Idol Worship

by

The Queen’s Own (book review)

Title: The Queen’s Own
Author: Samuel Schiller
Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing
Date: 2010
Pages: 403

The Queen’s Own (book review)

This is the fifth book in a series by Samuel Schiller. In the previous book King Osric Murchada, king of Glenmara had become a believer and follower of Iosa Christus (Jesus Christ) and rejected the idol worship of Molach.

As a result of his rejection the false god, the priests of the false god led a rebellion against King Osric. Along with the false priests, the first and second legions (armies) chose to rebel and take the control of the kingdom from King Osric.

King Osric’s wife, Queen Ivrain, decides to build her own legionnaire, the Third Legionnaire. She also has a small group of women who know how to fight very well. Going against the odds and with God’s favor, they are able to build this new army.

Most of this book goes into extreme detail of the preparation for battle against the evil that has taken over their nation and showing the actual battle. Parts of this story is very graphic in its details on the battle.

Throughout the story the main characters continually rely upon God for strength, direction and favor. The odds of them winning the battle against the evil forces is very slim, yet they go forward trusting God.

Although most believers today will not have to physically fight an enemy, this book does give encouragement and insight into the spiritual battles one will have to fight on a regular basis against evil forces in this world.

I highly recommend reading this story. If you have not read the previous four books, that is recommended to be done first to fully understand and appreciate this story.

by

Deuteronomy 13:8 Don’t Listen Or Yield

do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. Deuteronomy 13:8

Giving in to what others desire occurs on a regular basis. The world will present something that is not good in an enticing, pleasing way to get everyone to follow along.

The one doing the enticing is often those who are closest to the person, a close friend or family member. Since they are so close, many will go along with whatever is being presented, whether it is good or bad, rather than reject the push and go a different direction.

Moses told the people that if even a family member was to try to get them to worship a false god, they were not to yield to them nor spare them in any way with no pity.

In America most people do not directly worship a false ‘god’, but they do worship many different things. Idolizing a job, a position, possessions, social status, a person, or something else above God are all ways of worshipping an idol.

Family members and close friends are the ones who will put the greatest pressure upon a believer to worship something false. Quietly they will live in sin and strive to draw the believer into the same sin behind closed doors and often in the name of love or freedom.

Believers must be willing to take a strong stand against anyone who tries to lead them astray away from God. There should be no yielding or listening being done.

Although Moses told the people to put them to death, the believer should not put them to death, but to flee from them as though they were dead. Instead of following another into sin, the believer must run to God and worship Him alone.

There will be times in your life when either family members or close friends will try to get you to worship some false idol in your life. Pressure will be put upon you to follow the ways of the world, some of which may even appear to be good.

You must make a strong stand against all pressure to engage in false worship, even if it means to count the person as dead. Ignore them and flee from all push to sin against God by worshipping a false idol.

Worship the Lord your God and Him alone.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will open your eyes to those who are trying to lead you to false worship; that God will give you strength to resist worshipping false idols; and that you will worship the Lord your God alone.

by

Hosea 13:2 Increasing Sin

Buddhist idols

Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. Hosea 13:2 

The world does not have a solid standard to live by. They do not know what it really means to love another person. It is acceptable for a person to live in any way that he desires as long as it does not directly, immediately hurt another person in any way.

The only reason the world can live in this way, is because they do not follow God and do not know the standard God has laid down for them to live. In the process of living this way, they are living in sin against God and often even against each other.

God was upset with Ephraim because they had chosen to sin more and more. They continually made more idols from their silver to worship, rather than worship God.

While it is expected for the world to live in sin, the church is expected to turn more and more away from all sin. The only thing the church, or believers, should worship is God alone.

Yet, this does not happen for many believers in the church. It is common for believers to be right alongside of the world following and worship man-made idols. They fashion their own idols to worship and idolize. There are some who are guilty of worshipping the same things as the world does, worshipping positions, titles, money, material things, people, and even things inside the church.

Some churches have allowed their people to sin and idolize things to the point that it is difficult to tell them apart from the world. Some ‘believers’ have allowed sin in their life and are not even trying to change.

Every believer needs to strive to live like Jesus, without sin. With the Holy Spirit one should turn away from sin rather than to embrace it more and more.

Examine your life and see where you are in your walk with God. Are you guilty of worshipping idols? Are you guilty of sinning more and more on purpose?

Turn to God and allow His Holy Spirit to guide you. Be willing to turn away from all sin and live as Jesus did. Do not allow the sinful, idolatrous ways of this world to creep into your life and pull you away from God.

Worship and serve the Lord your God and Him alone. Live for God, not this world or yourself.

I pray today that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that God will reveal idols in your life; that God will strengthen you to remove all idols in your life; and that you will allow the Holy Spirit to guide you away from all sin.

by

Ezekiel 8:10-11 Idols In The Church

So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. Ezekiel 8:10-11

God was giving Ezekiel a vision of inside the temple. He was seeing idol worship being done. It was showing the condition of the hearts of the people and the leaders of Israel. They were worshipping false gods inside the temple.

Looking at many churches around the nation, they can look very beautiful on the outside. Large beautiful churches with great looking landscapes, beautiful platforms, and great looking foyers are seen everywhere. As one looks at the surface of these churches it often looks as though everything is done for the worship of God.

One has to look at things with the eyes of God, who sees into the heart of what is shown, to see what is really happening. Churches, in the name of outreach, have often chosen to do things without God at the center. It is often the thought of do whatever it takes to get someone to come into church, but do not preach Christ and Christ crucified.

The message of the cross is one that is detestable to the world and to every person, until he sees what it has done for him. It cannot be left behind or forgotten.

Churches are made up of people and it is the people who have chosen to do things without God as though they are doing God’s will. Sins are being done in secret, as though God does not see them. These very sins are brought into the church. Sins of jealousy, pride, anger, idol worship, and selfishness are being allowed into the church with no thought of giving them up. These are the things that brought judgment against Israel and will bring judgment against everyone today.

Do not allow yourself to let idols into your life. When you step into a church to worship, get rid of all sin and follow God. Make God the center of His temple, your body, so that the church building will also be a temple of God to worship Him in.

I pray today that God will strengthen you to get rid of idols in your life; that you will put God first in every area of your life; that every church will be followers of God; and that God will be honored in every church. 

by

1 Kings 14:22-23 Stirring Up God’s Anger

Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 1 Kings 14:22-23

After Solomon had died, the nation of Israel was split into two nations: Israel to the north, and Judah to the south. Rehoboam, one of Solomon’s sons, became king of Judah and led the people into more sin. On top of just committing many sins, they also set up idols everywhere throughout the land. With all of these sins being done, it had stirred up God’s jealous anger, because He was the only true God and the only One to be worshipped.

In various parts of the world physical idols or statues are still worshipped as gods. In more “modern” countries, such as most of Europe and America, the thought of worshipping an idol is a foreign concept. Most people would reject that idol as strange and ridiculous.

Yet, many people throughout Europe and America worship “idols” daily. Their idols are not seen a physical statues that are called ‘gods’. They worship their jobs, houses, cars, hobbies, positions, family, money, status, and the list goes on forever. People focus all their time and attention on these “idols”.

Even some Christians tend to stray into idol worship at times. They idolize certain speakers, or the physical church building, or their position in the church, and many other things in this life.

Regardless of being Christian or not, all idol worship stirs up God’s anger. He is the only one, true God and wants to be seen and worshipped as that.

As a believer you must take a look at where you spend your time and attention. Is it on God and the things He wants…worshipping Him?

Or is it on the physical things of this world?

Do not let your actions stir up the anger of God in your life.  Worship God and God alone.

I pray today that God will reveal any idols in your life; that you will turn from all idol worship to God; that you will worship God alone; and that your actions will please God.