Enter… into his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4)
There are four aspects to devotional prayer. Someone created an acrostic that is very helpful in remembering all four aspects: A.C.T.S. “A” stands for “adoration”; “C” stands for “confession”; “T” stands for “thanksgiving,” and “S” stands for “supplication.”
One always approaches a king with adoration. Adoration is praising God, raving about His character, qualities, His mighty works of creation and redemption. Effective devotional prayer starts with praise. In adoration the believer realizes the presence of God. Some would crassly say “it is to usher in the presence of God.” In some sense that is true, if we mean it ushers the presence of God in to our mind; that is, it brings us into a greater awareness of His presence. One verse that helps our understanding of the function of adoration in prayer says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3) This means when God’s adoration is in one’s mouth and mind, God’s presence is in our mind and heart.
I was talking to a fellow who was boasting about the “King in You”, which are the words and sentiments of a popular song today. The idea is because we are “royalty” of a sort we should have high self-esteem. It’s good for selling records, but hardly conveys any biblical truth. I went on to tell the young man, I’m not concerned about the king in me (if in fact there is any such thing at all), but about living in the presence of THE KING. That is what adoration is all about; we come into his presence through an awareness of Him fostered by praise. It is impossible to be in the conscious, realized presence of God and think highly of one’s self. Peter, who at first was filled with self, after having fished unsuccessfully, expressed to Jesus his objection the command to cast his net again. Yet Peter heeding Jesus’ instruction and drawing in a tremendous catch, realized he was in the presence of God thus “He fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8). One can only think highly of self, because the king is not present.
We know that God is omnipresent as it were and we constantly dwell in His domain; however, in adoration God comes to dwell in your domain (i.e. your mind and heart). It is like living in a kingdom and having the king himself to come to your house. Adoring God is the first and most prime aspect of prayer, for it engages the mind and heart of the believer and brings about an awareness of who God is and who you are, His perfections and your short-comings, His power and your own weaknesses, his divine sufficiency and our human dependency. This is where prayer must start. Prayer is a place of great humility; after all, we are in the presence of our King and humility starts with adoration. One elder of my youth use to say in the opening of his prayer, “Father we come as an empty pitcher before a full fountain.” I often say to my congregation, the most important part of praying is to realize He is God and you are not! That happens in adoration.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN - Part 1: Her Virtue
Proverb 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
In a time where women are taking their queue from the world and that in stark opposition to God’s word, Christians need to proclaim His truths clearer, louder, and more frequently. A true woman is what God’s says she is and nothing more or less. She is the helper to her husband, a compliment to his life, and his most valuable possession. This has less to do with who her husband is, than it has to do with what God made her to be. This kind of woman is no accident; somebody has prepared her for a husband.
This passage has been aptly deemed by classical Christianity, “The Virtuous Woman” or “A Good Woman.” It is a proverb written by a mother to her son, describing a woman like herself as the kind of woman he should marry. Today, many women are told the opposite of what the bible affirms as true, good, and right before God. They are told that they should not have to live up to their husband’s mother’s standards; they are told that they are not their husband’s possession; they are told that they have a right to their own life, vision, and goals; they are told they have as much say-so in the direction of the family unit as does their husband. Yet how wrong and anti-biblical is such talk.
This passage, though speaking much about a type of woman is centered on a man. It is warning to a man. It is instruction to a man. It adorns a woman in beautiful character for a man. It describes a woman at optimal function that is valuable to a man. It describes a woman as having endured vigorous preparation for a man. Paul affirms this in the New Testament, "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man (1 Corinthian 11:8-9). The goodness of this woman is a product of understanding, accepting, and remaining in her God-ordained purpose. In verses 10-15 she is found having 5 traits in the eyes of her husband: 1) supremely valuable – she is his most treasured possession, 2) absolutely trustworthy – she acts in the context of his intention and pleasure, 3) extremely helpful – she makes him a better man directly and indirectly, 4) capable and skillful – she is able to produce things of value good for her family and others, 5) Resourceful and thrifty – she is frugal, not at all wasteful or destructive, and 6) Nurturing – she works to optimize the family in all areas.
In short, the virtuous woman has been prepared to be a wife to her husband, a mother to her children, and a model woman for other women.
In a time where women are taking their queue from the world and that in stark opposition to God’s word, Christians need to proclaim His truths clearer, louder, and more frequently. A true woman is what God’s says she is and nothing more or less. She is the helper to her husband, a compliment to his life, and his most valuable possession. This has less to do with who her husband is, than it has to do with what God made her to be. This kind of woman is no accident; somebody has prepared her for a husband.
This passage has been aptly deemed by classical Christianity, “The Virtuous Woman” or “A Good Woman.” It is a proverb written by a mother to her son, describing a woman like herself as the kind of woman he should marry. Today, many women are told the opposite of what the bible affirms as true, good, and right before God. They are told that they should not have to live up to their husband’s mother’s standards; they are told that they are not their husband’s possession; they are told that they have a right to their own life, vision, and goals; they are told they have as much say-so in the direction of the family unit as does their husband. Yet how wrong and anti-biblical is such talk.
This passage, though speaking much about a type of woman is centered on a man. It is warning to a man. It is instruction to a man. It adorns a woman in beautiful character for a man. It describes a woman at optimal function that is valuable to a man. It describes a woman as having endured vigorous preparation for a man. Paul affirms this in the New Testament, "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man (1 Corinthian 11:8-9). The goodness of this woman is a product of understanding, accepting, and remaining in her God-ordained purpose. In verses 10-15 she is found having 5 traits in the eyes of her husband: 1) supremely valuable – she is his most treasured possession, 2) absolutely trustworthy – she acts in the context of his intention and pleasure, 3) extremely helpful – she makes him a better man directly and indirectly, 4) capable and skillful – she is able to produce things of value good for her family and others, 5) Resourceful and thrifty – she is frugal, not at all wasteful or destructive, and 6) Nurturing – she works to optimize the family in all areas.
In short, the virtuous woman has been prepared to be a wife to her husband, a mother to her children, and a model woman for other women.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Rejoicing the Heart
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart (Psalm 19:8)
Everybody wants to find true happiness. Yet we are prone to do that which does not result in our happiness. The biblical formula to true happiness is “Freedom in Christ + Faithfulness to God + Fulfillment of Purpose = Happiness.”
“Statues” refers to God's Spirit, His standards, His character. The joy here is a result of knowing God and pleasing Him according to that knowledge. I'm convinced that it is no co-incident that his statues precede his commandments in the next clause. One can never properly perceive His commandments without knowing his statues.
We assume that God’s way cannot possibly result in our happiness. How can turning the other cheek result in happiness? How can giving up your cloak to the same person who took your coat make you happy? How can going two miles for the person who makes you go one mile, loving your enemies, praying for those who despitefully misuse you, returning good for evil. How can these values bring about true happiness?
Today it is erroneously taught that the return on righteousness is health and wealth in this life. Yet this is so contrary to the life of Christ, His Apostles, and New Testament saints. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Those saints seemed to go along rejoicing all the way.
The psalmist says righteousness brings happiness; it rejoices the heart. The end of a righteous act is always and without fail vindication and justification by God. Right will always win, but not always immediately. …And that’s our problem. We want the return on righteousness to be micro waved, faxed, emailed… However, this is not how the economy of God works. Doing right is a seed sown. Paul says, “Be not weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Why is there a danger of fainting? The return requires temperance and patience. The martyred souls under the altar cried out, “How long Lord?” God did answer them, not by instantly avenging them, but by supplying them with white robes. That is, by granting their names to be great and noised about among the surviving saints as sure and faithful men and women of God. This seems to be saying, be happy in doing right for righteousness sake for now, knowing you are free from judgment, pleasing to God, having fulfilled your purpose. No righteousness will not rejoice the flesh immediately, yet knowing that even fleshly resolve is certainly on the way can and will rejoice the heart.
Everybody wants to find true happiness. Yet we are prone to do that which does not result in our happiness. The biblical formula to true happiness is “Freedom in Christ + Faithfulness to God + Fulfillment of Purpose = Happiness.”
“Statues” refers to God's Spirit, His standards, His character. The joy here is a result of knowing God and pleasing Him according to that knowledge. I'm convinced that it is no co-incident that his statues precede his commandments in the next clause. One can never properly perceive His commandments without knowing his statues.
We assume that God’s way cannot possibly result in our happiness. How can turning the other cheek result in happiness? How can giving up your cloak to the same person who took your coat make you happy? How can going two miles for the person who makes you go one mile, loving your enemies, praying for those who despitefully misuse you, returning good for evil. How can these values bring about true happiness?
Today it is erroneously taught that the return on righteousness is health and wealth in this life. Yet this is so contrary to the life of Christ, His Apostles, and New Testament saints. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Those saints seemed to go along rejoicing all the way.
The psalmist says righteousness brings happiness; it rejoices the heart. The end of a righteous act is always and without fail vindication and justification by God. Right will always win, but not always immediately. …And that’s our problem. We want the return on righteousness to be micro waved, faxed, emailed… However, this is not how the economy of God works. Doing right is a seed sown. Paul says, “Be not weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Why is there a danger of fainting? The return requires temperance and patience. The martyred souls under the altar cried out, “How long Lord?” God did answer them, not by instantly avenging them, but by supplying them with white robes. That is, by granting their names to be great and noised about among the surviving saints as sure and faithful men and women of God. This seems to be saying, be happy in doing right for righteousness sake for now, knowing you are free from judgment, pleasing to God, having fulfilled your purpose. No righteousness will not rejoice the flesh immediately, yet knowing that even fleshly resolve is certainly on the way can and will rejoice the heart.
Making Wise the Simple
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalms 19:7b)
Unquestionable, yet it calls our understanding into question. In Christianity, there is no such thing as a wise testimony. Light is simple; darkness is complex, winding, twisting and elusive.
And darkness cannot comprehend light; the natural cannot receive the spiritual; belief cannot cohabitate with unbelief. So where men are exalted and God is minimized, His testimonies only confound, confused bewilder and baffle. It is pearls before swine and the holy before dogs.
People cannot accept the testimony God changed my life; because, it does not fit. They cannot embrace the testimony God healed me; because, it does not fit. They will not hear that prayer made a difference; because, it does not fit. It does not fit into the little box of human wisdom. It defies mere horizontal logic based in laboratory data.
Yet the Psalmist says it is “sure”. That is sound, certain, lasting, and real. And that is the only test of the Lord’s testimonies. Gamaliel said it plainly, “For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it” In great humility, he resolved to let men be men and God be God.
Paul put it plainly, God is passed finding out. He is passed exploration and discovery. He is passed experimentation and empirical observation. He is subject to no law, no principle, and no standard; for He’s the author of every righteous law, every true principle, and every lofty standard.
To comprehend God is to be God. The assumption that one has comprehended God is the highest position of arrogant ignorance. And that is it: we were converted from wise to simple. What we thought took hard work only took faith. What we thought demanded ambition only demanded patience. What we thought took knowing the world only took knowing Him. When we thought our testimony would be the complexities of what we did ultimately became the simplicity of what God did. The songwriter captures the essence of the simple testimony when he wrote…
Yes, God is real
Real in my soul
Yes, God is real
For He has washed
And made me whole
His love for me
Is like pure gold
Yes, God is real
For I can feel
Him in my soul
Unquestionable, yet it calls our understanding into question. In Christianity, there is no such thing as a wise testimony. Light is simple; darkness is complex, winding, twisting and elusive.
And darkness cannot comprehend light; the natural cannot receive the spiritual; belief cannot cohabitate with unbelief. So where men are exalted and God is minimized, His testimonies only confound, confused bewilder and baffle. It is pearls before swine and the holy before dogs.
People cannot accept the testimony God changed my life; because, it does not fit. They cannot embrace the testimony God healed me; because, it does not fit. They will not hear that prayer made a difference; because, it does not fit. It does not fit into the little box of human wisdom. It defies mere horizontal logic based in laboratory data.
Yet the Psalmist says it is “sure”. That is sound, certain, lasting, and real. And that is the only test of the Lord’s testimonies. Gamaliel said it plainly, “For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it” In great humility, he resolved to let men be men and God be God.
Paul put it plainly, God is passed finding out. He is passed exploration and discovery. He is passed experimentation and empirical observation. He is subject to no law, no principle, and no standard; for He’s the author of every righteous law, every true principle, and every lofty standard.
To comprehend God is to be God. The assumption that one has comprehended God is the highest position of arrogant ignorance. And that is it: we were converted from wise to simple. What we thought took hard work only took faith. What we thought demanded ambition only demanded patience. What we thought took knowing the world only took knowing Him. When we thought our testimony would be the complexities of what we did ultimately became the simplicity of what God did. The songwriter captures the essence of the simple testimony when he wrote…
Yes, God is real
Real in my soul
Yes, God is real
For He has washed
And made me whole
His love for me
Is like pure gold
Yes, God is real
For I can feel
Him in my soul
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Converting the Soul
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul (Psalms 19:7)
The Psalmist declares the law of the Lord to be complete, sufficient and adequate, converting the soul. It is perfect to manifest one’s guilt. It is perfect to bring one face to face with the ultimate Judge. It is perfect to shut one’s prideful boast. It is perfect to turn one against his existential error. It is perfect to bring one to the end of himself.
Everyone who runs into the law is not converted but there is no one converted that did not run into the law. No one comes to Christ on the upbeat; to the contrary, the sinner comes abused, broken, confused, degraded, and empty from the consequences of sin. And those consequences are the hand of God executing His law. What law? The soul that sins shall surely die. What law? The wages of sin is death. Who killed the man who jumps off the building, it is God: God’s own judicial determination in the unmovable law of gravity. And it is the same God that orders the consequential turmoil, trauma, or tragedy that is essential to every conversion.
Conversion means to be freed from ideas or doubts that bound one to a false course – to repent. Unconverted Peter asserted at the Mount of Olives, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Yet only hours later, warming at the fire, the consequential denial of Peter’s presumptuous arrogance broke him. Why – Because god has a certain law for pride. Paul employs it when instructing Timothy, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
There are those who would say that the law is done away with. They would say it is grace today not law. What an error! For if there is no law there can be no grace. O but moreover, if there is no law there is no God. For God is the law; He is himself the standard; He is holiness itself. Thus the law is immutable, immovable, and irresistible. The law was not created the law was revealed. And what is revealed “is always”; and the only thing that “is always” is God. John states it aptly, “ …And the word was God.”
And the story of every Christian is that he ran into God’s law. God would not let us be comfortable in our sin. He would not let us find peace or contentment. Law penalized our sin until we came to the end of it. Law freed us from what we love when its pain was manifest beyond our desire for the wrong itself. …And we were freed, freed from thinking the bad is good; freed from believing that such death is life; freed to hear God’s voice; freed to receive the gospel; freed to know His love; freed to know his mercy and grace. Elsewhere the Psalmist says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light.” The hymnologist, said “I once was blind but now I see.”
The Psalmist declares the law of the Lord to be complete, sufficient and adequate, converting the soul. It is perfect to manifest one’s guilt. It is perfect to bring one face to face with the ultimate Judge. It is perfect to shut one’s prideful boast. It is perfect to turn one against his existential error. It is perfect to bring one to the end of himself.
Everyone who runs into the law is not converted but there is no one converted that did not run into the law. No one comes to Christ on the upbeat; to the contrary, the sinner comes abused, broken, confused, degraded, and empty from the consequences of sin. And those consequences are the hand of God executing His law. What law? The soul that sins shall surely die. What law? The wages of sin is death. Who killed the man who jumps off the building, it is God: God’s own judicial determination in the unmovable law of gravity. And it is the same God that orders the consequential turmoil, trauma, or tragedy that is essential to every conversion.
Conversion means to be freed from ideas or doubts that bound one to a false course – to repent. Unconverted Peter asserted at the Mount of Olives, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Yet only hours later, warming at the fire, the consequential denial of Peter’s presumptuous arrogance broke him. Why – Because god has a certain law for pride. Paul employs it when instructing Timothy, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”
There are those who would say that the law is done away with. They would say it is grace today not law. What an error! For if there is no law there can be no grace. O but moreover, if there is no law there is no God. For God is the law; He is himself the standard; He is holiness itself. Thus the law is immutable, immovable, and irresistible. The law was not created the law was revealed. And what is revealed “is always”; and the only thing that “is always” is God. John states it aptly, “ …And the word was God.”
And the story of every Christian is that he ran into God’s law. God would not let us be comfortable in our sin. He would not let us find peace or contentment. Law penalized our sin until we came to the end of it. Law freed us from what we love when its pain was manifest beyond our desire for the wrong itself. …And we were freed, freed from thinking the bad is good; freed from believing that such death is life; freed to hear God’s voice; freed to receive the gospel; freed to know His love; freed to know his mercy and grace. Elsewhere the Psalmist says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light.” The hymnologist, said “I once was blind but now I see.”
Thursday, May 20, 2010
When We Remembered Zion
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. (Psalm 137:1)
Their disobedience had brought them to Babylon. The river is indicative here of Babylon’s best. They were in the most plenteous, pleasant, pristine, productive place Babylon had to offer. The Babylonian’s first methodical philosophy was not oppression but one of impression. They sought to woo their captives into service. But when you belong to God, you can never feel comfortable in the world. You may ride in the best Bentley… You may live in the palatial Fifth Avenue Penthouse… You may party with a president and a princess… But the world’s prosperity cannot compare to being blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. All of the world’s blissful places cannot replace the peace of God that passes all understanding. All of the world’s recognitions and accolades cannot measure up to one “Well done thy good and faithful servant”.
While in Zion, they worshiped the gods of Babylon: Baal and Ashtoreth… They demoralized their own priesthood… They persecuted and kill the prophets… Jeremiah prophesied, “I see a boiling pot tilted to the north”… In other words, the Babylonians are coming for us… and God’s going to step back and let them have their way. God gave them all the Babylon they wanted. And they did not like it!
And here they were in Babylon sitting down. “Sitting down” shows inactivity and deep reflection. The flesh fest was over. The fruitless festivities had ended. The stench of sin had reached heaven. And now in exile “they remembered!” As they wept, “they remembered!” Not in Jerusalem, but in Babylon, “they remembered!” Not by the Jordan, but by the Euphrates, “they remembered!” While being offered Babylon’s best, they were contemplating the high cost of their low living.
Saints, if you keep on playing with the world, God will let you have all of the world you want. He will exile you from a place of pleasure to a place of pain. That’s why they are there – Because every now and then, God will turn things upside down; He will put the world on top of the church for a season. He’ll let the sinners dominate the saints for a season. How long is that season? Until He stamps out the mess in you that won’t let Him bless you. How long is that season? – Until you are ready to show forth the praises of Him who has brought you out of darkness into the marvelous light. How long is that season? – Until there is no more you but only Him living in you, living for you, and living through you.
Their disobedience had brought them to Babylon. The river is indicative here of Babylon’s best. They were in the most plenteous, pleasant, pristine, productive place Babylon had to offer. The Babylonian’s first methodical philosophy was not oppression but one of impression. They sought to woo their captives into service. But when you belong to God, you can never feel comfortable in the world. You may ride in the best Bentley… You may live in the palatial Fifth Avenue Penthouse… You may party with a president and a princess… But the world’s prosperity cannot compare to being blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. All of the world’s blissful places cannot replace the peace of God that passes all understanding. All of the world’s recognitions and accolades cannot measure up to one “Well done thy good and faithful servant”.
While in Zion, they worshiped the gods of Babylon: Baal and Ashtoreth… They demoralized their own priesthood… They persecuted and kill the prophets… Jeremiah prophesied, “I see a boiling pot tilted to the north”… In other words, the Babylonians are coming for us… and God’s going to step back and let them have their way. God gave them all the Babylon they wanted. And they did not like it!
And here they were in Babylon sitting down. “Sitting down” shows inactivity and deep reflection. The flesh fest was over. The fruitless festivities had ended. The stench of sin had reached heaven. And now in exile “they remembered!” As they wept, “they remembered!” Not in Jerusalem, but in Babylon, “they remembered!” Not by the Jordan, but by the Euphrates, “they remembered!” While being offered Babylon’s best, they were contemplating the high cost of their low living.
Saints, if you keep on playing with the world, God will let you have all of the world you want. He will exile you from a place of pleasure to a place of pain. That’s why they are there – Because every now and then, God will turn things upside down; He will put the world on top of the church for a season. He’ll let the sinners dominate the saints for a season. How long is that season? Until He stamps out the mess in you that won’t let Him bless you. How long is that season? – Until you are ready to show forth the praises of Him who has brought you out of darkness into the marvelous light. How long is that season? – Until there is no more you but only Him living in you, living for you, and living through you.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Thou shalt not make thee any graven image
Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth. (Deuteronomy 5:8)
What drives the worship of men? Is it not what they want; that is, what they want to be. Yes the Israelites made golden calves. But why? Because they really believed God looked like a cow? No! Because they wanted to become a nation like Egypt, they did what Egyptians did. The image of a perfect, prestigious and powerful nation was resident in their minds and they pursued and worshipped that image until it manifested two things: golden calves and the anger of God. They did not worship bulls they worship Egypt. Yet they did not worship Egypt, they worshipped the likeness of Egypt, which likeness they want to assume.
The real image resides where the graven image originated: in the mind of the worshipper. More existential than the idol itself, is what one believes about the graven image, for this mental idol drives the worship of any physical idol: what one sees himself as, or where one conceive herself as being: the possession, the posture, the prestige. A young man plagued by the abandonment of his dad is on the search for his perfect dad which reality resides only in his mind. Yet it drives his rebellion toward all authority figures. A longing to be married guides a woman into promiscuity, as she stares at herself being married to each man she encounters. That adulterous guy who always imagined himself to be the lady's man has never settled down in his own marriage, wagering the wellbeing of his family, as he exploits woman after woman. And where did that image come from? It was made up of three components: lack, want and hurt. And that idle is often walled in by the sentimental belief that lack, want, and/or hurt legalizes the idol.
Like Christ, the image demands faithfulness, shamelessness, and yet therein is found not the bliss and satisfaction imagined, but only the momentary pleasure of sin that quickly fades into a lifetime of pain. One is sold a scourge, the curse, an endless cycle of hurt, a hopeless hope, shameless shame, and a dead dream that will let him die desperately wondering and looking outside the will of God for fulfillment in a place where it can never be found. Oh yes he will find something: wasted time, wasted opportunities, wasted relationships, wasted resources, wasted efforts and energy. Driven to exponential sins by an idolatrous image that is now set before God, above God.
We, the saints, the warriors of God, must with the power of Christ destroy this false god that has gained dominion over the life of this man or woman. And replace that image with the image of Christ. Paul writes "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." It has been made number one, above Christ and to the consequential detriment of the person.
War must be waged to destroy that image as God destroyed the statue of Dagon in the pagan temple. And who is this person, but the temple of the Holy Spirit in whom God will stand alone in? God will cleanse and claim every place of worship by the entrance of His presence, for therein is light and thereby darkness is gone. The glory of Christ is revealed and the pretention of the idol is exposed and the power of the idol is expelled.
What drives the worship of men? Is it not what they want; that is, what they want to be. Yes the Israelites made golden calves. But why? Because they really believed God looked like a cow? No! Because they wanted to become a nation like Egypt, they did what Egyptians did. The image of a perfect, prestigious and powerful nation was resident in their minds and they pursued and worshipped that image until it manifested two things: golden calves and the anger of God. They did not worship bulls they worship Egypt. Yet they did not worship Egypt, they worshipped the likeness of Egypt, which likeness they want to assume.
The real image resides where the graven image originated: in the mind of the worshipper. More existential than the idol itself, is what one believes about the graven image, for this mental idol drives the worship of any physical idol: what one sees himself as, or where one conceive herself as being: the possession, the posture, the prestige. A young man plagued by the abandonment of his dad is on the search for his perfect dad which reality resides only in his mind. Yet it drives his rebellion toward all authority figures. A longing to be married guides a woman into promiscuity, as she stares at herself being married to each man she encounters. That adulterous guy who always imagined himself to be the lady's man has never settled down in his own marriage, wagering the wellbeing of his family, as he exploits woman after woman. And where did that image come from? It was made up of three components: lack, want and hurt. And that idle is often walled in by the sentimental belief that lack, want, and/or hurt legalizes the idol.
Like Christ, the image demands faithfulness, shamelessness, and yet therein is found not the bliss and satisfaction imagined, but only the momentary pleasure of sin that quickly fades into a lifetime of pain. One is sold a scourge, the curse, an endless cycle of hurt, a hopeless hope, shameless shame, and a dead dream that will let him die desperately wondering and looking outside the will of God for fulfillment in a place where it can never be found. Oh yes he will find something: wasted time, wasted opportunities, wasted relationships, wasted resources, wasted efforts and energy. Driven to exponential sins by an idolatrous image that is now set before God, above God.
We, the saints, the warriors of God, must with the power of Christ destroy this false god that has gained dominion over the life of this man or woman. And replace that image with the image of Christ. Paul writes "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." It has been made number one, above Christ and to the consequential detriment of the person.
War must be waged to destroy that image as God destroyed the statue of Dagon in the pagan temple. And who is this person, but the temple of the Holy Spirit in whom God will stand alone in? God will cleanse and claim every place of worship by the entrance of His presence, for therein is light and thereby darkness is gone. The glory of Christ is revealed and the pretention of the idol is exposed and the power of the idol is expelled.
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