How are we to stay true in this day and age where God seems to be mocked by so many…and almost anything can be “tolerated” rather than Christianity?

1 Kings tells us about a wicked king named Ahab:

1 Kings 16:33  …Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Wow.  How would you like to be remembered like that?

This verse tells us that out of all of the wicked leaders that Israel suffered through up until that point, Ahab was the most corrupt and wicked of them all.  Like many “leaders” even today, Ahab talked a lot about religion and spirituality. However, the god that he served certainly was not the one found in the Bible.

Israel at this point was drowning in sin, the leaders were self-serving and wicked and integrity was nowhere to be found.  Sound familiar?

And in that time when right was wrong and wrong was right, Elijah, a man who stood for righteousness and the one true God was considered not only politically incorrect but also an enemy of the state!

1 Kings 18:17  Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

The trouble maker for Israel was its sin and wicked leadership.  And you have to love the way Elijah speaks up:

1 Kings 18:18  And he answered, “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.

Elijah was “telling it like it was.”  Something that most likely wasn’t happening very often.  He then continues:

1 Kings 18:19–21 19 Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And 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 tells the people something that all believers in the true God are obligated to tell everyone: Nobody can serve two gods, but everyone will serve one!  Elijah is demanding a response to the question, “Which god are you going to serve?”

That was a shocking question then and it still is now.  If you want to cause people to go into feigned shock at your “intolerance,” tell them that they must choose which god to serve…and then tell them that there is really only one choice and one God!

But regardless of how people react we must stand for the one true God and stand against the false gods of this age.  Do not be deceived-you cannot stand for Jesus and not stand against anything else.  So many believe that lie.  When you are following Christ, you will be swimming upstream against the currents of today’s secular humanism, materialism and idolatry.  Like the old preachers used to say, “If you don’t run into the devil, it’s because you are running with him!”

When Elijah confronted the people, they were shocked.  They had spent so much time listening to false prophets that told them what they wanted to hear which made them feel better about worshiping false gods that they did not recognize the truth or a true prophet when they met either.

Please understand that I am not saying that we should ever be unkind or ugly, but if we are going to stand with Christ on the Word of God, we have no choice but to speak out against false gods.

Just because you are a witness for Christ and His unique ability to save, you are taking a stand against the idolatry of today.