“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.” – 1 Kings 18:21
We need prophets like Elijah today. Where are the men and women who will raise a voice for the glory of Jesus, calling anyone who will listen to make up their minds in these last days about whether or not He is worthy of their all? Elijah called his generation to get off the fence about whom they worshipped and served. “Pick your god!” he cries. Interestingly, the people who heard him remained silent, unwilling to make up their minds.
Welcome to 21st century America. Our present generation is in the same state as Elijah’s, as so many in the Church have spent 2020 bowing at the altars of politics and culture and feel no conviction as they plan to continue doing so as long as it feels right to them.
In this hour wherein Christians compromise their allegiance for the sake of politics and culture, where are the words of the 21st Century prophets?
Christian voices speak boldly of their politics, their personal rights and their cultural wishes. Virtue signaling has usurped praise. Protest has become more a priority than prayer. Rallies are the religion of the political right while outrage is the offering of the political left. Because they give their best to crying out on behalf of these lesser loyalties, their voices are consequently impotent to cry out for the glory of the Lord. A quick scan of Christians’ social media feeds provides clear enough evidence that there is far more time being spent feasting on political news feeds than there is in consuming the Word of God which brings life and true hope. Listen to the noise coming from the professing Jesus-followers in our day. They can raise their BLM fists in the air and not bat an eye at the patently antichrist philosophies that are foundational to the organization, and shrug at the anarchist violence which streams forth from it like toxic sewage. On the other side of the aisle are those wide-eyed Christians who view the Republican Party as the only hope for the future. They are convinced that Jesus would accept an invitation to speak at a Trump rally and enthusiastically endorse all that he promotes. These seem to worship some kind of MAGA Messiah instead of the Jesus of the Bible. Ladies and gentlemen, do you see that we have nowhere to hide as we blindly raise our voices of loyalty to a crumbling political platform? You see, the truest, deepest priorities of our hearts are made manifest in the volume of our words. What we talk about most frequently, what stirs us most passionately, what rejoices us, what angers us and what dominates our minds…this is out true god.
Friends, nearly all of us have strong political convictions. If you are a disciple of Jesus, those views must be framed up by the Scriptures and remain aligned with the heart of God. I am not suggesting that we are to be apolitical. We are granted the incredible privilege of voting for our leaders. In the end, that’s the bottom line for all of us: one solitary vote. This vote is a gift from God that allows us to engage in choosing leaders that represent our values.
But God has not called us to fall silent about His name, His glory, His mission or His Son’s coming reign on earth while we take every election year off to give the best of our voices to the unworthy altars of American politics. Your vote is your voice, but your heart belongs to the One who died for your allegiance. That same One said that we would know what we treasure most by evaluating what comes forth from our mouths. Based on that criterion, it is clear to me that many in the Church value politics and culture more than they do the Lamb. Don’t believe me? Do an honest assessment of your online posts, personal conversations and internal climate of your heart over the last six months. Would Jesus give a hearty amen to what you discover in your assessment?
Elijah called his generation to make up their minds because God’s holy fire was about to fall. I believe it is soon to fall again and we cannot afford to go on “limping between two opinions.” Don’t forsake your political views.
But please dethrone them.
Today. Right now even. Put your politics under the pierced feet of the King of glory. That’s where they belong. Even in an election year.
Our voices were primarily made for eternal matters. It humors me how some will defend their rights to be out of balance with their political passions by saying that evil will triumph if good men and women fall silent. Yet, they sadly miss the irony that they have fallen comparatively silent when it comes to Jesus and His gospel, allowing eternal evil to go unchecked as they squander their words at the altars of politics and culture. If Jesus is truly Lord, then surely He will be predominant in our communications.
So where are the prophets? Some of them are at protests and rallies, wasting their words.
“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” – Jesus Christ