Ahab the king of Israel meets Elijah with these words: Art thou he that troubeleth Israel?
Trouble=) stir up, disturb To agitate; 2. To afflict with pain or discomfort. 3. To cause mental agitation or distress
You Have to realize that when you get serious about serving God, 100% sold out, You will be viewed as a trouble maker, why? Because most people are satisfied to live around the altar, but You have chosen to live on the altar= A living sacrifice
(Rom 12:1)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Elijah called the nation back to the altar.
The great need of this hour is for men and women who will rebuild the altar
The altar is the meeting place with God, It’s where You climb Mt Moriah and give your Isaacs up to God, it is a place of sacrifice, (death to self) it is a place of consecration.
Elijah took 12 stones= the 12 tribes) Also = divine order or divine Government- He was building a picture of Isreal back under Gods divine government = Living according His Word.
He Rebuilt the altar. He knew that if he could bring Israel back to the altar, and the altar back to Israel, that he would bring them back to God.
This is where were at in America right now.
The greatest structure that we can build in America is not to rebuild the world trade center, It’s not in new york. It’s In every city, and in every church and in every Home
It’s the structure called the altar.
It wasn’t torn down by terrorists attack, There is no terrorist that could destroy the altar, It was torn down through neglect, and decay, and rejection, in favor of a more comfortable and less painful and humiliating way,.
(Only Humble people can pray) (Only weak people can pray) (Only Poor people can pray) Only Helpless people can pray. Only needy people can pray
The Greatest sin of America is pride.
It’s not a symbol of national pride that we need in America today, It’s a symbol of national humility and total dependence upon God, It’s the old fashioned Out dated Place called the altar.
2 Chron 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The stones were whole stones, no tool lifted up on them, for that would pollute the altar before God. Exe 20:25 for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
(This means)
#1 God doesn’t want fragments of our lives
#2 No flesh shall glory in his presence, He will never give his glory and his honor to the prideful self efforts of man.
I will dress the other bullock= I will present as God has required.
Contrary to popular opinion, God will not accept any old offering or sacrifice.
Ro.12:1 That ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God
1Pet 5:5 God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
*Elijah called for an investment of the people,.
If you don’t ever make an investment in anything you don’t care about it.
(Pursuit is the proof of Desire)
If you really want something you will spend time in the pursuit of it.
You know the importance of a thing by the time you are willing to give to it.
*The 12 barrels of water in time of drought and famine was a tremendous sacrifice.
*If we really want to see a move of God in our lives, it is going to cost us something.
There will never be fire from heaven without an investment of water,.
Water: in the time of famine. 12 barrels of water, during a drought
It seems today that the church is in a spiritual drought,. (the drought of dry eyes) We don’t see many tears on the altar anymore.
( It is still true, The fire will fall when the wood is wet.)
*We also have to recognize the type of water on the sacrifice as the word of God,
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ps 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Elijah had them dig a trench around the altar,.
If we are going to see the power of God manifested, there has to be more work around the altar, If we don’t have any time to pray then we should not think it strange that we are powerless, and that there is no supernatural fire in our midst.
Prayer is hard work. (hard on the flesh, hard on pride, hard on the carnal mind).
Notice how the scripture says: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of ( seed). = The word of God.
*This shows us how vitally connected the preaching of the word is with prayer, If we would see preaching that results in changed lives we must saturate the word with prayer.
Ac 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Then as the water covered the altar and sacrifice, it filled the trench round about.
(This is speaking of a deep work of the spirit, more than a touch, (transformation)
Soaking saturation of the word of God. You can’t just hear the word preached
You have got to let it soak into your life until dirt becomes mud = A symbol of the natural in submission to the divine .
Jesus the Word = The Divine Spit into the dirt and made mud, and put it on the blind mans eyes, and he received sight.
After all had been done. Elijah calls on God. And God Answers from heaven by fire
The fire consumes the sacrifice, the altar, the stones of the altar, licks up the water in the trench, and licks up the dust.
The supernatural Fire of God always falls on the Divine Order of God.
If we desire the divine supernatural fire of God in our lives we have to get back to the altar.
