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A New Normal

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2 Kings 1:7-10 The king asked, What was the man like who came to meet you saying these things? 8 They answered, He was a hairy man with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.9 Then the king sent to Elijah a captain of fifty men with his fifty [to seize him]. He found Elijah sitting on a hilltop and said, Man of God, the king says, Come down.10 Elijah said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. And fire fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

Years ago I was hiking above the mountains of Boulder, Colorado. As I looked to the south, towards the Pikes Peak – Colorado Springs region, I had a vision. In the vision I became aware that there was a showdown taking place between the true Followers of Jesus and the satanists that “coven-ed” (i.e., a coven of satanists) in that region. (Satanists and witches love high places). In the vision we had become an Elijah Company, challenging the satanists to call fire down from Heaven as Elijah had in 1 Kings 18 demonstrating Who was truly God. The reality of the vision scared me as I imagined myself being one of its participants.

In the passage from 2 Kings 1, King Ahaziah was dying and had sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub whether he would live or die. Jesus used this title to speak of satan (most translate it as Beelzebul) prince of demons, or lord of the flies. What’s interesting is that the King asks the messengers who had encountered the prophet, What was the man like? The messengers, and king shallowly described the prophet by his appearance – not by who he was. Which was unfortunate for the king and the soldiers he sent to arrest Elijah. If they had been listening, and looking with spiritual eyes they would have quickly discerned this was the man who called fire to fall from the sky on a water-logged sacrifice, consuming it and the rocky altar it was placed on. This was the man who called for the slaughter of over 900 prophets and priests of two false gods. He prayed that it wouldn’t rain for three and half years and it did not rain till he gave the word. This was no man. He was the Man of God. John 18:4-6 records a similar situation when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of His crucifixion. When the temple police came to arrest Jesus, He inquired Whom they were seeking? They replied, Jesus the Nazarene. When Jesus said to them, I AM, they fell to the ground. It’s my opinion that they fell to the ground simply because they were well aware of this story, and did not wish to become a living sacrifice. In Acts 4, Peter and John were sequestered to appear on trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin and interrogated by asking, By what sort of power or by what kind of authority did [such people as] you do this [healing]? Peter responded with such power that Acts 4:13 notes: Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Jesus said to His disciples, If you have seen Me you have seen the Father. The fullness of the Godhead dwells within you. What’s blocking others from seeing who Jesus is in you? When someone queries, What are they like? Will they describe how you dress, or your physical demeanor? Or will they recognize you have been with Jesus? Are you scared to be identified with the Elijah company or are you ready for that to be your normal – because you have walked with Jesus in the Fire?

Altar of Fire

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1 Kings 18:24, 36-39 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the One Who answers by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered, It is well spoken.

At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord, the 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. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You, the Lord, are God, and have turned their hearts back [to You].38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and also licked up the water that was in the trench.39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God! (1 Kings 18:24, 36-39 AMPC)

It’s no coincidence that the Lord distinguished the prayers of Elijah from those of the idol worshippers of Baal with fire. Scripture records that our God is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29); that He came down on Mount Sinai in fire (Exodus 19:18); and that the Glory of the Lord appears to be a Devouring Fire (Exodus 24:17). Just as the Lord distinguished Elijah’s prayers from the idol worshippers of his day, so the Lord distinguished the prayers of the 120 followers of Jesus who found themselves waiting in prayer. Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place,2 When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.3 And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them.4 And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].(AMPC)

As the 120 climbed the steps to the upper room the eyes of their heart were fixed on the Promise – the Promise of the Holy Spirit and Power. John the Baptist, and Jesus spoke of this Baptism of Fire. Thus Jesus’ disciples climbed the mountain of God through their prayers as Moses ascended Mount Sinai centuries before. As bowed at the Throne of God they made that room of disappointment, and sorrow an altar of loud cries, and tears. It didn’t take long until God answered with Fire. From the Altar of God’s Holy of Holies lives were transformed into living altars of His Presence. Through their ascent the reign of Jesus’ Kingdom was ushered in by the outpouring of the Spirit. It is no coincidence that when Elijah confronted the idolatry of his day he went on the promise of rain: After many days, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 18:1)

In our spiritual drought of plague, fear, locusts, fire and famine may the people of God be found making themselves an altar of prayer crying out for Jesus’ Reign to come with a fresh outpouring of the Water of Life – His Holy Spirit. May we cry out with Michael W. Smith, and all the other singers, musicians and levites, “Let It Rain! Open the Floodgates of Heaven!”