Category Archives: Idols / False Gods

Drunkenness, Holy / Set Apart, Idols / False Gods, Repenting from Sin, Self Control, Traditions / Holidays, Worldliness

What is Mardi Gras and Should Christians Celebrate It?

What is Mardi Gras and why do so many Christians celebrate it? I grew up in a Catholic church and never could quite figure out how people could say that Mardi Gras was a “Christian holiday”. People broadly seemed to have accepted the concept that Christ wants us to embrace wild parties, drunkenness, public nudity, gluttony and other sinful behavior as a precursor to a period of repentance which follows.

Some may say that they only celebrate the parades, or they don’t participate or support the more offensive parts of Mardi Gras. However, it is all linked together as different levels of engagement in a clearly pagan festival. Does God like it if we only participate a little in some fun activities focused around a false god? What if we don’t do the “child sacrifice” but only dance before the idol or have a party on the day others sacrifice to the false god?

If it is not obvious enough that celebrating Mardi Gras is not a way to edify, honor, or lift up Christ then try a more academic exercise. Where in scripture did Jesus demonstrate or teach that we should sin greatly before a period of repentance? It’s not there. In fact, the opposite.

The call to repentance is real, but not the call to sin before it.

This does not even begin to touch on the focus that Mardi Gras puts on pagan gods associated with parades and other events.

Matthew 4:17

      17From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Romans 6

      1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

      8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

      12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

      15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

      20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are called to righteousness and not to sin. How then can those in the church widely accept and embrace sin as a “Christian holiday”? The answer is that we have not followed the Lord’s instructions. He commands us not to learn the ways of the pagans and not to celebrate as they do. But all too often our common cultural holidays have been greatly influenced by pagan celebrations. The church has chosen to accept and blend pagan practices alongside or in place of how the Lord wants us to worship Him.

What Is Mardi Gras?

When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate these popular local traditions into the new faith, an easier task than abolishing them altogether. As a result, the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of fasting and penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

Along with Christianity, Mardi Gras spread from Rome to other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and England.

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras

Deuteronomy 12:1-5

   1“These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. 2“You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3“You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4“You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5“But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

In order to choose to follow the Lord His way, which is the only true way to follow Him, then we must turn away from and reject pagan celebrations which have been blended with or replaced God’s instructions for how we are to worship Him and how we are to live. Let us not make excuses, accepting the lifestyle of the pagans as our own, no matter how long the family traditions have been established. When we start making exceptions, we often end up with things like Mardi Gras… many who claim to be Christian accept it and would defend it… but none can justify it based on scripture or God’s word. It has become part of the culture based on a historical choices and family traditions. Let us seek the Lord and the Lord’s way alone to live submitted to Him. Let us not blend with the ways of the pagans but rather turn back to our Lord wholeheartedly and without hesitation.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Idols / False Gods

Cursed Is the Man Who Does Not Follow God’s Instructions

Do not expect to put your faith in something or someone other than God and then call out to Him and have Him save you. Especially if you are one of His children, He knows you have the opportunity to know better. Sometimes if we turn our back on Him, we will have to face consequences. Of course, the answer is still the same, as quickly as possible, repent and turn back to Him and ask forgiveness.

At the very least, we can see that God is very displeased when we put our trust in other things or people besides Himself. He has laid out for us instructions by which He wants us to live and He wants us to follow them and not go our own way or the way of the pagans.

Jeremiah 11

The Broken Covenant

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant 4which I commanded your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5in order to confirm the oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I said, “Amen, O LORD.”

      6And the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7‘For I solemnly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, warning persistently, saying, “Listen to My voice.” 8‘Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”

      9Then the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10“They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.” 11Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. 12“Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they surely will not save them in the time of their disaster. 13“For your gods are as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to the shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.

      14“Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.

      15“What right has My beloved in My house
When she has done many vile deeds?
Can the sacrificial flesh take away from you your disaster,
So that you can rejoice?”

      16The LORD called your name,
“A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form”;
With the noise of a great tumult
He has kindled fire on it,
And its branches are worthless.

17The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me by offering up sacrifices to Baal.

Plots against Jeremiah

18Moreover, the LORD made it known to me and I knew it;
Then You showed me their deeds.

      19But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;
And I did not know that they had devised plots against me, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
And let us cut him off from the land of the living,
That his name be remembered no more.”

      20But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously,
Who tries the feelings and the heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You have I committed my cause.

      21Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD, so that you will not die at our hand”; 22therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, I am about to punish them! The young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine; 23and a remnant will not be left to them, for I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth—the year of their punishment.”

Ask yourself what areas you have in your life in which you are following the world’s ways instead of God’s ways. Ask Him to show you clearly and give you courage to change. Follow God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Idols / False Gods, Love, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Will You Keep Pursuing God of Let Yourself Grow Distant?

God often compares His relationship with His people to a marriage relationship. The people are at first devoted to Him, but despite His being righteous and loving and protecting of them, they turn away and pursue other gods. They turn away from the fount of living water to rely on our own man-made, cracked vessels that cannot hold water. The lose His blessing and protection and provision.

We can take this warning to heart as well still today. Do not turn your focus away from the LORD. Rely on Him! Pursue Him! Stay fresh in your love for Him as like newlyweds and do not grow distant over time and familiarity.

Jeremiah 2

Judah’s Apostasy

      1Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,

2“Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD,
“I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.

      3“Israel was holy to the LORD,
The first of His harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the LORD.’”

      4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

5Thus says the LORD,
“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me
And walked after emptiness and became empty?

      6“They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no man dwelt?’

      7“I brought you into the fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and defiled My land,
And My inheritance you made an abomination.

      8“The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’
And those who handle the law did not know Me;
The rulers also transgressed against Me,
And the prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after things that did not profit.

      9“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the LORD,
“And with your sons’ sons I will contend.

      10“For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send to Kedar and observe closely
And see if there has been such a thing as this!

      11“Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.

      12“Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the LORD.

      13“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.

      14“Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant?
Why has he become a prey?

      15“The young lions have roared at him,
They have roared loudly.
And they have made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.

      16“Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have shaved the crown of your head.

      17“Have you not done this to yourself
By your forsaking the LORD your God
When He led you in the way?

      18“But now what are you doing on the road to Egypt,
To drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
To drink the waters of the Euphrates?

      19“Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your apostasies will reprove you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter
For you to forsake the LORD your God,
And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.

      20“For long ago I broke your yoke
And tore off your bonds;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every high hill
And under every green tree
You have lain down as a harlot.

      21“Yet I planted you a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

      22“Although you wash yourself with lye
And use much soap,
The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

      23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way in the valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel entangling her ways,

      24A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
In the time of her heat who can turn her away?
All who seek her will not become weary;
In her month they will find her.

      25“Keep your feet from being unshod
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘It is hopeless!
No! For I have loved strangers,
And after them I will walk.’

      26“As the thief is shamed when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their princes
And their priests and their prophets,

      27Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their back to Me,
And not their face;
But in the time of their trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us.’

      28“But where are your gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can save you
In the time of your trouble;
For according to the number of your cities
Are your gods, O Judah.

      29“Why do you contend with Me?
You have all transgressed against Me,” declares the LORD.

      30“In vain I have struck your sons;
They accepted no chastening.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.

      31“O generation, heed the word of the LORD.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?

      32“Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
Days without number.

      33“How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even the wicked women
You have taught your ways.

      34“Also on your skirts is found
The lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,

      35Yet you said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will enter into judgment with you
Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

      36“Why do you go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt
As you were put to shame by Assyria.

      37“From this place also you will go out
With your hands on your head;
For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”

This is a long chapter to read. It is easy to start glazing over and reading quickly toward the end. Take time to reflect on your life and on the key message of this chapter. Do not lose that fresh love and desire for God that you had in the beginning. Keep working to rekindle it anew.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Drunkenness, Holy / Set Apart, Idols / False Gods, Self Control, Traditions / Holidays, Worldliness

What is Mardi Gras and Should Christians Celebrate It?

What is Mardi Gras and why do so many Christians celebrate it? I grew up in a Catholic church and never could quite figure out how people could say that Mardi Gras was a “Christian holiday”. People broadly seemed to have accepted the concept that Christ wants us to embrace wild parties, drunkenness, public nudity, gluttony and other sinful behavior as a precursor to a period of repentance which follows.

Some may say that they only celebrate the parades, or they don’t participate or support the more offensive parts of Mardi Gras. However, it is all linked together as different levels of engagement in a clearly pagan festival. Does God like it if we only participate a little in some fun activities focused around a false god? What if we don’t do the “child sacrifice” but only dance before the idol or have a party on the day others sacrifice to the false god?

If it is not obvious enough that celebrating Mardi Gras is not a way to edify, honor, or lift up Christ then try a more academic exercise. Where in scripture did Jesus demonstrate or teach that we should sin greatly before a period of repentance? It’s not there. In fact, the opposite.

The call to repentance is real, but not the call to sin before it.

This does not even begin to touch on the focus that Mardi Gras puts on pagan gods associated with parades and other events.

Matthew 4:17

      17From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Romans 6

      1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

      8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

      12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

      15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

      20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are called to righteousness and not to sin. How then can those in the church widely accept and embrace sin as a “Christian holiday”? The answer is that we have not followed the Lord’s instructions. He commands us not to learn the ways of the pagans and not to celebrate as they do. But all too often our common cultural holidays have been greatly influenced by pagan celebrations. The church has chosen to accept and blend pagan practices alongside or in place of how the Lord wants us to worship Him.

What Is Mardi Gras?

When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate these popular local traditions into the new faith, an easier task than abolishing them altogether. As a result, the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of fasting and penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

Along with Christianity, Mardi Gras spread from Rome to other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and England.

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras

Deuteronomy 12:1-5

   1“These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. 2“You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3“You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4“You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5“But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

In order to choose to follow the Lord His way, which is the only true way to follow Him, then we must turn away from and reject pagan celebrations which have been blended with or replaced God’s instructions for how we are to worship Him and how we are to live. Let us not make excuses, accepting the lifestyle of the pagans as our own, no matter how long the family traditions have been established. When we start making exceptions, we often end up with things like Mardi Gras… many who claim to be Christian accept it and would defend it… but none can justify it based on scripture or God’s word. It has become part of the culture based on a historical choices and family traditions. Let us seek the Lord and the Lord’s way alone to live submitted to Him. Let us not blend with the ways of the pagans but rather turn back to our Lord wholeheartedly and without hesitation.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Disciplines His People to Call Them Back to Relationship with Him

God does not want to share His glory with false gods or anything that substitutes for a false god. One simple example of a substitute would be someone putting their trust in money and giving glory to their wealth as providing for them, protecting them, etc. instead of recognizing God’s hand of blessing in their life.

If we put our trust and faith in something other than God, then as His children, He will discipline us to help us come back to a relationship with Him and remove our faith in the “idol”. In Isaiah 48 we read about how God brought about captivity in Babylon for His people and then after the right time, set them free again.

His goal is to remain in a proper relationship with His people and maintain His name, or reputation. If I were to oversimplify it for a moment, it is not unlike when we punish our children to correct certain behavior. Maybe for us, it is sending them to their room or providing other consequences.  For God, we see it on a larger scale and with His people as a whole.

The best approach is to submit to God and God alone. Do not be stubborn and resist Him, putting our trust in anything else.

Isaiah 48

Israel’s Obstinacy

1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came forth from the loins of Judah,
Who swear by the name of the LORD
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in righteousness.

      2“For they call themselves after the holy city
And lean on the God of Israel;
The LORD of hosts is His name.

      3“I declared the former things long ago
And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

      4“Because I know that you are obstinate,
And your neck is an iron sinew
And your forehead bronze,

      5Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My idol has done them,
And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’

      6“You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you new things from this time,
Even hidden things which you have not known.

      7“They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

      8“You have not heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a rebel from birth.

      9“For the sake of My name I delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.

      10“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

      11“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My glory I will not give to another.


Deliverance Promised

12“Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called;
I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

      13“Surely My hand founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I call to them, they stand together.

      14“Assemble, all of you, and listen!
Who among them has declared these things?
The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

      15“I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

      16“Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have not spoken in secret,
From the time it took place, I was there.
And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

      17Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.

      18“If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

      19“Your descendants would have been like the sand,
And your offspring like its grains;
Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”

      20Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this,
Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

      21They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed forth.

      22“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD.

Take a few minutes in prayer. Quietly ask God to show you any areas of your life  where you are putting your trust in something other than Him. Ask Him to help you surrender these parts of your life to Him fully. Give Him thanks that He cares for you.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Idols / False Gods, Infinite / Without Limit, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation

God Deserves the Top Spot in Your Heart and Mind

Often when reading about idolatry in the Bible, Christians can easily convince themselves to dismiss it as no longer relevant since it is not commonplace anymore to literally have false idols representing gods and worship them.  However, I challenge you to think of it slightly differently. An idol can also be a job, a house, money, a hobby, or even a person. An idol is anything you put in that central place in your heart that takes the place or priority of God. God should be first in your heart. That should be reflected not just in empty words, but in our time, energy, and money in how we live. It should be reflected in how we speak and how we treat people. If there is anything that you are putting at the top of your priority list and focus, you need to ask God to help you put Him above it!

Isaiah 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.

      2They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.

      3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;

      4Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

      5“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?

      6“Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.

      7“They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.

      8“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

      9“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,

      10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

      11Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.

      12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,
Who are far from righteousness.

      13“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
And My glory for Israel.

Spend a few minutes with God. Ask Him to show you any idols in your life and then ask Him to help you address them quickly and boldly. God and God alone brings salvation and righteousness.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Complaining, Homosexual Behavior, Idols / False Gods, Thankfulness

Avoid These Common Mistakes that Displease God

Just because we claim the name of Jesus as Lord or we are baptized does not mean that we are living our lives in a way that is fully pleasing to our Creator and Father. Often, even after we genuinely start pursuing Christ and submitting to Him, we still have areas of sin in our lives that need to be dealt with. Sometimes we have blind spots where we listen to the culture around us instead of God’s word about what is right and wrong.

1 Corinthians 10:1-14

Avoid Israel’s Mistakes

     1For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3and all ate the same spiritual food; 4and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

      6Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” 8Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Take care not to consider idolatry to narrowly. People make idols out of many things… false gods to be sure, but also the environment, other created things such as money, sports, self, another person… it is placing something in our heart where we are focused on it instead of the right focus of God.

Consider immorality by God’s definition, not by the definition of our culture. Man today continues to redefine what is immorality through courts and television and other means but God’s position on what is moral or immoral has not and will not change.  Sex outside of marriage is wrong. Marriage is designed for and constrained to a man and a woman. It is not complicated until man tries to change it to avoid confronting his sin.

Do not overlook grumbling. Yes, even grumbling is a sign of lacking faith and trust in our Father. It is a sign of an ungrateful heart that takes for granted what blessings the Father has already poured out on us. Praise Him more and stop grumbling, even when things are tough.

Let us each take on the challenge to honestly confront our attitudes and actions and compare them to Paul’s warnings from 1 Corinthians. Do not be complacent because of a one-time decision to follow Christ. Instead, seek Him daily and seek to keep changing yourself to be more in His image. Let us keep a thankful heart and praise Him for who He is and what He has already done for us, regardless of our situation!

Take a few minutes with God in prayer. Ask Him to show you any areas in your life in which you need to change. Then, take action to change!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

 

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Blessed, Grace / Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods

Return to Me, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah covers 3 major themes in chapter 44: the blessings of Israel, the folly of idolatry, and forgiveness and redemption from God. All three of these are still entirely relevant today.

We as believers are grafted into Israel as part of God’s chosen people. Though we may not worship “false gods”, there are many temptations to put other things in a place of priority in our lives, where only God should be. Sometimes these come in the form of things like a job/career, an addiction, a hobby, or even our spouse or children. Anytime we put something else above God and we put our trust in that thing or person more than in God, that is effectively an idol. Lastly, we all sin and thus we all receive great benefit from God’s offer of forgiveness and redemption, which we receive through Yeshua.

Read on with that context in mind!

Isaiah 44

The Blessings of Israel

1“But now listen, O Jacob, My servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:

      2Thus says the LORD who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you,
‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

      3‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;

      4And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.’

      5“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.

      6“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
‘I am the first and I am the last,
And there is no God besides Me.

      7‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.

      8‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And you are My witnesses.
Is there any God besides Me,
Or is there any other Rock?
I know of none.’”

The Folly of Idolatry

      9Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. 10Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? 11Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.

      12The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. 14Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

      18They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” 20He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”


God Forgives and Redeems

21“Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

      22“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a heavy mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

      23Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He shows forth His glory.

      24Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the LORD, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,

      25Causing the omens of boasters to fail,
Making fools out of diviners,
Causing wise men to draw back
And turning their knowledge into foolishness,

      26Confirming the word of His servant
And performing the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’
And I will raise up her ruins again.

      27“It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers dry.

      28“It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And he will perform all My desire.’
And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faithful, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You

Isaiah 43 contains several important themes that still resonate with us today if we take the time to listen and consider them.

  • Verses 1-7: God’s favor and goodwill are for His people. This should be a great comfort and encouragement. There is no need to fear.
  • Verses 8-13: God calls out those who believe in false gods or idols. He and He alone is God and savior.
  • Verses 14-21: The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is a reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.
  • Verses 22-28: God is troubled that His people turn away from Him and His offer of forgiveness of sins. They choose to overlook Him and go their own way. He pleads with the people that they would be justified through Him.

For more detailed thoughts expanding on these, consider Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary for Isaiah 43.

Isaiah 43

Israel Redeemed

1But now, this is what the LORD says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,

And He who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

2“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

3“For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I have given Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

4“Since you are precious in My sight,

Since you are honored and I love you,

I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.

5“Do not fear, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

And gather you from the west.

6“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring My sons from afar

And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

7Everyone who is called by My name,

And whom I have created for My glory,

Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

Israel Is God’s Witness

8Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,

And those who are deaf, even though they have ears.

9All the nations have gathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

Who among them can declare this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them present their witnesses so that they may be justified,

Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

10“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

11“I, only I, am the LORD,

And there is no savior besides Me.

12“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,

And there was no strange god among you;

So you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“And I am God.

13“Even from eternity I am He,

And there is no one who can rescue from My hand;

I act, and who can reverse it?”

Babylon to Be Destroyed

14This is what the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says:

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,

And will bring them all down as fugitives,

Even the Chaldeans, into the ships over which they rejoice.

15“I am the LORD, your Holy One,

The Creator of Israel, your King.” 16This is what the LORD says,

He who makes a way through the sea

And a path through the mighty waters,

17Who brings out the chariot and the horse,

The army and the mighty man

(They will lie down together and not rise again;

They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):

18“Do not call to mind the former things,

Or consider things of the past.

19“Behold, I am going to do something new,

Now it will spring up;

Will you not be aware of it?

I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,

Rivers in the desert.

20“The animals of the field will glorify Me,

The jackals and the ostriches,

Because I have given waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.

21“The people whom I formed for Myself

Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22“Yet you have not called on Me, Jacob;

But you have become weary of Me, Israel.

23“You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,

Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.

I have not burdened you with offerings,

Nor wearied you with incense.

24“You have not bought Me sweet cane with money,

Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;

Rather, you have burdened Me with your sins,

You have wearied Me with your wrongdoings.

25“I, I alone, am the one who wipes out your wrongdoings for My own sake,

And I will not remember your sins.

26“Meet Me in court, let’s argue our case together;

State your cause, so that you may be proved right.

27“Your first forefather sinned,

And your spokesmen have rebelled against Me.

28“So I will profane the officials of the sanctuary,

And I will turn Jacob over to destruction and Israel to abuse. 

Do not overlook God’s favor toward us as believers and followers of Yeshua, our Messiah. Let us put our faith in God and God alone. There are no other gods, no one else in whom we should put our trust. We are called to redemption and justification through Yeshua. Let us not reject such a wonderful offer!

Take some time in prayer to reflect on this powerful message. What is God telling you today about what you need to do in your life? Are you putting your trust in Him and Him alone? Are you fearful when you can instead find His peace? Are you putting your focus on living according to His ways rather than your own?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Courage / Fear, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faith / Trusting God, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Pride, Wickedness / Evil

Focus on Your Role; Trust God to Do His

For those with ears to hear Him, God calls each of us to a purpose for His kingdom. As we develop and grow in wisdom and discernment and learn to listen more closely to God through prayer, we are able to understand our role and what He calls us for more clearly. This is an important principle as it should guide us in how we deal with difficult circumstances as well as guide us when things are going well.

Let us take a closer look at the early church. Herod was persecuting them. He killed James and arrested Peter with intent to do the same, though the fervent prayer of the followers of Christ led to God freeing Peter from Herod’s wicked plans. The persecution scattered the early believers to a number of different cities and they continued to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly.

They remained focused on what God called them to do, despite persecution. They were not in a position to overthrow the government by force or even protect themselves by force of arms. They had to trust God and they chose to keep doing what He called them to do… proclaim Jesus boldly. The results were to the glory of God’s kingdom, and many began to follow Jesus.

But what of one of those in power who persecuted God’s people… what of Herod? The believers rightly left that up to God to handle given their situation at the time.

Acts 12:20-25

Death of Herod

      20Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. 21On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

      24But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

      25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

Herod understood the Jewish faith and history of God with His people. He had no excuse for accepting from others the claims that he was a god. He should have rebuked them, but he did not.

Proverbs 16:18  18Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Herod was accountable before God, as are we all. We do not always understand how and when God deals with the wicked, but all face judgment before God. All are held accountable for their actions and attitudes toward God and others.

2 Corinthians 5:10  10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Our role as followers of Christ is to go about the business He  commanded us to do and trust in Him for the rest. We see in Acts 12 that the followers of Christ did that and did that well. The result?

24But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

Let us go and do likewise.

What areas of your life do you feel overwhelmed or distracted in facing big problems or challenges? Are you trusting God to help you with the part you cannot do yourself or are you trying to figure out how to do it all yourself? Are you focusing on doing the specific things that God has called you to do, either in His word for all believers, or specific to your own life and talents? What changes can you make in your attitudes and actions to help align with the approach that the early believers demonstrated in Acts 12?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to focus on what You have instructed me to do and trust You for the rest. Help me to be bold and take action to glorify You and lead others to You even when persecution is waiting for me. Raise up more leaders to restore righteousness of Your ways and remove the wicked from leadership. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.