Stake A Claim: Father's Day - Pastor Josiah Elias

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”

Psalm 77:11 (NIV)

Joel Munoz read this verse to remind us to remember the works of the Lord. During worship also, we remembered the mighty deeds of our Lord.

Speaking of remembering, Pastor Josiah called up to the platform the FC Board and Elders to thank and honor Jeff MacArthur for his dedication to the Lord and service to the FC family. He had planned to be out here in SD for two to three years, and he stayed for nine years “for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14b (NIV) Jeff humbly gave glory to God and remembered how the Lord kept on reminding him to be  “strong and courageous.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV) He leaves to move closer to his children on the East Coast. Though he will not be in SD in body, he will always be part of our FC family.

FC’s mission is to culture like Christ, and the vision is Jesus. On Mother’s Day, Pastor Josiah exhorted the mothers to stake a claim for their families. Pastor Josiah exclaimed, ”If we do not fight for our families, the culture will swoop in and overtake them.“ On Father’s Day, he proclaimed for the fathers to do the same and expanded on it.

A key point was that my responsibility-His grace. What that means is “I don’t replace God but partner with Him,” stated Pastor Josiah. “Knowing God enables me and empowers me” to parent better. 

Additionally, the prerequisite to being a father is having first been a son. Turning to the Scriptures helps you parent. In 1 Kings 18, Pastor Josiah reviewed the familiar story of Elijah challenging the wicked 850 disciples of Baal. The hundreds of evil disciples did not overwhelm Elijah whom the Lord empowered. He mocked the desperate, unsuccessful disciples of Baal, the false god that was not able to ignite the altar. “Then Elijah called to the people, ‘Come over here!’ They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.” 1 Kings 18:30  (NLT)  He had to repair the altar to the LORD because “demonic altars are to be torn down. Godly altars are to be built up,” declared Pastor Josiah.

An altar is a place of sacrifice and worship.

Altars:

• Heart-Consecrate the altar of your heart’s affection to the Lord. “The Lord is on my mind constantly,” confessed Pastor Josiah. The Lord is on his mind in the morning and in the night. Having Him on your mind throughout the day makes it easier to  pray constantly to the Lord.

• Attention-Pay attention to your family. The more attention you give to the Lord, the more He can direct your steps. It is a struggle to pay attention to the family when the phone calls you to pay attention to it. Also it often calls us to look at it for instance at dinner instead of conversing with the people right in front of us. Have you ever been out to a restaurant and looked around at other tables? Have you seen four members of a family each on a screen? How easy it is to judge them. Forgive us, Lord, from neglecting the people You have put in our lives. Let us make them a priority instead of being phone-distracted.

• Relationships-Invest deeply in your God-given relationships-like your marriage. Recognize the person God has placed in your life. For Pastor Josiah and Ashley from the beginning determined to make the Lord first in their lives and then each other. By loving God first, Pastor Josiah acknowledged that he was a better husband and partner. I understand that point so much better. If I make God the foundation of my life, then all the other aspects of my life are strengthened and improved. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

• Aspirations-Surrender your aspirations to His will above your own.” It is great to have goals and aspirations, but if your goals are only your goals and not His, you have limited yourself and your life. “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans.”  Isaiah 55:9 (CEB)  If we acknowledge and follow those facts, our lives are better. Not that they are trouble free but that our lives are His. ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

• Finances-See your finances as a means of worshipping Him, not money worshipping you. Money is another way to serve the Lord and to worship Him. Too easily we can begin to make money the goal instead of making the Lord our focus and money as a vessel of worship. Lord, help us not to be slaves to the accumulation of money or financial security. Lord, help me to use money and not let money manipulate me.

• Home-Your home and everything in it is empty without His presence. Are you more impressed with how big your home is? How beautiful it is? How well it is furnished? If your home gives you more security and joy than the Lord does, where is your priority? May we seek Him and His presence. May we welcome Him to our homes and even our dark, secret closets so that He can cleanse them  and bless them.

Returning to Elijah, he rebuilt the altar with “twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the LORD.”

1 Kings 18:31-32 (NLT) Elijah also poured water in a trench to make the ignition even more challenging. It is our job to build the altar; it’s the Lord’s job to send the fire.

Elijah trusted His Lord and added wood and the bull pieces to the altar. He instructed the people to add water over the wood three times. 1 Kings 18:33-34 Then he prayed to the Lord, 

”O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.” 1 Kings 18:36b (NLT) The Lord sent fire down and “burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!” 1 Kings 18:38 (NLT)

What was the people’s response? They ”fell face down on the ground and cried out, ’The LORD-he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!’” 1 Kings 18:39 (NLT) God knew the people  needed to be ready to see what God was desiring to show them. When they saw how the altar Elijah built for the LORD was decimated, they responded humbly and totally-falling face down to worship the Almighty. May we also worship Him in Spirit and truth with our whole beings.

“But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.”  1 Kings 18:42b (NLT) He climbed high yet bowed low.

When you climb high and get to the mountain top, be prepared to bow low. It is good to give your mountain top experience to Him and honor Him for His blessing. 

After such a victorious time, Elijah was discouraged. King Ahab had told Jezebel his wife what Elijah had done. She sent a threatening message to him, and he was so afraid that he ran for his life. He even told the Lord that he had had enough and wanted the Lord to take his life. The Lord asked Elijah what he was doing? Elijah replied,

“I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people 

of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, 

and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and 

now they are trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19b (NLT)

Elijah was discouraged and felt alone. Often times battles come after victory. Learn to be prepared. Keep your guard up. “Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to give life, life abundantly.” John 10:10 When we remember that fact, we keep our minds on our vision, Jesus. That helps us get back up.

Elijah’s discouragement was real, but God…. He is real, and Lord spoke to Elijah not in a windstorm or earthquake or fire. He spoke to Elijah in a “gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12b (NLT)

Be sensitive to the gentle whisper. Sometimes the voice has to tell us to “knock it off. You are better than that.”  Elijah’s “come to himself” moment was found in the gentle whisper. 

Elijah’s time in the cave was hard, and the Lord spoke to Elijah in the hard time. Elijah enters the cave a prophet, but he  leaves the cave a father. This time in the cave resets his life from simply prophetic ministry to fatherhood. He engaged in his ministry which was to be a father.

“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great 

and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. His preaching will turn

the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of 

children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:5 (NLT)

That same idea is stated in Luke 1:17 (NLT). “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Stake your claim.

What did Elijah learn? He learned to stake a claim and that faith was built in him.

What is the Paramount Point?

*Build your altar.

*Trust your God.

*Get back up.

*Heed gentle whispers.

*Engage your ministry.

*Be a father.

*Stake your claim. 

As we trust the Lord with our hearts, souls, minds, and spirits, may we be salt and light in this troubled world.

Updated calendar:

6/20-LB potluck, worship, and celebrating Jeff MacArthur and Marlene Hobdy.

6/24-27 VBS

6/27-Men of God Movement at 6:00

7/18-LB potluck, worship, and LaMar Key will share his testimony

8/15-LB potluck, worship and Britnee Lacuesta will share.

9/19-Lb potluck and Meet to Swap

Larry and Annette Linthicum