Samuel Rodriguez - God's Plan for You is Stronger than Hell's Stance Against You
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Summary
Pastor Sam Rodriguez contrasts Jezebel’s death threat to Elijah (1 Kings 19:2) with Elijah’s miraculous ascension in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11), declaring that «when Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it.» He frames the current cultural battles as the spirits of Ahab, Jezebel, and Baal raging against the church, but insists the Holy Spirit’s mantle upon believers—marked by drought, fire, rain, and bold truth spoken in love—is far greater. The ultimate victory is generational: our children will inherit the mantle of anointing and breakthrough, not our sins or defeats, leading to the greatest awakening yet.
Jezebel’s Threat vs. Heaven’s Testimony
Let me share with you the spirit of God placed in my heart for this assignment this morning. To put it in a 21st-century context, I will biblically substantiate this in a second. Many moons ago, there was a lady named Jezebel, and she tweeted, «Are there any questions?» Of course, as you well know, this was before Elon Musk took over Twitter. She then told Elijah, «In 24 hours, you will die» (1 Kings 19:2). Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: «May the gods strike me and kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you, as you have killed them.» That was a de facto old-school tweet.
In 2 Kings 2:11, I want to juxtapose Jezebel’s threat with what took place in 2 Kings 2:11. As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men—referencing Elijah and Elisha—separating them, and Elijah was carried away by a whirlwind into heaven. In 2 Kings 2:13, Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle.
When Heaven Starts, Hell Cannot Stop It
I want to speak to you on the subject matter, The Collective Meta-Narrative of Show Me Your Glory: Jezebel’s Threat versus the Testimony. The subtext is this: when Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it. I need you to touch the neighbor you like the most and tell them, «When Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it.» Now touch the neighbor you barely tolerate and tell that neighbor, «When Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it.»
On one side, we have the threat; on the other side, we have the testimony. I want to remind you from the get-go that the testimony will always be greater than the threat. What God has placed upon you will always be greater than anything Hell can place in front of you.
The Mantle Greater Than the Threat
If you’re taking any notes—and good luck with that—it begins when we are fully cognizant of the fact that we’re living in a time when the spirit of Jezebel, Ahab, and Baal are alive and well. But we carry a mantle that is greater than the threat. I’m going to repeat that for the hearing impaired: the mantle is greater than the threat. The anointing inside of you is greater than anything Hell can send against you.
I want to repeat that, coming out of the season in Melbourne, Australia. The anointing is greater than the threat. The spirit of God inside of you is greater than any Hell that can be in front of you. The spirit of God inside of you is greater than any weapon formed against you.
The Mantle of the Spirit
Number one: that mantle—and I want to frame the mantle to give it clarity. It is, without a doubt, the mantle of the Spirit. Everyone repeat after me: the mantle of the Spirit. So we’re juxtaposing the mantle versus the threat—the mantle of the Spirit. The power of the Lord came upon Elijah. He fastened his clothes around his waist and ran. Elijah had a mantle in 1 Kings 19:19. He placed the mantle upon Elisha, and then subsequently, we read that Elisha picks it up when Elijah is finally taken out.
Let me just say, I am convinced and convicted that we are living spiritually speaking just like in the days of Ahab, Jezebel, and Baal. We are in Australia, in America, and all over the world.
The Spirits of Ahab, Jezebel, and Baal
We cannot deny the following: Ahab was a mucho malo hombre. The spirit of Ahab is alive and well, robbing love, killing joy, and destroying peace. Ahab represents forces with access and authority attempting to prompt us to sacrifice truth on the altar of political and cultural expediency. The spirit of Ahab is awake. In 1 Kings 16:34, Ahab was cuckoo. He was the first king to give permission for the rebuilding of the walls of Jericho. No other king in Israel’s history ever had the audacity to rebuild what God knocked down.
This guy comes along and says, «I give permission for you to rebuild what God knocked down.» The spirit of Ahab is alive in Australia, in America, and around the world. There are things that God has already addressed that the spirit of Ahab is trying to bring back up again. The spirit of Ahab is truly manifested as we continue to see racial strife and discord and ideologies permeating every single sphere of society, aimed solely at dividing us in perpetuity because of the color of our skin.
One Church of Jesus Christ
Ahab loves to see us divided by race, which reminds me to tell you there is no such thing as a white church or a black church, or a brown church, or a yellow church, or a red church. There’s only one Church, Australia; there’s only one Church, Daystar. It is the Church of Jesus Christ, and the gates of Hell will never prevail against you. Jezebel was his wife, and she was nasty on steroids.
The spirit of Jezebel is alive and well, persecuting, prosecuting, and attempting to silence the children of the cross. Jezebel represents the manipulative, sexually coercive, perverse, corrupt cultural spirit intent on killing the prophetic voices to silence truth and construct astral poles in order to marginalize the oracles of righteousness and justice—a spirit that exploits the moments in our lives when we are exhausted.
According to the Book of Revelation 2:20, even good Christians may be guilty of unfortunately tolerating Jezebel: «For this one thing I have against you: You have tolerated the spirit of Jezebel.» The spirit of Baal is alive and well, demanding that truth and children, in and out of the womb, be sacrificed on the altar of the false. If you haven’t noticed, there is a spirit like never before coming after our children. There is a spirit unleashed on the planet coming after our children.
Elijahs and Elishas Will Rise
But let me prophesy; our generation will not be defined by Ahab, or Jezebel, or Baal. Let me prophesy, Planetshakers—we are about to see Elijahs and Elishas rise up in the name of Jesus, and we will confront Baal and declare, «Get your hands off our children!» Here’s a deep, seminary-endorsed, biblically contextualized, Hebrew-exegetically substantiated phrase—whatever that means: «Don’t drink the Kool-Aid, » which means do not conform to this world. I don’t care what you’re reading on social media or what you’re watching on your ABC, BBC, or CNN. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
I want to remind you, that’s why we’re here. The most powerful spirit on the planet today is not the spirit of Ahab. I need the church to recognize this. We have to wake up; get off your fetal position. Let the church stop sucking its thumb. Stop whining about everything. We’re not victims; we’re more than conquerors. Stop complaining; stop posting your complaints.
The Holy Spirit Is Most Powerful
The most powerful spirit is not even Baal or Ahab. Are you ready? In 2023, the most powerful spirit is still the Holy Spirit! If you believe it, shout like you have that spirit! Praise like you have that spirit! Worship like you have that spirit! Preach like you have that spirit! Live like you have that spirit! For it’s not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. The spirit of God is still moving.
I’m going to say it again: the spirit of God is still moving. I don’t care if you deplatform me—I’m going to say it loud and clear: the spirit of God is still moving! Nothing can stop it; nothing will! That spirit is present, and there is power! I said there is power! (Acts 1:8) There is freedom! (2 Corinthians 3:17) We are to be driven by that spirit, not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16). We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not drunk with wine (Ephesians 5:18).
We are anointed by the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27). We are defined by that spirit (Romans 8:11). The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of us all! Holy Spirit people, shout like you have that spirit! And cameraman, where are you? Give me a tight shot!
Nothing Can Stop the Holy Spirit
I want to make this clear: in light of what happened in the past three years—not getting in trouble, just making it clear—there’s not a legislative initiative, an executive decree, a court decision, a social media campaign, or even a virus that can stop the Holy Spirit! Is anybody ready to see God show up? Oh, you can’t cancel the Holy Spirit! You can’t deplatform the Holy Spirit! You can’t defund the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.
Are there any questions? Real quick; I gotta expedite the process. Number two (numero dos): it is the mantle of drought, fire, and rain. Somebody say drought, fire, and rain! So the mantle is the mantle of the spirit. It’s the anointing (1 John 2:27). It’s Christology—it’s New Testament, New Covenant application of the reality from an Old Testament narrative, completely elevated by the vicarious, atoning, finished work of Christ.
Drought, Fire, and Rain
It is the mantle of drought, fire, and rain (1 Kings 17-18). The mantle embodied and represented prophetic spiritual authority upon this holy man of God; it was his testimony. It was on him when he unleashed the drought in 1 Kings 17:1. It was on him in 1 Kings 18:38 when he prayed down fire. It was upon him in 1 Kings 18:41 when he said, «Here comes the rain.» Somebody say drought, fire, and rain!
This really serves drought, fire, and rain as an outline of a journey that each and every one of us must go through. Let me ask you this—I don’t want to be presumptuous—if you’ve been through at least one drought, emotional, relational, financial, physical, or spiritual, if you’ve been through at least one drought in the past three to five years, raise one hand. If you’ve been through a couple of serious droughts where nothing was growing, where things were dry, raise both hands.
We All Go Through Droughts
If you’ve been through so many droughts in the past three to five years that you lost count, raise both hands and a foot! If you’ve been through so many droughts that if I Google the word «drought» right now, automatically the algorithm will take me to your Instagram account, we all go through droughts! All of us go through droughts! If you’ve never been through a drought in your life and you’ve been serving Jesus for years, please come up to the altar because I want to worship you.
We’ve all been through droughts. But here’s the thing: people want to jump from drought to rain without going through the fire. The chronological order in 1 Kings 17-18 elevates it through the life of Christ, especially in the Gospel of Matthew, who tells us that it’s drought, fire, and rain. We all must go through the fire to get to the rain!
The Fire Precedes the Rain
The fire is Matthew 3:11: «Baptism in what? In Him, water, Holy Spirit, and with fire.» The fire season in your life isn’t what you think. The fire of God doesn’t make us dance and shout and go, «Woo!» The fire of God will get you on your knees in repentance. The fire of God is a sanctifying fire; it is a purifying fire; it is a purging fire.
Be careful what you ask for. Don’t you dare ask for the rain if you’re not willing to go through the fire because the fire will precede the rain. The fire season is when God actually does a work in your life, but He will remove the stuff inside of you that would hold back the fulfillment of His purpose for you. On many occasions, He will not only remove the stuff inside of you, but He will also literally remove people from around you that would hold back the fulfillment of His purpose in your life.
Here Comes the Rain
So if you have been through your drought and you have been through your fire, I need you to put a smile on your face because the next thing coming to you and your family—I must say this right now, Planetshakers—get ready! If you’ve been through your drought in Melbourne and you’ve been through your fire, the next thing coming your way is nothing less than abundant rain! Somebody shout, «Here comes the rain!» Tell your neighbor, «Here comes the rain!»
Is anyone here ready for an outpouring from the glory of Jesus? Here comes the rain! (Ezekiel 34:26) In the proper season, I will send the showers they need; they will be showers of blessing! (Deuteronomy 28:8) The Lord will send rain at the proper time from His rich treasury in the heavens and will bless everything you do! (Acts 3:20) The times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord! One little side note: those who prayed with you in the drought deserve to dance with you in the rain.
Speaking Truth with Love
Number three: it is a mantle of speaking truth with love. With this mantle, the mantle of the Spirit, the mantle of drought, fire, and rain, the Prophet Elijah came along and confronted Ahab on top of the mountain. He looked at God’s children collectively and said, «Today, you must choose. Will you follow the gods of Ahab and Jezebel, or will you follow the God of our fathers?» One of the saddest verses in the whole Bible says that God’s children said nothing. We call that political correctness.
Let me lay out a quick rubric for you: today’s complacency is tomorrow’s captivity. I’ll repeat that: today’s complacency is tomorrow’s captivity. Number two: you are what you tolerate—in life, in your mind, in your relationships, in your health, in your circumstances, in your community, in your generation, in your nation—you are what you tolerate.
No Comfortable Christianity
Number three: truth must never be sacrificed on the altar of political or cultural expediency. Number four: there is no such animal as comfortable Christianity. Get over yourself; there is no such thing as Kumbaya Christianity. There is no such thing as silent Christianity. No, no, no! Christianity, by its very definition, is the countercultural alternative narrative to the conformity of this world, so it’s different.
Number five: we must reconcile our eschatology over missiology. Which means what? Well, listen to this, and then I’m going to get in trouble. In the 20th century, the church was so focused on getting out of here that we abandoned our God-given mandate to change the world around us. Because we were so involved in escapism, we abandoned our responsibility to be light in the midst of darkness—to be the greatest force for good on planet Earth.
The Church’s Mandate
Do you really know who should be taking care of the poor? The Church of Jesus Christ! Do you really know who should be leading the march for biblical justice? The Church of Jesus Christ! Do you really realize who should be taking care of the addict and the homeless and the suffering and the widow and the orphan? The Church of Jesus Christ! But we were so focused on, «We’re getting out of here.» Listen, I believe Jesus is coming back down, but while we are waiting for Jesus to come down, Jesus is waiting for His church to stand up and call upon the name of the God! You call upon the name of the Lord!
It is the mantle of speaking truth with love. We have to activate this mantle in our current landscape by embodying Psalm 89:14. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; truth and love lead the way as attendants. It’s truth and love—somebody say truth and love!
Truth and Love Together
If all we do is preach about love, we’re nothing better than California hippies. If all we do is speak the truth, we’re mathematicians. The moment we speak truth in love, truth with love, and truth for love, we preach the whole gospel when we change the world. But we can’t be afraid. Let me get someone here to help me out on stage. Where’s Tim? Where’s my partner amigo compadre, or Jason? Yeah, somebody to help me out here. Give me someone to quickly run up here and help me out. Just hold the microphone for me. Somebody who hasn’t been raptured yet!
Yeah, come on! You just breached every security protocol right now, but it’s cool. Here—hold the microphone for a second. This is a book I wrote during COVID called «What Heaven Starts, Hell Cannot Stop.» By coincidence, what we’re sharing today. So I just want to show you something here. «Afraid of the Dark, » you see that? Push your plow, meet your mantle. There goes that: the mantle of spiritual momentum, the speed of life. This book is now discounted, so we will be…
None of the Pages Are Missing
I’m going to need your help. The mantle of speaking truth with love—God bless the book! He blessed it, and He did something great with this book. But the fact that I rip pages from my book will do absolutely zero in securing the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth in these very difficult times. Let me have an old-school Bible, which means a physical Bible. Grab that for me. Great! Holy Bible, New International Version!
Let me do the same thing here. Ready? Alright, when I count to three, I want you to shout, and I’m going to start to rip pages from the Bible. For example, let me rip—the count of three, you all help me just shout! Let me get to Romans, and y’all shout and I’m going to rip this baby off. Ready? At the count of three, you shout, and I’m going to rip it and then we’re going to go through other chapters, especially in the New Testament, and rip them off. Yeah! Because if we’re ignoring them, why have them there in the first place? Might as well just rip them off!
So let me go to Romans chapter one. Non-controversial. So let me rip—at the count of three, you all shout, and I’m going to rip this baby off! Ready? At the count of three! Are you ready? I’m sorry, you’re saying «no?» Then why do we live like some of the pages are missing, Planetshakers? 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 act like some of the—if we are to see Baal and Jezebel and Ahab defeated, we have to preach the whole word and nothing but the word. So help us God!
Preach the Whole Word
We have to teach our children and our children’s children that there is still power in the operative word of God. If you believe it, shout like none of the pages are missing! Thank you! Lift up your hands; lift up your hands—none of the pages are missing! Live like none of the pages are missing! Worship like none of the pages are missing! Pray like none of the pages are missing! Love and forgive like none of the pages are missing!
Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly before God—freedom to the captive, healing to the brokenhearted—like none of the pages are missing! Lift up your hands! If I could get the band up here unless they’re in a union break—could be. We don’t judge. Heritage—the whole word! Let us teach our children and our children’s children that only God can make something out of nothing (Genesis 1:1), that only God could make a way where there is no way (Isaiah 43:19), and only God can show up and restore the damage like it never happened (Luke 22:51).
Live like none of the pages are missing! Act, behave, in action, word, deed, and thought, in your relationship, privately and publicly, like none of the pages are missing! Elijah did that, carrying the mantle in the midst of threats. None of the pages are missing! The word of God never fails (Luke 1:37). The heavens and the Earth will pass away, but God’s word will never pass away!
The Opposite Will Happen
And the true Spirit embodied in the word—the word made flesh—"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God» (John 1:1). And the word became flesh—like none of the pages are missing! Oh, with your hands raised—this really happened! He has this confrontation; fuego, rain comes down. Here comes the rain! By the way, do your biblical due diligence. The Bible says in 1 Kings 18 that Elijah heard the sound of a mighty rain. But his servant saw something small.
What you hear is big, and sometimes when what you hear is big and what you see is small, it prompts people to question. But Elijah acted as if what his servant saw was big because what he heard was big! Do not permit what you see to dictate or diminish what you heard! We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
So then Jezebel heard what happened on that mountain—how Elijah preached and acted like none of the pages were missing. All of a sudden, she tweeted, «In 24 hours, you will die.» I want you to hear me; I’ve got to wrap this thing up quickly. You would have assumed for a moment that Elijah—he prayed for a drought, and a drought took place; he prayed for fire, and fuego came; he prayed for rain, and rain came.
Elijah Did Not Die
You would come to the logical, coherent, reasonable conclusion that the moment Jezebel tweeted, the moment she made her proclamation—"In 24 hours, you will die"—you would assume that Elijah would say, «What? Are you kidding me? I prayed for a drought; He answered! I prayed for fire—fuego! I prayed for rain—rain! You don’t scare me!» You would assume that’s not what happened. The moment Elijah heard what Jezebel declared, he ran! He ran! He was full of fear—what’s the theological phraseology? He freaked out!
He abandoned his calling, his ministry, and tried to hide under a solitary broom tree. Being fed, he ends up at the side of a cave, where God says, «You know things are bad when God says to you, 'Elijah, what are you doing here? '» When God asks what you’re doing there, you’re probably not in the right place. Why? I want you to hear me, because the real battle is between your mind and your mantle. The real battle is between your thoughts and the calling of God upon your life.
The Battle Is Already Won
The real battle is between your memories and your imagination—the real battle is between your past and your future, fear and faith, anxiety and anointing, drama and destiny. The real battle—the real battle! How many here think, hope, or feel? How many here know that the battle has already been won (1 Corinthians 15:57)? Aha, Christ is your victory!
Alright, stand with me—are you standing? Here it is: «In 24 hours, you will die! 24 hours! 24 hours, you will die!» Well, 24 hours passed, and Elijah did not die! Are there any questions? 48 hours passed, and to be fair, Elijah did not die! 72 hours passed; Elijah still did not die! 96 hours passed; Elijah did not die!
Jezebel said, «In 24 hours, I swear by my gods, you will die!» It sounded like a prophecy, weak past. Elijah did not die! What if I told you a month passed? Elijah did not die! What if I told you a year passed? Elijah did not die! What if I told you a decade passed? Elijah did not die! What if I told you a sanctuary class, Elijah did not die? How about this? If I tell you a thousand years passed, Elijah did not die!
Elijah Never Died
Hey, Planetshakers, it’s been about two thousand—two thousand, eight hundred years since Jezebel said you will die, and death has yet to find Elijah! He never died! He was walking with Elisha (2 Kings 2:11) when one day a chariot of fire separated him, and a whirlwind took him up! He never died! What does that mean for you? It doesn’t matter—it doesn’t matter what Hell has declared upon you, your family, your children, or your children’s children!
When Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it! Somebody pray like you know! Lift up your hands—I’m here to tell you! Let me prophesy upon you! Whatever Hell has declared upon your life, your family, your home, your destiny—the opposite will take place! Oh, y’all missed it! What Jezebel said will happen in 24 hours—death—it’s the complete opposite! The man has yet to die!
The Opposite of the Threat
In fact, he’s not where he used to be because I’m not who I used to be! Do you want to know when’s the next time we see Elijah? Does anybody want to know? He didn’t die! The next time we see him, he’s taking a selfie with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). I’m here to tell you to get ready—the opposite will take place!
If Jezebel said your family will never be saved, are you ready to see your family saved? Lift up your arms! Whatever Jezebel declared upon your health, the opposite will take place! Whatever Jezebel declared upon your family, the opposite will take place! Whatever the forces of darkness declared upon your ministry, calling, and purpose, the opposite will take place!
The Enemy Will Not Have This Generation
Which means the enemy will not have this generation! I said the enemy will not have this generation! This generation will usher in the greatest awakening we have ever seen! Somebody shout like you believe! Pray like you will! Worship like you know! Because when Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it! It’s too late now! Heaven has already begun a purpose in your life! (Psalm 138:8)
He has already begun a purpose in your life! God will fulfill His purpose in you—His mercy endures forever! He will never forsake the work of His hands! What Heaven started (Philippians 1:6), He will finish the good work He has started! (1 Thessalonians 5:24) He who called you is faithful to do it! (Hebrews 10:23) Rest in the certainty that He is faithful to keep His promise!
Mantle for the Next Generation
If Heaven has already started something in you, raise one hand! If you understand right now, under this anointing, that what Heaven has started, Hell cannot stop, raise both hands! If you’re fully aware of the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the word, and the anointing inside of you—the mantle you carry and the spirit inside of you—the anointing is greater than anything Hell can place in front of you! Raise them up a little bit higher!
As you lift up your hands right there, here’s the final point I’m going to walk away with: it is the mantle for the next generation! Let me explain: Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle. Elijah’s greatest accomplishment was not praying for a drought, praying down fire, or praying forth rain; his greatest accomplishment was the transfer of his mantle to the next generation.
Clip you with the promise that when Heaven starts, Hell cannot stop it! No, that Elisha did not inherit Elijah’s anxiety. No! What did Elisha inherit? Elijah’s mantle! Put a smile on your face; your children will not inherit your sins! Come on, Planetshakers! Your children and your children’s children and your children’s children’s children will not inherit your sins; they will inherit your mantle! In the name of Jesus, if you believe it, shout like you know it!