Week One " The Battle Begins After Victory's Achieved "
1 Kings 17***
*** Elijah prepares the King of the land, Ahab, that the Lord is bringing a drought upon the land for the punishment of idol worshipping...
***The people worshiped a god known as Baal. It was believed that Baal, was the provider of and the producer of plentiful rain and bountiful harvest.
***Also, Ahab had many priest of Baal, but none of them could bring rain.
*** Interesting***
During this time of famine, God did provide Elijah with water from a little brook and God fed him daily bread and meat that was delivered to him by ravens.
Also, after the stream had dried up from lack of rain, God told Elijah to go to the city and there he would be taken care of by a widow woman. When Elijah met the Widow woman, she had only a little bit of flour, and a little bit of oil in a jar, just enough for her and her son for one more meal. Elijah said that if you will make me something and give me drink, then the Lord will provide until the drought is gone...
***She did this and the flour jug never went dry, nor did the oil jar....
The widow's sons dies, and she thinks that Elijah has come to bring her sin to remebrance, but Elijah says give me your son, and he takes him upstairs and covers the boy 3 times with his own body and cries out to the LOrd, and the Lord hears his cries and brings the boy back... Wow!!!!! What victory!!!!
*** 1 KIngs 18***
*** After the third year the Lord told Elijah to go and present himself back to Ahab and let him know that I, your LOrd God, will bring forth rain...
Understand that Elijah wasnt very popular with the King and his other half Jezzebel... Jezzebel massacred all of the LOrds prophets. She on the other hand had 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah= 850 prophets..
***When the message reached Ahab to meet Elijah on top of the mountain for a showdown,, you better believe that Ahab sent for the 850 and it was on
On top of the Mount Carmel, Elijah gave specific instructions on what was to be done... 1. Elijah made it very clear to the people that he was one, but Baal's prophets were 450... 2. he told em choose a bull and give him two since he was the least. 3. cut them into pieces, lay it on wood, but put no fire to it... I will do the same... 4. then, you call on your gods and I will call mines
*** Elijah mocks them in verse 27 by saying: " Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened...
*** After they cut themselves with knives and lances until blood gushed out, Elijah said enough, come and see the Lord your God work...
Elijah gave instructions and they were this..
1. he told them to build an altar in the name of the LOrd, and build a trench around it.
2. then he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood.
3. then he said to fill 4 water pots with water and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and the wood.
4. then he said, do this a second and third time, and they did.
5. this filled up the trench with water.
Then here comes Victory!!!
1. *** Then the fire of the LOrd fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the the stones, and the dust, and licked up all the water that was in the trench
***Elijah then sent out the order to seize all the false prophets of Baal, and had them executed... at the bottom of the mountain by the small brooke
2. *** After this, Elijah told Ahab to go to the top of the mountain and eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain...
***So, Ahab goes up and Elijah goes to the top of Carmel, and he tells his servant to look toward the sea, but the servant saw nothing.. He told his servant to do this 7 times, then finally, a cloud was spotted by the size of a mans hand...
***Elijah told his servant to go and prepare Ahab to get his chariot moving before the rain washed them off the mountain...
*** 1 Kings 19:4***
1. This is where the battle begins...Read
1. Elijah was tired from all the previous victories, spiritually, physically, mentally...
2. Often after spiritual victories: emotions are raging, because of tiredness...
3. Elijah was so tired, drained, and empty, that he fell into depression... See, the enemy had him believing that he was the only true prophet and man of GOd left on the entire planet, so Elijah fell into depression... Self was the spirit here at work!!!
4. Satan is very strategic when he attacks...
Because Elijah was so tired and used up, Satan then began attacking by sending the spirits of depression and self.
But it didnt take long before Elijah was re-juvenized twice by an angel of the LOrd...
*** Remember that after Victory, is the real battle and this is where the next journey begins it is also where the enemy begins to send temptations your way because you are so drained and emotional...
***Remember that we must get the proper rest needed and nutrients because the enemy preys on the weak and unhealthy...
*** Just like Elijah ate and rested up, we too must do this because we are expected to journey further and accomplish more with the Lord being our strength and guide...
*** Elijah prepares the King of the land, Ahab, that the Lord is bringing a drought upon the land for the punishment of idol worshipping...
***The people worshiped a god known as Baal. It was believed that Baal, was the provider of and the producer of plentiful rain and bountiful harvest.
***Also, Ahab had many priest of Baal, but none of them could bring rain.
*** Interesting***
During this time of famine, God did provide Elijah with water from a little brook and God fed him daily bread and meat that was delivered to him by ravens.
Also, after the stream had dried up from lack of rain, God told Elijah to go to the city and there he would be taken care of by a widow woman. When Elijah met the Widow woman, she had only a little bit of flour, and a little bit of oil in a jar, just enough for her and her son for one more meal. Elijah said that if you will make me something and give me drink, then the Lord will provide until the drought is gone...
***She did this and the flour jug never went dry, nor did the oil jar....
The widow's sons dies, and she thinks that Elijah has come to bring her sin to remebrance, but Elijah says give me your son, and he takes him upstairs and covers the boy 3 times with his own body and cries out to the LOrd, and the Lord hears his cries and brings the boy back... Wow!!!!! What victory!!!!
*** 1 KIngs 18***
*** After the third year the Lord told Elijah to go and present himself back to Ahab and let him know that I, your LOrd God, will bring forth rain...
Understand that Elijah wasnt very popular with the King and his other half Jezzebel... Jezzebel massacred all of the LOrds prophets. She on the other hand had 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah= 850 prophets..
***When the message reached Ahab to meet Elijah on top of the mountain for a showdown,, you better believe that Ahab sent for the 850 and it was on
On top of the Mount Carmel, Elijah gave specific instructions on what was to be done... 1. Elijah made it very clear to the people that he was one, but Baal's prophets were 450... 2. he told em choose a bull and give him two since he was the least. 3. cut them into pieces, lay it on wood, but put no fire to it... I will do the same... 4. then, you call on your gods and I will call mines
*** Elijah mocks them in verse 27 by saying: " Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened...
*** After they cut themselves with knives and lances until blood gushed out, Elijah said enough, come and see the Lord your God work...
Elijah gave instructions and they were this..
1. he told them to build an altar in the name of the LOrd, and build a trench around it.
2. then he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood.
3. then he said to fill 4 water pots with water and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and the wood.
4. then he said, do this a second and third time, and they did.
5. this filled up the trench with water.
Then here comes Victory!!!
1. *** Then the fire of the LOrd fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the the stones, and the dust, and licked up all the water that was in the trench
***Elijah then sent out the order to seize all the false prophets of Baal, and had them executed... at the bottom of the mountain by the small brooke
2. *** After this, Elijah told Ahab to go to the top of the mountain and eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain...
***So, Ahab goes up and Elijah goes to the top of Carmel, and he tells his servant to look toward the sea, but the servant saw nothing.. He told his servant to do this 7 times, then finally, a cloud was spotted by the size of a mans hand...
***Elijah told his servant to go and prepare Ahab to get his chariot moving before the rain washed them off the mountain...
*** 1 Kings 19:4***
1. This is where the battle begins...Read
1. Elijah was tired from all the previous victories, spiritually, physically, mentally...
2. Often after spiritual victories: emotions are raging, because of tiredness...
3. Elijah was so tired, drained, and empty, that he fell into depression... See, the enemy had him believing that he was the only true prophet and man of GOd left on the entire planet, so Elijah fell into depression... Self was the spirit here at work!!!
4. Satan is very strategic when he attacks...
Because Elijah was so tired and used up, Satan then began attacking by sending the spirits of depression and self.
But it didnt take long before Elijah was re-juvenized twice by an angel of the LOrd...
*** Remember that after Victory, is the real battle and this is where the next journey begins it is also where the enemy begins to send temptations your way because you are so drained and emotional...
***Remember that we must get the proper rest needed and nutrients because the enemy preys on the weak and unhealthy...
*** Just like Elijah ate and rested up, we too must do this because we are expected to journey further and accomplish more with the Lord being our strength and guide...
