21st CENTURY IDOLATRY

Revelation 22

​12 "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

​16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

Something God has been putting on my heart now for some time is 21st Century Idolatry. If you are like I was, when you read about idolatry in the Bible, or hear about it, it sounds like something literally from Biblical times, worshipping statues and images, et cetera, not something that is happening in the 21st Century, not something relevant to my life. Certainly, not something that I do! The fact is that Biblical idolatry is not that different from 21st Century idolatry.

Roman 6:16 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

After all, Jesus warns us not to love this world or the things in it. And, further, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:15-16 

What are we worshipping or idolizing in our daily lives? What are we watching on television, or listening to on the radio? Witchcraft, sorcery, magic, enchanting, fornication, sexual immorality, spiritual wickedness.

Galatians 5

19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Isaiah 47

12 "Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it."

Revelation 9

20 "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

I know many of you are saying to yourselves, It's just a movie, or just a TV show, just a poster, just a t-shirt, just a book. I too said those things, but to the demons they were created to represent, they will always be a sound of victory against God and His children.

Much the same as the popular saying, You are what you eat, it is also true that, You are what you watch. You are what you read. You are what you listen to. You are that with which you fill your soul.

With what do you fill your soul? Fill it with God's Love.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

We are what we let into our souls! Do we let in darkness, or do we let in light? And, if the light in us is darkness, how great is that darkness?

Matthew 6

22 "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

If your eye be single, focused on God, your whole body shall be full of light. Turn off the television! Read the Bible. Listen to Christian music. Bring into captivity even your very thoughts to the obedience of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:5

Fill your soul with God.

Just after His resurrection, before He ascended to the Father's right hand, Jesus prayed for God to send us the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, all one and the same Spirit. So, after accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, we receive the Spirit of Truth, which guides our path towards righteousness. Man still has free will, but through believing in Jesus, we receive Faith, which leads to obedience to God.

Galatians 5

​22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

There is only One God man should be worshipping. "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10 

Only One God who can provide miracles, and "wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:" Acts 2:19

Only One God who will judge the earth. He comes quickly and His reward is with Him. Revelation 22:12. Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord. . . "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:22-23

Will Jesus know you in that day? Does He know you to-day? Accept Jesus today, believe in Him, and obey God. ​

God wants all men to be saved. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 

Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.