Tyrone Arthur

(I Kings 18:43) “Go again seven times”

The mind of a believer must be exercised differently to the way the world teachers us the think and act. Firstly, the carnal mind is blind to heaven and all that pertains to godliness. It is only once our eyes have been opened that we are able to see. How does this actually happen you may ask? What came first the chicken or the egg? Obviously the chicken, God spoke creation into being and in like manner we who were “dead in our trespass and sin.” Note we were dead, can a dead man see, can a dead man talk of can a dead man respond in anyway, the answer is obvious, NO! Salvation is all of God, not of man, we do not one day as a dead man decide to follow God and repent. It obviously seems to many that is what we do, as a Christian there was a time when you repented and knew that Jesus Christ had died for your sin and you either wept in your closet finding repentance or you responded to an altar call however that may have unfolded. Every true believer had to repent believe in the resurrection and confess Jesus as Lord. That is true, but let’s considers the event and unpack it a little. As I have already mentioned can a dead man do anything, the answer is a simple one, and he cannot. Does he have any of his senses intact, again he does not? So then how or why do we and I mean many think that as a dead man we are able to respond to God and repent and choose to follow Him? I thought like this once, it is ridiculous! Yet it is easy to see how we can overlook this truth. How you may ask? Well, when God calls and we in turn respond, who responds? Well we do the one whom God calls. So then I make the choice to respond to his call, well said, that is true. You see it is the call of God that quickens a dead sinner’s heart and opens his eyes to his sinful state; it is at this point that we see (our eyes are opened to see God) and then we call back in reply and then we find forgiveness. We are saved by grace through faith. Grace means we find unmerited favour, it is a gift of God. But, remember a dead man is dead, that is why he is called a dead man or a corpse. The corpse is brought to life by the mercy of God, remember the account with Lazarus, he was dead and God (the Lord Jesus) called out “Lazarus come forth,” and he found life, his dead body, was no longer dead but came alive. It is exactly the same way we find life, God calls we find life and then we respond and we begin our journey considering heavenly things with earnest. Let me use an example to highlight my point; let’s say we are on a plane sitting comfortably on our way to a holiday destination. We are thrilled as many pleasant thoughts of anticipation fill our minds with the upcoming potential. Suddenly panic fills the cabin as the captain voice over the intercom announces that engine failure will ultimately result in him having to crash-land the plane. Panic and pandemonium now run riot as everyone begins to think of dead and loved ones. In the mists of this bedlam a surprisingly calm voice of the captain announces that there is a parachute under each person’s chair. Both young and old grasp frantically for the parachute which in turn will save their life. Get the point? We first need to see we are in trouble before we will consider ways and means to escape. God opens our eyes we see we are in very serious trouble. We cry out, and Christ’s sacrifice for our sin brings forth the fruit of repentance. We now choose to walk in a certain manner, this is called obedience. However, we do not always walk in obedience, but we now have life in us to obtain mercy and find grace to be obedient children. This now brings me to our text, “Go again seven times”. Achieving a goal will be certain when the Lord have promised it. Although we may have pleaded with the Lord over a certain sin in our lives, or a character flaw, or anything that would keep us from walking in the spirit and keep us walking in faith as obedient children. How could it be possible that the Lord would turn a deaf ear to any of his children when it would it pertained to His glory. Look how the prophet on the top of Carmel Mountain continued to wrestle with God, and never for a moment did he give way to fear as a non suited candidate in the courts of Jehovah. Six times he went up the mountain with great anticipation but receive no evidence except the word to go again and each time he went, not as a defeated man or like a dog cowering with his tail between his legs. No! He did not dream of unbelief, we must not dream of unbelief but we must hold to our faith even as many times as seventy times seven. C.H.Spurgeon puts it like this “Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel’s brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again.” Faith far exceeds the misery of disappointment or failure, she pleads more fervently with her God. She is humble and yet she groans deeply, she sighs vehemently but will never relax the stay of her hand. How can she? She cannot, for she is the “substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen”. Our flesh and blood bodies require speedy answers, but believing soul must learn to be submissive, we must wait upon the Lord. Delayed answers may cause our hearts to search and question, it is somewhere here that I believe we as believers are vulnerable as doubt voices it opinion. However that is not the voice of faith, but rather the voice of doubt, let us not be confused. If we listen closely we will be able to tell the difference of the pitch in their voices. Doubt has also cause great and feeble to faint, and miss the blessing. I am guilty, yet I will press on in faith even if I have fallen seventy times. We must guard against this sin; we must pray and be watchful. At last the little cloud was seen, the forerunner of the torrents of rain on the horizon. Whatever your prayer, just as long as it is to become more like the Lord Jesus remain faithful for you will rise like a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you seek. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” Elijah was a man with like passion with us, his power was not found in his own carnal abilities, but in faith he committed himself to God. If his believing prayer purposed so much, why not yours, why not mine? If we step out in faith and bring our request that hinders us from walking in obedience, if we plead with our heavenly Father earnestly it shall be with us according to our desire.

Signing Off

Tyrone