Over the Christmas holidays; my family gave me a new Android phone. I was super excited; until I took it home. It came with a touch screen, application download capabilities and Internet access. My son told me that he wanted me to study it and to do everything on my own. I never expected anything to be so hard.
It took me days to set up accounts and simple things became grossly complicated. One of the things that really got to me was when everything froze up with an error message that reads: “Force Close.” I don’t know how it ever happened, but over and over again.
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“How much does a Blackberry cost?” I politely asked my son.
That sort of made him decide to give me a quick tutorial that ended with: “Is there anything else that you need to know?”
“Yeah, what’s all this “force close” stuff. “
He explained some sort of overload which caused me to totally take that phone apart and wait way too long for it to start back up again.
That crazy error almost caused me to get rid of the phone.
Essentially, I was trying to do too much with the phone and “it” got overwhelmed!
I finally decided to take charge and to stop letting the phone “rule” me. It’s funny now, but it wasn’t funny then.
I decided even after all of that; that the phone was worth it. With my new knowledge; I was armed to be a better and happier owner of this little “not so smart” phone.
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A lot of times people become born again and it all seems very exciting to them. They join church, they hear the word and something happens. The something that happens is deliberate; and whoever you are you must stand firm. You must see your way through the tough times, the times when no answers seem forthcoming quickly; you must wait on God and I guarantee you…
He will not fail you. You must not give up!
Something is happening to send you into “Force Close” mode; but you must resist it because just as our wonderful minister spoke today said…your victory is right there. You are so close. Your “force close” could be a situation, finances, people, pressure or even thoughts to make you think that God cannot or will not help you. That’s a lie. The great thing about the bible is that your answer is in there.
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The widow of Zarepath suffered from a Force Close in my opinion. She had lost her husband, she was raising her son alone in a famine and she had no food to last her and obviously no more money.
She wasn’t crying or begging; she seemed resigned to the fact that her life would end or be shut down. Her faith was quiet as she made a life changing decision. Her faith ushered in a miracle for her! God was just waiting on her to let Him work it.
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It is indicated in the passage that she heard from God before Elijah came. (see verse 9) Yet; her words imply that she was thinking it over because it just didn’t make sense. Her circumstances were saying one thing and her faith was saying something else!
God sent Elijah the prophet to Zarepath. Why did God send Elijah? Well, for one reason; it was likely an answer to prayer ( from the widow). Secondly, he sent Elijah to perform a miracle. Thirdly, he sent Elijah to save the woman’s life and her son’s life and to demonstrate the seriousness with which God receives our prayer. This illustration intimates that all of what happens was dependent upon the woman’s faith; and she had to make a choice. In her own words; she planned to die. But, when the faith choice came…she walked by faith.
1 Kings 17
1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21And 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.
22And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24And 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.
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You see, the Force Close on my phone is an inevitable glitch that I’ve encountered and I’ve found a way to get around it! We will always face some type of a “force close” in our lives. There will always be a glitch of some sort; but God says we are overcomers, He says the victory is ours. Faith is being confident and firmly persuaded that God’s promises are true! With a better attitude of determination I will face down any “force closes: that present themselves in my life! The victory already is mine.
Outpouring! Faith Center 