We Won't "See" Unless We "Look"

Then the LORD said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the LORD so jealous. “Son of man,” he said, “do you see what they are doing? Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even more detestable sins than these!” Then he brought me to the door of the Temple courtyard, where I could see a hole in the wall. He said to me, “Now, son of man, dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and found a hidden doorway. “Go in,” he said, “and see the wicked and detestable sins they are committing in there!” So I went in and saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel. [Ezekiel 8.5-10] 

The Church today only wishes the writings of the Old Testament prophets like Ezekiel had no significance to them. But it will be pointed out here that the words of these prophets have as much or even more relevance to God's people today than they had to the ancient people of Israel and Judah.

The significance of the passage above to the Church today is that never before has idolatry been more prevalent among God's people (the alleged 'Temple of God in Christ') than in this present day.

Whether God's people today "see it" or not, man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology have effectively flooded them - the "Temple of God" - with idols that provoke God to furious jealousy. God told Ezekiel "Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple?"

Whether we view this as an indictment against the present-day institutionalized Church or against every single individual among "God's people," the jealousy-provoking offense against Almighty God is the same: He is being driven from His Temple - displaced by idols. In fact, based on the powerless condition of the Church today, it could be more accurately concluded that God has been driven from His Temple (past tense).

This "revelation" makes painfully clear Jesus' repeated warnings about divided allegiance and faithlessness. It also provides the antithetical backdrop for man's faithlessness (idolatry), providing contrast to Jesus' miracles.

THINK! If it made God jealous that idols had been brought into the Old Testament Temple, how much more jealous does it make Him when the New Testament Temple, opened up by Jesus - the heart of man, is filled with idols?

God's people can argue to their heart's content that finance, insurance, medicine and technology are not idols, but they are lying to themselves. The test to see if something is an idol is simply this: can we - will we - live without it? Who today is willing to give up their interest-imposing loans? Wo today is willing to give up their premium-demanding insurance? Who today is willing to give up their costly repeating prescriptions? Who today is willing to give up their expensive technology? Who indeed is willing to comply with Jesus' unbending demand:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

You see, "giving up..." is not actually a "test" but is a "demand." It is, in fact, what 'seeking God's Kingdom first' looks like. And, it carries God's promise that He will provide:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

While Ezekiel's writings had undeniable application to ancient Israel and Judah, God was looking much further ahead! God's Word through Ezekiel speaks directly to the heart of God's followers today. By His Word, God is still asking, "do you see what they are doing?"

We won't "see" unless we sincerely "look." To sincerely look means to concur that the ancient writings of the Bible are in every way relevant to us today. As idolatry was the problem then, it is even more so the problem today. We "say" we believe the Bible, but, do we?

Father in heaven, Your Word is amazing. How You inspired ancient writers to pen words so relevant to us today is absolutely remarkable! Help us to see that as ancient Israel was tasked to give up their idols then, so we are tasked to give up our idols today. May we then be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. May Your undeniable power return to Your people. So be it.

Rumble Strips - Humble Strips

“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.” [Ezekiel 3.20-21] 

There is a timeless truth found in the passage above that few, if any, are willing to reconcile with. It is the fact that obstacles are God's way of pointing out to righteous people that they have turned away from righteous behavior.

What are obstacles? An obstacle is anything over which God has control that He uses to impede man's way to which man turns to at the expense of turning away from God's way.

What does God control? Quite literally, everything. So, God can employ anything to create a difficulty in a wayward man's life to indicate that he is indeed wayward. Deuteronomy 28.15-68 provides a near exhaustive list of these obstacles - called curses for disobedience.

The greatest lie ever propagated across the entire world is the lie that man has no responsibility to live righteously (obediently) as long as he believes in Jesus. This lie is the grand lie of "misinterpreted grace." The error of this misinterpreted grace message is that it must necessarily ignore God's way of notifying man of the presence of idolatry (which leads to every sin) - the obstacles found in Ezekiel's writing otherwise known as curses in Deuteronomy 28.15-68. In other words, this misinterpreted grace must twist the whole story of God's Word to make the ludicrous statement that bad things happen to good people.

The full implication of the paragraph above is beyond the scope of this article, however, it should be understood that the fatal error of misinterpreted grace (cheap grace) is that it completely ignores the personal responsibility that Jesus Christ placed upon every living soul who would follow Him:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

To be clear, "Grace" is God's unmerited favor offered to every soul who has or ever will live on earth, through the person of Jesus Christ, for those who repent and believe.

"Cheap grace" on the other hand, is God's unmerited favor offered to every soul who has or ever will live on earth, through the person of Jesus Christ, for those who simply want and accept it.

In plain language, when Jesus Christ lives in and rules a person's heart and life, that life will reflect Jesus in every way, giving up his own way, taking up his cross - doing the things that make him look and act just like Jesus because he is following Him.

But, back to the subject of obstacles... 

We should think of obstacles as "rumble strips" in our pursuit of Jesus letting us know when we are veering off the road signaling the need for corrective action. In this way, rumble strips effectively serve as "humble strips." Only a proud and stubborn driver would declare over the noise and discomfort of driving on rumble strips that he was on the right way. And yet, that is precisely what a person experiencing God's obstacles is saying when he believes the lie that 'bad things happen to good people' and therefore does nothing (takes no corrective action). Will this person also drive right through a "bridge out ahead" barricade in proud denial of what lies ahead?

God told Ezekiel:

“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.” [Ezekiel 3.20-21]

Father, Your Word is true and every man a liar in comparison. There are indeed some big lies out there today in Christian circles that exist only because Your people are ignorant of Your Word. Raise up watchmen who will declare Truth - the Truth of Your Whole Word - the Truth of Jesus Christ - the Truth of Your call to complete humility to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

What The Bible Has Been Saying All Along

So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!” [Jeremiah 38.4] 

This is the treatment one can expect for decrying idolatry. It was then, and it is now.

At first the prophet's word starts out and is discounted as as "crazy talk." But when it starts to get real and the prophecies start to manifest as "reality," the prophet is to blame.

To be sure, none of Jeremiah's troubles would have happened if he had not pointed out the people's idolatry. People don't like their idols revealed. They didn't in Jeremiah's day, and they don't now.

The Bible means nothing to modern man if it does not shed light on his present condition. The Bible's repeated warnings against betraying undivided trust in God alone, or, idolatry, is timeless.

The Bible's repeated warnings against idolatry all consolidate into one message: that idols will eventually fail. The problem with this fact is that idols don't fail until they have secured their idolatrous victims to fall with them. Then, both they and those who trust them fall into devastation assigned by God.

If this author could simply point to the Bible, it would be pointed out everywhere that the modern-day idol industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology will all eventually meet with disaster. The world witnessed a precursor to this in the Covid pandemic (the realities of which are only just now coming to light). To be sure, and as the Bible is true, more is to come that will make the Covid pandemic seem like a child's game. In all likelihood, artificial intelligence (AI) will erupt into the next worldwide disaster. If the world thought the Covid virus got out of hand (for whatever reasons, accidental or intentional), it should brace itself for how out of hand AI will become (and is becoming even now). As deep a mark as Covid left on the planet earth, AI will make it look like a harmless scratch. And still, the world, with God's people fully onboard, races forward with technology just like it still confidently races forward with medicine as if Covid never happened.

The thing is, when AI "turns" on mankind (as did medicine), finance and insurance will assuredly follow in sync.

Jeremiah's warnings against idolatry are as relevant today as they were the day he gave them. God's people are currently in the precarious position of Judah in Jeremiah's time. They have brought shame to the name of the LORD by trusting in their idols setting themselves up for no uncertain full-blown captivity to that idolatry (Babylon).

But Babylon's destruction is coming. And, just as Jeremiah's words were pertinent to God's people in his day, so they remain pertinent to God's people today, "Flee from Babylon! - It's annihilation is coming!" Jeremiah's words serve to warn God's people today (who are paying particularly close attention to God's Word) to get rid of their idols!

Soon, it will be communicated, as it was in Jeremiah's day above, that the words proclaimed here are treasonous demoralization against mankind. The legal system will join in with all the world and, sadly, many "Christians" to squelch the timeless message of the Bible against idolatry - the message that finance, insurance, medicine and technology are all indeed powerful, commercialized, and industrialized idols (man-made) that are slated by God for a tremendous "crash and burn."

This is not "new revelation" but rather the same timeless message of the Bible against idolatry! And, in the same timeless message of the Bible against idolatry, we should not be surprised that Jesus' message bought concision to the Bible's timeless message up to His time with these words:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

"Babylon" of our day says, "You must take care of yourself!" This is the clear, unashamed, and advertised commercial message of finance, insurance, medicine and technology - man's "own way" to take care of himself. In contrast, Jesus also said:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

There is no point in calling me a prophet... this is not about what I think or say - it's about what the Bible has been saying all along:

So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. [1 Corinthians 10.14] 

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. [1 John 5.21] 

1 John 5.21 in the New King James says it like this: Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Father, as I have merely pointed out what Your Word says, may Your Word accomplish in us everything You intend for it to. May Your Word draw us to undivided faith in You and You ALONE. May our flight from idolatry be our headlong dive into You - into Jesus - as we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. So be it. 

 

How We Live - Proves What We Believe - Regardless What We Say

The LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. [Jeremiah 51.15-16] 

When people do not believe the Bible and what it says about God, they likewise do not believe what it says about themselves:

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. [Jeremiah 51.17-18]

When people do not believe what the Bible says about God, they naturally make idols to do for themselves what otherwise they would depend on God to do.

Imagine for a moment what man-made idols look like... Do statues, trinkets, pictures, or dolls come to mind? I think for most people that is exactly what they envision. However, for anyone who actually believes that the Bible has relevance to mankind today, it should be understood that man's idols have kept pace with man himself.

If the Bible is true and relevant today, how can we accept Jeremiah 51.17?

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. [Jeremiah 51.17]

Do not man's wisdom and knowledge - his modern accomplishments - render Jeremiah 51.17 inaccurate and therefore unreliable? Are not man's accomplishments proof positive of his wisdom and knowledge? While we are highly tempted to think so, man's modern accomplishments are in fact his disgrace. For all man's effort invested in the development of his industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology (to name the big ones), when compared to God, that effort is pure futility. 

Man's accomplishments can never do for man what God said He would do for man. How do we know this to be true? Because every accomplishment of man costs man money. And, it keeps costing man money.

When the LORD our Provider provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice, it cost Abraham nothing.

When the LORD our Protector protected Israel by parting the Red Sea and closing it back upon the army of Egypt, it cost them nothing.

When the LORD our Healer healed numerous people all through the Bible, no money was exchanged.

When the LORD our Banner covered Israel with military success as Moses simply held his rod in the air against the Amalekites, again, no money was exchanged.

And yet, man blindly hands over money for interest payments, insurance premiums, prescription co-payments, and for gadgets and technology that is obsolete by time the money is exchanged for it, and is none the wiser. Man is, in fact, disgraced by this his foolishness and, what's more, a day of reckoning is coming. Is this day of reckoning an event in history, or, is it the day a man dies and stands before God as a foolish disgraced idolater having not trusted God ALONE by giving up his own way, taking up his cross, and following Jesus?

Why should man, whose God is the LORD God of Israel, Who is Creator of everything, have to pay God for anything? Does God need man's money to cover His expenses? Think about it!

But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name! [Jeremiah 51.19] 

God demands nothing from His people except obedience. Jesus echoed this truth:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

And, 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

While religious people will argue against everything suggested here with reasonable religious explanations (yeah, but...'s) - some even with elaborate and deeply academic rhetoric, true followers of Christ (the Word of God) will see just how far mankind has plunged into the pit of idolatry today. The remedy is simple but it will not be easy.

"Giving up" our every effort  to "help ourself" is the simple part refusing to continue to pay our idols. "Taking up our cross" facing every obstacle of life trusting God ALONE -fearless even to the point of death, is the hard part - it will not be easy. In fact, most will never do it - they may indeed participate with popular religion finding comfort in their numbers and their reasonable agreement, but they will not take Jesus' words literal... Jesus warned us of this very thing:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

For all the prevailing (and even valid) arguments against the institutionalized church today, none are so damning as the fact that the Church (as we know it today in the Western world) is a hotbed for the modern idols of man's making: finance, insurance, medicine and technology. A true believer in Jesus Christ would never immerse himself or herself in such faithlessness except for one reason and one reason only - to decry the idolatry therein. But, who's going to invite that guest speaker? Unironically, a relevant passage is found in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading: 

Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the LORD that had been consecrated in Jerusalem. [2 Chronicles 36.14]

Man's idols, even those that "Christians" claim are "gifts from God" are, as Jeremiah stated, a fraud. 

Sadly, "God's people" today trust the "weather man" about the temperature tomorrow with absolutely no regard that God controls the weather to serve His purposes (usually to point out unfaithfulness and sin).

The LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens. When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. [Jeremiah 51.15-16] 

God is either God of everything, or, He is God of nothing. How we live proves beyond doubt what we believe regardless what we say.

Father in heaven, man's increased wisdom and knowledge through the ages has only further advanced his disgrace evident in the idols of his making. May Your true followers set themselves apart for You ALONE, giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Who Is "Calling It" Today?

“The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the LORD. “It will strike the people of Babylon—her officials and wise men, too. The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them. The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered. A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. [Jeremiah 50.35-38] 

God used a highly idolatrous nation to punish His idolatrous people.

As Israel's story foreshadows our story today, we should understand that a little idolatry makes way for much more and much worse idolatry. And, if Babylon's story foreshadows the "hammer" with which God punishes His wayward people today, we should understand that commerce will be that hammer - and that hammer will be destroyed.

Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations! [Jeremiah 50.23]

You are a city by a great river, a great center of commerce, but your end has come. The thread of your life is cut. [Jeremiah 51.13]

It is not ironic that man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology have ascended to positions of unprecedented commerce in our time today. Along with all the self-gratification they provide, they effectively "beat" the recipients of their benefits, their subjects, with the "hammer" of financial burden: interest payments, premiums, prescriptions, and ever-obsolescent gadgetry. This "hammer" forces their subjects into time-devouring labor in order to keep up the appearance of success. With all the self-focused benefits provided by man's idols of finance, insurance, medicine and technology, man is busier today than at any other time in history.

But what happens when the hammer is broken? Everyone subject to the hammer will be destroyed too.

Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves! Don’t get trapped in her punishment! It is the LORD’s time for vengeance; he will repay her in full. [Jeremiah 51.6]

What happens if man's systems of commerce fail? Particularly in the West, man's idol-industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology all depend on the US Dollar. What happens if all confidence in the US Dollar is lost? Catastrophic collapse is the correct answer. What's more, everyone dependent upon (beholding to) these idols man made for himself will naturally suffer the same catastrophic loss.

If what God's people depend on is not God and God ALONE, they are vulnerable to loss and the suffering attached to it. And, that's just the financial aspect of it... What's worse is that no idolater will ever be at home with God in heaven.

What is said here is no more a "scare tactic" than were Jesus' instructions:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

And, 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Both directives Jesus gave are radical by every worldly standard. Worldly "common sense" tells us we have to "do something" regardless what Jesus said. Man's idol-industries fit the description of man's "doing something." And, to sweeten the bitterness of not quite tasting like what Jesus said, man claims his idol-industries are gifts from God. But one only has to watch or read these idol-industries' advertisements depicting their Babylon-like promotions of debauchery and self-centeredness to know that they have nothing to do with God whatsoever!

Jeremiah "called it" in his day. Babylon and its commerce would take Israel captive as punishment for their idolatry. Then, Babylon and its commerce would be destroyed for its idolatry. God will not tolerate idolatry.

Who is "calling it" today?

Father, may Your people distinguish themselves from the world by turning away from their idols and running to You. What a distinction that would make! May Your people literally give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

The Names And Faces Have Changed...

I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the LORD. [Jeremiah 30.17a] 

Oh, the religious banter this verse gives way to! There is no lack for heated dispute about what this verse implies... In the end, however, it comes down to "context." In this case, the context is the repeated idolatry (disobedience) of God's people, God's retribution, the people's repentance, and God's redemption. It is, in fact, the story of the entire Bible. The names and faces change, but the story is the same.

The "story" is all about God's people and their relationship to Him demanding their undivided obedience to Him - first in the Garden of Eden, and later on Mount Sinai (the Ten Commandments). Again, the names and faces change, but the story is the same.

As the "story" goes, God sent His Son to earth to help. Jesus however demanded no less undivided obedience. Yes, the names and faces changed, but the story did not.

In perfect context with the story of the entire Bible, Jesus gave a concise synopsis of the Ten Commandments but with words so constricting that they leave no possible misunderstanding:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

As the names and faces have continued to change, this is where I come in... I want to be a follower of Jesus! I want to please God. But, wanting is not enough - Bible history proves it never has been...

As the Ten Commandments pointed out, and as Jesus summarized, anyone who would please God must refrain from his own selfish disobedience and instead live God's way. Jesus echoed this demand with the words, "give up your own way." 

Man's idolatry is much greater than just trinkets and statues, or images and objects found in nature. Man's idolatry starts in his heart - it starts with what man wants for himself - what his definition of "living" is. It is, in fact, his own way. It is a way that must die in order to fully obey God. It is, in fact, what take up your cross is all about. Jesus demonstrated it. His "living" demonstrated the miraculous power of God over natural physical circumstances. His "dying" demonstrated the power of God over eternal time and space - without regard for temporal life on earth. Jesus lived and died in what immovable, undivided faith in God ALONE looks like - like redemption, restoration - resurrection. Jesus showed us everything idolatry against God is not.

So, why does man still experience the need for health and healing as promised in Jeremiah 30.17? This very question reveals gross ignorance of the story of the entire Bible. However, in modern times where idolatry is the overwhelming norm and not the exception, the question posed here is the platform for all manner of religious obtuseness. The obvious answer to the question is, idolatry however, to give that answer implies that widespread and unchecked worship of idols remains the overriding condition of man - the names and faces have changed, but the story is the same. Of course the godless world cannot see this truth, but for God's would-be people to miss it can only mean one thing: they are, like the world, grossly ignorant of the story of the entire Bible!

Jesus did not make idolatry go away. He clarified that His followers must give up their own way which is the very root of idolatry. The names and faces have changed, but the story of the entire Bible has not.

Father, I can ask You to help us see... but Your help is already in view in Your Word - Jesus. Our problem then is not our sight, but our will. May we see the truth of the entire Bible - giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Cheap Grace IS False Prophecy

They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The LORD says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’ [Jeremiah 23.17] 

The message that false prophets preached, identified by Jeremiah above, is the same message false prophets are preaching today ...calling it "Grace." But, it's cheap grace.

The wildly popular version of "Grace" that false prophets preach today makes Jesus Christ a replacement for the Ten Commandments instead of a replacement for the sacrifice of animals. The blood Jesus shed did not break the Covenant of God's Word, but fulfilled it! Jesus' blood, once and for all, replaced the blood of animal sacrifices required to make man right with God as eternally required for breaking the Ten Commandments! The Ten Commandments did not go away, but the repeated sacrifices for breaking them did for those who trust in Christ as the only way to God and His every blessing. For Christ's blood to accomplish anything short of making man right with God measured by the standard of the Ten Commandments is a gross misrepresentation of both God and His Son. Cheap grace despises God's Word.

False prophets who spout "cheap grace" today are the same false prophets who refuse to acknowledge the gross idolatry that is more prevalent in mankind today than ever before. The looser the "grace," the more idolatry is tolerated - the more man-made solutions (idols) promising peace and safety are accepted by "God's people." Any message that relieves man of the responsibility to trust God ALONE in the Way He demands it, faith in Jesus Christ, despises God's Word.

Here are some things that are always associated with idols: promises of peace, "self" pursuit, and promises of protection. Every promise made by idols, effectively negating every promise of God, despises God's Word. 

The cheap grace that false prophets preach most often skips repentance. Every sin of man can be traced to pride (the number one thing God hates). Pride is choosing idols over God (specifically, the arrogance of man to think there even is a choice). Failure to repent of sin, rooted in pride (the incubator of idolatry), despises God's Word.

There is no distinction today between the "Church" and the rest of the world. Even though the Bible records God's ancient people repeatedly asking, "Why do we suffer curses and difficulties?" to which God ALWAYS replied, "Because of your idolatry!" the "Church" today ignorantly attributes curses and difficulties instead to randomness. Failing to acknowledge that God controls EVERYTHING despises God's Word. 

If God's Word can be despised, should not true followers of God pay extra attention to avoid that scenario? Yes, they should!

Unfortunately, man is incapable of not despising God's Word. Since the sin of Adam, this was true of all mankind and will continue as long as the earth exists. Man still must obey the Ten Commandments to have peace and protection (avoid harm). The singular act of repentance-and-faith in Jesus Christ, and absolutely no other source/remedy/idol, is the Way to accomplish that. To seek peace and protection from anything or anyone other than God THROUGH Jesus Christ is the message of idolatry preached by false prophets. "Grace" that allows idolatry (and the sin it leads to) is indeed false prophecy no matter how loudly the false prophet proclaims, "Don’t worry! The LORD says you will have peace!" and, "No harm will come your way!" 

In the midst of turmoil and devastation (the curses described in Deuteronomy 28.15-68), the true prophet of God says, "Repent and believe God's Word." To be sure, idolatry with all its pride and sin is what must be repented of - it was in Bible times, and, it is now - and Jesus Christ (God's Word) is Whom we must believe in.

Father, as difficult as these words are today, they reveal a problem no one is talking about: idolatry. This idolatry is what has brought all manner of curses upon Your people while false prophets keep preaching "Don’t worry! The LORD says you will have peace!" and, "No harm will come your way!"  May our eyes and ears be opened to the Truth that is Your Word. May our eyes and ears be opened to the Truth that is Jesus Who demanded that we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. So be it.