Troublemakers

 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?' " I King 18:17....."Citizens of God's Kingdom are troublemakers to this world." Chris Tiegreen....."Men boast of their tolerance who should be ashamed of their indifference." William Houghton

Ahab, the corrupt and evil king of Israel hated the prophet Elijah. He hated him because Eijah consistently and constantly confronted his evil and his sin. He saw Elijah as a troublemaker for the nation, and he was. He was raised up by God for that very purpose in order that through him, the Father could expose sin, and call the nation, and even their king, to repentance and back to their God. Kings and nations do not like to be confronted about their wrongdoing, especially when the one confronting them is a voice speaking for the Father.

I believe the Father seeks to raise up a new generation of "troublemakers/" In the pulpits of His churches as well as in their pews. Troublemakers who do not fear to confront sin and wrongdoing. Troublemakers who will boldly address that which is a cancer upon our nation, nations, and cultures. Troublemakers who will not avoid speaking to "hot button" issues, and who will not be influenced by what the possible cost of doing so will be, but by the cost of not doing so.

In the Old Testament, few if any of His prophets came with a message that was welcomed by the people. Many of them were killed, and all of them suffered in the price they paid to bring His message, His warning. In spite of this, there was something that marked them all. They could not be silent concerning that message. Jeremiah said that if He tried to keep God's words hidden, they would literally burst from him. They had to proclaim His word. All of His word. How many like them do we have today? Not just filling pulpits, but in our communities, workplaces, and wherever His people are found? We have allowed ourselves to be silenced too long, and we have witnessed the cost. We see it everywhere around us. Our culture is in its present condition because His church has been mostly silent. The awful result is that the church has been more affected by the culture than the culture has been affected by the church. This is an unspeakable tragedy.....and sin.

In the book of Acts, when Paul and his fellow ministers came to a city, the citizens of that city said, "These men who have been turning the world upside down have come here also." The need for such men and women today is beyond desperate. God's troublemakers, showing up everywhere.....beginning in His church. Not troublemakers who work with the weapons of a fallen world, but who trouble the hearts of the lost, rebellious, and disobedient with their words of truth and life. His words of truth and life. Are we, you and I, willing to be such people? Troublemakers troubling the strongholds of hell.

Someone said that it was their desire to be on the devil's "most wanted list." Kingdom troublemakers will always be on that list. The names on that list will always be in places where His light and hell's darkness clash. Dare you, and dare I be found on that list? Troubling the darkness by speaking His Light into it. Troubling death by proclaiming His Life. Troubling the kingdoms of this world by living in the power of the Kingdom of God. Where do we sign up?

Blessings,

Pastor O