Setting Your Faith On Cruse Control

The topic on faith continues to be a hot subject throughtout the Body of Christ, unfortunately far too many of us have walked away from this most popular discussion with varied understanding of what faith truly is. Often when asked to explain faith, most Christians give the Hebrews 11:1 response, however if one is asked to  explain the scripture you’ll fine the answers to be as varied as our understanding.

Too many Christian are still locked in the “Name it and claim it” time-warp. Some are even foolish enough to believe that we can just throw a request in Gods’ direction and He’s duty bound to honor it. Others believe that because they attend Sunday services once a week that they can just blab and grab material things from the Lord as if He planted a “Tree of Blessings” in their backyard…Let me set order by making the following statement:

God is not some spiritual Santa Claus or a geni in a bottle. If you are not adhering to the whole word of God you will in no-wise receive “Kingdom Blessings”  from Him.

Allow me to share with you a defenition of faith from the New International Webster’s Dictonary…

FAITH: is defined as unflagging trust; belief without firm (physical) proof; belief in a supreme being or religion..."fidelity"

When we analyze “Faith” from the 11^th chapter of Hebrews, we must first realize that the writer is merely giving us an illustration of what  was accomplished through faith.

  

·       Gods’ word framed and created the world

·        The Elders received a good report

·        Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice

·        Enoch was translated

·        Noah prepared the ark

·        Abraham was called to leave his familiar surroundings for a new land…

In each illustration someone did something that pleased God, “WHY?” Because faith by itself, without works is dead alone, and secondly; without faith it is completely impossible to please Him.

We cannot please God if we don’t know His word, or have a healthy fear of God…I’m not talking about being afraid of Him, I’m talking about honoring Him by the way we live here on earth…

In the 17^th Chapter of 1^st Kings, the prophet Elijah warned King Ahab that there would be no dew or rain for many days. After making this announcement the prophet is on the run. The Lord commanded him to head east and hide himself by the brook Cherith…Let’s pause right here for a moment….

Cherith: in the Hebrew tongue means “cutting” or to cut, as in cut-off, or cut covenant.

The Lord tells Elijah to hide himself by Cherith which is to cut himself off from society. It was by this brook of cutting where God promised to send ravens to feed Elijah bread and meat in the morning and evening; he would also drink from this same brook.

  

Often-times the cares of the world threaten to run us into the ground…literally…we worry about our finances, family, health, job-status; you name it. It’s in those times when we must hide ourselves in Christ alone.

 Alone time with Christ means that we diet on his word, we hunger and thirst after his righteousness; right there he quenches our thirst, feeds and restores our souls, and covenants to be with us always; we can be washed and refreshed by Gods’ word until it flows through us like a river. We can rest and find peace in him…

(Ref. Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 23:2-3, Matthew 5:6, Ephesians 5:6, John 7:38, John 14:27)

His obedience to Gods’ command, leads Elijah to a greater level of trust in God. The Lord hid him from his enemies and provided for him. Now the prophet has history with the Lord whereby he will follow where God leads him…

Elijah is then commanded to move on to the town of Zarephath…Although Elijah was learning how to trust and obey the Lord, there may have been some lingering doubts or fears which had to be extracted from his spirit for a much greater purpose.

Zarephath: in Hebrew means “refinery”. A refinery is a place where unwanted substances are removed. Our calling demands that we live without fear, doubt and un-belief…it becomes very apparent that God still had Elijah on the potter’s wheel and in this place the prophet would be molded into the anointed vessel in which the Master would gain victory and restore order.

Every man and woman of God must come to a place of refining, that’s the place where we become more adapt to the ways of God; he places his Spirit inside of us,  teaches us what to say, where and when to say it and to whom. Faith becomes much more increased to the producing of much more fruit. (Ref. Jeremiah 18:1-6 & 1:9, Ezekiel 3:1-5 & 11:5, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 14:8, John 15:1-5)

Elijah goes to Zarephath and there meets a widow who was gathering sticks. He asks the woman to bring him a vessel of water to drink… (Sound familiar?) …As she is preparing to fetch him water he makes a second request… “Bring me; I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand”.

The woman replies; As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

Elijah comforts the woman and says to her; Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.


The woman responded with obedience toward the prophet, and she went and did according to all that he said: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

Our faith in God, coupled with our obedience to his commands; are what ultimately lead to a continual flow of his blessings. That’s what I call driving into Kingdom promises on “Cruse Control”…