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BROOK CHERITH |
 God
sent Elijah to speak strongly against the sin that he saw in God's people
even at the
leadership level. He warned them that there would be no rain till he gave
them word. Their idol worship brought this trouble on them. Immediately
God urged Elijah to a quiet place for his protection. It was called the Brook Cherith. A little
stream in the wilderness was the place God took his faithful servant
and then he sent ravens to bring him food. When the little stream dried
up, he sent him to a lady who had lost her husband. She had only a little
food left and expected to feed her boy, then die of starvation. God
sent the fabulous servant Elijah to her home for encouragement till the
famine was over. This lady had shared her garden with others and all her food
stores till nothing was left. She was so unselfish. God rewarded her gifts with the
rich treasure of having the prophet stay at her home. The life of Elijah
is an example of complete obedience.
King Ahab finally met up with Elijah and he was so scared of the prophet that he brought a huge armed guard. His first blunt words to Elijah were: "Are you he that troubles Israel?" The prophet calmly answered. "No, you are". So often those battling against convictions of truth will blame God's people of grave errors. It is not really God's people they fight but God HIMSELF. |
| "The blow that is aimed at him (God's people) falls upon the Savior, who surrounds him with His presence. ..Nothing can touch him except by our Lord's permission, and 'all things' that are permitted, 'work together for good to them that love God.' Romans 8:28" Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing page 71 |
 We
were sent by God to the Brook Cherith for awhile. I do not know if Elijah had as
much fun at his Brook Cherith as I did. I met the dearest people and was
able to get pictures for the web site of nature things. There are some
fantastic wild life pictures that resulted from this experience. We
treasure the friendships we made too.
God knows just when to send His people to safety. He told Joseph to take Mary and Baby Jesus and flee to Egypt for Herod was planning the death of baby Jesus. The scheme came from the heart of Satan. God told Elijah to flee to the Brook Cherith for He knew the heart of Jezebel. God impressed David where to hide from the jealous king Saul. Be assured my friend, if your life is in danger, and you are asking God for what to do, He will tell you. The devil is angry about our project of Bible stories to the world of children and teens. Opposition and persecution occurred locally with terrible threats on our children and myself. Angry messages and actions were done for two months before God said to leave quietly and quickly for our personal Brook Cherith. These were the most painful experiences I had been through. They seemed worse than the death of baby and abuse of Dr. Kai who threatened my life with his gun, and loss of our home. These were another terrible time of trouble for us. |
It started the day I returned from a mission trip to Mexico with demands that I not share what God had done for me in my most recent mission trip. To my request that we pray for my friends in Mexico who were under heavy persecution, I was told it was inappropriate to pray for them. Something had happened during my absence while I was doing evangelism in other cities and in Mexico. A number of false accusations were made in my absence. The criticisms were not direct but complained into the ears of others. I studied the life of Elijah and asked God to help me know when to stand my ground like Elijah should have done to face Jezebel and when to flee to the Brook Cherith. Only God knows these things. I am confident He loved and protected us. Finally God told me and urged me to move quickly. I withdrew quietly like the example of Jesus when He was being pushed over the cliff. |
| Just like Saul threw his javelin at David then told every one he meant no harm, we experienced the same type of events. |
| Jesus says to love our enemies and pray for them that do us wrong. "It was to bring the bread of life to His enemies that our Savior left His home in heaven." TMB 71 |
 We
must pray for those who attack us. Really it is the Devil who is angry over our
work for God. The
persecution comes out of his heart. It is not really from people. The
Devil unfortunately finds willing helpers among those who have neglected
their quiet study and prayer time with Jesus. Many get so busy
"working for Jesus" that they end up killing HIM. There
have been a few pastors I have worked with who were highly honored and in
important positions of influence. Yet they sadly neglected to spend hours
of quiet time with Jesus. They became very difficult, hard and exacting
and quick to misinterpret the motives of others. Without any known cause the most
horrible curses have come from their mouths.
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We need to pray for eyes to be opened before it is too late. The ones who start rumors need special prayer. Jesus will have sorrow and tears in His eyes when He stands up, says it is finished, and closes up the judgment. We really need to have the pity and love of Jesus and pray like He did. Sometimes we cannot even meet with these to reason with them for it could be too dangerous. When they were shoving Jesus over the cliff and trying to kill Him, He did not ask to have a special quiet meeting between them so that there could be peace. His enemies would not have listened. We look up to Jesus and just keep on sharing the blessed Bible truth to the world. I pray that Saul will have a Damascus experience and stop persecuting. I am not going to tell the details because God has a very specific request that we not tell the arguments of the opposing side. If we do, it gives Satan free advertising. We are not to be surprised or amazed that it comes from those who profess to love God. The Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus day plotted His death. Should we expect better treatment than our MASTER Jesus? |
 My focus is to tell you how God
helped me through all of this. For a few months, He directed me to attend
a little country church one hundred miles from my home. It was my
Brook Cherith. We were loved and
felt healing happen in this wonderful place. Jesus did the healing. We met
some very special godly people who showed us a lot of love. Many
blessing came from this persecution. I spent more time praying and reading
Scripture and because I was in a new location, I was able to share with
new people my love for Jesus. During this time, I gained strength from
reading Bible stories, praying and singing. I kept notes of passages of
Bible that seemed extra special. It was like Jesus was turning pages to
just the best sections for me.
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 We
can gain courage from reading
about how other Christians reacted when beat up. I marvel that they kept
on doing missionary work even when beat up physically for doing it. JOHN
who wrote Revelation,
kept on even when thrown into a boiling pot of oil. I read of the beatings
and stonings of the missionaries Paul and Silas and Stephen.
They had faith and sang through it all and more came to trust Jesus, because
of how they reacted to persecution. They counted it an honor.
Like them, my only thing these angry people have against me is that I am
sharing the story of Jesus wherever God sends me in the world. I take my
children along and they are training in the same work. We care for the
sick in the day like Jesus did, praying for them and caring for their
diseases, then in the evenings we share the beautiful gospel story. Many
other families are doing mission work. God has a whole army of people
doing this work.
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 To sing when bruised
and bleeding physically or emotionally
is a GIFT. God gave me courage to sing. . I sang through many of the worst nights this year.
The songs of heaven seem to have a healing hope attached. Each time they
are sung, heaven seems closer. God promises to give us our future courage
only when it is needed. He always was there for me. Courage
does not come ahead of time. But I know storing oil (quality time
with Jesus) daily is a must for each day. We need to store up extra
oil for
the storm ahead will be dark without it . I have a spot outdoors that I meet with Jesus. I wish I could see HIS face.
Many times He lets me know He is very near. I know it
won’t be long till He comes. Everyone admits that crime has reached beyond what we
ever thought could happen. Our dear Jesus will come. There will be a shout
of command, the Archangels voice, the sound of the trumpet, and the Lord
Himself shall descend from Heaven. I Thes. 4:16
My favorite songs during this time: Till the Storm Passes By; Amazing Grace verse 3 The Lord has promised good to me; I am determined to Be Invincible till He has finished His Purpose in Me; Safe in the Arms of Jesus; No More Tears; Holy City: New Jerusalem; Day Star shine down on me; The Morning Trumpet: Oh, when shall I see Jesus and reign with Him above, |
 Jeremiah
was thrown down into mud in a deep hole in the ground under the
palace when He shared God's messages. Yet this brave man kept on speaking
when God asked him to. |
| David was a man who loved God. In His youth he showed an
unusual faith and defeated the twelve foot giant Goliath who bellowed out
curses against God and the Israelite nation. David's life of closeness to
God and evidence that God honored him, brought the jealousy of the king of
Israel who had rebelled against God. He began a frightful plan to kill
David. He told everyone lies
that David was trying to kill him.
"Among the mountains of Judah, David sought refuge from the pursuit of Saul. He made good his escape to the cave of
Adullam, a place that, with a small force, could be held against a large army. "And when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him." . . . {CC 166.4}
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 Here
is a list of counsels on what to do when opposed. I have collected these
when asking God what to do each time I am attacked. References
follow.
1. Do not Denounce but manifest patience, meekness, longsuffering (forgiveness) 2. BE SILENT Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: 3. Keep to your legitimate work Story
of Nehemiah rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. He told them that he could
not come down off the wall for he was doing the Lords work. Many people
want to stop the work by discussions and distractions. But God's people
must not come down off the wall. By keeping to their job, Satan is
defeated. Nehemiah 6:3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I [am] doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 4. Do not repeat their statements, but hold to assertions of living truth and angels will open the way 5. Don't try to convert those speaking reproach against your work, let it be seen you are inspired, and angels will put convincing words into your lips.
7. We must not, in order to have peace, cover up the faults of those we see in error. Jesus, the world's Redeemer, never purchased peace by covering iniquity, or by anything like compromise. 8. Sing. It is one of the best weapons. (2 Chronicles 20:22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
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Arrogance and pride
I
like reading in the book of 2 Samuel in chapter 26 verse 12 about the deep
sleep God put Saul into when David decided to go prove to Saul he meant no
harm. David found Saul sleeping in a trench at night. He took king Sauls water bottle and
his spear weapon then went a distance and called loudly waking him up and
showing what he had. Saul was embarrassed that all could see it was a lie
that David was trying to kill him. It was obvious to everyone that David
could have easily done it with Saul's own weapon.
6.
Love them, do good to them, and pray for them. Mathew 5:44