"But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath" (Gen. 14:22 NIV).
My wife and I had only been married for a couple of years when we moved to the highest crime area of the city of Chicago. We had a burden to reach people that no one else cared about. We were ministering to street gangs, prostitutes, runaways, and drug addicts. There was an area of Chicago called "Old Town." Occasionally, we would go to "Old Town" and minister to "weekend hippies." Many young people during the 70s led a normal lifestyle in their suburban areas, but would come to "Old Town" on the weekends and try to be cool.
Almost anything could be found in Old Town during those days - weekend hippies, real hippies, prostitutes, nightclubs, and cults. There was one club whose barker claimed to be the leader of the "church of Satan" in the Chicago area. One night, as my wife and I were passing out gospel tracts, he challenged me. "I have more power in my one little finger than all of the Christians in Chicago put together," he cried out.
I immediately looked straight into his eyes and said, "Prove it. Go ahead and prove it. I'm just one Christian, and you don't intimidate me one bit. Prove to me that you have such power. I challenge you in the name of Jesus."
He was taken back. He just laughed and said, "You'll see. Don't worry. You'll soon understand the kind of power I have."
My wife and I spent the rest of the evening walking the street and praying. We claimed the power of the Holy Spirit. We beseeched God as the "Most High God" to intervene on the streets and reveal Himself to the people of the area. When we returned to Old Town the next evening, the so-called leader of the church of Satan was nowhere to be found. In fact, we never saw him again on the street. Also, the coffee house used by the Satanic cult group next door to that leader burned to the ground within two weeks. And believe me, we had nothing to do with what happened! God showed Himself mighty - that He is above all gods.
He is El Elyon, the most high God. The name El Elyon is first used in Genesis 14:22. It speaks of His prominence in the universe. There's none like Him. He's in a category all His own. Men may exalt men. Others may worship gods made of stone. Some may even perform miracles by demonic powers. But none of them can compare to our God. He is El Elyon, the most high God. He's exalted above all else.
When we understand that our God is called El Elyon, then we're set on the road to victory. There's nothing in the heavens nor anyone on the Earth that can match our God. When we know God as El Elyon, then we live in a secure place. Satan is no match for God. No dictator can stop His name from being proclaimed. No government is too powerful for our God. He is the most high God. No god made of stone or carved out of wood can compare to El Elyon. Trust in Him, and you will experience victory - the victory of the most high God.
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