1st Kings 19:11-12, “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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.”
Wow! Can you imagine a wind so strong that it can rent a mountain, and break a rock into pieces? I cannot even imagine such natural force. The Bible says that God did it, so this was a bonafide miracle. There is NOTHING too hard for God to do! Genesis 18:14, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” What a beautiful truth? No Sarah, there is nothing too hard for the Lord to do! If God promised to give you and Abraham a son in your old ages, you can count on it! The Lord kept His promise 15 years later, and Isaac was conceived.
There is another great truth to be learned from our text passage of Scripture. The Old Testament prophet Elijah sought for the Lord in the mighty wind that broke the rocks into pieces, but found Him not. Then Elijah sought for God in the massive earthquake, but found Him not. And then there was a raging fire, in which Elijah sought the presence of the Lord, but found Him not. Then amazingly, Elijah heard God's VOICE, but it was a still small voice. I cannot overemphasize enough the incredible magnitude of this truth! God speaks to people through His Holy Spirit, in compliance with the written Word of God. The Holy Spirit NEVER leads someone contrary to the Word of God. If you ever hear someone saying that God led them to commit sin, you know that they are lying.
Millions of people today are searching for God in all the wrong places. That reminds me of a popular country song by Johnny Lee that I heard when I was younger, “Looking For Love.” That song came out in 1980 when I was 13 years old, the same year I got saved. Lord willing, perhaps one day I'll find a Christian lady who is as lonely as I am, and we'll get married. Millions of people sit in front of their television, searching for God in all the wrong places. Some people seek God in having a religious experience. Others seek God through performing rituals in a formal church. I have news for you friend, you won't find God in a church building!
What saith the Scripture? John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” You'll find the knowledge of God in the Scriptures. What saith the Scripture? John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Here is your answer dear friend. The only way to God the Father is through His only begotten Son. Amen! We learn about Jesus in the Scriptures, as we just read in John 5:39. So if you want to find God, then you need to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES to learn about Who Jesus is, and what He did on the cross to pay for your sins, and why He did it. That is so exciting that I just want to jump and shout hallelujah!
Luke 17:20-21, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
God is a Spirit (John 4:24). God's Holy Spirit lives inside every born-again believer (Romans 8:9). That is what it means to be “born-again,” being born of God's Spirit.
I was very disturbed to read what Evangelist Ray Comfort thinks it means to be born again. Ray thinks it means that a person's life so radically changes, that that person is said to be reborn. Dear reader, that is absolutely NOT what the new birth means. You and I were born into this world spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). By nature we are alienated from God (Colossians 1:21). The new birth means that the incorruptible seed of God's Word (i.e., the Gospel), springs forth in new spiritual life when you place your faith in it. God's Holy Spirit unites with your dead spirit, quickening (bringing life) to it. The new birth is exactly that, being born anew into God's family by faith in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and coming judgment. John 16:9-11, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
People today are seeking for God in the wind, fire and earthquake. When you get saved you won't feel any different inside. When I got saved I didn't see stars, angels or hear heavenly voices. The presence of the Holy Spirit is that still, small, quiet, voice of God:
1st Kings 19:11-12, “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks 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.”
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