Worshipping Idols.

 Acts 17:25
Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

The hand of God wrote on the tablets of stone. “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. Thou shalt not bow down to them.” We still find such images in the world today. Statues and shrines are erected and worshipers gather around them to pray and give oblations. Such religions can also be found in America. I live down the street from a buddhist temple, and they have erected a 25-30 foot goddess statue in the middle of their yard. I am ignorant of the purpose of the statue, but it does appear to be a shrine made to attract followers to come and worship. Christians must be careful when erecting buildings or statues to honor saints. Buildings are erected to provide a place for believers to gather together to worship, and we want to respect the house of God, but scripture clearly states that we should not confine God to a place . “seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” (V24) We are the church, and should bring God with us to the house of worship. Many preachers and writers have preached and written on idol worship in our day. One need not make a statue to worship an idol. In a nutshell, anything that comes between you and God is an idol. The list of things are as diverse as there are people. We live by faith alone, and we serve a God who desires all of our hearts. Worshiping Him in holiness requires that we give to God all that we love in this world and place our love and affection to the things above (Col 3:1).

Teachable Heart

Psalm 119:33  Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

We never stop learning how to walk with the Lord. Growing in the grace of God happens when we spend time reading, thinking, and praying the Word of God. The statues of the Lord are given to us through the Bible. We meditate and learn what His Word says about living a life that will bring honor to His Name. It is not always how much you read, but how you read. Having a teachable heart is to be open to living our lives in a way that pleases Him. Many lessons we learn are done through life’s experiences. His Word give us direction how we said act and react to the things that happen in our lives. As we read His word and hide it in our hearts, He is then able to bring it to our minds in time of need. Learning is best done when we can apply what we have been taught. May we keep is Word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him

Rejoice in His Word

Psalm 119:14, 15.16 “  I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Thy precepts and attend unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes; I will not forget Thy word.”

Sometimes reading and mediating on God’s Word is like a sword. It pierces the heart with convictions and reveals what lurks in the shadows when the light of His Word searches the soul. Rejoicing is not the first emotions that comes to my mind. His law, His commandments show us how sinful we are, and how bad we need a Savior. His Word does not leave us without hope. The testimony of the Lord is to show us that we don’t have to live in darkness and sin, that we can rejoice that He has provided a way to live and to live more abundantly. His Word becomes light that shine before us, leading us day by day to walk close to Him. We have a heart of gratitude, we give Him praise for giving us His Word that we can learn to walk in His precepts. His Word, that became flesh can now dwell in our hearts and fill us with joy beyond riches.