Perhaps you've felt fed up with or sick of all this social distancing and sheltering at home? But there are some enjoyable and edifying things we all can do.

May I ask.. How often have you felt a desire to become useable by God and then to be used of God in communicating his true Gospel Message? 

Have you ever found yourself running here and there -- all about trying to seek and serve the Lord.. but wondered if your priorities were in the right order or if you are even accomplishing anything of eternal worth? We can so easily get too busy for Jesus -- I mean for time alone with Jesus. But let's become effective and fruitful in him.

In your much serving have you found yourself really frustrated like Martha got.. or stumbling or even blowing it in the flesh at times? And then were wondering why it happened? How can we say we really know someone, a Friend we no longer spend any time with? Hey, social distancing can be real good for us and for God's Kingdom.

- For 3 yrs Paul in Arabia social distanced himself.
- Jesus also did that fasting for 40 days 40 nights.
- John did on the island of Patmos.

"I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 1:9

- Elijah the man of God did too. The word of the Lord told him to go "Hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan." 1 Kings 17:3

There were others too and I will soon get to them. I love how the Bible is honest and shows us them, but this word hide in the text here means to come apart to take in before giving out, means to be absent, not like hiding in fear or due to your guilt. 

Do you need to come apart with the Lord before you come apart? Why should we social distance now?

1. For health on different levels. Yes, God loves and has a good plan for us.

2. God has a good promise for us. He promised to provide for Elijah in the middle of the will of God. See vs. 4-6.

3. God has a good prerequisite for us. It's called obedience to the word. why is it easier to obey Christ? Cuz we know and trust him. It's daily so easy to trust Christ if we spend some time alone with him cuz we'll really know him.

4. God has a good provision for us. the ravens (an unclean bird) brought him bread and meat in the morning and evening time and he drank from the brook (..until it dried up). vss. 6-7.

5. God has a good purpose for us. He guided him to Zerephath after that brook dried up. It was a test of his heart.

Focus on and choose to trust the Blesser instead of the blessing from him.

Luke 12:24 NKJV — “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?"

1 John 5:2 — "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments."

1 John 5:3 — "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

John the baptizer lived a separated life unto the Lord and God chose to use him as a voice to his generation. And he can use you as well. 

GOD WANTS TO MAKE YOU HIS VOICE BUT YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE THE CHOICE!

Time alone with God helps a lot! Let the Spirit lead you. 

Separation will bring you to Illumination of the word, which will lead you to clear Proclamation of truth, which will produce a ministry Manifestation in this world, and yes that will involve Evangelization!

The Bible in Matthew 3:1-12 says “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea [in that region to the immediate west of the Dead Sea], and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'” John knew the ultimate Solution to their needs and that turn and trust part was and still is so important.

What can we muse over regarding the Social Distancing?

• John points them to Jesus, not self! He must increase, I must decrease.

• Keep in mind -- there had been no prophet of God heard in the Land during the 400 silent yrs! 
• And 30 years had passed since events in Matthew 2.
• The Weusts says: “Be having a change of mind which issues in regret and a change of conduct.”
• Why does the Bible (Isa) say: Voice? Cause dead gods don‘t speak thru people. (that word ‘VOICE‘ appears 456 times in the Bible KJV) 
• People won‘t walk across the street to hear a sermon. A sermon tells you what God and Religious people said for a different situation,
• A voice tells you what God is currently saying for your situation. 
• An Echo is selfishly ambitious when you think about it.
• But who made the paths crooked?  The religionists did that.. making it complicated for people to come to God. They say it's by works, or by works plus grace. And they still do that today. Tell em the Way to God is through Jesus who made it simple for us. Jesus said, My yoke is easy. But the way of sin and Satan is crooked and the way of the transgressor is hard! 
• Jesus preached- 4:17 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
• Disciples- Mk. 6:12 “And they went out and preached that men should repent.” (10:7 The kingdom of heaven is at hand). 
• John was a stopable-man that had an unstoppable Message! The Word burned in his heart. He basically had holy heartburn. The Bible teaches that there are only three spiritual temperatures with us humans.. boiling hot, icy cold, or lukewarm. Are you on-fire walking in Christ today?
• Preaching the Gospel of repentance and faith is still the primary means that God uses to save people. And John was accurate with his message.
• The Lord in Romans 10:17 says “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (Rehma) word of God). Yes, of course faith comes after true repentance!
• He was a stopable-man that had an unstoppable Message! The Word burned in his heart (had holy heartburn. Bible says there are only three spiritual temperatures boiling hot, Icy cold, lukewarm).
• John was not intimidated or afraid of anyone. He was a road builder and an ax-man—one who got to the very root of sin to expose and deal with it for their benefit.
• Some people heard the message and confessed their sins, others just grew hard-hearted. You know how God gets to the very root of our lives (it's imperative vs. 10), for the root determines the fruit. (v. 8).  
• So Why be a Voice in our day?: 
• There are 1 million more lost people on earth today than last Sunday.
• And next Sunday there will be 2 million more lost people on earth.
• Did you know there are 25 lines around the globe (1 sq ft per sinner in line), and it's growing 30 miles a day.
• According to my figures 3.884 MILLION people are making their way to hell today!
• If there were no more people born in the whole world, and if Christians went to work winning the lost at the same current rate we have been winning them, it would take 4000 thousand years.
• Billy Graham estimates that “70% of those who go to Church are Lost!”
• Ray Comfort says that 80% of those responding to the Gospel and accepting Christ go and "backslide." (Includes evangelism in local churches to large crusades).
• He said, More Christian teens watch MTV than non-Christian teens.
• A confidential survey in Christianity Today among 300 pastors, found that nearly 1 in 4 admitted that he had been involved is some sort of sexual sin.
• Muse on this.. 1 out of 4 Americans who say that they are "born again" think that Jesus sinned while He was on earth.
• Did you know that 1 in 5 women who kill their children through abortion say that they are "born again," evangelical Christians. That's horrific!
• The Father wants to do things to you, so that Jesus can do things in you, so the Holy Spirit can do things through you.
• But the number one reason why people refuse to, just won’t become a voice—they don’t care.
• SEPARATION unto God is important. And I'm not talking about isolation because that wouldn't be good for any person.
• The Bible says in Luke 1:80, "So the child (John) grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel."
• He was in out-of-the-way, in non-desirable places with God for much of his life. 
• The religious affiliates (prob) wouldn’t let him rent a building in the city-ctr. Low overhead.
• Joseph spent 2 years in jail and was forgotten. 
• Moses spent 40 years in the desert. 
• Mr. Steven D Eyre said, “Solitude was a constant part of Moses’ life. His first encounter with God at the burning bush was one of solitude [and separation]. Alone, Moses saw the bush and heard the voice. When he received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he spent forty days alone with God.”
• King David, was a fugitive from age (16 or 17) and then for 30 years from following. He wrote a few Psalms during this time. 
• Again, Elijah social distanced himself. Remember when he said it wouldn’t rain on earth, and after that lived in obscurity by the Brook Cherith (1 kings 17:2-ravens fed & it dried up) and then he went to Zarephath. 
• Paul--in the Arabian desert for some 16 yrs. Gal 1:17
• Jesus also went into the desert and returned in the power of the Spirit. His whole life--He was in the world but not of it.
• SEPARATE, SEPARATED, SEPARATION--APPEARS 83 times in the Bible (KJV)
• I don't mean we are to be separated from fellowship or from Sinners, but from evil and from sin. Jesus was and is a friend of sinners! He spent some time with them, winning them to saving faith.
• The Bible commands us in 2 Corinthians 6:17 "Come out from among them And be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."  Fish4souls.org