Summer vacations as a child in Michigan gave me endless opportunities to be creative. One week, when I was about 10, I decided to be a hairdresser. My sibling marketing team and I created signs for my new business and went door to door advertising to neighbors who humored my endeavor. Later, back at home, I hired a model to practice on, my five-year-old younger sister. She enjoyed the attention until the hairbrush became so twisted up in her white blonde hair that it couldn’t be removed. At that point, upper management was contacted. Mom came to the rescue with a pair of scissors and an out-of-business notice for me.

Sometimes parents must stop us, even when we’re having fun, because we could either hurt others or ourselves. Sometimes they stop us because they think we have better things to do.

God the Father works in the same way, out of love for us, His children.

Jonah was an Old Testament prophet called to go to Nineveh and preach about repentance, but he didn’t want to go. Instead, he ran away from his calling. Jonah found himself on a ship in a terrible storm. At Jonah’s request, he was thrown overboard by the boat’s crew and swallowed by a great fish. Jonah spent three days in the belly of the sea creature, then he was spit out upon dry land.

God had to stop Jonah from running away. He was hurting himself by not facing his future and endangering an entire city of people. In the end, Jonah obeyed God, fulfilled his responsibility and the people of Nineveh repented and were saved. (Jonah)

God the Father loved the people of Nineveh and Jonah.

After the Resurrection of Lord Jesus, He reappeared to His disciples a third time up in Galilee on Lake Tiberius. Peter had gone back to fishing, his original occupation. The Lord spoke to Peter, three times asking him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Each time, Peter would answer affirmatively. Then The Lord would respond, “Tend My lambs.”

“Shepherd My sheep.”

“Tend My sheep.”

In a gentle rebuke, Lord Jesus was reminding Peter of his calling and his responsibility—to care for the Church. This ministerial work wasn’t performed as a slave, but out of love for Lord Jesus. (John 21:15-17)

Peter went on to become a patriarch in the Church. He was present when Holy Spirit descended and then he himself preached messages adding thousands to the faithful. (Acts 2) Peter also was the person through whom The Lord opened the door to the Gentiles. (Acts 10)

God the Father loved the Church, the Gentiles and He also loved Peter.

When God stops us from doing something we like doing, it’s for a reason. Most often, there is something better and necessary to Him that we must do. Read the Scriptures. Pray. Ask God what is His purpose, His calling, or the ministry He has for you. Following through on a calling of God brings great satisfaction.

As a kid, my summer days were spent in the pool as much as possible. Mom called me “a fish.” Sometimes I came out of the water though to practice my diving; we had a wonderful springboard diving board and a tall water-fed slide. I worked on a few moves: the surface dive, the swan dive, the regular forward dive, the somersault dive coming off the end of the slide, and most uproariously, the “butt-flop.” At times I tried to dive deep to the bottom to retrieve swim toys.

Israel was in a drought. Water was scarce. Most of its people had turned to false gods.

Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament who thought he stood alone against the paganism of Queen Jezebel and King Ahab. In a “double-dare” with pagan priests, a competition was ordered in which “the God Who answers by fire, He is God.”

On Mount Carmel in Israel, Elijah demonstrated the power of God.

The false priests of Ahab and Jezebel set up an altar with an animal sacrifice, then they called upon their idol, Baal, to send fire and burn it up. Elijah poked fun at them. He said, “Maybe he’s asleep! Maybe he’s out of town!” and other such jabs. The priests of Baal continued on, raving and cutting their flesh open in an effort to get Baal to answer, but nothing happened.

Then Elijah set up the altar to God and he even poured water on top and in a trench all around the bottom. He called to God. Fire fell and God burnt up the sacrifice, even licking up the entrenched water. When the people who were watching saw this, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” (1Kings 18:19-39)

The fire which fell from Heaven in the New Testament was Holy Spirit. He arrived at Pentecost, as believers were praying. He came as tongues of fire upon each believer’s head, (Acts 2:3), first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. (Acts 10:44-48)

This fire comes from Lord Jesus, Who sent Holy Spirit, our Helper. (Luke 3:16; John 14:16)

Our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)

The fire of God in Elijah’s time burned up the animal sacrifice.

The fire of God (Holy Spirit) also burns, it burns up, through conviction, little areas left in our lives, sanctifying us for our calling. We believers are living sacrifices. Each with a plan and purpose for his life.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

We are to be His ministers flames of fire, (Hebrews 1:7), especially during these darkening days. Holy Spirit, the fire of God, helps us.

When we study the Word of God, we must not omit the Old Testament as some do. Dive deep and see that prophecy, shadows, and types all point to the coming of the Messiah, Lord Jesus.

Surface diving is shallow. Roots will not grow down into your soul, anchoring you to The Lord, The Word. We as Christians must know our heritage and teach it to our children.

Swan diving looks good: being able to recite The Word, but not live it out.

Butt-flops happen when we don’t really know The Word but tell others that we do.

What brings the falling of Holy Spirit?

Elijah prayed. Elijah preached the truth of God. Elijah had great faith. He called upon God to show Himself with fire. Elijah was completely devoted to God during that event.

Remember the Upper Room, 120 disciples were in prayer, devotion to God. ie. deep diving

Remember Peter preaching the testimony of Jesus to the Gentiles, devotion to God. ie. deep diving

Know the Word of God, just as Elijah did. Know His Name, Lord Jesus. He Who answers with fire is God. His Name is Lord Jesus. He answers to His Name. He answers with fire. He answers with Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:3)

Believers, are you devoted to God? Are you God’s flame of fire?

LOOK UP!