Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

The last verses of the Old Testament are a promise from God: “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers....” (Mal. 4:5, 6). Reconciliation of alienated hearts will be the burden of his message and the subject of his success in ministry and of his identification.

 

A literal appearance of the translated Elijah may not be the necessary fulfillment of the promise because Jesus said that the coming of John the Baptist fulfilled it in His day. In fact, it was not the personal presence of the Baptist that was the fulfillment; it was his message (Matt. 11:7-14).

 

Elijah was a frail mortal man “subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17), and the Baptist, also. But both men identified themselves with God so closely that they stepped into the emergencies of their day and took action as though the cause of God depended on them individually. The way the Bible introduces Elijah on the stage is strange: he just suddenly appears in the office of king Ahab without the normal fanfare of introduction for a prophet, nothing that says “the Lord spoke to Elijah....” Elijah appears as one who came out of Gilead moved by his own deep convictions. He did not seek to become the Lord’s messenger, but he responded to what was for him an overwhelming motivation of truth. We could say, “the love (agape) of Christ constrained him” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14), that is, love for Israel and love for the honor of the God of Israel. In this respect, Elijah is a true forerunner of those who will await the coming of Christ—they are so concerned before the world and before the universe for His glory that they would rather sacrifice their own personal salvation than be disloyal to Him.

 

Thus there will be thousands of individuals in all lands and cultures who will be little “Elijahs” manifesting the faith-inspired courage of this one man, reproducing in their little environment or culture a fresh display of the power of the true gospel—all together enlightening the earth with the call, “Babylon the great is fallen..... Come out of her, My people” (Rev. 18:1-4). “Elijah” may be here already, or very near! Let’s not overlook him.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" phone message is available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.