Times Square Church Fast - Day 2 — Carter Conlon

Channel: Sermon Index

The Holy Spirit has put on our heart tonight this format. He's given me a message for you this evening. Which I believe to be prophetic. Gave it to me in prayer this morning. I'm going to be sharing this message and it'll be broken into three parts at the end of the first part.

We'll have somebody come and pray at the end of the second somebody will be praying and the same at the third then we may Go to song at some point. We don't really have an agenda other than to let the Holy Spirit guide us in prayer.

Would you pray with me, please before we go to the scripture father? I thank you God with all my heart for your word. I thank you Lord that you are speaking to us if we want to hear you and God Almighty if ever.

I've wanted to hear you Lord in my life. I want to hear you now. I want to know what you're speaking God. I want to know it for your namesake. For the testimony of Christ in the earth for your church's sake.

God for my own heart's sake. Lord I'm asking God for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Please mighty God take me beyond the frailty of this human body. Expand my heart and mind. Lord quicken me that I may Bring this word in a manner Lord that truly honors your name.

Thank you God for the anointing. Thank you for the thoughts Lord God. It has to be your thoughts from this passage of scripture. And I'm yielding my life as a vessel into your hands that you can speak to this congregation tonight.

I thank you for it God with all my heart in Jesus name. Now if you go in the Old Testament the first Kings chapter 17 the title of this message is. And when wells dry up and birds fly away. Strange title I know.

And some of you are saying right now he's preaching my life when wells dry up and birds fly away. Now we're talking in this chapter about the prophet Elijah the journey of Elijah. From a man who knew God and is called by God at a specific point in history.

The journey that the Lord took him on or at least a portion of that journey that we have revealed in scripture. To the point where he can be used of God to confront an entire false system of religion that had gripped the heritage of Jesus Christ of that time and The scripture of course says in the last days.

That that spirit of Elijah, which I believe will come upon many. I think I feel in my heart I have for years now that this will come upon the house of God many in the house of God and There will be this anointing to turn the hearts of the fathers Back to the children and the children back to the fathers in other words there there the compassion of Christ will come back in and the work of Christ will be made clear again in the last moments of time and Folks you and I will begin to understand.

It's all about people. It's not about ourselves. Really in reality the Christian life is about others now in chapter 17 verse 1 The scripture says Elijah that Tishbite who was of the inhabitants of Gilead Said to Ahab as the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand.

There shall not be dune or rain these years, but according to my word now this this was a confrontation with Baalism. Baalism was the Canaanite religion of that particular time and Baalism Was a religion that Was very sensual because it was focused on itself and and anytime a religion focuses on itself It will become sensual.

There was a huge root of immorality that traveled with this particular concept of God. Just as has happened in our day. They believed that Baal caused the rain and That the rain caused the crops to grow and the crops filled their cupboards.

So really Baal was the God in a sense of prosperity and in order for God to confront this He had to stop the rain to prove that he is God. Baal is not God. Prosperity is not God. You must not worship prosperity and you and I must worship God.

It was a confrontation with Baalism now. The word of the Lord came to him now when when when the Lord said to Elijah the rain is going to stop. It's a type of our generation when God says I'm going to I'm going to bankrupt the country I'm going to take away your commerce.

You have worshipped materialism. You have worshipped money. You have fallen into the trap of covetousness and many many many of God's people are in this trap in our generation fallen prey to Prophets of Baal who teach the people that godliness is a means to financial gain.

Paul says in 1st Timothy 6 that they who teach these things are completely bankrupt of an understanding of God. It's right there. It's in plain writing. It doesn't even require an interpretation. It's clearly there.

You'll also find it in 2nd Peter chapter 2 very very clearly defined that this is a reprobate. Approach to God now when we seek God with all our heart when we seek to do the work of God in the will of God.

He says I will provide everything you need so I'm not advocating. Poverty is holiness. Don't misunderstand me. It's not holy to be poor and neither is it unholy of course to be poor the rain when when God took away the rain that meant Elijah had to go through the drought just like everybody else and If God is going to get a hold of this generation that we're living in now.

The one way he's going to do it is he's going to shut off the tap of financial supply and When he shuts the tap of financial supply down you and I have to go through the drought just like everybody else.

But you and I are in a place where God will provide for us. He will provide your needs. He will provide my needs. There comes a point in our lives when we simply have to believe this. We simply have to say God your word is right it is true.

You did say if I seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness all these things will be provided for me. You did say very clearly through the psalmist David. He said I've been young and old. I've never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed baking bread.

David will never have to retract that statement. It was penned by the Holy Ghost in the Word of God. It is the truth. God will provide for his own people now. We may not be driving. Exactly the kind of car we think we should be driving, but we'll be moving with something under our feet anyway for sure.

The church will be secure in difficult times. You go on in these verses now that the drought has come Now and the Word of the Lord came to him just as I'm speaking to you tonight in verse 2 and 3 says get thee hence and turn the eastward and hide thyself by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan and It shall be that thou shall drink in the brook and I've commanded the ravens to feed thee there so he went and did according to the Word of the Lord for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan and The Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening.

And he drank of the brook now you and I would say well, that's not so bad. I mean, that's an awesome place to be. The land is in drought. God is going after the the prophets of Baal and Baal ism that's really fully infused itself into the Theological thinking of the people of that time and In order to get at it.

He's got to bring this famine into the nation and Elijah Like you and I it's a type of a person like us. So you're laying beside this wonderful brook. David the psalmist member said he leads me beside the still waters.

You're opening the Bible every morning and Everyone around you is in distress, but you have this cool water anytime you want it you open and there's there's just a verse for you. There's there's life for you and the Word of God is alive and I thank God for those seasons.

I've had seasons in my life where the I just can't get enough of the word and and Passages are just just jumping at me off of the pages with with Understanding that I know is coming from the Holy Spirit that I don't naturally possess and those are marvelous times.

They're wonderful times. I've also had times where I've opened this book and I might as well be reading the yellow pages as reading the Bible. Not getting anything. Nothing is coming out of the pages.

The Psalms don't mean anything. Nothing is sparking my heart. I feel just as dead coming out of the word is when I went in we all have seasons like that they come into our lives and The Lord said I've commanded the Ravens now commanded this a prophet of God.

He's laying beside this cool stream and he can take a drink whenever he wants now. Everyone else is is scurrying into the field. They're starving there are no crops there's calamity coming people are losing their jobs as that would be at that time.

There's fear everywhere and this prophet of God the type of the church is laying beside this brook and just sipping this cool water. Ah, this is so good devotions every morning and Supernatural provision is coming and it's an awesome thing to see supernatural provision.

I've lived to see this folks when I first went into ministry. We had 17 people in our house one winter and my electric bill was more than my wage. And I remember the groceries just came. I remember a farmer knocking on the door one day and said the Lord has spoken to my heart.

He's a Christian farmer. He said I'm to fill your freezer with beef and the moment it starts get it and he said not ordinary beef. It's to be the fillet. It's to be the younger calf and he and this way he was very specific.

And he said and when it gets down close to the bottom you call me and I'll fill it again. I've lived there. I've had the Ravens come to my door. I've known that we've we've lived this we've seen it and It's an awesome place.

Can you imagine Elijah lying by that that River and here come the Ravens in the morning breakfast time? Oh, I wonder what's on the menu today. Is it roast rabbit? Is that they catch a fowl in the field?

It certainly wouldn't be a cow or anything because they could not strong enough but it'd be something that the Ravens could carry and They've got it says they've got bread and they've got meat and they're bringing this and he's just they're Probably landing and handing it to him.

Thank you very much. And he's got another cool sip of water another this is not bad at all. Can you imagine for Elijah and you and I can? We will be supernaturally provided for and we can get to the place of saying well, this is not that bad.

I mean that we are in a financial crisis, but I'm getting through I'm not I'm not living in the lap of luxury, but I have cold water from the scriptures I have hope and I have provision coming and I do acknowledge some of it is supernatural.

It's just coming from the hand of God and obviously there are vessels that bring it I mean use birds to bring it but I I am getting fed by God and so well, you know you and I would say Well, this is this is terrific.

I mean what a great place. I Hope it works out. Well for the nation. I hope that I hope the people really end up turning to God. I Wonder if at some point he thought well, I'm just I'm just gonna ride out the storm here I'm gonna stay here if this thing lasts for three and a half years or whatever it lasts I'm just gonna be here and this is my lot and you and I can get to feel that way and Verse 7 though comes along in everyone's life and it says it came to pass after a while that the brook dried up.

Because there had been no rain in the land and I've also added and most likely the birds flew away and Suddenly You're in this place of saying God. What are you doing? I thought you were going to feed me here.

I thought you were going to comfort me. I'm opening the word and Nothing is coming off the pages. I'm hungry Lord, why is this happening to me? And I know I'm speaking to somebody tonight. I know I'm this is a prophetic word.

There's some people here tonight saying I don't get it. Suddenly, it's like the tap is turned off. Suddenly. I put my cup in and I'm hitting dust suddenly birds are just flying by they're not stopping and It seems like the provision that I was enjoying is drying up and why is this happening?

And that thought you know folks We're not prone to leaving where we are spiritually speaking and going deeper unless God motivates us to go deeper. The Lord had to bring this Situation he had to shut the water supply most likely the birds stopped coming in measure and Finally this man of God because he's an honest man of God like a true Christian.

It says Lord What are you? Trying to speak to my heart and the word of the Lord verse 8 came to him saying arise get thee to Zarephath Which belongs to Zidon and dwell there behold. I've commanded a widow woman to sustain thee.

Now you and I know this widow didn't have anything. This widow when Elijah arrived. She's got nothing. She doesn't even have faith. She's going out into the field. She said I've got a handful of Cereal literally left and I'm going out to get two sticks to make a little fire and my son and I are going to eat This and we're gonna die.

That's and this is the woman that's commanded to sustain him. And so obviously it's not it's not anything she has that's going to sustain Elijah. I want to suggest to you that the sustenance God is saying to Elijah as he's saying to the church I have opened the widow's heart to you.

I've opened her heart. I've opened her home. I've commanded her to receive you. And as you reach out to the widow, you're going to be sustained as you move out from where you are and you go to those who are going to be in extreme poverty and You come to them With the Word of the Lord and you come to them with the kindness of God and you come to them with the commitment of God to their souls.

It's not the widow that's going to sustain you but you're going to be sustained as you Reach out to the widow and her son and I do believe that's a prophetic word that God has given me for his church at this moment in time, we're going into a famine we're going into a drought and Things that once brought you comfort the security you felt you may have had is going to start to in measure Dissipate and the Lord is saying now.

I'm open the widow's heart. This famine has opened her heart. I've opened the homes of the poor. They're willing to receive you. Commanded her to sustain you but not that she gives it to you. But as you go to her the provision of God will begin to flow.

The Word of God will come alive as you reach out to the widow. As you and I go to the poorest of the poor and we find those that are fatherless and have no helper. And we become the extended hands of God to them.

It's the reaching out to the widow that will sustain us. God says I'll sustain you I'll keep you but you're not to lay by the river. You're not just to go to the mailbox every day and hope for supernatural provision.

I have a deeper way to do this. I'm sending you to the poor. I'm sending you to those that have no helper. I'm sending you to those who are crying out and nobody but me really hears them and they've cried out and said please.

We're starving to death. Is there anybody out there that can help us? Our hearts are open our homes are open. The Lord says I've commanded her. I've caused her heart to open and you're going to find the door wide open to the poorest of the Poor the struggling the afflicted the addicted the oppressed are going to open their hearts and homes to you.

And he rose and went to Zarephath and he came to the gates of the city verse 10. And behold the widow woman was there gathering sticks. And he called her and said fetch me. I pray thee a little water in a vessel that I may drink.

As she was going to fetch and he called her and said bring me. I pray thee a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said is the Lord that God lives. I have not a cake. But a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a vessel or cruise and behold I'm gathering two sticks.

I may go in to dress it for me and my son that we may eat it and die in. Elijah said to her fear not go and do as you've said but make me thereof a little cake first and bring it to Me and after that make for thee and for thy son.

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the Cruise of oil fail until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah and she and he and her house did eat many days in the barrel of Meal wasted not neither did the cruise of oil fail according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Elijah.

Giving to the Poor as God’s Provision

Now he went to her and he taught her the true principles of provision. He taught this lady if you want to know how to tap into the provision of God. You take the little you have and you begin to give to somebody else.

You start giving to somebody else and as you give to others even in your own time of need God Promises to be a never-ending source of supply. Praise be to God. That's the principle of God's provision.

You take what you have the little you have and you give some to somebody else. You look out away from yourself. You look to others. And Elijah was able to teach her this principle and because she obeyed it and gave first to the stranger that came to her door God Almighty came into that house and Supernatural provision came and Elijah was taken to a deeper place in God.

And I do believe the Lord wants to take his church to a deeper place in God. It's a more powerful place than just laying beside a river and drinking to ourselves and eating to ourselves. Even if the supply is supernatural, it's going to these places and saying I'm going to teach you now I've learned that God is my supply.

He has taught me that it's deep in my heart. But let me now teach you how to get the provision of God. Let me come into your situation. Let me be part of your poverty and as the Word of God comes to you.

You're going to see this incredible provision of God folks. We're going to live in miracles. We're going to live in New York City in times of the miraculous. We're going to live as people begin to take the little they have and the windows of heaven start opening.

We're going to understand what true prosperity is all about. It's not to accumulate things to ourselves. It's though that we may have something this never-ending supply might be given to us so that it might be in turn channeled and measured to others and Feed those that are hungry and clothe those that are naked that we may visit those that are in prison.

Give help to those that have no helper that we may reach out in the power of God in this time folks. If ever there was a time not to draw back. It's now if ever there was a time to reach out. It's now the the worse it gets.

The more you and I should be moving into this mountain of poverty and human misery all around us. Glory to God. Oh, I tell you we'll come to the house of the Lord and you talk about worship in this house.

You talk about praise. You talk about testimonies when people be able to turn to their neighbor says. I've got to tell you what God Did this week. I got to tell you how he provided for me and my neighbor and my neighbor's friend and my neighbor's friends family.

I've got to tell you what God has done. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Let's stand pastor Neal's going to lead us in prayer along these lines tonight. Hallelujah.

Raise your hands towards heaven folks. Remember every voice counts. You begin praying for neighbors. Begin praying for family members that are unsaved. Begin praying right now father. We thank you tonight that you are speaking a prophetic word to us God.

You're speaking and we're hearing. We're hearing by the Spirit of God Lord for so long. We know that we have been fed Supernaturally by the Ravens. We know that we have been well watered Lord by the Holy Spirit.

We know that you have taken care of us Lord. We have known this watering. We know this feeding that has come to us Lord. We are hearing a word tonight by the power of your Holy Spirit and we pray Almighty God.

Let the scales begin to drop from our eyes Lord. Let us begin to see those that the Word of God is speaking to us. You have made a command and Lord tonight. I pray with all of my heart that scales begin to fall from our eyes.

That we begin to see those that you are sending us to Lord. I pray right now for every person in this house that we begin to see those neighbors that we have long Disdained. We begin to see those that we've co-labored with long disdained.

Lord is those people that are after other things but God this night I pray that scales begin to fall from our eyes. Oh Holy Spirit. You said that when we give to the poor we lend to the Lord he that considers the ways of the poor Lord.

He himself will be Absolutely enabled by God. You will bring him through victory after victory. Oh God tonight. I think of all the churches. I think of those pastors right now who have gone after the things of prosperity.

We've gone after a wrong doctrine. We are in the perfect storm Lord. We are coming into such Tumultuous times. God I see such dark days ahead of us. We're pastors are so distraught what these churches are so Lord distraught.

They don't know where to go. They've come to the place that we about to close the doors. We're about to die. The things that they've been led into God have not been a provision. That have not been a provision for them at all.

But God the days are coming where they've been saying in their heart. We are closing the doors. We are dying, but Lord. There's a word. There's a word coming from heaven to them. Oh mighty God. I pray that they're gonna be many many who will just say that's a word.

They'll take us Lord from your hand and as they begin to again give give give and not take Lord. I pray tonight that there will be many churches begin to know the resurrection power of Jesus. I pray for those pastors.

I pray for those churches. I pray for those neighbors. I pray for those family members that God have been so So taking along the wrong path, but God tonight. You're giving us a word you're giving us a prophetic path to walk on and I know Lord give us the wings of an eagle.

Give us the wings of an eagle now. Send us Lord send us into these places give us a heart of obedience. Oh Mighty God mighty God mighty God. Hold Jesus in the dark days ahead in the dark days that are coming upon us Lord I see miracles taking place.

Hope you love it tonight. See miracles begin happening. The blind are about to see. The deaf are about to hear. The lame are about to walk. Oh mighty God mighty God. Hallelujah, Oh God. Oh God. Send us send us Lord you said to David Davidson is there not a cause.

There is a cause and I thank you tonight as a congregation. Lord as a people we are we are ready to go. We're ready to go to the poor give us eyes to see them show us the widow. Show us those Lord that are needing the touch of God.

Hallelujah. Oh Hallelujah. Hallelujah Hallelujah. God, you're about to do miracles. Father I pray give us faith tonight. Let faith arise in our hearts. Let faith arise in our hearts. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

God I thank you right now family members are going to get saved Lord. They are going to be deliverances in our neighborhoods. They're happening Lord as we pray they're happening right now by faith. Lord that neighbor that is so hard is going to be so converted.

They're going to be leaping and jumping and praising God. Hallelujah. Lord, I especially again pray for the pastors that you are going to reach to them those that are about to die. But Lord those churches those doors will not shut they will not shut you will shut them to the wrong gospel.

But you're gonna do a supernatural work. Oh Beloved. I see an army of pastors rising up. I see an army of churches rising up with the true anointing of God one more time. With a true faith of God one more time.

With the true power of God one more time in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, if God if you believe God's gonna do miracles to you, but give God a shout of praise tonight. Give God a shout of praise.

Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Now remember we're talking about a man Elijah as a church type of how God takes a person from the moment they first heard his word to a place where your life is a confrontation.

Against a system that is falsely representing Christ. Or let's put it this way where you're actually standing and God can come down with glory and say this is my church. Because his fire came on that altar eventually and he bore witness to that which was his and I don't know about you.

But I want the fire of the Holy Ghost in my life more than I ever have at any time in history. And I recognize it without the Holy Spirit. We'll never win this battle. We'll never really fully affect our society the way that God wants it to be affected without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Moving from Spiritual Comfort into Human Need

So remember dryness. Is not the devil attacking you. This dryness can come into your life because God says I want to move you to something of my life. That is deeper than where you are right now. You're you're comfortable and focused in a sense on your own provision, but I'm moving you from that and I'm moving you into Other people's lives and I'm gonna make you an ambassador of my goodness to them and Elijah didn't have anything but the Word of God and it doesn't mean you have to have a wagon load of Things.

When you visit it you have God's Word and you say here's how you get the supply you you give your first little bit for others and you trust God to open the windows of heaven and You become part of that person's situation.

It doesn't mean you have to change countries cities or towns. Just means the person you need to minister to very well might be next door. And if it is not now, it won't be long. There will be people in your area that need help.

We're talking about a man that's taken from place to place and given exceedingly. The presence and the power of God to make a difference in his generation and now He came to pass verse 17. After these things that the son of the woman the mistress of the house fell sick and his sickness was so sore there was no Breath left in him.

She said to Elijah. What have I to do with thee? Oh thou man of God art there come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son. And he said to her give me your son. And he took him out of her bosom and carried him up into a loft where he abode and laid him on his own bed.

And he cried unto the Lord and said O Lord My God has thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourned by slaying her son. And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried unto the Lord and said O Lord my God I pray thee let this child's soul come into him again and the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived and Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother and Elijah said see thy son liveth.

And the woman said to Elijah now by this I know that thou art a man of God and that the Word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth. She began to suspect he represented God when provision came into the house.

But when her son was raised from the dead she knew and you remember in Book of Isaiah, he says if you reach out to the afflicted soul if you do not hide From your own flesh. He said then you call to me and I will say here I am and Elijah moving from this brook moving from this place of personal comfort into the necessity of other people becoming part of the.

Their situation is in this widow's house and her son dies. And folks if you and I are going to have any influence in this generation of young people. We've got to be involved now in people's lives we've got to be moving into the poverty around us in the power of the Holy Ghost and an obedience to God and when we have this promise that we'll be given spiritual authority and When we cry God will hear this kid was dead.

And we're living in the generation where young people are Spiritually dead not all but many as a matter of fact most not only dead angry. Not only angry violent not only violent having lost all moral moorings completely darkened to the life of God like this widow's son.

How many single mothers in New York City are crying out now? God, are you out there? Do you have anybody that can help? My children are going in every direction and if they don't stop the ones that aren't in jail are going to end up in jail and My sons and daughters are turning my daughter's promiscuous.

My son's turning violent. I can hear the cry multiplied hundreds and hundreds of times throughout the city and it's as if we're in that situation where the Scripture says in Ezekiel the Lord looked for a man to find to stand in the gap a man mean a man or woman to Stand in that gap and stop the events of this death and stop this plague.

I Want to suggest to you? That it's a man or woman who has moved into this mountain of human misery and Is bringing this life of God and is bringing a heartfelt commitment of God into fallen society that God says now.

You call out to me and I'll hear you you ask me for spiritual authority and I'll give it to you. I'll put words in your mouth and when these kids come in contact with you, they're going to live. We need spiritual authority again.

We're not going to win the argument by throwing a tract in some kids hand folks. We need spiritual authority. We need to be able to stand in the power of our God. We need to be able to speak life-and-to-death.

I've told pastor Patrick these young kids that are coming in at this altar. There's no time to counsel now. You're never going to counsel the kids out of the pain and hurt that they've experienced. They need an encounter with the Living God.

They need to meet with God. There have to be men and women of authority spiritual authority to Speak on them just the same way that God spoke into the darkness in the beginning and said let there be light.

We're at that time in history. There's no more time for games. There's no sweet formulas that are going to change this situation. We're in now these kids are dead. We have to have men and women of God who have moved away from this book of ease moved away from the focus on self.

They're moving now into the mountain of human need and God says when you do. When you no longer hide from your own flesh when you call out to me, I'll say here I am. I'll be the glory behind you. I'll be the path in front of you and I'll cause you to raise up another generation.

And you will be called the restorer the repairer of the breach and the restorer of past to dwell in. I believe this with all My heart. I believe it with everything in my being. I Believe the true church of Jesus Christ will be given the authority to speak into the mouth of hell itself.

And say let these people go let this generation go. Praise be to God. Praise be to God praise be to God. We are going to make a difference in this generation. It's not just going to be a few superstar preachers as God's going to raise up.

It's going to be you that God's going to use going to be you in your neighborhood. It's going to be you on your job. It's going to be you and your family as you begin to simply just reach out to human need.

The Lord said you call. And I'm going to say here I am. I'm gonna come and when I come there's life when I come prison doors open when I come blinded I see when I come wounded hearts get healed when I come devils flee.

Let's stand please pastor Patrick. He's going to lead us in prayer.

Spiritual Authority for a Dead Generation

Hallelujah, hallelujah folks. You know your voice counts tonight. God is wanting to give this church age. The young people of this generation. He's wanting to give the church. It's not just one person.

This is not about the youth department. This is about the Church of Jesus Christ. Advancing and taking ground back from the enemy. We're talking about the schools. We're talking about the youth prisons.

We're talking about communities. We're talking about drug dens. We're talking about arcades. We're talking about movie theaters. We're talking about God gaining ground through your life in mind through his church.

Advancing and taking back the spoils from the enemy tonight of a man. So let's lift our voices lift your voices for your family members nieces nephews. Schools in your community schools around your job.