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??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.
