Clear the Stage - Crush the Idols

Four years ago I posted a song on Facebook and today it popped up in my timeline memories.

It is a powerful song that spoke to me then and even reminds me today. The bridge of the song goes like this.

Anything I put before my God is an idol

Anything I want with all my heart is an idol. 

Anything I can’t stop thinking of is an idol.

Anything I give all my heart to is an idol.

We talk in the church about putting God first, but those lyrics really got me thinking about how easy idols sneak into our lives. In our minds we think that idols are bad things but when you look at it in this way you realize that we can make an idol out of really good things.

How many of us say we don't have time to do devotions? We let the day to day tasks and responsibilities come before God. I've written, before, about making room for God and how He wants us to put Him before anything else, that includes our families, our jobs, our  "to do" lists, and even our recreational activities. 

How many of us have wanted something with all our hearts? Maybe it was a dream job, or a dream wedding, or a child, or a spouse; the list can go on. These are all good things and it is not bad to want them. They become idols when we put them as a priority. We must keep it in perspective and desire God more than anything else.

How many of us have things in our lives that we can’t stop thinking of? Young people, watch yourselves here, how much are you thinking of that girl or boy you like? For us that are more mature, how much are we thinking of our worries and responsibilities? “How am I going to pay the bills this month?” or “How am I going to get my ‘to do’ list done?” How often do we think of God during the day? Do you give Him your few minutes and go on your way with your day or is He continually in your thoughts? When the worries or “to do” lists pop up, are you giving it to Him and thinking about who He is and how He’s got you.

How many of us have given all of our love to our husbands and our children? We spend so much time taking care of our kids that we don’t spend time with Jesus. We look to our spouses or boyfriend/girlfriend to fulfill the needs and desires that only our Heavenly Father can fill.

On Sundays (or Saturdays) we go to church and sing praises to Him, but like the song says, “we can sing all we want to and still get it wrong”.

So its time to “clear the stage”. Take time this week to “take a break from all the plans you have made and sit at home, alone and wait for God to whisper.” Clear away the busyness and things that steal your thoughts and let God reveal those things you have turned into an idol. Sometimes an idol isn’t a bad thing in and of itself but it becomes an idol because of the importance we put on it. Anything we put before God is an idol.

“Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze 

if that’s the measure you must take to crush the idols.”

Ezekiel 14:2-6  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let myself be inquired of at all by them? 

“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘

Thus says the Lord God: “Every one of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.”

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, 

‘Thus says the Lord God:

 “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Matthew 22: 37-38 Jesus said to him, 

“ 'you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

 with all your soul, 

and with all your mind’ 

this is the first and great commandment.”

1 John 5:19-21  We know that we are of God, 
and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, 
that we may know Him who is true; 
and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. 
This is the true God and eternal life.  
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen.

The Word of Testimony

God has been speaking a lot to me, lately, about being a living sacrifice and a living testimony. He has been reminding me of the promises He has made and given to me and the miracle HE has already done. This world can be such a discouraging place and we can get so wrapped up in the negativity. The one place of refuge we have is with Him. God’s word is living and breathing but many Christians have grown stagnant in their devotion times. During my devotions the other day I had a goal of reading 1 John 1, but God decided to stop me after verse 4. Let me walk you through what happened that day in hopes that it will change the way you read the Word and let God speak to you.

 1 John1:1-4 (NIV)

“That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, we write to make our joy complete.”

As I read the passage I realized that I could read it as one looking at someone else’s story, or I can look at it as if I was the one writing the story. So I decided to go back and re-read it in first person. I have used a similar technique when I pray scripture over people, but for some reason I never really used it for me.

1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which ‘I’ have heard, which ‘I’ have seen with ‘my’ eyes, which ‘I’ have looked at and ‘m’ hands have touched – this ‘I’ proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

By looking at these verses in this way I am forced to reflect on what God has done in my life. What have I seen of Jesus in my life, with my own eyes? What have I looked at and touched that was from God?

1 John 1:2 “The life appeared; ‘I’ have seen it and testify to it, and ‘I’ proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to ‘me’”.

“The Life” was presented to me through the Word at a young age but it was the “Word made flesh” living in and through those who believe that convinced me of the Truth.

Jesus is the Word made flesh but when we accept Him and accept the gift that He came and sacrificed Himself for me and then comes and lives in us (Col. 1:27), we then become the word made flesh when we begin to apply the Word and surrender to His perfect will.

1 John 1:3 “’I’ proclaim to you that ‘I’ have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with ‘me’. And ‘my’ fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ”

As I reflect on that verse, I remember things that I have seen and words that God has spoken to me. Making it personal, I look at my testimony. I can read theses verses and look at what God did thousands of years ago, among a group of people I have no physical connection to, but I think that He wants me to make it personal. He wants me to stop and reflect on what I have seen and heard.

I have witnessed His healing power, I have been the recipient of His miraculous provision and His restoration. I have heard Him speak to me and I have even felt His arms around me. To me these are not just words on the pages of a book, it has become reality.

The things I have seen or heard are not just for me. I have went through times in my walk with Him that I have boldly proclaimed what He has done for me, but then at other times I have grown stagnant.  I am reminded in verse 3 that it is for you that I give my testimony of what Jesus has done in and through my life, so that you too can have fellowship with Him. Since it is required of me to share my testimony, I must spend time reflecting on what Christ has done for me and is doing for me. Why?

1 John 1:4 “’I’ write this to make our joy complete.”

New King James says, “to make ‘your’ joy complete", but I like the “our” in NIV. When I share my personal experiences and encounters with Christ it makes “my” joy complete, but it also gives others hope and encouragement and hopefully at times sets them free. This bring joy to them.

Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

We overcome not only by the blood of Jesus, which was poured out for All of us, but we overcome by the word of OUR testimony. God still moves, miracles still happen, He still speaks. We can have daily fellowship with Him thanks to the sacrifice of His Son on a cross and His resurrection. It is our duty as disciples and followers of Christ to share our personal testimonies. We need to share what God is doing in our lives. The world doesn't need or want a god that moved a couple thousand years ago, they need the Living God of the Universe that still moves and lives today. The best way for them to see Him is to see Him moving in our lives, but they won't see if we don't share. So spend time reflecting on what God has done and is doing for you and get out there and share it.