September 19, 2006

Chiseling Away at God

"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 nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."  (Exodus 20:4-6 New King James Version)

The second Commandment is closely related to the first, but with a subtle difference.  The first Commandment speaks about the exclusivity of WHO we worship while the second speaks to HOW we worship. Together they make this statement:

God, and God alone is worthy of first place in our life. Nothing nor no one else should take His place. He should only be worshiped in truth not as some shadow or distorted image from our own imagination, but as the one true and living God as revealed in creation and in Scripture. If we worship God in truth and with single-minded devotion, we shall leave a legacy of faith that extends to and blesses others.  If we reduce God to a man-sized idea, then our warped faith will be passed on to succeeding generations.  We may never build an idol of stone, wood, or clay, but with our idolatrous heart we still "chisel away" at God.

Posted by Jim at 00:13:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

September 15, 2006

God Is Number One

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:1-3 New King James Version)

 

God gives the reason for the first Commandment before He even gives the command:
  1. God deserves to be first because He is God. (I am the LORD your God)
  2. God deserves to be first because of all He's done.  (Brought you out of the land of Egypt)

     This Commandment is the most important command in the set of ten and the key to understanding the rest.  The truth is putting God first has to be the top priority if we're going to live lives that are in harmony with the way He has put the universe together.  If you don't put God first, things are all out of kilter, because something or someone else is driving your agenda.  Whatever you make your "god" will become your consuming interest.

  1. Your "god" is the one or the thing you love most
  2. Your "god" is the one or the thing you serve gladly
  3. Your "god" is the one or the thing that is non-negotiable

    Dawson Trotman, the founder of the “Navigators”, used to go to bed at 10:00 PM. He did that because he got up early each morning to pray. When he had someone at his home and 10:00 PM rolled around, he’d pass out magazines, and say "Folks, I’m going to bed. You can stay here as long as you want, but I’ve got an appointment with God tomorrow morning and my appointment with God is the most important thing in my life."

Is the true and living God the most important thing in your life?

Posted by Jim at 21:42:14 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Frantic Friday

Friday is the last day of the work week for many Americans and there are always those last minute tasks that pop up which make you crazy as you dash about trying to finish them before five o'clock.  What is the cause of your "frantic Friday" moment this week?

By the way, I gotta run...I have a sermon to finish!

Posted by Jim at 15:48:04 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |