Paula Wiseman

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Home » FIre

Carmel: Decision

By Paula

Mount Carmel in Israel with the title textSo Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 1 Kings 18:20

Mount Carmel is part of a coastal range and rises to a height of 1724 feet (525 m) above the plain of Jezreel. Today, Israel third largest city, Haifa, sits on its northern slope. It’s not very tall, as mountains go, but it was the site of one of the most dramatic displays of God’s power in all of Scripture. (And admittedly one of my favorites.)

You remember the story. After a three-year drought, the prophet Elijah called for King Ahab to gather the people and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He intended to settle once and for all who was God in Israel. It was 450 prophets (plus another 400 on the bench) to 1. But GOD answered Elijah’s prayer with fire and proved yet again that He alone is GOD.

So what do we learn on Mount Carmel?

There is no place for waffling. In announcing the contest, Elijah first confronted the nation of Israel. “How long will you falter between two opinions?” (Kings 18:21) How long will you cherry pick the things about Baal worship that you like and fall back on the things about worshiping God that make you feel good? By definition, whoever or whatever is God in your life is the one who receives your supreme allegiance. If that is anyone other than the One True God, there will be problems. That was the case for Israel and its the case for us. (Hint: If you’re treating the worship of God like a salad bar, picking the tomatoes and leaving the cucumbers, picking the love and leaving the obedience … you can probably guess who your god really is.)

The majority was wrong. Not just the overwhelming majority of prophets, but Ahab’s court and the general population held to some degree of Baal worship. It was the state-approved religion, after all. Since Baal was the god of fertility, it seemed like a good idea to court his favor to get the drought to end. Except the majority was completely wrong. Our theology should never be left to the will of the majority but rather the revelation of God. That’s what Elijah was going on.

Rituals don’t replace relationship. The prophets of Baal had a lot of rituals that accompanied their worship, and some of them were quite intense and demanding (including bloodletting). A willingness to go to those extremes had to count for something, right? Except “there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.” (1 Kings 18:29) All that energy and sincerity was wasted on empty air. Elijah knew the One True God. He heard His voice and he obeyed His commands. Because of that relationship, when Elijah prayed, God heard.

 

When Israel saw the fire fall, they decided pretty quickly who was God. That’s kind of a no-brainer. But consider this- you and I have not just seen, but experienced the fire of God in the person of the Holy Spirit filling us from the day we trusted Christ. And unlike the fire on Carmel, the fire in us continues to burn, to refine, to purify, to energize us. We just have to decide to live like it.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: 1 Kings, Elijah, FIre, mountain

Fire

By Paula

Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. Exodus 19:18

Fire is unlike anything else.

It warms.
Enlightens.
Reveals.
Refines.
Signals.
Shapes.
Purifies.

But fire also destroys.
It devours and it consumes.

Many times in Scripture, God chose to reveal Himself in fire.

He is not through revealing Himself in fire.

What kind of fire will He be?

 

 

 

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Exodus, FIre, God

Wind and Fire

By Paula

Wind and FireAnd suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. Acts 2:2-3

On October 8, 1871, a cold front moved across the upper Midwest generating strong winds. These winds caught small brush fires set to help clear land. A firestorm ensued, which engulfed the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and eleven other communities. The fire jumped the Peshtigo River, generated its own tornadic winds and resulted in an area twice the size of Rhode Island burned. A conservative estimate of fifteen hundred lives were lost. It seemed nothing could stand in the conflagration’s way. It was the most destructive fire in U.S. history.

Wind and fire are an unstoppable combination.

Some of Jesus’s final instructions to His disciples were to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the power from on high (Luke 24:49). Ten days later, when that power manifested, it came as wind and fire. The entire western world was impacted and thousands upon thousands were saved.

On Pentecost by using wind and fire to mark the arrival of the indwelling Holy Spirit, God not only teaches us that nothing can stop the spread of the Gospel, but He shows us again how redemption works. Wind and fire can be destructive and deadly, but harnessed and used for God’s purposes they become powerful and productive.

Today the Peshtigo Fire has largely been forgotten. Buildings have been rebuilt. Survivors have passed on. The loss isn’t felt as urgently.
Today we know the name Pentecost, but other things have been built on top of it. People who felt the power have long since passed on. We don’t feel the need for it as urgently.

Wind and fire. Power from on high. Unstoppable.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: Acts, FIre, Holy Spirit, Luke

Win a Kindle FireHD

By Paula

Can you believe it? Contingency released 3 years ago today! To celebrate, my publisher and I have teamed up to offer you, my awesome readers, a chance to win a brand spanking new Kindle Fire HD and a bundle of books.

Filed Under: Contest Tagged With: contest, ebooks, FIre, Kindle

Encounters Series

From the opening pages of Scripture, no one who has encountered a holy God has come away unchanged. Adam, Abraham, Hagar, Moses and many, many others realized that God is not distant but a God who … Read More

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Covenant of Trust Series

A covenant is a solemn, binding agreement. God chose to unilaterally enter into a covenant with Abraham. No matter what Abraham said or did, God vowed to uphold the terms and bless Abraham. Marriage … Read More...

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Foundations Series

Jesus told a parable about a wise builder and a foolish one, underscoring how important it is to have a solid foundation. He declared that obedience to His word was the surest foundation of all. In … Read More...

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