James Cook - 17/06/2012
1 Kings 19:1-10
This morning Associate Pastor, James Cook, brought the word from 1 Kings 19:1-21. James began with showing us God’s question to Elijah, “Why are you here?” The Lord’s question was a question to prompt Elijah to come to Him and open up. Through scripture James showed us that we can find rest for our souls, and renewal of strength, in the Lord. We do not need to “go it” alone. In the Lord’s second question to Elijah was one to reveal to Elijah that his time in the council of the Lord has been long enough, to show Elijah it is time to go out to fulfill His plan and purpose. James showed us two responses to the call of God, 1 Kings 19:19-21. A response that is “all in” (burn the farm down), and the response that is “in” with condition (well, let me do___first). How will we respond to the call of God when He calls? In today’s word there were three different calls for us to answer accordingly, as individuals. One, a call to salvation through Jesus Christ; two, the call to His plan and purpose; and three, the call to come to Him for rest of our soul and renewing of strength.
It is a costly and a suffering thing to come up against the religious system that has ‘settled down’ here. It is far more costly than coming up against the naked world itself. The religious system can be more ruthless and cruel and bitter; it can be actuated by all those mean things, contemptible things, prejudices and suspicious things 
that you will not even find in decent people in the world.
