“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).
TEXT — 1 Kings 18:17-29
Message
There could be many reasons people grow cold feet when circumstances demand that they take a stand for the Lord. It may be for fear of persecution or the desire to be accepted and rewarded by the largely heathen society. But whatever the reason may be, it cannot be a cogent excuse for any believer to neglect to identify with the Lord at all times.
Prophet Elijah amplified this fact when he challenged King Ahab and his coterie of false prophets to a public contest to determine who was serving the true God. Elijah had pronounced drought and famine on the land, as punishment for their sins. Three years on, he met King Ahab who accused the prophet of troubling Israel but Elijah retorted that it was Ahab and his family that had troubled the nation by rebelling against God’s command and worshipping the idol, Baalim. He asked the king to gather all of Israel, including his 850 idol-worshipping prophets and priests, and demanded that the people decide to follow God or Baalim. But the people had become so spiritually indifferent that they “answered him not a word.” Still, Elijah proceeded with the contest, which involved offering sacrifice to their idols on one hand, and the Almighty God, on the other, emphasising that “the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.” All efforts made by the false prophets to get answers from the idols were futile, even after being mocked by Elijah, bleeding profusely from self-inflicted cuts, and shouting from morning to evening. It was proof of the futility of idol worship.
Whatever the world offers – riches, position, fame, power – we must not be ashamed or afraid to be recognised as Christians. To hide behind popular culture and follow the line of least spiritual resistance is to reject the love of God, undermine His mercy and neglect/contradict His word. Instead, we must always remember that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We should live in righteousness, defend our faith in Christ in words and deeds, and show faithfulness to the One who gave His life to redeem us.
Thought for the day
Spiritual indifference is a careless stroll to damnation.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
