{"id":21195,"date":"2017-10-30T00:05:48","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T07:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lccredding.com\/lcc\/?p=11867"},"modified":"2017-10-25T16:47:12","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T23:47:12","slug":"october-30-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2017\/10\/30\/october-30-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"October 30, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cAnd without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.<\/em>\u201d Hebrews 11:6 <\/span><\/p>\n

Faith Like Elijah Part 1 <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The old woman in the mirror (who is much older than me) asked me, \u201cAre you pleasing God? Do you earnestly seek Him?\u201d So I looked up the word earnestly. It means diligently, fervently, eagerly, intently. Avoiding the stare of the old woman in the mirror, I knew what she was thinking. \u201cDo you seek the Lord with fervor and diligence?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Since I was a child, I loved the stories of Elijah. I wanted to have faith like Elijah. He knew God, and had total faith and trust that God is Who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. <\/span><\/p>\n

After three years of drought and famine, God\u2019s Word came to Elijah (1 Kings 18:20-40). God said He would send rain on the land. Elijah told King Ahab to summon all of Israel to meet him at Mt. Carmel, with 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Asherah (who ate at the table of Ahab\u2019s wife, Jezebel). An altar was built for the prophets of Baal, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of God that had been destroyed. Elijah told the prophets of Baal to prepare their bull on the wood, but do not light a fire. They were to call down fire from their gods. For many hours they pleaded with Baal, but nothing happened. Elijah taunted them and they shouted louder (in case their god was sleeping). None of those evil prophets could summon fire. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, Elijah, having prepared his bull on the wood, dug a huge trench around the altar. He told them to fill four large jars with water, and pour it on the offering and the wood. After dousing the sacrifice three times, flooding the trench around the altar, Elijah stepped forward and asked God to answer him so these people \u201cwill know that YOU LORD, are God, and that YOU are turning their hearts back again.<\/em>\u201d God might have said something like, \u201cNo problem, you have done what I told you to do, and I will do as I said I would.\u201d Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and soil, and licked up all the water in the trench. The people fell prostrate and cried, \u201cThe Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!\u201d <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Wow, now that is answered prayer with flare! (Yes, pun intended). But wait\u2026 there\u2019s more!! The story will continue on the faith of Elijah in Part 2 tomorrow. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Lord, for the faith of Elijah. This account of Elijah and how You worked through a surrendered servant makes me cry out to You, \u201cStir up the faith You have placed in me so that I will be a surrendered servant earnestly seeking You, listening always for Your voice.\u201d<\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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