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Watch 2022-2023 online sermons » Samuel Rodriguez » Samuel Rodriguez - Obscurity Precedes Opportunity

Samuel Rodriguez - Obscurity Precedes Opportunity


Samuel Rodriguez - Obscurity Precedes Opportunity

I wanna speak to you on this subject matter today as we continue with the story. Here it goes, God protects what you proclaim to Cherith, And the simple way of putting it is, God will hide you in His presence before you shine for His glory. The subject matter today is God hiding you. The God that we serve is the God that hides you, let me make it real. And the Lord, now don't forget here's Elijah. He looks at King Ahab, the king of Israel, the most powerful person equivalent to pastor Sam or any of you approaching President Joe Biden today in the white house and giving him a word, and saying dear President Joe Biden, it's not gonna rain in America until I say so. First of all, that will come out on the cuckoo for cocoa puff channel, and they will take you away. And by away, I mean away. And I don't mean Lodi, I mean away.

And so that's what he did. He looked at the king of Israel and said, it's not going to rain 'cause I said so. And it's not gonna rain until I say so. Immediately thereafter, it says the Lord said to Elijah, notice the Lord said, not Ahab. The Lord speaks to Elijah and says, "Go to the east and hide". Proclamation activates protection. Let me repeat that, God will protect what you proclaim. He said a word, and immediately God enters into this hiding protective mode. The proclamation went first. We proclaim it in the name of Jesus, and God will protect it for the glory of God. If you proclaim it, God will protect it.

Do not ask God to protect your children, if you have yet to proclaim your entire family will be saved. Do not ask God to protect your tomorrow, if you have yet to proclaim that your tomorrow belongs to God. Do not ask God to protect your way, if you have yet to proclaim His will. You proclaim, God protects. You speak, God protects. You pray, God protects. He will protect your proclamation from the devil. He will protect your proclamation from haters. He will protect your proclamation from critics. He will protect your proclamation from the past. He will protect your proclamation from you sabotaging your own proclamation. And how does God protect your proclamation? By hiding you. Elijah said "No more rain". And God said, "I'm going to hide you".

That's crazy, I'm going to hide you. Psalm 27 verse five says this. "For He will conceal me there when troubles come, He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock". You missed that part. He will put me out of reach. I dare you to believe with me right now, there's not a devil in hell or a demon on earth that will be able to touch you because you are hidden in the presence of God. You are out of reach, but you're not out of reach in the basement. You're not out of reach somewhere in a pin. You are out of reach on a high rock. Even when you're hiding, you're still in the high place. Even when God is hiding you, He hides you in the high place.

Colossians 3:3, "For you die to this life. And your real life is hidden with Christ in God". God hides you, but not just anywhere. The Bible says that he told him where to go. To this Cherith place, Kerith. Where's Armando, is Armando anywhere here in the auditorium? What's the pronunciation there? Kerith, Cherith. There's two, we debated them. We do a deep Hebrew exegetical extrapolation. We have a seminary team here about every single word. And he tells him, "Go to Cherith, to Kerith, go there and hide".

You know what Cherith means? You could Google it. It means to cut off. He will hide you to cut people off away from you. There comes a season in your life where God will hide you and send you to Cherith. And He'll cut you off. He'll cut you off from things within yourself, and He'll even cut you off from certain people that would have impeded the fulfillment of the word that you proclaim. I'm talking to at least five people right now. There comes a season where God will cut you off, and he will cut people from your life. So if you find yourself in that season right now, it's not the devil! And by the way, get over yourself! It's not God punishing you! It is God protecting you, so the word that's been proclaimed, will come to pass! God hides you in Cherith. And it means to cut down, to cut off. It represents a season.

Elijah went from the palace, he literally was in the palace where he spoke to Ahab. He goes to the palace. He looks at Ahab. He looks at Ahab and says "No more rain". He goes from that season to what? To being desolate with ravens. Now put this in perspective. It looks like he's being demoted, but he's not. Let me put it in today's context. Let me contextualize it for today. He went from being on television, to not having wifi. He went from speaking to crowds, to speaking to God, a widow, and her son.

And some of y'all don't even know, you know how long this lasted, this hiding Cherith, Kerith, this whole entire season, how long it lasted? Three years. He went from being rockstar prophet, speaking to the king. And all of a sudden, God hides him. Did God demote him? No, God hid him. And if you say oh, God was just, it was all about protection. Well, not really. What do you mean not really? It wasn't God, it wasn't all about God protecting him? Well, didn't God protect him when he spoke to Ahab? Wouldn't God protect him later on in first Kings 18 when he goes on top of the mountain, in front of hundreds of people? So if God could protect him there and protect them there, why couldn't God perfectly protect them there? Why would God have to hide him to protect him?

I'm gonna preach now. For three years, God hid this man. And it wasn't just about protection. No, no, no, no, no, no. It's about God asking Elijah, "Are you still passionate about me without the crowds? Are you still passionate about me without the palace access? Are you still going to be as passionate about me without your followers"? In other words, do you still trust me backstage? Do you still pray when no one is watching? Is my presence sufficient when the platform is not around? Do you still do right when you're off the stage? In other words, I didn't call you to be famous. I called you to be faithful. Am I preaching to anybody here right now? God didn't call you to be famous, He called you to be faithful. And he wants to know whether or not what drives you is the crowd, or His presence.

What drives you is the stage, or His glory. Do you still do right when you're off the stage? Before he promotes you, he takes you to a place, to a season of Cherith. A season of cut down and cut off. Ooh, I love this! The season where He wants to cut some, he just had this moment before the king and God says, "Now I'm gonna take you through a process, baby. I'm gonna take you through a pro... this is going to be counterintuitive to what you may even think. I'm gonna take you from speaking in front of thousands, and speaking in front of so many people. I'm gonna give you an audience of a raven, a widow, and a son. For three years, that'll be your church. Let's see if you still stick around. Let's see if you still pray the way you pray. Let's see if your praise doesn't change according to your audience. Let's see if you still praise me when no one's around and worship me when you're not in church on Sunday morning. Let's see if you still proclaim my promises, when no one's around to celebrate or affirm, or validate you. I want to see you. I'm gonna pass you through a process".

I love this. Matthew chapter five verse 30 says this. "If your hand, even your stronger hand causes you to sin, cut it off". Of course he's not speaking literally. He's saying whatever would impede you and I from being completely one, address it. Cut it off, remove it. Be cognizant of it, remove it. And then the other part of it is even more powerful. "It's better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell". Wow, now I'm gonna get... God will hide you. Cherith is here. Over there as Mount Carmel, the next chapter of his life. You know what he does? He becomes, this blows him up.

The greatest moment of his life took place after Cherith. Three years later he finds himself on top of a mountain, a bunch of people around him, hundreds of people. And they have this debate. And then the king Ahab is there and they go, "You know what? You bring your God, I bring my God". It was a God fight. And he gets off, you bring your God I bring my God. And Ahab says "I'm gonna bring my God, I'm gonna bring my praise and worship team", he actually did. He bought his own band, his own praise and worship team. They had their own merch, they sold their merch. It had everything going for them. And their playlist was ready, everything was being downloaded on iTunes, it was powerful! And then Elijah comes along and says, "Go ahead, the real God is gonna answer with fire. You do what you have to do. My God versus your god, let's see what God is real".

And that blew him up even more. But before he got to Mount Carmel, he was in Cherith. what is God telling you today? Why are you here, why are streaming online right now all over the world? Because God is speaking to a bunch of people who are hiding right now. And it's not, you are hiding because God is hiding you and God has been hiding you not to demote you. He's hiding you getting ready to promote you. You're gonna get this in a second. Was Elijah anointed? And yet he was hidden. You can be anointed, and yet be hidden. Was Elijah called? He was called, and yet he was what? Hidden. Ooh, was Elijah gifted? He was gifted. And yet he was what? So I'm speaking to every single person. You're anointed. You're called. You're gifted, and yet your hidden.

Obscurity proceeds opportunity. This is your season of obscurity right before the opportunity. He will hide you from the schemes of the enemy. He will hide you from your past. He will hide the new you from the old you. He will hide your imagination until your old memories are cut off, oh man. You didn't get that. He will hide your imagination until your old memories are cut off. He will hide you until you are ready for the new season. And he will hide you until the new season is ready for you. Before there's a Mount Carmel, there is a Cherith, a Kerith. Before you thrive on the mountain top, you must learn to trust God in the desert. He will hide you before he promotes you, I sense the Lord here. He will hide you in the winter, before he presents you in the spring. God hasn't been punishing you. God has been hiding you. This is for someone here.

God hasn't been punishing you. I sense God. God hasn't been punishing you. He has been hiding you. God hasn't been keeping you down, He has been keeping you away. You have to first hide in His presence, before you shine with His glory. You have to first hide in His presence, before you shine with His glory. So if you are hidden, you're in good company. God hid Moses for 40 years. God hid David. For 30 years, God hid Jesus. For three years, God hid Paul. So if you've been hiding, get ready, you're about to shine like you've never shined before! If this word is for you, praise like it's for you. Worship like it's all yours! Lift up your hands and say I'm about to shine! All the people who have been hidden, lift up your hand. If you are in your hiding season, if you have been in the season where God has been hiding you and you sense it and you feel it, just raise both hands.

If there were occasions where you thought it was your time to come out of hiding, but God said "No, there's still things I want to cut off". Raise both hands and a foot. Oh, I sense God. The Spirit of God told me a bunch of hidden people are about to come out. He's been hiding an army of people, anointed, gifted, and called. And this army is about to rise up and confront the spirit of Ahab, Jezebel and Baal. Oh, I'm preaching to someone. He's been hiding you. You've been going through your hiding season. I need you to get ready. You're about to shine, so help me. You're about to have your Mount Carmel moment. You are about to shine. Everything you've been through, it wasn't God punishing you. It was God hiding you but ready or not, here you come. If you believe this is your season to come out of your hiding place, and step into your shining place for Him.

Now give Him the praise that lets him know that you're signing on. Are you ready for this? Let me give you a verse I want you to place in your spirit. Isaiah 49:2, "He made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand, he hid me. He made me a polished arrow in his quiver, and he hid me away". What does he subsequently do with that arrow? That's you. I hear God say "I'm about to release a generation of hidden Elijah's, into a world bound by Ahab and Jezebel". You are about to come out from obscurity to opportunity. And Ahab will ask, "Where did you come from"? You're about to have people go like "Where did she come from"? Where did he, even in your work you've been hiding. In your relationships, in your family, you've been hiding. Oh, but you're about to come out and shine. You're about to come out and shine. Ooooh! The Jezebel's will ask, "where did you come from"? And you will say I was hidden by Him, so I can shine for Him.

Somebody say "hide and shine". Look at your neighbor, tell him "hide and shine". Please tell your neighbor "I've been hidden. God was hiding me for this hour. He wasn't punishing me. It was not God demoting me, It was God preparing me. And now, and I mean now, before this year is over I'm about to come out. I'm about to shine like I've never shined before, so I need you to get ready. You're about to see the glory of God in me, the glory of God with me, and the glory of God through me, like never before". Here it is, Philippians 2:15, "That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you will shine, you will shine, as lights in this world". You've been hiding. Let me give you the final point here today. Woo, tee-hee! Then He says, "I'm gonna hide you because I hide you".

You need to learn to hide in God's presence before you shine with His glory that season. And then God says "Not only am I going to hide you, I'm gonna provide for you when I hide you. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them". He obeyed God, he was hiding. God was hiding him. And all of a sudden, provision appears. You obey, God provides. You speak a word into your circumstance, and God will provide. You speak a word into your generation, and God will provide. What if I tell you that the reason you're not seeing provision is because you are lacking proclamation? The moment you open up your mouth and speak a word over yourself, over your family, over your generation, over your community, the moment you release a word, God will provide. You speak a word over your family, and God will provide.

Our God is a God of provision. He is Jehovah Jireh. If in the past one year and 10 months of this ludicrousy the whole world is currently living collectively, if you have experienced Jehovah Jireh, if God has provided for you, raise one hand. If throughout the course of the past year and 10 months without a doubt, you discovered even more that He is without a doubt you're Jehovah Jireh, your provider, raise both hands. If He provided in such a way that no matter what happens going forward, you will never doubt. You will never, ever, ever doubt that God will provide all of our needs according to His riches which are in glory, raise both hands and a foot. And now watch this, if you believe that God's gonna continue to provide, and not only will He provide for you, but for your children and your children's children and your children's children's children and the people you love.

If you believe that God's about to pour out provision in such a way that all of your needs will be met, now give Him one expression of worship that lets Him know. Can anybody here praise for His provision? Can anybody hear worship Him for being Jehovah Jireh? How many here did God provide for you, even when you weren't right? Did God provide for you, even when you weren't right? Did God provide for you even when you did not deserve for God to provide for you? He provides. Philippians four 19, Ephesians three 20. Second Corinthians nine, eight. He provides. Somebody say He provides. Our God is a God of provision. And he provides, and then he says "I'm gonna provide, but I'm going to use a raven". A raven.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, ravens don't give. Ravens take away. Ravens don't provide, ravens devour, usually dead cadavers. On occasion they become very aggressive, adversarial. They are predatory in nature, but they are more scavengers than anything else. All they do is look for something that is dead, and they rip it off. That's what they do. Ravens don't share. Ravens fight other ravens. All of a sudden God says, "I'm gonna change the coding, the algorithm. I'm gonna change the nature of this beast. I'm gonna make it do the opposite of what it normally does. And I'm gonna do it all for you". If God has the power to change a raven and flip it in your favor, God has the power to change the nature of everything that is around you. The things that were sent out to kill you, will end up blessing you! The things that were sent out to rob you will end up blessing you. If you believe that, say amen. Matter of fact if you really believe it, I dare you in this season to say come on, send me the raven. No, no, no, say it like you believe it. Send me the raven! God's about to feed you. God's about to provide for you. God's about to protect you. God's about to promote you through things that were never created.

Lift up your hands. God will use the things that were never created to promote you, and to provide for you. The things that were never created, originally designed? The algorithm, the coding, the programming. All of that stuff, God has the power to flip it. I sense the Lord saying I'm about to provide for you, through unusual means. I'm about to provide your resources, what you need for the fulfillment of your destiny, of what God has prepared you for, for His glory. You're gonna advance the kingdom of heaven. I hear the Lord saying You're gonna occupy significant space until He comes. You're gonna occupy, you're gonna conquer, you're gonna possess, you're gonna advance, but He's going to provide for you through unusual means. You're looking for that bank to give you the loan. And God says, "I'm gonna use a raven to finance your dream and your destiny". Are you with me right now?

I feel the Lord. As I speak, God is changing the nature of people around you. God is changing the nature of things around you. I hear the Lord say surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise. The raven is about to feed you. The raven is about to feed your family! The raven is about to feed your relationship! The raven is about the feed your baby. Somebody praise like the God you serve is the God that can flip! Stand with me. Our God is a God that has the power to change the nature. He'll change the nature. So don't tell me God can't use, He can't use a raven, He has to only use a dove. God says, "I'll use the dove and the raven. I'm God". Woo, woo!

So I'm gonna speak to every religious person here. Not too many of y'all in this church. And those streaming, stop judging the raven. You see a raven, you automatically judge the raven. You see a raven, you automatically condemn the raven. Some of y'all won't even let ravens inside your church. I have news for you. I see a raven and I say the same God of the dove, the same God of the eagle, is the same God. Can you imagine the first day the raven brought Elijah food? Can you imagine the raven flying over to Elijah going like, "What am I doing"? This is me the raven, watch the wings here right? This is so realistic. This is the raven flying over to Elijah going like, "What am I doing? What am I doing? I want to bite his nose. I want to poke him in the eye. And yet I'm bringing this guy food. What? I'm bringing him food".

I sense God. You're about to see God send people your way. People that attacked you before are about to bless you. People that hated on you before are about to bless you. People that came against you are about to bless you. I dare you to shout, send your ravens! If you got this word, raise your hand. Are you with me right now? How can I say this? Because I know that when God hides you, no weapon formed against you will ever prosper. When God hides you, you are protected perfectly from all harm. So the stuff that He permits to come your way will have no other choice but to feed you, nourish you, grow you, and bless you. Hey if you received this message today, now give Him your final praise.
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