Samuel Rodriguez - When The Brook Dries Up
Some of you right now should be six feet under, but guess what? It may be raining outside, but you are in God's house right here right now, lifting up the name of Jesus, why? Because your life is proof that the devil is a liar. Your life is proof that God's promises are yes. Somebody praise like your life, your testimony. That's why Revelation 12:11 says, "We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony," the same God, the same God.
Isaiah 58:8 has been my marker verse for this year. I've stated this on multiple occasions on my postings, but it is powerful. It talks about God will push you to another place. When this dries up, He'll push you and He'll have your back. He'll tell you look this may have ended here, but over here, I got you, move, don't stay stuck. Keep moving. Here's the verse, "Your salvation will come like the dawn". Everything that has to be saved in your life will be saved. Somebody repeat after me, "My salvation will come like the dawn. Everything that has to be saved will be saved. And it says your wounds will quickly heal". Touch yourself and say, "My wounds will quickly heal". Say, "The wounds of the ones I love will quickly heal".
As a matter of fact, I'm declaring by faith that when you step into 2022, all the wounds from the past will be healed in the name of Jesus. Your wounds will quickly heal. I love this. Your godliness will lead you forward and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. So He tells him go. He tells him to do this. He tells him, ready, the brook dried up, go over there. What's over there? I want you to go into a city. I want you to go to Sarepta right next to Sidon. There's gonna be a widow and there's gonna be her son. That's gonna be your new audience, your new team.
I want you to go. Notice, He could have said go to another brook, but He didn't. He transferred him to a complete different atmosphere and environment. Why would He do that? Oh, stop, stop...! That's Latin for... Ahab, this is what he did over here. No more rain! No more rain. When he steps over here, upgrade on the anointing because even a kid dies, and Elijah, ooh, ma'am, you're son what? He died. Okay. He takes him to the upper room, always, everything happens in the upper room. He takes them to the upper room. A boy who was completely verifiably dead comes back to life. His miracle anointing just increased. It's one thing to pray it doesn't rain.
There's another thing when someone's completely dead and they get resurrected. What happened here? Something happened, a shift in his atmosphere. What if I tell you that sometimes the atmosphere stifles your anointing. Okay, let me explain it with a baseball analogy that happened yesterday. There was a player for the Atlanta Braves. His name is Eddie Rosario. He comes from Pastor Ava's homeland, where she was born, the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. So there's one Puerto Rican in the entire place that yelled. And they're not even Puerto Rican. They're probably like from Stockton, right? Eddie Rosario is interesting. Eddie Rosario is a player on the Brave's team who was picked up midstream. He was let go. There was a trade. Eddie Rosario's not the most famous baseball player in the world. Eddie Rosario was barely, just recently making minimum wage in baseball.
Eddie Rosario was... I'm gonna say this respectfully, God bless you Eddie, let's just say he was a utility player. That's code word for a mediocre player. He has been to so many teams. All of a sudden he arrives in Atlanta this season. You know what Eddie Rosario just did? Eddie Rosario just broke a bunch of records that have existed for over a hundred years. He hit his RBIs in six games, not seven games, in six, more RBIs, the number of home runs, his batting average with people on base. He has done more. I read the article today on the number of records that Eddie Rosario broke. This mediocre player supposedly that was drafted by the Minnesota twins, 2010, 2011. And he was not even the first round pick. So the guy was drafted, not in the first line, he wasn't picked first. He always struggled. All of a sudden he arrives, until you ask Eddie, what happened? What's going on here?
Here's the answer. He finally found an environment that activated the greatness that was inside of him. I'm gonna preach to somebody right now. God's about to put you in such a place. He's gonna surround you with an atmosphere that will activate the greatness that God has placed inside of you. If you believe that's for you, praise like, you know. So God shifted him. He shifted him to this environment, a different environment. And when the brook dries up, this is the final point, when the Brook dries up, keep moving. That's point number one. When the Brook dries up, point number two, there's supposed to be three points, but I'm breaking the rule book today, it's only two, dare to occupy enemy territory. Here's what God said. I want you to go to Sarepta and it's next to Sidon. What is Sidon? Sidon is not Goat, Turlock or Modesto. Sidon is where Jezebel comes from.
You all didn't hear it. Okay, watch this. Here's the prophet. He makes a proclamation. He goes for three years in exile. He goes to a brook first, dries up, and God says, I'm gonna take you to the city. Go over here next. Over here happens to be Jezebel's home turf. Who does that? That's the woman that wants to kill him. She killed his friends. And just to make it legal, it's 1 Kings 16:31, "And she is the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him". So, he ends up there where she's from.
Now, I'm gonna put this in perspective. He ends up being provided for, experiencing a great anointing in the home turf of his enemy. God will prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies. If you stop looking at the dry brook in your life, and you dare to start moving, you're gonna see a greater anointing upon your life. You're gonna speak to people around you that are dead. They're about to come spiritually back to life. You have resurrection. I'm telling you, I'm prophesying to you now. You have resurrection power. The moment you stop looking at the dry brook and you step into this territory, you're about to do great miracles right in the home turf of the enemy. You're about to occupy enemy territory. I'm gonna say it one more time. You're about to occupy enemy territory.
That's what's coming next in your life. Why do you think you've been through the hell you've been through? Because you're about to occupy enemy territory. Sometimes God will permit your brook to dry up so you can occupy enemy territory. Is there anyone who's sick and tired of being sick and tired? And you're saying, you know what? I'm tired of the devil coming after my family. I'm tired of the devil coming after my finances. I'm tired of the devil coming after my health. I'm tired of the enemy coming after my generation. I'm about to occupy enemy territory in the name of Jesus!
Some of you have been on the defense for too long. Y'all didn't hear that. Some of you have been defending your territory for too long. God didn't call you to be on the defense. God, didn't call you to defend. He is your defender. He called you to be on offense and occupy the very area hell has fought to keep you out of. I am finishing with this. I've got to talk to you, and I need to talk to you a little bit just briefly about this Jezebel lady. She bad. She nasty. And I mean you Google nasty, and there's a picture of Jezebel going, like. Did you see that? Y'all want to take that again, no, too much? A bit too much, uncomfortable, awkward, leave it right there? We'll leave it right there. Jezebel's nasty.
1 Kings 21:25, "There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, and it was Jezebel who incited him". The Bible says this guy was bad, and who's the one that provoked everything? His wife. What? She was bad. She killed so many prophets. She killed the people who spoke God's truth. I got to do this real quick. I was Zooming with Robert Morris, he was one of my elders, one of my closest friends, pastor at Gateway. And I love Pastor Robert, I love him dearly. And we were talking about the book "Persevere with Power". And Robert says, hey Sam, by coincidence, Robert is teaching on Jezebel at the same time I'm teaching about Elijah and Jezebel, by coincidence.
And then we talk and we go, do you know there's a bunch of other pastors at this level who are teaching the same thing at the same time? Around the world, some of the most influential pastors, God has told them, activate the Elijahs. We never called each other. We never went like, hey guys, what do you thinking about a global teaching series? Some of the most influential voices around the world from South Africa to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, they're preaching on this. It's time to activate the Elijahs. Do you know why? Because that witch, that spirit, that witch, right? That witch, I called it by name. Pastors shouldn't be talking like that. Oh, get over yourself. Jesus overturned tables. The Jezebelian spirit is a witch. She is an evil spirit. Right now, she's on the face of the planet doing whatever she wants. She is the leader of the cancel culture.
If you don't adhere to her orthodoxy she will kill you. She will silence you. She will de-platform! I am sick and tired of being politically correct and letting Jezebel do whatever Jezebel wants to do. We are about to see a generation of Elijahs rise up with the power of Jesus! I'm here to declare Jezebel will not win in this generation! How many believe that with me? I dare you to high five your neighbor, tell them, she's going down. No, say it like you believe it, she's going down. All right, by the way, you think I'm kidding about this. Integrity is everything for me. My wife can attest to that. I'm obsessed with that, the holiness of God.
This message is so hard what I'm gonna share with you in the next four minutes and then I'll be done. But, watch this. It's so hard, so God as my witness, Pastor Jeff knows, Armando knows. I delivered it this morning. This place broke out. All of a sudden I went back to my office. I only have the password to my cell phone. Guess what? My message was completely deleted. Deleted. I looked at my phone, I go, nothing gets deleted from my iPhone. I have the passcode. So I went to the notes, if it's deleted, it has to appear in the recently what folder? I went to the recently deleted folder. It wasn't there, like if the message never happened. You don't think there's spiritual warfare in life, huh? You don't think the enemy wants to stop her to preach?
Jezebel's going down. Because the spirit of the Lord is still more powerful than the spirit of Jezebel, because the spirit of Jesus is still more powerful than the spirit of Jezebel. Jezebel attacks when we're exhausted. Robert Morris conversation, brilliant, Jezebel attacks. You know when Jezebel attacked Elijah finally? When he came down from the mountain. When he was mentally, spiritually, even physically, he ran against the chariot. No, he physically did. That's equivalent to me running against a Porsche and I win. He did that in his day. And then Jezebel threatened him and he freaked out, got depressed, and went into a depression. He did, he actually did. Because Jezebel always comes to you when you're weak or exhausted.
Don't move. I'm gonna give you the book. Make sure I'm not making this up, Revelation 2:20. This is the New Testament. This is the word of the Lord, "But this I have against you. You tolerate Jezebel". The angel of the Lord in the Island of Patmos to the apostle John, showing him the last days, talking about Christians. No, you didn't hear that. Not about secular people, he's talking to the church. Oh, you missed it. The Lord says that in the last days there will be a group of believers who tolerate the spirit of Jezebel! Not endures but tolerate! The wording is, you permit her to be her and do her thing and you're afraid to confront her. You tolerate her.
Let me tell you how we do it. This is my book "From Survive to Thrive", no time to plug but here it is. Beautiful book. Hold on a second. Hold on a second here, page 59. Oh hold on, give me a second here. Give me one more second. Good book, now it's discounted. But what I just did does nothing, not one iota to push back on Jezebel. This is the Bible. It's the New Spirit Filled Bible. So let me do the same thing. No, no? Then why do we live like there are pages missing. I said, why do we live like there are pages missing? And why do we preach like there are pages missing? And why do we act like there are pages missing? And why do we praise like there are pages missing? And why do we worship like there are pages missing? And why do we give like there are pages missing? And why do we serve like there are pages missing? Are there any Elijahs in the house?
Stand with me on your feet, stand with me. We need Elijahs to rise up that will preach the whole Word, nothing but the Word so help us God. I may get in trouble. I love you so much. I love you. Pastoring you is a privilege. But I love Him more than I love you. What does that mean? I have to be obedient to Him, because I love you with his love. Why do we ignore chapters? Because they are politically incorrect. Why do we ignore teachings? Because it's not culturally applicable. Why do we ignore certain passages? Because the now generation will not embrace it. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the only way to defeat Jezebel is to preach the Word in and out of season! It's to preach the full Gospel! Is anybody with me in the house?
It's time to confront Jezebel with the Word of God! The heavens and the earth will pass away but God's Word will never! All the Elijahs shout in the house! Stand with me, I said that, stand with me here. You're already on your feet. The Bible says that good Christians, they said, you done so much great stuff it says. Revelation 2, "But this I against you". It even says, "You take care of the poor". Good job, you do justice. But man, this one thing I have against you, you tolerate that devil. I love you so much I have no choice, 'cause I love my kids and my grand-kids and I love you so much.
I got to tell you that this book hasn't changed. What the book says about holiness hasn't changed. What the book says about heaven and hell hasn't changed. What the book says about sin and the grace of God that forgives hasn't changed. What the book says about gender hasn't changed. What the book says about human sexuality hasn't changed. Are you with me right now? What the book says about the father, what the book says about the son, and what the book says about the Holy Spirit hasn't changed! Am I preaching to anyone here? That's how we defeat that spirit. We can't be afraid of that Jezebelian spirit. This is not about religion or rank or hatred, quite the opposite, everything we do is truth with love.
If we're missing love, I've told you a million times, if all we do is speak truth we're mathematicians. If all we do is do love, we're hippies. If we do truth with love, we're Christians. That's what makes us unique. But we can't let her win. She cancels, she kills the prophetic. And the Spirit of the Lord said, "You tolerated her"? Lift up your hands. Why do we live like some of the pages are missing? Why do we preach like some of the pages are missing? Why do we pray like some of the pages are missing? Why do we live like some of the pages are missing? Why do we tolerate culture like some of the pages are missing? Why do we permit them to come after our kids like some of the pages are missing? Enough is enough.
Let a generation of modern day Elijahs rise up. And we'll preach the Word, the whole Word, nothing but the Word, so help us God. John 15:7 says, "If you remain in me then my words remain in you. You will ask for anything you want and it will be granted". Hebrews 4:12, "The Word of God is quick, it is powerful". Matthew 24:35, "Everything will disappear, but my words will never disappear". I want to remind everyone here with your hands raised, no governmental authority has the power to change the Word of God. The Supreme Court can not change the Word of God. Congress can not change the Word of God. The White House can not change the Word of God. There's not a Facebook policy that can change the Word of God. Heaven and earth, we will get up.
With your hands raised, I want to remind you here, in your personal life and in my life, we must never sell out the Gospel. We must never exchange truth for followers, sound doctrines for likes, and the message of the cross for a message of comfort. No, we must preach the whole Word and nothing but the Word. Put your hand down for a second. For three years Jezebel killed his friends, killed them. Killed them, that's why he thought he was the only one left. He was able to hide somewhere in a cave for three years. And then all of a sudden the next time we see him after he lives that city, he's on top of a mountain looking at her husband and this is what he's doing on a mountain. It's equivalent to doing it right in down town with all the cameras.
And then all of a sudden he looks and says to her husband, "You bring your God, I'm gonna bring mine. Let's see, the real God will be left standing. Do your thing, go ahead. And matter of fact, you go first. I'm a gentleman, you go first". Like a boss. Let's see what happens. So he comes out for his greatest hour. Jezebel must have thought that man is either dead or defeated, for three years. Micah 7:8 says this, "Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light".
Some of you, the enemy has assumed that you are never gonna come back. He assumed you were gonna stay defeated in a dry brook in a fetal position sucking your thumb in perpetual victimization going, woe is me, woe is me, woe is me, woe is me. And all of a sudden you come out and go like, I'm about to shine with the glory of Jesus like never. If that's you, can you raise the roof, right about now in this? Somebody shout like you're ready to shine! Somebody praise like you're ready to shine! Somebody celebrate like you're ready to shine!
Are there any Elijahs in the house? If you got this Word raise your right hand. When the brook dries up keep moving. When the brook dries up occupy enemy territory. Surround yourself with an atmosphere that will activate the greatness God has placed in you, ooh, and there to confront the spirit of Jezebel with the full Word, the whole Gospel of Christ. I pray this Word got to you, because you are an Elijah. You're an Elijah and some of you are Elishas. That's why you're alive.
Heavenly Father seal this word. You told me to preach it, I preached it. You told me to say it regardless of the consequences from external forces, we did. We will activate the Elijahs by the leading of your Spirit. Christ-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-empowered Elijahs will rise up in this generation. Jezebel will be defeated, period. Ahab will be defeated, period. Baal with be defeated, period. For it is not by might nor by power but by my spirit say of the Lord. And we do it with the power of the spirit of God in Jesus' name.
If this Word, if you got all of it, raise your right hand and quickly just say this, "When the brook dries up, I will keep moving, I will occupy enemy territory. I will speak life into my generation and the next generation. And I will confront the spirit of Jezebel with the full Word, nothing but the Word in the name of Jesus, so help me God in Jesus' name". Now raise both hands and repeat after me, "Ready or not". Here I come. Now, give God your final shout and praise.