Tony Loeffler asks, which God are we following?

Tony Loeffler

In Radical Faith, part 1, I ended with the statement that we should always try to process the events in our life in some spiritual way because the Lord is often doing something in a rather radical manner. That being said let me continue on with Radical Faith, part 2.

I was working in Cuba for six years and suddenly on October 19th, 2005, without warning I was asked to leave the country. I had been going in and out of the country with the complete respect of the Cuban government and all of a sudden, things changed. While waiting for customs to clear me, I was told to sit over there. I knew immediately that something wasn't right. I didn't know what it was, but I knew something was wrong.

As I sat there watching the TV, hurricane Wilma was getting ready to blast Cuba and head over toward the state of Florida. Meanwhile, I had the peace of God even though I knew that something had gone seriously wrong. We had been working for six years in Cuba and my schedule was consumed with helping the people in that country. Everything I did and almost every decision I made had Cuba at the end of the process. Our ministry did everything we could to help those who were suffering by providing some basic items to survive. Then, all of the sudden overnight my purpose in life felt like it had vanished. Something happened.

In Radical Faith-part 1, while speaking about Moses and the burning bush it said, 'When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."' As I already said, God could have done a lot of things. He could have literally appeared to him. There are many things the Lord could have done instead of a burning bush. A burning bush is kind of strange.

But now, let's go to Acts chapter 9:3-8 and take a look at the Apostle Paul's experience. 'As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.'

Now this is really radical stuff. A voice out of nowhere is heard and the people are seeing no one. It says that Saul got up from the ground and though his eyes were opened, he could see nothing. And, being led by the hand into Damascus, he was three days without sight. He neither ate nor drank. Obviously, he was pretty depressed. You would be depressed too, if you were walking down the road and you have written orders to do certain things and suddenly you were struck blind. You probably wouldn't eat or drink for three days also.

I find it very interesting that God intruded in this way with a voice out of nowhere saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And you have to wonder why didn't the Lord give him a burning bush? Why did he have to strike him blind? He didn't make Moses blind. He just spoke to him from a burning bush. He talked to Moses, called him and said now go do this job. It would have been a lot easier for Saul if he had not been struck blind and then have to deal with that blindness.

So, there is something radical about our God and the way He operates. Even though we are tempted to say the Lord works this way or that way, one never really knows how the Lord might move in any given situation.

I'm going to share something with you that some of you are going to say, "Well, I don't know about that? Can that really happen today? Some might even say, oh wow!" And, hopefully by the time I share the six events that occurred, you might come to some conclusions that cause you to say, "Wow, now that is really interesting. I wonder if the Lord would do something like that for me."

Before I share my personal experience, let's take a look at the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings, chapter 18:16-39. Now this is another wild story. "So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you trouble maker 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 Baal's. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel."

Elijah is about to set up a contest and an amazing one at that. Sometimes, the people of God act like they are crazy. This is a nine hundred and fifty to one odds competition. I mean this is radical! Can you see yourself in a setting like this? This is seriously radical faith. Gather them all here, Elijah said. Bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Asherah. Go ahead and bring them here, Elijah said.

'"And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions?"'

So now, Elijah gathers all these people together and asks them, "How long will you waiver between two opinions?" You got all this information that these prophets are telling you and you have the things that the Lord is telling you. How long will you waiver between two opinions?

The two opinions were obviously what the prophets of Baal and Asherah were saying and what the Lord was saying. How long will you waiver between this? Make a decision! If the Lord is God, follow him. Follow Him! Be radical! But, if Baal is God, follow him. You see, Elijah wasn't afraid of the opposition. He knew the reality was that the Lord was God and that the others were fakes. If the prophets of Baal are right and Baal is God, follow him. But, if the Lord is God, then follow him. Stop your wavering between two positions.