Days of Elijah?

   Many churches play the anthem, "These are the Days of Elijah". But where are the Elijahs? Who will stand up now against the false prophets of Baal that have crept into the Church? Why do so many just go with the flow and allow compromise? When will we take a stand and say, "NO! This is not of God, and we will not have this in our church!"
   Jude exhorts us to "...earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude vv 3-4). This is not the time to remain silent! Men & women of God, arise!
   Second Kings 18 tells the story of Governor Obadiah who had hid 100 of God's prophets by 50 in a cave to protect them from Ahab & Jezebel. And maybe a lot of God's people, like these prophets, have been hiding out in "caves", merely dropping out of the churches that have compromised rather than confronting the leadership and congregation. I've been guilty of this myself. Maybe it's time to stand up and draw the line.
   Jesus said, "Truly Elijah must come first, and restore all things" (Mt 17:11). Malachi prophesied, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (Malachi 4:5) I don't pretend to know when that day shall be, but I know it's time for the Church of Jesus Christ in America to clean house! We have allowed too much ungodliness in the sanctuary and grieved the Holy Spirit!
   Listen to God's call on the prophet Jeremiah: "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." (Jeremiah 1:10) In case you didn't get it, that's one part construction, one part landscaping, and four parts demolition! Yeah, folks, I'm an iconoclast from way back, so I ain't the most popular guy around. What I'm saying is, it's time for some righteous indignation, and for speaking up against spiritual compromise in our churches.  Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Council members, take charge, do the right thing, draw the line!
   Elijah was a guy like us, James reminds us, but he had a zeal for the Kingdom of God that wouldn't let him shut up even when he felt like dyin'. Folks, let's listen to that still, small voice and get out there and make a difference!