Is God Honored In Our Lives?

For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me. [Hosea 11.7] 

The entire context of Hosea is idolatry. 

Hosea's accusation here is prophetic of today's Church. We laud God as "our everything," but turn to our idols for every solution. The most common idols we turn to are debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

The "work-around" that justifies our idolatry is to acknowledge God. We call Him God, but trust our idols to do His work in us. We go so far in this our depravity as to believe God gave us those idols. And then, we have the audacity to really think we are honoring God. Well, Hosea blows that fallacy out of the water. It is a sick religion that calls God "God" but trusts in idols to do God's work in us. How does that honor God? It doesn't.

Because faith is the only thing that pleases God, Hebrews 11 gives us a vivid picture of what trusting God looks like. Trusting God is honoring God. The largest portion of Hebrews 11 speaks of supernatural miracles by which God was honored in the lives of genuine believers. But the last part of Hebrews 11 is where most Christians "choke"...

...But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. [Hebrews 11.35]

Honoring God is refusing to turn from God. The litmus test that determines if we truly honor God or not is this: get rid of anything suspect as an idol and see if God can still provide what that idol would have provided otherwise.

No? Not willing to open that door? 

The apostle Paul clearly instructed the believers in Corinth to examine themselves for genuine faith:

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. [2 Corinthians 13.5]

There is no way to examine for genuine faith unless we remove every other contributor but God. This may require "taking up our cross..."

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [1 Peter 1.6-7]

No, this does not mean God wants us to suffer... But it does mean He wants ALL the glory and honor ...and He won't get it if we resort to self-preservation (which, by the way, is everything debt, insurance, medicine and technology accomplish). Resurrection power comes only after "the cross." Jesus demonstrated it - and Jesus demanded it:

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)]

Father, Your Word is true. You are God. May genuine believers honor You the way the Bible says You are honored. May genuine faith be found among Your people as they intentionally rid themselves of idols to reveal Your power, honoring You. So be it.

Hosea's Life And Writing Are Graphic

“Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning! [Hosea 8.11] 

Hosea's life and writing are graphic. All of today's One Year Chronological Bible reading is about idolatry in Israel and also Judah.

It is pure fantasy for a modern-day Christian to read Hosea's writings and not believe idolatry is as much or more a problem today. Unless of course... the very place Christians go to worship promotes idolatry, then Christians have a problem!

Idolatry is trusting in anything other than, or in addition to, God.

Churches today do not decry man's modern-day industrialized idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. In fact, when it comes to these idols, man runs to them like Israel ran to Assyria:

Like a wild donkey looking for a mate, they have gone up to Assyria. The people of Israel have sold themselves—sold themselves to many lovers. [Hosea 8.9]

The subject passage of this article reveals Israel's attempt to appease God while holding onto their idolatry just like the Church today (with a church on nearly every corner) tries to appease God but is holding onto idolatry.

What's more, the Church today fits the description of Hosea 8.12 perfectly:

Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them. [Hosea 8.12]

Yes, the Church today touts, "Grace!" as if God's laws don't apply to them. In particular, the first three of the Ten Commandments are trampled by man's unrestrained lust for the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology that do for man what God jealously said He would do for man.

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7] 

And yet, the Church hides behind its invisible wall of "grace" while in unrestrained "orgy mode" with its idols (corporately and individually), conveniently ignoring Jesus' words:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. [Matthew 5.17-19]

And, even worse, the Church unashamedly disregards Jesus' version of the first three of the Ten Commandments:

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)]

The "grace" today's Church promotes is indeed its altar to "take away sin" but that altar has become the very place the Church sins. Biblical grace does not negate Jesus' demand that we give up our own way. Biblical grace does not negate Jesus' demand that we take up our cross, not life. Biblical grace demands that we follow Jesus.

To be clear, we are not burdened to keep ourselves from idols so that we will be saved. We are burdened to keep ourselves from idols because we are saved. That is grace. But, as long as the Church today condones and even promotes whoredom with the world's idols, indistinguishable from the world in any perceivable way, the Church will remain powerless, albeit entirely content with its highly emotional worship, preaching and teaching.

The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt. [Hosea 8.13]

Egypt represents bondage to idolatry. It represents the powerless condition of God's people when they are sold to slavery.

We can worship, preach and teach all day long with emotions ranging from joyous jubilation to woeful wailing but if God's irrefutable miraculous power does not manifest, we are only kidding ourselves. In this condition, we are in bondage - bondage to Egypt - bondage to our idols - and our altars are simply places for sinning. In this condition, we are void of the power to be provided for, protected, healed and unburdened but worse, we are void of the power of grace to overcome sin.

I am not mad at the Church but I believe God is. I believe He is mad because all the places of worship (altars) have become places where idolatry is not only condoned, but embraced - they have become places for sinning. They worship God with great emotion, but do so while stubbornly retaining their other lovers that offer them everything God promised... wealth, protection, health, and convenience. These idols are the industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

Father, I cannot unlearn what Your Word has been saying all along. Idolatry was, is, and always will be (as long as the earth continues) man's adulterous betrayal of You. May this truth be revelation to Your people and may they be found giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Jesus in response. May this truth prepare Your spotless bride for Whom Jesus will return. May I be among those few. So be it.

Stop Trying To Be Reasonable

At that time King Ahaz of Judah asked the king of Assyria for help. [2 Chronicles 28.16] 

King Ahaz's request of the king of Assyria was a reasonable move. Certainly, Judah was in a tight spot and needed help:

The armies of Edom had again invaded Judah and taken captives. And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages. [2 Chronicles 28.17-18]

Reason, however, is never a good platform upon which to stand when it involves trusting anything other than, or in addition to, God. It never has been and it never will be.

Anything man trusts in other than, or in addition to, God, is an idol.

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, we have several dynasties documented of both Israel and Judah. The subject passage above occurred in the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz's call upon the king of Assyria was indeed an act of trusting anything other than, or in addition to, God. What followed describes idolatry perfectly.

So when King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria arrived, he attacked Ahaz instead of helping him. Ahaz took valuable items from the LORD’s Temple, the royal palace, and from the homes of his officials and gave them to the king of Assyria as tribute. But this did not help him. [2 Chronicles 28.20-21]

Later in time, in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, after wicked Ahaz's reign and into the reign of mostly righteous Uzziah, we have the prophecy of Hosea against Israel that provides a telling comparison to Judah:

Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God.” [Hosea 1.6-7]

God was telling Hosea that Israel, during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash, was acting like a prostitute while Judah (ruled by Uzziah) was remaining faithful to God and was therefore shown love by God. What that love shown by God looked like is where we need to pay attention!

God Himself said to Hosea: I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God.

The benefit of trusting God meant that Judah did not have to even resort to the conventional (reasonable) weapons of warfare!

Now, contrast the statement above with the fact that Ahaz called upon Assyria for help. Ahaz's misplaced faith in Assyria was an affront to God. 

GOD NEITHER NEEDS NOR WANTS MAN'S HELP!

God wants man to trust Him implicitly. 

So, back to the perfect description of idolatry mentioned above... The very "idol" Ahaz trusted to remedy his woes became a tribute-imposing captor. This is precisely what man's "helpful industries" (idols) of debt, insurance, medicine and technology ALL DO! Their "benefit" comes with tribute-imposing captivity - all for the sake of providing what God says He alone reserves the right to provide for His people. Man reasonably pays money for the reasonable benefits of these reasonable industries while God irrationally promises His power will provide those benefits without assistance—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God. God's power is incalculable, let alone irrational.

The story of the Bible is God's desire for man to unquestionably trust Him ALONE. By "Bible" I mean the ENTIRE Bible. Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) was naturally no less demanding of man's unquestioning trust:

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)]

"Religion about God" is man's response to God with reasonable "faith" mixed with the fear of death (loss, etc.). In contrast, "Relationship with God" is man's response to God with irrational faith and zero fear of death (loss, etc.). 

The Bible confirms this whether we think it's reasonable or not.

How we should respond to God and His Word then is modeled perfectly by Hezekiah:

Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city. [2 Kings 18.1-8]

Like Hezekiah, and as directed in the words of John, 

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. [1 John 5.21 NKJV]

Religion will tell us, "be reasonable." But, if we are to have a relationship with God that is anywhere close to Biblical (and pleasing to God), we will intentionally rid ourselves of idols and follow Jesus with no concern for the "life" everyone else is so fearful to maintain.

Father, Your Word could not be clearer. You fully expect that I give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Jesus. May I stop trying to be reasonable. So be it.

What Man Fears Is His God

The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. [Isaiah 8.11-13] 

How do we not think like everyone else does? In simplest language: "Fear nothing but God."

The world is fearful, but not fearful of God. 

The world is fearful of lack. 

The world is fearful of not being protected. 

The world is fearful of sickness and disease. 

The world is fearful of discomfort.

Because the world does not fear God, it fears everything else. To remedy this fear of everything else except God, the world has made for itself, a plethora of named idols found in the industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. Through fear, the world makes these idol industries "holy" unto itself, thus making them gods. No one can deny the monetary homage paid to these gods through interest payments, premiums, prescriptions, and must-have highly entropic gadgetry. What man fears is his god. The gods of debt, insurance, medicine and technology are abundant and widespread ...even in the Church.

Fear is trust.

Plainly put, because God promised in His Word every provision and protection for His own, one cannot fear Him and still fear anything else.

In the context of today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, Isaiah reveals the truth above, but also reveals the Messiah - Jesus Christ:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9.6]

Why is this important? Because Jesus' demand upon His followers contains wording that addresses not only man's fear, but his ultimate fear of death:

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 please God, our only option is to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

When we "take up our cross" we effectively snub our nose at every other fear up to and even including death. When we give up our own way and take up our cross, we make Jesus (God With Us) holy in our lives AND NOTHING ELSE. If we fear anything besides God, He is not holy in our lives - He is not wholly ours and we are not at all His.

Father, our idolatry makes everything said here sound radical or even fanatical. But Your Word is no lie and Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life. May we find the courage to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. May we not be found thinking like everyone else, but be found fearing nothing but You! So be it.

The Universal Problem And The Universal Solution

The LORD gave this message to Micah of Moresheth during the years when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. The visions he saw concerned both Samaria and Jerusalem. Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! Let the earth and everything in it hear. The Sovereign LORD is making accusations against you; the Lord speaks from his holy Temple. Look! The LORD is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath his feet and flow into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill. And why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel—yes, the sins of the whole nation. Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital! [Micah 1.1-5]

Micah called out both Israel and Judah on idolatry. He did this in the reigns of Judah's kings Jotham, his son Ahaz, and Ahaz's son, Hezekiah.

The interesting thing about Micah's words leveled against Judah in particular is the last question in the passage above: Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital!

We should consider what the Scriptures say about each of the kings of Judah in whose time Micah wrote.

Jotham son of Uzziah began to rule over Judah in the second year of King Pekah’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. He rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the LORD. [2 Kings 15.32-35]

Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah’s reign in Israel. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree. [2 Kings 16.1-4] 

Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city. [2 Kings 18.1-8]

I cannot help but believe that Micah's prophecy came very early in Hezekiah's reign as king of Judah. In fact, Micah's prophecy could easily have been the driving force behind Hezekiah's notable reforms.

Jotham was a good man, but failed to lead Judah (including his own family) out of idolatry. Ahaz (Jotham's son) was an idolatrous and corrupt man and led Judah further into idolatry. Hezekiah was a good man and led Judah to actively reject idolatry and pursue the LORD.

Micah's prophecy highlights the importance of political leadership not only following God, but leading the people in that same pursuit.

Micah's prophecy also confirms that idolatry was the "problem" in his time just as it had been centuries before his time and would be centuries after. 

In the Bible's message of God's redemption, idolatry is the timeless, antithetical, underlying, and universal problem of mankind.

Speaking of Samaria, Israel's capital, Micah implicates Israel as the primary driver of the idolatry that reached Judah.

All her carved images will be smashed. All her sacred treasures will be burned. These things were bought with the money earned by her prostitution, and they will now be carried away to pay prostitutes elsewhere.” Therefore, I will mourn and lament. I will walk around barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. For my people’s wound is too deep to heal. It has reached into Judah, even to the gates of Jerusalem. [Micah 1.7-9]

The role of money should not be overlooked in comparison of Israel's (and Judah's) idolatry to prostitution. This role of money should not be ignored in today's idolatry that this author insists is cloaked in today's industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

Ahaz's leadership needs no explanation. Jotham's leadership was non-existent (even though he was a Godly man). Hezekiah's leadership gave action to his Godliness that righteously affected the people.

Hezekiah had a relationship with God and his relationship with God righteously affected what he had control over as king, the people of Judah. To be clear, under Hezekiah's rule problems still arose, but his leadership of trusting in God alone led to Judah's victory.

Righteous political leadership is essential for a nation to enjoy God's blessings and protection. It always has been and it always will be. The Biblical defining characteristic of righteous political leadership is the recognition and eradication of idolatry in the pursuit of God. One must look no further than man's ingenuity to find his idols. The way of man, independent of, and rebellious against God, is idolatry.

In timeless wording, Jesus addressed this universal problem with no uncertain demand that it be addressed head-on:

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)]

Father, may the eyes of Your people and their leaders be opened to the universal problem of idolatry and Your universal solution of Jesus Christ. May Your leaders and Your people be identified today by giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Do We "Get It"?

And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” [Isaiah 6.9-10] 

Why would the Lord say this to Isaiah? Why would Jesus quote this passage from Isaiah?

To better understand the meaning of Isaiah 6.9-10, we can look to the New Testament references to it.

Jesus quoted Isaiah's passage after publicly telling the Parable of the Sower to people when He privately told His disciples what it meant.

That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13:13-15]

Mark recalled it like this: 

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’” [Mark 4:12]

Luke recorded it like this:

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ [Luke 8:10]

The apostle Paul is on record of having referred to Isaiah 6.9-10 as well: 

So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these  people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Acts 28:23-27]

Not everyone will "get it" regarding God's Word. Consequently, not everyone will enjoy the forgiveness and healing of God's Word. As we looked at the New Testament references to Isaiah 6.9-10, we should also consider the following from today's One Year Chronological Bible reading:

“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the LORD’s word. And those who swear by the shameful idols of Samaria—who take oaths in the name of the god of Dan and make vows in the name of the god of Beersheba—they will all fall down, never to rise again.” [Amos 8.11-14] 

The famine of hearing the words of the LORD is the exact famine upon society today. But Amos provides a clue why this is so: this famine is directly tied to those who swear by the shameful idols of Samaria—who take oaths in the name of the god of Dan and make vows in the name of the god of Beersheba - it is tied to idolatry.

This famine is twice defined for what it actually is in the Psalms:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18] 

So, what is the deciding factor for those who "get it" and those who do not? Those who "get it" are those (and only those) who have embraced "God only" for every circumstance in their lives.

In contrast, those who embrace idols (whether in lieu of or in addition to God matters not), make their own conscious choice against God that effectively blinds and deafens them to Him and His Word.

The Parable of the Sower mentioned above actually reveals this if we will simply "get it." There is hard soil, soil with rocks, unattended soil where thorns grow, and finally good "farmed" soil. The difference between the first three soils and the good "farmed" soil is the recognition that "unfarmed soil" is a life of idolatry - it is hardened against the Word, the Word can't take root, or it chokes out the Word.

Those who embrace idols do not "get it" regarding Jesus' exclusive 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)]

Jesus, in obvious God-fashion, left no room for retaining anything of our own... not our will, not our ideas, not our inventions, not our efforts... NOT OUR IDOLS! And, just to be sure that we "get it" fully, Jesus went on to demand that we relinquish any retention upon life itself, "take up your cross..."

Jesus' demand to give up your own way is an affront to any and everything of man's doing. For those unwilling to comply, hardness of heart is the result that further manifests in not being forgiven and not being healed. Jesus' demand plugs their ears and shut their eyes of those who resist in even the most minute way.

With modern man's undeniable dependence upon his own inventions of debt, insurance, medicine and technology (to name the broad-scale offenders), it should come as no surprise that man will not "get it" when his inventions are called out as "idols." It should furthermore come as no surprise that God's power does not manifest on his behalf. And, because the Church embraces man's idols just as much as the world, it is no wonder that the Church today is so overwhelmingly powerless compared to Jesus Christ.

Does this offend us? If so, perhaps we don't "get it" and idolatry is afoot. 

...not my words, but God's Word!

Father, help us to "get it" regarding our wholesale idolatry. May our eyes see and our ears hear Your written and Living Word, giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus ...so that we might be obviously forgiven and healed in accordance with the Scriptures. So be it.

Trust In Idols Breaks Trust With Jesus

“Go ahead and offer sacrifices to the idols at Bethel. Keep on disobeying at Gilgal. Offer sacrifices each morning, and bring your tithes every three days. [Amos 4.4]

It just occurred to me that the obligatory sacrifices described in Amos 4.4 sound just like the obligatory payments that God's people make to the industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. The payments people commit themselves to make to debt, insurance, medicine and technology are to secure "benefits" God has declared in His Word that He wants His people to trust Him ALONE for.

Consider what Amos went on to say on behalf of God:

“I brought hunger to every city... [Amos 4.6]

“I kept the rain from falling... [Amos 4.7]

“I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. [Amos 4.9]

“I sent plagues on you... [Amos 4.10]

“I destroyed some of your cities... [Amos 4.11]

If all of these "problems" are translated to present-day circumstances, they represent the very circumstances that man idolatrously turns to (remedies with) debt, insurance, medicine and technology - instead of God.

It is no mistake then, that after each of the accusations above, God said, "But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD."

Chapter 5 then provides the remedy (repentance):

Now this is what the LORD says to the family of Israel: “Come back to me and live! Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” Come back to the LORD and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won’t be able to quench the flames. [Amos 5.4-6]

There is absolutely no reason for us to have the Old Testament unless there is modern-day application to our lives. That modern-day application is Jesus Christ (John 5.39). 

In God-revealing "return to me" and "come back to me" fashion, Jesus was (and is) no less demanding for our total trust in and obedience to Him ALONE:

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)]

Our "own way" is every man-made idol we trust in instead of God (starting with our own "self"). Our "own way" is everything that deserves the curses defined in Amos 4.6-11 above. Our "own way" is what God demands that we "return to Him" from. Our "own way" is what God pleads for us to forsake so that we might come back to Him and live.

Jesus said "take up your cross" because that is just how serious trusting in God ALONE really is. Our eyes and the world's eyes will see trusting God ALONE as certain death! For Jesus' followers to "take up" their cross is to openly declare war on the fear of death - it does not matter whether they live or die, but only that their faith is in God ALONE (see Daniel 3.16-18). 

The power missing in the Church today is missing because the Church has not taken up its cross. The cross is the gateway to resurrection power.

Regardless how much common sense it makes to rely on debt, insurance, medicine and technology today, we must see that they are modern-day idols that, in relying upon them, we have turned away from God. Trust in idols breaks trust with God. Trust in idols breaks trust with Jesus. While "grace" indeed brings undeserved forgiveness for our idolatry, it DOES NOT permit us to continue to live therein! 

God is all about undivided trust in Him ALONE.

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. [James 1.6]

Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. [James 1.8]

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. [James 4.8]

Father in heaven, may Your people see the truth of Your Word and Your unyielding stance against idolatry (not just "Old Testament," but consistently "New Testament" as well). May your people see Jesus' words in Matthew 16.24 as confirmation of Your unyielding stance against idolatry. Open our eyes that we might see it! So be it.