You refer to an ancient idol. I modern idol might be a pop star, football team, fancy car, fancy house, I-phone.
WE ALL HAVE IDOLS to which we bow!
In our day and age, they are rarely made of stone.
Posted on 05/19/2019 8:14:54 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
Nearly one-third of the earth’s population is Christian. Of those, almost all expect that the kingdom of heaven awaits them on the other side of the grave. But that’s not what the Lord said in His Sermon on the Mount.
“Not everyone,” He warned, “who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
That should fill those among us who are “Cafeteria Christians” with fear and trembling. For they not only fail to live by “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” they do so unrepentantly.
Indeed, they pick and choose which of God’s commandments they find acceptable while rejecting those that do not comport with their secular sensibilities. But God is no Automat Cafeteria. He says what He Means and Means what He says. The words that go forth from His mouth shall not return void, but accomplish what He pleases.
And those who defy Him have hell to pay.
So by what contemporary issues may upright Christian and Cafeteria Christians be distinguished? Well, let us consider the following five:
1. Opposition to authority
Romans 13:1 states, unequivocally, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Clearly the solons in the U.S. House of Representatives do not fear God. For they have steadfastly opposed the nation’s governing authority – President Donald Trump – since he was sworn into office in 2016. Trump’s opponents were certain the Russians put Trump in the White House. But only God could have been behind the biggest political upset in U.S. history.
2. Idol worship
Exodus 20:4-5 commands that “You shall not make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.”
Neiman Marcus sells figurines of Hindu god Lladro Lord Shiva. Amazon sells Swarovsky crystal statuette of Buddha. Target sells a granite garden statue of the Virgin Mary. Most Christ followers would agree that the figurine of Lord Shiva and statuette of Buddha are forbidden idols. How can the same not be said of a faux granite carved image of Mother?
3. Strange flesh
Leviticus 20:13 pronounces that, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.” Jude 1:7 warns that “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
The LGBTQIAPK (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Polygamous/Polyamorous, Kink) community is emboldened by the unGodly gains it has made over the past decade or so with legalized same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights.
Now they are targeting the Church, demanding not only that they be welcomed in the House of God, but also “affirmed.” In other words, they want heterosexual Christians to affirm that God condones homosexuality when, clearly, the word of God says the exact opposite.
4. Legalized infanticide
Psalm 139:13-14 praises God, exulting, “You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my souls knows very well.”
America’s abortion industrial complex is responsible for the slaughter of 61.3 million preborn babies since the nation’s highest court in 1973. That’s more than all the souls put together who were victims of Hitler’s Final Solution, Stalin’s Homodore, Pol Pot’s extermination of as much as third of the Cambodian population, the Ottaman Empire’s annihilation of as much as half the Armenian population in territories ruled today by Turkey, Syria and Iraq, and the Genocide of more than 70 percent of Tutsi’s in Rwanda. All put together.
Yet Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers continue to kill preborn babies with impunity.
5. Rewriting the Bible
In Revelation 22:18-19, John of Patmos warns that, “to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from things which are written in this book.”
Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, obviously ignored John’s warning. Because in 1830 he published the so-called “The Book of Mormon,” which is reputedly “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” Smith claimed that a man named Maroni engraved the sacred text on golden tablets and buried it in upstate New York before he died. According to Smith , Maroni returned to earth in 1827 transmogrified as an angel and told the father of Mormonism where he could find the buried golden tablets and translate them.
To the so-called Latter Day Saints, the Book of Mormon is no less sacred than, say, the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But the foundational book of the Mormon faith is completely at odds with the word of God as written by John of Patmos.
There are millions of supposed Christians who believe they can disagree with God on subjection to the governing authority He has appointed or worshipping (or for those who prefer, “venerating”) the Virgin Mary or whether unrepentant homosexuals will inherit the kingdom or whether or whether preborn babies have a right to life or whether the Book of Mormon is heresy.
But God’s will on these issues – and many others addressed in the Holy Bible – are abundantly clear. Those who beg to differ can take that up with the Lord when they stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.
Like many Americans, it seems to me they demand their “rights” but have no concept of their responsibilities.
Opposition to authority is a tricky one. George Washington opposed the authority of George III. I suppose it would be argued that George III has lost legitimate authority through tyrannical actions. But freedom-loving Christians have long struggled with this Pauline text
Romans 13:1 states, unequivocally, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Was the America Revolution evil? Are Christians in North Korea sinners if they resist the Kims?
“Nearly one-third of the earth’s population is Christian.”
I wish! I doubt the number is higher than 10% in America. Maybe higher in some places, but no more than 10% IMHO in my state.
Probably a lot more who vaguely think of themselves as Christians, mainly because they are not Jewish, Hindu or Muslim!
“The honest citizen has no need to fear the keepers of law and order, but the dishonest man will always be nervous of them. If you want to avoid this anxiety just lead a law-abiding life, and all that can come your way is a word of approval. The officer is God’s servant for your protection. But if you are leading a wicked life you have reason to be alarmed. The “power of the law” which is vested in every legitimate officer, is no empty phrase. He is, in fact, divinely appointed to inflict God’s punishment upon evil-doers.”
Wurmbrand argued this meant any legitimate government had the objective of protecting good behavior and punishing bad, and any government not trying for those goals was illegitimate.
He also said: “Did I believe in God? Now the test had come. I was alone. There was no salary to earn, no golden opinions to consider. God offered me only suffering—would I continue to love Him?”- Richard Wurmbrand, In God’s Underground
You are right. It is a tricky one. I believe there are ways to oppose authority that is acceptable to God. Like voting against an office holder whose positions are contrary to the expressed will of God. Or turning out of power a tyrant who has killed millions of innocents.
Aw, c'mon.
We are not a monarchy. We have what are supposed to be three equal branches of government.
The Congress is fully entitled to do whatever they think is appropriate and which reflects the will of their constituents. Those of us who don't like that they are opposing the President's policies have the choice of voting them out. It's our problem, not theirs.
But only God could have been behind the biggest political upset in U.S. history.
Either God leaves the election of politicians to us here on earth, or He does not. To think that He intervenes only on behalf of candidates you endorse is dangerous, and I think as unbiblical as anything else in this article.
“Cafeteria Christians” are every one of us. Who is this writer kidding? God knows EXACTLY which dish this one is skipping, even if he appears to have sampled them all.
There are some of God’s dishes that sound awful to me in this present age. But some of them I’ve tried and LOVE. Given enough time I hope I would try them all.
Even if I don’t, God gave me a free gift of eternal life in Christ and eternity is about how long it will take to sup on the “unsearchable riches of Christ” and His buffet!
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!”
I think there is good reason to doubt Paul on this because it is not verified by Jesus nor his apostles, should we obey God or man.
Yes, every thing Jesus said will be denied by one church
or another, they care not what Jesus said in their quest
to try to convince every one that their man made doctrine
is the correct one.
Jesus called the religious leaders a den of vipers, he also
said they were of their father the devil and it looks to me
There is plenty of proof today that they have not changed
they are still exactually what Jesus called them.
Yeah, that is most likely what the Jews was told just before the extermine started.
There is a time to stand up to tyranny.
Christianity IS NOT a sucide pact.
This is nonsense!
Amen.
Please see post number 13. Thank-you.
Also a gentle correction, also be careful please to NOT ATTACK your brothers and sisters in Christ who attend the liturgical based Churches.
“A Flower,
Bruised under Your Feet
Rewards You by it’s Perfume.”
.
Richard Wurmbrand
You refer to an ancient idol. I modern idol might be a pop star, football team, fancy car, fancy house, I-phone.
WE ALL HAVE IDOLS to which we bow!
In our day and age, they are rarely made of stone.
Christ founded only one church and we all know which one it was.
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