Kristi Burchfiel

It’s coming! After all this time, the expected rain is coming. Read 1 Kings 18:44. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.'” 1 Kings 18:44 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.44.NASB I wonder if the servant thought Elijah was crazy when he responded to him that way about such a little tiny cloud. I wonder if hr felt silly going to Ahab to deliver this message based solely on a cloud the size…

Persistance. Do we keep waiting on God until He does what He’s said He is going to do? Read 1 Kings 18:42-43. So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 1 Kings 18:42‭-‬43 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.42-43.NASB Ahab went off to do what Elijah told him to do and now Elijah goes up to the mountain to wait and…

“Will you listen to me now?” Elijah had been talking to ahab and talking to him and he hasn’t wanted to listen to anything that Elijah had had to say. Well, now Elijah had just won the challenge and killed all his false prophets. Will he listen now? Read 1 Kings 18:41. Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 1 Kings 18:41 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.41.NASB After 3 years of no rain, Elijah tells him that there will be rain. In fact, he tells Ahab that he should get ready for it and enjoy a feast. No…

Don’t let sin linger. We know things are wrong and too often we let it hang around. Not so with Elijah. Read 1 kings 18:40. Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 1 Kings 18:40 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.40.NASB Remember all those prophets who were trying to get their god to bring down fire? Well since they failed, the people saw that they were not worshipping the true God. What did Elijah do? He didn’t let them hang around to try and lead people astray…

Proof. Well, the people needed proof that God is who he says he is, so they got it. Read 1 Kings 18:38-39. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord , He is God; the Lord , He is God.” 1 Kings 18:38‭-‬39 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.38-39.NASB Even with all that water, the fire of God falls, the offering is burned up and the water is all completely gone. God has proven Himself…

Why do we want God to answer our prayers? Is it so we can just get what we want or are we interested in making sure that God gets what he desires as well? Elijah was thinking about threat when he prayed in 1 Kings 18:36-37. At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord , the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord , answer me, that this people…

Unusual. Elijah has been working with an audience to rebuild the altar of God and then prove that God is still the one true God. But now, he does something very unusual. Read 1 Kings 18:33-35. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. The water flowed around the altar and he…

The Name of the Lord. Elijah had an audience and he got busy. He built an altar in the Name of the Lord. So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord , and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 1 KINGS 18:32‭-‬33 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.32-33.NASB Elijah set up the altar exactly the way that was described in the books of the law. But more than that, he built that alar in the Name of the Lord. This was to…

Symbolism. Elijah had a huge audience and now everyone was watching him. So he sets about making a demonstration that people will remember. Read 1 Kings 18:31-32. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord , and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 1 KINGS 18:31‭-‬32 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.31-32.NASB The kingdom is divided, but Elijah still goes through the steps to help people to see…

Come here. Elijah had had enough. The other prophets had their chance and failed. Now it was his turn. He calls the people to him. Read 1 Kings 18:30. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord which had been torn down. 1 KINGS 18:30 NASB https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.18.30.NASB He gathered an audience and then began to model the correct behavior so that they would see and understand what they should have been doing. Do we want people looking closely at our lives? Would we call people over to look at what we…