Confronting Wishy-washy-ism

Still 'fine-tuning' our process. You can get to the original article HERE

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE is a reprint from the blog of reverend Kevin Rogers of New Song Church in Windsor, Ontario and is reproduced here for your convenience. You can visit the his blog called "The Orphan Age" HERE.

There are some people that live a very prayerful life and
are consumed with the state of God’s people. While it easy to assume that they
are a special kind of Christian, the truth is that they are usually made from
the same stuff as the rest of us. Where they may differ, is in their ability to
live in a state of listening and obeying God continuously. They are not easily
moved away from the securing presence of God. We need a few people around us
like that to set an example for what we may be growing toward.

The story of Elijah on Mount Carmel has much to teach us
about being courageous in the face of widespread apathy and wishy-washy-ism.
The ancient high places were places of worship both to the true and living God
and often to others as well—a pantheon of demonically inspired ideas personified
into idolatrous representations.

The book of Kings tells us the story of King Ahab and Queen
Jezebel of Israel. Through their leadership the worship of Yahweh was replaced
with worship of Baal and Asherah.

Baal was the storm-god of Canaanite mythology, whereas
Asherah was the consort of the patriarchal deity El (see the article “Baal”).
In Ahab’s day, Asherah was recast as Yahweh’s consort, a syncretistic approach
that opened the door for Baal worship as well… Ahab and Jezebel had chosen prophets
of Baal and Asherah to be their official advisors. Just as these prophets were
identified as those “who eat at Jezebel’s table,” prophets in the ancient world
often enjoyed the patronage of the king… A study of the prophetic texts
available from the ancient world has shown that these sponsored prophets rarely
had anything negative to say about the king or his policies… In contrast we
find Elijah offering no support at all of the king’s policies. Instead, he has
stinging indictments and horrific judgments that he pronounces on the royal
house.[1]

The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your
God with everything that you are. And it followed closely that you should not
settle for a graven image, or man-made idea of what you think God is.

Contrast God’s Law to the Canadian idea of a spiritual
buffet. You decide what you want on your plate and what you reject. Perhaps a
little bit of Jesus next to a generous helping of Buddhism with some Norse
mythology on the side. Wash it all down with a tall glass of pop culture and
some cannabis for dessert. That is Canadian spirituality for some.

The Baal and Asherah worship were being promoted by the
royal couple as valid alternatives to the worship of Yahweh. Or, if you like
you could mix them in to your current relationship with Yahweh. Perhaps that
would appeal to you if you no longer believed as wholeheartedly as you once
did.

Incense and sacrifice—even human sacrifice—were offered
to Baal, but the worship of Baal was chiefly marked by fertility rites. The
main function of Baal was thought to be to make the land, animals, and people
fertile. To prompt the god to perform these functions, worshipers themselves
performed human sexual acts of fertility, and the Baal shrines were staffed
with male and female attendants for this purpose.[2]

What a way to increase failing attendance at the Temple.