Dear ElijahStreams Family,
A loaf of bread.
That's what the Lord has had me thinking about lately. Strange, I know.
Especially with all the talk about America's 250th anniversary and everything the Prophets have been saying.
But stay with me.
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| Hank Kunneman |
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Amanda Grace |
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Dutch Sheets |
A few years ago...okay, more than a few years ago...back in the late 1990s
a company I had spent years building was beginning to fall apart. At the very same time, what would eventually become
The Elijah List, was just getting started.
The funny thing is, I wasn't trying to start a ministry. AND I definitely wasn't trying to build a worldwide prophetic network.
I was simply trying to obey God. One step at a time. And to be honest, there were days when that wasn't easy.
There were times when Derene and I honestly didn't know how we were going to put food on the table or make ends meet.
I remember one night a woman from our church who worked at a grocery store stopped by after her evening shift. She didn't even knock.
She just hung a bag of bread on our doorknob and drove away. She did that more than once.
There was another lady too. If I'm remembering correctly, she was a single mom. She brought some meat from her freezer for our family.
Those may not sound like big deals. But they were BIG DEALS to us.
Not only do I still think about that a lot, but to be truthful,
DERENE AND I WILL NEVER FORGET THESE KINDNESSES... NEVER!
As I was praying about America's 250th anniversary and all the prophetic words we've been hearing on ElijahStreams, the Lord brought me right back to that bag of bread.
And then He took me to Deuteronomy 8.
Moses was preparing a people who were about to step into their breakthrough. Into promises they had waited a very long time to see.
And this was his warning:
"When you have eaten and are FULL...
beware that you do not forget the Lord your God." -Deuteronomy 8:10-11
Whoa. That got my attention.
Because the warning wasn't about lack. It was about those moments when God begins to answer prayers. When breakthrough starts showing up. When you can look back and see His hand on your life.
That's when Moses said, "Don't forget." And honestly, that's what I believe the Lord is saying to us right now.
That's why I can't stop thinking about what the Prophets have been saying over and over on ElijahStreams.
We all know something profound happened this year on May 17th at the rededication in Washington. The fact that it took place on the exact same date as May 17, 1776, is remarkable.
God had Moses look backward before the people moved forward. I think that's exactly what the Lord has been doing with us.
Because when God starts reminding His people of their history, it often means He's preparing them for their future.
I believe that's true.
One of the things that's always marked America is generosity.
We've been blessed in remarkable ways, and time and time again Americans have used those blessings to help people all over the world. Maybe that's part of the reason God isn't finished with us yet.
When I think about America's 250th anniversary, our July 4th celebrations... I'm not just thinking about the celebration of independence.
I'm thinking about dependence. Dependence upon God. The Founders declared their independence from a king. But they also declared their dependence upon Divine Providence.
So today, let's remember Who brought us here and start preparing our hearts for where He's taking us next.
Now back to that bread on the doorknob.
That season, God kept sending little reminders that He hadn't forgotten us. He's so good like that. And you know what's funny?
I doubt that woman who hung bread on our doorknob ever imagined I'd still be talking about it nearly thirty years later. I doubt she thought, "Someday this little ministry will reach millions of people."
She wasn't thinking about prophetic broadcasts, and I know she wasn't thinking about clean water wells. She was just helping a family that needed help. That's all.
But God was doing something bigger than any of us could see.
And honestly, when I read Deuteronomy 8, that's what I keep coming back to. He wanted them to remember there was purpose in the blessing.
That's why Moses said:
"He gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant." -Deuteronomy 8:18
When I heard Dutch Sheets call May 17th a "Re-Covenant Day," my mind immediately went to that verse.
Because when God blesses His people, it's never just about the blessing. There's purpose in it... an assignment. Think about it. God used a loaf of bread and a single mom with some extra meat in her freezer.
God used what most people would call ordinary people. (Although in my book, they were pretty extraordinary.)
The truth is, they probably had no idea what God would do with their simple acts of obedience. They were just being faithful.
God took care of the rest. And honestly, I think many of us are just like them.
When you give to ElijahStreams, you may never meet the child who receives clean water because of your gift. But God knows. He sees every one of them. And He sees every one of you.
That's why Derene and I are more committed than ever to the assignment God has given us.
To continue making room for the prophetic voices God has raised up for this hour and to continue sending the Word of the Lord around the world.
To continue funding clean water wells in places where children are still dying from what they drink.
To share the Gospel with as many people as we can.
I know that's your heart too. Would you prayerfully consider sowing a seed into what God is doing through ElijahStreams?
Not simply because there is a need.
But because I believe we are living in one of those moments when God is preparing His people for what comes next.
The sound has gone out, and the manifestation of His Word is unfolding.
And just like that woman with the loaf of bread, we have an opportunity to be part of something far bigger than we can see.
With a full heart,
