WEBVTT 00:00:17.269 --> 00:00:27.750 Our first lesson today is taken from the first book of Kings, chapter 18, the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. 00:00:28.710 --> 00:00:34.710 The Israelites had turned away from the Lord and were worshiping Baal. 00:00:34.950 --> 00:00:42.950 And so Elijah creates a contest for them to see who really is God, Baal or Jehoah. 00:00:44.549 --> 00:00:50.390 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 00:00:51.109 --> 00:00:58.629 And Elijah came to the people and said, How long will you limp between two opinions? 00:00:58.949 --> 00:01:03.909 If the Lord is God, follow him, but if Baal, follow him. 00:01:04.469 --> 00:01:07.030 But the people answered not a word. 00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:16.469 Then Elijah said to the people, I alone am left as a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:33.670 Therefore let them give us two bulls, and let that let them choose one bowl 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. 00:01:34.630 --> 00:01:44.390 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. 00:01:45.190 --> 00:01:49.270 So all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 00:01:49.910 --> 00:02:00.950 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose one bowl for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your God, but put no fire under it. 00:02:01.670 --> 00:02:13.829 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. 00:02:14.469 --> 00:02:16.310 But there was no voice. 00:02:16.789 --> 00:02:18.310 No one answered. 00:02:18.789 --> 00:02:22.229 Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 00:02:22.469 --> 00:02:29.109 And so it was at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god. 00:02:29.509 --> 00:02:38.709 Either he is meditating or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened. 00:02:39.109 --> 00:02:47.909 So they cried aloud and cut themselves as was their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 00:02:48.389 --> 00:02:55.829 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. 00:02:56.310 --> 00:02:58.229 But there was no voice. 00:02:58.789 --> 00:03:00.310 No one answered. 00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:02.870 No one paid attention. 00:03:03.590 --> 00:03:07.590 Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. 00:03:07.909 --> 00:03:13.349 So all the people came near to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 00:03:13.590 --> 00:03:25.429 And 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. 00:03:26.069 --> 00:03:36.709 Then 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 sayaz of seed. 00:03:37.189 --> 00:03:50.629 And he 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. 00:03:51.030 --> 00:03:54.069 Then he said, Do it a second time. 00:03:54.469 --> 00:03:56.469 And they did it a second time. 00:03:56.709 --> 00:04:01.030 And he said, Do it a third time, and they did it a third time. 00:04:01.269 --> 00:04:08.069 So the water ran all around the altar, and he also and it also filled the trench with water. 00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:30.230 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 Jacob, 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 in your name. 00:04:30.470 --> 00:04:39.589 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. 00:04:40.389 --> 00:04:52.069 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. 00:04:52.629 --> 00:04:59.750 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, The Lord He is God, the Lord He is God. 00:05:00.310 --> 00:05:03.349 And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal. 00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:05.509 Do not let one of them escape. 00:05:05.750 --> 00:05:12.629 So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down from the brook Kishon and executed them there. 00:05:13.029 --> 00:05:13.430 Amen. 00:05:15.430 --> 00:05:19.189 Our second lesson is from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter six. 00:05:20.149 --> 00:05:27.589 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 00:05:27.829 --> 00:05:36.310 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 00:05:36.629 --> 00:05:40.949 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 00:05:48.789 --> 00:05:52.469 And it was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 00:05:52.789 --> 00:06:18.149 That this signifies the lusts of falsifying truths arising from the evil of the love of self and the love of the world is evident from the signification of scorching, as denoting the lust of falsity and from the signification of fire as denoting love, but in the opposite sense, the love of self and love of the world. 00:06:18.469 --> 00:06:28.709 And consequently, the lusts of evil of every kind, that the loves of self and the love of the world are the origins of all evil. 00:06:29.349 --> 00:06:29.990 Amen. 00:06:30.469 --> 00:06:35.750 Here end our lessons blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it. 00:06:36.069 --> 00:06:36.709 Amen. 00:06:39.269 --> 00:06:44.389 How long will you limp between two opinions? 00:06:46.149 --> 00:06:47.430 Do we do that? 00:06:48.149 --> 00:06:49.509 Absolutely. 00:06:49.750 --> 00:07:00.949 On the one hand, we do have the opinion, or we wouldn't be here, that the Lord can help us, that the Lord is all-loving, that the Lord is God, and that we should follow his teachings. 00:07:01.589 --> 00:07:17.029 But on the other opinion, oftentimes we find ourselves wandering off from that belief and have the opinion that perhaps this time when I do that thing that's wrong, I'm going to get something out of it, happiness or joy. 00:07:17.509 --> 00:07:22.709 Baal is a symbol of the love of self and the love of the world. 00:07:23.029 --> 00:07:36.389 To worship Baal is to turn to the lusts of the love of self and the love of the world to find happiness, to find some kind of joy, to find some kind of sense of being alive. 00:07:36.870 --> 00:07:40.949 And so there are so many ways that we can turn to that lust. 00:07:41.189 --> 00:07:52.709 That lust can be in fantasy, it can be in wanting things that don't belong to us, it can be in wanting a greater reputation for ourselves or having control over others. 00:07:52.949 --> 00:08:04.629 Everything that we can think of that could give us some kind of, or we believe, some kind of delight in our lives that will last, that is contrary to what the Lord has taught us. 00:08:04.949 --> 00:08:08.069 That is the Baal that we turn to. 00:08:08.310 --> 00:08:10.629 Now, oftentimes it says the Baals. 00:08:10.949 --> 00:08:12.709 Why is that if there was one? 00:08:12.870 --> 00:08:23.349 Well, actually, the Baals, they called them the Baals because every different part of the country would have their own altars and worship their own type or brand of Baal. 00:08:23.589 --> 00:08:28.870 And with Baal came Asherah, which was Baal's wife. 00:08:29.029 --> 00:08:35.509 She has a longer story in Mesopotamian history, but also called the Asheras. 00:08:36.310 --> 00:08:43.990 And what the Asheras were, were poles, poles, wooden poles, that man-made poles. 00:08:44.070 --> 00:08:56.870 And what they would do is they would put these poles around the altar, and it would help Baal, the fertility god, to bring rain and to create vegetation and growth and food for the people. 00:08:57.750 --> 00:09:08.870 They would look at these poles as being trees, man-made trees, so they could make their own grove to worship wherever they wanted. 00:09:09.110 --> 00:09:10.629 Now think about that. 00:09:11.029 --> 00:09:13.350 What is a tree when it comes to our own life? 00:09:13.429 --> 00:09:15.990 What does it signify in the spiritual sense? 00:09:16.230 --> 00:09:18.389 It signifies perception. 00:09:18.789 --> 00:09:26.149 So, in a good sense, imagine this tree bringing the light into it and changing that into something that can give growth or the water. 00:09:26.789 --> 00:09:27.429 Perception. 00:09:27.590 --> 00:09:29.750 We perceive what the Lord wants for us. 00:09:29.830 --> 00:09:30.710 It's something in our heart. 00:09:31.590 --> 00:09:32.950 It's not deduced. 00:09:34.069 --> 00:09:39.029 So what does it mean that these are, these poles are fake trees? 00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:41.509 Fake perceptions. 00:09:42.230 --> 00:09:50.470 Man-made excuses for the evils that we want to do, for the lusts that we want to follow and worship. 00:09:50.870 --> 00:10:03.909 And so we have what we our own, I'll say pet problems that we make for ourselves, and then we have our own excuses for those problems that we make for ourselves. 00:10:04.069 --> 00:10:06.950 So that is the Baals and the Asheras. 00:10:08.069 --> 00:10:17.590 And so Elijah sets them up to both of them to have this contest who will be able to bring fire upon their altar. 00:10:17.750 --> 00:10:25.269 So they are each going to have an altar, and they are going to call on their God to bring down that fire. 00:10:25.750 --> 00:10:39.909 Now the altar has a lot of significations, but the bull on the altar and the whole thing together is a symbol of our natural life, meaning our life in this world, and what is going to bring happiness or goodness into our lives. 00:10:40.230 --> 00:10:44.389 We can see that a bull represents this if we look at what a bull does. 00:10:44.789 --> 00:10:48.309 A bull plows the ground for us so that we can have food. 00:10:48.549 --> 00:10:55.590 A bull will pull a cart, either again, pulling something that we need or pulling us into some journey. 00:10:55.830 --> 00:10:59.669 Or a bull can be something that holds a heavy weight. 00:10:59.990 --> 00:11:14.069 All of these things represent our lives, the journey that we're on, the way we have to plow through life, what we carry on our shoulders, what will bring life into our natural lives. 00:11:14.389 --> 00:11:16.710 Because that's what the fire represents. 00:11:16.950 --> 00:11:21.909 Think about it, one of the most famous or well-known passages in the writings is very simple. 00:11:22.069 --> 00:11:25.029 It comes from Divine Love and Wisdom, number one. 00:11:25.669 --> 00:11:29.189 Love is the life of humanity. 00:11:29.750 --> 00:11:30.950 Love is life. 00:11:31.110 --> 00:11:38.309 Love is not only the life of everything, but in a special way we are able to receive that love into ourselves. 00:11:38.389 --> 00:11:42.389 And it does make us not only alive, but feel alive. 00:11:42.629 --> 00:11:56.309 What the writing is called vivification, feeling joy, happiness, self-worth, useful, all of those things when the Lord is able to flow into us with that fire of his love. 00:11:56.470 --> 00:12:02.870 And so also the writings say love in essence is spiritual fire. 00:12:03.669 --> 00:12:06.389 So that's what we are calling down here. 00:12:06.629 --> 00:12:12.950 Now, the bales begin, and obviously the bales are not calling down that kind of fire. 00:12:13.189 --> 00:12:30.789 In fact, in our lesson, we learn that there is also the fire of lust, there is the fire of uh of hatred, there's all kinds of different ways of that the hells can use to we even have the expression of burning in hell to use that fire to hurt us. 00:12:31.029 --> 00:12:33.750 Now, they believed they were going to get something good. 00:12:34.149 --> 00:12:36.629 So they called upon their God. 00:12:37.350 --> 00:12:40.629 O Baal, hear us, O Baal, hear us. 00:12:40.789 --> 00:12:46.950 Now, specifically, it doesn't mean just hear, because Baal could have heard them but not do anything. 00:12:47.110 --> 00:12:51.269 It means answer us, answer us, let something happen here. 00:12:51.509 --> 00:12:56.389 Open up, you know, bring that fire into our lives, that excitement into our lives. 00:12:56.710 --> 00:12:58.789 And again, that can be us looking for that. 00:12:58.870 --> 00:13:12.069 We all know what are those things that we wander off, we limp off away from the Lord, and we do the same old thing one more time, thinking it's going to be different, one more time, believing that some kind of happiness is going to come out of this path. 00:13:12.309 --> 00:13:15.669 And we see it doesn't, we limp on back to the Lord. 00:13:15.909 --> 00:13:26.230 Well, here the prophets of Baal, this is a picture of turning to that love of self and the love of the world, and believing somehow this is actually going to bring life into us. 00:13:26.389 --> 00:13:29.830 It's going to make us feel alive, it's going to change us. 00:13:30.710 --> 00:13:32.549 And yet, what happens? 00:13:32.950 --> 00:13:37.990 They cry out, oh Baal, hear us, and they hop around all day. 00:13:38.629 --> 00:13:41.350 All the way till the evening time. 00:13:41.590 --> 00:13:50.629 And in the midst of that, it says, there was no voice, no one answered, no one paid attention. 00:13:50.950 --> 00:13:56.069 Now, if we look at those words, they every word has some correspondence, right? 00:13:56.230 --> 00:13:56.710 Deeper. 00:13:56.870 --> 00:13:58.389 But look at this: a voice. 00:13:58.549 --> 00:14:00.149 There was no voice. 00:14:00.470 --> 00:14:01.750 There's no truth. 00:14:01.909 --> 00:14:09.830 There's nothing we're going to learn in following those lusts of the natural man that come from the love of self and the world. 00:14:10.149 --> 00:14:11.669 No one answered. 00:14:11.830 --> 00:14:15.990 We can ask for something, want something in our life, but it doesn't come back to us. 00:14:16.069 --> 00:14:17.669 There is no response. 00:14:17.990 --> 00:14:25.909 There may be a fleeting sense of pleasure in some of what we do, but we know very quickly it turns empty because it's not real. 00:14:27.669 --> 00:14:29.110 There's no good in it. 00:14:29.350 --> 00:14:31.350 There's no truth, there's no good in it. 00:14:31.509 --> 00:14:35.029 And then it says, no one paid attention. 00:14:35.269 --> 00:14:38.389 Now paying attention, we can even see that in if we look at that word. 00:14:38.629 --> 00:14:40.789 No one attended to them. 00:14:41.029 --> 00:14:43.990 And again, I think here there is a correlation with use. 00:14:44.069 --> 00:14:49.189 There's no good, there's no truth, and there is no use in following the bales in our lives. 00:14:49.350 --> 00:14:54.230 Nothing learned, nothing gained, nothing changes. 00:14:54.950 --> 00:14:56.389 There is no voice. 00:14:56.870 --> 00:14:58.309 No one answered. 00:14:58.629 --> 00:15:00.549 No one paid attention. 00:15:01.029 --> 00:15:05.509 Now Elijah points this out in a very, very sarcastic way. 00:15:06.069 --> 00:15:08.950 Perhaps your God is on a journey. 00:15:09.269 --> 00:15:13.110 Maybe he's turned aside, he's busy, he can't answer you. 00:15:13.509 --> 00:15:19.750 Perhaps he's meditating or he's sleeping and he needs to be waking up. 00:15:20.710 --> 00:15:24.149 It says as soon as they heard that, they tried harder and harder and harder. 00:15:24.870 --> 00:15:28.789 And we wonder, this sarcasm coming from a prophet, oh yes. 00:15:29.029 --> 00:15:33.750 Have you ever read the Old Testament, especially in the and especially say in Isaiah? 00:15:33.909 --> 00:15:44.710 I mean, some of the most beautiful words in Isaiah, but then Isaiah turns around and just levels us with the idea, if you do evil, it's over for you. 00:15:45.269 --> 00:15:49.110 Well, sometimes the word needs to talk to us like that, doesn't it? 00:15:49.269 --> 00:15:51.110 We know that the Lord is all love. 00:15:51.269 --> 00:15:53.029 But why do we read those things in the Word? 00:15:53.189 --> 00:15:57.110 Because there's a part of us still attached to worshiping those Baals. 00:15:57.269 --> 00:16:00.149 And we need to hear the harsh truth in our lives sometimes. 00:16:00.309 --> 00:16:03.350 Even if we know, and we do, that God is love. 00:16:03.590 --> 00:16:11.429 There is a reason for that to shake us up, to make us realize, as what Elijah was saying, there's no one there. 00:16:12.069 --> 00:16:15.189 There is no good in what you are trying to do. 00:16:15.269 --> 00:16:18.950 And you're going to try it again and again and again. 00:16:19.590 --> 00:16:20.950 There's nothing there. 00:16:22.309 --> 00:16:23.590 Nothing gained. 00:16:23.830 --> 00:16:25.189 Nothing learned. 00:16:25.429 --> 00:16:26.870 Nothing changes. 00:16:29.990 --> 00:16:31.750 So finally they give up. 00:16:31.990 --> 00:16:34.309 Well, actually, before they give up, what did they do? 00:16:34.470 --> 00:16:36.470 They start cutting themselves. 00:16:36.870 --> 00:16:39.509 They start cutting themselves with knives and lances. 00:16:39.590 --> 00:16:41.509 And this wasn't some psychological thing. 00:16:41.590 --> 00:16:45.990 It actually says this was the custom of their nation, of that worship. 00:16:46.230 --> 00:16:55.429 And what it's showing is when they cut themselves, what it says in history is what it meant to them was, I'm willing to do anything to serve you. 00:16:55.669 --> 00:17:00.470 I'm willing to do anything, show you how much I care. 00:17:01.029 --> 00:17:08.710 Now think about that and turn it around when we are absolutely fully in that addiction, so to speak, of evil. 00:17:09.269 --> 00:17:15.509 We can hear somebody who's just in a natural type of addiction, which is a sickness, but it can represent a spiritual addiction. 00:17:15.670 --> 00:17:17.590 Someone who's hooked on terrible drugs. 00:17:17.750 --> 00:17:21.269 We've seen this in the movies, we've read about it, we've maybe seen it in person. 00:17:21.589 --> 00:17:25.029 And when they don't have that drug anymore, they have no money, what often happens? 00:17:25.109 --> 00:17:32.390 They turn to the worst things, saying, I'll do anything, I'll do anything to be able to get that in my life. 00:17:32.710 --> 00:17:34.309 Now, can we relate to that? 00:17:34.470 --> 00:17:35.910 I think on a different level. 00:17:36.069 --> 00:17:38.069 I'll do anything to prove I'm right. 00:17:38.309 --> 00:17:41.029 I'll do anything to get that thing I really want. 00:17:41.190 --> 00:17:43.750 Now maybe we don't really mean that, but we say it. 00:17:43.990 --> 00:17:47.509 And sometimes we can follow that, right, when we worship the Baals. 00:17:47.670 --> 00:17:48.549 I'll do anything. 00:17:49.990 --> 00:17:50.869 But they give up. 00:17:51.029 --> 00:17:52.470 Nothing happens, as we say. 00:17:53.109 --> 00:17:54.869 So now it's Elijah's turn. 00:17:55.430 --> 00:17:57.670 Elijah represents the word of the Lord. 00:17:57.829 --> 00:18:01.349 Elijah is the Lord in our lives, speaking to us. 00:18:01.990 --> 00:18:09.269 And the first thing he says, or the first thing he does, he says to the people, the Israelites, who are watching, Come to me. 00:18:10.549 --> 00:18:11.109 Come to me. 00:18:11.750 --> 00:18:14.789 And so they move forward apparently a little bit. 00:18:16.069 --> 00:18:25.029 And if you think about that, the first thing the Lord says, turn away from that Baal worship, the Lord says, Come, come to me, step forward, take a step. 00:18:25.269 --> 00:18:29.750 Come unto me, all you who are labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:18:29.990 --> 00:18:30.869 Hear these words. 00:18:31.109 --> 00:18:34.309 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. 00:18:34.629 --> 00:18:37.990 My yoke is easy and my burden light. 00:18:38.309 --> 00:18:45.109 Speaking of the bull, bringing that right in so we can see in this passage, these passages come together. 00:18:45.269 --> 00:18:49.509 The Lord is calling our natural lives to come to him and be at rest. 00:18:50.789 --> 00:18:58.150 And so after they move forward to him, then he starts to reorder the altar. 00:18:58.309 --> 00:19:01.670 In fact, it says it literally he healed the altar. 00:19:01.750 --> 00:19:08.309 Now it's interesting we learn there is an altar there, a broken down altar of the Lord, that he uses to fix up. 00:19:08.470 --> 00:19:20.549 And that's because the prophets of Baal had destroyed all the altars of the Lord, but in our own lives it is a symbolic of our broken lives, our broken lives when we follow evil. 00:19:21.029 --> 00:19:28.950 So the first thing he does is he gathers stones from the twelve tribes of Israel, large stones, and puts them together, meaning all things of faith. 00:19:29.029 --> 00:19:34.309 Get back to what's really important to us, to what we've learned from our religion, from the word. 00:19:34.950 --> 00:19:36.869 Make that the foundation of your life. 00:19:37.029 --> 00:19:42.470 And again, it reminds us of someone who builds their house upon the rock, the Lord's word. 00:19:43.029 --> 00:19:44.549 And so that's what he does. 00:19:44.629 --> 00:19:51.029 And then he puts the wood on it, and it says he ordered the wood, ordering our own lives. 00:19:51.190 --> 00:19:53.109 The Lord is there, ready to bring us back. 00:19:53.269 --> 00:19:58.789 What do we do when we want to turn away from some of those terrible bad habits that we have? 00:19:59.029 --> 00:20:01.750 Sometimes we just go, okay, I'll try again. 00:20:01.990 --> 00:20:03.990 But the Lord is saying, come to me. 00:20:04.150 --> 00:20:07.430 Can we take a step or two toward the Lord that we hadn't taken before? 00:20:07.670 --> 00:20:10.390 Not a limp, but take a step and stand firm. 00:20:10.549 --> 00:20:17.349 I am going to beat this this time, and I'm going to do it through the Lord's power and move toward him. 00:20:17.589 --> 00:20:26.629 And then to order our lives or allow the Lord to order our lives through those, through the Ten Commandments, through those teachings that we know can help us. 00:20:27.349 --> 00:20:38.869 And after ordering our lives, you would think that would be enough, but here comes the real key where the Lord is showing us this makes the difference, and it doesn't look like it's going to. 00:20:39.430 --> 00:20:45.910 There's so many correspondences here, but let's just say he poured a lot of water onto that altar. 00:20:46.150 --> 00:20:49.910 So much water it was spilling into a trench that he had made as well. 00:20:50.069 --> 00:20:56.390 There was no way that that altar was going to light on fire, according to everybody sitting there watching. 00:20:56.950 --> 00:21:01.269 Imagine, imagine the prophets of Baal watching him do this. 00:21:02.629 --> 00:21:03.509 Can you see this? 00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:04.549 This is not going to work. 00:21:04.710 --> 00:21:06.629 This is not going to go well for him. 00:21:06.869 --> 00:21:12.390 And think about in our own lives, isn't that true if we think, okay, obviously the water is a symbol of truth. 00:21:12.549 --> 00:21:14.789 And to immerse ourselves in the Lord's truth. 00:21:14.950 --> 00:21:23.509 I think that water is more of the waters of baptism, you know, repentance, actually changing, actually turning away from evil. 00:21:23.910 --> 00:21:31.750 And it can appear to us that if I do that, I'm not going to get any more sense of life in my life, you know, in my life. 00:21:31.829 --> 00:21:33.829 I'm going to, it's going to be boring. 00:21:34.150 --> 00:21:37.029 It will be boring for me to follow the Lord. 00:21:37.269 --> 00:21:39.109 I won't have that control anymore. 00:21:39.190 --> 00:21:40.230 That's scary. 00:21:40.629 --> 00:21:43.190 I won't feel that delight anymore. 00:21:43.670 --> 00:21:44.390 Imagine that. 00:21:44.710 --> 00:21:48.710 Because you're talking, the the people that are looking at this are the prophets of Baal. 00:21:48.789 --> 00:21:53.990 And what we need, what we could think to ourselves is there is no delight in doing what is good. 00:21:54.150 --> 00:21:56.950 We're so used to being addicted to evil. 00:21:57.109 --> 00:21:59.430 Now think about this in terms of addiction again. 00:21:59.509 --> 00:22:00.869 It makes a great example. 00:22:01.109 --> 00:22:08.950 Somebody who, an alcoholic who is getting sober, realizes very quickly he can't go to the bar and hang out with his friends. 00:22:09.109 --> 00:22:11.589 And so right away it's like, what am I going to do? 00:22:11.750 --> 00:22:15.349 And he needs to learn when he steps away, he can make it, he can find it. 00:22:15.750 --> 00:22:17.430 New friends, his life will go on. 00:22:17.589 --> 00:22:19.190 The fire will come down. 00:22:19.430 --> 00:22:20.549 But think about it again. 00:22:20.710 --> 00:22:25.109 Let's take some young person who is trying to get away from a bad crowd. 00:22:25.269 --> 00:22:33.910 Maybe these are uh his or her really good friends, and they can they're being brave enough to say, I need to change my life, I need to walk away from this. 00:22:33.990 --> 00:22:40.710 And yet at the same time, they can look over and say, I don't want, I don't want to stay with mom every day for 24 hours a day. 00:22:40.950 --> 00:22:42.549 That could get a little boring. 00:22:42.710 --> 00:22:48.629 And yet they have to make that leap, maybe not stay with mom, but make that leap and leave that crowd behind. 00:22:48.869 --> 00:22:57.269 And another one that might be similar, that I was thinking of, is in today's world, especially, is a young man or woman that is saving themselves for marriage. 00:22:57.509 --> 00:23:06.390 You know, how often can they, number one, you know, feel I'm doing something that no one else is doing, and is this going to work as I try to believe in conjugal love? 00:23:06.629 --> 00:23:14.789 But often the case is when it comes to a point where someone in some circumstance or another asks them, Why are you doing this? 00:23:15.430 --> 00:23:18.549 They might tell them, but the person says, Well, what's that about? 00:23:19.029 --> 00:23:20.789 What's the joy in that? 00:23:21.349 --> 00:23:29.430 And yet that is the kind of thing that the hells say to us when we see Elijah pour that water on to the altar. 00:23:29.829 --> 00:23:38.950 And yet, in this story, because of the spiritual sense, it's not going to turn out like the prophets of Baal believe it will. 00:23:41.430 --> 00:23:47.910 What's the first thing after this that Elijah does, or maybe I should say the last thing he does? 00:23:48.629 --> 00:23:49.589 He prays. 00:23:50.390 --> 00:23:56.629 He prays, imagine this, he believed he was all alone, and in that setting he really was all alone, the only one that believed. 00:23:56.789 --> 00:24:00.230 And he turns to the Lord in prayer. 00:24:00.710 --> 00:24:03.349 And his prayer is so deep and so moving. 00:24:03.589 --> 00:24:04.869 Lord, hear me. 00:24:05.109 --> 00:24:06.390 Hear me, Lord. 00:24:06.629 --> 00:24:09.829 He's begging, Lord, please, Lord, I'm here in front of all these people. 00:24:09.910 --> 00:24:10.950 I'm the only one left. 00:24:11.109 --> 00:24:12.950 Let them know that you are God. 00:24:13.190 --> 00:24:17.109 Let them know, please, that you're turning their hearts back. 00:24:18.470 --> 00:24:21.990 That's in this story to escape what we're talking about here. 00:24:22.150 --> 00:24:25.589 The Lord wants us, the Lord wants us to beg him. 00:24:26.150 --> 00:24:28.470 Now we might say, oh, well, we're good new church people. 00:24:28.549 --> 00:24:29.750 We know that the Lord loves us. 00:24:29.829 --> 00:24:31.349 We don't need to do that. 00:24:31.910 --> 00:24:43.910 But it's not that the Lord doesn't love us, but when we really plead with the Lord, please, Lord, please, please, we're opening ourselves up to the Lord. 00:24:44.150 --> 00:24:49.829 We're opening ourselves up so that the Lord's love can flow down into us. 00:24:50.309 --> 00:24:52.549 I love that picture of them, him praying. 00:24:52.629 --> 00:24:56.390 And as soon as he's done praying, he doesn't even get a chance to say amen. 00:24:56.549 --> 00:24:59.589 Whoosh! The fire comes down. 00:24:59.990 --> 00:25:04.150 And that is symbolic of the Lord's love, the Lord's life. 00:25:04.390 --> 00:25:18.789 What the Lord wants to give every one of us when we turn away from not only what is hurtful, but turn away from something that can never give us happiness, life, or, of course, the way to heaven. 00:25:19.430 --> 00:25:31.670 So the Lord's love is able to come down and flow down and fill us until we can feel, we feel alive, we feel useful, we feel as if we've got a purpose here in this world. 00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:35.750 We feel that we can not only go on, but we enjoy going on. 00:25:36.069 --> 00:25:39.910 And we feel the Lord inside of us. 00:25:41.829 --> 00:25:45.269 Ask yourself, what is the bale in your life? 00:25:45.750 --> 00:25:47.750 Has it ever really worked out? 00:25:48.470 --> 00:25:54.309 All we get is the empty promise of evil, and we end up with unhappiness and hurt. 00:25:54.950 --> 00:25:59.990 Come near to the Lord, rebuild your altar, pray for him to come into your life. 00:26:00.230 --> 00:26:00.950 Pray. 00:26:01.349 --> 00:26:09.509 And if you do, that divine love, that life itself will descend upon you like spiritual fire. 00:26:09.990 --> 00:26:22.150 And John said, John the Baptist answered, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I is coming whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. 00:26:22.390 --> 00:26:27.589 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 00:26:28.230 --> 00:26:28.950 Amen.