WEBVTT 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:27.600 Our first reading today is taken from the book of Kings, first book, and it is about Elijah facing the prophets of Baal. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:35.759 Now there was a great famine in the land, and the Israelites had turned to Baal, another god to worship. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:41.039 And they would go back and forth between worshiping the Lord and worshiping Baal. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:47.679 And finally Elijah comes along and says, Let's see who God really is. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:51.039 We'll have a showdown, and we will see. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:58.560 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:05.599 For you are many, and call on the name of your God, but put no fire under it. 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:12.959 The whole idea was that they would build these altars and call upon their God to bring that fire down and light the altar. 00:01:13.759 --> 00:01:26.879 So they took the bowl 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, O Baal, hear us. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:31.120 But there was no voice, no one answered. 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:34.960 Then they leaped around the altar which they had made. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:41.439 And so it was at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god. 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:52.079 Either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is even sleeping and must be awakened. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:58.879 So they cried aloud and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:06.879 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:14.239 But there was no voice, no one answered, no one paid attention. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:18.400 Then Elijah said to the people, Come near to me. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:24.560 So all the people came near to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:36.000 And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Lord's word had said, Israel shall be my your name. 00:02:36.640 --> 00:02:47.680 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and made a trench all around the altar large enough to hold two saws of seed, about four gallons. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:03:02.159 And he put the word 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. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.800 Then he said, Do it a second time. 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.199 And they did so a second time. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:12.000 And he said, Do it a third time, and they did it a third time. 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:19.039 So the water ran all around the altar, and it also filled up the trench with water. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:41.120 And it came to pass at that 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 that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:50.800 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. 00:03:51.520 --> 00:04:02.400 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:10.879 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, The Lord, he is God, the Lord, he is God. 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:16.639 And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal, do not let one of them escape. 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:23.120 So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and executed them there. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:24.399 Amen. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:30.240 And our reading from the New Testament is taken from Matthew chapter six. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:38.479 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 00:04:38.799 --> 00:04:47.359 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 00:04:47.679 --> 00:04:51.839 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 00:04:53.039 --> 00:05:06.319 And finally, from the heavenly doctrines, Apocalypse explained a portion of paragraph number seven thirty, explaining, I will punish her for the days of Baal when she went after her lovers. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:21.919 The Baals and the lovers whom she chased signify the things of the natural man or person that are loved selfishly, specifically lusts and cupidities from falsehoods that come with them. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:23.279 Amen. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.119 Here end our lessons. 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:28.559 Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:29.519 Amen. 00:05:31.679 --> 00:05:34.399 What is the first commandment? 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.599 You shall have no other gods before my face. 00:05:40.719 --> 00:05:44.479 And this was exactly what was happening in the time of Israel. 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:54.799 The Israelites had turned away from the Lord, and they were worshiping Baal, a sky god that brought rain and fertility to the land. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:01.679 Interestingly enough, as soon as they started to worship this rain god, the rain stopped. 00:06:02.559 --> 00:06:08.639 And Elijah warned them there would be no rain until they turned back to the Lord. 00:06:09.919 --> 00:06:16.639 So as this was happening, Elijah decided, let's show them who the real God is. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:22.879 In fact, Elijah was pointing something out that we know today here, something that they didn't know. 00:06:23.039 --> 00:06:28.079 A lot of people thought maybe the Lord was the greatest God, but there were a lot of gods. 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:34.000 What Elijah was showing them today is there was no one else out there. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.319 There is no other God except the Lord. 00:06:38.799 --> 00:06:40.639 So you heard he started a contest. 00:06:40.799 --> 00:06:47.519 He told them to build an altar, put a bowl on it, which was the sacrifice, and call fire down on that altar. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:51.679 And then on the other side, after you're done, I will do the same thing. 00:06:51.919 --> 00:06:56.479 Whichever God answers by fire, that is God. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:00.000 So that's what happened. 00:07:00.239 --> 00:07:02.079 But let's stop for a moment. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:06.239 Why do we even have that commandment, worship other gods? 00:07:06.559 --> 00:07:07.199 Do we? 00:07:08.479 --> 00:07:09.119 Hmm. 00:07:09.679 --> 00:07:11.519 We can worship other gods. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:16.959 If you think about it, when we love ourselves more than the Lord, we are worshiping another God. 00:07:17.119 --> 00:07:20.000 We're worshiping our own love of self. 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:40.319 When we love things in the world more than God, let's say if it's money or pleasure, or even things like being very popular, and that's more important to us than worshiping the Lord or being right all the time, even when we hurt people, we're putting something bigger and higher up there than the Lord. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.399 Oh Baal, hear us. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:45.919 And that's what Baal represents for us. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:55.919 Anything that we do that we worship that we believe is more important than the Lord, and follow that instead of the Lord is worshiping Baal. 00:07:56.239 --> 00:07:59.279 And so now we see what happens. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:04.239 So the Baals or the prophets of Baal start to dance around the altar. 00:08:04.479 --> 00:08:06.239 Oh Baal, hear us. 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.439 Literally, it's O Baal, answer us, answer us. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.799 Because Baal could hear, but they went, no, bring that fire down. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:13.759 Answer us. 00:08:13.919 --> 00:08:15.679 Let us see that you are real. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:17.279 We know you are. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.479 So they danced and they danced and they shouted and they shouted. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:23.519 And nothing happened. 00:08:23.599 --> 00:08:25.359 It says there was no voice. 00:08:25.679 --> 00:08:27.199 No one answered. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:30.479 So they danced and they danced and they shouted more. 00:08:30.719 --> 00:08:32.799 And Elijah started to make fun of them. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.279 He really did make fun of them. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:38.799 He was like, Perhaps your God is meditating. 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:40.639 Maybe he's busy. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.039 Maybe he's on a journey. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:47.759 Oh, perhaps he's asleep and must be awakened. 00:08:48.079 --> 00:08:48.959 Imagine that. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:50.959 There they are, they're hearing this happening. 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:52.319 Why did Elijah do that? 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:53.600 He was a prophet. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:56.319 He was trying to show them without a doubt. 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:58.480 Your God is absent. 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:00.399 He's not here. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:02.159 He's not on a journey. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:02.959 He's not over there. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:04.480 He's not taking care of himself. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:07.439 He's He doesn't exist. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:10.559 There was no voice. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:13.199 No one answered. 00:09:13.839 --> 00:09:16.159 No one paid attention. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:22.159 For those who would like to go a little deeper, you could say there was no truth in it in what they were saying. 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:23.199 No one answered. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:26.079 There was no good that came forth from those prayers. 00:09:26.319 --> 00:09:27.759 No one paid attention. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:29.360 No one attended to them. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:34.079 Nothing useful comes out of us worshiping the love of self. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:37.439 And that's what the Lord wants us to see in our lives. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.519 There are things as you grow up, and some of us who are a lot older know this well. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:46.399 There are things that we'll be tempted to do that make us think we'll be happy. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:49.039 We'll think we'll be happy and we'll do them again and again. 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:52.079 Keep worshiping, keep praying, O Baal, hear us. 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:56.799 And yet there's something deep and empty inside of us at that time. 00:09:56.959 --> 00:09:59.679 Have you ever finally got something that you really wanted? 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:04.399 And maybe it was fun for a little while, but not as fun as you thought it was going to be. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:07.039 Well, think about when you do something wrong. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:10.959 When we do something wrong, we can think this is going to be delightful for us. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.159 This is going to help us. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.799 If I yell at that person, I'm going to feel so good. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:20.159 If I take that thing that doesn't belong to me, it's going to make me happy they didn't deserve it anyway. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.120 Whatever it may be that we're going through. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:28.000 And yet we do that and immediately we feel empty inside. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:30.159 There's nothing there. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:32.319 There's no good in it. 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:34.720 We don't learn anything. 00:10:35.439 --> 00:10:38.000 Nothing happens that helps us. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.399 And so they started at the very end. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:42.639 They started to hurt themselves. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:44.720 And you know, it's like, why? 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:45.199 Why? 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:46.799 That was, did you read that? 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:47.919 That was their custom. 00:10:48.079 --> 00:10:48.959 That was their custom. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:53.199 They were showing Baal, we're willing to do anything for you. 00:10:54.079 --> 00:11:08.720 And again, when someone has really succumbed to evil, really succumbed to the love of self and the love of the world, oftentimes maybe it won't be anything, but we can feel inside, I'll do anything to be right this time. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:11.759 I'll do anything to get that thing I really want. 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:15.839 I'll do anything, Baal, for you to answer. 00:11:16.079 --> 00:11:18.079 And yet there was no voice. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:19.839 No one answered. 00:11:20.079 --> 00:11:22.319 No one paid attention. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:27.199 So finally they were exhausted, so Elijah says, My turn. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.199 And he goes and he repairs the altar. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:31.439 They had broken down an altar before the Lord. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:32.799 He repairs that altar. 00:11:32.959 --> 00:11:43.360 He brings in twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and places those stones on the ground and builds that altar on top of the stones. 00:11:43.839 --> 00:11:50.399 Reminds me of the Lord telling us if we do hear and do what he says, it's like building our house upon what? 00:11:50.959 --> 00:11:51.919 The rock. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:12:01.360 So we're building this altar here, upon the truths of the Lord's word, all the different teachings that tell us how to live. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:09.839 And then he ordered the bull on top of this altar, which symbolizes the Lord putting our lives in order. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:18.319 If we allow the Lord, allow the Lord to guide us, when those things come up and we're tempted to limp over and worship Baal, we take a stand. 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:19.839 I won't do that. 00:12:20.079 --> 00:12:22.000 I want to follow the Lord. 00:12:22.319 --> 00:12:24.159 This time I'm going to follow him. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.519 I really am. 00:12:25.839 --> 00:12:28.879 And make a commitment for that to happen. 00:12:29.199 --> 00:12:32.079 And so the altar is built. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:36.079 Now, what did he do next? 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:38.480 He took this, let's say this. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:45.039 He took a lot of water, a lot of water, and poured, had them pour it on this altar that he was going to lay. 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:49.679 It filled up the trench that he had put around it, soaked, soaked. 00:12:50.079 --> 00:12:57.279 Now, the prophets of Baal probably looked at this and went, This isn't going to work. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:58.799 What is he doing? 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:00.399 That's so foolish. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:02.480 Fire will never come down. 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:09.600 And yet, he knew something deep inside about the word that they didn't know. 00:13:09.839 --> 00:13:15.519 And that is that water signifies, we could all say it at once, truth. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:16.879 The truth. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:24.159 And so what he was showing us there in a deeper symbolic level was pour, soak your life with truth. 00:13:24.319 --> 00:13:25.600 What do you believe in? 00:13:25.839 --> 00:13:28.079 Especially those things you might be tempted to do. 00:13:28.319 --> 00:13:31.679 Allow yourself to know fully that's not the right way. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:37.120 And have that truth be surrounding us, our altar, so to speak. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:38.720 So he does. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.519 But you know, it can look like it's not going to work, right? 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:43.039 There's sayings we have. 00:13:43.199 --> 00:13:46.559 If I live a good life, I'll be a wet blanket, right? 00:13:47.439 --> 00:13:56.000 You know, it's just like life is just going to be so, such a damper on my life to live by what the Lord says. 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:57.039 You could feel that way. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:04.480 Like so, say somebody who says, I need to get away right now from this group of friends I'm with, because they're going down the wrong path. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:08.959 And yet you look over and say, but I don't want to stay home all day every day. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:11.600 It's too hard to make new friends. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:13.600 And that can happen with so many things. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:18.959 We think of, if I don't do this thing, if I don't, if I don't want to try to get that thing, I won't be happy. 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:22.000 And we have to go, that's just an appearance. 00:14:22.319 --> 00:14:23.679 Follow the Lord. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:26.399 Let that water soak the altar. 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:29.839 Something miraculous is going to happen. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:36.799 So right before anything happens, Elijah does something very important. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:39.360 What he does is he prays. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:42.319 In front of all these people, it looked like he was the only one left. 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:46.159 He prays, Lord, please, please. 00:14:46.959 --> 00:14:54.799 Let them know this day that there is a God in Israel, and I am your servant, and that you are bringing them back to you. 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:58.959 Sometimes we can get all set to follow the Lord. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:01.279 We say, okay, I'm gonna stop doing that thing now. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:02.559 I'm already, Lord. 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:03.120 Okay. 00:15:04.319 --> 00:15:06.159 Well, we forgot something. 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:08.639 Please help me, Lord. 00:15:08.959 --> 00:15:10.799 Prayer to call upon the Lord. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.360 And in this story, he does that extra, please. 00:15:13.839 --> 00:15:15.679 Lord, Lord, please. 00:15:16.079 --> 00:15:18.480 And sometimes that's what we need to do. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:22.159 You know, maybe as new church people, sometimes we think, well, the Lord loves us. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.480 We don't have to only say, please, okay, good. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.319 You know, no, we beg. 00:15:26.959 --> 00:15:27.600 Why? 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:29.679 Doesn't the Lord already know? 00:15:30.079 --> 00:15:37.439 Well, when we say, please, please, please, we're opening ourselves up to allow that fire to come down. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:39.120 And so that's what happens. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.240 Imagine, as soon as he didn't even get a chance to say Amen. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:52.000 That fire comes down and it just, it, it, it takes everything and burns up everything, even the dust on the ground, it said. 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:56.720 And immediately everybody went, The Lord, the Lord is God, the Lord is God. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:10.720 And that promise to us is that that Lord's fire, what is actually bringing us happiness in our life, the Lord's love can come in and fill us when we turn to Him. 00:16:10.959 --> 00:16:18.639 When we turn to the Lord instead of worshiping other gods and ask the Lord to guide us and take those steps to follow His ways. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.679 We may think that our lives will become boring. 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:26.240 They become filled with joy, filled with happiness. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:34.000 Now, sometimes it takes time and we do this a lot and it comes, but this story is showing us that the Lord is all powerful. 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:43.839 The Lord is all love and mercy, and the Lord can bring fire of love down into our lives if we let him do that. 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:54.639 And so think for yourself, when you go home or sometime today, what's something that I'm wanting and doing that's greater than following the Lord? 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.679 See, I'm gonna stop doing that. 00:16:58.079 --> 00:17:00.240 I'm gonna follow what the Lord says. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:04.640 And then Lord, please. 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:06.720 I don't want to do that anymore. 00:17:07.360 --> 00:17:07.839 Please. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.400 And then fire will come down.