A prophet on the run, ravens as providers, and a God who can be relied upon. The Chief Apostle draws five lessons from the incident at the Brook Cherith—lessons that together convey the most important message of all.
Just over one thousand members gathered for the divine service in the congregation of Boende on Monday, 29 June 2026. Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler conducted the divine service in the province of Tshuapa, which is part of the working area of District Apostle Élie-Taty Mukinda in the Regional Church Democratic Republic of the Congo West.
He based the sermon on a passage from the first book of Kings: “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook” (1 Kings 17: 6). The sermon was translated at the altar from English into French and Lingala.
To begin with, the Chief Apostle recalled our 2026 motto: “Don’t be afraid. Just believe!” There are plenty of reasons for fear in everyday life: the question of where our daily bread will come from, raising our children in the faith, an illness and how it may develop, or the future of our country and our world. We need role models who live according to this motto. One such example can be found in the chapter from which our Bible text is taken.
Ahab, Elijah, and the drought
King Ahab ruled Israel about 2,800 years ago, the Chief Apostle said. Ahab had abandoned his faith in the one true God, built a temple to the idol Baal, and worshipped an image intended to bring rain during the drought. At that time, there was also a prophet in the region, Elijah.
“Elijah” means “God is my Lord”, and Elijah was absolutely faithful to this one God, the Chief Apostle explained. Elijah courageously confronted the king and announced a drought. Afterwards, he was forced to flee, not knowing where to go. God directed the prophet to the Brook Cherith and promised him that ravens would provide for him there. Ravens, however, were considered unclean animals, the Chief Apostle explained. Elijah’s first thought may well have been: “I cannot do that. Ravens are unclean animals.” His second thought, however, was obedience. Elijah set off.
What Elijah learned about God
Our Bible text describes what then happened at the brook. Every morning and every evening, the ravens brought bread and meat, and Elijah was able to drink from the brook. The Chief Apostle drew five lessons from this story and shared them with the congregation.
- God is the one. Only this one God is capable of everything, the Chief Apostle explained. Baal and the physical representations of him were powerless. The Chief Apostle made a point of emphasising his respect for cultures and traditions. Nevertheless, he continued, the question remains for each individual: are amulets, ancestor worship, witchcraft, healers, or false prophets more important than Jesus Christ? “As New Apostolic Christians, we do not need healers, we do not need witchcraft, and we do not need amulets.”
- God betrays no one. Elijah was in danger and had to hide. God did not betray him and reveal his whereabout to his pursuers. Before God, we can express our innermost thoughts, our most private issues. “God keeps your secrets you entrust to Him.”
- God keeps His word. What God had promised the prophet came to pass. The greatest promise, however, concerns the future: Christ will return to take His bride home. “God is the truth. God does not lie.”
- God shows the way. Almost every day, we have decisions to make. The Chief Apostle addressed the brothers and sisters directly: “Have you already asked God what the very best path for your life is?”
- God provides. He referred to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus asks why people are so concerned about clothing, eating, and drinking. Those who pray for their daily bread in every divine service will receive it. “He also gives us what our hearts and souls need.”
What the divine service gives us
What people need deep down in their hearts, the Chief Apostle explained, is the feeling of being safe, of feeling at home, and of feeling not only accepted but loved. This is what Christ gives the congregation in a divine service, he said. The bread of life offered in the divine service can be summed up in this one sentence: “My child, I love you.”
“Sometimes we have to flee because we are being persecuted,” the Chief Apostle said. But heaven will come where God will give us more than we could ever imagine. There we will be no more hunger or thirst, no illness or pain. The Chief Apostle concluded his sermon with a statement about what awaits us there: “There will be nothing but the open arms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who will say, ‘I love you.’”
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