AFTER THE STORM THERE'LL BE SUNSHINE

1Kin 19:9-14 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

Elijah fasted 40 days and nights and entered a cave

• God spoke to him, asking why he was there.
• He told God all people were backslidden and they sought to kill him.
• he said he was the only one serving God.
• God told him to get out of the cave and stand before God.

• This was where God told Elijah to stand
• in the very place he was to go to, a wind smashed rocks all around.
• "Before the LORD"
• Elijah was to stand before the Lord.

• Then a fire blasted the region, burning up every organic piece of material
• all before the Lord.

• FINALLY a still small voice spoke
• when Elijah heard that voice he wrapped his mantle around his face and walked out of the cave
• And God asked Him the same thing he did before.
• and Elijah answered him the same way he answered God the first time.

• that is why he wrapped himself in it.
• this means something.
• removing the mantle signified quitting the job

Ezra 9:2-3 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

Job 1:19-20 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

It is a stripping away of one's dignity.

• one's position
• The mantle worn on the head
• honour

Elijah just recently seen God destroy the sacrifice licking up the very stones of the altar!

• God was proven to be God
• But Jezebel stood unchanged
• she vowed to kill him
• Elijah felt defeated and useless.
• ineffective ministry
• ran to the wilderness

1Kin 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

• Elijah's honour smashed
• nothing convinced Israel to return to God.
• so he removed his mantle.

• angel touched him
• "arise and eat"
• a cake cooked with coals and cruse of water
• he slept again and again
• angel touched him again and told him to eat
• the food would give him strength to journey 40 days and nights to Horeb.
• Horeb God dealt with him!!!

• trial
• forty days always comes before ministry
• forty years before a move of God

• before the move of God

• 40 THEN crisis THEN move of God

JESUS' crisis - forty days fasting and temptation
-then ministry

Spies searched Canaan 40 days and crisis was report of giants

Noah 40 days in storm

• crisis when sent raven and dove
• raven is bad report
• dove is good report

• Crisis sees if we really have what it takes.
• our minds know, but crisis sees if we have what it takes.

• God sent them out for 40 years to experience the goal - Canaan
• crisis was Jordan River

• go into God's will or doubt and fail
• WHY ARE YOU HERE?
• has all the preparation been wasted?

• Noah came to enter a new world

God ignored Elijah the first time

ELIJAH CRIED IN DEFEAT AND FUTILITY.

• God passes by and WIND, FIRE and QUAKE - but God not in them.
• Then God in still small voice
• After all destruction, God still spoke.
• more work to be done
• Elijah put mantle back on.
• Ministry not over yet.
• Elijah was not only one left
• 7000 others.
• Elijah, Minister some more.

1Kin 19:15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be] king over Syria:

• The temptation came before the voice
• wind, fir and quake before the good.

• God ignored his complaint and said go on and minister some more!!!

Prince of powers of air, wind, fiery serpent - Satan there to defer when something mighty to happen.

• GOD SAYS IT WAS not your fault Israel did not turn to me
• Go on, Son!!

• and then right where God wanted Him a storm occurred
• God lets them come to test us.
• see if we will stand

• At the cave entrance
• there God would instruct.
• DAMAGE OCCURRED THERE
• DO NOT FEAR THESE THINGS, ELIJAH
• DO NOT FEAR JEZEBEL.
• God is not in temptations
• He allows it to come to test us.