Don't FAINT!

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint

Men ought to PRAY always and NOT faint.

How easy is it to simply faint when life becomes too hard to deal with- and by faint I mean choose to believe in the power of the wicked one to overcome, rather than the power of God to sustain us. If we turn to God through prayer we are not fainting but rather fighting that good fight of faith.

2Co 4:16  For which cause we FAINT NOT; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, IF WE FAINT NOT.

Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that YE FAINT NOT at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and FAINT in your minds.

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, NOR FAINT when thou art rebuked of him:

2Co 4:1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, WE FAINT NOT;
2Co 4:2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Faint not. Lest we faint. This fainting isn't the sort where our vision grows dim and we black out physically, this is a spiritual fainting. To faint spiritually means having our spiritual light disappear, our spiritual sight is gone. It's that spiritual sight that allows us to have faith- remember this verse--

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith- hope- NOT seen.
Faith allows us to do this--

2Co 4:18  ...look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our spiritual sight allows for this and if we faint and lose our spiritual sight we stop having hope, we look only to things which are temporal and not the things which are eternal.

To be told NOT to faint is very important, because we are being told that the opportunity to faint will exist. We cannot get so ahead of ourselves to believe that the possibility of fainting is not real. To be told, and more than once, NOT to faint is an important message.  Putting it on a more physical level if you were told that you aren't to faint in a certain situation then what would you infer from that bit of knowledge? That FAINTING was a real possibility and NOT a good thing, not something to be desired. Say you were to go on an excursion into the wild jungle and your guide told you that the day's trek would be an arduous one and you are not to faint if you want to have hope of making it through to the end of the trek. What if the guide went further and told you that if you did faint the chances of your perishing would be very great. Wouldn't you do all you could NOT to faint? You'd hydrated yourself, you'd give yourself sustenance, you'd try to keep cool, or warm depending upon what the weather called for, you'd take rests- pacing yourself so you didn't over do it because you would know that if you fainted you could possibly die. Just having that warning at the beginning of your journey would heighten your senses, your awareness that fainting wasn't a very good idea at all and rather a very bad option. 

We are not to faint spiritually because there is a danger in our spiritual fainting, a fainting of the mind, letting a darkness overcome us so that we are no longer able to see things eternal, no longer living in hope, no longer possessing the faith necessary to believe in our Savior and salvation in HIM.

Continuing on…

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint

PRAYING ALWAYS is the spiritual equivalent of all those things we would do physically to prevent ourselves from fainting.  And praying always is recognizing always that our Savior is there for us NO MATTER what we are going through, even the worst of the worst of the worst. He is there for us beyond all things temporal and He is living in eternity. This doesn't mean we are to be on our knees 24/7. You can pray even if you are not bowing your head. To pray always means to have that connection to God the Father always there, always! It means not daring to live ONE moment outside of that connection, it means in all we do we have God with us, by CHOICE, not as some dictating chaperon, but as a LOVING God who is LOVE and knows the end from the beginning more so than we ever possibly could.

While we might look through eyes on the temporal world around us as we are allowed to live in this world we must do it KNOWING it is just the a temporary world- temporary and dangerous. This really could be the only world many people will ever know because they choose NOT to believe in GOD, but rather believe in their own imaginings. Praying always is the recognition of our God as a very REAL, LIVING entity who SUSTAINS us and has made the ultimate Sacrifice so that we may one day share eternity with Him. We cannot confine God to any one time of day- to a morning prayer, to an afternoon prayer, to an evening prayer, to a bedtime prayer- God must be realized always in our lives not someone we merely visit a few times a day. When we say the word 'amen' we are not shutting the door on God and leaving Him in some fancy, cloudy temple in heaven while we walk away and live here on earth. That door must be ever opened, never closed as we pray ALWAYS, and we don't faint under the trials and tribulations of life, of which there are many. This isn't to say we shouldn't take time to pray earnestly on our knees, with bowed heads, in groups, among family- but even after we say that prayer, we must live in a constant state of prayer - in open communication with our God throughout all our days and nights.

Just as if you live with someone- you aren't constantly talking with them non-stop but you know that line of communication is there always. We must live with God and God with us always, and that avenue of communication must forever be available, it must always be open.

Here is a parable that Jesus told and in part to reveal why a person should forever pray and not faint.

Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

A godless, fearless judge and a widow with an adversary. 

An authority figure and one subjected to that authority figure.

The widow left her home and went to the judge's place and upon being allowed to see him she told him that she needed to be avenged, that she had an adversary that needed to be dealt with, someone she could not deal with on her own.

The judge didn't care. Seriously, he simply did not care that this woman, this widow without a husband to defend her, was in need of help. He didn't jump up and order someone to help her, and he certainly didn't go to her aid himself. In fact, this man dismissed her cause instantly.

Did the widow give up and go away because the cold-hearted, godless judge didn't help her right away?

NO.

She continued to present herself to the judge even knowing that he had already declined to help her in any way.  How long this went on we don't know, but it was for a while.  Then this man announced that even though he didn't fear God, and could careless about others- he would help her. Why the change of heart? It wasn't a change of heart at all, not really, but a selfish desire to rid himself of the widow's constant presence, her constant supplication. He was troubled by her and growing weary of her unceasing pestering for help.

This man who had no heart love for anyone- not God, nor others- helped the widow because she didn't give up communicating her need to him.

Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

If an unjust judge could avenge a widow- a LOVING God, THE LOVING GOD WILL avenge those who are crying unto Him ceaselessly. He's not growing weary with their supplications. His elect LONG to be avenged, they LONG to become God's fully and have their adversary the Devil destroyed and to this end they pray. They know that ALL evil they suffer stems from Satan, all of it! They realize the pain and agony they are enduring, that others are enduring all has its roots in SATAN and NOT GOD! They understand while God allows, it is Satan who takes advantage of that and destroys all he can in anyway he can. The door may be opened, but it's NOT God who steps through and bring devastation to the lives of so many people. It is Satan who runs through that door and wrecks all the havoc he can in anyway he possibly can and he does it all the while shouting it's God's fault, blame God. He wants us to blame God for all the evil, for leaving that door opened, but it's that same open door that gives us a power of CHOICE, to believe or not believe in God, to trust that no matter what horrors are unfolding, or have unfolded,  or will unfold in our life times that God is in control and ultimately for our SALVATION, for our ETERNITY in LOVE with HIM who is LOVE.

God hears our CRIES to be avenged, and He bears LONG with us. He doesn't grow weary of us and cut us off, He allows us to keep crying unto Him our ONLY source of avenging.

Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

In the grand scheme of things and THIS is how our LORD must think- His avenging is speedily. He isn't making a single one of His people wait needlessly with a cold-hearted disregard for our petitions. He hears us, He hears our cries and wants us to pray always to NEVER stop praying to Him.  It will be SO incredibly hard the closer and closer it comes to our Lord's return that many are going to faint. Many are going to allow their spiritual light to grow dim, to go out, as their faith in God slips away. This is the truth and we are warned, we are told it will happen. The ONLY way we can not be among those who faint is to place all our trust in God, all our faith, all our hope and give all we are, surrender all of ourselves to our Savior, clinging to HIS righteousness and not ours, clinging to the hope found only in HIM to overcome, not any hope in ourselves. He prevails where we succumb and fail. We must pray always to HIM, clinging to HIM through EVERYTHING! He is our HOPE. By the grace of God He will find us with FAITH in HIM, by HIM, through His righteousness, His love, His mercy, His grace!

Abide in the doctrines of Christ

2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Look to OURSELVES. We NEED to stop concerning ourselves so much with the judging of others and concentrate on our own walk with God, seriously. How easy it is to fall into the trap of looking out at others and noting their faults, while  we forego looking in at our own lives, examining them to know whether or not we are following the truth as it has been revealed to us.

We have to look at ourselves or else we will lose  any hope in influencing others towards the truth. We have to focus on the truth, we have to pay attention to our walk with the LORD, we have to look at the truth and measure our sinful selves against that truth and we need to do this, and not measure others by that same truth. Every person has to measure themselves against the truth, it is the responsibility of every single person to know whether they are walking in the truth given to them or not.

We are to LOVE and CARE for others, but we are NOT to measure them against the truth we've been given, they may have been given less or more truth than we have and they are responsible to live up to the truth given to them, just as we are. Yes, we are to share the TRUTH of our Savior's love, we are to preach the message of the kingdom in Jesus Christ, but we are NOT the Holy Spirit who alone convicts the hearts to see the Truth, to live the Truth.

Too many will love to twist this up, saying we have a duty to help others and to look to them first before ourselves, and this is true. But we are NOT to look to others at the cost of losing our own way in Christ. We must keep Christ in us in order for others to see Him in our lives and that is our responsibility, to keep and NOT lose the Truth that leads to Salvation. When we lose that Truth we are only offering our own brand of truth  to others, and while that still might make us feel good and cause us to pat ourselves on the back, it's not the real TRUTH found solely in Christ Jesus our Lord!

The full reward we'll receive is living ETERNALLY in the TRUTH!

If we sin and choose NOT to live in the TRUTHS of CHRIST, then we do NOT have God in our lives no matter how much we might want to imagine otherwise.

If we LIVE in the TRUTH we have both JESUS CHRIST and the FATHER in us.

Those who would have us believe in lies, in falsehoods, those who would try and preach their own truths to us- we have to keep ourselves from them. We must pray for them, for their enlightenment through the Holy Spirit, but we must not encourage them in their falsehoods.  If we encourage others in their UNTRUTHS we are partaking in those UNTRUTHS. We must not encourage lies, falsehoods, to encourage them is very sinful. Knowing the truth and encouraging others in lies is something we are accountable for.

Is it hard to stand up for Truth?  Yes, it can be, especially when you love those who refuse to live in truth but prefer to live in lies. We never stop loving them and hoping for their hearts to be open and receptive to the truth. We cannot however promote the lies they live in. If faced with such a situation we must stand for TRUTH always, and only by our LORD'S GRACE live in that TRUTH. It may appear that we are not being LOVING and in fact many will accuse us of NOT being like Christ, and not loving, but that will be a lie. People walking outside of the Truth love to revile those who are in the Truth, hoping to trip them up, hoping to get them to step outside of the truth. They'll play on their feelings of desiring acceptance, but that acceptance is of this WORLD and not the WORLD TO COME. Temporary acceptance, not worth the cost of eternal life in Christ, not ever.

There is so much that we hold as important in life that is -in very simple terms- temporary to eternity. Don't most things lose their importance when you hold them up against eternity? The ONLY thing that will never lose its importance when taken and measured up against eternity is LOVE and the actions we commit out of that love, that pure love that we can only possess by giving our lives to our God and Savior, His love working in us.  All else is temporary. Any status among others you hold is temporary- whether pauper or prince. Right now you might possess a mansion, or a hovel and that home is only temporary. Abused or cherished- it is temporary. Only love- the love we have for GOD and the love we have for others matters- that love will live on forever throughout eternity. The love, the compassion, the kindnesses, the sacrifices these are the things that live on- these are the important things in life- not the car in the driveway, not the money in the bank, not the degrees upon a wall, not the string of lovers, not the number of books read, not the number of flowers planted, not the successful video game wins, not the approval of others- etc.  LOVE. Christ's LOVE.

Let us look to ourselves, let us live in Christ's TRUTH, let us not encourage those who live in darkness, all by the grace and mercy of our LORD and SAVIOR, always!  In HIS LOVE!

Many Deceivers, Many Deceived

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Many deceivers are in our world.

Do you believe this?  It's true.

Deceivers that will not confess that our Savior came in the flesh.  Crazy? Everyone believes this, right? Not many will dispute the flesh of Jesus Christ- the fact He was born as a human being. So why is this significant at all? It would appear that there aren't as many deceivers or antichrists that we would imagine.  Even those who believe in the Islamic religion believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Devil worshipper can still believe that Jesus came in the flesh, in fact they almost have to because to believe in the devil you have to believe in his adversary.  Our Savior's adversary is the devil. Our adversary is the devil--

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

Devil's believe in our Savior.

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

So what does this verse really mean?

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.

We've talked about it before but as with many, many things talking about them over and over again can only solidify the foundation we are standing upon- that foundation being our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. You wouldn't think people would have an issue with this, but they do. I first heard about this back in 1987-88 or there bouts. 

What kind of flesh was Christ born with? What kind of flesh - sinful or sinless? 

This is a SERIOUS question.  Don't just jump on the sinless answer because our Savior never sinned, we need to really, really think about the flesh He was BORN with. Was He born with the tendency towards sin, in weak human flesh, able to be tempted just like we are- or was He born with flesh that was IMPOSSIBLE to yield to sin? Was He born with flesh that made Him like you and I, or born with flesh that was special? Some love to say He was born in flesh like Adam- created sinless- but that is NOT the flesh WE are born with so HOW could He be tempted like we are if He were born in flesh different than ours? It's impossible for that to happen.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

In ALL points tempted LIKE AS WE ARE.  This is key! It doesn't say- in all points tempted like as Adam was, it says TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE! 

Was Jesus' mother human like us, or was she sinless?

We KNOW there is an organization out there that believes she was sinless herself but that just creates more and more of a problem. Does that make her parents sinless and so on and so on and so on. When we start having sinless people born then we are making them into something they were NEVER intended to be without a SAVIOR.

Psa 51:5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Shapen in iniquity as are we ALL.  We all inherited the TENDENCY towards sin, all of us. We inherit it at birth, does this make us sinners at birth?  Read more...

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

Rom 5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

We are all BORN with a sinful NATURE- the tendency to sin is born in us- we inherit that from Adam just like ALL human beings have -- ALL- including Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus Himself! He took on our sinful FLESH! Only because He did that and OVERCAME do we have HOPE! If He came in special flesh  unable to sin then He conquered NOTHING! It had to be OUR flesh! And most certainly Mary was NOT sinless! She was blessed for having been chosen to give birth to our Savior, but she was NEVER called sinless! Never!

Our SAVIOR can be called sinless not because He was born without that TENDENCY to sin, but because He conquered that tendency we ALL have, sinful flesh created Him in the womb of Mary He grew as all human children grow. He gave up His Godly powers to take on our flesh! 

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men

He TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT!  Giving up so much to be made like US, so HE could SAVE US!

Read this...

"Not that men are born into the world directly condemned by the law, for in infancy, they have no knowledge of right and wrong and are incapable of doing either, but they are born with sinful tendencies, owing to the sins of their ancestors." (E. J. Waggoner   Jan. 21, 1889)

I agree with that statement. Babies are not condemned as sinners and neither are little children- but when the awareness of sin comes- with it the guilt arrives and the need to seek forgiveness from the only source of forgiveness- Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR!

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

So, yes, there are MANY, MANY deceivers and MANY who do NOT confess that  Jesus Christ is come in the FLESH- they ARE DECEIVERS and they are ANTICHRIST- putting themselves in place of Christ, putting their beliefs in place of our God's truth! These people, these deceivers have put our Savior inside indestructible armor that simulates flesh but isn't real human flesh at all. They've incased our Savior in impenetrable untouchable false  non-flesh, something that resembles flesh in all appearances but is nothing like OUR human flesh at all and they've DECEIVED MILLIONS and MILLIONS and MILLIONS!

Please LORD open the eyes of the BLINDED the DECEIVED! Please!

In our Lord, in HIS LOVE!

For Truth's Sake

2Jn 1:1  The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;
2Jn 1:2  For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
2Jn 1:3  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
2Jn 1:4  I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
2Jn 1:5  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

For the TRUTH'S sake.
The TRUTH that will be with us FOREVER.
The TRUTH that dwells IN US.
Loving in TRUTH.
Knowing in TRUTH.
Walking in TRUTH.

All received in commandment from the FATHER.

NO new commandment.
A commandment given from the BEGINNING.

THAT WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

LOVE is- walking after HIS commandments.

Do you know what the truth is?

So many say they don't, and even more say it doesn't matter, and anyway truth is subjective to the person. There are a whole slew of reasons people use to get around knowing the truth and barring that, they use even more reasons to keep from living the truth when they do know it.

In these few verses we've just read we read that word TRUTH over and over, that should tell us something. The TRUTH is very important.

Here is why--

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR is THE TRUTH.

THE TRUTH will make us free.

The truth. The ONE Savior Jesus Christ. The truth is found in HIM, and HE gives us so much of Himself and we can read it in His word.

The truth.

That we love one another, that we keep the commandments given at the beginning.

The commands of LOVE.

Imagine for a moment- you are placed in a world of others very similar to yourself and you want your life to be a good life filled with love, caring, and kindness, as well as respect. Yet the world you are in is a hostile world where not everyone wants this. It's SO incredibly easy to fall in step with the hostility, to give hostile acts in return for receiving them. And because this hostile world is our temporary dwelling place we have seek guidance from our Creator in order to manage to live upright in HIM, THROUGH HIM.

In a world before the hostility our Creator created a very special thing for all of us, a period of time to rest in Him, with Him in time made holy, time blessed. You might think that we wouldn't need such a period of time in a perfect world, but the perfect world exists ONLY because of our CREATOR and this special time period was given so we would never ever imagine otherwise.

Then, when the hostility came that special time was even more important for all of us, because if we enter that special time we are renewed and we step out of the hostile world into the world of our Creator, allowed to live in HIM during the special period of time HE created FOR US.

We all don't have to imagine what it means to recharge something, we live in a world with many gadgets that need recharging all the time. What would happen if you STOPPED recharging those gadgets? Could you use them? Would they be worth anything? Would the be valuable for anything at all? Most of those rechargeable items are worthless, they become garbage when they can no longer be recharged.

It's the same with us, it really, really is. It we are not recharged by our Lord and Savior during that special time period HE created, then we are in essence saying to our God, our Creator that we don't need to be recharged, we do not need HIM in order to live in HIS truth.  We need HIM more than ever as the world grows more and more hostile all around us.

The truth.  There is truth and we must walk in the truth always - by HIS grace!

The truth and all His truth, refusing to accept any deceptive beliefs no matter how enticing they are, no matter how pleasing they are to our way of life, to our senses. We must live the truth by faith in our SAVIOR knowing that only by living His truth are we going to be found in HIM and HE in us.

Please Lord help us to understand all the truth in YOU!

All by Your grace, Your mercy, Your forgiveness, Your LOVE.

Idols in today's churches

1Jn 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Worshipping idols involves worshipping other gods before God. You cannot worship an idol without worshipping the god it represents. So being told to keep ourselves from idols, we are in fact being told to keep ourselves from worshipping other gods, false gods.

We've already talked about the fact that people are not obsessed with going to temples and pledging their allegiances, their lives to gods erected in temples, making sacrifices to those false gods, up to living  human sacrifices.

What people are doing is entering churches- their temples- and rather than seeking God in His word of Truth, through the Holy Spirit's guidance- many are worshipping false gods that have set themselves up in place of God so that they are such amazing counterfeits people do NOT even know they are worshipping idols, they are worshipping false gods.

Isn't that what deception is all about? Fooling people without their being aware of it? Unsuccessfully deceiving someone is their finding out about your deception. As long as people remain deceived there is little hope for their salvation. As long as people do NOT realize the god they are worshipping is NOT the One True God, then they are in danger. You might think God will wink at their ignorance and solely blame the deceiver but that's not always true. God has made His truth available to all and all will be measured against the opportunities they've had to know His truth. Unfortunately way too many people actually chose to follow deception because it's comfortable. Seriously, it's similar to why a woman or a man who is being cheated on will often ignore all the signs in favor of keeping their relationship-however faulty intact. They simply do NOT want to see they are being deceived, it hurts too much, it is too painful, it means changing and who wants to endure all that when they can keep things going on an even keel? Some couples live out their entire relationship under deception and wouldn't have it any other way. How many people find out they are being deceived and keep it to themselves, never confronting the deceiver just because they don't want to upset their lives in any way?  This is a real thing.  You might be of the type of person who says I would never, ever live in deception if I realized it was happening, and that might be true, but a shocking number of people do live that way, and many very willingly.

So, if people are willing to live a life of deception with their own partners, why would it be much different for them to willingly go to a church and allow themselves to be deceived by those who do not follow all of God's truth as He has giving it in His amazing Word, as Jesus came and testified of Him and was the living TRUTH to us. Jesus spoke simple truths and even the simple truths people fail to follow. His commandments all ten of them, the moral law that He Himself followed, people do not follow them, they just don't care to because it interferes with their comfortable deception.

Throughout history the truth has been hard to follow and FEW will follow it. The Bible tells us that FEW will find the truth. There is a very narrow way that true Christ followers will walk. Yet churches fill up with people and grow, and grow, and grow and its members love the fact people are flocking to their truths- their truths- not necessarily God's.  Do they get up there and preach that NARROW is the way, and FEW there be that find it?

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The truth.

Millions are following idols, idols that have taken on the form of the One True God, but it's really a wolf in sheep clothing. A wolf underneath a disguise so brilliant that millions are fooled, they are deceived and worse still-- they LOVE their deception because they refuse to believe in real Biblical truths.

Do people have to believe this verse today?

1Jn 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

When you comprehend that the idols are standing in the many churches people frequent all the time, yes, it's very, very pertinent to all of us today.

We are to keep from idols, from false gods, from worshipping falsely, from bowing before wolves in sheep clothing. Will you sit comfortably deceived or risk the uncomfortable life  that will be demanded of you when you face the truth and in facing it you must act upon it or risk your own eternal life with the God you profess to love!

By His grace may we ALL face His truths and walk in them and only them whatever they may be. In His love! In His grace!

Amen.

Idols and False Gods

Down the page further there are a few Bible verses of which there are many, dealing with idols.  Read through them one, two, three, or all of them however many you'd like to read. Talking about idols yesterday we're continuing today. I think it's important that we realize that while many, many people do NOT worship at the various temples they had way back in the day-

Egyptian temples
Greek temples
Roman temples

Egyptian-   Deities-  Amun, Amunet, Anubis, Anuket - These are just four of many of their false gods- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion
Greek- Deities - Apollo, Area, Artemis, Athena, Demeter - These are just five of many of their false gods- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_mythological_figures
Roman - Deities- Adranus, Consus, Janus, Saturn- These are just four of many of their false gods- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Roman_gods

Today there has been a huge rise in paganism. Look it up-here's one link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1328968/Pagans-march--harmless-eccentrics-dangerous-cult.html

So to say that the worship of idols, of false gods is dead would be wrong, very wrong.

So whether or not a person is worshipping the ancient gods of Biblical times old or new, or whether they are worshipping ANYTHING other than the ONE true God they are in danger of worshipping an idol. 

Read on--
   
Lev 19:4  Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

Lev 26:1  Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Lev 26:30  And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

Deu 29:17  And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)

1Sa 31:9  And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.

1Ki 21:26  And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

2Ki 17:12  For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.

2Ki 21:11  Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols

2Ki 23:24  Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

1Ch 16:25  For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.
1Ch 16:26  For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

2Ch 24:18  And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

Psa 106:38  And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Psa 115:4  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

Isa 2:7  Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
Isa 2:8  Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
Isa 2:9  And the mean man boweth down, and the great man

Isa 45:16  They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.

Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols

1Th 1:9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

*******

We need to turn from any idols, even SELF worship, and turn towards God.

We need to KEEP from idols whatever they may be.

We need to stop patting ourselves on the back at how wonderful we are in all we do as we worship NOTHING, and realize that worshipping nothing is a form of worshipping self, believing self is the only thing is not believing in God.

We are told to keep from idols, and we must do just that. Keep ourselves from idols.

1Jn 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

May God help us to comprehend what we need to in all that He says, may the Holy Spirit open our hearts and minds, our spirits to His TRUTH in everything!  Help us Lord, while there may not be mass worshipping of gods of old, there is worship in many churches, many temples today of gods that try to stand in YOUR place, pretending to be You and many fall for these false gods disguised as You, this is just as dangerous if not more so, as worshipping false gods from the ancient ages.

How do you know if you are worshipping a disguised god pretending to be the real God, by learning and following ALL His truth from His word, through the spirit.

All by His grace, His love, more on this tomorrow.

In our Savior Jesus Christ always!

Keep yourselves from idols

1Jn 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

CEV 1Jn 5:21  Children, you must stay away from idols.

YLT 1Jn 5:21  Little children, guard yourselves from the idols! Amen.

Idols-
G1497
- Definition:
1. an image, likeness
a. i.e. whatever represents the form of an object, either real or imaginary
b. used of the shades of the departed, apparitions, spectres, phantoms of the mind, etc.
2. the image of an heathen God
3. a false God
- Origin: from G1491; an image (i.e. for worship)
- TDNT entry: 08:15,2
- Part(s) of speech: Noun Neuter

- Strong's: From G1491; an image (that is for worship); by implication a heathen god or (plural) the worship of such: - idol.

Idols. What's an idol to you? Do you have a bunch of clay, stone, wood, glass, or plastic images of weird shaped people, animals, or objects laying about your house? Do you revere any of those objects. Many will agree that people IDOLIZE objects that aren't necessarily those of the gods revered by the pagans, the heathens, the idol worshippers of old. Most people will agree that people do not pray or worship a lot of things they do really seem to idolize. We can say that a person idolizes their computer, or television, or their books, or even food. We can say that idolizing things doesn't really mean worshipping them in such a way as they bow down to them and pray to them, but does it? This is a slippery slope really. 

Putting anything in front of our God, our Father in heaven, in front of our Savior Jesus Christ, is a possible idol-right?

Do you attach yourself to things other than God?

An idol is --

--an image
--a likeness
And that likeness and image can be of an object  real or imagined.
--an image of a heathen god
--a false god

So by definition an idol could be just about anything but it's what you do with that idol that tells the tale, and we are distinctly told NOT to go near idols.  So if an idol could be just about anything what does this really mean? We have to KEEP ourselves from idols.

Reading the Strong's definition we learn that their definition is- 'an image (that is FOR worship), by implication a heathen god or (plural) the worship of such.

The image is FOR worship.

Worship is honoring, praying, giving glory and praise to God- yes?

'To adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.'

Do we do this to objects?

Is there a form of worship that isn't outright adoration, that isn't giving reverence, respect, or veneration?

Do we worship when we adore something, when we have great affection for something even though we do not call it our God?

Is there a way to reverence something without it being your God?

Have we shunned forms of worship yet held fast to the objects that supersede the One and Only True God, is this a new form of worship? Because so many choose NOT to worship any God at all, are they in no danger of idol worship?


More on this tomorrow, all by the grace of God. I really think this needs a lot more study.

All in His love!