Throughout history, God has often been blamed for things that He had nothing to do with. However, frequently God’s mercy is His real motivation for allowing alarming things to come to pass, that are designed by the only means He understands, are necessary to get His creations attention.
We see a perfect example of someone wanting to blame God for the consequences of their own sins in the Biblical account of King Ahab. The king was very familiar with the prophet Elijah. Ahab knew Elijah’s reputation and warnings against himself and Queen Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel were very wicked and rebelled repeatedly against God. However, God was merciful to them many times, in spite of their sin. God is a longsuffering God who often withholds judgment for decades or even centuries of time. However, Ahab still saw Elijah as the bad guy, the no-good news reporter who always got the people all stirred up!
“And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim?” I Kings 18:17,18 (KJ21)
Ahab confronted Elijah because he had prophesied a drought would come upon the whole country and it had come to pass just as he predicted. No doubt news had spread far and wide of the many other miracles that God used Elijah to perform. God used him to miraculously provide for a widow and had raised her son from the dead. Now, this miracle worker was back and Ahab was ticked. “Did you come back to cause us some more trouble Elijah?” Elijah’s response paraphrased, “Hey I’m not the one causing the trouble here; but you and your sin!
As a nation, I believe we could very well have the same attitude as Ahab. This past Sunday, March 15, 2020, at the height of all the uncertainty regarding the nation’s current health crisis, a prophetic word emerged at our church, Central Assembly of God Church. I am sharing it below. Please read it through a couple of times and let it sink in. Through it, you will hear the heart of God and you will feel His love. It will show you that God views everything from an eternal perspective, a perspective not bound by time. Whether or not your theology can receive that this came directly from God, or that it came from someone’s heart filled with the Word of God, should not matter. See if you don’t agree with the entire prophesy parallels scripture.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower and they that run into it are safe. The Lord says to understand that your citizenship is not of this world but of heaven, that they that believe on Me will never die, but you will one day enjoy millions and millions of years with Me in Paradise, in the Kingdom of Heaven. Do not fear any of the things that are coming on the earth, says God, for the voice of many martyrs of many nations have cried out to me for years.
People have mocked the prophets, they have rejected my word, they have embraced education, they have embraced the things of this world, they have heaped up wealth unto themselves, they have rejected their God, they have served other gods, and now says God, I will be their only answer, I will be their only solution. Reach out to them with my love says God, for my love is extended in a great way in this hour. It is by My mercy, says God, that I work, It is by my mercy that I reach a people that could not be reached. Even as Gomer, even as Israel had to be reached with my great hand and My strong hand to bring them to a place where they would seek Me, says God. They too can learn of Me, they too can have their citizenship in Heaven.
But fear none of those things that would come upon the earth, says God, for My hand is heavy, says God. My heart is heavy, says God, for a people, for a situation, for a world that does not know Me. I will reach out to them in this hour.
Do not let your heart be afraid; your citizenship is in Heaven. What difference does it make if your address is here or Heaven says God, for you are eternal beings, says the Lord, for you have received my gift of grace. If you believe in Me you shall never die, declares the Lord.”
For years it has been prophesied that a great last days revival was coming to the world. Even the well-known William Seymour from the Azusa Street revivals said in his later years that the Lord had shown him in prayer that there would be a revival in about 100 years that would be so great that the Azusa Street revival would pale in comparison to it. The Azusa Street revival started in about 1906 and lasted until 1915 so we are within the “about 100 years” Seymour predicted.
I have seen hundreds come to Christ in my lifetime. The common denominator is that most people do not come to Christ unless they find themselves in a place where they have no one else to turn to but God. God operates from His infinite love, knowing that people will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. He also knows that their destinies depend on whether or not they receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son! We need to understand that what we may interpret as Him being mean, is really a demonstration His eternal mercy and kindness. We have lost touch of understanding of what Jesus saved us from! Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God. Romans 11:22a (NKJV) Its in the Bible!