By REV. TIMOTHY L. MELTON, PASTOR
CHEROKEE PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH
(While Pastor Melton was on a mission’s trip this week, to the Navajo and Hopi in New Mexico, we were blessed to have Evangelist Tim Dove minister. Fresh from his trip to Israel, he was baptized, and baptized others in the Jordan River. He was invited while there to preach on Mt. Camel, where this chapter had been lived out by Elijah. On the long flight back, the Lord gave him this message to give us in Cherokee.)
Read 1 Kings, Chapter 18:22-39 and choose…
(God, through the Prophet Elijah, using King Ahab, had called all of Israel to a showdown: between one of God’s Prophets, Elijah, and those 450 prophets of Baal, there on Mt. Carmel.)
The Jewish nation came, and Elijah, God’s Prophet, asked them, (and even now, God asks each person) “’How long will you waver between two opinions?’” “Elijah said to them, “If the Lord is God, follow Him! But, if Baal is your god, then follow him!”
Rev. Dove explained, “Baal was their god of fire whom they had been worshiping. Our God is the God of Everything.” The prophets of Baal agreed to set up their altar with Elijah’s challenge and given terms. On their own altar place, they chose their one of two bullocks, cutting it up and placing it on the wood there, without setting a fire underneath it. They then began to call to and dance, to summon their god there until noon. At noon, the Prophet Elijah began taunting them for their silent, sleeping, perhaps talking, or traveling god. They continued the rest of the day by cutting themselves even more, their blood flowing, and each crying out to Baal, so he should answer them with his fire. There was never any answer from Baal even for all their suffering.
“Meanwhile the Prophet Elijah began to rebuild the broken down altar of God found there, laying on twelve unchiseled stones—one for each tribe, none rejected—the whole house. He set the other bullock, cut up, on top of his wood, not lighting any fire. He also had some of the people dig a large trench around the altar. Filling all four water barrels each time, he soaked down the bull pieces, and the whole altar. He had them pour the water over that altar three times, until water had totally filled the surrounding trench.
“That whole Body of believing people actually signals us that this was only the beginning foundation for what God wants to build here,” (in Cherokee) added Rev. Dove. The ‘wood’ represents the ‘inhabitable praises’ of His people to set the rest of this nation on fire for God. The altar with the bloody ‘bullock pieces’ represents the Blood applied to every person. Nothing hidden, no fear, all is consumed, no person can escape across that ‘trench’—representing the inescapable, coming Judgment of God,” he added.
“The vision was entrusted to Pastor Melton. All of the ‘there ain’t no ways’ (doubts) spoken, and disparaging remarks should be put on God’s altar. Those words will be taken away by God’s Consuming Fire.”
“Notice in Verse 36, there is a set time for the evening sacrifice to be honored. Prophet Elijah then turned to pray and call upon God.”
Verse 37, Elijah prayed these words, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O, LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
Verse 38 continues, right as he stepped back. “Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, ‘The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!”
“Elijah had only prayed. How powerful prayers can be from a sincere, believing heart, full of faith in God! Any believer, with a true relationship, should also know what God has had written in the Bible, the Final Authority. It is the ‘test’ for all following Him. Submit to God. Believers should be tuned to hear the Holy Spirit, and are expecting His answers. Holy Spirit never violates what’s given in the Word! Receive all that’s offered. Read Psalms 2:7-8.
