God & Country
GOD & COUNTRY
Week 5 – FIRE
We started a new series called God & Country. The series is based upon two books that I have been reading, New Days, Old Demons by Mark Driscoll and Return of the Gods by Jonathan Cahn.
The point of this series is to open up our eyes to what is going on in our culture.
I want to read this from this Newsweek article.
In November 2021, Pew Research reported that 62% of American adults believe in hell, up from 58% in 2014, and pop culture appears to be taking full advantage of the curiosity that surrounds hell and its inhabitants.
The devil is front and center in movies, TV shows, podcasts, and even children's books. There are Satan after-school clubs, there's the Exorcist files in which Father Carlos Martins recreates exorcisms, and the podcast routinely tops the list of the most popular in the spirituality categories.
On Netflix alone there are dozens of titles dealing with hellish demons, including Warrior Nun, Devil in Ohio, the bastard son of the devil himself, and Lucifer in which the ruler of hell runs a piano bar in California. Comedy is also fair game. Thus Ted Danson plays a torturous demon who is prone to mistakes in the Netflix series The Good Place.
Humans crave spirituality, says Martins, host of the Exorcist Files, but a Gallup poll in 2021 noted that for the first time in US history, less than half of all Americans were members of a church, synagogue or mosque.
To fill the void, many are embracing, quote, “a rejection of received social customs and expected behavior norms in favor of embracing ‘me-first’ pleasure”, Martins told Newsweek, “The adoption of Satan as a figurehead is merely another shock ceiling through which the movement is broken through.
People are like, I want to be spiritual, but I don't want the Holy Spirit.
SO, they say,
I don't want a spirit that tells me no,
I want a spirit that tells me yes.
I don't want a spirit that calls me to repentance, I want a spirit that calls me to tolerance.
I don't want a spirit that changes who I am, I want a spirit that celebrates who I am.
I don't want a spirit that calls me to humility I want a spirit that calls me to pride.
I don't want a spirit that calls me to self-control I want a spirit that lets me indulge all of my pleasures.
Last week, we talked about how God gave Elijah a word, he prophesied that it wasn’t going to rain and it didn’t for 3 ½ years. Now it is time for Elijah to speak to King Ahab…we pick up here:
1 Kings 18:17-
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him,” Is it you, you troubler of Israel?”
Now this is interesting choice of words here by Ahab.
There are five things that happened in the days of Elijah that happen in our day.
1. Cancel the prophets. Death, call Christians’ bigots, homophobic, racist, etc.
2. Close the churches and the schools. That's what they did.
3. Consume the systems. Overtake politics, religion, family, sexuality, entertainment, and the economy by taking God out of them.
4. Compromise the believers. Have them so fearful that they will bend their knee to Baal.
5. Castrate the men. Jezebel is surrounded by the eunuchs.
Then Elijah showed up with a WORD from the LORD and Ahab calls Elijah a troubler. An evil person thinks that the Godly person is the problem.
Now that being said, this word, troubler, is sometimes translated “asp or viper”. What he's saying is, you're the devil.
Our world today thinks that Christians are the devil and that Bible teaching is evil. You just need to know the day we live in, it's not just that the culture disagrees with us, they think we're evil. See, that's different. Because if you disagree with someone, you ignore them. But if they're evil, you have to stop them.
That's the day we live in.
You think that there are only two genders? You are a troubler.
You think that a family should be a father and a mother? You are a troubler.
You think that the Word of God is the highest authority you're a troubler. You think Jesus Christ is Lord you're a troubler.
18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed Baals.
You notice that Elijah is assertive. He doesn't allow the subject to be changed. Here, God has a problem with Ahab. God calls Elijah to pick a side.
Elijah does not have a choice if he will get in trouble, his only choice is who he will get in trouble with. God or Ahab?
As a believer in this day, you need to know, you're going to get in trouble.
The question is, who are you going to get in trouble with and what are you going to get in trouble for? The world or God?
19 Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table.
Basically, this is saying that the “false prophets” were paid staff of the government.
1 Kings 18: 20-26
20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
I want you to see that there are two choices. Here's what Elijah says, God or Satan? Very simple. People are like, what about the spectrum? What about options?
There's two. Heaven or hell, life or death, truth or lies, right or wrong, God or Satan.
They weren't ready to decide. Are we for or against God? Let's see how this plays out. They're living by sight, not by faith.
22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men.
How many real prophets are there in the story?
There's 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Okay, it's one versus 850.
Let me say, these are always the odds of the Bible teacher and the truth teller. For every prophet, there's 850 false prophets. For everybody who tells the truth, there's 850 people that are gonna get paid for the lie.
See, in our day, people talk about fake news. That's nothing new. Satan has always tried to dominate the messaging with lies.
Why? Jesus calls him this in:
John 8:44 English Standard Version
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
And what's happening here is the people, they've seen the schools closed, they've seen the pastors killed, they've seen the churches destroyed, and they're scared. They don't know who to listen to.
ON this side: There's 850 people that all have degrees, and they've got titles, styled hair and nice suits and they speak articulate English and have charts and graphs.
And then here's one guy named Elijah who came out of the woods and he's wearing camel's hair.
So if you're looking at him, you're like, I think the crazy homeless guy may be off because these 850 guys who are all educated beyond their intelligence, their resume says that they know what they're talking about.
Don't believe everything you hear, do your homework.
The number of false prophets always outweigh the real prophet. And that's the story of Elijah.
23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”
That's a good idea.
25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.
27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
Now this may go against something that you have been taught in church. But it says that Elijah mocked them. And so what is he doing? He's making fun of what they take seriously.
When someone takes everything seriously but not God? Then you can't take them seriously.
Now what this does, this allows the people to not be gripped by fear.
There are somethings going on right now that are just crazy.
Like, there was a man who identifies as a woman who plays volleyball and smashed a volleyball into a young woman, gave her a concussion and she's got injuries and is hurt and we call that tolerance and diversity.
That's crazy and that’s just one example of many crazy things that our culture is trying to do.
So at the end of the day, we don't mock the victims of these things, but we say, this is crazy.
You have denied nature, you have denied reality.
You have a mental illness and you are a joke with no punchline. Right?
And we know that you have 850 false prophets educated beyond their intelligence with more degrees than a thermometer, but they are idiots, idiots with a degree.
28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
So here's what happens. This is a counterfeit of Jesus. They're like, you know what, we are going to flog ourselves and shed our blood. It's a counterfeit.
Our God doesn't take our blood, He sends His Son to offer His blood.
In addition, let me say this, when you see people cutting a healthy body for no reason, you know that it's demonic. They are literally damaging the body that God gave them as an offering to Baal. And so the false prophets are a counterfeit.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord.
A ministry of reconciliation. So, we see Elijah reestablishing the altar of the Lord, the place of worship. He is saying we are going to worship God here. Wherever you're at, worship God there.
If you're at work, worship God there. You're at school, worship God there. Don't just come to church and worship, build an altar wherever you are!! Why?
1 Corinthians 10:26 English Standard Version
26 For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.”
Because every inch of all creation belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we surrender no ground.
And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
What's happening in the days of Elijah, what's happening today, is a pruning or a refining of the church.
God is using these times to burn away the false prophets and the false teachers and the counterfeit doctrines and the woke progressive ideology and those who use Jesus, but don't really love Jesus. There's a refining.
1 Peter 1:7 New Living Translation
7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
And so as you hear, even in our day, you hear like attendance in church is down. We see it. We are living it. And it seems like the Christians are fewer.
No, it's just a refining. Don't lose hope. The church will be here when Jesus comes back. That's what he says.
Matthew 16:18 New Living Translation
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
But the refining is this, who or what needs to get cut away so that we can get back to the church of God that He has called us to be.
This is true with the church as well as with your life.
God starts by refining the church, and then there's a revival. lots of people get saved.
This is the only hope for Western culture in the United States of America.
Everybody needs to know that Jesus Christ is God.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
God showed up. Let me say this, when God shows up, there's no doubt that God showed up.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
And then what does Elijah do? The spirit-filled man of God to the false prophets.
40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
He slaughters them. How do you feel about that?
Here's what you need to know,
Galatians 6:7 English Standard Version
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
It is a fearful, dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
And every day we sort of presume upon the grace of God and once in a while we see the justice of God. That's to remind us that he is a just God and that justice is coming. For then, that day is the day of judgment, it's the DAY OF FIRE.
What happens in our day, we think that God is like Ahab in that He is tolerant and passive. And we think, well, every day I do what I want, I sin, I rebel, I do it, and God doesn't do anything to me.
See, up until this moment, these false prophets, they were rich, they were powerful, they had secure employment, they had authority, they were public figures, they were winning, and then they were slaughtered.
And what people tend to think is, because God hasn't shown up and stopped them,
1. God doesn't exist.
2. God’s Word isn't true.
3. I'm a good person.
But truth is this what is happening is this what the Apostle Paul says in
Romans 2:5 New Living Translation
5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
That's exactly what happens in the days of Elijah. Every day they weren't getting away with anything, they were storing up everything for the day of wrath.
You need to know, if you don't know Jesus, there is wrath coming for you. You are living in the path of the wrath of God that no one escapes the all-knowing, all-seeing eye of God. I tell this not to scare you, but to terrify you, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and this world is filled with people that are the opposite of wise, a bunch of idiots.
This theme of fire appears about 400 times in the Bible. It's a mega theme.
1. Sometimes it's a literal fire. Make a fire to warm yourself or cook a meal.
2. Sometimes God appears as a fire. In the bush to Moses, Here he does in the days of Elijah. And Deuteronomy says in the New Testament quotes, our God is a consuming fire.
3. Sometimes to the Lake of Fire.
Five times in Revelation 19, hell is called the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:14-15 English Standard Version
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8 English Standard Version
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
So let me say this, there's only two options.
You reject Jesus, you continue in your sin, you don't live in relationship with God, and then you spend forever in a lake of fire.
The other option is that God doesn't set you on fire, he sets a fire in you.
When see in the story of Elijah that fire came, the people realized who the Lord truly was, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as a result, they had a change of heart and they started worshiping God and publicly declaring his goodness so that others would come to meet him as well. And all of this happens with a fire.
And this is through the person, the power, the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. The same spirit that empowered the life of Elijah wants to empower you.
We see this when John the Baptist, Elijah 2.0 talks about fire:
Matthew 3:11 NLT
11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
The Holy Spirit is the fire of God. Friends, there's only two options.
The fire of God burns you, or the fire of God burns IN you.
All of history ends with those two categories. And in the days of the New Testament, in the early church, it says in
Acts 2:1-4, fire appeared and rested on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1-4 English Standard Version
2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Friend, is there anything in your life that needs to be refined?
Bad doctrine, sinful behaviors, self-justifying, rebellion against God, relationships that are not honoring of the Lord.
Revival fire starts in YOU with FIRE.
My job is to tell you the truth.
Your job is to make a decision.