" An Ear to Hear"

Text: I KING 17: 8-24

SUBJ. "An Ear to Hear"

I KNOW ON TODAY THAT MANY OF US HAVE AN EAR TO HEAR NATURALLY AND THAT IS GOOD. HOWEVER, MY CONCERN FOR US TODAY IS THAT HOW MANY OF US HAVE “AN EAR TO HEAR” SPIRITUALLY?

FOR MANY TIMES IN OUR LIVES GOD WANTS TO SET US UP TO BE BLESSED TREMENDOUSLY. BUT HOWEVER,

BECAUSE MANY TIMES WE ARE NOT IN TUNE TO THE SPIRIT AND THE VOICE OF GOD WE OFTEN, TIMES MISS WHAT HE HAD IN STORE FOR US.

FOR MANY OF US GO DOWN ON OUR KNEES AND HAVE A LITTLE TALK WITH THE MASTER AND THAT IS GOOD.

HOWEVER, I WONDER ON THIS MORNING HOW MANY OF US TAKE TIME TO LET THE MASTER TALK BACK TO US. I AM TALKING ABOUT "AN EAR TO HEAR"!

FOR I HAD TO TAKE TIME OUT AND LEARN HOW TO JUST ALLOW THE MASTER TO TALK TO BACK TO ME.

MOREOVER, OH MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THING IT IS TO ALLOW THE MASTER TO TALK BACK US!

FOR I HEARD THE SONG WRITER SAY, “THAT JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS WILL MAKE EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT!”

FOR IN OUR TEXT ON TODAY WE WILL FIND THE LORD SENDING HIS SERVANT ELIJAH ON AN USUSAL ASSIGNMENT TO A VILLAGE CALLED ZAREPHATH.

WHERE IN HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO DWELL THERE AND THERE WAS A WIDOW WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAKE CARE OF HIM. SO HE AROSE AND WENT AS HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO DO.

FOR THE ONLY, WAY THAT ELIJAH WAS ABLE, TO GET THIS ASSIGNMENT FROM GOD IS BECAUSE HE KNEW THE VOICE OF GOD!

FOR IN ST.JOHN 10:4B AND 11A IT SAYS” He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

Moreover, a stranger will they not follow!

AND THE BIBLE GOES ON TO SAY THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED THERE HE SAW THE WIDOW WOMAN JUST AS THE LORD SAID HE WOULD GATHERING UP SOME STICKS.

IN ADDITION, ELIJAH SAID UNTO HER GO AND GET ME SOME WATER IN A VESSEL THAT HE MAY DRINK OF IT.

IN ADDITION, AS SHE WAS GOING TO GET HIM SOME WATER, HE ASKED HER TO BRING HIM A MORSEL OF BREAD OR A BISCUIT!

MOREOVER, THE WOMAN SAID UNTO HIM I HAVE ONLY ENOUGH MEAL AND OIL LEFT TO MAKE MY SON AND ME A CAKE TO EAT IT AND TO DIE!

FOR AS FAR AS SHE WAS CONCERNED ELIJAH WAS A STRANGER TO HER.

IN ADDITION, THAT SHE AND HER SON WAS ABOUT TO EAT THERE LAST MEAL AND DIE.

HEBREWS 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

HOWEVER, I AM SO GLAD THAT WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE ALL HOPE IS GONE GOD WILL ALWAYS SEND A WORD OF RESTORATION.

FOR ELIJAH TOLD HER I TELL WHAT YOU I WANT YOU TO DO. GO AHEAD, USE YOUR LAST BIT OF YOUR MEAL, AND USE THE LAST OF YOUR OIL AS YOU HAD PLANNED!

INSTEAD OF MAKING, IT FOR YOU AND YOUR SON FEED ME FIRST!

MOREOVER, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IF YOU FEED ME FIRST, YOUR BARREL OF MEAL WILL NEVER RUN LOW AND THAT YOUR CRUISE OF OIL WILL LAST UNTIL GOD ALLOWS THE RAIN TO FALL AGAIN.

HOWEVER, THE BIBLE SAYS IN:

MATTHEW 10:41 "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward."

BUT WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO GET HER TO SEE IS THAT IF SHE JUST STEPPED OUT ON FAITH AND FEED HIM FIRST THEN ALL WOULD

BE WELL IN HER HOUSE FOR DAYS TO COME. ALLOW ME IF YOU WILL TO MAKE THIS REVALENT TO THE NOW TIME!

NOW PICTURE WITH ME IF YOU WILL YOU AND YOUR CHILD ARE AT THE POINT OF STARVATION AND NO WAY TO GET ANY FOOD.

THE ENTIRE CROP HAD DRIED UP BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RAIN AND A PREACHER CAME TO YOU AND SAID FEED ME FIRST.

WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT HIM LIKE HE WE ARE CRAZY AND HAD LOST HIS NATURAL BORN MIND!

HOWEVER, I AM SO GLAD THAT THIS WIDOW WOMAN DECIDED TO STEP OUT ON FAITH TO TRUST AND OBEY THE MAN OF GOD.

FOR THE TEXT GOES ON TO SAY THAT SHE BAKED A CAKE AND FEED ELIJAH FIRST AS HE SAID.

THEN SHE WENT BACK AND FOUND SOME MORE MEAL IN THE BARREL AND SOME MORE OIL IN THE CONTAINER TO MAKE HER AND HER SON A CAKE.

IN ADDITION, AS LONG AS ELIJAH LIVED WITH HER HE ATE FIRST THEN HER AND HER SON. MOREOVER, EVERY TIME SHE FEED THE PROPHET FIRST THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE FLOUR AND OIL LEFT FOR HER AND HER SON.

WELL CHURCH JUST BEFORE I CLOSE THIS MESSAGE ON OUT I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT AFTER A LITTLE WHILE THIS WOMAN'S SON BEGAN TO GET SICK AND EVENTUALLY HE DIED.

MOREOVER, AS MANY OF US DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG IN OUR LIFE WE BEGAN TO BLAME GOD AND THEN HIS MAN SERVANT.

THEREFORE, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT SHE BEGAN TO QUESTION GOD ASKING HIM IS MY SON DYING PUNISHING ME FOR MY PAST SINS.

THEREFORE, THE PROPHET TOOK THE BOY UP INTO THE UPPER ROOM.

IN ADDITION, WHILE HE WAS IN THE UPPER ROOM HE LAID THE BOY ON HIS BED WHICH I BELIEVE REPRESENTED AN ALTER!

SO WHILE THE BOY LAY UPON HIS BED HE CRIED OUT TO GOD AND ASKED HIM WHY HE ALLOWED THIS TRAGEDY TO BEFALL THIS WOMAN BY KILLING HER ONLY SON.

MOREOVER, THE BIBLE GOES ON TO SAY THAT HE STRETCHED HIMSELF OUT OVER THE BOY THREE TIMES AND I BELIEVE THAT THE REASON THE HE DID IT THREE TIMES WAS TO REPRESENT THE TRINITY.

THEN HE CRIED OUT ONE MORE TIME AND ASKED GOD TO ALLOW LIFE TO COME BACK INTO THIS BOY.

IN ADDITION, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE LORD HEARD HIS PRAYER AND ALLOWED THE SOUL TO COME BACK INTO THIS BOY.

FOR THE BIBLES SAYS IN THE BOOK OF JAMES 5:16B SAYS, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

MOREOVER, BECAUSE ELIJAH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN THE LORD ANSWERED HIS PRAYER ON BEHALF OF THIS WIDOW WOMAN.

FOR THE BIBLE GOES ON TO SAY THAT HE TOOK THE CHILD BACK DOWN TO HIS MOTHER AND TOLD HER TO COME AND SEE THAT HER SON STILL LIVES.

IN ADDITION, SHE SAID UNTO HIM THAT NOW I KNOW THAT YOU TRULY ARE A MAN OF GOD, THAT GOD TRULY SPEAKS TO YOU, AND THAT HE SPEAKS THROUGH YOU.

WELL AS I GET READY TO CLOSE HERE NOW. I JUST COME BY THIS MORNING CHURCH TO TELL YOU THAT IF THIS WOMAN HAD NOT HAD "AN EAR TO HEAR" THEN THE TEXT WOULD HAVE ENDED WITH HER AND HER SON EATING THERE LAST MEAL AND DYING.

NEVERTHELESS, BECAUSE SHE HAD "AN EAR TO HEAR" GOD WAS ABLE TO SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT.

IS THERE ANYBODY IN HERE WHO HAS WITNESSED THAT GOD

WILL SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT!

THIS WOMAN BECAUSE SHE HAD "AN EAR TO HEAR" SHE WAS ABLE TO HAVE A BUT GOD MOMENT!

FOR SHE KNEW THAT SHE AND HER SON COULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD! BUT GOD

IS THERE ANYBODY IN HERE THIS MORNING THAT HAS EVER HAD A BUT GOD MOMENT! LIFT YOUR HANDS AND SAY YES LORD!