“OUR GOD IS NOT LIKE THEIR GODS (II)”

Post date: Oct 17, 2017 3:52:02 AM

Elijah stood against the gods and four hundred prophets of Baal and proved that his God is not like their god; through grace and the power of fervent prayers, Elisha showed his God was not like the god of King Ahab and the god and prophets of Asherah that his wife Jezebel served. In humility and total submission to the Almighty God, Elijah showed that he was different from them, His God was different from their gods, His acts are always magnificent and clear and full of joy and His love for all of His children are forever true and rewarding. I want you to know this and to have it in your mind, in your thoughts, and in your feelings that irrespective of what may be happening to you (us), irrespective of what people are saying and will ever come to say to you (us), irrespective of the shame and the lack and humiliations you will suffer, irrespective of the result of your (our) prayers and the long expectations we have been holding onto, your (our) God is different from their gods and will never be like their gods. Our God is still making a difference today as He did in the days and times of Elijah. Even when we do not see the fire falling as in the time of Elijah, we can see and experience the effects of His holy fire, we still have hope, still trust in Him, and in His words and in His powers. Like in the days of Elijah, the gods of King Ahab and the Asherah gods his wife failed before them and their prophets and the people who had gathered to see; today also, the gods of the people contending with you waiting and watching to see you and your God will fail before them and those that worship and treasure them.

“Elijah went before the people and said, how long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. Get two bulls for us let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire he is God. Then all the people said, what you say is good. Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, choose one of the bulls and prepare it first since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire. So they took the bull and prepared it, called on Baal from morning till noon. Baal, answer us they shouted, but there was no response no one answered, and they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them, shout louder he said, surely he is a god; perhaps he is deep in thought, busy, or traveling, maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened. So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, come here to me, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down, took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, Your name shall be Israel. With the stones, he built an altar in the name of the Lord and dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood, he said to them, fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood, do it again, he said, do it a third time, he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. At the time of sacrifice, Elijah stepped forward and prayed, Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Answer me Lord, so these people will know that you are God and that you are turning their hearts back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When the people saw, they fell prostrate and cried, the Lord, he is God, the Lord, he is God.” 1 Kings 18:21-39. God who proved Himself before Elijah and Baal is willing and to do it again. For Prayers, Click here