The 
Phases of Faith
Faith is the only way to grow in our relationship with God.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
6 Phases Bible Study Calendar
Daily Bible Study Menu
A note about online study
Read your Bible more in 2004!
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for delivering me from the dead-ends of indecision in my life through Jesus! I praise You that because Jesus has died to take away my sin, and to purchase eternal life for me, that I can live daily in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. A pray for a fresh indwelling of Your Spirit today that I may not be paralyzed by indecision, but will decide to follow You in every area of my life, particularly in the area of the dreams that You have given me personally, and which You have given our congregation. I pray that every time an opportunity comes today to make a decision that will move me or someone around me deeper into Your will that I will take the opportunity. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
1 Kings 17:20-21
20So Ahab summoned all the people and the prophets to Mount Carmel. 21Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.
Reflecting on God's Word
Have you ever come to a dead-end because you couldn’t or wouldn’t make a decision?
What is the advantage of being clear about your dreams or goals?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What was the problem facing the Israelites? (17:20-21)
How did Elijah’s question address the problem? (17:20-21)
What was the people’s response to Elijah’s question?
Understanding God's Purpose
What do you think God’s purpose was in sending Elijah to challenge the people?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What is the most important application of today’s scripture to your life right now?
Thoughts...Wavering Between Opinions...
The people of Israel had been led by bad leaders to abandon their worship of God and to worship the idols known as Baal and Asherah. These were pagan fertility gods, and the hope of those who worshiped them was that the land and animals would be blessed with fertility and abundant harvest. Elijah the prophet of God, knew that it was King Ahab who had led the people astray, and yet in today’s scripture we find him asking the people directly, “How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” Elijah’s challenge is our challenge—what dream(s) are we going to follow in our lives? Are we going to follow God’s dream(s) for our lives or are we going to follow the dream(s) of the world? Sometimes with the best of intentions we, too, waver between two opinions. We want to follow God, but he world offers us success, wealth, happiness, fame, and so on. These can become the idols that distract us from worshiping the living God. While we may be too sophisticated to worship idols made of wood or stone, we often worship the idols mentioned above. The problem is following the gods of the world is a dead-end, and wavering between two opinions is also a dead end. We just can’t hop back and forth from one foot to the other and hope to stand firmly for the Lord!
Elijah’s challenge was clear and direct, but the people didn’t respond. They just stood there silent. The people had abandoned God, and they couldn’t even see the difference between right and wrong enough to choose Him when the offer was made. The ensuing contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal proved conclusively that the Lord IS God, and for the moment the people returned to pursuing the dream of following Him. What about us? Are you wavering this morning between God and the world? Are you ready to get beyond that dead-end, that road block and rededicate to following Jesus whole-heartedly? There is no better moment than THIS moment, to say, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” and follow Him! Amen.