New Year's Resolution: Worship Only God

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” [Revelation 19.10]

What do you believe in?

Do you believe debt is a gift from God? How about insurance? Is it God's way to protect? And medicine, is it God's way (Way)? Is technology a blessing from God?

If, as alleged among Christians today, debt, insurance, medicine and technology are all extensions of God's goodness to mankind, why does man have to pay so dearly for them? No understanding of the word "gift" includes a requirement for payment!

Is it possible that debt, insurance, medicine and technology (man-made solutions) have all been misunderstood just as John misunderstood the angel addressing him in Revelation 19.10? Is not what we give our money to largely what we worship - what we trust? And, do not the words told John by the angel apply just as much to us; to worship only God? Are we not told to give a distinct, clear witness for Jesus?

If worshiping the angel, made by God, was wrong for John, how much more wrong is it for us to worship anything made by man? Again, large sums of money point straight to what we worship and trust - our idols - follow the money. Are not interest, premiums, prescriptions and gadgetries significant costs in our day? Do not the man-made industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology make up much of our economy today?

How can we begin to give clear witness for Jesus if we are so preoccupied with the industries (economy) of man's way? How can we think Jesus was not directly addressing this situation when He said, “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)]?

THINK! There are two significant mentions of idolatry just in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading:

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” [Revelation 21.8]

Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. [Revelation 21.27] 

How can idolatry be consistently mentioned in the book of Revelation (the end) and all through the Bible (from the beginning) and not be a significant problem now, in our time? The angel's words should ring loud and true in our ears every day in contestation of idolatry, "Worship only God! Give a clear witness of faith in Jesus Christ!"

FYI: The argument that God gave leaves for healing (what medicine today claims to be derived from) should be understood for what it is. Here are two scriptures, one from Revelation, and one from Ezekiel that both appear to be one and the same occurrence in the future:

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. [Revelation 22.1-2]

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.” [Ezekiel 47.12] 

Now, let's compare the abovementioned future references to "healing leaves" to earlier references to a "tree of life":

The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [Genesis 2.9] 

Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. [Genesis 3.22-24] 

"Leaves for healing" is a real thing. However, it is not for now. Fallen man was forbidden to continue to partake of the "leaves for healing" because of his sin problem. And, what was that sin problem? Idolatry - the idolatry of self - the idolatry of making decisions independent of God. All Satan had to do was say, "Has God really said...?" and the self-serving pride of man took it from there. Man 'made his own way' when he ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, and so God forbade him of partaking of the tree of life in that condition. The default "good" of the Garden of Eden became from that point forward something obtainable only by faith in God alone... "I am your Healer..., I am your Provider..., etc."

What we trust is what we worship. Trust is an act of worship. We not only worship debt, insurance, medicine and technology by trusting in them, but we do so at great expense. I am reminded of something else Ezekiel wrote relative to this "paying for" sin:

So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you! [Ezekiel 16.34]

I highly recommend a focused read of the entire context of Ezekiel 16 - it's all about idolatry - and, it's gross.

Are we giving a clear witness for Jesus, the Son of God, the Healer, the Miracle-worker, the Forgiver, ...the Savior? Or, is our witness of Him clouded, diluted, and confused by our trust in other things?

This is an excellent question to ask ourselves as we conclude a year of reading the Bible in anticipation of another year of learning more... another year of our faith becoming more focused on God alone because faith comes by hearing God's Word.

Father, as I conclude the year 2025 with this article, I realize that You, being a jealous God, are unwilling to share my faith with other things. I realize how the sin of idolatry that began in the Garden of Eden (Adam & Eve trusting their own judgement) has exponentially grown from then until now. I realize that it will always be a problem on earth as it paces man's every advancement, becoming more entwined in the fabric of society with each passing day. I furthermore realize that a "break" from idolatry in this present condition will be more divisive, more ostracized, and more persecuted than at any time in history. If Jesus' words to the rich young man caused him to go away sad in his day, how much more will people go away sad today as they consider His words: If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand - and may our faith be singularly and distinctively in You and You alone. So be it.