The Falling Fire

by Pastor Ed Evans

            A recent program by the Love Worth Finding ministry of Pastor Adrian Rogers broadcast a sermon titled "Let the Fire Fall."  Adrian Rogers was a three-time President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and passed away Nov. 15 of 2005.  Eight years after his death, his recorded ministry and the truth he taught continues.

            In this sermon, Rogers talks about the time of King Ahab and the prophet Elijah.  In this instance there had been no rain for three-and-a-half years.  The herds upon which they depended were starving.    So Ahab tells his man Obadiah, "You take half of the herds and go that way looking for grass, and I'll take the other half and go this way."

            Sounds like a plan, but very much like what is happening in America today, Ahab was avoiding the obvious.  There was no rain.  And there was no rain because God was punishing the kingdom.  Instead of charging all over looking for available grass, Ahab should have had his people praying for rain, and rain wasn't coming until they obeyed God.

            Just as with the Israelites then, there are those who don't want to hear that their nation is under judgment today, don't want to hear that what they are doing and saying and supporting is making them an enemy of God. 

            "But it feels so right," they will say.  "It's logical," they claim.  "You're not the boss of me," is the childish challenge.

            And yet, the record of God's actions show He is not making His decisions based on our feelings, on our version of logic, or whether or not we accept God as our "boss."

            Very much like the sin-filled situation the Prophet Elijah was facing, the people had not only turned their back on the Living God, but many had begun worshiping the idols Baal and Asherah.  Actually, there are many today who say the religion of Islam may trace back to the loveless, inanimate idol of Baal.  However, worshiping a dead idol is its own reward, but turning your back on the Living God incurs a price all its own.

            All across America concerned citizens are urging fellow citizens and those in power to look for grass, instead of praying for rain, instead of maintaining their faith in Almighty God, instead of obeying God.  What God asks of us is prayer, faith, and obedience.  Turning our back on Him and hoping, miraculously, that a way out of the hedonistic, greedy, immoral fog that America has wandered into is tantamount to expecting Satan to sit on the sidelines while we thumb our nose at God.  Won't happen.

            The title for Adrian Rogers' sermon, "Let the Fire Fall," comes from a defining incident during the foul reign of King Ahab.  Elijah had pointed out that he was only one prophet before God, but that those who worshiped Baal had 450 prophets, and then there were another 400 prophets of the idol Asherah.  So the people were very mixed up, ignoring what they knew of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Hence, God's punishment.

            In 1st Kings 18:21, we see that "Elijah came to all the people, and said, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people answered him not a word.'"

            Elijah then challenged those of Baal with a contest where a blood sacrifice would be made, on a pile of wood, on an altar of stone, and the fire to consume it would come from the most powerful god.   Elijah poured a large amount of water over his sacrifice and asked God to reveal Himself by consuming the sacrifice. "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench" (1st Kings 18:38).  And we read in 1st Kings 18:39, "And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God."  Lies, falseness, evil divides us, but what happens at the altar of God brings us together, unites His own.

            At this moment in time, there is no Elijah in America challenging the prophets of all the many false idols to a contest with the Living God.  But there are many ordinary Christians, as well as Pastors, Evangelists, and entire churches urging that Americans enter into prayer, strengthen their faith, and walk in obedience to the Living God.

            And yet, as if mere disobedience, lack of faith and prayer were not sordid enough, the American society is replete with false religions, atheists, anti-theists, agnostics, skeptics, freethinkers, humanists, and pantheists.  And even as I write this, secular humanists are coming up with more titles.  Even now a man from South America claims to be in the bloodline of Jesus Christ and heir to His holiness.  Others claim to have been given special prophecies, special powers, special abilities, and the enemy of God runs rampant with errant claims, fallacious promises, and duplicitous lies.  In this age, as in all others, those not grounded in Christ will believe any spiritual fantasy.  This year formally trained "reformers" are being sent out to churches to convince congregations that the Scriptures allow for homosexual activity.  But they are all still looking for the free grass, seeking miracles out of nowhere, running from repentance, instead of praying for rain; instead of praying, being and seeking to be faithful, and seeking obedience to the Living God.

            It seems our worst behavior shows up in politics and in our government systems.  When a person is elected to a political office they become victims of the three "P's"; power, pay and perks.  And however much they have promised to serve the people, they spend most of their effort in remaining in office to make the most of their power, pay and perks.  The more power, pay and perks they accrue the more willing they are to do anything to keep it, even selling themselves into evil for it.

            Our understood decency, as a nation, has fallen down around our ankles like a pair of dirty pants, embarrassing us in our human filthiness.  And yet all the while we pretend everything is okay.  But here's the strange part, something about us knows everything is not okay, and will not let us rest.  We have a God-shaped hole in our heart that only the Living God can fill.  And all of our worthless efforts to make all of life about us are just that, worthless.  We cannot change anything about yesterday and we can only marginally affect tomorrow until we get there.  And yet we serve a timeless God to whom time is a river, all power is His, and there is nothing about us or anything else that He doesn't know.  So who do we think we are?

            The exciting reality is, however, that whether those who are outside of Jesus Christ decide to obey God or not, the Living God is faithful to answer the prayers of His own, as we are told in 1st John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And ... we know that we have what we asked of Him."  

            The fire will fall, just as it did for Elijah; fire in the form of revival in America.  Just as in the dark days of Elijah's Israel, days of apostasy, apathy, and horrible sin, those who are praying, faithful, obedient to God will see Him usher in a time of spiritual revival that will tear loose the roots of greed and excess, selfishness, abortion, avarice, debauchery, and bring men and women to see Godly wisdom, integrity, character, service and love to others. 

            It is time to stop believing the lie that you are a victim, that you are all alone in this life, that you don't need repentance, and know that you are a child of a loving, caring, forgiving God.  Cease looking for the grass you didn't plant, the fortune you didn't work for, and all that is outside of obedience to Almighty God.  Matthew 6:33 advises us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

            As was the Prophet Elijah's experience, the fire of the Holy Spirit consumes, convicts and converts.  Pray hard because it is coming, and time is short.