7000 Who Have not Bowed a Knee
Welcome to Peniel CrossRoads, where we embrace Jesus’s heart and together live out the call to biblical unity!
There are many rifts in the church today. It is an unfortunate fact that Christ’s body is not as united as we would all like to be. In fairness, there have been lower points for the church in history—periods of literal war or decades when factions hurled the word “heresy” at each other. But there are still many divisions today.
One of the rifts that concerns me the most right now is the gap between the generations in the Church. The Bible is explicit that the mature in the faith are to train those who are younger, and the youth are to honor their elders. Also, Paul wrote to Timothy—who was young—not to let anyone look down on him because of his age. (1 Timothy 4:12) Apparently, Timothy was wise beyond his short years. It IS possible for the young to teach their elders. And none of us is to allow the gap between the generations in the church to grow! We are all instructed to stay in fellowship with those older and younger than us in the church. A mutual care and honoring are to be the norm for Christ’s Bride.
Just two weeks ago, our Sunday school teacher led the class in the story of Elijah and God’s still, small voice in I Kings 19. This is the second time recently that God took me to this story. It was a lively class—many of us had not only studied this story before but had really walked in Elijah’s shoes and felt his emotions. It was one of the best Sunday school classes I have ever attended; God spoke profoundly to my needy heart!
I love this story about Elijah’s depressive episode and have come back to it often over the last three decades. For this reason, I may have talked too much that particular week in class! I couldn’t keep quiet as my heart burned, but, as well as I think I know this story, I was absolutely blown away by what another person in class said. She pointed out aspects in the Scripture I had never seen before. She also raised her hand more than once, and every time she spoke, it was to say something I had not seen before. I say this because that woman in class was a mere twenty years old, a college student in university!
Although I had studied and lived I Kings 19 long before she was born, she was pointing out deep truths that I had never seen. She encouraged my heart, and she also illustrated something that God had already showed me from this story a few months ago…I hope this is encouraging…especially to readers who are older and worry about the future of the Church:
Several weeks ago, I (Chris) was bringing my own concerns about the future of the Church to the Lord, and the Lord—in the His still, small voice—led me to I Kings 19. As I poured out my complaints and fears to Him, like Elijah, God spoke with definitive clarity these words in verse 18: “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Ba’al and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
One of the most subtle and hard-to-pinpoint causes of disunity in the Church today is when older believers complain about the future of the Church and speak of the youth as if they are all the same. It is disheartening to young people, who have determined they will bow to God alone, when their elders in the church speak lowly of their generation. It would be well for all of us to hear what God whispered to my worried heart a few weeks ago, “I reserve 7000 who have not bowed a knee.” (emphasis added)
The cultures around us may be in decline; but God raises up a tougher stalk of believer for such times! God is not afraid for His church; He knows His strength is sufficient for His Bride.
So, for the next few weeks, we have asked a few other writers to join us in this blog. All of them are young people, and none of them has bowed a knee to the pressures around them! We believe their words will be as encouraging to your hearts as their lives are to ours.
God Most High, I praise You that You are not done with any generation until we see You face to face! Lord, please forgive the ways I have judged other generations in a bad light due to my own fear and unbelief. Please change my heart, and use me to encourage and strengthen others so that in all things, God, You will be praised! In Jesus’s Name we pray, Amen.
For Jesus’s Sake,
Chris & Julie
COMING UP: Next week we begin a summer series of blogs in collaboration with young people. We look forward to hearing from the Lord through them!