“Make Me a
Little Cake”
Cleve J. Sharp Sr.
As we began to end our phone conversation I said, “I love you
Brother. I really appreciate you.” “Do you love me? Do you appreciate me?” The old prophet
responded. “Yes, sir”, I thought, I just
said that. “Then Make Me a Little Cake,
son”. His words went off in my
heart. For a couple years this prophet
had been speaking into my life. Oh, he
wasn’t part of the crowd that I hung around or even worshiped with. He wasn’t part of the “church” where I
attended. Yet, my connection with him
was clear. Again and again he has spoken
strategically into my life. His words had shifted my direction, clarified
things, spurred me, provoked me at times, and comforted my heart. His
obedience, sensitivity to the Lord, and willingness to be available to me, has
brought pivotal change in my life. When
I want to make a move or face major decisions, I want his input. This is undeniably a “Kingdom connection” and
yet I had never sent any support to help him.
Sometimes we have “Kingdom connections” within our
“churches”. However, beyond the walls of
our buildings, beyond the group we sit with on Sunday, there are those that are
spiritually linked to us by God. We have a “Kingdom Joint” with them. Kingdom joints are relationships that produce
the fire of spiritual life. The way
these joints work is by the articulation/communication of the members. Some
relationships are lateral bringing encouragement and friendship. However some relationships are
governmental. It is one thing to set in
conference and communication with a pier in the spirit. It is another to encounter and nurture a
governmental link. A governmental relationship will affect
direction, influence judgment, and motivate/empower us spiritually. There will be a level of “Life impact” in
these relationships that is extraordinary.
Now the words, “Make Me a Little Cake, son” come back to
me. These words I knew were the words of
the prophet Elijah. They were spoken to
the widow of Zeraphath. There was great
famine in the land because of the idolatry of Jezebel and the wickedness of Ahab. Elijah had been sustained by food from ravens
up until this point by the brook Cherith. The brook had dried up and the
ravens quit coming. So Elijah was sent
by God to the city where the widow lived.
This widow was gathering a few sticks to build a fire for her last
meal. She was resolved to eat this last
little food with her son and then DIE. The
old prophet asked her for some water and as she was going he asked again, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
Well she turned to put the old prophet straight concerning her
situation, “I only have a handful of flour and a little oil in a jar.” The audacious old prophet asked her, “Make
me a little cake first”. Then he gave
her a promise. 1 Kings 17:14 - 16 (NKJV) 14For
thus says the Lord God of
Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run
dry, until the day the Lord
sends rain on the earth.’” 15So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah;
and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The bin of flour was not used
up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
My life has continually been strengthened, directed, and impacted
by the influence of “Kingdom Governmental Joints”. What is my responsibility to those
relationships? “Make Me a Little Cake,
son” the word resounds. It seems easy
to walk away from an encounter that brings “Life impacting Kingdom influence”
and appreciate it but just, “DO NOTHING ELSE”.
I sat with a leader the other day. He looked a bit weary. As we communicated he mentioned the previous
days of counsel and care he had given to person after person. Then he asked me, “Where is the provision to
sustain our lives, in all this work?” Because
his ministry is outside the “box” so to speak, he isn’t sustained by regular
income of the ‘church’. This wasn’t a
critical statement but it held some discouragement. I could have said, “Well you need to trust
the Lord”. However I know this brother
trusts the Lord. What is the
solution? Those that are ministered to
need to, “Make a Little Cake” for him.
Our concept of “church” has to go beyond the walls of our
buildings. The Church is an organism of
relational members. Those relationships
are defined by “spiritual life impact” not just weekly congregational
attendance. I believe we must see and
recognize when God has given us a Strategic Governmental Relationship. Then we
must show our appreciation by getting financially involved. Yes we need to give the tithe of our income and
some offerings of support. Where should they go? Into the lives of those God has related us to
Strategically/Governmentally.
It takes money to do anything in this life. How will God’s leaders continue to do,
without our help? There is plenty of
work to be done. Yet many times there
are no resources to see the work accomplished.
Therefore the work is stopped.
There are doors of ministry available to me not just the whim
of my ambition but places of great spiritual darkness and need. How will I be able to go? Through the faithful financial support of
those that continue to see the value of what I do.
When my wife was recently hospitalized I was asked probably
30 times, “Brother, is there anything that I can do for you?” There were obviously needs. Finally, I told one brother, “Yes, as a
matter of fact I could use the money you called me about the other day”. He brought it to me and I was able to get
some food and other things. PTL and
thank you brother. I told someone else,
“Yes, my house needs cleaning. Could you
do that?” They did it. PTL and thank you sister my wife returned
from the hospital to a clean house. Someone
else washed our clothes. PTL and thank
you sister. Not all help is financial
but all help represents some life sacrifice.
Our Father God sees it all, notes it all, and will reward us
accordingly.
I know these words may seem audacious of me. However, I believe this is going to be a
financially sustaining word in the days ahead.
We face difficult times and yet God has a plan to save us. God our Father will sustain us and keep us in
time of famine or distress. He will
provide for us and one of the strategies is, “MAKE A LITTLE CAKE FIRST” and be
faithful to give it. DO SOMETHING, LEST YOU DO NOTHING.
I Love You Church,
Bro Cleve