Tear Down the Alters to Your False gods

"And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built." (Judges 6:28 NKJV)"

The children of Israel had fallen into sin once again, and then cried out to the Lord because of the harsh oppression that they were experiencing. God being a faithful God found an unlikely man hiding in a wine-press threshing wheat. Gideon was asked by The Angel of the Lord to tear down his father's idols to Baal, and use the alter made to Baal as fire to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Gideon being faithful did this and was able to be victorious in later battles in the name and power of the Lord.

My question for us today is what idols and alters do we have set up in our homes that prevent us from being victorious in the battles for Christ? Is it that T.V. that you worship before for hours every night and morning, or is it that car in you garage that you spend time studying and researching to get it just right so that all others will envy and covet it? It might even be religion that you have set up as an idol. Making sure that you are seen at church in a place of authority, and attending all services and studies, having a fish bumper sticker and quoting scripture to all your friends just so they know that you are holy. How much time do you spend at the feet of Jesus worshiping though? How much time do you spend just hanging out and listening to your Holy Father?

Make God first in your life, and no, don't let other idols be second, destroy them and offer them up to our Creator. If it does not bring glory to God, then what good is it?

His Spirit Our Heart United

How does one know the moment when they are born again? Many will say a prayer often referred to as the sinners prayer when they feel moved to make a decision to follow Christ. My question is if we are born into a life of sin, and living a life of sin how can we come to a decision to follow a holy God? I would argue that God places in every one of us a longing for a relationship with Him. That longing for Him, and the moving in your deepest parts of your soul is what wants to be united with the Father. How then could I say His Spirit and our heart united? Our heart the Bible says is deceitfully wicked. It is that foundational moving in our souls that wants to come to Christ when we hear God's Word taught that have us scream out internally I want to follow You Lord!

Are we then united with His Spirit? His Spirit comes to indwell in us so that we can follow a holy God, and if we then seek to abide in Him we will become more like Him. All powerful and all knowing? No, loving and seeking to do His will, not our own. I pray that all would come to this relationship with God, but the truth is they won't. So, go, preach His Word every chance you get so that many or few can respond to the calling that He puts out through His Word. Jesus died so that all would have the chance to follow Him to eternal life, yet only some will. Thank God for those that do, and pray for those who have not yet.

Give It All To The Lord

Trials in life can be difficult, truthfully, just life can be dificult. Reading through Leviticus this morning I was reminded that we should be lifting up our prayers to the Lord with His fire burning in us constantly. It is not enough to pray to God with a lists of wants like He is a grantor of wishes though. You should mingle your prayers with oil, or as it represents in scripture, the Holy Spirit. Lift up your heart to God, being led by His Spirit so that the desires of your heart will be His Will.


In His Service

What Do You Live For?

I've been reading through the book of Judges preparing for the next time I teach. It strikes me as weird how the children of Israel could have enjoyed such great deliverance from God over and over again, but they repeatedly lived for their own selfish desires. Are we much different though? They cried out to God, but it was because they were in trouble. Are we crying out to Him in fear, or are we abiding in Him in glory? I read a quote the other day that stated, "you're either in the mission field or you are the mission field.". So, which are you? Are you abiding in Christ and sharing your faith with all you come in contact with, or are you living for your own selfish desires waiting to cry out to the Lord when times get fearfull?


In His Service