These Are the Days of Elijah Quotes

“grief. We do and say strange things—sometimes bizarre things—when we are swallowed up in grief. No one should be hard on us when we say thoughtless and selfish things when we are in grief. Both Mary and Martha accused Jesus of being the cause of their brother’s death by not responding immediately to their request: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32). Jesus did not rebuke either of them. Instead, He wept with them (see John 11:35). So with all of us. He knows our frame; He remembers we are dust.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“But there is another change coming for you and me down the road. Are we ready for this? There will come a day—sooner or later—when God will say, “Your time is up.” We all have to die. What is more, everything that we are doing in this life should be getting us ready for that day. So I am now going to ask you: Do you know for sure that if you were to die today, you would go to heaven? It is the most important question anybody can”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Elijah was vindicated then and there as being a true man of God. Not everybody gets vindication that soon. For some it takes years. For some, vindication takes place after he or she has gone to heaven. Jesus never was universally vindicated—on earth, that is. His vindication was “by the Spirit” (1 Timothy 3:16). One day He will be openly vindicated—when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord (see Philippians 2:11). Every person will then say, “Now I know.” But until that final day, Jesus will remain the most misunderstood and “unvindicated” person who ever lived.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Elijah wanted the crisis to be dealt with, and the boy was raised from the dead. Answered prayer is better—and more important—than answered questions: If you demand answers to your questions before you affirm the blood of Christ, you will lose your soul.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Elijah’s question was not answered, but his prayer was. Which would you prefer, an answer to your question or an answer to your prayer? I am sure that the widow did not particularly want her question answered; she wanted her son back, and that is what she got. Had Elijah waited for his question to be answered he would have never prayed. I have had countless people say to me, “When God explains to me why He allows suffering I will believe in Him.” The result in that case will be that you will never know the answer to that question here on earth. So are you going to lose your soul and be eternally lost? Or will you pray the prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” without your questions being answered?”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“synagogue and read from Isaiah 61:1–2, which He said meant Himself, Jesus then referred to this very episode in the life of Elijah: “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.” Luke 4:25–26 Why did Jesus speak those words at that particular time? It was an unsubtle hint that His ministry would be shared with and welcomed by Gentiles.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“ever ask you. Life at its longest is still short. We may say, “I need more time.” The truth is, God gives all of us enough time. We may not be prepared for that last day on earth, but we need to get prepared. All of life is moving toward that “Omega Point” when we stand before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:10). So I ask again: Do you know for certain that if you were to die today, you would go to heaven? Now for another question: Suppose you were to stand before God (and you will) and He were to ask you (and He might), “Why should I let you into My heaven?” What would you say? Only one answer will do. I will tell you my answer—and I pray it is yours: Jesus died on the cross for my sins. When it comes time to die and you have to make the greatest change of all, be sure that this is your heart-of-hearts answer.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“may never have an opportunity like that again. It is then you please God by faith. Persistent faith—the faith that is exhibited by those stalwarts described in Hebrews 11—is what you are called to exercise. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. The one who comes to God “must believe that he exists”—that He “is”—and that He “rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). The reward is worth waiting for. I do not think Elijah was happy when the brook dried up or when he lived in a Gentile town with a poor widow and her son. But Elijah stayed ready. So after a “long time” God gave him a tap on the shoulder: “Rain is coming at last. Present yourself to Ahab.” Things were starting to happen again!”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“A huge difference between “in season” and “out of season” is this: “In season” is when God pleases you; “out of season” is when you have a golden opportunity to please God. You may think you are pleasing God when He shows up “in season,” but, closer to the truth, He is pleasing you. When He hides His face, you should seize such a time with both hands. You”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“you and I can give in to is running ahead of God to make it look as though we are telling God what to do next. Waiting on God is one of the hardest things in this world to do. That means virtually doing nothing until He gives the signal. Part of the genius of Elijah is that he did nothing until God gave the word. As the psalmist put it, “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning” (Psalm 130:6). “As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master [watching for him to send the signal], . . . so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy” (Psalm123:2). This manifestation of mercy is worth waiting for.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“You may recall that we raised the question, Whose idea was it that it would not rain: God’s or Elijah’s? The answer? The buck stops with God. Further evidence of this is the verse we study in this chapter. Elijah did not go to Ahab to say it would rain; he waited to hear from God. He waited a long time—three and a half years. Then one day the word of the Lord came to Elijah to present himself to Ahab. And from that moment things started happening. You and I cannot make things happen. Elijah could not make things happen. We are fools if we try to make things happen in our own strength. I once asked the late Carl F. H. Henry, called “the dean of American theologians,” what he would do differently if he had his life to live over. After a moment he replied, “I would remember that only God can turn the water into wine.” The greatest folly”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. 1 Kings 18:1–2”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Elijah was vindicated openly in the widow’s eyes. The pity is, she should have known this already by now. The bread and oil being kept constant should have been enough. It took a further and greater miracle—which also defied natural explanation—to convince her. So with many in the Last Day regarding Jesus. When “every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7), Jesus will be openly vindicated, for all on that day will say, “Now I know.” But that knowledge will not be graced with the title faith. It will be too late for faith; it will be sight.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“What do you do when you are misunderstood? Elijah impressively set a standard for how one should respond when”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“When we can achieve calm and repose while those around us are losing their heads and blaming things on us, we are beginning to grow.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Elijah was brilliant in his response. He did not panic. He did not moralize with the distraught widow. He did not say, “I can’t believe you are talking to me like this.” He did not retort, “How dare you speak like this, seeing how the flour and the oil keep you alive!” He did not give her a guilt trip as she was trying to do to him. He merely said, “Give me your son.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“The widow’s comments are typically what most people feel at difficult times. First, she wondered if it was some sin in her life that brought this. We all have things in our pasts that we are ashamed of. We all have skeletons in the closet. And we often fear that God is somehow “getting even” with us by bringing some calamity or disaster our way. Second she accused Elijah of killing her son, which is the way many treat God. They want to accuse God of doing things that bring us grief in order to make Him look bad. This was a horrible thing for her to do, to lay this guilt on Elijah himself.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“The hiding of God’s face is the essence of His discipline. Moreover, God never gives advanced warning when He will be hiding His face. If only He would say, “Next Tuesday about 3:20 P.M., you will notice that the light of My countenance will be withdrawn for a while.” If only. Then we could be ready and not be shaken. But part of our preparation is learning how to respond in impossible situations when God seems very far away. And yet the widow was understandably in”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“An unexpected grief came to this widow of Zarephath, and, through it, an unexpected trial came to Elijah. God did not tell Elijah this would happen. But remember: Elijah himself was still in preparation. We must never assume that someone’s amazing gift means that he or she is ready for everything that is coming down the road. The brilliant gift may be unimprovable, but the person who has the gift may need a lot of further instruction, discipline, chastening and growing through perplexing situations.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“There is one person who will never let you down, will never fail you. Jesus Christ. He is perfect. Sinless. Faultless. He loves you more than you love yourself. He is always there. Always watching you. Never turning an eye from you. He loves you as though there were no other person to love. He will never, never, never fail you. Ever. Count on it. My whole life and ministry are based upon this premise: the absolute, unwavering perfection of Jesus.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“lost her only son—and Elijah to blame.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“This part of the story shows something of the suffering of a true prophet. It is true that the greater the suffering the greater the anointing, but it is also true that the greater the anointing, the greater the suffering. Never forget this. Anointing carries suffering with it. It was true of Abraham. It was true of Moses. Not only did Elijah experience his own sense of being let down by God when the brook dried up, but now he has an unanticipated crisis on his hands: a distraught widow who has suddenly”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Jesus could wash away your sins—but it is the only hope you have. Accept this offer now. Confess your sins to God. Thank Him for sending His Son. Transfer the trust you have in your good works to what Jesus did for you on the cross. Doing this will result in a pardon of all your sins. When the widow did what Elijah said to do, all he promised came to pass. It will with you, too, when you affirm this Gospel.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“may seem unreasonable—that the blood of”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“said, “Make a cake for yourself and your son, and then make some for me.” That would have been considered more sensible and unselfish. But, no, she was required to make this for him first—and then she and her son could have some. Added to his request was Elijah’s odd claim that this came from the “God of Israel” (1 Kings 17:14). This made the challenge even harder for this Gentile widow. Have you any idea how much the ancient Gentiles in that part of the world hated Israel? They did then and they do now. Elijah, thus, added to the obstacle he had put in her way. Granted, the widow had nothing to lose. It was the best offer she had. So, too, with receiving the Gospel message. You are going to die anyway. This is decreed for us all, for it is appointed unto all men and women “to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). It is the best offer you are going to get in this world.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“Dr. A. W. Pink observed that this command—to make the cake for Elijah first and then for her and her son—was one of the hardest commandments ever given. And, yet, for her to grant it was equally hard. It meant both of them going outside their comfort zones. Elijah wanted to confirm beyond all doubt that she was truly the widow God had chosen to supply his needs. He was gentle with her: “Don’t be afraid,” he said. In the process, then, Elijah put obstacles in her way in order to be sure. He might have”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“there. Enough is enough. You do not need flour and oil for tomorrow; only for today. You can live only one day at a time. You can take only one bite at a time. What more could you cope with anyway? My dad’s favorite verse was, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). The next verse goes on to say, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“And yet this part of the story shows that God supplies our need in a way that is both extraordinary but also ordinary. The extraordinary: The flour and oil were never used up. The ordinary: There was just enough for each day. It was never a case of a hundred barrels of flour and oil being wasted before their eyes. The amount was small and always”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things

“days of the earliest Church? I ask you: Do you want things to go on as usual, or do you want to see God do something unusual? If you want to see the extraordinary, I have to tell you that it means going outside your comfort zone. I wish it were not that way, but it is! Every person God used in the Old Testament and the New Testament and in Church history over the last two thousand years has had to go outside his or her comfort zone. That is partly why faith is sometimes spelled R-I-S-K. I would say this to you: If you get a clear invitation to move outside your comfort zone because of the possibility you might see God do the unusual, take it with both hands!”
― R. T. Kendall, These Are the Days of Elijah: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things