A Word through Steve Shultz, THE ELIJAH LIST Steve's email: steve@elijahlist.com

Jesus wasn't exaggerating. Praise was ordained from eternity for Him.
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Luke 19:39-40 And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." And He answered and said, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"
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Jesus is the creator of the world. He said it himself. He called himself "I AM!" He said, "Before Abraham was---'I AM!"

That's what God told Moses . . . "Tell them "I AM" sent you" to Pharaoh.

Now, to the point . . .

I was flying home from Wales and I had just spoken on Divine appointments while I was IN Wales. I told the congregation that sometimes, God will speak to them-- even through unsaved people.

I get them a lot--Divine appointments, that is. God loves them and so do I. A bus full of Elijah List conference attendees in Wales told me, as I was leaving that they were praying for Divine appointments on the airplane for me.

SITTING BY MY NEW HINDU FRIENDS

I was sat next to an Indian couple (from India) as we flew "across the pond" (that's the way they say it over there in the United Kingdom. This must be my Divine appointment, I thought.

As we talked for several hours, off and on, they (especially the husband) told me they were of the Hindu religion (though they had lived in the U.K. for most of their lives. Their children were beautiful, I must say. I met them all--and these girls had arranged to announce their father's 50th birthday on the airplane's loudspeakers. "50"---the number of grace, and the number of Pentecost, I thought to myself.

He and his wife were clearly proud of these three beautiful daughters. I didn't blame them, of course.

LOOKING FOR COMMON GROUND--FOR CONVERSATION

As we spoke, we found some areas of agreement. But I began to recognize him as an unsaved STONE that was crying out in praise to God--or perhaps he was (without realizing it) prophesying to me. I thought of the Scripture that says,
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Matt 10:40 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
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The Bible had some of these God fearers. Cornelius was recorded as one who feared God, yet he was neither Jew, nor did he know Jesus Christ. . .
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Acts 10:1-2 "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly."
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Again, this man, Cornelius, feared God but did not know Jesus. Because he pleased God with his life and his giving to the poor, God decided to honor and reward him by sending to him a man of God.

HE KEPT CALLING MY LORD, "GOD ALMIGHTY"

As I sat on this plane, I found this HINDU man to be, in one manner, a "God fearer." He kept referring to MY God as "God Almighty." Interesting, I thought.

Every chance I got, I spoke of the Cross of Jesus Christ and how Jesus died for our sins.

This Hindu man had one thing to tell me and he told it to me, over the hours, so many times, that I began to think, "Ok, Ok! I got it already!" I continued to wonder if he was in fact one of the stones crying out--prophesying the praises of Jesus.

He said to me--(over and over in different words), "God Almighty keeps testing us. What is important is not how we remember him when things are going bad. Everyone does that. It's easy. What's important is if we remember him when things are going good. . . When we have a nice car and a nice family and a nice house. But will we remember Him when things are bad or when they are hard? He is always testing us in this area," my new Hindu friend kept reminding me. "We must not forget "God Almighty."

WILL YOU THANK HIM FOR DYING FOR YOU?

Since I had spoken to him a great deal about the Christian faith, he, this HINDU man, said to me, "Will you say, 'Thank you Jesus for what you've done for me. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for what you've given to me."

I couldn't believe my ears. Were the Rocks crying out, because God's own people, maybe even myself, was/were not crying out in PRAISE to the degree that had been ordained by God for us? Was God having to make the unsaved Praise him because I wasn't?

I AM HUMBLED!

I'm still pondering this as I write.

I gave him my email and we agreed to write. I intend to share more about Christ with this man. But I also intend to Praise Jesus Christ, amidst my blessings, more than I have been doing. Even the Rocks are crying out and God is pleased. I was glad that I'd spoken of Christ to this Hindu man. I was MORE blessed that He had spoken to ME of the Christ he did not know--reminding me over and over to thank Jesus and to thank "GOD Almighty," who had died for me---even when things were going good for me.

"He keeps testing us," this Hindu kept telling me.

I was and am humbled.

Are you?

Out of the mouth of Babes, He has ordained Praise. That's in the Bible.