Resisting worldliness today

The world today is not unlike the world of Elijah when many of the Israelites were worshiping pagan gods. He built an altar to demonstrate that Yahweh, the God of creation exists and still actively governs even his wayward children led astray by pagan secular religions. In the ten commandments, God made it clear that:  You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. (Exodus 20:23-24 NAS)

Elijah built an altar according to the commandment. He wanted to reveal to the people and King Ahab that he was the prophetic spokesperson, not the false prophets who led the people astray to worship idols.

Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven. 1 Kings 18:36-38 When the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!” (1 Kings 18:39 NLT)

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you may be taking too large a perspective. Let God worry about all the injustice in the world; you just need to find one small injustice and start there. The world is filled with evil, and you are here to be a light in the darkness. Even a small candle can lighten a dark room. As you minister, you may find that others gain the courage to join you, and you can begin to broaden your perspective. God’s Promise 1

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9 NLT)

1 Beers, Gilbert; Beers, Ron. The One Year Mini for Men (p. 309). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.