II Corinthians 4: ¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This is true even if a person is a non-believer.  Even with the natural eye there is a lot to see.  In our field of vision, there is so much to see that we don’t see it.  Driving down the interstate you may look off at a barn.  Think about what you don’t see.  There is more than meets the eye.  Just because your attention isn’t on it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

The things of God are infallibly proven in the Bible and in our daily experiences of life.  Take a look at what you’re seeing or see what you’re looking at.  You can be swept away at the sites you see.  Roan Mountain and Whitetop are beautiful.  A camera can’t capture what our eye sees.  Often we get skewed vision.  It wasn’t until I was in 5^th grade that I was able to see the moon clearly.  I had an eye exam that showed I was nearsighted.  With glasses I saw details I had never seen before.  I’m afraid this is what hurts us.  Our vision gets dim and narrow.  So many material, temporal things crowd our view that we focus on them and don’t see what’s invisible.  The things we see first are temporary.  Look closer at things we assume invisible for they are just as real.  They are eternal.

The devil wants to present a certain image to us either through temptation or deceit.  There is always more than meets the eye with Satan.  He can tempt or intimidate us for only a season.  Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.  God is.  He doesn’t have to prove himself.  Eternal means something is here to stay.  Because of our humanity we fail to detect things.  Just because we can’t feel God doesn’t mean he’s not there.  I don’t have to take my pulse every minute to know my heart beats.  God doesn’t have to get in our face all the time.  If you have that need, you have a problem.

The Bible says Jesus was, is and is to come.  That means he’s God yesterday, today and forevermore.  There is no variableness or shadow of turning with God.  What is ready to unfold is there.  God’s ways are past finding out, but he’s always in our field of vision.  He is in every view you see in every day of your life.  No matter how low in the valley you may be or how bad things may seem, God is there.  He doesn’t occupy a small space.  He is the God of every picture, every view, everything we see.

We all have down times.  People can go only so far with us.  God goes all the way.  Our last view of this world will be God as the Lord comes for us.  In order for us to see more clearly, we need a better view of ourselves.  We don’t have a soul; we are a soul.  There are three parts to us—body, soul, and spirit.  We must first look within and see our spiritual nature.  We must focus on Jesus within us.  The best way to help us see God on the outside is to rediscover him on the inside.  When we see him clearly in our heart, we’ll see him every day in every facet of our life.

If we’re saved, God is in us.  We can see the fullness of God in the mirror and no matter what a day brings we can face it.  We can see God.

Genesis 39: ⁷ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.⁸ But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;⁹ There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?¹⁰ And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.¹¹ And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.¹² And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.¹³ And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth.

Joseph was trying his best to live for God.  He was faced with the temptation to lie with his master’s wife. We face temptations each day.  This woman kept after Joseph.  One day when they were alone she caught him and urged him again.  Rather than do it he ran.  We should be so scared to sin against God.  The Bible says to resist the devil and flee to God.

I Corinthians 10

¹Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;² And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;³ And did all eat the same spiritual meat; ⁴ And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

If we’re saved, we’re all drinking the same drink and serving Jesus.

⁵ But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.⁶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

We fail God.  We know not to sin, but we still do.  These things written in the Bible are examples for us.  We have the Word of God today.  In Moses’ day he had no Bible.  We neglect the Word.  If we run to the Lord, we are not being a coward.  At the master is where we find strength.  It’s weak to turn back on the Lord.  If we run from sin and to Jesus, we’ll have the victory.  Jesus said come unto me all ye that labor…and I will give you rest.  He said his burden is light.  We have to come to him.  It’s time to quit doubting.  The woman with the issue of blood knew that if she could touch the hem of his garment she’d be made whole.  Jesus felt the virtue go out of him.  He didn’t ignore her, and he won’t ignore you.  The Holy Spirit will fill you. 

That’s what you have when you follow Jesus.  There is no fence to straddle.  You can’t live how you want during the week and be all right on Sunday.  Paul said we die daily.  We must pick up the cross.  You may think your cross is heavy, but in comparison to the cross of Jesus, it is nothing.  I have many friends but none can help me like Jesus can.

⁷ Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.  ⁸ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

This is serious business.  People are headed either to heaven or hell.  There are two ways.  The good way is through Jesus.  The bad way is through the devil.  Jesus’ way is the way to peace.  It’s hard to live a Christian life if you don’t let God live through you.  We have to serve the Lord and run from sin.  Doing our best makes the world a better place.  Somebody’s heart will be changed.

⁹ Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.¹⁰ Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.¹¹ Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.¹² Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.¹³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Don’t speak against God because of what you may be going through.  He is preparing you for life.  He will use you to help others.  You can’t make it without him.  God will lead you through.  We go through things for a reason.  Jesus knows all things; he knows our trials.  He’s on our side if we want him.

What others have gone through helps us when we see what God did for them.  We all can sin; we’re not exempt.  It’s important to be prayed up.  It’s important to be in God’s house every chance we get.

Temptation is common to all.  You are not alone in that regard.  Joseph’s way to escape was to run.  The only way for any of us to go is to run to Jesus.  The devil will lead us to hell.  Why give up what you have for a few minutes of pleasure?  You have to realize it for yourself and make your own choices.

Jesus loves you.  He stands with outstretched arms to do whatever you need.  He has delivered time and time again.  Paul was a persecutor, but God used him.  Peter denied the Lord, but God used him.  Until we give the Lord our heart, we won’t be accepted by God.  The choice is yours.  Don’t be afraid to come to God.  He can help you.

Genesis 21: ¹⁴ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.¹⁵ And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.¹⁶ And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.¹⁹ And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.²⁰ And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

True motherhood is struggling.  It’s a worldwide problem that extends down to our communities and homes.  These are confusing times.  The definition of mother and father is distorted and corrupted at every level.  Anything goes today, whether heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual.    When people turn away from the Biblical definition of mother and father into what is not even natural, it goes against God.  We had better watch or we’ll get caught up in it.

Abraham and Sara had lots of servants.  Things got turned upside down.  Age was against them.  They were still wandering around and hadn’t claimed the land promised to Abraham.  God keeps his promises.  They just didn’t wait. Because she wasn’t conceiving herself, Sara came up with the plan for Abraham to take Hagar.  She was Sara’s handmaid and became second wife to Abraham so that he could get the child that Sara had not been able to conceive.  She bore Ishmael.  His name means God will hear.  Isaac was important as the promised son, but so was Ishmael.  He was important to God.  His life teaches us that God still reigns and hears our prayer.

Life can still be successful as a mother or father.  You know what is right and wrong.  You know the struggle you’re against.  Hagar tormented Sara because she had no child.  Finally Isaac was born.  At the feast to celebrate his weaning, at about three years old, Ishmael mocked Isaac.  He would have been a very young teenager.  We’re all guilty of such behavior as this.  Sara got mad and told Abraham that Hagar and her son had to go.  Abraham was torn.  He loved his son.  It broke his heart to send him away, but it had to be done.

What are you facing as parents?  Hagar ended up in the middle of a desert called Beersheba.  I rode a bus through there when we toured that area.  If you weren’t well supplied, you would die there.  She was alone.  She had no one to turn to.  She had stopped drinking the water that she brought with them so Ishmael would have water, but the supply was gone.  The sun showed no mercy.  She didn’t know what to do.

I must confess that at times I don’t know what to do, but there is a God in the desert.  One more person was with them.  On the verge of giving up, the only thing she could was put him under a shrub out of the sun a little.  He was dehydrated.  Her heart was breaking for her son.  Unable to watch him die, she walked away from him and asked that she not see it happen.

You have a responsibility to be the right kind of mother.  You owe it to your family to be right with God.  You must be a woman that can withstand the desert of 2012.  Hagar had no place to hide.  She didn’t want this to happen to her child.  She was doing all she could for him physically.  Mothers, you must do all you can spiritually to help your children.  The worst problem you have is what is after the soul of your child.  No matter how you protect your child, if the devil gets to him or her, you can’t undo the damage.  The responsibility to protect our children is for the inside (spiritually) as well as it is the outside (physically).

Hagar’s water bottle was empty.  You may feel your bottle is empty, but that’s not true.  There is a resource for you.  Hagar cried for her child and God heard her from heaven.  The angel of God asked what aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.  God is a prayer away.  You may think that is a simplistic answer for you, but if God had not spoken, Hagar and Ishmael would have died.  Your only hope is the voice of God.  You feel the full heat of what happens to your children.  God feels it.  He’s God of wherever you may find yourself.  Only one person can straighten out your situation—God.  You can’t do it yourself.  Your bottle is as empty as Hagar’s.

Come cry to God.  Give him your situation.  He will hear you heaven.  He opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well of water.  The devil didn’t want her to see it just as he doesn’t want you to see what God has for you.  He wants you blinded to the ways of God.  Call on the Lord, and he will show you the well for your desert so you can continue on.  You have a God who is all ears when it comes to hearing your prayer.  If you call on him, he will hear.  He will answer.  You can drink from the well and carry on.

Ishmael’s descendants are the Arabians today.  Hagar is not the mother of Islam.  Mohammad ushered in that movement.  She was the outcast Egyptian who called on God and found her way.  You can too.

First John 3: ² Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.³ And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

One of the things we do before we face our day is clean up.  We ready ourselves, make ourselves presentable.  This is what John is talking about.  It gets more real as the days go by.  Those looking for Jesus, those who have this hope, should be in preparation mode.  This is done by purification.  You don’t go to bed dirty after you’ve played outside all day.  The Lord is counting on us to be pure.  He has saved us.  It’s not that we will become children of God; we’ve been his children since we accepted Jesus as Savior.  He cleansed us from sin, like giving us a bath. As we live in this world, we pick up dust and dirt.  It requires a continual dealing with sin.  Paul said I die daily.  When we sin, we must confess it.  God is faithful to forgive us.

Impurity is a sign of the times.  Wickedness and impurity are marks of the world system. The book of Matthew says and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  Iniquity is so strong that if we’re not careful it can cause our love for Lord to grow cold giving rise to our old Adam nature and love of sin.  John said behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.  We’re loved with a superior love that is to be guarded.  It will cause us to say no to sin.  We have a Savior and by the grace of God we have help.  Even the church at large finds impurity is a problem.  To the public eye, striving for purity is cast in a negative light.  It’s not popular to be pure and disagree with sin.  If there was no wrong in things, they wouldn’t have to be hammered at all the time.  Deep down it’s an effort to defend wrong, to appease the conscience.

We purify ourselves because God is holy.  We are called out of darkness into light.  One day we’ll be called out of this body into a glorious body.  Until then we have this hope and we are to purify ourselves.  It is possible to be clean.  Growing up I had a mom and dad that made sure I was scrubbed clean at night.  It felt better to be clean.  The more purity we have the more peace we have.  As our Lord, he knows when we’re dirty.  He has what it takes to clean us.  We have to let him.  He is ever present, ever ready to forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness.  We should strive to allow Jesus to purge us every day.  The believer looking for the coming of the Savior will seek to purify himself of anything that would defile.  We have to admit the need of a daily cleanse.  It’s not something we do only during revival times.  It should always be on our minds.  If we had been more thoughtful growing up, we wouldn’t have gotten so dirty when we played outside.  Many Christians are getting careless.  There is an indifference to sin among many today.  Sin is excused.

We all have one thing in common.  We will need a bath soon.  How long can you go dirty without being noticed?  Others know it before we know it ourselves.  It’s a natural thing to keep our body clean.  It’s our responsibility to God to keep clean spiritually.  He is a clean, holy God.  We have been given what it takes for cleaning—a new heart and nature. Don’t find yourself unprepared to meet the Lord.  Admit to sin and deal with it.  Take a bath in the wash tub of the Lord and let him cleanse you.  As long as we’re in this world and in this flesh, we’ll need a spiritual bath.

When is the last time you received a scrubbing from the Lord?  The one able to wash us is clean already.  Do you know how to do it?  No.  You can’t do it yourself.  Our little works of self-righteousness don’t help at all.  We need Jesus.  In chapter 2, verse 1 John said my little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Is it time for a bath?  It always does us good.  We’ll be purified and ready for his appearing.

Thomas asked a good question.  Peter did too.  Jesus was talking to the disciples around the supper table.  He mentioned that he was leaving several times.  He told them soon they wouldn’t see him.  They would seek him but wouldn’t find him.  Peter asked Jesus where he was going.  Jesus told him that where he was going he couldn’t go then. He would afterward.  He assured them that he was going to the Father but would be back.   He said and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas asked an honest question.  He didn’t understand.  We call him doubting Thomas, but how often do we doubt?  We look at Peter sideways for denying the Lord, but how many times do we deny him?  This was a legitimate question because they were confused.  Their expectation of what would happen was far different from God’s plan.  They knew how hated Jesus was.  They knew the Jews wanted him arrested. They felt the danger and wanted to protect him.  They knew he was the Messiah, the Christ, and the Savior.  They thought his earthly life would save souls and set the entire world in order.  They thought the devil would be defeated and Jesus would sit on David’s throne.  They forgot God’s requirement of a sacrifice.  Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.  They didn’t accept it when Jesus talked about his death.

We get disillusioned and confused when things don’t work out how we think they should.  That’s what happened to the disciples.  The plan of God was far more reaching in scope than they realized.  We live in confusing times.  We have views of things.  We have expectations.  When things don’t go our way or by our timetable, we get confused or disheartened.  Thomas was honest.  He didn’t understand how Jesus would be gone from them.  How could he leave them?  The Lord doesn’t want us to try to figure out everything.  We must trust him for what we don’t understand.

Jesus’ answer to Peter should have been good enough.  Even when we don’t understand, accept.  We don’t see the big picture.  Don’t worry about where God is leading.  The dangers of this world are great.  Life is increasingly complicated.  The simple times are gone forever.  The unexpected crops up.  Something may come our way this week.  We just don’t know.  Thomas echoed the thoughts of the disciples.  They believed but couldn’t understand the getting from here to there part.

The answer for them is the answer for us now.  Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life.  For a person who has never accepted Jesus as Savior, here he sees that Jesus is the only way to be saved and go to heaven.  Jesus’ way is THE way, the only way.  He had to die our death on the cross.  He is alive forevermore.  His life is our life.  When we trust him, we are born again.  The way may look hard and confusing.  There may be twists and turns that you didn’t predict.  Don’t worry.  Jesus is the way through it all.

He said I am he that lived and was dead BUT he is alive forevermore.  He went to Calvary for us.  He went to the tomb for us.  He rose from the dead for us.  He ascended back to heaven for us.  How can he be there and here at the same time?  He can do more than we can.  He sees more than we see.  If we trust Jesus, there will be a way because he is the way.  Life may not go how we want.  It may not go in the direction we think it should.  Paul said our life is hid in Christ with God.  No matter what goes on externally with health, work, family or friends, Jesus said don’t worry.  You know the way.

Thomas said no, Lord, we don’t know the way.  Every one of us is a Thomas with our own ideas.  Jesus speaks plainly.  Life smacks us this way and that.  Jesus said in this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  Jesus told them they knew the way because they knew him.  Even in our worst time, we know the way.  Through Jesus we find the way from here to there.  He is at the end, but he’s here with us every step of the way.  If we trust him, we have the roadmap.  When we know Jesus, we know heaven.  When we know the Father, we know Jesus.  Let him do the driving.  You won’t go down with the ship if you go with Jesus.

I’m looking forward to seeing Jesus one day.  It will be wonderful to actually see him.  I think it will dawn on me that I’ve known him all along.  That’s what the Emmaus disciples said after they met Jesus on the road.  Their hearts burned within them all the while this “stranger” walked with them.  They knew it deep down.

When you don’t know the way, trust Jesus.  He is the way.  He’ll make sense of it all.  He will be your life. Without Jesus, we can’t get to heaven.  Without Jesus, we can’t get through this life.  Others run off the road.  We’ll cruise on the roughest of roads if we trust Jesus as our way, our truth, and our life.  He will clear the way for us to make it home.

Thomas asked a good question.  Jesus gave a good answer. Let’s go onward with it.

I Peter 5: ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:⁷ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ¹⁰ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

This helps us in a very particular way.  We help each other in different capacities to different degrees.  I can only help you so much.  I can encourage you, but if you need your gall bladder removed, do you want me to do it?  No!  You want a doctor but not just any doctor.  You want a surgeon who does gall bladder surgery.  You expect him to do a good job, but sometimes doctors make mistakes.  God never messes up.  He never refuses those who come to him in faith and give him their all.  You may be trusting God a great deal, but are you trusting him with all your heart?  Proverbs 3 says trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

It all hinges on our trust.  Can you really trust God?  I’m not talking about the God in your imagination or your viewpoint.  We can trust the God of the Bible.  He can be touched and seen—just not with our physical senses.  He does, however, see us with 20/20 vision.  We can see him if we want to.  Our vision of him is fuzzy sometimes, and it’s our own fault.  We don’t trust him with all our heart and soul.  That’s our primary command:  love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Are we to trust him with some of our cares?  Most of our cares?  90% of our cares?  We are to trust him with ALL of them.

We feel that we have to help God out sometimes, like he needs our help and input.  Do we need to share the load with him?  Peter doesn’t say to cast a lot of our care on the Lord.  He says to cast all our care on him.  Here is why we come to a dead end.  We feel God needs our help.  You can do your best and you should, but the best any of us can do is trust him with all our heart.  Jesus said if we come to him he will give us rest.  We cannot rest if we hold onto it.  We fall asleep at night when we let go and release everything.  Our body takes advantage of the shutdown of the brain/thought process and sleeps.  We don’t take advantage of what God does.  There isn’t a part for us to handle.  Our work is to trust.  Realize that you cannot handle it.  Realize that you are not successful at handling your life.

Verse 6 is the key.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God.  When we try to handle our lives, it’s like putting a hammer in the hands of a child.  Lay down your hammer and trust the Lord.  You can’t do it.  Confess your lack and come to grips with who you are and who you are not.  None of us can handle it.  We’re small, weak, and unable.  We are not powerful and tough.  We’re not smart enough to work it out ourselves.  It’s a self-help society.  We’re told we have the power within us; nothing is beyond our reach.  This is not true.  We must humble ourselves and see ourselves clearly.  To say we don’t need help is foolish.  We all have this in common.  We’re helpless.  We have what we have by the providence of God.  Life is a gift.  The cares and worries of life and the workings of Satan are too much for us. First recognize your ineffectiveness. We are all unable. Our hand is not mighty, God’s is.

Peter told Jesus that he’d never deny him, that he’d die for him.  Jesus told him that Satan desired to sift him as wheat.  Jesus prayed that his faith wouldn’t fail but told Peter that he would deny him three times before the dawn.  This same Peter realized how little he could, how little we can, do.  That’s why he said cast ALL your care upon the Lord.

What is causing you care?  What is your trial?  How is your life?  How well are you handling yourself?  How successful have you been at helping out God?  We don’t help him.  We may handle one or two things okay, but we cannot handle it all.  We need God.  Peter said give it up and cast it all on the Lord.  Some people feel God doesn’t want to be burdened or that he won’t do anything about it.  If we really cast it all on him, we have to leave it there.

He cares for us.  If you’re weighed down, you cannot handle it.  God is God.  He’s steady.  He wants you living a life of peace.  Whose hand is bigger, yours or God’s?  What can you carry that he can’t?  Nothing!  He’s big enough. He loves us enough to carry it all if we cast it on him.

To cast our care on the Lord means to let go of it.  Let him take it.  See what he can do.  Give him all your heart and soul.  That comes along with giving him your cares.  Are you willing to do that?  Put your care and yourself in his arms, ALL of it.

I Kings 18: ²¹And 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. ²²Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

I love this story. Let’s look at this simply.  How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.  There had been a dry spell for 3 ½ years.  God had dealt with the people of Israel, but they didn’t listen.  Elijah told Ahab to gather the people together and come to Mount Carmel.

Many worshiped Baal when they were around Jezebel.  When they were around others, they worshiped God.  They halted between the two.  We have choices to make every day.  Elijah wanted the people to make a choice.  If Baal was god, follow him.  If God was God, follow him. They were not forced to serve God.  Joshua told the people and if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.  Why did he tell them this?  He had chosen God.  Sometimes we just have to put our foot down and decide we will serve God.  God told Joshua he’d be with him just as he was with Moses.  His promises come true.  Elijah thought he was the only one standing for God.  When others didn’t, he still stood for the right.  When we choose God, we have to walk away from the crowd.  We have to be a peculiar people separate from the world.

They were told to take two bullocks, one for Baal and one for God.  He told the prophets to call on their gods and he would call on his God.  The one who answered by fire would be God.  Sometimes people won’t believe God without something spectacular happening.  He told them to call on their gods—plural.  He intended to call on the one true God.  They called on their gods from morning to noon hollering like a bunch of kids, jumping up and down. They broke the altar down.  Elijah mocked them.  Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.  I’m so thankful that in my distress the Lord hears me.  Our God never sleeps or slumbers.  In the midnight hour, he is near.  I don’t know how he does it, but he does.

The people cut themselves.  They worked themselves to death trying to get in touch with their gods.  At evening Elijah had the altar repaired and called the people together.  Does your altar need repair?  We must have altars in our lives.

Elijah wanted to show God to the people.  For three years they hadn’t listened.  He put 12 stones up for the altar.  He put the wood in order.  That’s what we need to do.  Put our lives in order on the altar of God.  Choose God or Baal.  That choice is before you.

Then Elijah had water poured on the sacrifice and the wood three times, once for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Water filled the trench around the altar.  Elijah prayed.  LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

The Lord’s ears are open to our prayers.  His eyes are upon us.  Week after week we stand for the Lord when we preach, teach, or sing.  We do it for the Lord.  Be obedient.  God will get his word across.  At Elijah’s words, fire fell.  The Bible says the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  The people responded. They fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

God will work on our behalf if we acknowledge him.  Put him first.  Serve him to the best of your ability.  God is pleased when we choose right.  Have you chosen the right God?  Is the God you serve the true God?  Can your God help you through?  When was the last time you prayed at the altar for the lost?  When is the last time you shed tears?

I know he’s God.  I’ve seen him work time after time.  Choose you this day whom you will serve.

Ezekiel 1:⁴And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. ⁵Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man ⁶And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. ⁷And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. ⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. ⁹Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. ¹⁰As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. ¹¹Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. ¹²And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

This had to be one of the greatest sights ever seen.  These four creatures were seen by Ezekiel.  He saw the brightness of God.  The creatures had the likeness of man.  Jesus came in likeness of man to know everything about us, to feel our pain and what we face in life.  They had intelligence with four faces, four wings, and feet.  They had the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle.

The lion.  A lion is bold.  It is patient to get its prey.  It will lie in wait for a weak or young animal.  God wants us to be patient and bold.  We need to stand for what is right.  The Word of God has been watered down.  Some say that hell isn’t real and that you can live anyway you want and still go to heaven.  Churches that teach such are full of people, people who don’t know the truth.  Stephen was bold.  He stood for what was right and wasn’t liked for it.  Sometimes when we stand for the right, our neighbors might not like it.  Our family and friends might not like it.  Co-workers might not like it.  The truth is there is a hell to shun.  Sin will keep you out of heaven.  Stephen told it like it was.  They resisted Jesus whom they crucified just as their fathers had done.  The people were cut to the heart.  They gnashed on him with their teeth.  He was full of the Holy Ghost.  He saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  He stood up for Stephen. We need people who will stand for God no matter what.  If you know something is wrong, speak up.  Be bold.  The people stoned Stephen as he called on God.  He said lay not this sin to their charge.  He fell asleep, safe in the Lord.

Peter and John saw a man begging alms at the temple and healed him.  The people were grieved.  People saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle and still didn’t accept him.  When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they marveled.  They knew they had been with Jesus.  We should be bold as a lion.  Take the Word to people in love.  People are looking for someone who will stand up.  Let God use you.

The ox.  God is looking for laborers.  Too much is put on the pastor.  He needs others to help carry the burden.  An ox goes steady all day long.  We need steady people who will work for the Lord.  The Bible says there is profit in labor for the Lord.  People are going to hell because there are no laborers in the field.  This is the end time.  If there was ever a need to get out and work for the Lord, it is now.  There is so much going on in the lives of people now days that they don’t have the time to work for God.  We need to pray for one another and work for the Lord.  Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the word of the Lord.  God will bless our labor.  There is a job to be done.  Be an ox.

The eagle.  The eagle is a great bird.  It can soar toward the sun and in an instant see the prey with his eyes and soar straight down and get it.  We need the eyes of the eagle to see the weak, see those that are going astray and help them.  With our eyes on the SON we can see what’s going on.  We can see the needs if we focus our eyes.

The face of a man.  We need men (and women) in the church.  We were made in the image of God, in his likeness.  He needs someone willing to stand up.  Be who you are in church and out.

Ezekiel said they went everyone straight forward.  We need to go forward and follow God’s direction.  Don’t put God behind you or beside you.  Put him in front and move forward.  Paul said Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.  Don’t look back at yesterday.  Keep your eyes on God.  Faults and failures may happen, but keep pressing on.

The four faces:  lion, ox, eagle, and man.  They all followed after God. Let’s do the same.  Be bold.  Be a laborer.  Be watchful.  Be a man or woman of God.