Choose your Sacrifice

Remember the story of the Prophet Elijah calling out the Prophets of Baal (on Satan's team) and God showed up by fire?

You can read the full story here in the linked verses of 1 Kings 18, however the short version is that Elijah told the prophets of Baal to bring their best sacrifice to the altar, and he would bring his. And that the God who answered by fire would be regarded as God, and the other team would have to hush.

The prophets of Baal put on a show, dancing, yelling and even cutting themselves trying to get the attention of Baal - alas - nothing.

Elijah didn't just sit his sacrifice on the altar but he drenched it with water (and everything surrounding it). Yet God still showed up, and answered by fire.

While that is enough to make you shout, I want to dial into the sacrifice part.

See that both Elijah and the Prophets of Baal had to bring a sacrifice?

Often times we think Religion is too hard, there are too many rules, who wants to be a living sacrifice anyways...? The list goes on and on.

But the important thing to remember here is that the enemy ALSO requires a sacrifice.

Both teams. Both God Jehovah, and Satan / False Gods, etc. require sacrifice.

One sacrifice will produce life everlasting, One will produce eternal damnation.

One sacrifice will produce joy and peace, one will produce bondage, anxiety and darkness.

One sacrifice will work everything out to your good, One will only seek to edify evil, pushing you to the side.

One Sacrifice will fill every vacancy in your life leaving you feeling content and at peace, the other will drag you deeper and deeper further and further from God.

Choose one.

You will life a life of sacrifice regardless, which side will you sow to? Which result will you reap?

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

- Joshua 24:14-15