??Intro：Bobby was facing a tough decision! At 7：00 p.m. on Friday there were 3 important events, and he didn't want to miss any of them! There was his team's soccer game, his church was having a special mission rally for the children, and a movie he really wanted to see would show？It all at 7：00 p.m. Friday. Bobby groaned. If you were Bobby, what would you do？
??If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, who should have first place in your life？The people of Israel were suffering a drought for over three years because they had forgotten how important it was to keep God first in their lives.
??Where had Elijah the prophet been staying during that three years？You will remember that God had sent him to stay with a widow and her son in Zarepath. Even though the land was dry and cracked from lack of rain, God continued to supply the flour and oil for the three of them, just as He had promised.
??One day God said to Elijah, "Go to Ahab and tell him that I will send rain upon the earth."
??When King Ahab saw Elijah coming, he pointed an accusing finger. "Are you the one who is troubling Israel？" But Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you and your people, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the idol Baal." Then boldly Elijah challenged the king："Now send and gather to me all the people of Israel to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal." Boys and girls, what was Elijah about to do？??I Kings 18：20 tells us that Ahab sent for all the people of Israel, and the prophets of Baal, and they assembled together to meet Elijah at Mount Carmel. Elijah spoke to the crowd："How long will you go back and forth trying to decide who is the real God？If the Lord is God, follow Him; if Baal is god, follow him." The people just stared, they didn't say a word. They knew they were guilty of trying to worship God and worship Baal. But God is a jealous God and He had clearly taught them they must worship Him only.
??MT Some Christians today also try to worship God, but they are continuing to give other things first place in their lives. Clothes, sports, tv, education can be things that become more important to you than God. Famous singers or actors can also become like an idol to you. If you have asked the Lord Jesus to save you, you are His child. Don't allow anything or anyone to take God's rightful place in your life. God was holding back His blessings on the people of Israel because they were not giving God first place in their life.
??Elijah was calling for the people of Israel to make a decision about who they were going to follow. They had been trying to serve God and Baal. Elijah said, "I am the only prophet of the Lord here, and there are 450 prophets of Baal. Bring two bulls and let Baal's prophets choose one, cut it in pieces and place it on the wood on their altar. I will do the same with the other bull. Neither of us will put fire to the wood. Then Baal's prophets can call on their gods and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God that answers by sending fire to burn up the offering, let him be the true God."
??All the people of Israel answered Elijah and said, "It is well spoken." The prophets of Baal prepared their sacrifice and then began crying out to their god to send fire. "O Baal, hear us!" they shouted, even jumping up on the altar at times. Do you think anyone answered, boys and girls？Why not？I Kings 18：26 says, "But there was no voice, nor any that answered.
??All morning the people of Israel watched the prophets of Baal putting on their show. At noon Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry louder, maybe your god is talking or chasing his enemy. Maybe he's taking a trip or perhaps he's asleep and you need to wake him up!"
??The 450 false prophets cried even louder, and began to cut themselves with knives til they were bleeding. Still no answer and no fire. They kept this up til time for the evening sacrifice. Baal could not answer them now, nor ever, because Baal was a false god.
??Gospel：Only God, the Creator, is the true and living God. God's Word the Bible tells us in Isaiah 44：6, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." God is completely pure and perfect. His Word says that He not only made you, but He loves you. God knows everything about you, including the serious problem that is in the heart of every person who is born. That problem is sin. Romans 3：23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Sin is a problem because it brings an everlasting death and separation from God. Who could ever love you like the true and living God？He proved His great love for you by sending His own Son to take your punishment for sin. Isaiah 53：6 says, "The Lord has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity (sin) of us all." Jesus willingly took that sin upon Himself and paid for it by dying on the cross. After Jesus rose on the 3rd day, He conquered death and will never have to die again! What a wonderful Savior! And what a wonderful God to love us so much that when we believe on His Son, God forgives our sin and makes us His child forever! He is the only true and living God!
??The 450 prophets of Baal far outnumbered Elijah, but they had no power because their god was a false god. Now it was Elijah's turn. Elijah stood before the people. "Come near to me" he said. All the people came near to watch Elijah repair the altar of the LORD that had been broken down. Elijah took 12 big stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel, and he stacked them up to form an altar. But what is he doing now, the people may have wondered, for Elijah dug a trench around the altar. Quietly Elijah put the wood in order, then cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. Then Elijah did another strange thing："Fill four barrels with water and pour it on the sacrifice and on the wood." How strange! Water would keep the wood from burning easily. After the four barrels were poured all over the sacrifice and wood, it ran down into the trench. Elijah called for this same thing to be done 2 more times. How many barrels of water were poured over the sacrifice？You're right if you said 12! How would anything so wet catch fire？??At just the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah was ready. He prayed right in front of the people, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things as you told me. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you are the LORD God, and that you have turned their hearts back to you again."
??Suddenly God sent his fire down to that altar! And as the people gasped in amazement, the fire did as no fire they had ever seen! The fire not only completely burned up the bull, and the wood, but also the big stones, and the dust, and then licked up all the water in the trench around the altar! There was absolutely nothing left, not even a stone! God had sent incredible evidence that He was the only true and living God!
??The people fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is the God! The LORD, he is the God!"
??God had long ago commanded that any false prophet who tried to lead the people away from Him should be put to death. That day the 450 false prophets were put to death. And Elijah told King Ahab that God was going to send rain that day. Sure enough before the night came, the sky grew dark, and God sent a wonderful rain to the parched land of Israel.
??In our church on Sunday we sing the song, "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow." The wonderful true and living God is the One Who sends us rain, and supplies all our needs. If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, don't allow anything to take God's first place in your life! Only God can give you life, breath, forgiveness of sin, a home in heaven and supply all your needs. If you realize you have allowed television, or sports, computer, education, or anything to become an idol in your life, confess it to God, then ask Him to help you put Him first. He wants to be first in your time, your talents, your treasures, and your thoughts. Reading your Bible and praying will help you understand how to put Him first!
??If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus, then you cannot put God first in your life.
??Please go now to "How to Be a Child of God" and follow those steps.
??小明今天要做一个很难做的决定。有三件重要的事都要发生在今晚七点, 而他三件事都想参加。一个是他所在的球队要比赛, 一个是教会有一个特别的儿童团挈, 还有一个就是他一直想看的电影。碰巧的是, 这三件事都在今晚七点。去哪个呢？如果你是小明, 你该怎么办呢？
??如果你已经接受了耶稣做你的救主, 那么谁应该占据你生活中的第一位呢？因为以色列人没有把神放在第一, 他们现在正在经历一个前所未有的大旱灾。这大旱灾已经三年了。在这三年中, 神的先知以利亚在哪儿呢？你记得吗, 神让他去西顿的撒勒法, 与一个寡妇和她儿子住在一起。虽然土地干裂, 没有收成, 神一直用油和面供应他们。
??一天, 神对以利亚说, 你去见亚哈王, 我要降雨在地上。以利亚就去, 当亚哈看见他, 就指责他说："使以色列遭灾的就是你么。" 以利亚说："使以色列遭灾的不是我, 乃是你, 和你父家, 因为你们离弃耶和华的诫命, 去随从巴力。然后, 以利亚就挑战亚哈说, 现在你当差遣人, 招聚以色列众人, 和事奉巴力的先知, 使他们都上迦密山去见我。
??小朋友们, 以利亚要做什么呢？列王记上18：20告诉我们, 亚哈就差遣人招聚以色列众人, 和先知, 都上迦密山。以利亚对众人说, 你们心持两意要到几时呢？若耶和华是神, 就当顺从耶和华.若巴力是神, 就当顺从巴力。众民一言不答。他们内疚因为知道他们又事奉神又事奉巴力。神是忌邪的神, 他已经明确地告诉他们只能事奉唯一的真神。
??今天很多基督徒虽然事奉神, 但他们把许多东西都摆在神的前面。把衣服, 球赛, 电视, 教育等等都看得比神重要。著名的影视明星也可以成为他们的偶像。如果你已经接受了耶稣做你的救主, 你就是神的孩子。不要让别的人事物来把神的地位给占了。神不能祝福以色列人, 就是因为他们没有把神放在第一位。
??因为以色列百姓又事奉神又事奉巴力, 所以以利亚要让他们做一个选择, 他们到底要跟随谁。以利亚说, 作耶和华先知的, 只剩下我一个人, 巴力的先知, 却有四百五十个人。给我们两只牛犊, 巴力的先知可以挑选一只, 切成块子, 放在柴上, 不要点火。我也预备一只牛犊, 放在柴上, 也不点火。你们求告你们神的名, 我也求告耶和华的名, 那降火显应的神, 就是神。众民回答说, 这话很好。巴力的先知将牛犊预备好了, 就求告巴力的名说："巴力阿, 求你应允我们, 他们还在所筑的坛周围跳。
??小朋友们, 会人回答他们吗？圣经上说, 却没有声音, 没有应允的。他们跳了一上午也没有用。到了正午, 以利亚就嘲笑他们, 说, 大声求告吧, 因为他是神, 他或默想, 或走到一边, 或行路, 或睡觉, 你们就把他叫醒吧。这些假先知更大声求告, 按著他们的规矩, 用刀枪自割, 自刺, 直到身体流血。他们虽然狂呼乱叫, 却还是没有声音, 没有应允的, 也没有理会的。为什么呢？因为巴力根本不是神。他是假神。只有耶和华, 创造我们的神, 才是又真又活的神。
??神的话在以赛亚书44：6说："耶和华以色列的君, 以色列的救赎主万军之耶和华如此说, 我是首先的, 我是末后的, 除我以外, 再没有真神。我们的神是那样完美。他不仅创造了我们, 他还爱我们。神深深了解我们, 他知道我们生来就犯了罪。
??罗马书3：23说, 因为世人都犯了罪, 亏缺了神的荣耀。不要小看罪, 因为罪带来的是永远的死亡和与神分离。但谁会象创造我们的神一样爱我们呢？神实在是证明了他的爱, 因为他连他的独生爱子耶稣都舍弃, 让他来为我们承担罪的惩罚。
??以赛亚书53：6说："我们都如羊走迷, 各人偏行己路, 耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上。耶稣心甘情愿地担当我们的罪, 死在十字架上。他第三天复活。他已经战胜了死亡！多么奇妙的救主！多么奇妙的神！当我们相信他的儿子, 神就原谅我们的罪, 让我们成为他的儿女。他实在是又真又活的神。
??四百五十个巴力的假先知对以利亚一个人, 但他们根本没有能力, 因为他们拜的是假神。现在, 该看以利亚的了。以利亚对众人说, 你们到我这里来, 众民就到他那里。以利亚照雅各子孙支派的数目, 取了十二块石头, 用这些石头为耶和华的名筑一座坛他又在坛的四围挖沟, 又在坛上摆好了柴, 把牛犊切成块子, 放在柴上。然后, 以利亚又让众人用四个桶盛满水, 倒在燔祭和柴上。真是奇怪, 众人都在想以利亚要干什么。加了水, 木柴就不容易著了。以利亚又让他们倒了两次。水流在坛的四围, 沟里也满了水。算一算，总共倒了12桶水。水都要把木柴浸透了。这么湿, 怎么可能点著火呢？
??到了献晚祭的时候, 先知以利亚准备好了。他说, 亚伯拉罕, 以撒, 以色列的神, 耶和华阿, 求你今日使人知道你是以色列的神, 也知道我是你的仆人, 又是奉你的命行这一切事。耶和华阿, 求你应允我, 应允我, 使这民知道你耶和华是神, 又知道是你叫这民的心回转。突然, 神降下火来。人们从来没有看见这样的火。烧尽燔祭, 木柴石头, 尘土, 又烧干沟里的水。神已经显现他就是那位独一的真神。众民看见了, 就俯伏在地, 说, 耶和华是神, 耶和华是神。神很久以前就命令过, 带领人远离神的假先知要被处死。那天, 四百五十个巴力的假先知都被处死了。以利亚对亚哈说那天神要降雨。果然, 傍晚以前, 乌云密布, 降下了大雨。
??有一首歌叫："感谢赐下祝福。" 我们奇妙的真神使天降雨, 又供应我们一切的需要。如果你已经接受了耶稣做你的救主, 不要让任何其它的东西占据了神的地位。要让神在你心中居首位。只有神能赐给你生命, 气息, 原谅你的罪, 赐给你天上的家, 供应你一切的需要。如果你意识到你让电视, 球赛, 学业, 或其它东西成为你的偶像, 向神承认, 并求神来帮助你把他放在第一位。在你的时间, 金钱, 甚至思想里, 都把神放在第一。读圣经, 祷告会使你更明白怎样把神放在第一位。
??如果你还没有相信耶稣, 你就没有办法把神放在第一位。请你去听"怎样成为神的孩子" , 并照那里所说的去做。 |