Reflect on how much idolizing happens

In several countries people go mad about their stars. In certain countries, like in Belgium, on television they may talk about people who are called "wereldberoemd" ("world-famous") though they might be just some ordinary people who had some more screening on one of the commercial television stations or be spoken of in the gossip magazines.

Today we have the modern equivalents of the feasting in Corinth on the food that had been offered to the idols, especially in prosperous countries in the things that the masses idolize. In Corinth athletic sports were idolized, it is no different today – people call them ‘Stars’ or 'gods' . We better reflect on how much idolizing happens!

The apostle Paul also look at those athletes and recognised

“Every athlete exercises self control …they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable”(1 Corinthians 9:25).

He tells believers,

 “So run that you may obtain it …I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”(1 Corinthians 9:24,27).

When we look at those athletes and film icons, how do we appreciate their work. How much recognition do we give to the television star or to a footballer, and to the doctor who saves many lives. When we look at the wages the footballer earns and than look at what a doctor or a nurse receives monthly, it show how much life has become worth in our society. A very good barometer to get to know what a human person is worth is looking at the prizes of hitman. the prizes of contract killers have gone down enormously the last few years.
The prize of surrogate mothers kept about the same for the last 5 years.

The policy of looking at human beings has worsened the last few years. Most people got more interested in the car or electric gadgets the neighbour has than in the person himself. World has become so commercialised and so materialistic that there is no place for the common man and certainly not for the Creator of all things.

Not many are interested in getting to know the other human beings and being ready to come to their help. To get to know a Spirit, Which they can not see or hear, is even worse... Why should they show any interest in Such an unreachable Bearing?

Those who love the God of gods, should come out and show the world their love for the Most High of all. They should show the world that That eternal Spirit is One of a kind. In Him they should put all their trust and come forwards to tell people about all His Works and promises.

Being aware of the particular love they received, believers in the Only One God, should be willing to share that love with others.
Love is, above all, an active quality; genuine love causes us to do things: it motivates our heart. Now, the things love causes us to do are not things we do out of a sense of obligation, there should not be occasions when we say,

 “I suppose I had better do …”

especially when it comes to serving the Lord.

Time is at hand that we come in to the public to serve the Most High Almighty.

When Jehovah God, who sees all things through his spirit (Psalm 139:1-6) knows that our professions of love for him come right from our hearts – we are “known by God”. But this is more than a one sided sense of knowing, to truly know God results in a two-way relationship, David’s Psalms show this, we read this morning,

 “Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his”(100:3).

We are the ones who belong to God and are willing to show that to the world.

We read a few days ago in Exodus,

 “Moses said to the LORD …you have said, ‘I know you by name …therefore if I have found favour in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you…””(33:12,13).

Knowing God comes through knowing his ways; leading to the realization that we are “working together with him”(2 Corinthians 6:1).

One of the wonders of this, Paul told the Corinthians, is to realize that

 “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”(1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let us endure all tribulation which may come over us because we our lovers of God. Let us be brightened by His Glory and pronounce His Name with full dignity.

Not the idols and stars of this world should receive all honour, but title should be given to the Most High, Divine Creator, Jehovah God.

+

Please do find additional reading:

1. The business of this life
2. Materialism, would be life, and aspirations
3. Christian values and voting not just a game
4. Idolatry or idol worship
5. Worship and worshipping
6. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God 
7. A God between many gods 
8. Finding God amid all the religious externals
9. Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
10. People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
11. People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
12. People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
13. People Seeking for God 4 Biblical terms
14. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life 
15. Only worship the Creator of all things
16. Praise the God with His Name
17. Jehovah Yahweh Gods Name
18. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name
19. “If anyone loves God, he is known by God” (February 25 thought)
20. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #1 Listening Sovereign Maker
21. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #3 Callers upon God
22. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #10 Prayer #8 Condition
23. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #14 Prayer #12 The other name
24. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification

Related articles

• Lenin idols falling fast in free Ukraine
• Casting out Idols
• Sure Foundations (February 23, 2014)
• Chicken "Idols" and Waffles
• Flee from Idolatry
• Idols
• the cross is greater than my idols
• We are what we Worship: Idols and their Makers
• It Is From the Heart.
• Exodus 20: The lure of idols

Be Honest

Be Honest

Paul exhorts us in I Timothy 2:2-3 to lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.

Being honest in the sight of all men means that we must be completely straightforward and truthful in our dealings with others -- and also to ourselves. We say we have accepted the Truth and claim therefore that we are honest. But do we continue to make mischief and tell lies?

To be honest is hard

Sometimes we find it hard to be honest because we don’t want to upset anyone. To take a very trivial example: we see a friend and we don’t think that her clothing is at all appropriate but we are afraid to say so and end up complimenting her. Is that being honest?

In speaking the truth we have to be gentle and considerate, but sometimes even that can bring hurt feelings.

Complete honesty

We are supposed to be missionaries preaching the Lord Jesus Christ in word and action. He was always totally honest and true ­ as we must be! He was not only honest in the sight of all men, he was totally honest before God. And he will help us in our aim to be honest before God, for only then will our honesty be complete. Look how he helped Peter to overcome his shameful dishonesty. And he did it in deepest love.

The Lord hates lying lips

Sometimes we tell lies and excuse them as jokes when they are found out. “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbour and says, ‘I was only joking!’” (Prov. 26:18-19). This kind of behaviour is often seen in children and because it is not corrected it continues into manhood. It is never too early to learn that complete truthfulness must be a way of life from childhood onward. These things the Lord hates ­ a proud look, a lying tongue, a false witness who tells lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

The evils of repetition

We must be on our guard that we are not taken in by lies just because we hear them over and over again. We must also make sure that we ourselves are not guilty of trying to convince others of something that is not true by the use of repetition. Remember that mob in the theatre in Ephesus? They wanted everybody to believe that the goddess Diana was real. So they just shouted and screamed and chanted in unison “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” for a couple of hours until everybody was hoarse. But the idol was as dead at the end of all those “vain repetitions” as it was at the beginning. Let us not be so proud as to refuse to give up a false opinion we have, even though the truth has been revealed to us.

Recently I spoke to a sister concerning a brother and family member about some misunderstanding that had taken place. The sister made it clear that there was nothing I nor anyone could do to convince this brother that what he heard was a lie. He is stubborn and too proud to let go of self and be humble. We deplore this behaviour in others. Let us also be sure that we despise it in ourselves as well.

Dwell together in unity

In Psalm 133, we are reminded that it is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity. The final blessing of eternal life will come only to brethren and sisters who dwell together in unity. Spreading lies and believing them causes discord and unhappiness. What a hateful thing to sow seeds of bitterness in a united family and cause unnecessary strife! This is the old nature of man, but for those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, this should not be named among us. Our faith should be stronger than to tell lies.

A new medium for lies

The Internet and E-mail have provided a new medium for spreading lies about those whom we may not like. We can hide our identity while still causing pain to others. I have been appalled at the misuse of the Internet by brethren who should know better. I know one sister who has suffered intense distress because of untrue things circulated widely about her, in some cases by brethren who have never even met her. It should never be like that in the family of God.

Why should anyone ­ especially a brother or a sister ­ tell such lies deliberately? Is it to accomplish evil? Why go naked to such a work when there are many beautiful garments ready to hand? It is easy to feel bitter and find covering which might even deceive ourselves.

Be thankful

We have much to be thankful for today through the mercies of God shown in the saving name of Christ Jesus. That’s why many of us who have lying lips like Ananias and Sapphira don’t drop down dead immediately as they did. There is still time to start a life of truthfulness. How long are we going to wait before we,

Speak the truth and speak it ever, cost it what it will.

He who hides the wrong he did, does the wrong thing still.

Brethren and sisters, we cannot lie our way through to the Kingdom. Instead, be honest and true. Be truly serious about the word. Be true to one another."

Gerzel Gordon - Editorial
--------------------------

-----
The Caribbean Pioneer - May 2002
http://www.tidings.org/pioneer/pioneer200205.htm