What Do You Want?

Robbie L. Rogers

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM GOD, LITTLE SPARROW, LITTLE ORPHAN, LITTLE WIDOW, LITTLE YOU?

GOD THE CREATOR OF THE BEGINNING AND THE END, THE OWNER OF THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS, HAS PROMISED YOU AN ABUNDANT LIFE NOW AND FOREVER... SO WHAT'S KEEPING YOU FROM IT?

1 Kings 17:8-16 "Then the word of the LORD came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

"As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die."

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'"

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah."

Hebrews 9:24-28 "For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

Mark 12:38-44 "As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

Do you ask for Gods revelation before reading or listening to His word? You should before you read any scripture, but especially before you read these for you are committed, to what?

Reveal what you feel God is saying to you to others.

Now I've never been one to push people into doing what they don't feel led to do, but, are you refusing to speak in public concerning what the Holy Spirit has given to you in private?

From time to time you will hear me say, these are the keys to successful living. When you hear me speaking of such, always know I mean, a successful God oriented, righteous life.

By-the-way do you know what righteous living means? Basically living right, living like you know you should, a Godly life, meaning establishing God first.

You ever been a fan of something or someone? Until you lost patience with, or grew tired of them, oh, even you were always a "BAMA" Fan!!!! I have lost patience with them, sometimes even kept silent when others were bragging about their team. You ever done that?

Sort of like Peter, aren't we?

But, God's word calls us saints doesn't it?

Boy if God only knew what I know about me, we might say; or if He only knew what I know about (whoever) He wouldn't have them in that ministry (remember each of us are a vineyard ministry, those who profess to love the Lord, the Son of the Master of the Vineyard). That's just it, God is no respecter of persons, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Baker, Robbie L. Rogers or you; God sees through the veil. The veil that Jesus sacrificed Himself to break, or rent asunder.

Turn to Hebrews 9 again to verse 1,2,3,6 & 7. Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In the first room was the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place. When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry; but, only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Remember in verses 24-28, it said: Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary, he entered heaven, and appeared before God once and for all times, offering himself to do away with sin of many people, and he will appear a second time, to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Remember the four parts: a) God has a plan! b) "Put Him first!" c) "Yield to Him!" d) "Follow Him!"

What if we belonged to an exclusive club, with the best leadership available, the best and longest term of office available, and that each of us were elected saint for life. How can we lose that right, keeping in mind this business of being a fan?

Turn once again to 1 Kings 17:1. Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."

As we read verse 8-16, Elijah went to a certain, very poor widow, in Zarephath. She was working, probably dirty, maybe even sweaty, in verse 10 he asked her for a drink.

What would you do if you were the women?

What would you do if God asked YOU to go up to some starving sweaty, dirty widow and ask for a drink and then say while you're at it bring me the last piece of food in your house.

We really don't know for sure whether she, made a face, or sighed, or muttered under her breath, but I suspect not. She did stop in her tracks when He asked for the only fixings, saying, but you don't understand, it's all I've got before I starve to death.

Now Elijah, already knew she was not a rich lady, I suppose he could have deduce that just looking at her, but to hear that, when God had promised that she would supply his needs; what would you do if you were Elijah?

What did the disciples do when faced with the apparent destruction of Jesus' ministry?

What do you do when your team looses?

Elijah on the other hand said without concern, go home and do like I told you and while your-at-it... fix something for yourself and your son.

What? We say in our place in the vineyard. That's not my job. I'm supposed to... (grip, grip, grumble, grumble), go talk to that fellow over there... he has plenty of money... ask him, he's better prepared to help people such as you... just let me be.

Once again, I believe the widow didn't flinch, but Elijah in the 13the verse felt her discomfort and said, don't be afraid, THE GOD OF ISRAEL SAID, what you have will remain until the rain comes.

So they lived happily ever after, eating and drinking and making merry, right?

Wrong! In chapter 17 verse 18, this time she acted like we do when faced with personal problems, family crises. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"

Ah hah! The worm turns, the team lost, boo team we say when we lose heart, denying what we believe to be true.

She got to Elijah... I suppose when you live under the same roof with someone for a long time you kind of take after them, you know take on their ways... like we are supposed to do with God... under His roof... the creations that He gave us to live in.

What happens if we disobey God? What happens if we know what to do, but do what we want, or even turn the wrong way? Often times we loose our blessings don't we?

Well, Elijah himself, began to wonder too, questioning God, but not losing heart, in verse 21, he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" And he did, and they lived a total of three years on that continually expanding measly portion of food, by trusting God, that He had a plan and that it would succeed.

Have you ever felt God speaking to you, guiding you... with His hand on your shoulder... I have on many occasions, as a matter of fact, I did today, it was when Margaret and I was talking about blue funks. She was upset because she felt she messed up when training some people at the Post Office. I reminded her that the teacher must first be taught, it is not the fault of the teacher if they don't teach what they aren't taught, like a driving instructor telling you how to make a car go but not how to make it stop, or a flying instructor not teaching you to land. You can't blame yourself for what you don't know, I said boldly... I never do that.

I said God spoke to me... that's not really true, He didn't speak an audible word, but I knew and felt them echoing in my head. I knew it was from Him and I knew I must speak it out loud.

My head, as it often does when ever the Holy Spirit imparts wisdom on me, sort of floated off my shoulders. If you've ever ridden a motorcycle real fast, with a helmet on, you know a little bit about what I mean. Sometimes it makes you feel like your head is going to come off... doesn't it?

Well it feels like that sometimes, and sometimes it feels like it has fallen off... even on the floor. Sometime during prayer, it feels like my whole body floats off the floor, you ever feel that, or sometimes like a gentle wind just whizzed by and the hairs on my arm felt it? You must learn to hear God's voice and recognize when it comes your way. It's a real thrill when He does... I can't imagine how Adam felt... walking next to God... feeling the wind blowing across his face... that same wind that emanates from God, the Creator of the universe.

Well anyway Elijah and the widow went separate ways because God has a plan, right!

Like Elijah did with God, we along with the people in the new testament days questioned Jesus.

Mark in the 12 chapter writes that Jesus warned them about "teachers of the law", walking around showing off their righteousness, making long prayers for show before the public, gaining from the importance of their ministry but in secret devouring widows' possession.

Then he offered as a comparison, the widow, not the same widow obviously, but a widow still, who in verse 42 put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Ask yourself these questions: Hey what is your ministry? Do you give your all or what? How much are you blessed with?

To him that be given a lot, much is expected!

Do you ask for a lot, but receive little?

God knows you better than you know yourself. As an example, look how the Holy Spirit had to twist my little pea brain today when I was talking to Margaret. I guess twisting my head off is better than Him using the 2x4, huh?

Well anyway, Mark says in verse 41, Jesus watched many rich folks throwing in what they don't need.

Have you ever noticed how people throw things away by stuffing them into the "donation" boxes, or leaving them on the door step of places that take in things to benefit the poor? Do you think those people will get a blessing?

Okay well, some of those people and people like us threw in large amounts, but in verse 44, it says the little widow lady, out of her poverty, put in everything... all she had to live on." Remind you of Elijahs little widow?

Hey, we all say, she gave less than 1 cent. Maybe if she'd worked hard like me, she could've lived better and had more.

And Jesus said in verse 43, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others."

Again I say: a) God has a plan! b) "Put Him first!" c) "Yield to Him!" d) "Follow Him!"

Christ has taken all our sins upon Himself, that we might live eternally. But, we must all go before the judgment seat!

Christ Himself will be our Judge, He will Himself Justify all Christians when that day comes and we will become recompensed. But my friends, I can assure you it will hurt, this coming face to face with the pure goodness of Christ, somehow we will see, somehow, some way, there is a built in device that will trigger a remembrance in our heart, all the wrongs we did, and all the rights we didn't do, and we will hurt the worse hurt we ever thought existed, then and only then will we realize what it meant for Christ to take our place, and how glorious God's gift is, His Grace "that saves a wretch like me."

Yes... God truly has a plan for your life... won't you please try it out and then pass on the blessings He gives you along the way.

If you desire to know more about this Jesus Christ who loves you, and you want to ask Him into your heart, receiving His Saving Grace please click on this Salvation Prayer