The Holy Spirit brought this title to my mind as we were having a conversation about Christians who have become fearful of pushback from the world pertaining to Biblical truths. He brought certain events in scripture to mind that I will share here. Then I’ll wait for Him to elaborate more on what He’s alluding to.
“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Are you he who troubles Israel?" Elijah replied, "I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, by forsaking the commandments of the Lord and by following the Baals. Therefore send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of [the goddess] Asherah, who eat at [Queen] Jezebel's table: So Ahab sent to all the Israelites and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said," How long will you halt and limp between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, "I, I only, remain a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given us; let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood but put no fire to it. I will dress the other bull, lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken. Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bull for yourselves and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it." So they took the bull given them, dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, hear and answer us! But there was no voice; no one answered. And they leaped upon or limped about the altar they had made. At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out upon them. Midday passed, and they played the part of prophets until the time for offering the evening sacrifice, but there was no voice, no answer, no one who paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near him. And he repaired the [old] altar of the Lord that had been broken down [by Jezebel]. [I Kings 18:13; 19:10.] Then Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name. [Gen. 32:28.] And with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name [and self-revelation] of the Lord. He made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed. He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and the wood." And he said, "Do it the second time." And they did it the second time. And he said, "Do it the third time." And they did it the third time. The water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water. At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You]." Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”"
1 Kings 18:17-39 AMPC
“One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. But the angel of the Lord told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? Now, therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” So Elijah went to deliver the message. When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?” They replied, “A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. ‘This is what the Lord says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” “What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?” They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.” “Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed. Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.” But Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.”
2 Kings 1:2-10 NLT
“Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.
All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to His servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!”
Acts of the Apostles 3:1-7, 9-15 NLT
“Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing. Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.”
Acts of the Apostles 13:6-12 NLT
Some of you probably didn’t even know that these accounts were in your Bible, and some of you may just have read over them without receiving the revelation and impact they can have in your faith walk with Jesus. The title is a giveaway for where the Holy Spirit is intending to go here. The world is saying to us in the twenty first century: SHOW ME WHAT YOU’VE GOT! And we have shown them nothing. In all of the accounts above, God’s messengers showed up and showed out. Theirs was not a message of wishing and hoping, they had evidence behind their words.
What do you have to show for your years of “living for Jesus?” Where’s the beef? Where’s the evidence or substance to back up what you claim to believe? If there’s power in the Name of Jesus, where’s the proof? Enquiring minds wants to know! If Jesus is your healer, where’s the proof? If He’s your Provider, where’s the proof? If you’re walking by faith and not by sight, where’s the proof? Is God who He says He is in your life? Where’s the proof? I’m not asking these questions to bring condemnation, but to provoke you to live the truth you claim to believe. There was a time when writing these words would condemn me, but they no longer do. They provoked me to the point of obedience, believing, speaking, endurance and now receiving. I’ll believe God over you any day of my life. When the doctor said he was testing me for cancer, I replied “I doubt that” you won’t find cancer in my body! They did not. When the enemy tried to bring Covid to my body, I said, “ I doubt that!” Why? Because Jesus said “NOTHING” shall by any means hurt me! I believed Him over the devil and won the victory! Hallelujah! When the devil with my help tried to ruin me financially, I said, “ I doubt that “ why? Because Jesus said “ l WILL” take care of you! I WILL! Supply all your need according to MY riches in glory!” Hallelujah. I have the proof! Do you?
My daughter is getting married in a few weeks, debt free to the glory of God! She doesn’t have to do anything but look beautiful. He gave me a strategy to get in front of debt, I took it, glory to God! I have the proof. I have decided to follow Jesus, to believe His Word, I can’t speak to your situation, but I know in whom I have believed and committed my ways. He cannot fail! And neither can I by trusting Him! Shout hallelujah somebody! I have the proof! Do you? I can feel the Holy Spirit inside of me getting excited about His Word! My thumb can’t keep His pace, glory to God. He’s excited because He knows what He’s talking about, He knows that if we grab ahold of the revelation, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! That greater is He who is in us than any devil in the world! That Christ in us is the hope of glory! That we are capable of doing greater works than Jesus!! Hallelujah! Are you getting this? Show me what you’ve got!!
Elisha, Elijah, Paul, Peter, all showed up and showed their world Who and what they had! Where’s our proof people of God? We have a better covenant with better promises than the Old Testament saints, my God! Yet we’re lacking proof! We have no evidence! We’re great talkers, but no action! Do you know why? Doubt and unbelief. We don’t believe a word we’re saying. Talk, talk, talk. We’re good talkers, but the world needs evidence. If the courts of this world requires it, then heaven’s court requires it. When we stand before Almighty God, He won’t accept excuses, He wants the evidence of our faith. Don’t explain to me why you need a second job, try telling it to Him. You claim to believe His Word. Don’t explain to me why you’re sick, broke and disgusted. Explain it to Him. Go ahead, I double dog dare you! Explain to Him why His Word isn’t working in your life!
Jesus said, “we have what we believe for” is He a liar? How come it’s working for others who believe? Peter said to the crowd, “ don’t be looking at me as though I did this, look at Him, Jesus, I just chose to believe what He said." Elisha said, “ if I’m a man of God, you’re all dead!” Wham! Paul said "you’re going to be blind for a season because you’re standing in God’s way!” Wham! Proof. God backs up faith, He stands behind His Word. He spoke these words to me on March 3, 2021. I was rehearsing some things to Him, and He said “ I stand behind My Word.” He has no other choice but to. Faith compels God to act. Doubt your doubt and faith your fears. Commit to live, I want to say what you believe, but I’m hesitant, because most people don’t believe what they say they do, and then blame God for what they don’t have. Nothing from nothing still equals nothing. The Holy Spirit is on fire in me today! Hallelujah! Show me what you’ve got? Where’s your proof?
In this cancel culture, we’d better know where we stand and be willing to suffer for it. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. As we sow-what are you sowing? that, doubt, unbelief, faith, believing, is what we’ll reap. You sow to the flesh, you reap corruption, you sow to the Spirit, you reap life. The Bible truths will outlive and outlast every attempt to silence it. We believe, we receive, we doubt, we miss out. Where is your proof? Walk around your life, take a spiritual inventory today. What needs to change? Are you willing to take the steps necessary to live God’s abundant life through Christ in you? I’m not here to explain your why’s, I’m here as I’m being led by the Holy Spirit, to provoke you to believe the Word of God. Prospering in God is more than money, money without health is useless, health without biblical hope is a waste. Jesus Himself said, “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul, or what can he give in exchange for his soul?” The evidence of a full life in Christ, is prosperity in every area of our life.
Jesus lived, believed, spoke and prospered in every area of His earthly life. How did He do it? As God He had to learn how to function in a fleshly body. Imagine that. We are fleshly beings, learning how to live in a spiritual body: He did it successfully by remaining connected to His Father, hanging on His every Word. John 12:49. He never lost His connection to heaven. Our failure lies in our unwillingness to submit to the Truth of His Word. This is us trying to appear spiritual. “ Sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says wait, and sometimes He says no.” God isn’t schizophrenic, He knows what He wants to do and say, and He does it. In His way and time. Here’s another one: "I know He’s good but.." As long as our but is in the way, we’ll have nothing to show, no evidence no proof. Just years of barely getting by. No child of God when asked how we’re doing, should ever use these words, “ I’m hanging in there.” We’re more than conquerors through Christ Jesus! I’ll say what the skunk in Bambi told Thumper, 'if you don’t have anything good to say about your God, shut your mouth!' Well that’s not exactly what he said, but same idea.
Is He everything He says He is? Has He done what He said He would? Is the Bible His inherent Word? Do you believe it? Then show me what you’ve got! See James 5:17 for more proof that we can have what we say. The Holy Spirit had me write a message entitled “Watch your Mouth” you should go read it. We’re killing ourselves with the words we speak. God the Father has asked us to do one thing and we’re sucking at it. BELIEVE!
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
March 12, 2021