What a bummer. The longest lunar eclipse in the century is happening tonight, and we cannot see it. It is still daylight here, and we are on the wrong side of the planet to see it. Quick fly to South Africa or the middle of the Indian Ocean. Done. Not a completed objective, but my chances of seeing it. Well, it will be on the internet. We can watch by proxy, if you will. Or else on the “instant replay.” (Only not so instant.)
Well, let’s not let a good opportunity to learn go by, so let’s apply the eclipse to Elijah. Huh? Yep, makes perfect sense. Old Elijah was a fascinating character. Something that I just realized this week, thanks to David Jeremiah, was that nearly every action of Elijah’s life was driven by the same phrase.
Let’s take a peak at the first one. 1 Kings 17:1, 2
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying,
Elijah “stood before the Lord” and heard a message, which he delivered. Then comes the crucial statement in v. 2. “The word of the Lord came to him...” “Him” is Elijah. We have looked at this story before and will explore it again, but just hold that in abeyance for a minute.
Elijah went to a brook in the wilderness and lived. In short, the brook dried up. V. 8 “Then the word of the Lord came to him,” and he was sent to a widow up in Zarapath, in Sidon. After surviving the drought with this woman and her son, and incidentally, raising him from the dead, the story continues. ”Now it happened after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah...” (1 Kings 18) this led to the epic confrontation on Mt. Horeb between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
1 Kings 21:17 “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah...” Elijah is to confront King Ahab and pronounce God’s judgment for Ahab’s murder of Naboth. Verse 28, “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah...” And God announces that He accepted Ahab’s repentance.
2 Kings 1:3 “But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah...” Elijah is sent to intercept the messengers of King Ahaziah, Ahab’s son. V. 15 “The angel of the Lord said to Elijah...” Elijah is given permission to accompany the King’s “escort” to meet with him.
Then, in 2 Kings 2 Elijah is going to get his whirlwind ride to heaven. (No amusement park ride named “Whirlwind” can match this. But I digress.) V. 2 “Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me....” He is introducing his protégé to the “guidance system” that had directed his life. V. 4 “Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me....” More of the same. Verse 6 “ Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me....” One final chance to “miss the boat.” Elisha declined, and went along.
All of these episodes began with “The word of the Lord came to Elijah...” Sadly, this brilliant testimony is somewhat eclipsed by Chapter 19. Jezebel just threatened to kill Elijah and he took off like a scalded cat. He ran all the way from Samaria, up in the northern part clear down to the “desert, to Mt. Sinai. God is speaking, “and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”
God was not asking where Elijah was, or even his motivation. He already knew that. His question was essentially, “I did not send you here, why are you in this place?”
The moon comes up and shines brightly almost every night. Exceptions of new moon and obscuring clouds noted. But we pay most attention to the times when the moon is eclipsed by the shadow of the earth. Elijah’s ministry is “shadowed” by this one incident. He could have stood up to old Jezzie, and challenged her threats. “You and whose army, Lady?”
But as noted before, he ran. (Ed: SPCA disclaimer. The idiom, “scalded cat,” is just a figure of speech, and not reflective of any actual events.) Maybe a fainting goat crossed with a scalded cat would be an apt description. Anyway, his career was tainted. (No reference to a blood moon.)
Elijah finished well. His “training trip” was used by the Lord to reinvigorate his ministry, and as we already saw, he boldly confronted Ahab after that. He also commissioned his successor, Elisha, who, according to his request, had a “double portion of Elijah’s spirit.” That was the Holy Spirit and Elisha’s request was very appropriate. As far as we can tell, Elisha did not stumble.
So, as you watch the eclipse “in absentia,” just recall that our lives are often marked by one, or a few stumbles. But God is interested in the final result. Elijah can testify to that. I am thankful for that also.
Have a blessed day–and night.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Prayer on a Plane
That title sounds better than the movie about undesirable “‘Visitors’ on a plane.” I did not ever see that movie, and will not ever do so. On the way home from Minneapolis recently, we “randomly” chose a spot on the plane to Nashville and sat beside an interesting character. Just for the record, my wife led the way down the aisle and passed up a couple of sets of seats on the window. (We expected to be on a full plane, so accepted the role of taking the infamous center seat on the Boeing planes on Southwest Airlines.)
We slipped into the window and center seats beside a guy who had taken the aisle seat and settled down. “Hi, I’m Jim.”
He responded that his name was Micah. I asked it it was Mikah or Micah. He responded that it was Micah with a “C.” “Like in the Bible,” I responded.
“Yes, my dad was a preacher.”
Next we chatted about our destination. We were going “home,” and he was hoping to catch a connecting flight to Pensacola. But he was not confident of making the connection, as our plane was over an hour late in departing. He explained that he had discovered a rental car company that would not charge him a fee to rent at the BNA airport and return in in Pensacola.
Then he mentioned that since we live in the Nashville area we might have known of his uncle. His dad was a Baptist preacher and had a twin brother who preached in Nashville. I punched him (lightly) in the shoulder, and exclaimed his uncle’s name. He had been the preacher at the church we attended.
He nodded agreement and we began an exciting and exhilarating discussion that lasted most of the flight. During that time, we discussed his family and his uncle. What fun it was to catch up on an old friend. (Well not “old” but long time friend.)
During the course of our conversation, I mentioned the book “Sing” by Keith and Kristyn Getty. I was reading it and was completely overwhelmed by the import and message of this little volume. (Ed note: Get that book. It doesn’t cost very much and pass it to every pastor and music/worship leader that you know. Read it first. Here is a link for a quick view and a link to order the books at $5 apiece for 20. It also has some free resources and the printout of chapter 1. http://thesingbook.com/)
The Gettys have a fantastic view of music and its role in the church. We are created to sing. We are commanded to sing. And we are compelled to sing. Here is an excerpt from the description:
Authors, lyricists, and worship leaders Keith and Kristyn Getty write to church members to remind them why the Church should sing, when the Church should sing, and how the Church should sing. A congregation that gains a greater understanding of why they sing won't dread a worship service, with arms crossed and shoulders slumped, but see singing as an opportunity to proclaim the gospel together in obedience to God.
My attitude toward music is totally changed, and I am now an evangelist for singing. Get the book. Get several, (20 at $5 each) and put your name on the inside cover of each one that you give out. Ask the recipient to do two things. First read it, then hand it on to someone else, after putting his name under yours. See how long it takes to get back to you and how many people it touches.
I am going to print stickers with the following:
This book has changed my outlook on music, singing, and worship. I pray that it will affect you as much as it has me. Please read it, put your name below, and pass it on. This is not a library book, it is a circulation book. Wear it out. May the Lord bless you.
Back to the story. During our discussion, I felt the Lord prompting me to do two things. First to give Micah the book. So I finished reading it and gave it to him. Second, I should pray that the Pensacola flight would be delayed and he would make his connection and get home without having to drive over 400 miles to Pensacola.
As we neared our landing, he checked the online schedule for his ticket. His plane, that originally was to leave about 7:40 or so, had been delayed to 8:20. We got onto the jetway about 8:05 and he had gone in front of us.
We prayed that the Lord would get him home that night, and that the prayer was answered. Our random encounter was obviously the Lord directing us to meet a new friend and reconnect with some ol–uh previous ones.
This is expected. Check a few references:
Psalm 31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
Psalm 48:14 For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death.
Psalm 73:24 With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory.
Isaiah 49:10 For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water.
Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord will continually guide you.
Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life.
And of course, Psalm 32:8 (AKJV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall
go: I will guide you with My eye.
A lot of prayers went up on our flight into Chicago, as it was exceedingly rough. “What if the wings break off?” We later heard that a bad stretch of weather had hit the eastern seaboard had affected flights all day. That is why our plane left late, and the connecting flight from Nashville was delayed.
Our prayer was not only for “help” in meeting the next plane, but thanks for the wonderful time we had in sharing the Lord and learning about singing. Was our prayer for a connection answered? You could say that we had prayed for a fait accompli: Something that had already been done. On the other hand, God had orchestrated the entire day to bring us together. It is not far fetched to realize that He completed the entire day with a flight home. We prayed for His guidance and protection that morning. God answered.
Prayers were answered all day, and they were welcome and profitable on that plane. Maybe we need another little book named, "Pray."
Do you have a song running through your head from Sunday? The Gettys say that a good worship experience will stay with you, both in the message and the music. We sang “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” on Sunday and it is still rocking around in there. The sermon was also very poignant and even the bulletin was inspiring. What a church.
That will be the topic of the next discussion. Keep an eye out.
We slipped into the window and center seats beside a guy who had taken the aisle seat and settled down. “Hi, I’m Jim.”
He responded that his name was Micah. I asked it it was Mikah or Micah. He responded that it was Micah with a “C.” “Like in the Bible,” I responded.
“Yes, my dad was a preacher.”
Next we chatted about our destination. We were going “home,” and he was hoping to catch a connecting flight to Pensacola. But he was not confident of making the connection, as our plane was over an hour late in departing. He explained that he had discovered a rental car company that would not charge him a fee to rent at the BNA airport and return in in Pensacola.
Then he mentioned that since we live in the Nashville area we might have known of his uncle. His dad was a Baptist preacher and had a twin brother who preached in Nashville. I punched him (lightly) in the shoulder, and exclaimed his uncle’s name. He had been the preacher at the church we attended.
He nodded agreement and we began an exciting and exhilarating discussion that lasted most of the flight. During that time, we discussed his family and his uncle. What fun it was to catch up on an old friend. (Well not “old” but long time friend.)
During the course of our conversation, I mentioned the book “Sing” by Keith and Kristyn Getty. I was reading it and was completely overwhelmed by the import and message of this little volume. (Ed note: Get that book. It doesn’t cost very much and pass it to every pastor and music/worship leader that you know. Read it first. Here is a link for a quick view and a link to order the books at $5 apiece for 20. It also has some free resources and the printout of chapter 1. http://thesingbook.com/)
The Gettys have a fantastic view of music and its role in the church. We are created to sing. We are commanded to sing. And we are compelled to sing. Here is an excerpt from the description:
Authors, lyricists, and worship leaders Keith and Kristyn Getty write to church members to remind them why the Church should sing, when the Church should sing, and how the Church should sing. A congregation that gains a greater understanding of why they sing won't dread a worship service, with arms crossed and shoulders slumped, but see singing as an opportunity to proclaim the gospel together in obedience to God.
My attitude toward music is totally changed, and I am now an evangelist for singing. Get the book. Get several, (20 at $5 each) and put your name on the inside cover of each one that you give out. Ask the recipient to do two things. First read it, then hand it on to someone else, after putting his name under yours. See how long it takes to get back to you and how many people it touches.
I am going to print stickers with the following:
This book has changed my outlook on music, singing, and worship. I pray that it will affect you as much as it has me. Please read it, put your name below, and pass it on. This is not a library book, it is a circulation book. Wear it out. May the Lord bless you.
Back to the story. During our discussion, I felt the Lord prompting me to do two things. First to give Micah the book. So I finished reading it and gave it to him. Second, I should pray that the Pensacola flight would be delayed and he would make his connection and get home without having to drive over 400 miles to Pensacola.
As we neared our landing, he checked the online schedule for his ticket. His plane, that originally was to leave about 7:40 or so, had been delayed to 8:20. We got onto the jetway about 8:05 and he had gone in front of us.
We prayed that the Lord would get him home that night, and that the prayer was answered. Our random encounter was obviously the Lord directing us to meet a new friend and reconnect with some ol–uh previous ones.
This is expected. Check a few references:
Psalm 31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
Psalm 48:14 For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death.
Psalm 73:24 With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory.
Isaiah 49:10 For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water.
Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord will continually guide you.
Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life.
And of course, Psalm 32:8 (AKJV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall
go: I will guide you with My eye.
A lot of prayers went up on our flight into Chicago, as it was exceedingly rough. “What if the wings break off?” We later heard that a bad stretch of weather had hit the eastern seaboard had affected flights all day. That is why our plane left late, and the connecting flight from Nashville was delayed.
Our prayer was not only for “help” in meeting the next plane, but thanks for the wonderful time we had in sharing the Lord and learning about singing. Was our prayer for a connection answered? You could say that we had prayed for a fait accompli: Something that had already been done. On the other hand, God had orchestrated the entire day to bring us together. It is not far fetched to realize that He completed the entire day with a flight home. We prayed for His guidance and protection that morning. God answered.
Prayers were answered all day, and they were welcome and profitable on that plane. Maybe we need another little book named, "Pray."
Do you have a song running through your head from Sunday? The Gettys say that a good worship experience will stay with you, both in the message and the music. We sang “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” on Sunday and it is still rocking around in there. The sermon was also very poignant and even the bulletin was inspiring. What a church.
That will be the topic of the next discussion. Keep an eye out.
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