In the Book of 1 Kings is a story that sadly plays out today. We think of the stories in the Bible as past events, but not true my friend they are reminders to us today so that we would not follow after them and make the same mistakes. Paul speaking of the Children of Israel said, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12) The exodus history recorded in the Scriptures are not for historical reference, but, “for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition,” so that we would not make the same mistakes again and again, but it looks like we are learning, we are in God’s school of learning, but never learning the lessons. In 2 Timothy Paul again takes up this concern, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” (2 Timothy 3:7-9) Just like in ours, Paul’s, and Moses’ days here in Elijah’s days we see the same thing going on. The people were halting or wavering between two opinions. Here (1 Kings 18:17-40) Elijah, the Prophet of God, was in a life and death struggle for the hearts, minds, and souls of the people. Then and today, the story line is the same, “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.” (1 Kings 18:18) Now it is important to know the people were following a lord. The word “Baalim” means lord of the world. Just like many Christians today, the people were following the lords of their world and sadly today the church has allowed the lord of this world into the church by following after the way the world does things. Beloved we are not to be of this world, we are to be set a part, a holy generation unto the Lord are we not? The Scriptures think so, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (2 Peter 2:9) But that is not what we see in most churches and more importantly that is not what those lost in world see. Those lost and undone who do not know Christ as their personal savior see no difference in the church and the world. I have asked them and they reply, I do not need to go to church to listen to rock music, sing and dance, or do drugs, and talk about my friends. When a good friend at the church we attend heard we traveled up to NJ he asked if we were gambling and said I would not believe the number of people, in our church, who travel up to Atlantic City, NJ to gamble. Our nephew (in NJ of whom we are very proud) replied to his father’s question why he does not join the youth groups at church, “I do not like rock music, anyhow most if not all of the kids in the youth group do drugs.” Now this is not all churches, but I would say most churches. Friend, most (not all) churches looks, acts and sounds like the world no need for the lost to apply. Karen and I were riding around Jacksonville and with what we call “Easter” (which is listed only once in the KJV of the Bible, Acts 12:4, and means Passover) is coming soon the signs are already up, “Easter Fun Days” face painting, Easter egg hunt, and more. If I remember correctly what we call “Easter” was not much fun for Jesus. How we have taken the death of Christ on the cross, something sacred and turned it into a lie and a fun time only to get people to come to church and support denominational religions. My friend the intent is right, but the motives and desires are wrong. Believe it or not the church is wavering or halting between two opinions.
As the battle between the prophets of Baalim and Elijah raged on Elijah said, “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.” (1 Kings 18:21-22) Today God is asking the same question, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” If God is all powerful then let us serve God, but if He is not let us use the ways of the world to trick and cajole people to come to church to hear a watered down Gospel message that centers around joining the church instead of a life long learning of the things of God that is manifested in changed lives and spiritual growth and development. Two cannot be achieved together, either the focus will be Christ and Him crucified providing all that is needed or church programs and activities to support the local Body. My friend if God is for what you are doing He will provide all you need to do it. There is no need for special programs and activities to raise the funds. Just give the people the truth of the word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to convict hearts to support. God is God serve Him! But also as we drive around Jacksonville we see in front of many churches signs that read, “Divorce Counseling Services Now Provided.” Divorce counseling, my friend God does not sanction divorce. When we stand before God and make a oath, it is for life. God is serious about His words and ours. He keeps a record of them. Now the church is involved in divorce counseling just like the world. Many say it is okay, it is counseling from a Christian perspective, wrong, there is no such thing. What we have is worldly techniques and methods spun together with Scriptures. John 3:6, says, “that which is Spirit is Spirit (Scriptures) and that which is flesh (worldly techniques) is flesh.” Any time we mix the Spirit and flesh we get flesh. What about the power of God to change lives? If Baalim (divorce counseling and all counseling services and the such in churches) be god them serve him, but if God be God then serve Him. We have allowed worldly ways and techniques to be the way and process the Body of Christ functions. Even the language we use, we conduct our “business” meetings with worldly parliamentary procedures. When did the Gospel become a business? Either God is God and is all powerful able to change lives and restore marriages or not, if not then serve Baalim serve the world’s way of doing things. When I travel overseas to minister I often talk about nurseries, Sunday School, Children’s Church, and all of the programs and activities we have in churches for kids in America. They chuckle and ask why do we have such programs and activities is not the main service okay for the kids? In our church in Germany we had no such programs or a nursery. The parents would keep the babies and young children in the main service and kept them quiet disciplining them in silence and self-control. Overseas and our church in Germany services who go on for three or four hours maybe more and these kids would not dare act like the kids I see in America: talking, playing, drawing, throwing paper, not paying attention, how shameful, but more shameful no adult calls them down. Growing up we five children would not set with the other kids in church, oh no, we would have to sit right in front of our father and he had the fastest wrist in the world. If we even looked like we were going to talk he would hit us in the back of the head and have the song book back in the holder before we picked ourselves up off the floor. We learn respect and discipline for the house of God, our parents, and God. We find all of these activities and programs get their roots out of a desire to work for God instead of becoming something in God. Everyone must have their own ministry, well this is not God’s intention. But, being a pew sitter is not glorifying, it is hard to be faithful in the mundane things of God, but here is where the real secrets of servant hood is seen and where God openly rewards those servants with a heart to be the last and not the first, to be the tail and not the head.
As the battle between the prophets of Baalim and Elijah raged on Elijah said, “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.” (1 Kings 18:21-22) Today God is asking the same question, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” If God is all powerful then let us serve God, but if He is not let us use the ways of the world to trick and cajole people to come to church to hear a watered down Gospel message that centers around joining the church instead of a life long learning of the things of God that is manifested in changed lives and spiritual growth and development. Two cannot be achieved together, either the focus will be Christ and Him crucified providing all that is needed or church programs and activities to support the local Body. My friend if God is for what you are doing He will provide all you need to do it. There is no need for special programs and activities to raise the funds. Just give the people the truth of the word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to convict hearts to support. God is God serve Him! But also as we drive around Jacksonville we see in front of many churches signs that read, “Divorce Counseling Services Now Provided.” Divorce counseling, my friend God does not sanction divorce. When we stand before God and make a oath, it is for life. God is serious about His words and ours. He keeps a record of them. Now the church is involved in divorce counseling just like the world. Many say it is okay, it is counseling from a Christian perspective, wrong, there is no such thing. What we have is worldly techniques and methods spun together with Scriptures. John 3:6, says, “that which is Spirit is Spirit (Scriptures) and that which is flesh (worldly techniques) is flesh.” Any time we mix the Spirit and flesh we get flesh. What about the power of God to change lives? If Baalim (divorce counseling and all counseling services and the such in churches) be god them serve him, but if God be God then serve Him. We have allowed worldly ways and techniques to be the way and process the Body of Christ functions. Even the language we use, we conduct our “business” meetings with worldly parliamentary procedures. When did the Gospel become a business? Either God is God and is all powerful able to change lives and restore marriages or not, if not then serve Baalim serve the world’s way of doing things. When I travel overseas to minister I often talk about nurseries, Sunday School, Children’s Church, and all of the programs and activities we have in churches for kids in America. They chuckle and ask why do we have such programs and activities is not the main service okay for the kids? In our church in Germany we had no such programs or a nursery. The parents would keep the babies and young children in the main service and kept them quiet disciplining them in silence and self-control. Overseas and our church in Germany services who go on for three or four hours maybe more and these kids would not dare act like the kids I see in America: talking, playing, drawing, throwing paper, not paying attention, how shameful, but more shameful no adult calls them down. Growing up we five children would not set with the other kids in church, oh no, we would have to sit right in front of our father and he had the fastest wrist in the world. If we even looked like we were going to talk he would hit us in the back of the head and have the song book back in the holder before we picked ourselves up off the floor. We learn respect and discipline for the house of God, our parents, and God. We find all of these activities and programs get their roots out of a desire to work for God instead of becoming something in God. Everyone must have their own ministry, well this is not God’s intention. But, being a pew sitter is not glorifying, it is hard to be faithful in the mundane things of God, but here is where the real secrets of servant hood is seen and where God openly rewards those servants with a heart to be the last and not the first, to be the tail and not the head.
Lastly from this wonderful story in the Scriptures we see the solution to the problem for the people in Elijah’s day and for us today, “we must repair the altar of the Lord.” The church must again have the ability in God to call the people with a Holy Spirit inspired message with power and authority from God calling the people to come near. “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.” (1 Kings 18:30) My friend we must repair the years of denominational folly and presumption that has, like a cancerous tumor, plagued the Body of Christ. We must get back to the old-time Gospel message that has opened eyes, healed the sick, and set the captives free. My friend either we will focus and depend on worldly ways, activities, and programs or God, we cannot depend on both. If we continue to depend on the ways of the world and such we will continue to share a powerless and impotent message. Either we will continue to halt between two opinions emasculating the power of God and His authority or stand up for the truth, righteousness, and glory of God. Elijah asked, “How long.” How long can we continue in playing foot loose and free with God? How long will God let us continue? Oh the long suffering of God! Thank you Father for being long suffering on my behalf, but LORD please strengthen me and teach me your ways and lead me in the path everlasting. Help me never to halt between two opinions, but always draw me nearer to You. Written by David Stahl
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