ELIJAH : THE DEPRESSED PROPHET
"Then a voice said to him, " What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been zealous for the LORD Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with a sword. I am the only one left, and now they seek to kill me too" (1Kings 19:13-14) "Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him" (1Kings 19:18)
INTRODUCTION
Maybe you know of a Pastor who has given up on ministry and decided to retreat in a cave. Or maybe you are the Pastor called and gifted to preach the gospel, but you reached a point where you felt discouraged & inadequate. In this article I will endeavor by the grace of God to speak to the servants of God who have failed to cope with the current happenings, and chose to withdraw quietly into the wilderness of Isolation.
Some of you can articulate the reasons you feel the way you feel about ministry, but some feel you don't belong to this crop of Paparism, and circumstances spoke to you; "if you can't beat them join them". But the alternative to join them didn't settle well in your spirit, so you stepped aside and watched.
I came to speak to you who are hiding in caves like Elijah. To ignite hope that not all is lost. That you may feel you are the only one going through this, but God has preserved for Himself the remnants. It's time to get out of isolation and go back to fight that woman Jezebel. Who has turned the hearts of people against the gospel of Jesus.
FROM TRIUMPH TO DEFEAT
This here is a man who challenged the Prophets of baal that the god who answers by fire is God. So often the servants of God move from victory to defeat, a depressing circle. Elijah is running for his life from a woman Jezebel after defeating 450 prophets. How could our champion run away?
Where is the courage with which he had in confronting Ahab and the prophets of baal? He stood his ground as God demonstrated His power by fire from heaven, and the earthquakes. But he sunk into terrible fear and depression because of Jezebel this powerful and dangerous woman will put her sword in his guts.
Ministry has those tension of praise and scorn, victory and defeat, abundance and lack and from being understood to being misunderstood. Listen to the words of Jezebel, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by tomorrow I do not make your life like one of them" You might have heard these threats in our pulpits today. These threats ignite fear not only to the person targeted Elijah, but to those who listen to them.
A LIFE OF WILDERNESS IS A LIFE OF OBSCURITY
When he arrived in Beersheba in Judah he left his servant there and carried on a days journey into the desert. Who does the pastor speak to when he is afraid, depressed or feel like just ending his life? What about the Pastor's wife who must dress up and make up to hide her pain and frustration of ministry?
Elijah like all of us don't want his servant to see his pain, his fear, and depression. You remain here at Beersheba, I will go further alone in the wilderness. Remember Abraham also left his servants and said to them, "you remain here while I and my son go further to worship God". But even our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane told his disciples, "you remain here while I go yonder to pray".
The Gethsemane experience was the most painful, and excruciatingly moment in the life of our Savior. The anguish in Gethsemane is in anticipation of the cross he was going to carry. Most servants of God have been in the place where they leave the church, and go alone to agonize before God.
But Elijah's case is different because Elijah is not anticipating to come back to his servant. Elijah has decided I want to die not by the hand of Jezebel but by the hand of God. Enough is enough God please take my life. Few pastors would have the courage to confess that they have being in the cave asking, begging God to take their life.
My brother, my sister, my fellow servant you are not alone. You might have walked away and said to yourself I am not going back to ministry, but when God is not done with you neither Jezebel nor God himself will end your life. Get out of retreat, get out of the cave of obscurity and bounce back into the public domain.
"I have had enough LORD, he said, Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors. Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep". Elijah was not brought by God in the wilderness. He brought himself in a place of zero sustainability. No water, no food and in a scorching sun he is dying anyway if not by God's hand, he will die of hunger and thirst. Yet in the very difficult circumstances he put himself in, God sent an angel to provide food and water in the wilderness. If you are in this wilderness right now as you read this, and you are alive know that God has been sustaining you and preserving your life for a purpose. When Elijah reached Horeb the mount of God, he went into a cave.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
In (19:9) God asked Elijah a question. What are you doing here? God who is all-knowing asks mortal man, "Adam where are you?" or Cain, "where is your brother?"
Like a Psychologist God allows you to be in a comfortable couch. And asks you, so Lawrence why is your face downcast? Part of the process of healing is to identify the reason you are in the cave. The reason why you have lost the zeal for ministry. What is the reason you want to step down from preaching to writing books. What are you doing here in the cave? Aren't you supposed to be out there exposing the false gods of Jezebel, and expounding the truths of God's word? If you run away from these Papas, who will be the voice of reason? Who will persuade those who are under the spells of foreign spirits to have their eyes opened?
ELIJAH'S REPLY TO GOD
"He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with a sword. I am the only one left"
When Ahab married a foreign woman Jezebel, she came to Israel with the gods baal. She influenced her husband, and forced the Church into the worship of baal. God is not emotionally weak that He gets offended when we complain. We need to learn to express ourselves and how we feel to God, He is our Father. Let me put context here so that you might relate.
It all began as harmless watching Nigerian witchcraft movies. These horror movies were everywhere on the streets of Lusaka. We were fascinated by the gravity of witchcraft in Nigerian movies.
From Winner's Chapel the doors opened and Nigerian Preachers began to make in roads. The movies prepared the soil in the hearts of many, and now we got introduced to dangerous prayers.
Discipleship was thrown out of the window and was replaced by deliverance. Pastoral ministry was no longer required. Pastors became Prophets, and everything was Prophetic or deliverance. Deliverance is like giving someone fish to eat. When they are hungry they will come again. Deliverance created dependence on the Man of God. While discipleship is like teaching you how to fish. That is real empowerment helping one to stand in the Lord and help others.
GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TO ELIJAH
"The LORD said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by" (1 Kings 19:11) As Elijah is waiting upon the LORD three things happened ;
1. He heard a strong wind which tore the mountain apart and shuttered the rocks, but God was not in the wind. 2. Then an earthquake happened but God was not in the earthquake. 3. Fire came but God was not in the fire. 4. Then came a small still voice and God was in this gentile voice and He whispered to Elijah. We have been dispondent looking for some extraordinary power of God. Could it be that what we have been chasing for as power God is not in it?
Elijah discovered that God was not in the thunder, not in a strong wind. God was not in the earthquake and not in the fire, but God was in that small STILL VOICE. Our generation has been sold out to the god of "thunder".
And the sincerely deceived brothers and sisters respond to the words, "the thunder that is about to hit your enemies is still doing it's press-ups" and they shouted "amen" without realizing there is a 'god' of thunder. And they are appeasing a god without realizing it. God has at occasions revealed himself to Elijah in wind, earthquake and fire but on this occasion God chooses the gentle voice. The expression of still voice is a beautiful serene picture of God our peace. The sound of gentle quietness.
Our churches have become places of confusing noises instead of gentle quietness. In Africa now a powerful man of God is one who has absolute, unquestionable authority. One who says "jump" you jump with no question at all. Our Papas are a rule in themselves. They are never wrong, in error or mislead. The younger Preachers seek this power in these Papas. They say our local preachers are not powerful like Bushiri or Seer 1.
So what is this power they are attracted to? Is it God's power or another power. On the surface it looks like a power you acquire through consecration in prayer and fasting. While Prayer and fasting is good, the Bible says, "you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And then you shall be my witnesses..." The power of the Holy Spirit empowers us to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. To point people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
But it's not the Holy Spirit power people are searching for. The power they are attracted to is the power to become filthy rich like Papa. It is the power to become powerful that people are bowing down to you like baal. It is the power to become famous. Because power corrupts, these Papas they even have power over women in Churches.
One Pastor said, seven out of ten women in Church desire to have sex with their Pastor. Truth is not all women are immoral and lustful. These Pastors use sex as a tool for control. The more women they sleep with in Churches the more loyal they are to Papa my papa my daddy!
They are looking for power so that when they speak in Church it will sound like "thunder" people will be shaking and falling to the ground. The results now are that most of these Papas have entered occult using satanic powers to do miracles. All in the love of house, car, money & sex. Those who stood their ground have had members swallowed into Paparism. What are we going to do to for gospel Preachers who have forced themselves into a cave of retreat or retirement?
You went into obscurity because you refused to bow your knees to Paparism. You realized you don't fit. It's time for war. The violent shall take it by force. Once a soldier of the gospel always a soldier, come out of your cave. It's time to look Jezebel in the eye and say the gods of thunder shall not prevail on the continent of Africa.
It's time to say the gods of "back to sender" shall not lead our country into witchcraft. Resist the devil of Paparism and he shall flee from you. The reason you didn't know Seer 1 was a witch is because of your greedy! You wanted what Seer 1 had. You didn't want to doubt or question him because what Seer 1 had seemed right in your eyes.
The task ahead of us is huge. There will be push backs. There will be resistance because we shall disturb their status core. Some of you are saying, "Lawrence how can I put my life at risk to reform people who don't want to reform".
Some of them will tell you they are fine with Major 1. They are fine with Mboro, they are fine with Lukau they don't need saving. But keep Preaching Jesus with great patience and perseverance. The seeds you plant now, might germinate later on. I Pray for the remnants that you take your rightful place in the Kingdom and restore back the former glory. Jesus said, "I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell Shall not prevail against her" Water spirits whether in the form of holy water or whatever shall not prevail against the Church.
I hear the small gentle voice. It's the voice of God saying "I am with you Elijah man, get out of your self imposed cave of obscurity. It's time to shine the light of God.
Hullalujah!
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