Go Home and Bake !!!!

This is the basic transcript of todays Message at Ringwood Salvos 10am service. It would appear as though we didnt actually podcast this one, so if it will help someone you know to take a read, can I encourage you to pass it on... May the Lord God bless you in your situation. ( Gary )

Words of Hope.. Words of healing.. Words of help

 

Martin Luther Quote: 2 most important days in your life..

 

" My today, and That Day "...

 

I am pretty sure that Luther was reminding us that the 2 most important days in our lives, are today, the choices we are making today, the decisions, the actions, which all lead us towards that final day when we leave this planet and face our Father in heaven, all of us here today are in the same boat... none of us are exempt from facing these 2 days... so today lets be listening out for the still small voice of God as He whispers in your ear.

 

..................................

 

 

the other morning in my quiet time I was reflecting on my life circumstances.

I got to thinking of all the problems around us, some of the problems that I have, and some of the issues that you have....

 

we all have issues of some degree or the other.

 

If I was to ask you to raise your hand today to acknowledge your pain, stress and suffering and personal struggle, I think that there may be one or two or 5 or 6 who may have their hands raised..... over time, we have all had to face struggle, pain and hurt and sickness.

 

whether its a family member who is unwell, hurting, or there are struggles with finance, or employment security, perhaps even fears of the future, maybe even facing dark dark days... maybe facing fear and evil head on...perhaps depression, maybe someone in your family has walked away from God and it disturbs you.

 

I know that there are many here today who struggle with issues in your families and life situations.

 

none of us are immune from the difficulties of life, and at times it can very much feel like we are all alone, that we are doing it on our own, we wonder why things don't change, we cry out in desperation to God, or anyone who will listen for that matter, just seeking some support, healing or help or anything.

 

 

I am not devaluing any of it this morning, neither am I trying to over emphasize it... but rather just acknowledging that these circumstances exist in our lives, many of us here today are facing things in our lives that we wonder what we did to deserve that ?

 

and I guess I feel led this morning to address our responses to the struggles. whether they are work related, personal, family, ministry, friends...

 

How do we face it every morning ?

 

what is our role in the hardship, what is God trying to teach us in it... what do we do next ?

 

I don't know about you, but there have been many times when I have laid in bed at night trying to go to sleep and just simply whispered a prayer to Him, asking why He isn't doing this or that in the lives of those I love and care for deeply.

 

maybe you too have cried out in desperation to Him pleading for an intervention from heaven, frustrated and discouraged that at times nothing seems to happen.

 

I want to speak this morning of faith and prayer and persistent commitment to "BE" who we are called to be, in the middle of our struggle.

 

You know, not giving up in the middle of the struggle, when it seems the best option is to run away and give up on our struggle and pain and worry.

 

we all feel that, at times it might be easier if we just gave in and went the way of least resistance.

 

Religion can leave you feeling empty and weak... religion doesn't answer the deep questions in our hearts and minds....

 

Jesus walks with us today.... and thats where our help comes from.

 

I look to the hills... Psalm 121 reminds us.

 

 

 

the word of God can teach us and help us in our journey and as I was preparing for this message it occurred to me, again, that we always have the choice of response to any given situation

 

 

***** Praise through the problems.... keeping faith, staying focussed when the devil throws everything at us... we will not be shaken

 

I want to encourage you and myself today to keep praising our God through our difficulties, to keep focussed on our hope ( Jesus)

 

.... There is this story in the Old testament which i think may help us all today..

 

If you have a bible then I would encourage you to take it out ( it will be on screen) but it might help you to mark your bible today to be reminded again later of the wonderful truth in this passage.

 

 

1 Kings 17:7-16New International Version (NIV)

 

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

 

7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

 

12 "As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."

 

13 Elijah said to her, "Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’"

 

15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

 

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

there are a couple of key thoughts from this passage which I think just may help us each today, let's hear the Word of the Lord speak into our Spirit this morning.

 

there are some here today where your brook has all dried up...

your faith may be at an all time low,

for some here today the brook is so dry its like the heat of the gospel has gone cold, the power is more like a whimper... some here today have known great times of refreshing from the Lord, but somehow its all dried up over the years. Even Elijah had a choice ... stay close to the dried up brook or go get yourself involved in a miracle. go to Zaraphath.

 

God may very well be saying to some here today ..you need to get to Zaraphath... for a miracle is about to occur.

 

 

there are also some here today, where you are out gathering sticks, preparing for the worst, getting ready to die and be finished in your spiritual journey... for some here today its not a spiritual journey anymore, its just a journey....

 

and the Word of the Lord is coming to you today.... God is saying to you and me..."dont be afraid"...go home, and, in faith, start baking some bread...

 

and the promise of the Lord for us all today is that our oil and flour will not run out...

 

but the key truth in this passage is not so much about the never ending flour or oil, and neither is it about the great man of God that Elijah was....

 

but rather the story I think God wants us to hear today is about the obedience and willingness and desperation of the woman who simply went home and started baking - in faith.

 

and her miracle came and I am believing today and declaring today that if we will also go and start some baking in faith with the little we have, that we too will see our miracles in our homes and in our families and in our struggles, at work or wherever the difficulties lay, and worries and circumstances... and in our church

 

do you believe it ? will you dare to believe it ? and claim it for your life ?

 

Like the woman gathering sticks, doing it tough, in desperation and a last ditch effort of survival, a man of God arrives and she is presented with an opportunity, you might also be in a tough situation, desperate for a miracle, we all can be at times... but its not so much a strategy or secret formula as it is about when God speaks and whispers into your ear, a miracle awaits you..

 

 

it is our response, you will see that Elijah said to the woman keep going, take your sticks and your flour and oil and go home and bake... a miracle awaits you.

 

her circumstances hadn't changed at that point, until she took Elijah at his word and started baking...

 

 

 

I wonder if today you will go home... changed, resolved, or whether you will choose to go home the same way you arrived. ?

 

our struggles and stress and hurts and fears may still be there, they were still there for the woman, she went home with her little pile of sticks, most likely believing and perhaps even doubting that any miracle would be hers.... and we are all in similar positions....

 

but with the little bit of faith that we hold in our spirit, we can choose to go home and start baking,,,,,

 

for that woman that day she had 2 choices... just like we do..

 

go home, with her sticks, cook her last meal and prepare to die..

 

or go home with her sticks, cook in faith and live.

 

I don't know how you respond on the inside of your soul to this great story, but it is a choice to remain close to the dried up brook...

 

its a choice to settle for the last meal...

 

its a choice to walk in faith and obedience to the Call of God.

 

Imagine it, that jar of flour and that jug of oil.... being used over and over again, miraculously not running empty never drying up.

 

For me, and maybe for you too....

 

here's the final clue to the story..

 

when we live out of human understanding, we see our jars run out of flour, we see the jugs lose their oil....

 

what on earth does this mean for us today ?

 

well simply put, I think it means that sometimes we see the limitations more than the opportunities. I know i do.... I sometimes look at my struggles and think it's impossible...

 

We find ourselves living in the limitations instead of the miraculous.

 

however...

 

when we function in and out of faith and obedience and trust in God, we find ourselves not limited by human barriers and blockages, we find miracles occurring everywhere in our world. Common place.

 

 

 

I am no Elijah.... I am probably more like the woman gathering sticks than I am an Elijah...

 

But let us today make a choice....

 

live in the potential of a miracle..... and not the limits of earthly barriers.

 

Yes, some here today have some pretty serious blockages and stress, we are carrying our sticks and getting ready to "be finished"

...

 

BUT..... today the word of the Lord comes to us all.... go home and bake some bread with the tiny bit of flour( faith ) you have, your miracle will come.

 

let the power of God shine into your circumstances...

 

I believe it.

 

Let us pray.

 

 

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