RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

“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.’” (Genesis 14:22)
My wife and I had been married for only a couple of years when we moved to the highest crime area of Chicago. We had a burden to reach people no one else cared about. We were ministering to street gangs, prostitutes, runaways, and drug addicts. Occasionally we would go to an area called Old Town and minister to “weekend hippies.” During the 1970s, many young people led a normal lifestyle in their suburban areas, but would come to Old Town on the weekends and try to be cool.
In those days, almost anything could be found in Old Town: weekend hippies, real hippies, prostitutes, nightclubs, and cults. There was one club whose front man 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, saying, “I have more power in my one little finger than all of the Christians in Chicago put together.”
I 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.”
Taken aback, 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. We never saw him again on the street. Also, the coffee house used by the satanic cult group next door burned to the ground within two weeks. And believe me, we had nothing to do with that! 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 no other “gods” 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, we’re set on the road to victory. Nothing in the heavens nor anyone on the earth that can match our God. When we know God as El Elyon, 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 wood can compare to El Elyon. Trust in Him, and you will experience victory — the victory of the Most High God.