Living between 2 worlds - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/living-between-2-worlds/
Pastor Greg Laurie spotlights Elijah's challenge during 'pre-Superbowl' show
Have you ever been really discouraged? Have you ever sunk so deep into the depths of despair that you could see no way out? Have you lost perspective and feel like your problems are crashing down on you?
God's miracle man, Elijah the prophet, felt that way. Ironically, the depression he experienced came after one of his greatest victories, when he faced off with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. As the Bible points out, "Elijah was as human as we are" (James 4:17 NLT).
In Elijah's day, Israel was living in a state of rebellion against God. They were being ruled by the most wicked king in their history up to that point, King Ahab. The king and his wife, Jezebel, worshiped the false god Baal, the sun god, and Asherah, the goddess of sex and violence.
God raised up Elijah to throw down the gauntlet before Ahab and Jezebel, telling them there was a God who was paying attention to what they were doing, and it was not pleasing to him. One day Elijah walked into the court of Ahab and declared, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word" (1 Kings 17:1 NKJV). Then Elijah turned around and walked out.
I can just imagine King Ahab and Jezebel looking at each other and thinking, Where did this guy come from? How did he get past security? How dare he speak to us that way!
Sure enough, just as Elijah had predicted, a drought struck the land, and God called Elijah into obscurity. For three years, God had Elijah camp by a little brook of water known as Cherith - until it dried up. Then God led him to stay with a widow and her son for a period of time. God was getting Elijah into shape for what was ahead.
It also was necessary for King Ahab to see the effects of this drought on the land to set the stage for the contest that was about to take place.
Finally God told Elijah, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth" (1 Kings 18:1).
It had been three years since Ahab had seen Elijah, and he was looking everywhere for him. The prophet was a hunted man. Elijah's face appeared on every milk carton and on bulletin boards in every post office in Israel: "Wanted, preferably dead: Elijah the prophet."
When Elijah finally emerged from obscurity, he encountered Obadiah, the second in command to King Ahab. The Bible tells us that Obadiah "feared the LORD greatly" (verse 3), and when Jezebel was slaughtering the prophets of the Lord, he had hidden some of them. The problem was that Obadiah was serving a very wicked man, and he was complicit in the crimes that were taking place. He was like a closet Christian who was afraid to stand up for his faith.
Elijah told him, in effect, "You go tell your master Ahab that Elijah the prophet is back in town, and I want to see him."
Obadiah, however, was worried that Elijah would do another one of his disappearing acts, and then the king would kill him.
Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today" (verse 15). In other words, "Don't worry about it. Just go tell your master that Elijah is back." He was forcing Obadiah into the open. It was time to make a stand. It was time for Obadiah to stand up and be counted.
The encounter that followed between King Ahab and Elijah was an interesting one. When Ahab saw him, he said, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" (verse 17).
Elijah told him, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals" (verse 18). The prophet was saying, "You've brought these problems on yourself."
Then he suggested a showdown. Ahab could get all of his prophets together, and Elijah would represent the Lord God. It would be the supernatural Superbowl.
Amazingly, Ahab agrees. It is almost surprising that he would step into the prophet's trap, but maybe Ahab was so desperate to see rain again that he was willing to do anything.
So all of the prophets of Baal and Asherah, 850 total, gathered on Mount Carmel along with Elijah. Before the contest began, Elijah directed a few remarks to the Israelites: "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him" (verse 21). The Bible tells us that "the people answered him not a word."
Even the true believers were not willing to take a stand at this point. It sounds as though they were all stricken with Obadiahitis. They didn't want to stand up and be counted for their faith.
The word Elijah used here for falter also could be translated "totter." It is a little like getting into very cold water. Rather than getting in slowly, the best way is to dive in. A lot of people want to get into Christianity, but they don't want to go too deep. They are in that miserable, in-between state. That is what happens to compromisers, to those who try to live in two worlds.
Is that a description of you? The same challenge Elijah posed is still being posed today. How long will you go back and forth? If the Lord is God, then serve him. But don't try to live in two worlds.
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