Sunday, June 8, 2014

The Fire, the Rain and the Wind – Pentecost 2014



1 Kings 18: 36-45 
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet 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 and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
 
38 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.

39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” 40 Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
 
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.“There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”
So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Reference: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18&version=GNT



Prayer: Father thank you for this new day, and we give you praise as we celebrate the anniversary of the day that your Holy Spirit filled those assembled in the upper room. Thank you for another opportunity to reflect inwardly and to see if there is anything in us that is contrary to your divine will. We thank you for the fire that burns up everything in our lives that is not like you. We thank you for the cleansing rain which washes away all of the debris. And we thank you for the mighty wind which comes to reestablish your divine alignment and order. Father, you are welcome on this day to come into our lives and do an inside work that we may also be changed from head to toe. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.