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Elijah’s Sermons The Positive Power of a Negative Situation

Don H. Polston

Elijah’s Sermons The Positive Power of a Negative Situation

By: Don H. Polston

Elijah’s Sermons: The Positive Power of a Negative Situation Copyright © 2012 by Don H. Polston

www.donhpolston.com The Life That Wins, Inc. ® ISBN: 978-1-105-58721-4

All rights reserved

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

All Scripture citations are from the King James

Version of the Bible.

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Order books by Don H. Polston www.donhpolston.com

The Law of Faith . . . Wins See It, Say It, Seize It . . . It’s Yours

Like Yourself Unconditionally The Life That Wins . . . Yes!

Living Without Losing . . . Really There Can Be a New You . . . Today

Be More Than You Are . . . It’s Possible Where There’s a Wall, There’s a Way . . . Always

Tears on the Soul . . . Refreshing The Need Stimulates . . . to Action

Inspirational Strategies . . . Straight Ahead Life’s Battles Are Winnable . . . Yes

The Force of Faith . . . Creating The Road to Healing . . . Step by Step

What Has Separated Your Heart? Find It Again Start Talking Faith as You Understand It . . . Today

The Wounded Heart . . . Restored

Also order books by Ruth Ann Polston: Ruth Ann’s Letters: Learning to Walk on Water, Series One

Ruth Ann’s Letters: Invasion of God, Series Two Ruth Ann’s Letters: Going to a New Level, Series Three Ruth Ann’s Letters: Out of the Test Tube, Series Four

Ruth Ann’s Letters: In the Day of Thy Power, Series Five Ruth Ann’s Letters: Keep Playing: Learning from the Lost

and Found Bin, Series Six Putting Life into Relationships

Release and Forgiveness People Who Made a Difference: Drama Portraits of Bible

Men and Women

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Editorial Note

I believe it is helpful to say a few words about the style and punctuation in Elijah’s Sermons: The Positive Power of a Negative Situation. Most significantly, Polston establishes a unique rhythmic and spatial style. It is important to stay true to the feel that he wishes to express.

Thus, the effort here is to preserve the character of Polston’s use of rhythm and space; stylistic aspects regarding paragraph lengths, or the use of capitalization and italicization, are in line with Polston’s intuitive preferences.

For example: Polston also likes to use commas—even where one might not usually expect—in order to create a short and thoughtful pause in the reading.

In addition, Polston has a unique way of utilizing and/or creating technical terms. Some of these are compounds which he tends to place in italics, especially when first introduced—Such compounds are usually two words linked with a hyphen, e.g., faith-seed. Sometimes such a compound is placed in quotation marks, e.g., “faith-cell.” Also, occasionally a word or compound is capitalized in order to bring extra attention to it. Of course, any word meant to draw special attention is italicized.

Furthermore, scriptural reference is placed within parentheses without the verse(s) being provided—it is the author’s intention in these cases for the reader to look up the verse(s) him/herself.

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Dedication

To Rebekah Faith Bennett, Editor in Chief of The Life That Wins,® Inc.

She has the heart of a saint… She has the mind of a scholar… She has the soul of a searcher… She has the attitude of a servant… This is Becky, as we know her.

Don H. Polston and Ruth Ann

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Contents

Introduction ........................................................................xiii

Briefing................................................................................ xv

Comments from the Editor................................................. xix

Chapter One: The Prophet in Revival ................................... 1

Chapter Two: Revival and Redirection............................... 20

Chapter Three: Revival and Reliability .............................. 29

Chapter Four: Revival and Rebuke..................................... 34

Chapter Five: Revival and Restoration ............................... 39

Chapter Six: Revival and Rain............................................ 47

Chapter Seven: Revival and Prayer .................................... 56

Chapter Eight: Revival and Relapse ................................... 61

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Introduction

Have you thought about the positive power of a negative thought? Learn how to use the negative thought as Elijah. Don’t spurn it; turn it.

The negative and the positive are two opposing tendencies—constantly fighting each other. The power of one winning over the other is in you. Once you learn that the negative stimulates the positive, you will no longer be controlled by the negative, but you will be able to use it to your advantage.

Everything for change starts with the negative.

When God saw the evil of Adam’s actions, He turned to the positive action of Redemption.

When Moses saw the negative state of Israel in slavery, he turned to the positive thought of deliverance. When Moses was trapped by the negative sight of the Red Sea, he turned to the positive action of lifting his rod. One may follow this thought throughout Scripture and in history.

When Rome couldn’t defend their nation from the negative attacks of Barbarians, they turned to the positive thought of building roads for every major city of their empire.

The negative thought of the earth being flat turned sea-men to the positive thought of sailing as far as they could to the west. In the attempt, they found a whole new continent. The negative thought of humans stuck on this planet sparked the positive thought of outer space travel. Polio running rampant

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over the earth hit the scientific mind with the positive idea of a vaccine to protect us. It worked.

Follow this thought in your own life. See if there are negative thoughts seeking to turn your mind toward positive action.

What is the one great negative thought, negative person, or negative circumstance defying your best efforts? Turn the negative thought to positive action, resolution, and solution.

Elijah lived during the time of negative forces between Baal and Jehovah, Ahab and Jezebel, rain and no rain. Elijah won because he turned the negative situation to a positive solution.

When there are two opposing forces, the one with the most urgency usually wins. Which force is winning in your life?

Don H. Polston

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Briefing

The Bed and Breakfast Inn looked dreadful for Elijah. He just left another “Inn,” where running water and meat were flown in daily, but it all turned to drought. The “airmail” of fresh meat was gone, and the flowing water was shut off. Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

The “going on” of faith is not always the greatest or the easiest, but it is always the place of usefulness and miracles. Refining precedes Revival.

When Elijah asked the widow to bring him a lunch, she said, “The barrel is nearly empty. There is only enough for my son and me. In fact, we are going to have a cold lunch and then die!”

Elijah saw the scene differently. An old English proverb says, “Fifty percent of something is better than one hundred percent of nothing.”

What a Bed and Breakfast Inn that was! Elijah found an empty menu, with a Bed and Breakfast operated by not only a defeated woman, but also a grouchy one! She had nothing for him and wasn’t afraid to say so. She would see greater miracles, though, if she would trust this strange looking prophet who requested this strange meal.

Here is one of the secrets in receiving your miracle: Give what you have, and you will have more. Giving is

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preparation for receiving. No giving equals no receiving. More life is found when you give what little life you have.

There is no retirement to faith. Don’t look for a place to get off the anointing. Look for a place to get in! If you cannot have a much-anointed ministry, then have a little-anointed ministry! When you do what you can with what you have, God works for you to do what you cannot do. He uses what little you have to a greater degree.

Elijah said, “Let me look in that death barrel.” And when he looked, he saw life. The woman looked and saw death. One looked with hopelessness and found nothing; the other looked in the same barrel and found life. The secret is not where you look, but how you look.

The spirit of hope or the spirit of faith does not look with illusion; it looks with illumination. Hope does not seek to eliminate facts; it sees beyond the facts. If you build your life only on facts, you will never know the evidence beyond the facts.

The eye of the soul has been enlightened with the function of the Spirit. The apostle says it like this in Ephesians 1:18: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope . . .”

The secret of survival is not found in denial or erasing the facts, but in seeing through the facts to the truth. If you stop with the facts, you will miss the spirit of truth. The barrel of meal looked empty. It was empty. But the spirit of hope created addition to the facts.

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Miracles recreate or restore the condition to its original purpose.

If you are diseased, you need a miracle to restore your broken parts to their original condition. We were created to be whole and complete; God’s intention for us was to rule over the earth and His command was to take charge. Sin and the devil blocked that purpose, and Jesus brought it all back to the Cross. You must make the Cross good in your personal life if you are to rule in your circumstances.

Elijah had the spirit of hope. He was living in the purposes of God. Consequently, both Elijah and the widow’s family ate from the empty barrel for a whole year. The history of this miracle closed with these words: “And the barrel of meal was not used up, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he [spoke] by Elijah” (1 Kings 17:16).

Elijah found the secret of positive power in a negative situation. Go thou and do likewise

Don H. Polston

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Comments from the Editor

I think nearly all believers would say that they want revival. We are constantly doing new things, praying new prayers, and hearing new speakers in hopes of being revived.

But what is revival? What does it bring? What does it teach us? How can we get it?

What I love about Polston’s book, Elijah’s Sermons: The Positive Power of a Negative Situation, is that we see a person bringing revival who was just like us: Elijah. We see his struggles, we see his confusion, we see his fear, we see his doubts, and we see his triumphs.

Elijah’s story shows us that revival is often birthed out of weaknesses and impossibilities. It is not birthed out of talent. It is not birthed out of prosperity. It is birthed out of someone just like you and me who is surrendered to God’s purposes.

This book will challenge you, teach you, and grow you. See how Elijah brought revival to his nation through the power of God, and see how we can do the same.

-Rebekah Faith Bennett, Editor in Chief [email protected]

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Chapter One The Prophet in Revival

Here is the unannounced man with an unwelcomed appearance: Elijah.

There was division, delusion, and defeat in the nation. Nothing would ever be the same again since the election of this couple, Ahab and Jezebel. These people had national press, national newspapers, and national prestige; they were the image of greatness. No one had an opinion that counted. If you were not in the jet set, you were left in the rear jet at take off.

Everything the nation stood for was now in standoff.

The daily headlines flaunted the names of Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Ahab, and Jezebel. Civil war raged from North to South. Brothers fought against brothers. The unity of the flag was now torn into two symbols. No longer would the people march under one banner to the tune of one national anthem. Rebellion fueled the day. It was the vogue to rebel. The people learned it from their leaders.

The Wisdom of the Ages Was Rejected and Ignored

The best members of the king’s cabinet, who worked with the greatest in times of prosperity, were now out-of-date. The advice given to the new leader was, “Be a servant unto this people; speak good words to them of kindness and hope, and they will be your loyal supporters forever.” But

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Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, “forsook the counsel of the old men and consulted with the young men who grew up with him” (1 Kings 12:6-7).

These old men once stood in the presence of the greatest minds in the world. They saw King Solomon direct whole armies of builders. They watched as this mighty man of wisdom lived golden proverbs of success.

Rich? Absolutely! Authority? Humility? Yes! It was the secret of greatness. The queen of Ethiopia came to see for herself the man of wonder, Solomon. She “fainted” in her mind when she saw him enter the courts with such splendor. His royal parade was miles long. These old men saw it all, heard it all, and had it all. Now they are about to lose it all.

The young Kid-King Rehoboam was raised in the best. However, he was a spoiled kid in the palace. He had whatever he wanted, but he never had character. Having advantages does not mean having the advantage!

The people came to the Kid-King and asked that he remove the heavy yoke of taxation. If he did, they would be his people forever. There was no revoke.

No one started a demonstration in the streets. No riots in this city or state. No one burned the flag. No graffiti on the walls. No burning the buildings or looting the shops. Everything was divinely in order and politically correct.

Elijah’s sermons: The Positive Power of a Negative Situation

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The Silent, Smoldering Flame

However, in the silence of the night, there was a smoldering flame of unrest steadily burning. If things did not go well, there was someone in the wings—waiting to take the lead. Jeroboam, who was in Egypt (he was running from King Solomon), was waiting his time. Another terrorist or subverter is ususally waiting when leadership is weak and worthless.

The old men said to the Kid-King, “Let up. Speak kingly and kindly. Serve this people, and in return they will serve you.” Nevertheless, the young king rejected the mature advice. The Kid-King added to the people’s tax burden. “I will punish you not with whips, as my father did, but with scorpions,” he said. He forsook the advice of the seasoned men. The woes are about to begin.

The kid had it all. His allies ran the newspapers, the press releases, and only reported to the people what royalty wanted them to know.

The destruction of one nation under God was about to come apart. The smoldering flames were now catching from one twig to another.

It’s important to note that there was a seed of corruption and evil planted by King Solomon years earlier. It is simply stated, “King Solomon loved and married many foreign women” (1 Kings 11:1). Not only did Solomon love foreign women, but also he ran with strange people—national leaders who knew nothing of God’s covenant. He

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furthermore overruled the words of prophecy and failed to respond to the voice of God’s leaders.

No man was so honored by God or man as Solomon. The Lord appeared to him twice (1 Kings 11:9). It is stated, “In Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and God said, ‘Ask what I shall give thee?’” (1 Kings 3:5) God opened the windows of heaven to this man. While this may appear to be good, asking whatever you want is also dangerous.

Another Prophet

There was a prophet by the name of Ahijah who told Jeroboam that the kingdom would be torn (because of the corruption of Solomon). The word was, “I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give ten tribes to thee” (1 Kings 1:31). After Jeroboam took control of the ten tribes, splitting them from Judah, he moved the center of his kingdom to Shechem, later known as Samaria.

This is the very place where Ahab started to rule. Here he took Jezebel, who worshiped Baal. This was the first step of corruption with Ahab and Jezebel. Nearly one generation from the foundation of the greatest nation on earth (at that time), Ahab and Jezebel appeared—enthroning Baal and overthrowing Jehovah.

Who is Baal? Baal can refer to any god, and is even used for the names of government or human officials. In some texts, Baal is used as a substitute for Hadad, the god of rain, thunder, fertility, and agriculture. When you think about this


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definition of Baal or Hadad, and you see Elijah standing in the presence of Ahab, predicting there will be no rain or corn in the field—you can imagine how sparks might fly!

Baal was worshiped as the god of fertility. When adverse conditions prevailed, the efforts to appease Baal culminated in the sacrifice of human beings (usually the firstborn of the one offering the sacrifice). The victims were burnt alive—a practice in the Old Testament termed “passing through the fire” (2 Kings 16:3, 21:6).

This was a lawful procedure of abortion. Burn the babes you don’t want, and make it appear as an acceptable, law-abiding sacrifice. Add a little religion or court approval, and the act is accepted by society.

In addition, the Northern Kingdom of Israel (under Ahab’s leadership) was led to worship Baal as the state god (1 Kings 16:31). To rid the land of the idolatry, the prophets Elijah and Elisha delivered the condemnation of God concerning Baal worship. Both prophets were greatly endued with the power of faith, combating the deity of the day.

The Deity Matched Society’s Values

People accepted Baal as the god of fertility—the god of rain and thunder. The administration (under Ahab and Jezebel) led this mindset, taking charge of society and its values.

We often create a god who fits into the values of our age. Therefore, our gods are constantly changing as society searches for control. Baal was the image of the

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environment—god of the earth, sky, sun, and storms. Baal’s values were used to legitimize the destruction of babies by “passing through the fire,” or burning them alive. This was done not only to appease the deity, but also to please frivolous society. In reality, because Baal was the god of fertility, the ritual was an acceptable form of abortion. It became a socially acceptable way of life in Israel, especially after court approval. This image and style of life was now a state god (1 Kings 16:31).

People Like Priest, Priest Like People

The priesthood also fell to the lowest type of members. These “spiritual leaders” were not from the tribe of Levi (the priesthood tribe), but from ignorant people who were base in morals and manners. The temple leaders and the state leaders came from the crude and ill-mannered. The more coarse and unsightly a person, the more society accepted them. No longer was priesthood an honor.

Who Needs God?

I have heard the question, “How are we going to make room for God in this advanced technological age? Who needs God when we have advanced medicine, advanced methods of agriculture, and global economics? God used to be our provider; now we provide for ourselves. We heal ourselves, feed ourselves, and need no one to teach us. We know it all. We now have every page from any book or world information in the palm of our PC-hand!


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But There Is a Man Coming!

There is always a “man” (a person) coming—not to rescue God, but to restore God’s people in revival. Israel was dark and few knew it. The age was polluted, and hardly anyone saw it. According to the senses of the people, they never had it better.

Jeroboam fixed two places of worship with calves of gold. He said, “It’s too difficult for you to go up to Jerusalem to worship. Here are your gods. These are the ones who brought you out of Egypt.” He placed one golden calf in Bethel and the other in Dan. The Word says, “It became a sin” (1 Kings 12:30). How quickly we accept lesser gods when we lose fellowship with the Greater God.

But God’s mercy was still available. Jeroboam’s hand was paralyzed, after threatening the man of God from Judah (who called out the king’s rebellion). The king asked the man of God to pray for his hand to be restored. Scripture says, “The man of God sought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him again, and became as it was before” (1 Kings 13:6). This is mercy! This is God! This is a good word for anyone needing to be restored to the place of fellowship with God. He never takes pleasure in punishment.

God has been sending different men and women to warn, speak the word of love, and restore the nations. With refreshing revivals, many voices in all generations have sought to bring us to God.

Don H. Polston

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The Man Is Here

There is always a man coming. He is no ordinary kind of man. In this case, he was hidden in the hills for a number of years in preparation for proclaiming both ruination and revival.

Elijah did not come from a line of prophets. No one knew where he was or what he had been doing. All we know is that he was from the people of Gilead. They were a rugged mountain people.

Elijah was hidden by the providence of God till the time of need and the Lord’s evident hand (1 Kings 17:1). It is as if God shouted to the land, “I am not finished yet! I have a man. He is here: Elijah!”

From the polling of the press, Jehovah was out; Yahweh was finished. Baal had replaced Him—in the courts, and in the universities. Ahab and Jezebel took first place at the Oscars, and the false prophets were flourishing. The old theological schools were in default. God-fearing men were hiding in caves sustained by welfare—secretly supplied by Obadiah (the governor of the king’s house). They were safe, secure, and sustained . . . but silent.

The governing leaders had convinced the fearful prophets to stay in their temples; they insisted that religion is a matter of personal privacy! Religion is not to be in the market place or in the courts.


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Things Were Dark

The nation swarmed with the strutting priest of Baal. The Bible universities were in ruin. The prophet schools were boarded up; vipers grew in the courtyard of the theological schools. The old prophets wandered about, “being destitute, afflicted, and tormented . . . of whom the world was not worthy . . .” (Hebrews 11:37, 18).

It is always dark when God starts to work.

God always works better when there is a strict contrast between darkness and light—good and evil—faith and unbelief. When everything starts to look alike, sound alike, and smell alike, it’s time for God to send His man. The contrast is not popular, but it is powerful. Who knows what side you’re on when believers and unbelievers wear the same uniform?

Nevertheless, Ahab and Jezebel omitted Jehovah in their calculations. Jezebel forgot she was up against God Almighty, not man. When man and devils seek to obliterate the footsteps of God or dismantle His church, God shows up. He shows up in a man, a person, or a movement; through a rejected, out-of-style and out-of-step people, there He is. He turns the whole thing over with a single blow.

With a single blow He reverses what has happened to you and His kingdom. God is never at a loss. If there is a weak person whom He can trust with world Revival, the voice is sent. The preparation is going on now in a person or in a

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movement to meet tomorrow’s need. God writes the headline news of tomorrow . . . today.

God’s Project: You

Elijah was God’s project! Moses was God’s project! Samuel was God’s project! John the Baptist was God’s project! Both Elijah and John were quite alike. Both were from the desert. Both were rugged, bold prophets who confronted the leaders with their sin. I don’t know if John and Elijah were concerned about being seeker-sensitive; they didn’t seem to care if the message turned people off.

Someone remarked, “John, because he lacked tact, lost his head, and he lost it in a short ministry. Think how much he could have done for God if he would have not embarrassed the king.” They went on to say, “Remember, the king and his bride were trying to find the truth.” Really?

God prepared John the Baptist for thirty years before the desert ministry began. Elijah must have been in preparation for thirty years, too, before he stood in front of Ahab with the weather report.

Egotistical Faith?

What kind of man is this Elijah? He didn’t have much of a press release or resume. He seemed to come out of nowhere. His preparation took years before God was ready to show him off; the longer the preparation of the Spirit, the greater the impartation of the Spirit. Observe the country of Elijah’s preparation.


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His providence was Gilead. It was east of the Jordan—wild and rugged. The environment, the circumstances, and the events in life are the preparations for service. Elijah lived in the “outer-city” instead of in the “inner-city.” His community was tough. This man was solemn, stern, and rude in his surroundings. He developed a thundering voice, calling to everyone in the valleys and hills of Gilead.

The voice of Elijah came from nowhere when he said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Now that is egotistical preaching!

As far as Ahab knew, the god of Israel was dead. The only god he knew in the nation was Baal, the new age god. This was a new generation of intellectuals. The old “ABC” generation, with respect for life and goodness, was gone. This is the generation of “XYZ-ers.” The old, stuffy God of accountability and availability is past.

“What is this newsflash that ‘The Lord God lives’? Who is this old, foolish, unshaven, and unkempt rugged man,” Ahab said to himself, “telling me about the god who lives and loves? Is he also a god of wrath? We teach only the god of love, the god of fertility, the god of freedom, and the god of situation,” Ahab reasoned.

But Elijah said, “According to my word . . .” This seems a bit strange for one to say unless they have heard it in prayer, because saying and praying go hand in hand. What you pray is what you say or what you pray is amiss. This man, a

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stranger to Ahab, dares to come to the forefront and give his message. It worked! His word was of the Lord, because the rains and the dew ceased. It’s one thing to say that you stand before the Lord and speak His word; it’s another thing for your words to be effective.

Better Know Your God before You Speak for Your God!

Reformers come occasionally in history to strike the fires of transformation. Reformation follows the voice of the reformers. In history, they are mountain peaks—changing society.

But you don’t need a reformer every few years! If believers would be and do in every generation what the reformers do in one generation, we would seldom need correction and reformation.

Nevertheless, can this unlearned and rugged man turn the tide? How will he react to this serious situation in the nation? Will Elijah be able to deal with the prophets of Baal and the corruption of the state under the mighty power of Ahab and Jezebel? His greatest preparation to turn the nation back to God was to stay in the Lord’s presence.

Elijah’s First Method: Prayer

Elijah learned to pray in the wild hills—alone. He developed a prayer pattern and fellowship with God. The book of James says, “and he prayed earnestly . . .” (5:17). His prayers were consistent, constant, and competent. He won in the conflict. It is interesting to read, “. . . he prayed earnestly


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that it might not rain . . . and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain” (James 5:17-18).

What Does It Mean to Pray Earnestly?

To pray earnestly means to pray actively, ardently, assiduously, decidedly, decisively, decorously, determinedly, devotedly, devoutly, exhaustively, fervently, fervidly, firmly, fixedly, for real, gravely, grimly, hammer and tongs, heart and soul, heatedly, in all seriousness, in earnest, in good earnest, inflexibly, intensely, intently, like a bulldog, like a leech, obstinately, painstakingly, passionately, perseveringly, persistently, purposefully, relentlessly, resolutely, resolvedly, sedately, seriously, sincerely, single-mindedly, sober-mindedly, soberly, solemnly, somberly, staunchly, steadfastly, steadily, tenaciously, thoroughly, thoughtfully, tooth and nail, unremittingly, unswervingly, unyieldingly, vehemently, wholeheartedly, with a will, with constancy, with total dedication, and zealously!

Are you ready to pray like this? This kind of praying shuts the heavens and opens them as well. Fire and water out of the hole!

It seems that Elijah had the keys to the heavens. He could lock up the heavens and he could unlock them. It was as if God turned the combination lock over to this trusted and tried man of faith.

Jesus also said that we “have the keys to the kingdom.” What would happen to the world’s problems if the believers, worldwide, would take the keys to poverty, injustices,

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starvation, and war—and lock them up? Alternatively, what would happen to the earth if the believers, worldwide, would take the keys of the kingdom of heaven and unlock the secrets for the welfare of mankind? Jesus accomplished this wherever He went, when it was received and welcomed.

Elijah’s Second Method: The Promises

Elijah bases his praying not only on the presence of God, but also on the promises of God. Deuteronomy 11:17 declares, “. . . the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, and there be no rain, and the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye parish quickly off the good land which the Lord giveth you.”

Elijah’s method to see revival in the land was based on the promises of God (given to another generation, which Elijah took for his generation). Smart man. He simply lined up his desire with the Word. What did God say about the situation? Find out what God says, and go with it. Don’t seek to understand the how’s and the why’s of His answers. Elijah knew the Word and prayed the Word. God said, “If you turn aside from my ways, the heavens will be shut. There will be no rain.” Elijah knew the Word and prayed it, thus the heavens were shut!

Most of our praying is out of desperation. In desperation, you only get more desperate. Align your faith and desires with the Word. Find out what He promised. Fix yourself on that promise. If you expect to see renewal, healing, or restoration, then secure yourself to the promises of such and stay there.


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Not only did Elijah focus on prayer and the promises, but he also focused on the presence of God. He truly practiced the presence of God. He was not afraid to stand before Ahab and say, “. . . as the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand . . .” (1 Kings 17:1).

Know the Presence

Elijah had the Presence long before he faced the problem. The need was great, but the Presence of God was greater. Many are caught by the need, but few are caught by the mighty Presence. If the need overshadows the anointing, the need grows. However, if the anointing overshadows the need, the need dissipates.

Elijah understood what it meant to develop a prayer life, but he also understood what it meant to develop the Presence of God. Many want to be used mightily by the Spirit, yet fail to stand in the Presence before the meeting or contest on Mt. Carmel.

Know the Living God

Elijah boldly announced, “God is alive! God is alive to change this need, and to change this deteriorating situation.” When everything pointed to a dead God, Elijah stepped up to the plate and announced, “. . . the LORD God of Israel liveth . . .” Elijah was so fixed on God that he saw everything through God’s eyes. He pronounced the cure because he knew the remedy. Elijah went beyond mere petitioning in prayer to participating in the very energy of

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God. He and God were working together; he was one with the Divine.

Attach to God before You Attack for God

Elijah fixed God in his sight. Only then could he fix Ahab! Once you fix your eyes on God, you can easily fix your eyes on the enemy and call his defeat. Don’t attack the enemy before you are attached to God; Jesus warned the twelve not to go into the world until the Spirit had attached to them.

If you start too soon, you will return too soon. You are able to attack if you are first attached to the Holy Spirit.

There is no way for us to win the world over to Jesus Christ unless we are won over to Him ourselves. Clapping our hands and singing the latest pop songs will not intimidate the enemy.

Only the pure presence of the Holy Spirit can do this. Elijah never feverishly ran to the temple—looking for some oil or some piece of the tabernacle to shake in the face of Ahab. His only response was from the Holy One, which can never be substituted or imitated.

Be More Aware of the Divine

While Elijah stood in the presence of the king, he was more aware of standing in the Presence of the King. He was more aware of the divine. Ahab saw the religious performers of his day and was not moved or impressed. God shut the doors of religious performers and opened the doors of Elijah’s ministry. People are seldom moved by cleverness, tradition,


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or any other form of religious packaging. They can sense the real thing. When devils show up, better have something more than your image with you!

Elijah Could Not Be Ignored

When Ahab looked upon this man Elijah, he wondered, “Who is he, and where did he come from? Is he just another one of those pop darts of Israel?” It didn’t take long for Ahab to see that Elijah was no reed shaken in the wind. Here was a mighty warrior! Here was a man that knew his God.

The Road to Renewal Is Before Us

God found a man, and then gave that man a message for the masses. Elijah was a man of prayer, and because he was a man of prayer, he had the Presence of God—long before he approached the need. With the prayer of faith and the engulfing Presence, Elijah delivered the message—and the conviction of it was as great as the content. The message was truly alarming: “There shall not be dew or rain these three years . . . but according to my word.” It was the nation’s ruin before revival.

The Man and the Message

You cannot separate the anointed person from his anointed message. In fact, the messenger and the message must be equally anointed to birth a response. If you want an awakening, a man’s words and his character must be equally true. Renewal never comes in spite of the man, but because of the man, located in God.

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St. Paul said, “And my speech and my preaching was not the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Enticing, luring, or seductive words only pacify. They do not persuade. The evidence of Elijah’s authority was not only the message, but also the power and might of the Spirit. Why? That the faith of the people might not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the supremacy of the Spirit.

Drastic Need Calls for Drastic Action

In Elijah’s day, people lived as if God didn’t exist. They forgot Jehovah. It was a desperate situation and it called for drastic action. Hence, no rain for three years.

When people live as if God doesn’t exist, radical action takes place. The market falls, corporations are found to be liars, the National Gross Product falls to a dangerous low, and the financial tide is out. National leadership is wicked and weak. All seems to turn down instead of up. September eleventh was a call; it was a drastic time in the world.

Elijah’s message was not only alarming, but it was also authoritative. He simply stated, “. . . according to my word . . .” It seemed a bit cocky, but Elijah heard the Voice and knew the outcome.


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You Speak What You Have Heard

You can only speak the word of faith if you hear the word of faith. Hearing the word of the Lord is a prerequisite to speaking it. The Spirit speaks the word to man, and man speaks the word to people. This is the only effective way to move a people toward God.

Study Suggestions:

1. Evil was prevailing. The need was great. Can you relate?

2. God found a man: Elijah. Do you believe that God can break into your seemingly hopeless situation?

3. Elijah first learned to pray. James 5:27 says, “. . . he prayed again.” What does it mean to learn to pray?

4. Elijah was fixed on his prayers, his God, and his message. Where is your heart fixed?

5. If God used Elijah, He will use you. Be a man or woman of prayer. Then proclaim.

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Chapter Two Revival and Redirection

Ahab and Jezebel seemed unstoppable. No matter what happened to them, they came out on top. Their books were published and sold by the thousands. They were elected to high offices in spite of immoral and cunning ways. Whatever they did pointed to destruction.

The land stood on the brink of national distress—with corporate leaders stealing money and CEO’s pocketing millions. Accounting books were covered with misinformation and CPA’s used their knowledge to hide true stock values. Many were put in prison for lying to the Securities Exchange Commission. There seemed to be no way for “good” folk or “down the ladder” people to get a hand on this financial fiasco.

But God is preparing a man with a message that carries change. There is a man in training. When God wants to stop evil, He always raises up a Spirit-filled person or movement. Elijah is the instrument in God’s hand.

The Hidden Man

“And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Get thee from here, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.”

In today’s Christian marketplace, the first idea is to show yourself, your gifts, and the numbers. Start marketing your


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message and get on the front page of Christian magazines. Make sure you’re networking with top religious leaders.

God’s call to Elijah was to separate himself from all else. It was a call to be shut in, only with God. Elijah would later show himself as prophet, but the orders today were to depart and be hidden from all eyes. Only the hidden person can be trusted with God’s mighty moving. Search civil and Biblical histories, and you will find that people who accomplished the most were hidden the longest.

The Brook Was a Call to Development

Elijah not only had a call to separation, but he also had a call to inspiration. If you are living a separation life without inspiration, it will become unbearable. God does not ask us to separate for separation’s sake, but for inspiration’s sake. When the battles grow greater, you will need all the inspiration you can get. Faith-training is long and difficult, but it is vital to winning the big one.

Training in secret is one of God’s best methods in preparing us for public ministry. If you pass the test of being alone, you will be ready for the big show. Many men and women fail in the public eye because they refuse to be privately trained or disciplined by the Spirit. In time, what you are in private will be seen in public. Nothing goes unattended for long.

If Elijah is going to stand on Carmel, he must learn faith to stay at Cherith. There are no short cuts to faith or sanctity.

Don H. Polston

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God sometimes dashes our hopes so we can be mighty warriors.

The Humbled Man

Not only was Elijah the hidden man, but now he must become the humbled man. He was humbled by the place of service (Cherith), and he was humbled by the procedures of his supplies; the ravens brought his food, and ravens were unclean, avoided birds.

God said, “Go there . . . I have commanded the ravens to feed you.” And the ravens obeyed God; they “brought him bread and flesh both in the morning and evening.”

If Elijah was going to humble Ahab, God needed first to humble Elijah. You can only take another where you have been. You only teach another what you have been taught. You can only tell another what you have heard. St. John said, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you” (1 John 1:3). You can’t declare by hearsay.

If we want a birth—a genuine birth—it must come from our innermost being. We cannot adopt a revival and make it ours. It won’t look like us, talk like us, or produce like us. For a while we may ride on the work of another, but in the end it will fail, and we will fail with it.

It Doesn’t Take Much If You Have the Spirit

A mere brook inspired Elijah. A bush inspired Moses. A rod inspired Aaron. A jawbone inspired Sampson. Five loaves inspired Jesus. It’s not what you have that counts, but Who


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you have. The further we advance in faith-battles, the more earth-battles are won.

Elijah’s brook was not impressive. It was not a river. It had no connection to the oceans. It could dry up at once. It could only flow if it had a source. It was unstable, undependable and little. How long would it flow? The man of faith only knew to stay there until further orders.

Only the Spirit-Anointed Can Flow with God’s Changing Plans

God directed certain “buzzards” to feed Elijah.

To meet the need of the hour, give God permission to change His ways of working, His laws of restriction, His methods of operating, and His gifts of the Spirit. All you need to do is keep up with His directions and His development of your faith. Only the Spirit-anointed can flow with God to restore, revive, or restart His work.

We often refuse the answer to our prayers because it does not come through the agency, organization, theology, or manner we expected. God will humble us by changing His direction to see if we are tied to the pattern or the Person: Jesus Christ. Elijah must learn to eat out of ravens’ mouths and drink from a drying book if he will later eat from the hands of angels. If he will welcome the ravens, he will welcome the supernatural.

Don H. Polston

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The Brook Dried Up

Revival is tied to the redirection of man. Blessed is the man who allows God to be God for His church and His people! God commanded Elijah to hide himself, to humble himself, and now—to be humiliated.

How? “And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.” At this point, the man of faith could be asking, “What went wrong? Did I make a mistake or did God make a mistake in sending me? This place is dry! The water isn’t flowing and the birds aren’t flying.”

The Purpose Changed

It was time to move on. But where? Could Elijah trust that “voice” again when it led to such a humiliating place? The purpose of God is not to keep us comfortable, but to keep us committed. The method of resources might change. The purpose of the place may change, but the purposes of God will not.

The brook was Elijah’s blessing. It was his method. It was his program. It was his promise. It was his provision. It was his identity. It was his home. Now he must leave it all for another move. He is learning that God is not tied to any one method, any one movement, or any one man. Elijah must learn the contrast in God’s techniques.


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When God Prods, He Provides

The words of prodding came. Elijah waited for the “voice” to speak again. Blessed is the man who waits to hear the voice before attempting to gain victory. Finally, he heard, “Arise!”

When one place is finished, God has another place of revival for your life. What does it mean when your brooks dry up? You may be facing drying books of money, drying brooks of popularity, drying books of usefulness, drying books of health, drying brooks of business, drying brooks of friendships, or drying brooks of hope. A drying book is a real thing.

The city where I pastored thirty years had a massive economic recession. Thousands lost their jobs. Schools closed all over the area because families moved to find work. In fact, a thousand members from my church moved out of the city. It was the difficult years of the 80’s. The city nearly emptied.

I could have stood in my office door and called, prayed, and spoken the word of authority for people to come. But if there were no people, there was no reason to call. This is a natural thing. I then moved from the brook that blessed me to find God’s further plans. It was on to Zarephath.

Never be tied to the brook. Never be tied to any shifting places. Your only tie is to God. You are not following the fads of faith; you are following the God of faith. He sends revivals in the most unlikely places. Just make sure you’re

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hearing His voice as He moves you from one level to another. It’s preparation for greater usefulness.

The Need Is the Lead

Verse seven simply states, “The brook dried up . . . because there was no rain.” There was no deeper explanation to the man of faith. Sometimes, natural needs alone will lead you the next assignment or the next level of faith.

The drying brook was driving Elijah. The need is the great stimulus to faith. It pushes us to seek God’s face and wait for His voice. Elijah could have refused to move from the brook, because God sent him there in the first place. He also could have thought there was a mistake, both with himself and with God, in going there at all.

Elijah could have commanded the brook to be healed and to flow as before. He could also have “named and claimed” the brook’s water supply. But his advancement didn’t come in performing a miracle; it came in waiting for the familiar voice to speak. He spent years in the wilderness of Gilead as a Tishbite, learning to listen to the voice of God. This was no time to forsake that proven method.

Preparation Takes Longer Than Performance

The drastic message was given to Ahab: “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” Elijah’s drastic refining was also set in motion. For the next three years, the scene will be centered on the man of revival: Elijah.


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The preparation of the man takes longer than the performance of revival. Many of us spend more time on preparing the movement than we spend on the man of the movement. Not God. Here is the reason many fall after being used of God; they fail to let God refine them.

Let’s follow the training and dealings of God with Elijah. It just could save us from years of stumbling.

A Drastic Moment in History

“So [Elijah] arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow was there gathering sticks . . .”

Instead of finding a city in prosperity, Elijah found it in poverty. The first person he saw was this widow in distress.

Once again he must have thought, “God, You sent me here to be sustained by a widow, but You surely don’t mean this woman! The whole appearance is disturbing.” Elijah moved from a dry place to a destitute place. Surely God is not in this.

The great lesson of faith is not to look at appearances. Appearances do not stimulate faith unless they are seen as situations to overcome. There are times when devils will stimulate the battle of faith, but we still cannot stare at the situation.

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God Jehovah of Elijah Lives today as years of old

And He longs to send revival On the thirsty, famished soul.

Study Suggestions:

1. The preparation of the man was first. Revival came later. How does this speak to you?

2. Elijah was hidden with God for years. Only after that time of hiding could Elijah say, “According to my word.” Are you in or have you ever been in “hiding”?

3. God’s word and Elijah’s words were one. Is this possible for us?

4. Elijah understood going from “here” to “there.” He was willing to make the change from ravens—to brooks—to King Ahab. How does this speak to us?

5. Rain is coming. Wait for it in faith. One test of faith leads to a second and third test of faith. As we pass these tests, we see the triumphant fruit of faith. Are you in a faith-test?

On to the next level. It waits before you. He who called you is the One Who enables you!

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Chapter Three Revival and Reliability

Proving the Word of Faith

Elijah has proven his message reliable; it did not rain for three years. He has also proven the provisions reliable after being fed by raven’s meat.

He is about to be confronted with the daily calamities of suffering and death. The road to revival led him not only through the barrel of famine, but also through the bed of pain. Can his faith handle this? Is his ability reliable in the daily affairs of life? He can pray for revival, but can he pray for resurrection or renewal of rain?

As God leads you along the path toward revival, you will be led into famine, drying brooks, empty barrels, and instability. Change and decay are all around us; nothing is stable in this world. Can faith take the change? Can faith face decay, disappointments, and delays? Or is salvation only good for the sunshine singers or the pleasant picnics with healthy friends?

No doubt the widow from Zarephath thought all of her troubles, distresses, and losses were over; Elijah, the man of faith, was with her. Her needs were fully met by his word of belief. Day by day, he spoke the supply of food from a barren barrel.

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She also might reasonably expect blessings. Why, she was freely entertaining the man of God! If the anointing is living in the home, what could possibly go wrong? Yet on the heels of supply came the shock of her son’s sickness. Soon he died.

There was no warning or time for prayer preparation. A sudden change came about in her daily affairs.

The unexpected often causes confusion of faith. Why did God allow this to happen? This widow not only lived through famine, but now she must live through a funeral.

Be Identified with the Need

Many times, while riding high on miracles, we forget our diseased world—riddled with sickness and death. As far as we know, this was Elijah’s first brush with death at the widow’s home (and while waiting for revival). Elijah’s faith is also being pushed to the limit. He must not only call for the miracle of food, but he must also call for the miracle of life. If the man of faith is to see a revived nation, he must also have faith for revived physical life.

There are many people who look like heroes in the solitude of Cherith’s brook. They enjoy the refreshing waters, the quiet solitude of trees, and singing birds. Cool nights and glowing stars become a place for meditation and spiritual imagination. As one said, “I love the ministry. It’s the demanding needs of the people that bother me!”


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Why get involved with the needs of people when you are praying, really praying, for revival? Going overseas is more exciting than going across the street, some reason. It is not true.

It is one thing to be devoted by the brook, speaking the word of faith in the widow’s kitchen, but is quite another thing to walk in the midst of constant struggles at home, community, or church. The fiery trial comes before the fiery triumphant. St. Peter said, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12).

The call to deeper faith is the call to deeper testing—by God, by people, and by Satan. God allows opposition so your faith can move to a new level. What God is preparing to use, Satan and circumstances are preparing to abuse. We have to make the choice. Will we allow opposition to win over opportunity?

The Picture of Dedication

Elijah responds by saying, “Give thy son.” And “[Elijah] carried him up . . . where he abode . . . and laid him upon his own bed . . . and he cried unto the Lord . . . and stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord . . .”

Elijah was concerned and involved with this “dead” situation. He walked right up to the need and took hold of it. The need was the stimulus to action. All needs stimulate faith, hope, and action. If there is no need, no anointed

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action will follow. Many look upon the need as an intruder, but the need is an invitation to anointed action.

Elijah was preparing to engage in a spiritual battle. Spiritual battles call for desperate attempts. Elijah didn’t find a hotel room with a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door; he made up his mind to fight for life until it showed up. Elijah’s dedication was content in the will of God, but his contentment was not idle.

“And [Elijah] stretched himself upon the child three times . . .” Elijah was concerned for the child, but he was also committed to the child. His commitment was not to the dead, but to the deliverance of the dead. Commitment to a dead place or situation and commitment to deliverance are two different things.

Elijah was not afraid to contact the diseased or dead. This is the secret in dealing with any need. Three times this man of God got on the level of the need to minister. Someone explained, “Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit carry with them the spirit of life, even the resurrected life.”

You literally carry with you the very life of the resurrected Jesus Christ! Therefore, if God sends you into a dead situation, keep your eyes on the living Christ within; in time you will discover the living Christ without. No place or situation can remain dead if you are there with a living faith in a living Christ.


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The Picture of Deliverance

And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah . . . and the child revived . . . Elijah took the child . . . and delivered him unto his mother . . . and said, thy son liveth. And the woman said, I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

Elijah announced, “Your child is alive!” What a miracle when the prophets of God announce that the lifeless church is now a living force!

How was Elijah able to restore this child?

He spent hours alone—wrestling with the impossible. He had a history of dealing with impossibilities. He proved his faith with the brook and the barrel. He was committed to changing the dead situation. He had connection with the need by lying on the face of the dead.

Elijah faced it all and emerged a winner with the living son. He won!

Study Suggestions:

1. What is reliability? 2. Explain Elijah’s distress. Can you relate? 3. How does Elijah’s dedication challenge us today? 4. Are you expecting deliverance as seen in Elijah’s case?

What situation in your life needs deliverance?

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Chapter Four Revival and Rebuke

The Time of Showing

The time of showing came for Elijah. Moses had a time of showing after many years in seclusion. David had his time of showing after being hunted by Saul. Jesus emerged after years of seclusion in His hometown. Peter had his high day after following Jesus for three years and waiting for the Spirit at Pentecost. Paul came into full light after retreating to the Arabian Desert for four years.

Elijah is now returning to leadership. Years spent by the brook are now closing. It is time to uncover evil and unlock the heavens for revival rain.

Elijah was trained. His faith passed the test. Now he stands ready to face the enemies of God and the barrenness of the land.

Elijah left all the places of provision and went to Samaria, a place of severe famine. 1 Kings 18:2 says, “And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a severe famine in Samaria.” This is a man of faith. Most run from the dry place, but Elijah walked right into it.

Real faith works no matter where it is. It is founded on the Word, fixed on God’s voice, and has evidence of God’s faithfulness. This man of God doesn’t have to have the perfect environment for his faith to operate. Instead, he goes


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into the circumstance of death, and there resurrects the place and people.

What are you looking for? Is it grass or God? Stay with the man of prayer and faith; when the rain comes, you will be in on it. Amen?

The Adversary Works through Ignorance

The believer must learn how to distinguish between the voice of the Spirit and the voice of the foe. This struggle always exists in the life of the sensitive believer.

How do you learn to distinguish between these voices? How do you distinguish the voice of Satan?

First, by the sound of the voice. Secondly, by the effects of the voice. And thirdly, by the unceasing torment of the voice in your spirit.

Elijah said that the Lord’s voice was still and small. In contrast, the voice of Satan (or the foe) is harsh, punishing, and unrelenting in accusations. The foe hopes to keep the believer’s heart and emotions in turmoil—hindering them from hearing the Spirit.

On the other hand, the Spirit is clean and gentle, leading to freedom of heart. The voice of Satan (or demons) is demanding, as if something is on your body, pushing for a hasty decision or action. The voice of evil has a tormenting sensation, while the Spirit brings comfort.

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The aim of the foe is to bind and confuse the soul in the details of life. The aim of the Spirit is to bring us liberty. The life of the believer should not be one of confusion, but one of trust and childlike acceptance.

Ahab: The Man with a Depraved Heart

Depravity is deeply rooted in humanity. It is seen early in the life of a child and you can follow it all the way to old age.

In this specific situation, it had not rained for three years. Elijah locked the heavens and totally bankrupted the nation. Still, Ahab and Jezebel (his queen) refused to change course or turn from the god of the age to the God of all ages.

Nothing Is Free

There is no freedom from good or evil without a fight. What I irresponsibly take, I will have to responsibly pay for. What I lovingly give, I lovingly reap (though not always visibly). I cannot get more out of earth than the number and type of seeds I planted.

The depraved heart is blinded to this law. Ahab and Jezebel’s lives were filled with the fruit of their sowing. Nothing changed until the prophet, Elijah, came on the scene.

Elijah: The Man with the Devoted Heart

The Spirit in Elijah and the spirit in Ahab were poles apart. Ahab lashed out at Elijah and impudently said, “You are the one that troubled Israel . . .” When wicked see the righteous,


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they are troubled. In being troubled, they lash out to blame the anointed.

The avowed antagonism is always between good and evil. This was the serpent’s hiss against the Christ in Elijah. It is the vented spite of one who felt condemned in the presence of the anointed. The two seeds met—the seed of Satan and the seed of Christ. Those two seeds will never compromise. From the early dawn of time, the serpent bruises the heel of faith and the seed of Christ crushes the head of evil.

Ahab Meets Elijah

Elijah answered Ahab and said, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou . . .” This sounds somewhat like Nathan as he faced King David. David committed great sins and escaped the press, but he did not escape the Presence! The anointed man of God said to the king, “Thou are the man.” It takes a deep, abiding life and a fresh anointing to face needs.

This type of fearlessness marked all the Lord’s prophets. Moses faced off with Pharaoh; Daniel faced the den of lions; Peter faced the city of Jerusalem; Paul dealt with Roman soldiers; our Lord faced Calvary.

Who You Walk with Indicates Who You Fear

The devoted heart is not only fearless, but it is also faithful to God—regardless. Elijah was fixed on the purpose of his call. It takes a devoted and filled heart to stay fixed on the call of God. Fixing the heart and focusing the mind are essential to activate God’s purposes on earth.

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Elijah gathered all the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel to face off in the battle of faith.

Study Suggestions:

1. What do you do when your brook dries up? 2. Where did Elijah go after his time of preparation? How

does this speak to us today? 3. What controls you the most—a depraved heart or a

devoted heart? Is it possible to have a depraved heart and still love God?

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Chapter Five Revival and Restoration

Restoration?

Restoration is frightening. What will I become? Where will this lead me now? Is it worth it?

If you want to attack limitation, don’t be afraid of the waters. I read somewhere that all cats love fish but hate to get their paws wet. The attitude of limitation shuts out new manifestations of the Spirit. Perfecting the old hinders the new.

Philippians 3:16 says it this way: “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” Let us walk by the same faith and practice that which we have attained—reaching and stretching to a better understanding of the Spirit.

Progress Comes from Problems

There would be no progress in the church or in the world without pressing needs. The need calls for action. God shows His glory in the pursuit and conversion of sinners and in the pursuit of the saints—praying for revival.

Sinners precede saints. Where there is no need, there is no supply. The need in Elijah’s day spurred God’s response over the power of Baal.

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The greater One is the only answer for an incurable condition—whether physical, spiritual, or national. The Word states, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them [evil]: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4, emphasis mine).

The Contrast Is Real

All through human history, and all throughout your personal history, light contrasts darkness, sin contrasts righteousness, sickness contrasts health, and love contrasts hate. The contrast teaches us how to overcome and what to overcome. We couldn’t progress without contrast.

Life is built on opposites to drive us to answers. The greater the need, the greater the answer. Life is filled with winning and losing.

This is the record of Elijah over Ahab. The same pattern fits today if you spend time in seclusion or prayer, seeking God’s answer to your need.

Elijah Makes His Appeal

This man of faith made the final appeal to unbelievers. For more than three years, he was learning to work with the impossible. His school of faith was developed. Now, he is ready for God’s power to overcome evil on a mass scale. Faith worked in details; now it will work in the dynamics of a larger picture. Is Elijah able to move from the school of faith to the fight of faith?


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The call for a national gathering came from the government:

Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word (1 Kings 18:20-21).

Elijah’s appeal confronted the people’s divided heart. They lived in a country of divided opinions and divided principles. Was it necessary to believe in one God? Everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes.

The philosophy was non-judgmental, except toward the belief in Jehovah. If this “one God” theory could be eliminated from the school systems and the public, the country could be happier and more prosperous. The people forgot that faith in Jehovah brought them into the land and prosperity.

Elijah finally asked, “How long halt you between two opinions?” How long will you hesitate in surrendering yourself to God?

Division is a slow path to darkness. Lack of unity in the body of Christ or the believer’s heart brings polarization and destruction. Only when the heart is fully committed to Christ is there power, influence, and usefulness to God and man. Elijah’s call and his appeal was for the people to determine their fixed commitment to the Creator of the Universe.

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Elijah proposes a trial on Mt. Carmel. This was the final court of appeal. If Baal is god, follow him. If Jehovah is God, follow him. Whichever god shows himself is the true God.

Baal and Ahab had the outward advantage. They ruled the land for many years, dominating the public press. They put the prophets out of business; the weeds grew around the halls of faith. The prophets were shut out of the airwaves. All seemed lost.

Nevertheless, there was a man. There was a man who believed and who knew that God lived and performed miracles. This is the God who will win this age.

The people with the hottest fire, the deepest principles, and the most zeal win the day. Elijah was that man in his age. Where are you in your age? It takes very little with God to change the age in which you live! Elijah was not seeking his own glory; he was not interested in name or fame. He spent years with the God of heaven and now the God of heaven was wrapped in his own nature. They stood as one on the Mount that day! God’s voice was Elijah’s voice. God’s message was Elijah’s message. The two were lost into oneness.

Why halt any longer? Give it all to God. He in return gives His all to you.


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Elijah Makes His Announcement

Elijah made the bold announcement in the city square: “The God that answers by fire, let him be God.”

It was an announcement of comparison and conflict between the man of faith, Elijah, the lone man, and the 450 prophets of Baal. The ratio was one to four hundred! But with the person of faith, odds mean nothing.

Odds have always been greater against the faith of the few. King David only had a sling and five stones, yet he turned the tide from defeat to deliverance. The Apostle Paul confronted the Roman world, as well as the Pharisees, and turned the tide. It doesn’t take much to whip the devil if the faith and the power of the Holy Spirit flow through you.

There Is Always Comparison and Conflict in the Contest of Faith

The tug-of-war between good and evil has confronted every age and every person of faith. Since the days of Cain and Able, the conflict existed. One spirit shall bruise or destroy the other. The one with greater fire usually wins the conflict.

Better not draw the wicked into conflict unless you have been alone with God and filled with His Spirit. If you counteract the need and the need is greater than your answer, you will fail. The Spirit of God in you must be greater than the spirit of devils in the need.

Every product in the marketplace is compared. Will it work, and does it last? The cost is not considered if the product

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works. This is also true in the call of the Cross. If the Cross frees me from the gall of sin, the bitterness of failure, and defeat in life, then the price to pay doesn’t compare with my need. Jesus gave His all. And if I am to receive all, I must give Him my all.

The cost is nothing compared to my need. What does your “god” give you? Is your god pleasure? Is your god your belly? Is it money? Is it image? Is it defeat? Look to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you truly found Jesus Christ to be adequate for you?

Elijah’s Announcement Was of Utter Contempt

“And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them . . .” The leaders cried while they cut themselves to gain the attention of Baal, but there was no voice—no evidence—no regard. Silence from the skies.

Psalm 2:4 says, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh . . .” I think Elijah and Jehovah had a duo laugh. These Baal leaders had ridiculed and mocked the Jehovah leaders. Everything in society—from the school system to the financial system—ignored Jehovah. The wide spread conversation was that “Jehovah” people were dangerous to society. The prophets were marked as crazy.

Then Elijah showed up, unafraid, mocking the whole group of Baal-worshipers. For over three years, calamity struck the land with no rain (though the calamity had no affect on the sins of the people).


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But the fire of God on Mount Carmel “swallowed” the enemy. Nothing was left of the sacrifice when the fire engulfed the wet wood.

Fire is always a strong indication of the Holy Spirit. The Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). There was a pillar of fire by night in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). When it’s dark and cold in your spirit, expect the fire of God to shine and bring warmth to the soul. “The Lord descended upon the mount by fire” (Exodus 19:18). Acts 2:3 says, “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

The end result on Mount Carmel was falling fire. And the people said, “The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God.” This is revival. This is restoration. There is no other way to handle the enemies of faith except by the Holy Spirit’s fire. Whoever has the hottest fire wins the day.

We used to sing this little song when I was a boy:

Oh Lord, send the fire just now, Oh Lord, send the fire just now, Oh Lord, send the fire just now

And baptize everyone.

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Study Suggestions:

1. What is a divided heart? 2. How do you explain a depraved heart? How do we battle

the nature of depravity? 3. Is it possible to have a fully devoted heart? 4. What have you learned in this chapter?

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Chapter Six Revival and Rain

Domino Success

Success is never certain, and failure is never final. Each time you win a struggle, you are building greater faith for the next move or battle. Elijah was stacking up his “faith successes” in preparation for unlocking heaven’s rain.

Here is another reason why it is imperative to win the daily struggles of faith: Nothing is ever in favor of faith. Faith stands alone. But remember, the battles of faith are meant to develop you, not defeat you. After awhile, impossibilities only allow you to exercise winning faith and iron-tested courage. Every “up-against-it” feeling or situation develops your courage. Iron only becomes steel when it goes through the fire.

Elijah’s prayer is one of his greatest attempts to win a most difficult situation: a land without rain for more than three years. Talk about barren!

Are you in a place without revival rain? Is the condition dry? Have your prayers created these conditions? If you shut the heavens, then you alone must open them. Elijah took the call and challenge to pray again.

In this passage, I want us to notice three specific incidences:

1) The Contrast 2) The Contest 3) The Conquest

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The Contrast

Let us notice two areas of contrast between the character of Ahab and the character of Elijah.

First, Ahab was insensible to the facts. Without water or rain, people were perishing. The land was desolate. Nothing seemed encouraging. Dryness, despair and death surrounded the nation; huge, immense depression slept on the doorsteps of every home. Yet Ahab ruled in ignorance to the situation, not relating it or tracing it to his sin. Ahab stood in the presence of God’s greatest, witnessed God’s power, and still remained fixed in his own conclusions.

If that’s not enough, look at what happens next: “So Ahab went up to eat and to drink.”

When the flesh (the inner, carnal desires) affects the outer, human indulgence, we are useless. Control is the ingredient for spiritual, mental, and moral success.

Your plans, your ambitions, your ministry, and your life-dreams are thrown out the window if you lack control or discipline. Once your dreams are cast aside for evil pleasure, it is almost impossible to regain them.

Let’s follow the passage and see not only the contrast, but also the contest between Ahab and Elijah. It is stated in verses 43-44 of chapter 18 that that Elijah fasted in his isolated prayer grotto, while Ahab feasted at his banquet table.

In this contest, we notice the invisible (verse 41). It is simply stated in 18:1, “There is the sound of abundance of rain


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[coming]!” Elijah based his fasting and fixing-faith on the word of the Lord, which said, “Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”

To the faith-ear the sound is clear. The American Indians could tell if a great rain was coming and how close it was by the sound of thunder. How much more should the believer hear the sound of the Holy Ghost!

We were in an area-wide prayer meeting, with hundreds of believers, when suddenly I heard the Holy Spirit coming as a wind; the sound came from the back of the auditorium to the front seats. It seemed to travel about a second for each row. I turned to my wife and said, “I hear the Holy Spirit coming.” By the time I got the words out of my mouth, the Spirit flushed over us; I jumped to my feet, and the others with me jumped to their feet, shouting, “Hallelujah! God is here!”

I have heard this sound more than once. There is nothing quite like the sound of the Spirit. The people in the Upper Room said they heard it like a rushing, mighty wind. Many don’t know the sound of the Spirit from the sound of the air conditioner kicking in.

I was in a large crusade when the evangelist called me to the platform. I walked up to the platform, not knowing what he wanted, but I knew the anointing was great in the meeting. There were about twenty-five thousand people looking on as I took the platform. The evangelist started walking toward me when, suddenly, without warning, a mighty wind started to blow. The wind blew swiftly in a single-file motion toward me. No one felt or was influenced by it but me. The

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wind hit me like a tornado. No one touched me or laid hands on me, but the Holy Spirit blew from behind and the wind came straight for my anointing. I never got over the power of that moment.

When Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) heard the voice of Mary (the mother of Jesus), John leaped in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. One spoke; the other heard. The leap in the womb matched the sound in the voice! What a wonder when two people meet and both receive a witness in the “womb” of faith.

Elijah called the thing which was not (rain) into reality. He had the promise. He had long months of prayer. And “after many days . . . in the third year,” he heard the sound of rain. He was hearing what was needed! Later he would see what he heard.

Remember: Elijah was in many contests.

He was contested at the wriggling book. He was contested with flying ravens or thick-billed crows. He was contested with uncooked meat. He was contested by the call to leave the brook. He was contested when he saw the poor widow. He was contested when the barrel was empty. He was contested when the menu was for two and not three. He was contested when the menu had only pancakes . . . daily. He was contested when his hostess’ son died. He was contested when he took the dead son. He was contested when he prayed three times and nothing happened.


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In every testing and contesting, Elijah dealt with the Invisible. St. Paul cried out, “We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Whatever catches the eye catches belief.

Hebrews 11:27 explains that “[Moses] endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” Imperceptible to sight, but not imperceptible to faith! My perception has a lot to do with my participation in faith. Hearing in faith makes the case. Elijah knew the rain was coming, but he didn’t know when it was coming. He heard the sound; now he waits to see rain. The sky in Elijah’s contest was cloudless; the wind was still and the air was dry. Yet his faith was high.

Verse 42 declares, “And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.” He fasted with little food; he didn’t need a diet, Weight Watchers, or any other meal plan. His life-style kept him in shape. He could put his face between his legs! Impossible for any prophet weighing in at over two hundred pounds!

Perhaps our life-style reveals our faith-style.

St. James tells us that Elijah prayed earnestly (5:17-18). Intense praying brings intense answers. Faith has fire in it. When circumstance calls for traumatic change, the fire of faith goes to work. Jesus sweat drops of blood when He prayed in Gethsemane. St. Paul “labored in prayer.” Jacob wrestled all night with the Angel. And Elijah, after Ahab went up to eat and drink, went up to the top of Mt. Carmel to pray (1 Kings 18:42). He cast himself on the earth in

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prayer—at the place needing rain—and put his face between his knees. Manifested intensity.

As we notice the intensity of the situation, let us also notice the impossibility of the situation (verses 44-43).

“And [Elijah] said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing.” This type of report was not new to Elijah. He lived with God on “nothing” for the past three years. This “nothing” could not turn him back. He dealt with drying brooks, empty barrels, and dead children. This was just one more “nothing” to deal with in faith.

The servant said, “There is nothing . . .” This report was a contradiction to Elijah’s faith. The report was true, but it didn’t permeate into Elijah’s supernatural sight. In Elijah’s faith book, he no doubt remembered the empty barrel, the dried brook, and now the empty sky.

It’s amazing how many turn back from the intensity of faith when the invisible permeates the heart. What permeates the spirit, the soul, or the mind becomes perpetual in life. I perpetuate what permeates my mind or spirit. While the circumstance was real, it was contrary to God’s promise.

Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel to pray for what he prophesied. He sent the servant again and again and again to see if clouds were gathering any rain.

Each time the answer was the same: “There is nothing.” This happened again and again. Then the servant said, “There is a


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little cloud, about the size of a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.” That was enough for Elijah! “The hand is God’s hand, full of rain. Go tell Ahab to prepare; the clouds are black, the wind is blowing, and the gushing rains are on their way.”

Faith must have inspiration if it is to penetrate the dark clouds to rain.

Now it is time we found the thrill of inspiration (verse 44). The walk of faith is not all dry lands, empty cups, or impossibilities. God nearly always adds the taste and zest of inspiration.

There is a time when you will move from drying books, dying people, empty barrels, and dust to rushing, mighty rivers of fresh rain.

Verse 44 states, “There is a cloud . . . coming up out of the sea!” This was the final inspiration Elijah needed to out-run Ahab’s set of horses. Both men were going to Jezreel—Ahab in his royal chariot, and Elijah in his girded loins.

Elijah’s moment of inspiration was Ahab’s moment of intimidation. Suddenly, while Ahab was flying down the road in his chariot, here is this man again! With his long hair flying in the wind, wet with rain, he is running on foot past the chariot! What will inspiration do for the praying person?

The rains came! Elijah expected the most from the least; a cloud as big as a man’s hand became a flood for the land; it was the Hand on the land. At times, your greatest blessing

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may come through the least evidence, just like this little cloud.

After the inspiration of faith, we observe the conquest of faith. There are many contrasts in the fight of faith, and many contests, but one thing is sure: faith overcomes.

“The heaven was black with clouds and wind, and . . . there was a great rain.” Notice that black clouds were full of rain! In most cases, we see black clouds as hindrances—yet in the blackness was blessing.

If you gauge your life, your efforts, or your prayers by the black clouds, you will never prepare for the gushing rains of revival. The human heart, too often, is governed by doubts, negative thoughts, and failure attitudes. We must remember the Positive Power of Negative Thinking. All pain is driving you to answers. If something is negative in your life, remember it as a call, a nudge, or a push for the opposite. The negative comes first, then the positive. They are one. Don’t abuse the negative; use it to your advantage.

Verse 46 states that “the hand of the Lord was on Elijah.” This is your greatest weapon, also, in the conquest of circumstances. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach . . .” (Luke 4:18). The greatest defense you have in the world is the hand of God on you. Nothing will ever take its place—not learning, not fame, not anything else.


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This conviction will cause you to “outrun” your enemies, your problems, or your limitations. Elijah “girded up his lions and ran . . . before Ahab.” The Presence was with him!

How do you have this Presence? Be filled with the Spirit, be filled with the Word, and be filled with prayer. The Presence is the Power!

The greatest destiny of any nation, church, or community is the great rain of revival. Nothing turns morality, economy, learning, and ignorance around like the mighty moving of God’s Spirit. Ask, believer, and accept the rain—without limitations or restrictions.

Study Suggestions:

1. How is the need a starter to faith? 2. How is the answer equal to your faith? 3. Give an example of this truth in your life.

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Chapter Seven Revival and Prayer

The Praying Prophet

Elijah had been to Cherith, but he was more intensified and inspired with Carmel. The glory and faith history of Mount Carmel ran through his blood. On this mountain, Elijah defeated Baal’s prophets and turned Israel back to Jehovah.

Certain places in our faith-walk bring renewal. The power of God manifested in that place marks it as a “pentecost.” Trace your spiritual history. Surely you have a spiritual history! Cherith’s are refreshing, but Carmel’s are transforming; Carmel’s revolutionize our prayer, teaching, miracles, and reaping.

There are two distinct responses of Ahab and Elijah to the abundance of rain (verse 41). Ahab ate and drank; Elijah prayed. Your response to the promise of rain indicates your spirit. If the inner spirit is dry, the response will follow suit.

Let us notice Elijah’s responses:

Elijah Withdrawals Elijah Wrestles Elijah Wins

Elijah Withdrawals

Following Elijah’s greatest success, he withdrawals to his prayer closet (the top of Mount Carmel). To maintain the


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victory, he must maintain contact with Jehovah. The victorious prophet can never relax his hold on the omnipotence of God; the victory starts and ends with God! Elijah knew this secret.

The man of faith did not look for or expect a “congratulations” from the people. His only expectation was the coming rain—the revival. This man knew when to show himself and when to hide himself. A rare ingredient.

Elijah’s spirit had an abundance of rain before he ran ahead of Ahab’s horses. The apostles also had this abundance of rain before running into the streets, proclaiming the power of the Holy Spirit. All throughout scripture, we see saints refusing comfort until rain comes.

Elijah Wrestles

Here was a man who ran from congratulations and comforts to wrestle and contend in faith.

First, observe Elijah’s posture. Verse 42 says, “. . . he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.” Ahab went up while Elijah went down. Ahab went up to feast, but Elijah went down on his face. Elijah must have more than denominational approval. He must have Divine approval.

Also notice Elijah’s prayer. St. James says, “[Elijah] prayed earnestly that it might not rain . . . And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain” (5:17-18).

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Urgent needs call for urgent prayers. If you want to get heaven’s attention, you must also get hell’s attention. After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, He immediately dealt with the devil in the wilderness. After the Spirit descended on Him, Jesus brought the attention of hell.

Elijah saw the devastation and then committed to pray. He could stand it no longer. The ground was parched, preachers were silent, and prophets were hiding. Something had to change.

Elijah Wins

Elijah wins (18:1) because of God’s promise. “The word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”

There are key words in this winning promise, “. . . the word came to Elijah . . .” Many seek long and hard to get a word from God, but when we stay in the anointed faith, the word God always comes. The word of the Lord is looking for a person of the Lord. His eyes run throughout the earth, looking for one whose heart is perfect toward Him. It is one thing to get a word from a leader; it is quite another thing to get a word from the Lord!

“. . . in the third year . . .” St. James says it was three years and six months. Elijah didn’t mention a time frame when he prophesied; he just made the announcement without knowing when the rain would start. Think about this man, working his way through the drying book, the dying widow, the dwindling wells, and the promise of rain—never


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knowing when God’s promises would bloom! Is your land dry, even though you hold on to hope? The length of faith is as important as the depth of faith.

A Galician proverb says, “When one is hungry, there’s no hard bread.” When we search for revival, we find it.

“. . . go show yourself unto Ahab . . .” Go right back to the place where you first prophesied. This time, say, “Revival is coming!” Many can announce ruination, but few will risk announcing that revival is coming. What you predict is usually what you see. If you talk doubt, doubt grows as weeds. If you talk hope, hope blooms as roses.

“. . . I will send rain upon the earth . . .” God’s first purpose is to send rain. He is not interested in shutting off supplies. It is His purpose for the church (the believers) to prosper, to be blessed, and to continually be refreshed by the Spirit. From the moment Elijah heard the Lord, his eyes were on the sky. The word rang over and over in his ears: “I will send rain. I will send rain . . .”

Here’s something else I want us to notice: Elijah won in his day not only because of the promises and the Presence, but also because of perseverance. In verse 43 Elijah says, “Go and look.” The response was, “There is nothing.” Elijah said another time, “Go again. And again. And again. There must be a sign of rain, for I hear the sound of rain.”

The sign was only the size of man’s hand. Little clouds. The attendance was small; the offerings were little. What can you expect from such a small, insignificant display?

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Remember: When Elijah looked in the barrel, he saw life. When the widow looked into the same barrel, she saw death.

Elijah lived through the Universities of Little. He passed the test of little ravens, little menus, little oil, little beds, little children, and now little clouds. He earned his PhD in little things. He knew what it was to have a morsel of meat, a handful of meal, a poverty-stricken hostess, and an upper den for his cottage. This little cloud was no disturbing thing to him. He announced the coming rain in verse 44: “. . . prepare . . . the abundance is coming.”

And there was a great rain. We win!

The brooks began to flow again, the rivers began to rise, the grass started to grow, and people began to rejoice. This is revival . . . today.

Revival is here for those who hear. Rise up through the mire . . . revival is in the Stars.

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Chapter Eight Revival and Relapse

Prophet and Man

As we travel from chapter 18 to chapter 19, we meet with a sudden, startling contrast of Elijah the prophet and Elijah the man. In chapter 18 we find the hand of God on Elijah (verse 46); he ran before the horses of Ahab, avoided Jezebel, destroyed hundreds of Baal’s prophets, and prayed down a drenching revival rain on a barren land. Revival came!

But in the process of seeking revival, the revivalist had a relapse. In one moment, Elijah fizzled, crackled, sputtered, and popped. In one instant, perhaps in a weak moment of mental and spiritual exhaustion, he runs in fear. He is not running in faith as he did before Ahab’s horses, but he is running in fear from Jezebel’s threats. A woman is chasing the prophet!

In chapter 18 Elijah is at his best; in chapter 19, he is at his worst.

The Bible pictures human nature as it is, even in the best saints. Why? So that we never trust in the flesh. “Take heed” still stands before the eyes of saints.

James 5:17 comments, “Elijah was a man . . .” Does more need to be said? The best are deeply tempted in the middle of great spiritual awakening.

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Here is human fragility unguarded. See with me three clearly defined pictures held before us in this chapter of Elijah:

The man in desperation The man in depression The man in destination

The man Elijah is seen in desperation in 19:1-3. Why was Elijah desperate when he just experienced great revival? May I suggest two basic reasons:

1) Elijah was desperate because of Ahab’s report. “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had slain the prophets [of Baal] with the sword.” That’s enough to put any prophet in desperation! Just sting the she-bear and you are in for a fight or flight.

Get the picture: tasting the sweet fruit of the vine, Jezebel waited all day in the palace for her beloved king to come home with a glowing report of Baal’s victory over Elijah. Instead, she only heard Elijah’s glowing report of victory over the stormy prophets. Jezebel lost the Super Bowl!

Also remember that it had not rained for three years. Jezebel would have been youthfully excited to bathe in fresh water and wade through the puddles of her long-awaited reservoir. The rains seemed to be an indictment against Elijah, who stood before her king and said it would not rain. Now she knows that Elijah is a false prophet; the rains are here. Expectation exploded in Jezebel’s face when she realized


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that Elijah asked Yahweh to bring back rain. God delights to blast truth in the face of our accusers.

When Ahab entered the palace, he rushed into the bedroom and shouted, “Elijah has slain all your prophets . . . they are dead!” Ahab did not refer to the falling fire on a water-soaked sacrifice, or the jeers of Elijah while the Baal-guys chanted their mantras. Ahab called for retaliation. Call a march in front of the church—blackball them in the press—smear them any way you can. They deserve it when they spoke freely about our god on the radio and confused us concerning our values.

Let the heathen rage and imagine a vain thing. God sits in heaven and laughs. Elijah and his message became the point of attack. “Look what Elijah did!” Not, “Look what God did!” The community’s revival and renewal was hurled on the man. Baal lost his grip on the city and the university students. The taverns were closing. The customers were following revival!

Ahab forgot that he was not battling man, but God. It was true also of King Herod and John the Baptist. It was true of Saul and Stephen. The controversy within the soul is not with man, but with the Holy Spirit.

2) Elijah was not only desperate because of Ahab’s report, but he was also desperate because of Jezebel’s reaction. Verse 19 states, “Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them [the Baal prophets] by tomorrow about this time.”

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Jezebel’s response is indignant, resentful and vengeful. Distress is an irrational and out of control emotion. This woman was filled to the brim with destructive emotions:

Envy: distress by reason of a neighbor’s prosperity Anxiety: oppressive distress Depression: distress by brooding Vexation: lasting distress Anger: lust for punishment on the one causing underserved harm Hatred: unsettled irritation

This sensual and materialistic lady knew no bounds to fulfill her desires—a dreadful condition. She despised God, the man of God, and the moving of God.

Children cried for water, men dug wells by the heat of the sun, and the ground charred from dehydration. No fruit in the fields. No food in the pantry. Yet Jezebel could not think of anything but her own retaliation against Elijah; her spiritual hate seemed unending. Unable to destroy Jehovah, she set out to destroy His prophet.

Herodias had the same unsatisfied resentment for John the Baptist. “For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her” (Matthew 14:2).

I remember a highly visual businessman sitting in my office, asking me to give him permission to leave his wife for another woman. In return, he would join my church. I


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remember gently and firmly answering, “I don’t need one more member. Go home and love your wife.” He loved me and respected me until I left that city some years later.

We have noticed Elijah’s desperation. Now turn your attention to Elijah’s depression. It is simply stated in 19:3 that when Elijah “saw that [he could be cut to pieces by Jezebel], he arose and went for his life.” Depression blocked his mind from thoughts of protection and prosperity.

Elijah felt lonely, sad, miserable, and dejected. He was caught by despondency, or heavy-heartedness. He was fed up with the whole affair. How can this be? This is Elijah! St. James says, “Elijah was a man . . .” That is your answer.

Here he was, sitting under a juniper tree—unhappy, miserable, downhearted, and downcast. Is this possible for the person of faith? Yes. St. Paul said he was in heaviness, and despaired even of life (2 Corinthians 1:8).

We were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).

Elijah was depressed, yet the Lord (an angel) touched him; Peter was in prison and the angel “smote” him, and said, “Put your shoes on! We are getting out of here.”

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The man of faith retreated when he “saw” Jezebel’s threat. What you “see” is why you flee. The faith-eye of Elijah turned inward to darkness. The darkness of doubt or fear is not far away from people of faith. Elijah saw what Jezebel said!

Revival came. Rains came. The prophets of Baal were defeated. Everything was in Elijah’s favor. The tide at last had turned. But instead of maintaining revival, Elijah ran into a cave. He forgot about drinking from a drying brook, eating from an empty barrel, and raising a dead child to life. Miracles in themselves seldom keep us from temptation or enemy threats.

Walking by “sight” only, without the faith of transformation, magnifies difficulties and paralyzes spiritual energy. Elijah focused on Jezebel instead of Jehovah. What you see is where you flee!

Notice the difference in just two chapters:

18: The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah. 19: Elijah ran for his life.

18: Elijah at his best. 19: Elijah at his worst.

18: Elijah’s faith. 19: Elijah’s fear.

18: Elijah faces the enemy. 19: Elijah runs from the enemy.


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18: Elijah is courageous. 19: Elijah is a coward.

18: Elijah runs ahead of Ahab. 19: Elijah runs away from Jezebel.

This change happened because Elijah no longer fixed his gaze on God. If we glance at evil and gaze at God, we win. If we gaze at evil and glance God, we lose.

Elijah left the people, the place, and the evidence of revival and fell into mental, physical, and spiritual relapse. While the nation was being restored, Elijah was deteriorating.

He went into the wilderness, a place of wasteland. It was uninhabited, uncultivated and abandoned. Elijah was to find refuge and refreshment here? I don’t think he even had a second thought of going back to Jezreel. He was in the place of disfavor. He ran once to Jezreel, a large plain filled with prosperity, but now he runs to Juniper, a shrub. What relapse does to the soul!

There was no direction or revelation at Juniper, but in the Lord’s kindness there was yet mercy. The Angel touched Elijah and invited him to eat. No doubt the Angel knew Elijah’s weakness from dealing with Ahab, fearing Jezebel, and directing revival. In times like these, we don’t need a prayer meeting or a call to attack; we just need to eat and sleep! Sleep is a good grace. Many “evils” of the mind are cured or released if we will nap and have a refreshing lunch.

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Elijah’s depression made him wish for death. Suicidal thoughts are part of a depressed mind.

He complained, “It is enough . . .” (19:4). This thought is not new to those who have used their strength, stood against darkness, and prayed alone for a seemingly impossible situation. Spiritual and physical energy drain away in a battle. Depression sets in when the total person is used to the last drop. This is one reason the prophet or the intercessor needs a partner; they pick each other up in the times of stress. Two are better than one in a long march.

Consider the reasons for Elijah’s relapse:

1) His physical strength was exhausted. 2) He was overly sensitive to his lonely position. “I only

am left . . .” Not true. Some fifty “brethren” were hiding in a cave sustained by Obadiah.

3) He took his eyes off of Jehovah and fixed them on fear: Jezebel is coming.

In prison, John the Baptist doubted if Jesus was the Christ. Peter doubted and denied when Jesus needed him most. Mark walked away from St. Paul. If you are struggling with depression, you are in good company! Remember that victory is found in the power of the Spirit.

Now turn your attention away from the man in depression to the man in destination. Was God finished with this man, Elijah? Did relapse render him unfit for a future? Was it time to cast the prophet out of the race? Verse 5 declares, “. . . as [Elijah] lay and slept under the juniper tree, behold, then


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an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” The failure was disastrous, but it was not the end.

Elijah’s reputation was in disrepair, but the grace of God was waiting to repair it—fully. The tender eye of God was on His servant as he slept. God’s love for His lovers never falters. God was seeking in every way possible to restore and refresh our man Elijah.

If God is calling you to the Mount of God, you can be assured that He will supply the provisions and power. Don’t stop at the little tree of despair; run for the Mount of God! There you will find further instructions and inspiration. God remembers that we are dust . . . not dirt.

This story reminds me of Jesus preparing breakfast on Easter Sunday morning—when the disciples fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus could have rebuked them, shamed them, and teased them, but instead He made them breakfast. John 21:12-13 declares, “Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine . . . Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.”

And the angel said to Elijah, “Arise . . .” Notice also that the angel touched Elijah the second time. God revived His man by meat and a touch; the natural and the supernatural worked together for the miracle. Elijah “went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb, the mount of God.”

Elijah is running to Mt. Horeb. Why Mt. Horeb? Why did he not go to Jezreel, the land of plenty? Why didn’t he go back

Don H. Polston

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to Mt. Carmel? Why didn’t he call for a crusade with the fifty prophets and the seven thousand who refused to bow to Baal?

Elijah ran from it all to Mt. Horeb, because on Mt. Horeb Moses experienced the burning bush, the inscription of the Ten Commandments, and forty days and forty nights with God. Elijah longed to be where God spoke and manifested His power. It was the place of the Presence.

God is able again to announce His Presence and anoint His man on the Mount of God. In this place, Elijah will be refreshed for the work and recaptured to the work.

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).

Elijah was not a defeated and forsaken prophet. He turned the tide of evil in his generation. Revival came to the nation, even with the prophet’s relapse.

God loves you before the anointing and He loves you after the anointing. The only one who can defeat you is you! A French proverb says, “A carpenter is known by his chips.” The anointed person is known by his faith-chips.


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Listen carefully as God gives you direction today. The Lord will pass by you on the mount—in the closet of prayer—and you will hear a still, small voice. This is your day and this is your way. Without continual growth, there is no future.

Today is your future.

Don H. Polston

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Don H. Polston:

BA, B. Rel., Indiana Wesleyan University

Master of Philosophy in Counseling, Emmanuel Baptist University

Doctor of Philosophy in Temperament Therapy, PhD, Carolina Christian University

Founder of Sunnyside Temple, Waterloo, Iowa, one of the largest Wesleyan churches in America

Founder of The Life That Wins television ministries

Inducted into The Hall of Faith, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana

Certified Temperament Counselor with the National Christian Counseling Association

Ministered on Trinity Broadcasting Network, 700 Club Network, and Praise the Lord Television Network

8963 don polston tr3 jehovah, ahab and jezebel, rain and no rain. elijah won ... “and the barrel...

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