So I will say that I have watched the new American Idol season this year and as I was listening to their comments/ideas, it hit me. We have taken something that should make us cringe in fear of a Holy Gd for HIS thoughts on the topic and made it into a cultural norm and source of many jokes. In fact, we really don't even recognize that they are idols in our life because it has become so normal...normal to spend lots of time on your iphone/blackberry, spend lots of time watching tv/internet, spend lots of time working to buy the perfect house/car/clothes, spend lots of time working out/dieting to get the perfect body, etc. But if we are truly honest with ourselves we know that in our Biblical culture, these are the very things that destroyed kingdoms and people. We believe that just because we have not formed a golden image of our iphone that we bow to three times a day, that this iphone is not an idol in our life!
One of the four definitions that the 1828 Webster's dictionary gives us for idol is this: An idol is any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment.
Now let's think back to the above norms...do you spend more time on your iphone, facebook, watching tv, working, with family/friends etc than you do reading His Words and spending time with HIM? If your answer is yes, then you must ask the HS if these things are idols in your life and ask HIM to take them away. Do not hear me saying that any of the above things are wrong but anything in excess has the potential to be harmful and lead to a sinful attachment!
For those of you who are still reading and aren't really mad at me, why am I saying all of this; because that is where HE has me right now. HE has revealed so many things in my life that were/are idols that were robbing HIM of HIS glory and precious time together. And for the most part, I have allowed HIM to convict me of these idols and I have surrendered (yet again) to HIM total Lrdship of my life and allowed HIM to sanctify me through HIS Love, Grace and Words. Yet right now, HE has revealed to me that just the kings we read about in the OT who came into power and made some radical changes in their kingdoms, the majority of them left the idols in the high places. They were no longer worshiping them but they did not take them down either.
Well what happens to those idols that we allow to remain part of our lives, they eventually reappear slowly but surely and we fade back into our worship of them. We slowly allow them to consume more and more of our time/thoughts and we once again lose sight of Our First Love. Oh what a wretched sinner I am and I praise HIM for HIS unending grace that HE showers me with each and every day.
Today I was reading in Acts and this passage really hit home for me for two reason. 1. I so desire this for the people of Palenque...that they would allow HIS Words to convict them to true repentance and watch how HIS WORD will prevail mightily! This passage follows right after the sons of Sceva are trying to do what Paul does but without the HS. And the evil spirits respond the them claiming that they know Js, they have heard about Paul, but have no idea who these guys are at all. And watch was follows this confrontation of the idols that the people in Ephesus had been worshipping for so many years!
In Acts 19 we read: And fear fell upon them all and the Name of the Lrd Js was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So The Word of the Lrd cotinued to increase and prevail mightily.
WOW...when they were confronted with THE WAY, they divulged their evil practices because they desired more than anything that HIS Name be extolled. And did you see how much it cost them financially? But did you see the result of their obedience to allow the HS to get rid of the idols in their life?
And the second reason that this passage hit home for me is that I have left several idols in the high places of my life. I really could not even see them but HE revealed to me that I had not completely allow HIM to purge and divulge all of them from my life. These idols were acting as a barrier, preventing me from seeing HIM and hearing HIM clearly and living in radical obedience to HIM. These idols were preventing me from sharing HIS Truths with these people who are dying and going to hell. What a weight lifted from me that has allowed me to drink deeply HIS WORDS and to see HIS Face in a different way. This process has been hard but it is so worth it. I truly desire that the lost of Palenque come to know HIM and no matter what the cost, HE is worth it!
What about you? Are you concerned with the lost that live around you? Or have you even noticed them? Have you set your affections on only your family/friends, material possessions, etc to the point that the very blessings of HIM have become idols, robbing HIM of HIS glory? I challenge you to ask HIM specifically to reveal the idols that are in your life right now. Ask HIM to purge them from your life. And ask HIM to give you a passion for HIM and only HIM. Ask HIM to burden you for HIS glory and HIS people.
Will you do it?
One of the four definitions that the 1828 Webster's dictionary gives us for idol is this: An idol is any thing on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment.
Now let's think back to the above norms...do you spend more time on your iphone, facebook, watching tv, working, with family/friends etc than you do reading His Words and spending time with HIM? If your answer is yes, then you must ask the HS if these things are idols in your life and ask HIM to take them away. Do not hear me saying that any of the above things are wrong but anything in excess has the potential to be harmful and lead to a sinful attachment!
For those of you who are still reading and aren't really mad at me, why am I saying all of this; because that is where HE has me right now. HE has revealed so many things in my life that were/are idols that were robbing HIM of HIS glory and precious time together. And for the most part, I have allowed HIM to convict me of these idols and I have surrendered (yet again) to HIM total Lrdship of my life and allowed HIM to sanctify me through HIS Love, Grace and Words. Yet right now, HE has revealed to me that just the kings we read about in the OT who came into power and made some radical changes in their kingdoms, the majority of them left the idols in the high places. They were no longer worshiping them but they did not take them down either.
Well what happens to those idols that we allow to remain part of our lives, they eventually reappear slowly but surely and we fade back into our worship of them. We slowly allow them to consume more and more of our time/thoughts and we once again lose sight of Our First Love. Oh what a wretched sinner I am and I praise HIM for HIS unending grace that HE showers me with each and every day.
Today I was reading in Acts and this passage really hit home for me for two reason. 1. I so desire this for the people of Palenque...that they would allow HIS Words to convict them to true repentance and watch how HIS WORD will prevail mightily! This passage follows right after the sons of Sceva are trying to do what Paul does but without the HS. And the evil spirits respond the them claiming that they know Js, they have heard about Paul, but have no idea who these guys are at all. And watch was follows this confrontation of the idols that the people in Ephesus had been worshipping for so many years!
In Acts 19 we read: And fear fell upon them all and the Name of the Lrd Js was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So The Word of the Lrd cotinued to increase and prevail mightily.
WOW...when they were confronted with THE WAY, they divulged their evil practices because they desired more than anything that HIS Name be extolled. And did you see how much it cost them financially? But did you see the result of their obedience to allow the HS to get rid of the idols in their life?
And the second reason that this passage hit home for me is that I have left several idols in the high places of my life. I really could not even see them but HE revealed to me that I had not completely allow HIM to purge and divulge all of them from my life. These idols were acting as a barrier, preventing me from seeing HIM and hearing HIM clearly and living in radical obedience to HIM. These idols were preventing me from sharing HIS Truths with these people who are dying and going to hell. What a weight lifted from me that has allowed me to drink deeply HIS WORDS and to see HIS Face in a different way. This process has been hard but it is so worth it. I truly desire that the lost of Palenque come to know HIM and no matter what the cost, HE is worth it!
What about you? Are you concerned with the lost that live around you? Or have you even noticed them? Have you set your affections on only your family/friends, material possessions, etc to the point that the very blessings of HIM have become idols, robbing HIM of HIS glory? I challenge you to ask HIM specifically to reveal the idols that are in your life right now. Ask HIM to purge them from your life. And ask HIM to give you a passion for HIM and only HIM. Ask HIM to burden you for HIS glory and HIS people.
Will you do it?
RSS Feed