Gifts and Talents

            Elijah had confronted the prophets of Baal, and wanted to know who was God? He let the prophets of Baal go first. They built their alter first, then they asked their god to send the fire. After almost the entire day, the prophets of Baal had not brought down fire on their Alter. Then it was Elijah’s turn. They placed 12 stones for the alter and dug a trench around the Alter. Then they took wood and placed it on the stones of the Alter. Then they placed the bull on the alter. Then Elijah told them to put water over everything and filled the trench. Then the second time, he said to put more water on the Alter. Then the third time he said put more water on the Alter. Then Elijah asked that God would bring the fire on the Alter. The fire came down and consumed everything, including the sacrifice, the wood, the water, the dust, and the stones.

      A man who moved whole houses was moving a house that was in a long way in the country; It was a couple of hours away from a town. They realized that they had forgotten to bring a chain that was needed to to place the house where it belonged. It looked like they would have to come back the next day. They were about to leave, but the man decided to pray. He told the people with him that he was going pray, and they laughed at him, and asked what was going to pray about. The man said that he was going to ask God for a chain. Now they really laughed. One of the men asked, “what are you going to ask that chains would rain down.” The man said, “I don’t know, but the Bible says that we have not because we ask not.” He prayed and said Lord You can do anything, you control the universe, I’m asking that you give me a chain, so that we don’t have to waste a day and come back tomorrow.” They were standing beside a country road with a big curve in front of them. About that time, this old pick-up truck came speeding down the road. It had it’s tail-gate down. When it took that turn, going way too fast, a chain was thrown from the bed of the truck and went across the road and landed at the man’s feet. He picked it up and said ”I’ve got my chain, let’s go to work.”

      We have not, because we ask not. Many people have different views of God. Some think that God is standing over us and is waiting for us to mess up, so He can chastise us. That is not true. Our God loves us so much that He is waiting to bless us with good things. He wants to bless His children. That is everyone of us. He already gave His Son Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sins. Because the first man sinned, we are all born into sin. When Jesus died, He died for everyone of us. He took our place so we can live with Him in paradise. When we give our lives to Him, we are the children of God. As His children we can ask Him for anything.

      When Elisha asked God to bring fire for the sacrifice he did not think that God would also burn up the stones and the dirt. Rocks can melt at approximately 2,000º F degrees; to turn them into ashes would be more than twice as much heat. We can ask for a chain when we are in need of it. God is not Santa Clause, but He will answer our prayers when we ask within His will. There is nothing that He will withhold from us if we ask in faith.

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      New King James Version
James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

      New King James Version
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 that was broken down.
31 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."
32 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 seahs of seed.
33 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."
34 Then 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.
35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 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.
37 "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."
38 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.