September 16, 2001

Tonight the Holy Spirit has given me a word for the church of Jesus Christ. Now by that I mean the body at large. Everyone who calls themselves by the name of Jesus Christ, who would have the testimony of saying I am, by virtue of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary, saved. Everyone who defines their Christianity that way, this message is for them.

Now I Kings chapter 18 was a time of great spiritual conflict. Once again the children of God had strayed from truth. They had fallen far, far, far away from the victorious days of Joshua. When God’s heritage first went into the promised land and under Joshua and his leadership had conquered, albeit they hadn’t conquered entirely through their own neglect but nevertheless those still were victorious days.

But now terrible tragedy had happened to the children of God and it was because of their refusal to separate themselves from the gods of the society around about them.

You recall Moses speaking to the people and telling them, the gods that you don’t drive out are going to be a snare to you. They are going to be thorns in your sides. They are going to rob you, in a sense, of the true heritage that God desires to give you because you refuse to separate from them.

They are going to swallow you up and that’s exactly where we are years down the road in I Kings chapter 18.The people of God were captivated by a false god called Baal. Now Baal was the god of personal increase and prosperity. His worship included the moral practices of sensuality. In other words the people were captivated by the desire for personal increase. That means anything they could build themselves, anything that could prop up self, anything that would make them prosper and it included an allowance to be moral and yet still have a sense that they were in the presence of God.

It was a licentious religion, a very wicked, very immoral, very sensual. The people walked only by their senses. If it rained and the crops were good then by their natural senses they would say the god Baal is pleased with us. He’s pleased to send us increase. He’s pleased to send us prosperity.

Obviously the sensuality, because that was the very core of their so-called worship, led them into immorality and led them into horrid immoral practices. In the midst of this immoral religious practice God raised up a voice of truth because beloved in every generation and among every people God almighty is never left without a testimony. Never. He will always have a testimony. There will always be a word. It may not be popular, it may not be the majority but His voice will still be heard. He is God, He did create the Universe. He does govern the world, He does hold everyone of us tonight in the palm of his hand and He will speak to anyone who wants to hear.

These men lusted for it. That’s the table they – they didn’t want the table of God - that’s the table they wanted to eat at and so that’s where they ate.  20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

Now Mount Carmel was really significant because Mount Carmel where Joshua had previously defeated one of the Canaanite kings. So technically Elijah was drawing to draw them back to a place of remembrance.

This is what the Holy Spirit will always do to the people of God. He will always woo. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come to condemn the church of Jesus Christ in spite of how apostate she may have become. The Holy Spirit still comes and tries to draw back that which is alienated from the heart of God. That which is in league with immoral leaders, that which is also lusting for power and provision and all these other things that society has to offer.

21And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

Now the Holy Spirit is speaking through Elijah. There was indecisiveness in the heart of the people. There was a mysterious inner knowledge that this is really not God. It’s fun and our senses are being touched and there’s a sense of provision but it’s not God.

That’s why the indecision, that’s why they could go but they could not fully yield to Baal because there’s a deep inner knowledge. This is not the altar of God.

They would walk away and if somebody were to mention the name Elijah, without hesitation they would say, "He is a man of God. Wherever he goes the fire of God goes. Wherever he is there is a sense of awe. There’s a sense of God that goes with this man that travels with him. Oh yes, he is a man of God."

Yet when this man of God puts the question before them, who is it that you are going to serve?

They don’t answer. They can’t answer.

You know, strangely enough that’s the way it is even here sometimes at Times Square Church. A man of God will stand before you, clearly cutting between soul and spirit, joint and marrow and going right to the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Yet people sit and offer no response. And the question is always the same, God says, will you come back to me? Will you come to that place of remembrance?

They answer not a word. No response. Hoping, perhaps, that the conviction will just go away.

Oh yes, false religion can make you happy and it can give you a sense of satisfaction, people do it all over the world and in some places they are having a lot of fun doing it. They felt, perhaps, that they had been genuinely touched there and in the heart saying, "I know it’s not God but I’ve been touched there. Should I leave this, Elijah, to go with you? Elijah, all these prophets can’t be wrong. 850 of them – they can’t be wrong – Elijah, you’re only one man, you’re only one voice. They can’t all be wrong and I’ve been touched there."

But folks, you see they inwardly knew something. The hesitation always says something. I always know when a man is involved with adultery or fornication because when I meet him with the woman he’s with and I ask, "Is this your wife?" he hesitates before he answers me. It’s true.

He wishes that she were his wife, he has found what he thinks his needs are are met there but she’s not his wife and he knows it. So when you ask him, he hesitates. Then he says, "Well, yes." His very answer gives away his heart.

Jeremiah, chapter five. A prophet of his day, Jeremiah cried out to God with a deep burden in his heart. Jeremiah was a man who thundered from heaven and brought a word…

Oh folks, how many times does history have to repeat itself before the church will begin to cry out and say, God, please don’t let history repeat itself in my life. Don’t let me be another in the long lineage of apostates that have held to Baal and wouldn’t let go.

Jeremiah said, 23"But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone."

They do know that what therein is not God but in their heart they have left the one that they do know is real.

24"Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God…"

There’s no desire for the fear of the Lord. That’s old fashioned. That’s old school. That’s long ago Pentecost in America. We’re of the new generation now. There’s a new thing happening in our midst. We have a new god now.

They’re already gone and "24Neither say they in our heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God…"

We don’t want the fear of the Lord. We don’t want to talk about the fear of the Lord. We want to be able to come to our altar, we want to be able to have sensual worship, practice immorality, we don’t want any fear of God in our lives.

It’s like there’s a barrel full of oil and there’s a oil, somebody drilled a hole in the bottom. It takes awhile but it will go.

"…and your sins have withholden good things from you.

We’re starting to get to the key now in vese 26.

26For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

I can hear the thundering cry of Jeremiah. Oh that the church of his day would wake up and see that they were warned, they were being warned by the word of God that there are wicked men that lay wait like somebody snaring a rabbit, hiding in the bushes and setting a snare for the unwary. Setting a snare for those who are not yielded to God, still living by unbridled lusts in the very depths of their soul they are not yielded to God, they are halting between two opinions. Here are these men setting their snares and setting their traps for the unwary.

28They are waxen fat, they shine…"

You can tell them by their shiny, glossy advertisements. They shine.

28…they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

This verse means this. They care nothing about the plea of those who are in genuine spiritual need. They care nothing about anybody but themselves.

Now in verse 29 here’s the Lord speaking through Jeremiah.

29Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 30A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means…"

"…and what will ye do in the end thereof?"

Go back to I Kings again. Now listen to me. I’m not mad at anybody here tonight. I don’t want anybody thinking that. I have a burning in my heart. There’s been a burden that God has placed on me for years now. I’m pleading for the church. I’m not condemning anybody. I plead for every leader. If they can turn, if they can still hear I plead for them. I’m not here to condemn anybody, I’m not here to call down fire on God’s house. I’m talking about judgment fire, I’m here to plead.

Now we go back to I Kings chapter 18 and verse 22.

22"Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD…"

Now we know that wasn’t completely correct. There were 7,000 others that hadn’t bowed their knee to success and prosperity.

"…but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23Let them therefore give us two bullocks; (two sacrifices) and let them choose one bullock (choose your sacrifice) for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24And 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."

Now I want you to mark that in your spirit because we’re going to talk about that fire. That fire is not what you might think it is. Fire is not a feeling. Fire is not a presence. Fire is not a tingling. Fire is not some sensory experience. There is something else that Elijah here is talking about.

Mark it in your mind because we’ll be back to it later.

24"… And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken."

Meaning, that’s a good idea. Okay we’ll lay out our sacrifices and the god that answers by fire is God.

25"And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many;"

You see folks, that which is not of God always has no durable foundation. Not only in the church but in the individual Christian life. You don’t live the Christian life. We don’t grow as a Christian by running from one tape to another or one sensory experience to another. There is a building that goes on. There is a cornerstone we must fall on and Jesus said we must be broken on that cornerstone.

The brokenness means we must be fashioned and made into the image of that stone. If we are not exactly as the stone is then the wall that goes up will be crooked. It will start off one degree but by the time it gets to the top it will fall over.

That’s why many of these so-called churches of Jesus Christ rise up so fast and seem to go so high, so far, and you look down the road 15 or 20 years later and they have a trail of disillusioned people and an empty building full of unclean virgins.

Now here the prophets of Baal begin to attempt to call down the presence of God.

They leapt upon the altar which means they rose above the crowd and for a moment they shined. Then they either jumped off or they got knocked off and the next person took his turn leaping on the altar, calling out to a god that doesn’t exist.

27"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. 28And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them."

Folks, it’s not enough to be moved by sincerity, there’s got to be truth behind it. There has to be truth behind it. I don’t even care if a man looks insincere as long as he’s preaching the truth and it’s touching my heart and convicting my life.

29"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."

In other words they worked themselves into a position of exhaustion. It’s not enough to leap on the altar but now they begin to prophesy.

Now the work prophesied is "naba" in the Hebrew and can mean: to speak or sing as a prophet by divine power. Is has a positive application but it can also mean and it does in this case mean: to rave, to play the madman, to act insane through agitated, spasmodic movements which are often applied to false prophets.

Now that’s right out of a Hebrew/Greek dictionary. In other words, they were acting abnormally and they were shaking through spasmodic bodily movements which are always applied to false prophets. I’m going to prove it to you.

Go back in your Bible to I Samuel and you’re going to see something here in chapter 18. I’ll show you what happens to a man who knew God and walks away from him and is still leading the people.

The Bible tells us clearly that Saul was anointed by God, he was called to lead, tells us that the spirit of God came upon him, he prophesied. There was a time in his life when he really did prophesy. The spirit of God came upon him and he began to lead the people, the Bible says he was turned into another man by the spirit of God.

He had every chance that you and I have today. But there was a stubbornness in his heart, he was unwilling to yield his life to the word of God. That’s why Samuel wept for him for quite a long time after God rejected him until finally the Lord said to stop weeping for him, I’ve chosen another man after my own heart.

I Samuel 18, verse 10. I want you to picture this Saul now – called to lead, anointed, touched with the Holy ghost. He’s now sitting as king, he’s a leader.

10"And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul…"

Now I’m not going to get into the theology regarding did God send an evil spirit but I’m going to tell you something, God allowed an evil spirit to come upon his life.

"…on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house.."

Now here’s Saul prophesying, it’s an evil spirit that is upon him now. The word prophesied is "naba" – same word. It means to rave, to act insane through agitated spasmodic movements applied to false prophets.

"an evil spirit came upon him and he prophesied in the midst of the house and David played with his hand…"

Here’s Saul prophesying, here’s David just worshipping God. "…and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand."

Folks, this is really significant and I’ll tell you why it’s significant. David was worshipping God, Saul is prophesying. Now the whole thing looks holy. If you were to walk in you would say, "Oh, here’s a man prophesying."

It doesn’t mean what he’s saying is necessarily wrong. Here’s one man prophesying now normally it’s gibberish, it makes no sense, it doesn’t follow the Bible. If you follow it long enough it deviates, it may start in truth but then it takes a strange twist. It eventually leads the people that follow it right outside of the written word of God.

There was a javelin in his hand, prophesying, looking so holy but looking to kill the anointed of God. The true that exposes the false. Now let’s go back to I Kings 18 again. Verse 30

"And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob…"(vs. 30,31)

Now listen, this is significant because at this time Israel was split into two kingdoms. God says, if it’s my altar there’s no division. There’s no division between black and white and brown and red and yellow. There’s no division if it’s my altar.

If it’s the altar of God, if it’s the place where I’m going to send my fire, my presence, there is no division at this altar. The fact that he took twelve stones was a virtual slap in the face for those who are constantly saying, "We are the righteous side. They are the unrighteous. We wronged them, they wronged us. We have a history that goes back a long way. We are all here but we’re divided."

"…he took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came saying Israel shall be thy name: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed." (vs. 31,32)

I did some research on that and I found out that trench was about three feet wide. Three feet wide all around the altar. That’s 36 inches, that’s quite a trench. All the way around – this took a long time. He was in no rush.

That’s why he told the other prophets, "You go ahead. You do your quick sacrifices, do your quick thing. What I’m going to build is going to take awhile."

It would take awhile to dig a three foot trench all around this altar and to rebuild it with the proper number of stones.

"And he put the wood in order…" (vs. 33)

It really depends on how we look at that sacrifice as to whether or not we will ever grow as a Christian. If we comprehend what was done there and begin by faith to lay hold of the complete, absolute victory that was won for us on Calvary and trust the Holy Spirit to begin to make it a reality in our lives.

That means my will, my plans, my ambitions but nevertheless I live and yet not I but Christ lives in me.

Paul goes on to say I live this life by faith in what Christ did for me. That’s the source of my life. I’ve come to Christ.

"He put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood." (vs. 33)

Folks, there’s a time we have got to lay our lives down for the purposes of God. This is not a Sunday School picnic, the church of Jesus Christ. This is not an invitation to have continuous good times. This is a war for the souls of men.

"And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do I the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water." (vs. 34, 35).

In other words, the sacrifice was soaked in the word of God. Hallelujah!

I thank God that when I was a young Christian I opened this book. Oh I thank God I love this book. Thank God I read this book even when I didn’t understand it. I read it and read it, trusting the Holy Spirit to open it to me. I thank God that He soaked my life in it at a young age in His word. When the false came I knew what was false and I knew what was real because I had been soaked in this book. I knew the difference.

"And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near…" (vs.36)

Now he came as near as he could come. You see there was a three foot trench of water round about the altar that was full. He had dug it there on purpose because no man can share the glory of God.

The prophets of Baal leapt on the altar for public exposure. Public acclaim. God’s man of the hour – anointed servants of the Lord.

But Elijah backed away, technically, and came as near as he could to the altar but the nearness was not to the altar, he was not looking for public exposure, the nearness was to God. It was a totally different context. Elijah drew near to God and backed away from the altar. If he had been at the altar when the fire came it would have consumed him. He backed away or walked as close as he could.

Folks, there is a litmus test of a man of God. A genuine man or woman of God will back away, will distance themselves from the glory of God, will not touch the glory of God. Will not allow people to praise them. Will not look for man’s praise but look for praise that comes from God alone up in heaven. Will not compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will not preach to tickle the ears of man but will preach to those who want to know the truth and want their lives changed by the glory of God.

"Elijah came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at they word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again." (vs. 37)

Now this is the cry of a genuine man of God.

I’m only here, Elijah is saying, for these reasons. God hear me. God hear my prayer. Accept my sacrifice. Accept my life. Accept my works. Accept the effort that I’ve put in to what you have called me to do. Accept it, oh God, that the people may know that you are God and that their hearts can be turned back to you again.

There’s no other reason that a genuine man of God lives. He lives to turn the people back to God. He lives to bring down the true presence of God into the church and to see that which is false turned out. Not for the sake of proving a point but for the sake of the beloved church that Jesus died for and bought with his own blood and loves with all of His heart.

"Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." (vs. 38)

The fire of God fell.

The writer of Hebrews says, "Our God is a consuming fire."

You see, if you really have been in the presence of God there is a consuming work that is going on inside your life. What is old is being consumed by the presence of God – it is passing away. Behold all things are becoming new.

Image to image you are being changed as you behold Him even through a glass. Even if you don’t see Him you are still being changed because you are beholding – you are looking in the right direction and you are being changed from image to image and glory to glory even as by the glory of the Lord. By the spirit of the Lord you are being changed.

The fire of God came and consumed the burnt sacrifice, consumed the life as it is as it was laid down and said cut me, wash me. And the fire of God came. Hallelujah.

He has consumed things out of my life and continues to consume that which offends His nature and the working of His kingdom.

"and the wood, and the stones, and the dust"

I want to tell you something. Why the dust? The word in Hebrew for dust is "aphar" and this is what it means. It means – dry earth. In other words, the fire of God came and consumed or will consume our powerlessness or our lack of God’s presence. The dry earth.

Don’t forget what we were created from, folks. We were created from the dust of the ground.

When the fire of God comes into your life He consumes – the Holy Ghost consumes your powerlessness. Consumes your sense that God is not in your life and you begin to be aware that you have the power of almighty God now residing in you and He consumes the dryness, the powerlessness of the human vessel without God.

It also means fine dust blown by the wind. God, when He comes in true fire, will consume that part of us which has a tendency to be blown about by the wind.

The apostle Paul tells us that God has said in the church, let me read it to you in Ephesians 4, beginning with verse 11.

"He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

for the perfecting of the saints,

In other words, to bring everyone into a position where they are yielded to God and they have found God’s will and purpose for their life.

for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

This is the ministry that God sets up for the church. The true ministry is not to bring them to yourselves, not to pick your pocket, not to offer some vain hope, but that you be filled with Christ and the fruit of that follows in verse 14.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight

of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (vs. 11-14)

The fire of God came and consumed the aphar, which means dry earth, it means fine dust, that part of our nature which has a tendency to be blown around by the wind.

I remember seeing this just a few weeks after it began. I looked at it and I said to my wife, "Well at least it takes absolutely no discernment to see what this lunacy is."

Then much to my shock it swept almost the whole western world. Great corners of the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement.

"When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord , he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought then down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." (vs. 39,40)

But the word escape in the Hebrew means "smooth". That’s what it means. In other words, let them not slip…

They’ve been exposed. You now know what they are, you’ve seen the presence of God. Don’t let them slip away. Don’t let them keep deceiving you with their smoothness anymore. Get away from their altars. Take them to the brook, as it were, and put an end to their influence over their life.

Beloved, get away from their altars. Run for your life!

II Corinthians 6, beginning with verse 16.

"And what agreement hat the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple o the living God; as the God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (vs. 16-18)

The Holy Ghost says to Paul, touch not the unclean thing, come out from among them, run for your life! This is about your life because this is about your life. It’s not just about an imposing theology or conflicting view point on Jesus, this is about your life!

My mind is forever branded with the story that I heard about police officers from the city of New York as people were fleeing from a crumbling building. There were police officers and firemen and others who were running toward the building saying, "Run for your life!"

Turn with me to Proverbs 7 and I’ll be closing in just a moment.

Proverbs 7, beginning with verse 6

"For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street through her corner: and he went the way to her house," (vs. 6-8)

Now this has a physical application in these passages of scripture but there’s a deeper, spiritual meaning in this. I’ve always believe the woman spoken about in Proverbs 5 and 7 is false religion.

Verse 9

"She is loud and stubborn;"

Now the word stubborn in Hebrew means morally apostate, restless, has a lack of stability is as an untamed cow which will not carry his master’s yoke. She is loud, she’s morally apostate, she’s restless, she lacks stability, she is an untamed cow. She will not be yoked by her master.

"And her feet abide not in her house: Now she is without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner. So she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings wit me: this day have I payed my vows." (vs. 11-14)

I’m a spiritual person. I have peace offerings and I have paid my vows.

"I came to diligently seek your face and I found you. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt." (vs. 15,16)

In other words, there are wonderful things here. There’s provision here that you won’t find anywhere else.

"I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon." (vs. 17)

Myrrh was the burial spice of Jesus, incidentally. In other words, I’m as close as I can to being like Christ. It smells good in there. There’s a sense of worship.

"With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks: Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life." (vs/ 21-23)

She goes after his life and the word life in Hebrew means "breath, soul, spirit and mind". She’s after the breath of God. She’s after that which God wants to do in his life.

Proverbs chapter 5 and I’ll close with this. I hope that I have not offended you today by raising my voice. I have no alternative. There is a sense of God’s heart in me for his church. I’ve asked him to animate me today. I was prepared to stand here and just speak as I am now, whatever it takes to keep people’s ears open or perhaps to open them in this church-age for the very first time.

"Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well." (vs. 15)

God says listen, if you will come to me in truth, if you will believe on me, out of your belly are going to flow rivers of living water. I will teach you how to dig your own well. I will open your eyes, I will show you this book, I will lead you into truth, I will guide you with mine eye he says in the scriptures.

Drink waters out of that which I’m going to give you. Running waters out of your own well. Thanks be to God, the whole church in the world can backslide but those that are genuine will have a well that has been dug. They are not going to be moved by whatever anybody says.

In verse 16 he tells us it’s not just for you:

" Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee." (vs. 16, 17)

God says I’m not just going to give you to drink, I’m going to give you so much it’s going to overflow and it’s going to be dispersed. Everywhere you go you are going to know me, from the least to the greatest you are going to know me.

You’re going to know who I am, you’re going to know me in power. You’re going to know the true fire of God. You’re going to know it.

Your waters will be dispersed in the streets.

I think of my own life. I think of a young man that was so timid I couldn’t stand up to speak. I think of a young man who suffered terribly with panic attacks when I was young. I think of God using my life for His glory. I think of God being so faithful and all I did was start by getting in the book and praying and seeking His face for myself.

Not that I am anything at all. But I’m not unique, I am only a type of the church of Jesus Christ. Pastor Dave is only a type. I know many great men of God and there’s one thing in common with all the men of God that I’ve known that are wonderful, great leaders of God.

They dug their own well. They got their own water and by God’s grace they were given water. A spring of water came in. They were not trying to spare the rod in their own lives.

They said, God cut me. Cut me deep and then wash me with your word and then they laid their life down on the altar. Use me for your glory.

Yes, there’s been great personal cost in many of their lives.

To leave the altar of Baal it does cost you. The whole thinking of society in that day was contrary to Elijah. Even the king wanted to kill him.

Verse 18 says, "Let thy fountain be blessed; and rejoice with the wife of they youth."