1 Kings 18:17-37
This title has beenon my heart for a while and how easy it is to be a lukewarm christian. anybody who knows anything about the bible knows God does not do lukewarm. Imagain someone walking up to your significant other and flirting with them telling them how bad you are and how good or much better thy are for your significant other. Now me? I'd be fighting mad.
How do you think God would feel? If another, Satan, tries to move you away from Him.
Exodus 34:14
God is a jealous God and rightly so. He did pay for our sins with His blood.
Revelations 3:14-16
He don't want to have a relationship with someone who will be lukewarm. He wants you to be on fire for God all the time. Would you want to have a relationship with someone who is lukewarm about their relationship with you? Then why should we expect God to accept lukewarm chritstians?
Ahab tried to throw something off onto Elijah. He blamed Elijah for the troubles in Israel. But Elijah said, "No Ahab, it's you and your people. Y'all are following Baal." But Elijah gave Ahab a task to gather all of Israel, 450 prophets of Baal and actually began to question them about how long they will continue to walk between two masters. He told them if they wanted to follow Baal then to follow Baal. But if they wanted to follow Jesus they must follow Jesus. They didn't respond because they were guilty.
This question still applies today. Do you follow Jesus or will you worship the world? You cannot serve two masters. anytime, you don't put Jesus first, then we're not doing any different than those who served Baal.
Baal offered them pleasures of the flesh and they would have babies and then would burn those babies as a sacrifice to Baal.
Jesus doesn't require that. God wants us to share His message with everyone we come in contact with.
Sin in any shape, form, or fashion is what happens on a daily basis. But then on Sundays we serve Jesus. I'm not judging because if I point at you, I've got three more pointing back at me. Sharing God's message, word of mouth is strong.
Remember the day you got saved and how on fire you were for Jesus. We need to get that back on a daily. If you don't, guess what, we will be serving Baal and God and that makes God nauseus.
God wants you to be hot or cold. He doesn't want you to on the fence.
God never said it would be easy once you got saved. He said, "they hated me, they will hate you." But He will never leave you. He wants a one-on-one relationship with you.
That's what Elijah knew.
Elijah gave the prophets of Baal another test. He told them to choose a Bullock, and he'll take the other. He said to cut the bullock, lay it on wood, but light no fire and I'll do the same. Then you will call on Baal and I'll call on God. And the God that answers by fire then we will know that He is truly God. And the prophets accepted the challenge.
So when they had everything set, they began to call on Baal in the morning until the noon with no answer. Elijah told them to yell louder for Baal must be busy. So they yelled and began to cut themselves. When the time came for the evening sacrifice there was still no answer.
So Elijah said it was his turn. So he prepared his altar with 12 stones for the tribes of Jacob. Then he made a trench and someone fill four barrels with water, and said to pour it on the bullock and the the wood, not once, not twice, but three times. He filled the trench with water, and then began to call on God and the fire of the Lord fell and consumed everything.
That's the God you serve. He is faithful and true to do that for us.
Once they seen this they fell on their knees realising they made a mistake. Now is the time to ask Jesus into your heart.
Are you wanting to limp through this world? Or are you wanting to completely live for God? Only you can answer that. Me, I want to serve God all day, everyday!
