Idols

Dion – I Put Away My idols

 

There are the obvious materialistic idols of our culture, but what are the Christian equivalents? Maybe they are among the ones we justify or even sanctify but I think they might be the most dangerous of all. An idol is anything that takes over the place of God in our lives. I am looking to that one thing to give me real life, to protect or to enrich me. It is anything that squeezes God into the margin of my life because this one thing has become worth more to me than He is. I look at my life and know that there were many points where my marriage, my family, my church, my profession, my appearance as a leader or disciple mattered, my knowledge of who God was and sad to say, even the spiritual gifts that I operated in.

Why is this coming up today? Judges chapter 17 has always sat uneasy with me. So today, instead of trying to figure it out contextually, I am reading it and trying to see what it is telling me today. Just as Micah casts his own idol, I too have cast mine. In the end, I am just a fool like Micah.

Then I keep reading in Judges chapter 18 and there is more. The Danites were in the centre of idolatry.  I always noticed that in Revelation, the tribe of Dan is not listed. I believe Levi appears in the inheritance instead of Dan. Could it be that what took place here in Judges affected what was described in Revelation?  Is Dan the apostate tribe of Israel representing a type of Judas Iscariot?

So they set up Micah’s carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh. – Judges 18:31  ESV

This last verse of Judges chapter 18 maybe tells it best.

God has created a way to be approached. But because I am not fulfilled or not happy with that way, I take a little from this belief system and a little bit more from the world and I make God in my own image. I am not sure why this is done because at the end of the day, it never fulfills and never brings joy. God calls out to us and shouts to us – draw near, and I will be right there with you, and My Word is a lamp and a light to show you the way. The church is there as a body of believers who can strengthen and disciple. How do I say no thanks and still find a way to worship in the way that is right in my own eyes.

I look at the end of Jesus life as recorded by Mark and I realise that only women are there with Him.

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. – Mark 15:40-41  ESV

Where are the men who have made bold claims of following Jesus?

I read Psalm 89 to find a worship song that gets it all right – the song is to the Lord alone whose steadfast love matters more than anything.

He uses “selah” four times, the most used in any Psalm. I was reading a post from a worship leader who is looking at being a disciple through the perspective of worship. Interesting perspective for sure and he wants to do a study on the word “selah” because he notes how it changes the attitude and direction of the Psalm writer. It somehow brings transformation – it is what I am looking for as I journey this walk. Somehow it must be a word that gets my mind off of idols and back on glorifying God.

 

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Degree of commitment

 

Commitment is exactly what the gospel is all about. It is why Jesus calls us to make disciples rather than to evangelise for salvation. Samson may have messed up his call but he was committed and knew that meant he might even have to die himself in order to fulfill the call of God in his life.

Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”[g]And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.        Judges 16:23-25  ESV

Jesus came not as a temporal prince, but preached repentance, reformation and a holy life. He moved and directed our thoughts and affections and even our dreams to another world. For this, the religious leaders sought to destroy Him.

Remember the Garden incident:

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.”  And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him.  And they laid hands on him and seized him.  But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant[e] of the high priest and cut off his ear.  And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.  And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him,  but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.  Mark 14:43-52  ESV

Peter cuts off the ear of a man – what an illustration to say that it is easier to fight for Christ than to die for Him. Is there a difference between faulty disciples and hypocrites?  Hypocrites can rashly and without thought call Jesus their Master, even expressing great affection. In the end though, they would betray Him and His followers.

In the midst of my thinking of commitment today, I ran across this verse prior to the one above.

But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.  Mark 14:6-7  ESV

A time for sacrificial worship. Jesus protects her as she worships. Her commitment was  humility – she offered more of that than any of the disciples. Remember that Jesus had just rode into Jerusalem as a King – shouldn’t kings be anointed? Mary understood this, it would seem the disciples did not.

 

 

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Questions

 

Matt Redman – Questions (You Are Faithful)

 

What intrigued me most about Mark chapter thirteen were the questions the disciples asked Jesus and how He used it as a teaching moment.

I am reminded once again that what I set my eyes upon in this world have no value compared to what I set my eyes upon in the spiritual world. And where my eyes look, so seems to be the place of my heart.

So when I read verses like this one, Jesus reminds me of what really matters and why my relationship with Him is most important.

But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. – Mark 13:9  ESV

Am I prepared to stand in courts, to be beaten (in Jewish courts that was 39 stripes, 13 to the chest and 26 to the back)?

This chapter is filled with the statement to “be on guard.” Not only because of upcoming events but He followed those statement with the proper response and life-style that His disciples should follow. In their hearts they had to be living in the light of His coming. And yet this statement in particular was to get them ready for what was coming next.

I know that I might be able to say that I have not suffered persecution in my time, but I can just as honestly say that I have not lived a life that would have caused people to persecute me. I have avoided ridicule and trouble because I do not want to face persecution. I found myself compromising when needed. Sometimes it is just easier to fit in.

There is definitely a need in my life to ask Jesus more questions. Something tells me I would be able to stand more firm than I am now.

 

 

 

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God does not crash my party

 

I was very young when I learned that the Holy Spirit was a gentleman and would never push His way into my life – He wanted and waited to be invited. What is He waiting for? For me to wake up. Wake up from what? All of my business that I am absorbed in, my pride in how my own religion is working out, and busy bringing my own brand of truth as I understand it to the world.

How hard it is to realise how easy it is not to seek God.  When I do, I do not do it appropriately, I will do it halfheartedly. The promise is never half-hearted seeking.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.                        Jeremiah 29:13  ESV

I found this testimony – there was no name attached to it – it speaks to Jeremiah’s verse – so I will let you read it and see where it goes from there.

Often times in conversations about the gospel I’ll speak about being a “lackluster Christian.” Now, do not take that out of context. That was just my expression for how I was sitting on my calling in order to just merely “look” like I was saved. I sang in the choir, praise danced, and even paid my tithes and offering faithfully. But, that was not enough. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. ” were the words I read in Jeremiah 29:13. I looked at that page for a while trying to figure out what all of my heart meant… AND if I was able to hand over that much of myself. That is when I realized I wanted to be a DISCIPLE. I decided to commit myself to the man who so boldly asked for my entire heart and commitment through that scripture. I wanted to pray dangerous prayers, have unwavering faith, and live in the supernatural. Thus, I decided to live unafraid, and bear my cross. 

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How Jesus approaches us

 

Shine Jesus Shine

 

You know how Jesus taught in parables? Most of us have probably heard the reason why, in fact, I know that when I am communicating my best, it is when I use a story to illustrate a point.

When I do communicate that way, I am doing something else. I am trusting the Holy Spirit to do His job in making sure my audience understood what I was trying to say. I am sure we have heard the “preacher” think it is best run over their audience with the truth – it is just not the way Jesus did it. It isn’t God’s plan.

These were the words Jesus quoted from Isaiah by Jesus in Matthew 13:14-15:

Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
    and with their ears they can barely hear,
    and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
    and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
    and turn, and I would heal them.’

This is why I am starting to make the differentiation between the initial and possible emotional response and a life changing permanent discipleship. In the parables here in Matthew 13, germination referred to the first and fruit-bearing to the second.

Look at this little nugget of a parable – fits into one verse.

And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” – Matthew 13:52

Literally there is a call to dispose and not display – meaning if I am a disciple, my task is to make another disciple. I believe the scribe is a discipling disciple – the treasure they have gained is a treasure they pass out to others. That was my most exciting find today!

So making disciples is a holistic endeavor that requires me to rummage around my treasury, pulling out the new and the old, and giving away my possessions of wisdom, knowledge and memories, to those who may benefit from them. If any of my treasures have not come from my experience, then I become a teacher, but if I have followed Christ in obedience to His word, then I become a disciple-maker.

 

 

 

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