I AM DISTINCTION

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It is like God saw empties and He want to make something out of nothing, and only He was the one who could do that. So it like God created an easel and canvas, which is the universe. Then He started speak His creation out loud and paint what He says. This divine painter created light and all the colors that present light and then the darkness and calls this movement in His master piece day and night.

Then He started to paint the color of the sky, the waters, earth, mountains, grass, flowers, and all kinds of details that make this place we live unique.

Then God decided to get really creative and painted stars in the sky. I went to the Trans Siberian Orchestra a month ago. During their concert the had a narrator that recited a poem about an angel and when he spoke about the night sky, the narrator snapped his finger and the whole back drop of the stage lit up like the night sky. It was awesome! This moment it the concert made me reflect on how beautiful it must have been when God created the night sky and just seeing it come to form. I really cannot fathom what this moment was like when God put the stars in the sky, but it had to be awesome!!

Then He decides that this beautiful place that He created needed to be filled with something. So He painted in ocean life, animals that live in the sky and animals that live on the dry ground. All He saw all what He painted and said it was look good.

God looked at this beautiful picture and saw that it was still not complete, that there was no center piece in His painting so He breathed on His painting and a man and women appeared. Then God stepped back and said, “Perfect, now it is complete.” Then God rested.

After this, we messed up. We were tempted by some forbidden fruit, that was not a mystery to us, and because we knew how wonderful, good, and powerful God is, we were jealous. With the encouragement and bad advice by an outside source, Satan, and we grasped on to the lie and rebelled and became something lesser than what we were created to be.

Then we forgot this God. When we looked at this creation we saw it as forces behind everything and thought that since there is a sun than there most be a force behind the sun and that idea developed into a ‘sun god.’ And process does not stop until there is god for every force of nature. If you look at ancient cultures, like the ancient Greek culture, there is a god for everything and there is even a god that governs all the rest of the gods. In Greek culture the god of thunder and lighting was the ‘god king’ because thunder and lighting are powerful force and this god’s name is Zeus.

Now, the true God, the Father of this creation said, “Wait a minute, this is my creation and why is my creation making created things to worship?” Kind of stupid that created beings would created false gods to submit to.

So God decided to reveal himself. He wanted to build a nation of people that would let the whole world that He is God. Kind of like a ‘lighthouse’ nation that would shine light to direct humans make to Him. So in scripture, when it is says to describe this God, you sometimes hear this phrase: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).

And the journey begins.

After a time in slavery in Egypt, the decedents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who God changed his name to Israel, which was given in Genesis 32:28 because Jacob struggled with God and with men and have overcome.

So the decedents of these three men were divided into 12 tribes and numbered in the hundreds of thousands. They called themselves Israel after Israel and I believe that the meaning of that name given to Jacob lived out by these people.

Now when God delivered these people from slavery, He brought them to his mountain, Mount Sinai and gave them His Ten Laws commonly called: The Ten Commandments.

I want to read the first two Commandments.

Genesis 20:1-6 (NLT)

(1) Then God gave the people all these instructions:
(2) “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.(3) “You must not have any other god but me.(4) “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. (5) You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. (6) But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

In this moment in history, a people group, the nation of Israel made a covenant with this God, this God who made Himself known from their fathers and now them. God has made himself known and declared that He is the only true God in a world that has hundreds of false gods.

Now as the story goes on, the relationship between these people and God started to grow, but not in a way that they are getting closer. No, the people started to forget. They forgot about the God delivered them from slavery and who they, His people, made a covenant with to worship Him only and be His people.

Slowly, but surely, this nation started to bring in idols of their pagan neighbors and started to worship man made things. And slowly, but surely, God with drew His blessings, NOT HIS PRESENT, because God keeps His promise!! During the time of King Ahab, king of Israel, God with drew His blessing of rain and for three years the lands of Israel were dry and useless.

Reason why?

1st King 16:29-33 (NLT)
(29) Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. (30) But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. (31) And as though it were not enough to follow the example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. (32) First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria. (33) Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.

I do not know about you, I do not want to be the person known through out history as the one who provoked and angered God more than anyone else.

God used sent His messenger/prophet Elijah.

Elijah was the guy how told King Ahab that there would be no more. So King Ahab did not like Elijah, in fact for the past three years during this drought, Elijah was the most wanted (dead or alive) ‘criminal’ in the country.

But now God was tired of waiting and He knew that He needed to make Himself distinct among His people again. His people who forgotten Him and the have forgotten about Egypt. And even during the drought, Israel was not looking nor turning their heart back to God, but asking Baal and Asherah to bring rain.

(Story from 1st Kings 18) - (for a cool illustration of this story go to http://www.store-dust.com/ )

So now you know why the true God, that has proven himself as being the ONLY TRUE GOD, was a little upset and sent his only prophet at the time that was not in hiding or dead, the Prophet Elijah to comfort King Ahab say-

“As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives – the God I serve – there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Now it is the third of the drought and King Ahab calls on this servant Obadiah, who is also a faithful servant of the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Obadiah has also been hiding 100 of the Lord’s prophets in caves and giving food and water. King Ahab calls Obadiah and says that his horses and herds are running out of food water and food. King Ahab wants to ride out to find grassing lands for the royal horses and herd. At the same time that this was going on God calls on Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab.

While King Ahab and Obadiah were searching for grassing land King Ahab had a great idea that they split up and he will go one direction and Obadiah will go in the opposite direction. So while Obadiah was searching for grassing he saw a figure in front of him it was a man with long straggly hair with ruff, skin wearing sleep skin, and with the overall look of a wilderness dweller. As Obadiah drew closer he recognized the man and drop to his face because it was Elijah.

Elijah tells Obadiah to go and tell King Ahab that Elijah is here. That struck fear in Obadiah eyes because he knew that King Ahab has been looking for Elijah for the past three years and King Ahab would really enjoy seeing Elijah’s head on a spear displayed in his throne room and only for Elijah but himself because if he goes and gets King Ahab and Elijah is not there his head might be on a spear in the King Ahab’s throne room. But Elijah says-

1st Kings 18:15 (NLT) - “I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.”

So Obadiah goes and gets King Ahab and brings him to back to the spot and Elijah was there.

Now Elijah and King Ahab are face to face for the first time in three years and King Ahab says, “So is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?” I can imagine what Elijah was thinking at this time: You are calling me the troublemaker? If it was not for you and your evil wife we would not probably be in this situation in the first place.

And that is pretty much what comes out of Elijah mouth-

1st Kings 18:18 (NLT) - “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. 19 Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.”

1 verse 850. Las Vegas would call this a blowout. This would be like Friends University’s Football team playing against the Kansas Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Or if you are a European Soccer like me it is like York playing Manchester United at Old Trafford.

So everyone shows up at Mount Cameral which is located in modern day Lebanon and the cool thing about this mountain is that it over looks the modern day Mediterranean Sea, very beautiful setting for a very beautiful event that is about to happen.

Now all of Israel, King Ahab, and all of them priests of Baal and Asherah are present on the Mountain. And now Elijah stands up and says-

1st Kings 18:20-24 - (20) So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. (21) Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

(22) Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. (23) Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. (24) Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

So the challenge has been set both Elijah and the Priests were given one bull and they were to repair it and present on the alter as an offering for their god. But they were not to set fire to the offering. If their god is the true God, He will send fire to take the offering.

Elijah lets the priests of Baal and Asherah go first and they prepare the bull and build the alter to Baal and Asherah and start praying and dancing area for Baal to answer them. They shout, “Oh Baal, answer us!!” And they do this all mid-morning and around the noon hour, there was still no answer.

And at this time Elijah starts mocking. He says, “Maybe Baal is a deep sleep, maybe you should shout louder to awake.” So like gullible little kids, the priest of Baal start shouting louder.

Then Elijah starts mocking them again, “Maybe Baal is on vacation, or maybe (this is my favorite one) maybe he is in the restroom.” At this time, mid-afternoon, the priest of Baal and Asherah start taking swords and spears and start cutting them selves. Now, lets stop here and let me clarify something to you, this cutting was not just slicing the skin to let a little wound the size of a cat scratch. This was stabbing, ripping, and mutilating their bodies. The blood was not leaking out, it was gushing out. It is very likely that some of the priests of Baal and Asherah that were doing this died because of blood lost. This was not a pretty sight; it was a very ugly, smelly, horrible way to worship a god that has never proven himself to be real.

Now it is late afternoon around 5 PM and the Bible says that this was the time of the daily sacrifice, Elijah stops the non-sense of the Baal worship. He calls all of Israel to gather around. It says that Elijah rebuilt the alter of the Lord by using 12 stones, each stone presenting one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

For Judah

For Issachar

For Zebulun

For Reuben

For Simeon

For Gad

For Ephraim

For Manasseh

For Benjamin

For Dan

For Asher

For Naphtali

Then Elijah digs a trench that is able to hold about three gallons of water. Then Elijah prepared the bull and placed it on top of the wood that was on the alter and then he ordered that jars filled with water and be poured over the alter. Elijah commands this to be done three times and by the end of the third time, the alter was soaked and the trench was overflowing. Now for you who do not know, wet wood does not burn, no matter how many times you take a flame to it. And this was the thought that was going through the minds of all the people of Israel.

Then Elijah prayers

1st KINGS 18:36-37 (NLT) – (36) At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. (37) O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

Than Fire from Heaven comes rushing down and engulfs everything, the offering, the wood, the stones, the water, and even the top soil. Then when Elijah looks out upon the people of Israel they were all face down, because they True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has made himself known and present.

Conclusion

Are we like Israel?

We live in the present of this God who created everything around us, but have we forgotten?

How do we live our lives?

If you are a Christian, shouldn’t your life look different from the rest of the world?

Ephesians 4:17-32 (NLT)
(17) With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. (18) Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. (19) They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
(20) But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. (21) Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, (22) throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. (23) Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. (24) Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
(25) So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. (26) And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, (27) for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
(28) If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. (29) Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
(30) And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
(31) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. (32) Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

People quite trying to fit in with the world, we do not need more people like who make the front page of PEOPLE magazine. Do not aspire for riches or fame.

Do you the type of people we need in world?

We need people to be distinctively different and be distinctively like Jesus!!

The Blessing

So may you realize that we worship the God who made Himself distinctively different from all the pagan gods.

May you live life distinctively extraordinarily different from everyone else.

May you live life distinctively like JESUS!!!