I Kings 18:20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

Half a heart, half a heart
How long will you waver
How long will you limp
How long will you falter
How can you give your Savior
Half a heart, half a heart

Is it a thing trivial
To provoke the God of Israel
To provoke the heart of His glory
He is broken and crushed
By your heart whorish

If your heart be whole
Turn from your dead idols
Follow Christ and Christ alone
Worship the true and living God
If the Lord be your God
Is the Lord your God?

Wandering eye, wandering eye
Turn away from sparkling wine
Taste not a sip of its smooth lies
Old serpent prowls to beguile
Bite and sting you like a viper
Wandering eye, wandering eye

Is it a thing trivial
To provoke the God of Israel
To provoke the eyes of His glory
He is broken and crushed
By your eyes whorish

If your eye be single
Turn from your dead idols
With sin you must not mingle
Worship the true and living God
If the Lord be your God
Is the Lord your God?

Divided mind, divided mind
O, forget your own people
Leave your father's house
Hold fast to the Beloved
Are you not Christ's spouse
Divided mind, divided mind

Is it a thing trivial
To provoke the God of Israel
To provoke the mind of His glory
He is broken and crushed
By your mind whorish

If your mind be united
Turn from your dead idols
Drink only of the one true Vine
Worship the true and living God
If the Lord be your God
Is the Lord your God?

Heavy ear, heavy ear
Consider whose you are
Look upon Christ's scars
Listen, hear, O, daughter
Cleave and cling to no other
Heavy ear, heavy ear

Is it a thing trivial
To provoke the God of Israel
To provoke the ears of His glory?
He is broken and crushed
By your ears whorish

If your ear be opened
Turn from your dead idols
To Christ alone your knees must bend
Worship the true and living God
If the Lord be your God
Is the Lord your God?

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”


Proverbs 23
30 Those who linger long at the wine,
      Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
      When it sparkles in the cup,
      When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent,
      And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
      And your heart will utter perverse things.


Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Ezekiel 6:8 Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. 9 Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.

Give us a heart to know You, that You are the LORD; and we shall be You people, and You shall be our God, for we shall return to You with our whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:7, rewritten as a prayer)

Psalms 45
10 Listen, O daughter,
         Consider and incline your ear;
         Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;

11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
         Because He is your Lord, worship Him.


I Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

Bible Reading: Where are the good figs? (Jeremiah 24)
Bible Reading: Job 2:1 - "Again" (To press on we must always be mortifying sin | John Owen)
6th Sunday after Epiphany Characteristics of true religion, # 2, part 1-honesty & sincerity
Characteristics of true religion, # 2, part 2: Not of the letter but of the Spirit
Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from George Whitefield
Are you getting up into the high mountain or have you become lukewarm?
why we need a new heart (Bible reading - Matthew 5)
what's your price? (Bible reading - Matthew 26:14-16)
Christian, are you bearing fruit in keeping with repentance?
"You shall be holy to Me..." Bible reading: Leviticus
a valentine from the broken-hearted Bridegroom
What is Biblical mourning? (Ash Wednesday)
Why read Christian biography? To help us examine our love for God.
Have you forgotten? Will you REMEMBER and REPENT?
Two Fountains ~ Where are you drinking? What is flowing? Don't waste your drinking!
Where are you lifting up your eyes? Psalm 121:1-2
Lenten Reflections: His ear opened, Our ears stopped ~ Are you following the Servant? (Isaiah 50)
Lenten Reflections: the remembrance and the rendering (Luke 20:9-26)
the lover's inquiry | letter 114 on fighting for joy
Dear children | Hosea 2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot
Is your ambition holy? / What are you living for? (Louis Paul Lehman) / The Christian's Aim

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Dear children,

I played the harlot, I must confess
Turned sovereign grace to licentiousness

I entertained false gospels between my breasts
Spurned my Bridegroom's blood and righteousness

I lifted and moved the landmark very, very far
I weep, for I know it left you hurt, with many a scar

Discarding wholesome words, I compromised
Worshiped idols and exchanged the truth for lies

I wrapped myself in pretense with external trappings
But was only a dog returning to its vomit lapping

The cup outside I tried over and over to shine
God's free grace I continued to reject and despise

I did not treasure or guard the Gospel precious
Let wolves come creeping in to mislead, ensnare us

Of Christ's Gospel I confess I was ashamed
I sought earthly praise instead of God's fame

I was His wife and yet from Him I turned
God's outstretched arms I continually spurned

Preached everything but Christ and Him crucified
Where was the glory in such a vain design?

I spewed out the bankrupt gospel of prosperity
Rather than preach the promise of tribulation to believers

My hair slicked, my voice raising, I called from the altar
Gave false assurance, caused many souls to falter

Church membership declined to a quick decision
No regeneration, no rebirth from heaven

No longer was the slain Lamb worshiped and adored
Meetings deteriorated to orgies self-absorbed

While I was attempting to be all things to all men
Deceived, I cast off the Gospel for the latest trend

I taught that doing our best was good enough
Morality, ethics, self-help: humanistic rubbish

I heard love wins, so I preached a gospel of inclusion
Which only led to deeper deception and deadly delusion

Taught hell to be obsolete, a notion dreadful
While ushering souls to the fire unquenchable

I entertained to raise emotions and affections
But ended up reaping Satan's devilish infection

Buildings and budgets and programs were multiplying
But from the heavens thundered down great sighing

Instead of bowing in meek and humble service
Ministry twisted into a vile perversion

The lambs that should have been fed and well tended
Were by words and deeds crushed and offended

My Beloved's kindness has been alluring and hemming me
May He be gracious, give you ears to hear His plea

But for a remnant elect by grace we'd be through
Dear lambs, take heed, hear the Shepherd's voice calling you

Ichabod! O, yes, the glory has departed from His bride
May He yet relent, look down on us with compassionate eyes

Even though today we are fallen down and at our worst
Persevering grace will raise us a glorious Church

Along with me, may He return you to your senses
Fall face down and ask Him to pour down His presence

O, may He rend the heavens and hear our cries
Send His power to quicken and to revive

May the LORD look down with pity on our groans and cries
I am your mother, the Church, His lowly, broken bride

A humble and contrite heart our God does not despise
May His face shine again and make us a burning light

Return, return, O, my children, to your home
Gathered with Zion's children, this is where you belong

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Links to my posts on true and false religion and legalism