Thoughts on Christ and His Word

The prophet Elijah asked God to send down fire so that the people would know "that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." 1 Kings 18:37. God is always looking to turn our hearts back to him.  Sometimes He does it in a dramatic way like fire from heaven, sometimes He whispers to us words of love and forgiveness, and sometimes when our hearts are really rebellious He may opt to deliver sickness or other tragedy to our door steps. Whatever the method He uses our response should be like that of the Israelites on the day He sent fire - "The LORD-he is God! The LORD-he is God!" 1 Kings 18:39  

When can you tell your grandmother to "go take a hike"?  When she sets up a wooden pole and tells you to worship it. This is what King Asa did:  Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.  1 Kings 15:11-14 God wants our heart.  We cannot have divided loyalties, even with family members.  Jesus told us what the high cost of being His disciple was: Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Matthew 10:37 So love your moms, dads, children, and grandma, but Jesus must be the #1 love of our lives.