OMBS7/ Talk Like God

PRAYER - "God Responds to Elijah"

Elijah daringly pronounced a drought on Ahab's evil world. At Elijah's word, God sent a devastating drought. God proudly responds to those who plead His righteous cause with their bold prayers and declarations of faith. Afterward, God called Elijah for several more extraordinary tasks. So speak and pray boldly according to God's will. God is always looking for people who have great faith in Him. 

1 Kings 18:1 - "The word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth."

PRINCIPALS - "Obadiah, Ahab's Governor"

King Ahab desperately wanted to capture Elijah for prophesying drought and famine in Israel. Ahab and his governor, Obadiah, were desperately searching for grassy lands to feed their livestock when Obadiah ran into Elijah, who demanded to see Ahab. Obadiah was a God-fearing man who hid 100 prophets from Ahab, but he feared that Ahab would kill him if he promised, then failed, to deliver Elijah. So Elijah vowed to show. Unrepentant Ahab was doomed to suffer even greater losses.

1 Kings 18:16 - "So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah."

PRINCIPLES - "Who Is Troubling Who?"

After a long desperate search, Ahab finally laid eyes on Elijah. "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" Ahab blamed Elijah for all the woes of drought and famine. But Elijah reminded him that it was Ahab's rebellions and idolatries that troubled Israel. The same things happen nowadays. People rail against the church and preachers, and blame Bible believers for making life miserable for them. But the opposite is true. Sin causes a ton of trouble.

1 Kings 18:17 - "Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou."

PROPHECIES - "Elijah Calls Down Fire"

Elijah condemned Jezebel's 850 prophets on Carmel, challenging them to build an altar to Baal. He built an altar of twelve stones to the LORD. "The God that answereth by fire, let him be God." They screamed, slashed themselves and begged Baal to send fire. Nothing happened. Elijah soaked his altar with twelve barrels of water, then prayed. Fire from God consumed the sacrifice, wood, dust, water, even the stones. Elijah had all the false prophets killed.

1 Kings 18:39 - "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God!"

Talk Like God!

Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. – Mark 11:23

Jesus didn't say, "Whosoever shall speak to God about this mountain." He said we should speak directly to the mountain the desired end result. From a worldly point of view, that sounds foolish. But 1 Corinthians 1:27 explains that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. It's always going to sound foolish to the world when a Christian talks as if what God has promised is reality, especially when those promises seem to contradict the natural evidence around us. But if you want to keep the enemy defeated, that's the kind of talking you'd better be doing. The Bible says God Himself talks that way! In Romans 4:17, it says, "[He] calleth those things which be not as though they were." God doesn't wait for circumstances to line up before He speaks. He causes them to line up because He speaks. You can do the same thing if you'll make your words agree with His and speak them out of your mouth by faith. But what if nothing happens right away?" you may ask. "What if the circumstances don't immediately change?" When Jesus spoke to the fig tree in Mark 11:14, He didn't go back and check to see if anything had happened to it. No, once He had spoken it, He considered it done. Follow His example. Let your faith speak. Agree with God's Word!

Plan of Salvation read acts 2:38