One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel where he came before the children of Israel at a very decisive time in the nation. The people of Israel were wavering as to whether they were going to worship the false god Baal or worship God Jehovah.
I really believe that is where America is today. Polls show that Americans believe in God, they also show that their belief in God doesn’t make much difference in their daily lives. A syncretism of materialism and theism has replaced the command to worship Jehovah God and Him alone.
I believe a number of Christians have sold out to the world. They are sort of worldly Christians. It is not that they do not love God. They do love God. But if they were to take a stand for God, I mean go hard for God and let the devil take the hind road no matter what anybody else thinks, there is no telling what would happen in America.
The problem of that the church today is a half-hearted love for God, a half-hearted worship, and a half-hearted lifestyle. Thre are too many churches who have a form of godliness, but none of its power.
The evangelist Billy Sunday said, “We talk about worldly Christians, we might as well talk about heavenly devils. . .”
In the Mt. Carmel encounter:
1. Worship was the issue. The people went to the mountain over the issue of who they were going to worship: Baal or Jehovah. The issue was actually lordship, who would be lord of their lives? In our world today, it seems the answer for many is evident and it is not Jehovah.
2. Elijah’s worship invited God’s power. His worship was so powerful that God came by fire and demonstrated himself with such divine power that it defies human explanation. How much happens in the average church today that demands divine explanation? How many things do churches do that depends on God’s power?
3. The people responded with worship and awe when they saw God’s power. When they saw that the Lord was God Jehovah, they immediately turned from the false gods and began to worship the Lord. When people see that we have a God who offers something more—peace in the midst of the storm, the ability to live beyond the circumstances of life, meaning and purpose to life, they will desire that as well. People respond when they see God’s working and moving in power.
God will not demonstrate His power when the people who are called by His Name are not as committed to him as they are the other areas of life. He must not only be present, or even prominent; He demands preeminence.
REQUEST: Please pray for my youngest daughter. As I write this, she is back in the hospital with no explanations. . .
