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WHERE'S THE FRUIT? Due to our lack of faith in the inner-transforming power of God's word, we've placed far too much confidence in visible things, such as altar calls and testimonies. I'm fine with having such things when I believe they can be helpful, but you will not find me saying things like, "What a great service last night! God really showed up and the altars were packed!" I am far more interested in how those lives are changed next week, next month and next year. I know that in the IFB world that makes me a very strange preacher, but I'm of the opinion that God's word will make anyone strange, if only they will submit to it. Unfortunately, tradition carries more weight with most Christians than the word of God. Altar calls and testimonies can sometimes be helpful, but they prove nothing and should not be overly trusted or emphasized. In fact, looking back over the years, I must say that most of the drama that I've witnessed at altar calls never amounted to much of anything in the long term, and, personally speaking, the two most important prayers of my own life were not prayed at an altar, but rather in the privacy of my home. Come to think of it, seems that I recall Jesus saying something about a prayer closet. Of course, it's kind of hard to get noticed in a closet, and the numbers don't add-up much, and a closet can’t be displayed as a religious show in front of a church. The flesh will turn God’s house into a faithless, eye-pleasing, worldly spectacle, if we allow it. Lasting fruit is the spiritual standard that our Lord prescribed (Mat. 7:20; John 15:16; Gal. 5:22-23), not emotional displays that might or might not be the work of the Holy Spirit. Every time that I've heard someone say "God showed up tonight," I heard it said in the context of an emotional worship service and invitation. No one ever says it in the context of a good sermon or an edifying Bible study. This is because fundamentalism has placed far too much emphasis on drama and visible results. If there is drama and visible results, then "God showed up." If not, then God didn't show up, even though He said He did (Mat. 18:20). That's Baptist fundamentalism 101, even though few will ever admit it. Feeling spiritual is a lot easier than being spiritual (and more fun), so emotionalism is pretty much the IFB standard while the word of God is merely used for sake of conscience. If that seems harsh, keep reading. After decapitating hundreds of her false prophets (I Kgs. 18), Elijah received word from the wicked Jezebel that she would have him killed within twenty-four hours (I Kgs. 19:2). This scared the daylights out of the man, so he fled for his life into the wilderness, sat down under a juniper tree, and then he asked God to take his life. An angel fed and strengthened him, so he went another forty days and came to the mount of God. It was there that the word of the Lord would come to Elijah, but not in the manner that one might expect. We are told in I Kings 19:11-12: “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” The Lord wasn’t in the earth, wind, and fire. He was in the still small voice. God showed up, but not at all in the manner that IFB tradition teaches. My, what a contrast to all the noise and activity of the previous chapter! God doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. Most everyone knows that God can thunder and shake the earth at will, so why should He do it? Is it not more needful for us to know that He can also reveal Himself to us in the quietest and calmest ways? Is He not God of all, a God of the valleys as well as a God of the hills? After all, we are reminded of this in the very next chapter: “And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” (I Kgs. 20:28) Too many Christians have the false notion that God doesn’t show up unless He shows out, and this often blinds them from the greatest blessings and the best churches. Friend, don't make the mistake of many by missing out on God's still small voice while looking for religious drama and emotionalism. Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mat. 18:20) God can show up without showing out, and He usually does. Don't miss Him while expecting something bigger and more dramatic. A preacher isn’t spiritual just because he yells and jumps around, and his listeners aren’t spiritual just because they flood the prayer altar when he’s finished. I’ve observed this practice for years, and I can safely say that the most sound and fruitful believers are usually not the ones crowding the church prayer altar, but rather the ones who lead disciplined lives with daily prayer and Bible reading in their own privacy. Having lively church services is good, but we must keep our guards up and not allow Satan to replace true and fruitful spirituality with empty, fruitless emotionalism.