This is Christmas, Too

 

Matthew 2:1-2

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.

Matthew 2:16

Then Herod, when He saw that He was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

    As Christians, we celebrate the birth of Christ with joy and festivities. We give each other presents. We read aloud to our families the Christmas story from the Bible. But do we continue to read aloud when it comes to the other factors in the birth of The King? 

    The wise men were two years into their search. They did not show up to the stable to see the baby King in the manger. They found Him in a house (Matthew 2:11). They knew The Word so well that they were looking for the star before the star appeared. We know this because they were wise men from the east. 

    When we go back to the Book of Daniel (Daniel 2:17, 20), we read of the rudiments of education of which the wise men of that time were required. It is God who gives wisdom and knowledge. Should any of us desire such, it is to God we must go to obtain it. As King Solomon did when God approached him (1 Kings 3:5, 9). 

    Thus we know the wise men not only knew The Scriptures, they had more than a basic education. They were learned men: learning was their way of life. Having read The Scriptures, they believed The Scriptures and were searching the night skies looking for the star that would rise which would show them where the new King would be born. Once it appeared, they began their trek across continents to reach Him. But it took them Two Years to get there. 

    No one who comes to Jesus is ever late getting there. Every heart that truly seeks to see His face will find Him. "Ask and you will receive; Seek and you will find; Knock and the doors will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7. 

    But in their search for Christ, they met people along the way who sought to kill the new King (Matthew 2:3-8). By this Mary and Joseph were residing in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:11). This is where the wise men found Jesus. To a house in Bethlehem, to The One who was Born King of the Jews, they brought their gifts. Gifts which would pay tribute to Him as King (gold), honor Him as King (gold) and anoint Him as King (myrrh). These gifts would be used immediately.

    For when the wise men did not return to Herod, the nasty king ordered all the young children two years old and under to be killed. Hundreds of babies and toddlers met their deaths at the hands of an unwise man. Parents had their infants yanked from their arms and slaughtered in front of them. The blood of innocents filled the city streets in Bethlehem and in every nearby coastal town (Matthew 2:16-18). 

    This, too, is Christmas. Sadness. Mourning. Weeping: an unending, heartbreaking tearyness which flowed from the broken hearts of the people whose children were dead. Another prophecy fulfilled, albeit a sad one. (Jeremiah 31:15). Not everyone was able to rejoice at the birth of The One who had been born King of the Jews. 

    As stated, the gifts the wise men gave to Jesus were used immediately. Because the order was about to go  out while they were still residing in Bethlehem, the young family needed to leave in a hurry. They left in the night, under cover of darkness and fled the country (Matthew 2:12-14), taking the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh which we understand helped them on their journey. For they left immediately after the wise men's visit to their home. 

    So, now I ask you, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? Where is that is born King of Kings? For even now some still search for Him. To know The Scriptures is to know The Word; to know The Word is to know Jesus. The wise men from the east knew the prophecies of The Scriptures at that time. They came searching for He who had been BORN King of the Jews. This is a King who at His birth was already a King. All other kings were made kings or they may have been born into the position by reason of lineage. But Jesus was the born King. Lineage had nothing to do with it. He was King from the beginning, from before time/all through time/after time. 

    As He stated in John 8:58, Jesus told the people that He is I AM (Exodus 3:14). And they wanted to kill Him then, but He faded into the crowd. John 1:1-3 tells us Who this King is. He is King before He is born. He is Ruler. He is Sceptre. He is Governor. He is Jesus and waits for you to seek Him out and meet with Him. 

    Revelation 3:20 " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." We don't need to wait for Him to come and find us where we are: He knows where we are. He waits for us to answer His knock on our hearts. He waits for us to open the door of our hearts and invite Him in, that The Word may dwell in our hearts. 

    Those who seek Him to destroy His Kingship will fail in their endeavors. Those who seek Him to honor Him as King will find Him. They, we, merely have to open the doors of our hearts and invite Him into our lives. Are you ready to meet Jesus? He's knocking on your heart right now. 

THE GOSPEL - Ryan Stevenson

Jesus Is Lord

 1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is [my] Lord,” except by [the power and influence of] The Holy Spirit. 

Exodus 17:15

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi. (The LORD My Banner). 

1 John 4:2-3

By this you will know The Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 

Romans 10:9-10, 13

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. ~ For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved. 

    Why is this designation as LORD become so important even in this day and age? To be someone's Lord is to have the rule and mastery over them, as well as the protection and guardianship. To have Lordship is to have the governorship, as Isaiah wrote in  Isaiah 9:6 "...and the government shall be upon His shoulders...". Within His government He is the fulfillment of The Law (Matthew 5:17) and His Law is Love (Romans 13:10). 

    Who declared Jesus Christ Lord to begin with? His Father, Almighty God, gave His only begotten Son Lordship for a time (Psalm 110:1; Mark 12:36; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25). It is His Lordship we desire when we come to Him in faith, believing Him to be God's only begotten Son.       We come in faith with repentant hearts when we need to confess our sins. We come in faith believing that He not only hears the cries of our hearts but longs for us to hear the cry of His heart. We come to Christ as friend to Friend, meeting at the altar which we have set up for Him. Altars can be built anywhere. If that is not possible for you where you are, remember: when we clasp our fingers together, that is our altar, for prayer is where we meet God.

    The altars of the Old Testament were at times set up after the meeting had taken place as a remembrance of that meeting between God and man. As Moses had set up the altar in Exodus 17:15, one of our key verses for today. Moses named his altar THE LORD MY BANNER. Abraham built an altar, too. Genesis 22:1-19. Abraham and his son Isaac walked up a mountain carrying the tools and equipment needed to build the altar and lay the sacrifice. Abraham named his altar THE LORD PROVIDES. 

    We have named our altars, too. We may travel hither and yon, but the memory of where we were when we spoke with God and God revealed Himself to us is our Remembrance. There was a time when my kids were little that we had just enough money coming in to pay the rent and the utilities. But we had no money for food. So we sat together in the kitchen, held hands and prayed for God to bring us something to eat. No sooner had we said Amen than there was a knock on the door. On the porch were some a couple of friends, each with their arms full of groceries. God already knew our need and had prepared in advance to answer our prayers of faith. THE LORD PROVIDES. 

    Therefore with full confidence I may say, as Moses said, THE LORD IS MY BANNER. I will wave His Name across the plains, the mountains, the oceans, the valleys and the lakes. I will carry His Name into battle each time I declare that He Is Lord, for Christ is not just Lord, He is MY LORD. I declare in my heart, in my home, in my family, in my church, in my neighborhood, in my city, in my state, in my country, and beyond, that wherever The LORD leads me, I will go, because He goes with me. 

    JESUS IS LORD. 

JESUS IS  LIFE

LORD OF ALL 

The Lord Is Mighty In Battle

 

Psalm 24:8
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD Mighty in Battle.

Exodus 15:3

The LORD is a Warrior, The LORD is His Name.

Exodus 15:6

Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.

Psalm 76:3

There He shattered the flaming arrows, the shield and sword and weapons of war. Selah

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Revelation 19:11

Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.

Exodus 14:13

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of The LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever."

2 Chronicles 20:15

And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what The LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.'"

Zechariah 9:14

Then The LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram's horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

Zechariah 12:9

So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:3

Then The LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 

Isaiah 66:15

For behold, The LORD will come with fire--His chariots are like a whirlwind--to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD - Maranatha! Music

VICTORY CHANT - Songs 4 Worship - Bob Fitts 

EVERY PRAISE - Hezekiah Walker

        Fear The LORD: be in awe of, wonder at, revere and honor Him. Set Him on high above all else and above all others. There is none other to fear when we fear The LORD as we ought to. 

WHOM SHALL I FEAR? = Chris Tomlin

The Lord's Voice Is Powerful

 

Psalm 29:4

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Psalm 68:33

To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. 

    The Voice of God is as a sound of thunder to those who cannot hear Him clearly:

1 Samuel 7:10

As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day The LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.

Exodus 20:18,19

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

    The Voice of The Lord can be soft, too, and still be powerful. It is heard with the spirit of the one who hears Him speak. God spoke the world and everything in it, on it, under it, over it and around it into existence. That's a powerful Voice.

    God's Voice is the Voice of Wisdom in The Book of Proverbs. It is the sound of the wind rushing into the upper room, the sound of confusion to His enemies, the sound of comfort to the grieving and mournful. The Voice of The Lord still speaks.

    He speaks in our hearts if we are willing to open up our hearts and listen to His Voice. He is speaking even now. Are you going to open up your hearts and let Him in so He can speak as Friend to friend?? Or are you going to shut the door of your hearts and not let Him in? Your choice. Choose wisely. For the days are short and getting shorter. 

    Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

INDIE FOLK WORSHIP 2

The Lord Is A Mighty Warrior

 

Exodus 15:3

The LORD is a Warrior, the LORD is His Name. 

Revelation 19:11

Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Psalm 50:3

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.

YOU DELIVER ME - Selah

    In Exodus 15:3 Miriam is singing to The Lord because she has seen firsthand how God delivers His people. Are we singing to The Lord with such abandonment and joy? Perhaps we have forgotten who we are in Christ and Who CHRIST IS in us. 

    Who am I in Christ? I can say, speaking only in reference to myself, that I am His songwriter and His singer. I am His student and His friend. I am His adopted sister and His bride. I am a voice in the wilderness crying out, as John the Baptist did, "Prepare you the way of The Lord!" No matter what or who I am in Christ, the point is: I AM IN CHRIST AND I AM HIS.

    Christ in me is: Redeemer, Savior, King, Friend, Deliverer, Anchor, Hope, Peace, Strength and so much, much more. 

    I tell you now, as the voice in the wilderness, and beg you in all earnestness, today just might be your day of salvation. From one moment to the next we are sure of nothing other than: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS. And He died on the cross for you and I, taking the punishment each of us should have had. But He didn't stay in the grave. He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave...changed, changed to a new life which is what He promises each person who believes Him and receives Him into their hearts and their lives. We call this salvation and the next person who gets saved could be you.

    The next time Christ arrives on this planet Earth will be when God sends Him to fetch His bride and bring her to the place He has prepared for her. 

    Then, after a period of time, Christ will return to set up His thousand-year reign, more commonly referred to as the millennial kingdom. 

    Not until after those thousand years have passed will Christ return as The Rider on the White Horse. Then, the people who are left who still refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is LORD will perish in their foolishness and wickedness. For it is wicked to not believe God and God's Faithful and True Word. 

REDEEMER SAVIOR FRIEND 

The Lord Is - - - September 2023

 

    Exodus 6:2

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him,

I AM THE LORD.

    Exodus 3:14,15

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

God also told Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation."

    This is a powerful statement and only a powerful GOD can make such a statement. The LORD God is such. He is Omnipotent: All powerful. He is Omniscient: All knowing. He is Omnipresent: Everywhere at the same time. 

    Omniscient: 1 John 3:20; Acts 1:24; Isaiah 40:28; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Isaiah 43:10-13. 

    Omnipotent: Revelation 19:6; Psalm 147:5; Joshua 4:24; Daniel 2:20-22; Romans 1:20.

    Omnipresent: Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:24; Proverbs 15:3; Colossians 1:17.

   Isn't it amazing that such a God could love us? Could extend the right arm of His righteousness to us? That God would wrap His Powerful Word in frail flesh and send Him to die as punishment for our sins? 

    For The Word, His Son, was and is perfect and in Him is no sin; in Him is no darkness. For Jesus Christ is wholly holy, He is Light and Love sent to bring mankind (women and men, girls and boys) back to The Almighty God. He is sent to bring you and I back to God. 

    We need to throw ourselves on the mercy of His courts (at the cross), repent of our sins against God and be forgiven by Him. We need to become His people once more by allowing His Holy Spirit to transform us from unrighteous living to righteous living. To prepare us to be servants in His kingdom. 

    I would rather be a servant in my Father's house than do anything else anywhere else. Psalm 84:10 "For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

LOVED,SAVED,FILLED

EL SHADDAY

(pronounced el-shad-dah'-ee)

GOD ALMIGHTY

Exodus 6:3

And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of GOD ALMIGHTY, but by My Name JEHOVAH was I not known by them. 

Genesis 17:1

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. (NLT)

 

PATER PHOS

(pronounced pat-ayr' foce)

FATHER OF LIGHTS

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Matthew 7:11

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

RUACH MISHPAT

(pronounced roo'-akh mish-pawt')

SPIRIT OF JUSTICE

Isaiah 28:6

A Spirit of Justice to Him who sits in judgment, and a Strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

John 5:30

I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

The Lord Is ....AUGUST 2023

 

        ADONAI 

(pronounced 'adhonay)

    SOVEREIGNTY

    1 Kings 2:26

And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Go to Anathoth, to thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of ADONAI JEHOVAH before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

    This is the first and only time the word ADONAI is used in the Bible as descriptive of one of God's Names. Though there are attachments to the Name ADONAI, as we will see further on, this is the only time the single definition of ADONAI is indicated. 

Isaiah 44:6

Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: "I am The First and I am The Last, and there is no God but Me."

Revelation 1:5

And from Jesus Christ, The Faithful Witness, the firstborn from the dead, and The Ruler of the kings of the earth. 

Deuteronomy 10:17

For The LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.

Revelation 19:16

And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Isaiah 45:23

By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone out from My mouth, a Word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

ADONAI - Joshua Aaron

ADONAI-SHALOM

(pronounced 'adhonay shaw-lome')

THE LORD IS PEACE

Judges 6:24

Then Gideon built an altar there unto The LORD, and called it 'ADONAI-SHALOM'; unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

(JPS Tanakh)

THE LORD IS OUR PEACE

Ephesians 2:14

For He Himself is our Peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility.

HIS PEACE OVERCOMES FEAR

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it fear.

HIS PEACE PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ADONAI-NISSI

(pronounced 'adhonay nace)

THE LORD MY BANNER

    Exodus 17:15

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it ADONAI-NISSI.

    Psalm 60:4

You have given a Banner to them that fear You, that it may be displayed because of the Truth. Selah.

    Psalm 20:5

May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a Banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions.

    Isaiah 5:26

He lifts a Banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold--how speedily and swiftly they come!

    Isaiah 11:10,12

On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a Banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.

He will raise a Banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

    John 3:12

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so The Son of Man must be lifted up.

    John 8:28

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up The Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.

    John 12:32

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”

ADONAI-NISSI

THE LORD MY BANNER

 

     The Son of Man was indeed lifted up and even now calls everyone who hears to come to the cross. Come and see Jesus. Come and be washed in the blood of The Lamb, that your sins would be washed away from your hearts when you repent of them. Come and receive The Spirit of God into your life that you may live a holy and righteous life in the presence of God. That you may be ready to meet Jesus in the air when The Father sends Him to bring His bride home.

    Come to the garden and be raised up in newness of life, ready to walk in the strength of The Lord and be filled with the power of His Holy Spirit to speak forth the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. That all who hear may believe and receive, as well. 

     Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the Water of Life drink freely.

ADONAI-JIREH

(pronounced 'adhonay  yir-eh')

THE LORD MY PROVIDER

Genesis 22:14

And Abraham called the name of that place ADONAI-JIREH; as it is said to this day: 'In the mount where the LORD is seen.'

    He is The God who will see to it that all His people's needs are provided for. 

    We need a relationship with God.

Genesis 1:26,27; 2:7 & 2 Peter 1:3

    We need to be loved so God loves us. 

2 Chronicles 9:8 & John 3:16 & Romans 5:8

    We need saving so God provides a sacrificial Lamb to take away our sins.

Genesis 22:8 & John 1:2

    We need cleansing to make us holy so God provides water

2 Kings 5:1-16 & John 3:5,6 

    and fire.

Matthew 3:11 & Acts 2:1-4

    The LORD Provides

    

The Lord Is ---May 2023

 

YHVH NISSI

(pronounced  yeh-ho-vaw'  nis-see')

THE LORD MY BANNER 

Exodus 17:15

And Moses built an altar and named it, “The LORD Is My Banner.”

    Moses declares not only Who is his Ruler, but Who he chooses to be ruled by. This, too, is my declaration: The Lord Is MY Banner.

    The Lord is my Standard. Not only do I set my sights on Him and follow His lead, but He is my Way of Life: my Standard of living. His banner over me is Love, the divine love of God goes before me, is raised above me; fills me with courage to persevere and accomplish His purposes in me, through me. 

     Psalm 60:4

You have raised a banner for those who fear You, that they may flee the bow. Selah

    Psalm 20:5

May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions.

    Song of Solomon 2:4

He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love.

IESOUS ARCHEGOS TELEIOTES PISTIS

(pronounced ee-ay-sooce' ar-khay-gos' tel-i-o-tace' pis'-tis))

JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of Our Faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

        Psalm 110:1

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

    Mark 16:19

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

    1 Corinthians 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

    Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

RHIZA IESSAI

(pronounced hrid'-zah es-es-sah'-ee)

ROOT OF JESSE

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4491

Root: descendant, progeny, source

From the Greek word 'rhiza): that which like a root springs from a root.

Romans 15:12

And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”

Isaiah 11:10

On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.

MASHIACH

(pronounced maw-shee'-akh)

MY ANOINTED ONE

1 Samuel 2:35

Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My Anointed One for all time.

John 1:41

He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). 

Both the Greek word "Christ" and the Hebrew word "Messiah" translate as Anointed One. 

Guard Your Heart - - Guard Against Idolatry (An Undivided Heart)

 

1 John 5:21

Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols - [false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God's place in your heart].

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1497

Idols: an image for worship, a false god

From the Greek word ' eidólon' (pronounced i'-do-lon). 

    From the time God set up the law defining Who should be worshiped and who should not, God's people (and many others who do believe) know their ten commandments; somewhat. 

    Exodus 20:1-6 is very specific about Who gets our worship and why. 

1. And God spoke all these words, saying, 

2. I am The LORD your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt, which delivered you out of the house of bondage,

3. You shall have no other gods before Me.

4. You shall not make for yourselves any graven images, or any likeness that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5. You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them: for I, The LORD, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the third and the fourth generation of them that hate Me;

6. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.

    To break this commandment is to turn our hearts from God. It's to turn our backs on God, to disregard His Word as unimportant in our lives, when, in point of fact, God's Word should be have the highest regard in our hearts and our lives. Our hearts are more than His dwellingplace, His home: our hearts are God's throne room. If The LORD truly reigns in our hearts, then we live to serve Him. 

    The person who does not live to serve The Almighty God is serving another god and has consigned themselves to His judgment and wrath. But there's hope (v 6). God shows mercy to the people who love Him and diligently keep His commandments, who guard His commandments in their hearts. 

    It's okay to say, "No" when someone invites you somewhere where the temptation to give in to sin will be hard to overcome. Pressure to disobey God is from the devil; escape from temptation is from God (1 Corinthians 10:13, 14). And we are to flee from idolatry. 

    It is both difficult at times and obvious at other times who is serving God with a sincere heart and who is not. This is why the believer needs spiritual discernment that only comes with being filled with God's Holy Spirit. He is the voice of caution, that sense of "I'm not sure I trust" feeling when we interact with some people. 

    In 1 Corinthians 5:11 Paul is writing to the believers, the church, to be careful of those in their congregation who claim to be brothers in Christ but whose actions prove otherwise. And that these are the idolaters that they are to avoid associating with. The same holds true for us today. To you who say we are not to judge one another, the Word says, "For what is it to me to judge those outside? Do you not judge those within? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13. 

    We must rid our churches of wolves in sheep's clothing: people who pretend to be brothers and sisters in Christ whose only object is to divide the church and overthrow it. But in order to do so effectively, we must fill ourselves with The Word of God and be filled with His Holy Spirit that we may discern the truth and rise up against that which is unholy in our midst. 

    The wedding garments of the bride of Christ must be unblemished and unstained; she must be pure and holy. Idolatry and idolaters are spots and blemishes on her garments. We must surrender our hearts fully to God and we must do so with loving hearts: hearts that desire to worship and serve God the way He wants to be loved and worshiped. 

    When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness to worship Satan, He replied with The Word of God, "It is written". The verses of Scripture to which Christ was referring are in Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20. James reminds us here in chapter 4 verse 7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 

    We who desire to serve God faithfully, who love Him with all of our hearts, and our minds, and our souls have turned from idol worship to God worship. We have repented of the wickedness of our hearts in serving other gods and surrendered our hearts to God: we want Him to rule over us. 

    You think you haven't been serving other gods? When you could take time out of your busy day to read and pray over God's Word but don't, what are you doing instead? When you could go to a church that preaches the full gospel of God's Word and not some sprinkled down, nit-picking preaching, where are you? When you could be spending time in your prayer closet, your war room, so to speak, but you aren't, to whom are you voicing your complaints, your desires, your drama? 

    Idols are everywhere. Saints cannot answer prayer. Statues cannot answer prayer. Social media cannot give you wise answers in response to your seekings. Church, we need to come to God and come quickly, to rid ourselves of the idols we have set up. We need to tear them down and burn them to ashes. As they who obeyed God in the Old Testament did. It is time to fall down before God with humble hearts and rise up against wickedness in high places in the church.

    Many churches are splitting from their global parent because they are choosing to follow God's Word faithfully. And are being come against for their conservative stance in this unhealthy, sinful world. They are removing the blemishes and stains from their garments, their congregations. I would hope they/we are doing so with love and mercy, as well as integrity and faithfulness to the Word of God. 

    Psalm 86:9-11

9. All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.

10.   For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.

11. each me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.

HEART OF WORSHIP MEDLEY

    

Intelligent Worship -- Worship God -- Part 4

 

Here we are on Part 4 of our Intelligent Worship Series. You get them in the order I was given them by the Spirit: all of are equal value in our study Intelligent Worship. 

DON'T WORSHIP OTHER (manmade) GODS

Exodus 23:24-25

You shall not bow down to worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do [anything] in accordance with their practices. You shall completely overthrow them and break down their [sacred] pillars and images [of pagan worship]. You shall serve [only] the LORD your God, and He shall bless your bread and water. I will also remove sickness from among you. 

WORSHIP GOD and none other. We have already read that God's name is Jealous. He desires our worship. When we worship God, we are acknowledging that only He Is God and that all that we have comes from Him, even the air we breathe and how we breathe it. 
We can cross reference this passage with Exodus 20:1-6 where God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses. While verses one and two are God reminding us Who He Is, verses 3-6 are the First Commandment: Worship God and none other.

1. And God spoke all these words:
2. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3. You shall have no other gods before Me.
4. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.
5. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6. but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Psalm 29:2 tells us to "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 113:3 reminds us "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised." Worship of God should be ever in our hearts (gratitude attitude) and on our lips. 

You and I like to be praised for what we do. Why are you surprised that God likes to be praised? "The LORD inhabits (dwells, lives in) the praises of His people." (Psalm 22:3 "But You are holy, O You that inhabits the praises of Israel." Other versions use the word "sit" or "enthroned upon". Knowing God is not limited by time or space we know He is not limited to just dwelling on our praises. We can consider our praises to be one of His thrones, for He has a few. 

WORSHIP GOD ONLY

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’”

 Deuteronomy 6:13

Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.

1 Samuel 7:3

Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines."

Isaiah 30:22

So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, "Be gone!"

Joshua 24:14

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

Pretty plain and vivid speaking here, wouldn't you say? If we put anything or anyone else first in our lives instead of God, His wrath and His judgments will fall on us, too. Other gods are not always idols, sometimes it's ideologies (doctrine, myth, belief that guides a person or the society in which they live) or cultures (civilization, education) or traditions (that's the way we've always done it mentality). 

When we put what we want ahead of what God wants for us, then we are making ourselves gods and serving our needs and desires instead of His. That's not right. We can justify our argument all we want but we're still wrong in our decision process. 

1 Samuel 12:14-15

If you will fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king (governmental authority) who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 

But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.

Nobody speaks plainer than God. As Joshua wrote, "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Intelligent Worship -- One God -- Part 1

      Before we can worship God we have to recognize that there is but One God and that God is the God of the Holy Bible. He is the God of all creation: the heavens: the stars, the moons, the planets, the suns, the galaxies, the black holes, the comets, the milky way, the asteroids and every other thing up in the universes. God is the God of the earth and everything in it, on it, under it, above it; including people. 

Genesis 1 and 2 tell us in some detail exactly how our planet came about and where we, as people, originate. And why. 

Recognizing that God Is, we also come to the logical and reasonable conclusion that there is only One God, as His Word says.

Exodus 34:14

For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

1 Corinthians 8:6

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.

Ephesians 4:4-6

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In addition to these listed there are so many more Bible passages declaring not only that there is One God but WHO GOD IS. One must merely set aside some time each day to read The Word of God. And when merely reading is no longer enough, we will find ourselves seeking God's Wisdom for understanding what we're reading, digging deeper into His Word to find nuggets of wisdom to apply to our lives. 

Plus, thoughtful prayer times must be initiated. It is impossible to know God deeper without knowing what His voice sounds like in your heart.