GET TOGETHER- DON’T LET THE ENEMY RUIN THE BLESSING

1Ki 19:2-4 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Elijah was a mighty man of God. God used him in so many miraculous ways. God used him to bring forth a drought on the land. God used him to raise a widow’s son from the dead. God used him to defeat the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. God used him for it to rain on the land again. He truly had some supernatural miraculous moments serving God.

And yet coming off of his greatest victory one threat from Jezebel makes him want to give up and die. I have experienced this type of discouragement at times coming off of an occasion where God has just done some wonderful, great and mighty powerful things. I have also read of others who have experienced the same thing. The enemy wants to bring discouragement to us to inhibit us from testifying about the great and mighty things that we have seen the Lord do. He wants to discourage us from being God’s instruments in advancing His kingdom and taking back ground that the enemy has gained.

Last week was a wonderful week. The Holy Spirit allowed me to preach six different times. I never got tired and I knew that it was Him that was giving me the energy. It was totally God because as Jesus said apart from Him we can do nothing. God showed up in some very special ways during all of those occasions. The Holy Spirit brought refreshing to several people who had experienced some spiritual battles. One man got saved at the Hamilton A&I Correctional facility here in Hamilton during a service and it was truly a great week all the way around. .

Sunday after having the joy of preaching at our home church CCF here in Hamilton J.J. and I went home and had a good time of rest. I am currently reading a book on intercessory prayer by James Goll called Strike The Mark. As I was prayerfully reading through the book by Brother Goll, I had a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord on our front porch.

After that I decided to go for a walk. We live in the country and we have very little traffic where we live. Because of that I walk up this road near our house. Often times when I walk, I pray in the Holy Spirt as I walk. During my walk the enemy showed up in the form of about six to eight buzzards. They were hanging out on the road at the bottom of one of the hills where I walk. At first, I yelled at them and I thought that they were leaving. Then they began to circle over me. There were several more in a tree near the road. I must admit I let a spirit of fear cause me to turn around. One of them when it flew out of the tree above me made a sound like it had come from the pits of hell.

Well Monday I felt like I needed to go for another walk. When I came down the hill the buzzards had moved about thirty yards over. Rather than retreating this time I began to speak the word of God. The Holy Spirit reminded me that buzzards don’t eat live stuff. They eat dead and stinking stuff. The pasture that they were hanging out in was covered in manure. The buzzards are drawn to the manure and the stuff that stinks.

There are several points that I could make out of this. First of all we may have to walk near the stuff that stinks sometimes. But when we do, we need to stay on the road, or path that Jesus has laid out for us. Also remember that no matter if we are tired, or whatever that He has still given us authority over all of the works of the enemy. Lu 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”. I commanded in Jesus name every demonic entity that was attached to those buzzards to go. Those buzzards have a purpose, but it is not to hinder you and I from being used to advance the Kingdom, or to rob us of experiencing the peace that Jesus has promised us. Jesus said in Joh 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. He wants us to enjoy His creation. Walking and praying is good for us spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Perhaps you have either just come off of a big victory, or you are about to experience one. Don’t let the enemy rob you of what God has allowed you to see Him do in a great and mighty way. Elijah got assurance from the Lord that He was still with him. 1Ki 19:14-18 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.”Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.”It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.”Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

He is still with you! Keep moving forward. As the Apostle Paul said in Ro 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Walk in victory and expect victory on your next assignment!

Let Us Pray

Lord we thank You that You are the God of life. We thank You that the forces of Hell and that speak death, fear, and discouragements to us have no authority over us. We thank You that by the Blood of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit that You help us to walk in victory all of the time.

In Jesus Name

Amen

God bless you all

Your Friend/kinfolk

Preston