"Encounter"

"And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat."

(I Kings 19:5)

The Prophet Elijah was fleeing for his life from Jezebel; he left his servant at Beer-sheba and then went a day's journey into the wilderness and collapsed under a Juniper tree, where he requested of the Lord that he die.  But, the Lord wasn't about to let him die, because he was about to have an "Encounter."

"And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake

baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at

his head.  And he did eat and drink and laid

him down again.  And the angel of the Lord

came again the second time, and touched him,

and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is

too great for thee."

(I Kings 19:6-7)

  

Elijah rose and ate and he was able to go forty days and forty nights on the food the angel gave him until he arrived at Horeb, the Mount of God.  Hey, angels' banquets are far beyond those "energy drinks" and mighty "protein bars;" angels' food is "manna" from heaven!  

Elijah wasn't looking for an angel or an out of this world kind of encounter; he wanted to die.  How many of us have reached the end of our ropes and we think it is over.  It's not Over until God says it's Over!  Furthermore, we must ask ourselves; do we live our lives, as Christians, as lovers of God, in such a way that at any moment in time "We" could have, and could be eligible for, an elusive powerful and mysterious "Encounter?"  You say, "Angels don't do that kind of thing anymore."  I beg to differ; angels are all around us; they intervene for us every moment of every day; they fight for us, protect us, and hover over us in the operating rooms, on the highways  ...  that swish of air and flash of light in our peripheral vision are feathered guardians of our souls.  Many have 'seen' angels, and we must be ever aware of strangers; "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)  How many ethereal angel "Encounters" have we had and we didn't know it  ...

                                        "And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there;

and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and

he said unto him, 'What doest thou here, Elijah?"

(I Kings 19:9) 

The great and mighty Prophet Elijah hid in a cave.  Even the most notable of us have our moments .  Life in earth can be treacherous for all of us at times; we have all seen our trials, fought disease, defended our stance, felt humiliation, been let down, been hurt, and thought about a cave  ...  This world we live in is full of despair, but in our moments of a "cave existence;" we have to remember that we are not alone if we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, He's in the cave with us  ...

When the Lord of the universe asks, "What are you doing here;"  it's more of a stern reprimand.  Elijah told the Lord that the children of Israel had forsaken His covenants, thrown down His altars and killed all the prophets, and that he, Elijah, was the only one left, and they wanted to kill him too.  Then, the Lord told Elijah what to do, and herein is what "WE" must do when we're ready to escape life and hide in a cave:  

               

         "And he said Go forth, and stand upon the mount before 'the Lord.

             And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind rent the

              mountains, before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after

              the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after

               the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a

still small voice."

(I Kings 19:11-12)

Go to the mountain, children; go to a place of seclusion, a high place away from the noise, the sounds of earth, the loud clattering interruptions of life  ...  and seek to hear the still small voice.  God is All Power, All Glory, All Wonder, The Omnipotent and Holy, but sometimes He speaks in a whisper  ...  Don't miss "Your" encounter  ... 

Elijah discovered that things are not always as bad as they seem, and with God on our side, we are a majority!  The days of God's visitation are not over; the alluring smell of roses in the holy sanctuary has not ceased; the soft brush of angels' wings on tear-stained cheeks can still be felt; the holy smoke hovering in the tabernacle still occurs; the miracles, signs, and wonders are ever evident today; the hot coals from the altar still touch quivering lips and burst with tongues of fire; the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ still washes white the souls of men.  In other words, "Encounters" are all around us  ...

Encounters occur in the pastures with the tinkling lilt of the gentle harp, on the misty mountain top where eagles are spotted soaring effortlessly among the clouds, in a lone silent sanctuary bowed low at a hallowed altar of sacrifice, in the early morning darkness with the light of the moon glinting through the thickness of drapery  ...  Encounters are the unexpected sacred arrival of surprising glory from the ONE who knows our thoughts before we think them  ... 

Once You begin new life with the Lord Jesus Christ, He assigns "His staff" to You for the entirety of life and You are never alone, never forsaken, never forgotten, but always, ever and always, ripe for Your "Encounter." 

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)

Pastor Kenneth Phillips

(His Vision is the World!)

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas

Services Sundays 10:30 am and Wednesdays 7:15 pm

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give your love offering online.  God bless you, 

dear one, and I know that He surely will!

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PromiseLand Church!

Its's not just a Church; it's a World Vision!

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