ADDRESSING YOUR IDOLS

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“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:2-3

Do you have any other gods beside the God of the Holy Bible? God has revealed Himself to us in the pages of Holy Scripture. If you are worshipping a god other than the One and only God of the Holy Bible then you are worshipping an idol.

An idol is anything you worship or honour more than God. An idol can even be something you put before God. When troubles and trials come your way who do you flee to for comfort and sanctuary? The Bible says it is “better to put your trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man”. Many people today fashion a god in their minds that is not in keeping with Scripture and call that "Christianity". We ought to get our beliefs about God from Scripture even if they are not popular. We are to renew our minds by reading God's Word and not to be conformed to the pressures of the world. We must be daily refined and transformed into godly men and women. The Bible tells us in Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”

Consider the following carefully. Have you transgressed God's commandment by placing any other thing before God? This can include jobs, family, cultural activities, and your own desires. Have other things crowded your worship of God? It is important that we take time out of our busy schedules to worship and honour the Lord daily. Our worship of God ought to be the central focus of our life. Do not be a Christian who only worships God if it is convenient or if you have enough time at the end of the day. Do you worship and serve God only if other things are done? If this is the case for you, does that not suggest that God is not important to you? Another point to consider is this, does your relationship with the world and non-Christian friends matter more to you than God?

Idolatry can take on other forms such as those involved in political parties and organisations. It is sad when Christians vote for ungodly men and women based solely on the group they belong to. Have you voted for or supported a politician that promotes ungodly principles and values such as abortion? We need Christians to make a biblical stand and promote righteousness. It is not a sin to be involved in political matters. However, we must not comprise on the doctrines of Scripture for political ambitions. Do you shy away from speaking out against sin when it is not popular? Are you prepared to be unpopular for the sake of truth?

We should also consider how we spend our time. Do you spend more time on the internet, watching TV, participating in sports and other meaningless things than reading the Holy Bible? How do you view Bible reading, prayer, and self-examination? Do you take time daily to search the Scriptures? Eternal matters ought to concern us more than things of the world.

We ought to read, memorise and keep Scripture. Creating a god according to our personal views is idolatry. Changing God's true character revealed in Holy Writ to conform to what we want the true God to be is idolatry. God has told us who He is in Scripture. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. He does not change God is immutable.

The reader will do well to remember that an idol is anything in your life that means more to you than following, worshipping, and honouring God and His true nature. An idol is not always a wooden or metal image. An idol can be something you depend on more than God. Our lives ought to be free from idols. Examine your heart, and cease from idolatry.
 
Serious question: how should we worship God daily? I usually read 2 chapters of the Bible and then say a brief prayer daily. Should I add something more?
 
Serious question: how should we worship God daily? I usually read 2 chapters of the Bible and then say a brief prayer daily. Should I add something more?
My personal response to that would be no, you don't need to do more. I do that myself. I normally read 2 chapters of Scripture and pray. After that, I read a short devotion. Next year I am hoping to read a different devotion.
 
Serious question: how should we worship God daily? I usually read 2 chapters of the Bible and then say a brief prayer daily. Should I add something more?
I think that is a good question, and it is going to look different for each person. Using the means of grace is going to be how you worship God. But as the above post talks about, it is important to analyze how we spend our time. My life is pretty much broken down into a few parts. I work, and after work all of my time is with my family, and after my children go to bed, my time is in the means of grace, and spending time with my wife. I don't really have time for anything else.
 
Funny this topic should come up. I was just previewing Be Thou My Vision, a Liturgy for Private Worship which was just published. Jonny Gibson teaches at Westminster east and also edited a massive volume of resources for public worship.
 
Serious question: how should we worship God daily? I usually read 2 chapters of the Bible and then say a brief prayer daily. Should I add something more?

“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before the high God?
shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves of a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth the LORD require of thee,
but to do justly, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:6-8
 
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