Daily Encouragement

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

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Thursday, October 17, 2024

Scenic autumn view in Vermont

Brooksyne's Note: This beautiful setting along with the horse being in the center of it makes me long for a good long galloping ride in this lush pasture. I grew up riding horses but that is long in my past, though I'm hoping I might have opportunity to do so again in the Promised Land. Now, Stephen on the other hand...*

Photo taken by our friend Jim Hain

_{^{"The
Supreme Choice}}_^"

Message summary: Elijah's prophetic challenge expresses life's supreme choice and needs to be considered by each generation.

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"If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).

Today let us consider a very short sermon that Elijah preached. In fact the entire message is summed up in these words: “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

Yesterday we considered how Elijah had asked the people of Israel, “How long will you waver between two opinions?"

He follows this question with a simple to understand prophetic challenge*, "If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him".

This bears such a resemblance to the powerful charge Joshua issued to the people of God just prior to his death: "Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:14,15).

Elijah's prophetic challenge needs to be considered by each generation. Just as Joshua's charge has a timeless application so does Elijah's; "If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).

Baal, of course, was a false god worshipped by people at that time. Today Baal represents all the false gods and ideologies that vie for our allegiance. In the first of the Ten Commandments God makes it clear that we are to have no other gods besides Him. "You must not have any other gods except me" (Exodus 20:3).

Elijah is calling for complete commitment. We are not given the option of wavering or dividing our allegiance between numerous gods. Elijah's challenge continues to ring down through the ages of time, "If the Lord is God, follow Him".

Neither Jesus nor His disciples accommodated people's wavering beliefs or double-mindedness. The once wavering Thomas, when confronted with the physical evidence of the resurrection, exclaimed, "My Lord and my God" and went on to live and give his life as a martyr for his Master. Let us wholeheartedly serve God today and boldly declare, "The Lord is God and I will follow Him!"

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, today we consider Elijah's challenge, "How long will you go limping between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him". Indeed when our allegiance is divided we do limp, we are unsteady, and we will eventually fall in defeat. But when we take an upright and unwavering stand for You, our Living God, we will be people of conviction, courage, and consistency. We will be the salt of the earth, we will shine like stars in the universe, and we will be filled with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We will be victorious in this life and experience unending victory in the life hereafter, as we choose to follow You all the days of our life. Amen.

I Kings 18:21 (ESV) used in prayer

* Regarding the phrase "prophetic challenge". Some associate prophecy only with future events but prophecy is both foretelling and forthtelling. Today's text is forthtelling.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"God And God Alone" Listen on YouTube Stephen Akin

"One Day" Listen on YouTube Cochren & Co. We heard "One Day" this morning on WDAC, our local Christian station. What an encouraging song for those undergoing heartache, sickness, or loss, for one day we will see the Promised Land. "One day there will be healing for this heartache we are feeling" is just one line but the singer deals with the issues of our day that are sin-based. It will all disappear when we enter the Promised Land for sin will not enter there! Hallelujah!!

Moses Lapp has been down in North Carolina assisting in the hurricane recovery effort in Swannanoa, near Black Mountain, just east of Asheville. When I talked to him last night he reported that he is having long days and expects to return to Lancaster County this weekend.

Looking at the photo these homes were built along a creek, probably the Swannanoa River.

This is the staging area for the group he is working with. He told me supplies have been donated from all over the country.

*About Riding Horses: Stephen on the other hand does not feel the same way as I do about riding horses. During our college years he came to visit me in Tulsa where I lived with my family on a small farm. He had never ridden a horse before and we wanted him to learn to ride so we gave him brief instructions on steering the horse by the way he pulled the reins of the bridle including how to stop the horse. He wasn't listening very well since he didn't follow through with our instructions or fear overtook him. Ginger, our horse, liked to take her rider along the barbed wire fence line and did so as she took off down the road in a fast trot. We watched as Stephen yelled over and over at the top of his lungs, "Stop Horse! Stop! Stop". He thought she was going to run his leg into the barbed wire fence. We stood back laughing hysterically at how he tried to control the horse unsuccessfully. One ride was enough to last him a lifetime!

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.

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