I'M TELLING YOU, GOD
32:31TOLD ME TO TELL SOMEBODY HERE TODAY THAT
32:34THINGS AROUND YOU MIGHT BE SHAKEN,
32:37MOVING, but you CANNOT BE MOVED. YOU
32:41SHALL NOT BE MOVED BECAUSE YOU ARE
32:43PLANTED LIKE A TREE. [cheering]
32:47Oh my God.
32:50HIT THREE PEOPLE AND TELL THEM YOU
32:52CANNOT BE MOVED. GOD [screaming]
32:54IS COVERING YOU.
32:59You can't be moved. You can't be moved.
33:01I don't care WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO
33:03TO YOU. GOD'S GOT YOU PLANTED. AND WHERE
33:06HE PLANTED YOU, NOBODY, NO SYSTEM, NO
33:11MAN, NO WOMAN CAN OH, NOBODY CAN MOVE
33:15YOU.
33:18SO, LET THE EARTHQUAKE COME. LET THE
33:21EARTHQUAKE COME. LET IT COME. BUT IT
33:24CANNOT MOVE YOU. AND THEN THE BIBLE SAYS
33:26THEN COMES THE FIRE BECAUSE THE WIND
33:29COULDN'T do it. The earthquake COULDN'T
33:31DO IT AND THE FIRE SOMETIMES THE DEVIL
33:34WILL come with some things in YOUR LIFE
33:38TO BURN OUT THE BLESSINGS OF GOD IN YOUR
33:41LIFE. AND THE BIBLE SAYS GOD WAS NOT IN
33:43THE FIRE BUT AFTER THE FIRE. SOMETIMES
33:47YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH THE FIRE.
33:51Oh God.
33:53AND IT'S IN THE FIRE. GOD SAYS, "NOW,
33:56DEVIL [screaming]
33:57ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
34:01SHOOT HIM WITH YOUR BEST SHOT. BUT THIS
34:04TIME, I'M GOING TO BLOCK HIM THIS TIME.
34:07THIS TIME, I GOT A WORD [screaming]
34:10FOR MY MAN."
34:16WOO! GLORY, GLORY, GLORY. [cheering]
34:24AFTER THE FIRE CAME,
34:28>> after the devil DID EVERYTHING, AFTER
34:30ALL THE STUFF WE'VE BEEN THROUGH,
34:33God says, "All right,
34:35>> sh
34:39stop.
34:42>> Be quiet. Earth
34:49>> fire cease.
34:54>> Now I need to talk to him.
34:57[laughter]
34:58Could it be God made you go through hell
35:01and back
35:04to bring you to a place
35:07where he'll say to you,
35:10"You seen the wind,
35:13>> you felt the earthquake.
35:15>> Oh, you've been through the fire.
35:18>> But let me talk to you now.
35:21>> What are you doing here? [snorts]
35:24It's time to move to a higher place in
35:28me. Somebody ought to give God praise.
35:30Thank you, sir.
35:36Some of you, YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER
35:38MIRACLE. YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER SIGN.
35:40YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER CONFIRMATION. NOT
35:42ANOTHER PROPHETIC WORD. ALL YOU NEED TO
35:46DO IS BE STILL AND KNOW THAT GOD IS WITH
35:51YOU.
35:53Be still and listen. Psalm 46:10 says,
35:57"Be still and know that I am God."
36:01Sometimes you've got to turn down the
36:05noise,
36:07>> the noise of your critics
36:10so you can hear the voice of your
36:12creator.
36:15>> Everybody's opinion
36:17cannot have equal access to your spirit.
36:22You cannot fulfill God's purpose while
36:25constantly adjusting your life according
36:29to people's opinions and the tr the the
36:32the threats of the devil.
36:35This one woman,
36:37Jezebel,
36:41I'm going to kill you the same way I
36:44kill all of these prophets.
36:46And this man
36:49concluded if she killed all of them
36:51prophets, she gonna kill me too.
36:56>> Which leads me to the last one. Number
36:57six.
37:00Don't think that you are the only one
37:04going through an attack.
37:10You'll be shocked if everybody
37:14>> would share with you
37:16>> what they're going through
37:19>> just because you see them look
37:22externally well
37:25>> and successful.
37:27It's just that some of us don't wear our
37:30problems.
37:37I got to move on. God asked Elijah
37:39again, "What are you doing here?" Second
37:41time, "What are you doing here?"
37:44Then he said, "I have been very zealous
37:46of the Lord God Almighty." Watch this.
37:49Now listen to this. Now I am I am the
37:53only one left.
37:56And now they're trying to kill me.
37:57Notice his perspective here. He says, "I
38:00am the only one." Which was a lie.
38:04Read the text. It was a lie. He was not
38:08the only one. Because that's what
38:10discouragement does. Discouragement can
38:12cause you to exaggerate your situation
38:16and make you think you are the only one
38:19dealing with rejections and threats and
38:23isolation. So be very careful when the
38:26devil tells you, "Nobody understands.
38:29Nobody cares. Everybody's against you.
38:33Nothing is working for you.
38:36You're the only one trying. But that's a
38:38lie. There are other people in this
38:41room, other people screaming who can
38:43tell you the same thing. Nobody
38:44understands them.
38:47Nobody understands them. There are other
38:49people against them. Later, God tells
38:51Elijah, he says, "Wait a minute. That's
38:53not true. There are 7,000 other people
38:57in Israel.
38:59So be careful. Those of you sanctified,
39:01Holy Ghost filled, firebaptized
39:03believers who think you're the only one
39:08>> hearing from God.
39:11>> That you're only the only true Christian
39:14left left alive. You're the only one God
39:16is using or you're the only one going
39:19through an attack of the enemy. God had
39:22to say to him, "No, there are 7,000
39:25people in Israel who did not bow to
39:29Baal. So wait a minute, Elijah, I know
39:31you're special and you think you're
39:33special, but you're not the only one.
39:40>> There were thousand more thousands I
39:42should more who were serving God and
39:45remaining faithful. So be careful about
39:47reaching conclusion that that that that
39:50you're the only one that's under attack.
39:52Your feelings may be real, but your
39:55feelings don't always tell you the whole
39:58truth
39:59>> and the entire plan of God for your
40:02life.
40:03Now it gets to verse 15, and this is
40:06where I close.
40:08I just walked you through an entire
40:12chapter 18 and 19.
40:17This is where the meat of the message
40:18comes.
40:20Verse 15.
40:23I love God's response.
40:26God doesn't spend the rest of the
40:27chapter, watch this, discussing Jezebel.
40:32I got to say it again.
40:34Elijah is in his dilemma. God didn't
40:37spend the rest of the chapter discussing
40:39Jezebel.
40:41I wonder who in this room this morning
40:44who is streaming spending the rest of
40:46your life
40:48talking about people who are who are
40:50literally totally irrelevant to God.
40:55>> Why are you giving people so much
40:57credit?
40:59>> Yeah, the woman said she was going to
41:01kill him had a track record of killing
41:05other prophets before. But notice when
41:07God met this man of God in the cave, he
41:11never said anything about Jezebel. Some
41:14of you want to have a conversation with
41:17God about your enemies. And God is like,
41:19"Are you kidding me?"
41:24>> GOD DOESN'T SPEND THE REST OF THE
41:26CHAPTER TALKING ABOUT, watch this, the
41:28critics of Elijah.
41:31He doesn't spend the rest of the chapter
41:33analyzing even Elijah's feelings.
41:37All God said to him, and I close with
41:40this man
41:42look, we read it. Go back
41:47the way you can. What are you doing
41:50here?
41:53Who told you to run
41:56from an assignment I gave you?
42:00What are you doing here?
42:02I'm sorry, Elijah. Now that you're here,
42:07you got to go back.
42:12That's hard.
42:15GET OUT OF THE CAVE, ELIJAH. THERE'S
42:17STILL WORK FOR YOU TO DO,
42:20>> STILL PEOPLE FOR YOU TO IMPACT,
42:22>> still leaders to anoint,
42:25>> STILL PURPOSE IN YOUR LIFE. THERE'S
42:27STILL AN assignment
42:29with your name on it. Go back not to
42:32dysfunction, not to toxic relationships,
42:35not into old habits, BUT GO BACK AND
42:39RECLAIM YOUR FAITH, reclaim your
42:41courage,
42:43reclaim your passion,
42:46GO BACK AND RECLAIM YOUR DREAM, and
42:49reclaim your fire.
42:52GOD TOLD HIM, "GO BACK THE WAY YOU CAME.
42:57and go to the desert of Damascus.
43:01What is Damascus? It represents the next
43:04assignment.
43:06Somebody listening to me today
43:10is waiting
43:13to go
43:15to their next Damascus assignment.
43:19There's another business waiting for
43:20you.
43:22There's another opportunity waiting for
43:24you. Another
43:27ministry assignment waiting for you.
43:29Another idea waiting for you. Another
43:32level of personal development
43:36waiting for you. But you will never
43:39reach Damascus
43:41if you decide to spend the rest of your
43:44life living in a cave.
43:48Depression
43:50and isolation. [music]
43:52So hear me clearly today.
43:55Never give people the power
43:59to make you run away
44:01or walk away from your God-given
44:05purpose.
44:07>> Never.
44:08If God called you, criticism cannot
44:11cancel you.
44:12>> If God anointed you, rejection cannot
44:14disqualify you. If God assigned you,
44:17exhaustion does not mean the assignment
44:21is over.
44:23People may misunderstand you. People may
44:26criticize you. People may reject you.
44:28People uh uh may even try to destroy
44:32your reputation. But never confuse
44:34people's rejections
44:37with God's.
44:39Never.
44:41Though this man of God was threatened,
44:44God was always with him. So here's the
44:46question I want to ask all of you again.
44:50What are you doing here? here represents
44:53where you are.
44:56What are you doing there?
45:03What are you doing in the cave of
45:06discouragement and fear?
45:09Living beneath your potential.
45:12Allowing criticism to silence you.
45:16Allowing exhaustion to stop you.
45:20allowing disappointment to define you.
45:24Allowing someone's opinion
45:28to become your identity.
45:32Just get up, man.
45:34Get up,
45:36go eat, rest,
45:40and listen to the whisper of God's
45:42voice.
45:43Listen to the whisper.
45:46I'm going to do something
45:49that I want those of you really felt in
45:54your heart that man, God tailored this
45:57message for me.
46:00There's a Let me pull it out.
46:04I put together
46:06this declaration
46:12that I I I want you to read over your
46:16life for the rest of this year.
46:19God sent me to tell somebody today,
46:23"The enemy is going to wear you out for
46:27the rest of this year because he don't
46:29want you to finish strong."
46:31There's a QR code I asked them to put up
46:33and you will personally have this
46:36declaration.
46:38I want you to
46:40download it, screenshot it, and for the
46:44rest of this year, those of you are
46:46streaming, I want you to declare this
46:48over your life.
46:51You have to finish this year strong.
46:56Don't let the devil push you into a cave
46:59of isolation and depression. And the
47:02declaration says, "I will not allow
47:04criticism to silence me. I will not
47:06allow exhaustion to stop me. I will not
47:09allow discouragement to define me. I
47:12will not allow fear to relocate me from
47:16my assignment. I am getting out of the
47:20cave. I am going back to my assignment.
47:23I am pursuing my God-given dreams. I am
47:26reigniting my passion
47:29and I will [music] become everything
47:30that God's created me to be. It's time
47:33to rise and go and fulfill my God-given
47:36purpose on the earth.
47:39I don't know who this word was for this
47:41morning,
47:43but before I let you go, I feel in my
47:46heart that somebody walked through these
47:49doors. Somebody logged on this morning
47:52and you are just like Elijah.
47:58Just like Elijah,
48:00I must pray for you this morning. I have
48:04to I have to pray for you this morning.
48:08So, right in your seat, right in the
48:11comfort of your home, your office, your
48:13workplace, in your car,
48:16I command you to come out of your cave.
48:20And if you're willing to leave that
48:22place of depression, isolation, I want
48:25you to come right here. I got to pray
48:27for you before I let you go this
48:28morning. Whoever you are.
48:32Whoever you are. Come on, move quickly.
48:35Don't focus on nobody else.
48:38This is between you and God now.
48:41Come on. Between you and God now.
48:43Between you and God now.
48:46Come on.
48:48Come on, Elijah.
48:50What are you doing here?
48:54This is the last day
48:57you'll allow the enemy to rob you of
49:00what God has assigned you to do. Come
49:02on. Come on. Sing it. Sing it. [music]
49:06Sing it. Come on. Let me close.
49:10>> Squeeze it. Squeeze it. [music]
49:14[singing]
49:15>> Come on, ministers.
49:17do with our receive. Thank you, Jesus.
49:21[music]
49:23[singing]
49:27>> Do me a favor. Come on. Closer, [music]
49:28would you? If you can,
49:30>> so we can get everybody out of the arms.
49:32Come on. Come on. Shake [music] it.
49:36>> Shake it. Shake it. Shake it.
49:43>> As we [music] touch you [singing] with
49:45God.
49:47We receive
49:49manifestation [music]
49:52as we touch you with God.
49:56Hallelujah. We receive [music]
49:58manifestation.
50:00What was invisible
50:05shall [music]
50:05be visible.
50:08>> Hallelujah. What was impossible
50:14shall [music] be possible as we touch
50:17you in touch you
50:21[singing]
50:22>> we receive [music]
50:27as we touch you in
50:32we receive [music]
50:34receive
50:36receive
50:40We receive it [music] now.
50:44>> Receive
50:47[music]
50:49receive.
50:55>> [music]
50:56>> I want those ministers, the ministers
50:58who are around, ministers, could you
51:00help move around the audience if you can
51:03or [music] the crowd and start praying
51:05for people. Now, listen,
51:08as the ministers are doing that, I I got
51:11to come over here to you, [music] sir. I
51:13got to come to you. You you you've been
51:15pulling on my spirit.
51:17Got to talk to you. This word was for
51:20you.
51:23It was for you.
51:28Whatever you have allowed the enemy to
51:31put in your head, God is saying you need
51:35to realize
51:37that what the enemy did
51:42didn't kill you.
51:45>> And if it couldn't kill you, what makes
51:48you think that God won't sustain you in
51:50this season of your life?
51:52>> Amen.
51:54Do not allow the threats of the enemy
51:59to stop you from your purpose. How old
52:01are you? You're behind time.
52:06Hear this preacher today. You are 50.
52:09You've lost a lot of years.
52:12You still can gain it back cuz you're
52:14young enough. I'm 12 years older than
52:16you.
52:18You wasted a lot. But here's the thing.
52:22But I look for what God did to Elijah.
52:26He met him at the lowest point in his
52:29life and he didn't say the assignment is
52:32over. He said get up and go back.
52:36And God is saying that to you today at
52:3950. Get up and reclaim the years that
52:44the locust of the cankerum stole from
52:47you. [music]
52:51the next 10 years of your life. I'm
52:53telling you, by the time you become 60,
52:56if you really latch on to this word, by
52:59the time you are 60, I'm telling you,
53:03you look the devil in his eye and you
53:05will say, "Look what the Lord has done."
53:09But it's up to you. If God is telling
53:12you to go back and reclaim what was,
53:16it's up to you. No preacher can do it.
53:17Nobody else can do it for you. God
53:20picked you out of the crowd today.
53:23I glanced over and I looked at you.
53:24Instantly, the Lord said, "Minister to
53:26him." And I'm telling you, today is your
53:29day. You are the modernday Elijah.
53:37I pray God's anointing on your life
53:41today that you'll never miss another
53:45revelation, another assignment, and that
53:48the power of God will rest upon you,
53:51Elijah, from the crown of your head to
53:53the very souls of your feet in Jesus
53:56name. Everybody lift your hands right
53:57now. Ministers, come on. Let's [music]
53:59pray. Everybody, those of you in the
54:01audience, those of you online, let's
54:03pray. Father in the name of Jesus,
54:05hundreds of people are [music] standing
54:08saying God that they can connect to the
54:10word that you've released in this house
54:12today by [music] the power of the Holy
54:14Spirit. I pray fear and discouragement
54:17would leave them now. I pray in the name
54:19of Jesus, they'll begin to trust you.
54:21They'll begin to believe that Father,
54:24this [music] is one of the greatest
54:25seasons of their lives. That you're
54:27opening doors that no man can shut right
54:30now [music] where fear is. Father, I
54:32pray that faith will begin to fill their
54:34hearts in the name of Jesus. Where doubt
54:38has set in, Father, in the name of
54:40Jesus [music]
54:41I pray that your people will now believe
54:43that anything is possible, anything is
54:46possible in this season of their lives.
54:49And I command the spirit of depression
54:53to [music] come off your people today in
54:55the name of Jesus. I pray that they'll
54:57come alive. I pray that they'll rest in
55:00you. I pray that they'll believe this
55:02prophetic word that if you started the
55:05work in them, [music] you'll finish it
55:07today in the mighty name of Jesus. From
55:09the crown of their head to the soles
55:11[music] of their feet, all up and down
55:13the aisles, I pray for your people all
55:16across the internet. I pray for [music]
55:19your people today. Let the power of the
55:22anointing of God rest upon them. Come
55:25on, stretch your hands high. Father, I
55:27pray that every blessing that they will
55:30claim it now, every blessing that they
55:34claim it [music] now, shower down
55:36blessings, shower down provision, shower
55:40down faith, [music] shower down your
55:43word upon them now in the name of Jesus.
55:46And I release them today to believe
55:49[music] the impossible, to believe for
55:52the incredible in the name of Jesus. And
55:56nothing [music] nothing that comes up
55:58against them will ever destroy them. No
56:01wind, no earthquake, no fire. You've got
56:06their backs. You've [music] got their
56:08backs. You've got their backs. You've
56:10got their backs. You've [music] got them
56:12covered in the name of Jesus. You are
56:15covered. You are blessed. You're
56:18anointed. Go out and do what God has
56:22anointed you to do.
56:25>> [music]
56:25>> Somebody give God praise in the house
56:29today.
56:31Hallelujah.
56:32[music]
56:34Go back.
56:36Go back. Go back and claim your
56:39blessing. [music]
56:40Go back. Try it again. Go back AND DO
56:44WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO. Come on,
56:48somebody. Are they give him a praise in
56:50the house today?
56:53Hallelujah.
56:55Hallelujah. [music]
56:59Don't you ever doubt what God is going
57:03to do in your life in this next season.
57:07Don't you ever do that anymore when you
57:09leave here today. I command depression
57:12to come off you. You are no longer
57:14depressed. DON'T BELIEVE THAT LIE THAT
57:17YOU'VE BEEN THINKING IN your head
57:18lately. Don't you ever believe it. Come
57:20on. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE. YOU'RE NOT
57:23GOING TO DIE. GOD'S NOT GOING TO KILL
57:24YOU. You're not going to die. I'm
57:27telling you, you're going to LIVE TO
57:29DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE EARTH.
57:36>> SO, you're blessed today.
57:39You will prosper.
57:41>> You will see the goodness of God in
57:44every area of your life. And you going
57:48to be all right.
57:50Go to sleep.
57:53>> Rest.
57:54>> Go eat in the morning cuz it is well.
57:59[laughter]
58:01>> Come on, lift your hands everybody.
58:04Faith in God will move mountains out of
58:08our lives. Thank you so much. We'll see
58:10you Wednesday.