Choose now, which altar you stand at...

There is a moment in Scripture where Elijah did not negotiate with Baal. He did not debate Baal. He did not coexist with Baal.

He exposed Baal. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. Then God answered with fire and consumed the sacrifice, the stones, the water, and the dust. It was not just a miracle. It was a separation. It was God drawing a line between what is truly His and what only looks like it belongs to Him.

We are standing in a similar hour. There are altars that look like God’s, but are fueled by financial gain, fame, and built on manipulation. "For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world." 1 John 2:16

Altars where false doctrine is preached to keep people comfortable, instead of freeing them. People will say, “Jesus sat with sinners.” Yes, to call them to repentance, not to celebrate their chains. "For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

Repentance is not just saying you're sorry. It is turning away from your sin (going in the opposite direction), towards God. Saving faith is proven by the fruit of repentance which is the things that you do. Your works don't save you, but they reveal if your faith is genuine. John the Baptist said, "Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God." Matthew 3:8 This is why James said faith without works is dead.

Those who may want to come to Jesus are being fed a gospel that is not the Jesus of the Bible. It's a different Jesus. The apostle Paul said, "Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you." Galatians 1:8

God has always had a pattern. He will allow influence to grow until it reveals what it is truly built on. And then He will bring it low. This is not about attacking people. This is about purifying the house. 1 Peter 4:17 says judgment begins in the house of God. Not the world. The house.

The Lord is not interested in big crowds if the altar is corrupt. He is not impressed by numbers if the doctrine is poison. He is not moved by performance if His people are still in bondage.

God is raising up people who fear Him more than they fear losing influence. And hear this clearly. Every false altar will fall. Every Baal system will collapse. Every shepherd who used the flock instead of protecting it, WILL ANSWER TO GOD. But for the righteous, this is not a season to panic. This is a season to stand clean (in ongoing repentance) with purity of heart towards truly KNOWING GOD. Because when God sends fire, He is not just exposing false altars. He is confirming the real ones.

Choose now, which altar you stand at.