Not focused on what is true...(idol worship)

I was basking in the awesome word that Pastor Ben Gibert gave today on “faithfulness” (Hebrews 11:8-12 if anyone desires to read it). As I then went online to do my daily reading I came across this article:

 

http://www.freep.com/article/20090329/NEWS06/903290416

 

 

Wicca, witchcraft, mother earth, call it what you want to, it is WRONG. If you worship anything but the one true and living GOD, you are an idolater. I guess I could be finished with this meditation, but I have to give some basis, or most of you will think I am some nut case that will be on television soon begging for money. (That was a joke).

 

The WORD of GOD tells us first in Exodus 20 verses 4 and 5:

 

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

 

The children of Israel were at a place where they felt that “anything goes.” They figured, “Since we are out here in the wilderness we can do anything that we want.” Does this sound familiar? Human beings have been wise enough to figure out that if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Wise words indeed, however, here we are in 2009 men trying to marry men, women trying to marry women, virginity is looked upon as a disease, underage drinking, adults contributing to the delinquency of minors, adults having sex with minors. Sounds like some cities in the Bible, Sodom, Gomorrah, and Nineveh. Let’s look at Nineveh, this was a great city, so we can presume that it was a booming metropolis the population was approximately 150,000. In fact, it was the Assyrian capital located near what is modern day city of Mosul, Iraq. Now I am of the opinion that this city was doomed from the start. Why? Well first and foremost, it is named from the fish goddess of Babylon. Now the wickedness that was going on in the city had come up before GOD. So if you can imagine this, GOD is in heaven doing things that are GODLY and the exceeding wicked signal goes off. HE looks at it and says to HIMSELF, “They have just about gotten completely out of hand. I remember about 700 human years ago I took care of Sodom and Gomorrah, I guess I am going to have to do the same thing here, wait, I can send Jonah…” and we know the rest of the story, the people of Nineveh went on a fast and put on sackcloth (black goat’s hair garments used primarily for mourning) and GOD spared the city.

 

In relation to the topic of idol worship, in Jonah 1:5 the sailors cried to their own gods and nothing happened. If something would have happened they would not have called for Jonah to come up and pray to his GOD. Once Jonah made the connection, he knew what needed to be done. When Jonah told them, “that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD,” (verse 10, NASB). The sailors immediately began to pray to GOD saying, “We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased. So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. (Chapter 1:14-15 NASB)

 

Isn’t it strange how people will abandon the fake, when they really need the REAL?

 

If you observe the news article, it states that the owner of the store was raised Methodist, yet was kicked out of Sunday school when she asked too many questions. My brothers and sisters we must be rooted in the WORD. There will be those who need us to be able to fill in the blanks of their lives, we are ordered to be prepared. II Timothy 2:15 tells us to “study to shew thyself approved unto GOD, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” GOD’s WORD is truth no excuses. You cannot tell me for a minute that the emperor and creator of the universe has the characteristic of lying and deceit. It is neither Biblical nor logical. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV) We know not the time when we will be called upon to be a witness to someone. We never know when it can make the difference between life and death. Idol worship is sin and “the wages of sin is death...” Let’s be ready for the coming week to live like we have a GOD who loves us and cares for us enough to send HIS only begotten Son to die for us.

 

The meditations for the week:

 

1.                  There is one true GOD

2.                    People who worship things are idolaters (it can be earth, money, television even a person).

3.                    Exercise the discipline of studying the WORD

 

 

Be Blessed!