And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the Name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said unto the prophets of baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of baal from morning even until noon, saying, O baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. (1 Kings 18:24-29)
During this contest on Mt. Carmel between the false prophets of baal and Elijah and the LORD God of Israel, Elijah instructed the prophets to prepare the sacrifice and call upon their gods to bring fire down upon the bull. They called and called, Elijah even mocked them for their vain repetition, and then they cut themselves and bled while calling even more but to no avail. The false gods of the idol worshipers could not answer nor could they bring fire upon the sacrifice for they are no gods at all. When Elijah called upon the Name of the LORD, God brought fire down and burnt the sacrifice, the wood, the 12 stones Elijah had placed for an altar (1 for each tribe), and even the water in the trench around the altar.
The false gods of these false prophets and the idol worshipers of Israel were not gods and could not bring fire from anywhere or even answer the people. The demonic forces behind all false gods were prevented by God from taking any action as God Himself showed that He alone is God and there are no other gods besides Him. The prophets of baal went first and could not summon their false gods for idols are silent before God. After Elijah not only prepared the sacrifice but soaked it down three times with four barrels of water (1 for each tribe), and called upon the Name of the LORD, God answered and brought a great fire down from Heaven and burned the sacrifice unto the LORD and all around it. He was reminding the people that He alone is God and there are no others.
Christians call upon God for salvation, for strength, for victory and to show Himself strong on behalf of His people. He is not a genie who answers all our wishes, or the butler who cleans up our messes, but He is God and God alone and there is no other. We know Him, our Heavenly Father who is over all and sent His Son to whosoever will receive Him, Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, and the Spirit of God who indwells, empowers, and equips His people. One God who alone is God, manifest in three who are each God, and yet they are one and there is only one God. A Tri-unity in mystery which cannot be understood in the flesh, for He is God and we are not, but believed in the spirit for those who are born again by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. Those who are His are to lift Him up, live in obedience, and walk by faith, that God is glorified in the ministries, missions, and discipleship which God has called us to do for Him. We are to give an answer to those who ask us of the faith and hope we have in Christ who is our Life, our Creator, Redeemer, and King and continue to reach the lost with the Good News of forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father, to teach all nation all things which the Son commanded, and preach the Word by the Spirit of God wherever He sends us, until He is done with us.
Until that day, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him to go out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
The false gods of these false prophets and the idol worshipers of Israel were not gods and could not bring fire from anywhere or even answer the people. The demonic forces behind all false gods were prevented by God from taking any action as God Himself showed that He alone is God and there are no other gods besides Him. The prophets of baal went first and could not summon their false gods for idols are silent before God. After Elijah not only prepared the sacrifice but soaked it down three times with four barrels of water (1 for each tribe), and called upon the Name of the LORD, God answered and brought a great fire down from Heaven and burned the sacrifice unto the LORD and all around it. He was reminding the people that He alone is God and there are no others.
Christians call upon God for salvation, for strength, for victory and to show Himself strong on behalf of His people. He is not a genie who answers all our wishes, or the butler who cleans up our messes, but He is God and God alone and there is no other. We know Him, our Heavenly Father who is over all and sent His Son to whosoever will receive Him, Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, and the Spirit of God who indwells, empowers, and equips His people. One God who alone is God, manifest in three who are each God, and yet they are one and there is only one God. A Tri-unity in mystery which cannot be understood in the flesh, for He is God and we are not, but believed in the spirit for those who are born again by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary. Those who are His are to lift Him up, live in obedience, and walk by faith, that God is glorified in the ministries, missions, and discipleship which God has called us to do for Him. We are to give an answer to those who ask us of the faith and hope we have in Christ who is our Life, our Creator, Redeemer, and King and continue to reach the lost with the Good News of forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father, to teach all nation all things which the Son commanded, and preach the Word by the Spirit of God wherever He sends us, until He is done with us.
Until that day, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him to go out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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