The Atmosphere that God Moves In. Part 2

THE SHOWDOWN…

It was a day of dryness in the land of Israel at this time, a place where previously lush crops of wheat and barley grew a few years earlier, but now was only dirt! There were no water reserves, because no rain had come for 3 long years! The punishment of no rain came by the mouth of Elijah due to Israel’s king Ahab and his wicked and idolatrous ways! And as no rain did not come and the land began to dry up, God led Elijah to the brook Cherewith to protect him from Ahab's wrath, God sustained him by Elijah being fed by ravens. Finally, after the time had passed, God said “Its time you reveal yourself to the King”

I believe that it is exactly what God is commanding his people to do today! The Bible says in Joel 2:16, “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.”
I believe in the day of trouble, it is time that we reveal and not be ashamed of who we are! In an environment of dryness and deadness, the time of God’s people is now! We should understand at the time of our unveiling is really the time when we are needed the most!

And when Elijah finally came in contact with Ahab...(after dealing with a sell-out pseudo-Christian...), Elijah challenged Ahab at Mount Carmel by telling him to offer a sacrifice to his god and Elijah would then offer to his God! It was a challenge regarding who was responsible for the current drought and who was the REAL God of Israel! He said we will know who the REAL God is, by how He responds...the "God that answers by fire"!

I've always wondered, if they were suffering from a drought, why didn't Elijah say “the God that answereth by water"? as opposed to fire? If I am in a drought, I'd want water, not more heat!

Well, this what I come up with...I believe if He would’ve answered by water, it would only have placated them until the next watering! But with fire, the impureness of sin and their unbelief can be burned out of them! In other words, water would’ve helped their flesh get stronger but from what I know of scripture… Fire purifies! Most times when fire was sent, it was to consume a sacrifice (repentance)! Therefore, water would’ve appeased the flesh, BUT the fire purified the spirit!!!

3 THINGS ELIJAH DID TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE …

A) Elijah…1) REPAIRED THE EXISTING ALTAR WITH 12 STONES THAT REPRESENTED THE 12 TRIBES.
(I Kings 18:30-32) “And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. (31) And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: (32) And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD:

The ALTAR is a place in the OT used for offering a sacrifice to God to cover sin! May I say to you, The power of Repentance is still as strong as it has been for centuries! The Blood of Jesus is able to cover the sins of mankind! 2Pe 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

When Elijah built the altar, it was very significant! BUT, when he used the representational stones, he was intimating to them that he was not about to introduce any new religion, but to revive the faith and worship of their fathers' God, and reduce them to their first love, their first works.

Elijah…2) INCORPORATED WATER AND PREPARED THE SACRIFICE (REPENTANCE)…
(32) “…and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. (33) And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. (34) And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. (35) And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. Some say that he used the water to eliminate any thought of fraud before the fire came! He could’ve used another way to prove not fraudulent, but whatever the case, WATER WAS USED AFTER THE SACRIFICE WAS DONE!!!

Finally, Elijah…3) BEGAN TO SEEK GOD!!!
(36) And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. (37) Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. (38) Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. (39) And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

If we desire to draw closer to God, we should be wanting to create an atmosphere in our life that God can move in. If we do this, God will surely minister to our needs, strengthen our resolve, and uplift our faith in the time of trouble! How we do we do this?

Do what Elijah did and... 1) Make an Altar in our Life, 2) Incorporate Repentance in our Life on a Daily Basis and apply the Name of Jesus through Water Baptism, and 3) Begin to Seek God and Watch what He will do in your Life within the proper atmosphere!!! He will fill you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire!!!