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| Prophetess hilda arredondo |
A YEAR TO TRUST IN GOD
“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” I Kings 17:1. Elijah’s name means Jehovah is God. The name characterized Elijah’s personality, a man who trusted God’s sovereignty in all things, because of his love and personal relationship with Him. The Lord’s Word came through the mouth of the prophet to His people – “There would be no dew or rain.” Israel had angered the Lord and now, the Lord God of Israel had cut off the dew and rain from the land for a period of three and one-half years. The cutting off of rain brings a dry season! In this case a very dry season, because even the dew would stop from falling. Why did this judgment come upon them? They had become worshipers of other gods, which is idolatry, therefore, violating God’s first Holy Commandment. In Exodus 20: 2-3 reads “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Rains can be symbolic to the refreshing (revival) of the Holy Spirit of God. Today, we can also come into those times of “dry spells” in our spiritual walk. If you are personally going through a time of dryness, this can be a sign to us to check ourselves immediately for the sin of idolatry of the heart and other areas of vanity. Let us judge ourselves, lest we be judged by the finger of Jehovah God!
LED BY GOD INTO A NEW DIRECTION
“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.” I Kings 17:2-3. Immediately, the Lord gave Elijah direction. Yes, He is the God of DIVINE DIRECTION! “Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward.” The direction given was for only one step at a time. Oh, how we desire to see God’s entire plan for our lives, yet, it is not the nature of our God to tell all His plans He has for us! We must learn to move one step at a time. Moving in faith, one step at a time develops our trust in Him. It is always a sure word when God speaks. We must be willing to obey without question. The prophet was not directed to a place of great abundance or pleasantness, but on the contrary, it would lead him into a season of leanness and dryness. What a lesson for us modern day Christians, who have been taught that if we don’t have great abundance and blessings in our lives, it can’t be God. Church, the school of “The Brooks in the Wilderness” has started for many of us and the baptism of fire is upon us. Elijah had to go eastward. The East Wind is a hot, dry wind that comes off the desert. The DIVINE DIRECTION from Jehovah God led him in a time of drought eastward. The only water available to him was from the brook.
THE SPIRITUAL BROOK EXPERIENCE
Have you arrived at a dry place? Could it be that you’re at the “Spiritual Brook of Cherith.” If you don’t understand the spiritual brook experience, it can be a frightening and confusing time, thinking to ourselves, our God has left us. The Season of Dryness and Leanness was allowed to accomplish a specific purpose in the prophet’s life. That same season is now upon us, it is also a “Godsend” into our lives. The purpose being to bring us into a place where we hunger and thirst after God, and eventually bringing us into greater days of revelation and refreshing. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 14:4. The past decade was a challenging time for many of God’s people. Many of us will walk in a way we had never walked before. It may seem contrary to many of the teachings that we had received in the past. Very little has been taught about season of dryness and leanness. For many, it will be dry. For some, it will be times of trial and tribulation, and others will walk in a place where the only thing they can do is trust Jesus completely! But out of this experience will come forth a Holy Sanctified People, who will love Him for who He is and not for what He can give us as blessings! This is a time that we'll seek His face and not his Hand and will come out of that most holy place changed with His Glory and will never be the same again. We come out of that place leaning on our beloved Lord Jesus.
HIDING BY THE BROOK NOT A COMFORT ZONE
The prophet Elijah was comfortable where he was. Yet, the Word of the Lord called him out of his comfort zone to move on. Today, are you comfortable where you’re at? Do you feel the tugging of the Holy Spirit to move on into a new direction? It could be “Jehovah God” is giving you a nudge – showing you new divine direction. The prophet of the Lord was directed by God to hide himself by the brook of Cherith. The Lord was preparing Elijah, the prophet, for his future work, which would require trust and complete faith in the middle of many adverse circumstances. “For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.” II Kings 3:17. In past circumstances, the servant of the Lord had seen God’s hand move and now there was no other alternative but to obey the Lord. To be hid beside the brook Cherith meant a separation for the prophet, a time of hiding. Some of us have been very active for the Lord in the past, now all of a sudden, it seems that no one hears us, there are no opportunities for us to speak! It could be that this is your season, just to be quiet, observe, pray and spend your time at the spiritual brook Cherith.
IN HIS PRESENCE EVERYTHING IS EXPOSED
The brook was a place of “Spending Time” in the presence of the Lord for the prophet, quiet time separated unto Him. Cherith means the Brook of Cutting. We, also, must have that Season of Cutting and Pruning, a time that the Holy Spirit comes to us as a purging fire and deals with us in those areas that are not bearing fruit. “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2. We may feel that some things are beneficial to us, but our Father in heaven, who knows best, will require the pruning away of these weights so that we can truly abide in Him. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:4-5. The brook that Elijah rested by, was a place that the ravens brought him his food. They provided manna, day by day! “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. First of all, we know that ravens cannot carry very much food. The ravens came twice a day. They brought him bread and flesh in the morning, bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the brook. The time of leanness proved some valuable lessons for the prophet. The meat was not old or dried, but rather fresh, raw meat. As we spend time by the spiritual brooks in His Word and Presence. He will give us fresh meat (manna) of the Word. As the ravens continued to bring the prophet food, he was learning another valuable lesson – to trust God for all his sustenance. This time of leanness will also teach us to do with less than we are used to, bringing us to a place of CONTENTMENT in Him. A place where we find joy in Him and not in things. The apostle Paul was another servant of the Lord who had well learned the ways of Jehovah God. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11. If you are in a time of leanness and dryness REJOICE! Jehovah God is with you! What sustained the prophet, the water from the brook? Today, what will sustain us? The refreshing water of God’s Word and His Presence. It’s a time of repentance for us, a time of purging and cleansing. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19
THE SMELTING FURNACE WILL REFINE YOU
“And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.” I Kings 17:7-9. Elijah had spent some time by the brook Cherith, but now he was to move on to a new brook. This second brook was Zarephath. The Zarephath means refinement or smelting furnace. To refine means to purify. This brook put Elijah in a position to depend on the widow to meet his needs. This was humbling I am sure, for a man who had called upon God to send fire from heaven and succeeded in challenging the false prophets. The Lord was preparing the prophet for greater and bigger things! Many times, we have to be humbled to truly trust God in every situation. Through this school of trusting God and dependency on others, we come to a place of great humility that is needed in our character so that we can be entrusted with greater assignments from Him. This school puts us into the fire. “Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.” Numbers 31:23 Elijah obeyed whether he understood or not and we need to do the same today!
PRAYER POWER TO RAISE THE DEAD
As the story goes on in First Kings, the widow’s son quit breathing and died! Elijah was called upon to pray for a miracle. “And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.” I Kings 17:20-22 Elijah’s obedience to the pruning and refinement had brought him to the place where his relationship with the Lord was so close that he had great confidence to call upon Jehovah God for the “Impossible” and God heard him. He had great favor with the Lord in getting his prayer answered. He was able to raise the dead! He had become a real disciple of the Lord with power from above! Elijah, a man of prayer, could touch God’s heart as he prayed and more comforting of all, God would hear him. He had favor with God because he had learned to abide! “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” John 15:7-8
LAST DAY DISCIPLES EMPOWERED WITH HIM
Dearly beloved, the brooks are needed in our lives so that we can grow. It helps us get rid of our pride, self-reliance and independence. The three and one-half years that Elijah spent by the brooks helped him empty of self, self-sufficiency and self–dependency. The brooks were needed to accomplish a good work in him. The prophet came into a greater anointing that enabled him to raise the dead! In modern day Christianity, the Holy Spirit continues to look for men and women who are willing to be led to the brooks of cutting, pruning and refinement. There, He will empower them with a GREAT WITNESS! At this very moment, God has a people who are being led by His Spirit to the spiritual brooks of refinement. Some are refusing to drink, and others are standing by the brook looking for another direction, which is not at all His plan for them. Beloved humble yourself, kneel by the brook, and drink those refreshing waters so that you may be empowered to go forth as a last day disciple! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Thank you so much for reading this Prophetic Message. If you would like to make a copy or copies of this newsletter, you are welcome to do so. Make sure your copy is in its entirety and the message should not be changed. Judgment messages are very serious and those declaring them carry a big responsibility.
Hilda Arredondo's name and her website http://NDCPrayer.com/ and e-mail address uipwc@bellsouth.net should accompany this message as you print it. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail us. At this point we have no representatives outside this ministry and all business for the ministry is handled by hilda arredondo, 195 El Shaddai Rd, Opelousas, La. 70570
