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| Serve the One and True God |
Exodus 20:4 "Thou shalt not make unto 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 water under the earth:"
The verse above was the exact words God has spoken to His believers in Mount Sinai, in front of all Israelites and non-Israelites.
This was very clear to the ears of all who have heard these words.
GRAVEN IMAGES
Here in the Philippines, there are lots of graven images.
Examples:
1. Ordinary people who became saints because they (believers or followers of an ordinary person become saints) believe that he (become saints) performs miracles.
2. Their spiritual father. founder of the church. - Like they put pictures of their spiritual father in the front door of their house.
3. Parents of Jesus. Their names were mentioned in prayers of some religious organization as their mediator. Yes, they had a huge impact on why Jesus was present on earth and become the man at that time, but there is no other mediator but one, it is JESUS.
Because of this MEN CREATED a very popular prayer called "hail, mary"
But let me remind you 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
4. Angels. The Most famous name was Angel Gabriel.
5. Animals - Goat, Cow, and some animals that some believe bring luck or blessings in their community.
Graven images here are very famous. Here some Filipinos take those graven images as gods. They think that graven images are true gods.
But if you gonna asks them, they will say that those graven images are just reflections of one and true living God.
Is this reasonable? Or they just justifying the things they were doing to their graven images?
Well, in case you do not have any idea what unbelievers doing to their graven images, let me give you some examples of what they were doing to them:
1. They dance with them.
2. They praise them.
3. They pray in saints' names.
4. They have a scheduled fiesta day for them.
... And such things...
If you're gonna ask them they immediately say that they were not serving them.
But they do serving them and bow down to them. Remember once you were a follower of them you were serving and bowing to them.
Exodus 20:5 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;"
What Exodus 20:5 says to those who bow down and serving them (graven images)?
The Jealous God - "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me"
The Lord visits them. How many of you wanted to be visited by God? I will be one of them who wants to be visited by God! Definitely and absolutely!
But not on visiting me because of my iniquity. Why? Because it is not the love of the Lord that will bring Him to visit and remember me but His anger.
Yes. His anger! Imagine it is not only from your generation but up to the fourth generation.
HAVE FEAR OF THE LORD
Yes. Do we need to have the fear from the Lord? Yes, for us not to make mistakes of what the Israelites did.
Having other gods to serve and to bow is not the will of the Lord.
Three men in the Bible did not serve nor bow down on a graven image made by a rude king of Babylon.
Who are they?
Daniel 3:13-18
[13] Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. [14] Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? [15] Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? [16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. [17] If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION
If you were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego what would you do?
It is easy to say I would not bow down or serve the golden image, right?
Imagine today there is no such rude king like Nebuchadnezzar, but people are a server of the graven image. They were happy to serve the graven image.
They were blind by the lies that were brought and planted by the devil in their minds and hearts.
But the good thing with these 3 men, they were not afraid of the king's threat but they were confident that the Lord they were serving is the God of miracle and the God that can redeem them even in the hands of death.
And because of this God did not fail them, but He shows Himself not only Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego but to the whole of Babylon how their God to work against the golden image.
Brethren,
It is time to open our eyes wide and see the situation of mankind today.
I am afraid of what life brings to them who serves the graven images.
Many are saying and thinking that they have things they were needed and they were blessed because of serving the graven images but they dont know and realized that it cause curses through the family up to fourth generations.
This is the time to wake up their sleepy minds and hearts through the truth of the word of God.
Because if not Psalm 115:5 - 8
[5] They have mouths, but they speak not:
eyes have they, but they see not:
[6] They have ears, but they hear not:
noses have they, but they smell not:
[7] They have hands, but they handle not:
feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
[8] They that make them are like unto them;
so is everyone that trusteth in them.
The word "like them" means dead.
Yes. Them who serves the graven images is dead like the graven image was dead. No one will enter heaven who is serving graven images even how faithful they were.
They will gain nothing but death and hell.
You who is reading this, what heart do you have for them who are serving graven images today?
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
I pray we do have compassion for those who serve graven images. The compassion that is within us will lead us to share the truth with them.
I do also pray that whatever fear we have in our hearts may replace with love, fear, and sound mind in Jesus' name, which could help us to share the word of God with them.
I plead the blood of Jesus to cover you in all harm, in Jesus' name, Amen.
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