Ever since the Lord has spoken: "Let the fire fall!", and we have released this obediently two weeks ago just as the Lord has spoken, this fire has been spreading! I see in the Spirit that this fire from the throne of God is spreading to cities, towns, villages everywhere; crossing continents and crossing many countries. This fire is not going to be quenched by the enemy. This fire is going to spread and spread and spread!
What is this fire? This is the fire of God's holiness. We need this in this time and season, before a great victory can happen in our lives. So, make no mistake about this. The fire of God is spreading across the nations and across the continents. Many will start to catch this fire!
Now, this is a time for alignment with God's will. Wash your hands, wash your eyes, whether it's spiritual or physical. There is Spirit of repentance all around. Turn away from sins. Confess your sins to the Lord. Return to His ways.
Whatever your past may have been, or whatever you've been going through recently, surrender your situation to the Lord. Surrender your life before the Lord (in worship and surrender). Wash your hands and wash your eyes. Because this is the time God is calling us to return to the very heart of Him, to the intimacy with Him, to the very first love!
So, clear what needs to be clear in your life! Don't miss this time and season. Because a great victory and breakthrough is coming your way! Now, in a time like this, the enemy will try to stop you and even attack your mind, attack your calling, attack your ministry, or attack whatever good that you do. The enemy will even put a lot of negativity into your mind to try to discourage you. And the enemy can use humans to do that. But you know what? Take authority and bind it, in Jesus' name! Fill your mind with the Word of God! Fill your mind with what God has promised you in the Word!
As you receive this fire that purifies and makes you holy, you know what? The enemy cannot touch what is pure and holy before the Lord! So, receive this fire from heaven! Receive this upon your life! Let this fire burn away not just all your hurts, your sicknesses, or your pains, but burn away all the sins and burn away all those that are not in the will of God, so that you can be re-aligned.
Just like a car being sent for alignment, our lives need alignment too. Why? So that our journey (our journey of faith) will not be bumpy, but it will be smooth. Whether it's a car or it's a human being, it is the same. We need to get in alignment!
Two weeks ago, I've released some Bible verses regarding fire, that fire doesn't have to be bad. Fire can be from heaven. It's the fire from the throne of God. And today, I'm going to continue with Bible verses. And this time, I go to 1 Kings 18 in the days of Elijah.
1 Kings 18:17 says, 'Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" And Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals."'
Now, 'Baals' here in the context of our study today speaks about 'the masters of this world', or that we have given in to whatever that is worldly. And these have become masters of our lives, instead of YHWH the Lord, who is the Master, THE Master of our lives.
In 1 Kings 18:19, Elijah said, "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
By the way, Jezebel is the wife of King Ahab. So, right now, whatever spirit of Jezebel that tries to control you, that tries to oppress you, that tries to cause you to be stuck in that small box, little box; you take authority and bind it, in Jesus' name! You are set free! This fire of holiness is burning all the spirit of Jezebel, all forms of controlling spirit that come against you! You are now set free! Walk in your freedom, the freedom and the liberty that Christ has given to you!
1 Kings 18:20 says, 'So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.'
Indeed, this is the time to 'choose ye this day who you are going to serve'. Are you going to serve the Lord? Are you going to give yourself before the Lord? Are you going to worship the Lord? Or are you going to bow down to the masters of this world (that have influenced so many Christians all over the world)?
In 1 Kings 18:23, Elijah said, "Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it."
So, two bulls here. One for Elijah, and one for all these prophets, the false prophets of course.
In 1 Kings 18:24, Elijah said further, "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord. And the God who answers by fire, He is God."
Look at the word 'fire' here.
In 1 Kings 18:25, Elijah said to the false prophets, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."
So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!" These false prophets prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice, no one answered, no one paid attention. In fact, all these false prophets, they were even cutting themselves with knives, trying to gain the attention of their false god. But you know what? Nothing happened.
In 1 Kings 18:30, Elijah then 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 that was broken down.
Do you see that? This is that time and season, people of God, for the Lord to repair us. Whatever that has been damaged by the enemy, whatever that has gone astray, whatever that has been broken in our lives, the Lord is repairing it and the Lord is restoring it. Yes, the Lord even restores your first love, if you allow yourself to.
Elijah then put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, "Fill four water pots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood." Then Elijah said, "Do it a second time", and they did it a second time. And Elijah said, "Do it a third time", and they did it a third time. So, the water ran all around the altar. And he also filled the trench with water.
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that these people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."
And you know what? The fire really came! And many who saw it, many who witnessed it, their first love returned. Their first love to whom? Their first love to the Lord their God!
Now, it is the same with us. Maybe we have gone astray from the Lord. This is a time for us to return. This is a time we return to our first love, and return to that intimacy with the Lord. Yes, clear away what is not of the Lord, and receive a fresh new touch of the Lord! There is a refreshing touch right now. There is a release of God's refreshing right now. Receive this!
1 Kings 18:38 says, 'Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench, the trench around the altar. And now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!"'
I pray right now that this fire from heaven is also being released upon your life, upon your home, upon all that you put your hands to do, and upon all that He has spoken for you to be and to do. Amen!
And let's look at 1 Kings 18:40 now. 'And Elijah said to them (the people of the Lord), "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 executed them there.'
Now, all these prophets of Baal, the false prophets, these are symbolic of all the wrong influences in our lives, of all the work of darkness that have infiltrated into our lives, even damaged our lives, and of course controlled our lives. Be set free! The fire has come! This fire is destroying all those works of darkness that have infiltrated you all these while. You are now a new person! You are now a fresh person! There is a fresh new start for you! And you are going to make clear decisions from now on!
You see, when there's holiness, when there's purity - in your spirit, soul, even in your body - you are going to make clear decisions! You know why? Because your mind is going to be super clear! And that's when you are going to make clear decisions for a greater future for your life! You will know what steps to take in your life. You will know what steps to avoid in your life. You will know when to move forward in something. And you will also know when you should be letting go of something, releasing it.
So, my prayer today is that as you receive this fire that purifies, you are going to be so clear in your mind, you are going to be so clear in your spirit, and you are going to make right decisions. You are going to make right decisions in your life, for your family, in your career, and in the ministry, so that you are going to see greater and greater victory, going forward. Amen!
Let us pray. "O Lord God, let the fire fall upon Your people! Let this fire spread like wild fire everywhere! It is a time to wash our hands and receive this fire of holiness in our lives. It is a time to return to You, and return to our first love, Jesus. It is a time You are touching many more lives through this fire that has been released from heaven. The enemy has to retreat and be defeated. Just like in the days of Elijah those days, a time of great awakening and a time of great outpouring is starting for Your people! Indeed, a time of cleansing has come! And a time of great victory has come! Just like what we have read in the Scripture today. In the name of Jesus. Amen."
