The God that Answers by FIRE

Elijah is one of my favorite biblical characters to study. His faith and power have always inspired me. Recently, the Lord laid it on my heart to begin studying the lives of Elijah and Elisha again. During this time, I have been meditating on this passage of Scripture, which happens to be one of my favorite stories.

To be honest, I'm at a time in my life when I literally need God to move as He did in the days of old. I need some public miracles, and I believe God still "answers by fire" according to our faith. This story really blessed me, because it speaks to some of the situations I am dealing with in life. I pray it will bless you as well.

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1 Kings 18: 16-40

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

This is one funny thing about the corrective Word of God. Many times, when rebuke comes, people get upset with us, the messengers. Ahab blamed Elijah for the rebuke he received from the Lord. In other words, he blamed the messenger for the message, instead of acknowledging the AUTHOR, who is the Lord.

I have learned to accept godly rebuke, realizing that those who give it in love are only fulfulling the call on their lives to help upbuild the Kingdom. Don't get mad, get delivered! AMEN.

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

It is so unfortunate, but many of us have Baals in our lives. People prophesy to us about them every day, and we even believe the lie. For example, every day people preach to me about how I need to depend on my job. They speak as if it's silly for me to proclaim God as my source rather than my vocation. There have been times, though, when I truly depended on my paycheck rather than living by faith. Whenever a job comes before God, it's an idol - just like Baal. We must stand for God. Anything can be idolized (clothing, money, family, etc.), but we must follow God. We cannot have any gods before Him. We cannot straddle the fence. We MUST KNOW who God is in our lives!

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

How many of us have had to stand alone in our faith? Even when everyone else turns from God, we must be bold and stand for the truth! Praise God!

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

My God. I love this challenge set forth by Elijah. We can stand confident enough to make the same challenge against the Kingdom of darkness. We can proclaim to the world, gather all your money...your drugs...your adulterous relationships. Even in the church, gather your titles...your theological degrees...your nicest Sunday hat...everything you put before God. When the rubber hits the road, let's see what stands. The God that "answers by fire" or demonstration, let Him be God! Those "things" will never save us in adversity, but God will show up and consume the very situation that hinders us!

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

When we put idols before God, we always have to try and "help them out." That's a sure sign that the power is not in that object. I'm so glad we serve a God that really doesn't need our help!

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

This portion of the passage is awesome to me. Elijah mocks the false prophets by providing every possible excuse why their idols are not delivering the miracle they request. He's so confident that Jehovah-Jireh will come to the rescue, that he begins mocking, or picking on the false prophets. My God! I want this kind of faith in you. Instead, we sometimes do the opposite. When the millionaires have to declare bankruptcy, it scares us. Rather than saying, your "money" god couldn't deliver you, but my Almighty Father can, we think "Lord, I don't have as much as they do. If they parish, surely I will." Oh, the devil is a liar! Saints, we must cast down those imaginations - everything that exalts itself against the Word of God. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. AMEN!

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

Now, this verse brings shame to the body of Christ. People of other religions, in many cases, will literally give their lives for what they believe. They will suffer pain, rejection and extreme poverty. Why do we, the children of the living God, turn our backs to the Father so readily when the smallest adversity comes our way? Help us, Lord!

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto 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, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

It truly blesses me that Elijah believed God for the HARD THING. Not only did he believe God would answer by fire, but he made it more difficult for the sacrifice to be consumed by dousing the altar with water and building a moat around it. I pray that God will teach us to stretch our faith and to believe Him for the thing that seems "hard." We can believe him to heal a bloody nose, but not HIV. We can believe him for a word, but can we truly believe him to save a lost family member? Even in supplying our needs, why is it that we can believe him to pay a $20 light bill, but don't believe him to pay off the mortgage. I've even believed him to help me pay for a pair of glasses, but never thought to ask him to restore my eyesight. God, increase our faith!

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 of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 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.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

God showed up and the people believed. Elijah's faith was at a level I want to always have. He believed God so much, that he talked about what He would do with confidence. Out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth spoke. Praise God! Father, help us not to speak doubt, but only complete confidence that you will show up!

40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

The Foundation of Christ

Hebrews 6

1 THEREFORE LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God,

2 With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.]

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Oftentimes, I am asked about my Statement of Faith. What is it that you believe, I am often asked. In essence, I believe EVERY believer should focus on the Doctrines of Christ, according to the Scriptures. Sure, there are other things we believe. If it's in the Word of God, it is so! Nevertheless, there is a foundation that must be upheld by every believer. That foundation consists of six basic beliefs...

1) Repentance from dead works (we are saved by grace, rather than works of the law)
2) Faith toward God (without faith, it is impossible to please God)
3) Baptisms (water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit)
4) Laying on of hands (the laying on of hands for healing, deliverance and ordination)
5) Resurrection of the dead (the dead in Christ shall rise, just as Jesus did)
6) Eternal judgment (we all face eternity, either with our Father in Heaven, or in eternal damnation - hell)

So, let's be sure we COVER THE BASICS! Amen?!

CLOSE the Revolving Door

Matthew 12:43-45 (Amplified Bible)

43 But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any.

44 Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.

45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation.


This Word has been marinating in my Spirit. God is not pleased. The saddest part is that His wrath is against those in the Church…those in leadership…those in the ministry. God is saying, “Close the revolving doors in your life!”

Saints of God, we have taken advantage of God’s grace far too long. Where is the holiness? Where is the sanctification? Where is the RELATIONSHIP with our Heavenly Father? So many are professing His name, but God says many of us have a form of godliness, denying the power thereof. Many of us are playing with God, because we don’t really believe He will spread His wrath. We don’t believe God truly has the power to wipe us out or expose us before the church and NATIONS!

Many are sitting on the pedestals of ministry – national and international fame. From the most famous down to the smallest of churches, there are people claiming a part in the ministry that need to SIT DOWN. "Stop thinking that success is measured by the size of your ministry, the type of car you drive or the size of your house. Are you saving souls? Are you saved yourself??!! Can you hear my voice? Do you walk in my will? I am not impressed with physical things. I want your heart. I am moved by your faith! Repent, Repent, Repent!!! Stop returning to your vomit, as the dogs do!" Stop living in sin. Stop apologizing just to return and do the same thing again. Unclean habits MUST CEASE. Where is your victory in Christ??!!

Addictions must cease. “Choose ye, this day, whom you will serve,” says God. Give up the fornication, and DON’T TURN BACK. Give up the nicotine, and DON’T TURN BACK. Give up the lying, cursing and backbiting, and DON’T TURN BACK. My God! Stop the witchcraft and divination, and DON'T TURN BACK. “I am shutting the revolving doors,” says God. A day is coming where the people of God will choose sin over the Heavenly Father, and will not be able to return again. As the Word says, those demons will return with many more to inhabit the same space. There will be no escape. God will turn them over to a reprobate mind!

Obedience is better than sacrifice!!! Be obedient. Repent, and do the work of the Lord. Sanctify yourselves. Seek God like never before. Fast, pray and study the Word. Fight in the Spirit. Fortify yourselves, for a mighty battle is at hand! Take on the full armor of God! Close the revolving doors in your life…or God, in His wrath, will do it on your behalf.

Praise God. Saints, I beg you... If this Word is for you, take heed and be obedient. Be blessed!

Who Do You Think You Are?

God is looking to use us, but we must have hearts of humility. We must understand that without Christ, we are nothing! It's very funny to me how so many "people of God" get "big-headed" and lose focus when God begins to bless them. Pride comes before the fall, so we must be VERY CAREFUL to stay focused on the Lord. HE, alone, will exalt us in due season.

At the same time, we must not focus on our faults to the point that we become disobedient. Often times, we try so hard to be humble that we simply get frightened away from what God tells us. We focus so much on staying in the background and avoiding offense, that we quench the Spirit, and thereby shut the mouth of God.

My God! Who do you think you are? We can't think more of ourselves than we ought, but we can't think too little of ourselves either. The key is CHRIST. We are who He says we are, and we must do what He says to do. We are nothing, but the anointing is everything!!! The Holy Spirit knows all things and will direct us right into God's perfect will for our lives.

Galatians 6 . . .

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.


Isn't it funny how we put down one another when there is a fault? The word of God clearly says that we must restore, or help that person with a spirit of meekness. What does that mean? We must humbly strengthen our brothers and sisters. We must pray for them and support them until they are restored in the spirit of God. Love is the attitude we must have. The Word says we should consider ourselves, as we can be tempted just as our brothers and sisters are. We must be sober minded and careful not to judge the other individual. It could just as easily be us in the same position.

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.


God is not pleased with a spirit of pride. If we think we're "all that," we are simply deceived. We have believed a lie! The word says we must PROVE our own work. We can't get high and mighty over a title or accomplishment. Instead, we prove the spirit by the spirit. Where is the faith? Where is the love? Where is the OBEDIENCE? That's how we prove our work. Dead works are not the will of God. Only what we do for Him will last!

5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.


My God! Why do we think we can live messy lives, then preach the Word of God? Why do we think we can lie, steal and cheat, but still profess the name of Jesus? God does not lie! He will judge every action, thought and idle word. Why do we believe the people of God won't be blessed? Why do we not believe that our tithes and giving will bring forth increase. On the reciprocal, if you are living a holy and sanctified life, YOU WILL SEE RESULTS! That seed WILL bud, according to the Word of God.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.


The true test of the child of God is perseverance. When we have faith, we are able to endure. Faith does not operate in time, just as God doesn't operate in time. If you truly believe something to be true, time is not a factor. If you're blessed, you're just blessed! When a seed is planted, the season, rather than the time, determines the harvest. Whether winter is 3 months or 6 months, the plants will not yield fruit until Spring. My God! Hallelujah! The seasons are changes, saints. Can you feel the shift? God's people are moving into a new realm in Him!!!

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.


When we really know who we are, we can treat people right. The largest motivation for the maltreatment of another individual is insecurity. Even if a person drags your name through the mud and slaps you in the mouth, if you know the rumors are not true and you're convinced you didn't deserve the slap, you can still walk with your head high. If we know who we are in Christ and remain sober minded, what can man do to us? We should be able to treat everybody right - with LOVE, especially those who are the children of God.

11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.


Yes, yes, yes! We only glory is Christ. Without Him, we have not victory. But through Him, nothing can harm us. No backbiting, no rumors, no witches...NOTHING!

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.


O God, we come against the spirit of RELIGION. Saints, it doesn't matter what we do or how "saved" we appear to be. Are you transformed? Are you born again? Have you been made new? Jesus!!! We do so much for the sake of religion, but are our hearts right? That's the only thing that will avail.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.


This scripture expounds on so much! I am just meditating on it. A sermon could literally be preaced from every single verse. Ahhh. Who do you think you are?

Spiritual Paternity Test

THE PATERNITY TESTS ARE IN!
IS HE YOUR REAL FATHER?

DNA Tests Reveal the Truth

Are You My Real Father?

We've all seen topics like this floating across the screen on all the current talk shows. The proof of paternity seems to have become a very popular topic since the increased use of DNA testing. In times past, the mere resemblance of a child to his supposed father was proof enough to establish the fact. Nevertheless, knowledge has increased and our society has become well aware that appearance can be very deceiving. Whenever one of these talk shows hits the air, I often wonder if I bare the resemblance of my Heavenly Father in every possible aspect of my life. What does the world see when they look at me? Do I look like the family of God or do I look like them? More specifically, do I carry the "spiritual genes" to prove that I am a child of God? What if Ricki Lake hosted a show for the Church? How many of us would pass the spiritual DNA test?

In order to understand how DNA validates familial history, let's revisit our middle school biology and remember that DNA is merely an acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid. This chemical compound contains descriptive pairs of adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, which determine the characteristic genes that become apparent in an individual. This genetic material is what causes a child to look and act like his or her parents. However, it must be noted that from time to time, a resemblance may exist between two people, though they do not share the same genetic material or have familial ties. There are also three other important facts about the presentation of DNA and genetics that we must keep in mind: (1) Genes cannot blend; (2) Some genes are dominant; (3) Genetics don't always explain behavior.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume that for a Christian, DNA stands for "Devil, No Authority!" Our spiritual DNA, or the lack of Satan's power in a particular area of our lives, permeates throughout our spirits, souls and bodies. Since we know that light and darkness cannot dwell in the same place at the same time, we can assume that God rules in those areas of our lives where spiritual DNA dwells. On the other hand, whenever we allow Satan to creep in, his "genes" begin to show forth in us. Each word, action or thought will resemble the father, or originator of that thing in our lives. Many of us have obtained victory over certain issues, and bear the resemblance of our Heavenly Father, but every once in a while, Satan sneaks in and causes our face to change.

There are also children of darkness who have learned to look like children of God, even when acting on behalf of Satan, the father of this world (John 8:44). Keep in mind that some resemblance may exist between two people, even if they do not share the same genetic material. In fact, the only way we can know who is fathering our lives, thoughts or actions, is to run a continuous paternity test each day we live. Let's consider the following DNA parameters in our day to day living:

1. Genes don't blend.

No man can serve two masters, and light and darkness do not mix (Matt 6:24; 2 Cor 6:14). Every word that comes forth from our mouths, every thought and every action has a motive. It originates from God or from the devil. We must always test our actions and reactions to see if we are speaking or acting in such a way that is pleasing to God. Though a difficult concept to swallow, it remains true that everything is of good or evil, and even our idle words will be judged (Matt 12:36). Therefore, we must always be careful to bring every thought and imagination under the subjection of the Holy Spirit, "casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).

2. Some genes are dominant.

The Holy Spirit that dwells in us is much greater than the demonic forces that tempt us and sometimes lead us into turmoil. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). This explains why we are able to live righteous lives, even when sin is with us. We are able to overcome the wiles of Satan by our faith (1 John 5:4), and no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper if we live as children of God (Isa 54:17), consistently dying to our flesh and confessing our faith.

3. Genetics don't always explain behavior.

The children of God are born in iniquity and live in a world saturated with sin and deception. When we sacrifice our lives to God (Rom 12:1-2), we become new creatures (2 Cor 5:17), but we still make mistakes. Our mistakes don't divorce us from the family of God. His grace is sufficient for us (Lam 3:22-23; 2 Cor 12:9), and we are able to confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and continue to be comforted in the bosom of God (1 John 1:9). In other words, just because someone does bad things does not indicate that the individual is of the devil, just as a person who performs good deeds does not necessarily belong to the family of the living God. We are saved by grace rather than any works we have done (Eph 2:8-9).

Now we have established the genetic test categories that reveal the spiritual paternity of our lives. These spiritual genes are expressed daily in our spirits, souls and bodies, and make a testimony of our true relationship (or lack thereof) with God. I challenge each of us to take the "Devil, No Authority" test and apply it to each of our lives, every day that we live. Fortunately, our Heavenly Father has provided, in his Word, a detailed description of how we must live in order to become children of God. We then reserve the right to an ultimate choice: Whose family will we join and live with throughout eternity? Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are able to accept salvation and claim lineage as the children of God through the spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15) or we may serve the god of this world (John 8:44) and accept the devil as father.

The paternity tests are in. Is HE your real Daddy? Don't wait for the talk show to air. Just think about it…

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Joy Uvette Rollins

for THE MESSENGER, UFCC

22 May 2000. All rights reserved.