Daily Devotional for Monday September 12, 2011
Troublemaker
(1 Kings 18:17-18)
"When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" "I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the Baals." (1 Kings 18:17-18 NIV)
A "troubler" in these last days. A few months ago, a man who had been watching the Liveprayer TV program emailed me a very hateful letter, outraged I would dare bring my "narrow-minded Biblical view of life" on his television and told me to keep my "Jesus garbage" over on the Christian station. Without knowing it, he then paid me one of the greatest compliments I have ever received in over 20 years of ministry, when he called me nothing but a "troublemaker."
It immediately reminded me of King Ahab when he approached Elijah, calling him the "troubler of Israel." Ahab was upset because Elijah was not part of the established religious community of his day. He refused to fall into line and become part of the priesthood that was more interested in having people serve them, than in serving the people. Elijah separated himself from the religious leaders of his day who were more interested in pleasing men than in pleasing God. He wanted no part of the religious establishment whose goals were building their treasury rather than building the Kingdom of God. (Excuse me, but doesn't that sound like many of the religious leaders of our day?)
No, Elijah had been called forth by God to sound the trumpet of warning and call the people of his day to repentance and a holy lifestyle. Elijah heard from God and declared His Truth to the people of his day regardless how unpopular that truth was. Elijah had little interest in the things of this temporal world, focusing instead on being faithful to his calling to challenge the people to follow God and honor Him with their lives. He had no time for political correctness or playing games. Elijah had been called forth by God for that moment in human history and obediently fulfilled his calling.
This exchange with King Ahab preceded what to me is one of the most powerful passages in all of God's Word, Elijah versus the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah not only had the guts to call out the false prophets of his day and challenge them head on, but he had the bedrock faith that God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would answer by fire. I have told you many times over the years that the only way God loses is if we don't put Him in the game. When we walk by faith and put God in the game, He is UNDEFEATED!!!
MY FRIEND, DAY AFTER DAY I CALL OUT THE MODERN-DAY PROPHETS OF BAAL AND WATCH THEM DEFEATED AS OUR GOD ANSWERS BY FIRE!!!
Liveprayer has been a 12 year walk of faith. I have literally given my life to the work of God, surrendering my time, talent, and treasure to obediently follow Him. It has been the financial sacrifices of thousands and the prayers of millions over these last 9 years that has sustained me and this work to boldly and without compromise declare to millions worldwide each day the Truth of God's Word and the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
This journey has not been easy. We have had to fight for every inch of territory, as God has led me to use the very same vehicles satan uses to broadcast his lies to the masses 24/7, the Internet and television. Not just that, but use them in a way nobody else has ever done, as we have effectively married these two great broadcasting vehicles to not only reach millions of people worldwide each day with Biblical Truth and the love of Jesus, but provide each person we reach with a personal experience and the ability to interact with us one on one, so that we can minister to their individual needs.
Nearly 12 years ago people said I was crazy to minister to people over the Internet. Eight years ago people said I was crazy to do a "live" TV program on secular television to reach unbelievers. IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT YET, I AM CRAZY! CRAZY ENOUGH TO TRUST GOD AND BELIEVE HIS WORD! I AM CRAZY ENOUGH TO BELIEVE GOD WHEN HE SAYS THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH HIM! I AM CRAZY ENOUGH TO WAKE UP EACH MORNING, WALK IN FAITH AND TRUST HIM TO PROVIDE!!!
I love you and care about you so much. Like Elijah, God has set me apart and called me forth into this lost and dying world to declare His Truth and the hope we have in His Son Jesus Christ. I have done my best for nearly 20 years now to be faithful to that calling on my life. For those who have been part of the Liveprayer family over these past 145 months, you have seen and heard my heart each day. I have always been open, honest, transparent, and up front with you about our work here, and you know by now that I have no earthly goals, only heavenly ones.
The Bible says "where there is no vision the people perish." My job is to be faithful. I will continue to do my job as I have for nearly 18 years now. I have given all of my talents and energy to create the best vehicles to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. No matter what happens, this is what I will be doing for the rest of my life until the Lord calls me home. God has shown me the power and impact Liveprayer has had in tens of millions of lives worldwide these past 108 months.
God has also shown me the incredible power and impact Liveprayer can have in the coming months and years in hundreds of millions of lives worldwide should our Lord tarry, by making this bold and aggressive move to use the Internet and broadcasting to reach the hurting and lost masses who don't go to church and will never turn on a Christian program. I need your prayers and support so that I can continue to be a "troublemaker" for Jesus!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller