Samuel Rodriguez - Jezebel's Tweet
She tweeted, she tweeted. Her tweet was a nasty tweet. Oh, and Jezebel tweeted. When Jezebel issued her tweet this is why after the prophet Elijah, the most famous prophet of his generation. He confronted her husband who's the king of Israel, Ahab on mount Carmel. Said, "The real God's gonna answer with fire," and he did. The false prophets all died. Then the prophet prays for rain, rain came down. But then Ahab goes to his wife and says, "The prophet killed your team". 1 Kings 19:1 Jezebel lost it and she tweeted. She in essence engaging in a modern-day application of the story. She in essence issued out the word and she tweeted. What a tweet. Can you go back to the tweet graphic please? Go back to the graphic of the tweet 'cause you gotta see this. That's what she tweeted. "Hey, Elijah in 24 hours you will die".
I just wanna know who are the 157 people who loved her tweets? That's what I'm interested in and of course all the retweets and 568.000 people quoted her. That's just crazy. She tweeted, she tweeted. I wanna speak to you briefly this morning as we wrap up the mantle of promotions series. Three months, actually four: October, November, December, January. Here's a message "Jezebel's tweet the battle is between your mind and your mantle". When you win that battle you will change the world. Tell your neighbor the battle is between your mind and your mantle. When you win that battle you will change the world.
1 Kings 19:1 let me read it, make it legal, here we go. "When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal". What a gossiper. A gossiping husband. So, Jezebel sent this message to Elijah, she tweeted, "May the Gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you, just like you killed them". She tweeted. Here's verse three, "Elijah was afraid, and he fled for his life. He went to Beersheba a town in Judah, and he left his servant there". Verse four, "Then he went on alone into the wilderness traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die". Oh wow, "I have enough. I have had enough Lord," he said, "Take my life for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. I'm already dead. Take my life". He wanted to die. Verse nine, "Then he came to a cave where he spent the night, but the Lord said to him, 'hey Elijah, what are you doing here'"?
Alright, number one if you're taking any notes and always good, good luck with that. Point one, Jezebel's tweet requires a response. Never permit Jezebel's tweet to go unanswered. She threatened to kill the man of God. There's the tweet you know she's threatening to kill the man of God. "I'mma kill you". The most anointed prophet of his generation. And Jezebel says, "I'm gonna kill you". She threatened to kill the man of God. She threatened to silence the prophetic voice. She threatened the oracle of righteousness and justice. She threatened to put an end to the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. She threatened. She engaged in what can be described as mental terrorism. What we know as psychological warfare the question arises. How do we respond? When the enemies of our God-ordained purpose, assignment and destiny threaten our calling, our family, our future, our health, our faith, our generation, our nation.
Jezebel's tweet requires a response. Never permit Jezebel's tweet to go unanswered. What do we do? What? How should we respond? When we are threatened, when the enemy says, "I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna do away with your family. Your family will not be saved. You're never gonna see that dream become a reality. Your purpose will never be realized". How should we respond when we are threatened by the spirit of Jezebel? How should we respond? Jezebel was not the first and she won't be the last to threaten God's children. Once upon a time, the Israelites were threatened by the Egyptians as they were coming out of slavery, on route to the Promise Land. God gave his children through Moses a prescription, an antidote to the darkness that threatened their very existence. But Moses told the people, "Do not be afraid, stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. For the Egyptians you see today will never be seen again". Exodus 14:13.
Here it is, how should we respond? Let's look at biblical examples, "Don't be afraid, do not be afraid, stand still. Watch the Lord rescue you". Ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls this is the prescription for your breakthrough. When all hell comes against you. When you are threatened. When the enemy is threatening your joy and your peace, and your health, your vitality, your relationship, your faith, your family, your destiny and your future. "Do not be afraid, stand still, watch the Lord rescue you". In other words, if you rebuke fear, if you refuse to panic, if you keep your eyes on the Lord with a spirit of expectancy. The enemies you see today will never be seen again.
And this is the word of the Lord for you and your family today. Rebuke fear, don't panic. Look at your neighbor tell 'em don't panic. Keep your eyes on Jesus. I said keep your eyes on Jesus. Let me say it one more time. Keep your eyes on Jesus. I'm gonna say it till you get it. Keep you eyes on Jesus. Don't put your eyes on the news. Don't put your eyes on social media. I don't care who it is don't put your eyes on the White House. Don't put your eyes on any man, any personality. Don't put your eyes on the things around you, keep your eyes on Jesus and all the enemies threatening you will never be seen again. How many believe God has the power to make certain the things you're confronting will never be seen again? We just read it. I sense the Lord.
Can you just come in agreement with me that sin will never be seen again? That lie will never be seen again. That illness will never be seen again. Somebody praise like you believe that. That disruption will never be seen again. That chaos will never be seen again. That pain will never be seen again. That panic attack will never be seen again, that loneliness, that phobia will never be seen again. How should we respond to threats? How should we respond to Jezebel's tweet?
Let me give you one more biblical example. Once upon a time there was a giant named Goliath who in essence did the very same thing. The giant looked at the Israelites and a shepherd boy whose name was David and said, "I am going to kill you". 1 Samuel 17: 43-45. And then all of a sudden here's the response David replied to the Philistine and said, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear and a javelin but I come to you". I said, "I come to you, but I come to you". He responded to his tweet, "I come to you in the name of the Lord of heavens armies, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defiled". And then he says, "Today," somebody say: today. "The Lord will conquer you".
We need to stand up like David. How should we respond when we are threatened? When someone tweets how should we respond? "You come against me with a sword, a spear and a javelin but I come against you in the name that is above every other name. In the name to whom which every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess. In the name by which salvation is come unto all mankind. In the name of he who sets the captives free". We come in the name of Jesus. But by the way David didn't say because one day we will have the victory. David didn't say next week we will have the victory. David never said, "If I fast and pray for three months I'm gonna inevitably get the victory". No, he said verse 46, "He said, 'by the way today, today'". Some a y'all need to just activate that right now anointing and say today. Is there anyone here who is so desperate that you can't wait next week for your breakthrough. And you can't wait for a month for your breakthrough, and you can't want for a year for your breakthrough. You need today to be that day. If you believe today is that day, give God your best shout of praise and say "Today".
Lift up your hands and say: "Today is the day". Say it like you believe it: "Today is that day". Today is that day! Today is the day my family gets saved. Today is the day my body gets healed. Today is the day the addiction comes to an end once and for all. The apostle Paul writing in 2 Corinthians 6:2: "Today is the day of salvation". Today, today, today Jezebel's tweet requires a response. Never permit Jezebels tweet to go unanswered. And a New Testament application the quintessential Luke 13:31-32, Jesus was threatened by Herod and he responds oh I love this, "Go tell that fox, go tell that fox I will keep on casting out demons. I'm gonna continue healing people, on the third day I will accomplish my purpose. In other words, I'm gonna do what God placed me on this planet to do and I will accomplish my purpose".
Number two, Jezebel's tweet provokes fear, depression and anxiety. Our response activates faith, destiny and anointing. I'm gonna repeat that one more time for the hearing impaired. Jezebel's tweet provokes fear, depression and anxiety. Our response activates faith, destiny and anointing. What did Elijah do when Jezebel tweeted? You would expect Elijah who just saw fire come down from heaven. You would expect the man who just prayed and it rained. You would expect him to read the tweet and go like what? Big deal, like, who cares about Jezebel's tweet? But he didn't, the moment he read the tweet, he freaked out. Somebody needs to explain how can you reconcile the guy who just prayed fire and rain, drought, fire and rain technically? Now he's freaking out because Jezebel tweeted. Well, with full disclosure Jezebel killed all his friends. All his friends. She almost wiped out every single prophetic voice in Israel. She would find them and kill 'em.
So, he knows I used to have a friend I used to go to Starbucks and get lattes together. They're no longer around me because she killed 'em. So, in other words, her stuff is not hype she really goes out and kills the prophets. But nevertheless, he prayed down fire! He prayed down rain! He freaked out! Elijah should have known better. Elijah should have been reminded that who speaks into you is much more important than who speaks about you. Elijah should have been reminded that a distraction, a distraction is the first step to a disruption. Elijah should have reminded himself that just like voice recognition technology you need to configure the settings of your own life with the following truth. If it's not authorized to speak into your life do not respond. There is a battle and I've stated this as I travel across the country now coming outta this pandemic.
This is the point that has received, and Jason can attest to this, the greatest amount of response. This is the wow moment in all of our conferences in the month of January. There is a battle going on right now and the battle is between your mind and your mantle. The battle is between the thoughts in your head and the calling upon your life. The true battle is between anxiety and anointing. The battle is between depression and destiny. The battle is between the nightmare and the dream. The battle is between your memories and your imagination. The battle is between faith and fear. The battle is between the hell in your past and the hope for your future. But how many here and how many watching online already know that the battle has already been won? I'm gonna ask that one more time. I don't need a religious response I need a righteous response. How many know that the battle has already been won? How many are certain that the battle has already been won.
1 Corinthians 15:57: "Christ is our victory. Let nothing move you". But let me be forthright today, that there are three critical elements that the prophet Elijah confronted that we must likewise confront. If we are to successfully carry the mantle of promotion, we have to overcome these things. We must overcome these things. Right here in front of you we must overcome exactly what Elijah had to confront. Fear, fear, that's the momma. Fear is the mom. Fear is the womb from which these things flow. Fear and out of fear comes depression and anxiety. Fear is the mother of twins not necessarily identical but nevertheless twins, depression and anxiety. And let me explain something regarding depression and anxiety. Are they equally dangerous? Well, let me explain this to you real quick. Depression is about your past. Anxiety is about your future. People get depressed because of something that was done to you or something you did. So, you're depressed based on something that already happened.
Somebody asked me pastor Sam which one is more dangerous. I would argue that out of these two this one is more dangerous. This one occupies the prophetic. This one occupies your future. This is about stuff you haven't even seen yet or experienced yet. You get anxious about tomorrow and tomorrow hasn't even arrived. This one occupies your past. This one occupies your future. That right here, right here this is what attacks the prophetic. The plans that Jeremiah 29:11, the 1 Corinthians 2:9. So, anxiety, depression. Pastor Sam as Christians do Christians fight this? Elijah confronted this. Fighting depression and anxiety does not make you less of a Christian. Absolutely not it makes you human. Elijah, "Come on, fire"! And then the next moment, "I wanna die"! Are you kidding me? Ha!
Here it is help us Lord. In other words, let me engage today's contextualized reality. I have to be careful now so they don't de-platform me again. The greatest virus infecting humanity is not COVID. The greatest virus infecting humanity is not COVID. The greatest virus infecting humanity is the virus of fear. Where the variants of anxiety and depression. I wanna repeat that. The greatest virus infecting humanity is not COVID. The greatest virus infecting humanity is the virus of fear with the variants of anxiety and depression. But I don't have good news, I have great news. There is a 2.000-year-old vaccine. I said there is, it wasn't in a laboratory, it wasn't somewhere in a medical research center on the cross of Calvary. The vaccine above every other vaccine was developed and poured out to overcome this, if you've been vaccinated shout like you know the blood of Jesus.
All the righteous vaccinated people lift up your voice and shout like the blood of Jesus already forgave you. Shout like you know that. Shout like you believe it! Oh, oh, wait, wait wait, lift up your hands, lift up your hands. So, but we have a vaccine that was slayed out on the cross. You see these buckets? On purpose I asked my team I need some booster shots today. These are the boosters. "But Sam what are you saying"? Oh yeah, here's the booster. Here's the holy communion, here's your booster shot. I kid you not, remind yourself whenever you feel your spiritual immune system is going down. Remind yourself that on the night that Jesus was betrayed he broke bread with his disciples. Blessing the bread he said, "This is my body," then he gave out wine and said, "This is a symbol of the new covenant, blood that will be shed do this until I come back".
If you really want the most powerful booster on the planet. Every single time come into God's house remind yourself that you live in the finished work of Christ. Anybody need a booster today? Come up and get your booster. Come on up. I have enough for everybody. Get your booster shot. I'm not kidding go up and get your booster shot. That's your booster shot. Go get your booster. Remind yourself that Jesus shed his blood on the cross. Remind yourself that he resurrected on the third day. Remind yourself that the new covenant is greater than the old covenant. Remind yourself that he defeated every principality and power of darkness on the cross. Disarming them by the power of his word. Somebody shout like you know. Get your booster shot.
Stand with me. Let me give you your booster. There's a vaccine in every single Sunday you come to church. Guess what you get? Your booster. That's why you come to church guys and I'm not speaking about what's happening with COVID or vaccines or boosters, that's your personal decision with the father and son and the Holy Spirit. That's a decision for you to make with God and your family and your health provider. I'm talking about the spiritual application of the number one virus infecting humanity is not COVID is fear. Elijah confronted that virus. How do we defeat this stuff? You're already vaccinated 2.000 years ago if you're born again. If you accept Jesus you have a vaccine. And by the way hey, hey I love what the author of Hebrews says, "With the blood of Jesus," you don't have to get a second vaccine, a third vaccine or a fourth vaccine. Somebody praise like you got that.
So, let me make it legal here as you stand with me. Let me give you the booster shot. Here's the fear. The fear vaccine is simple. Fear not Isaiah 41:10: "For I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will hold you in my righteous right hand". Here's your fear vaccine out of the blood of Jesus, out of the finished work of Christ, 2 Timothy 1:7. How many times can we possibly read this this verse? "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control".
Here's your anxiety booster I'mma get it to you, no hype. Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid". Here's your depression booster, here we go. Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all who labor and heavy laden and I will give you". Here's another depression booster Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for evil. To give you future and a hope".
This is the number one virus, but there's a vaccine for that, 2.000 years ago and this is your booster. Remind yourself of the finished work of Christ. Remind yourself when he said, "It is finished". He meant it and he wasn't joking. If you got this raise your hand. What did Jezebel say, bring back the tweet team, can you put back the original tweet? If it's possible go back. You see that tweet? "In twenty four hours you will die". Yeah, well 24 hours passed and Elijah did not die. Forty-eight hours passed Elijah did not die. A week passed Elijah did not die. A month passed Elijah...
What if I tell you a year passed he did not die? What if I tell you a decade passed he did not die? What if I tell you a 100 years passed he did not die. What if I tell you a 1.000 years passed he did not die? What if I tell you it's been approximately 2.800 years since Jezebel tweeted and the man has yet to die? Y'all didn't get that. She said, "You're gonna die in 24 hours," and the man has yet to die. 2 Kings 2:11 says, "That Elijah and Elisha were walking suddenly a chariot of fire. A chariot of fire separates them. A whirlwind takes Elijah up". The Bible says, "Elijah never died".
In the matter a fact next time we see Elijah Matthew 17:2, he's takin' a selfie with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. I don't know if you got that. He never died. What does that mean for you? Whatever hell has declared upon you! Whatever hell has spoken upon you, your family, your home, your health, your future, the opposite will take place. I need you to look at your neighbor and tell ‘em whatever Jezebel declared, whatever hell has spoken upon you. Whatever the enemy has planned out for you, for your children or your children's children, or your children's, children's children. The opposite, I said the opposite, I said the opposite will take place. Somebody shout like you know. The opposite will take place. What heaven starts hell cannot stop.