Wise Words from Francis Chan

Chan answers the question, "How can you tell if a Christian gathering is empowered by the Holy Spirit?"

     Chan: "Sometimes I leave Christian events wondering if we resemble the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 more than Elijah. The prophets of Baal had a loud, passionate worship gathering that lasted from morning till evening. When they were done, they had a great time of fellowship (I think you can call it that). But “no one answered; no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:29). After all of that, Elijah prayed. God heard his prayer, and fire came down from heaven.
    
     "My favorite part of that story comes when it is all over and the prophets of Baal are saying, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” (1 Kings 18:39 NIV). They didn’t say, “Elijah is a great speaker” or “Elijah sure knows how to connect with God!” They were stunned by God. They were in awe of His power. They knew that what they experienced could not have been manipulated by Elijah. They experienced the power of God.

     "Is that what happens at the Christian gatherings you attend ? Or does it feel more like what the prophets of Baal experienced before Elijah prayed ? We can have a great time singing and dancing ourselves into a frenzy. But at the end of it, fire doesn’t come down from heaven. People leave talking about the people who led rather than the power of God."

Well? What are your thoughts? ...

taken from Crosswalk.com