Who's your God?

 Who's is your God?

In the book of Joshua we read,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24: 14,15.

In the above passage of scripture Joshua is telling the Israelites to make up their mind. To either follow the one true God or the gods of the Amorites. 

While we in the western democracies may not want to admit it we have many Gods. Even those who call themselves Christians quite often worship other gods. The obvious being materialism. But there are other god that we may not think are gods. The following of a political leader or party. Even an obsession with your personal rights under the law of the land.

Other gods is anything that puts The Lord God Almighty second or mixes anything in with our worship of Him.

As Christians, followers of Christ Jesus in the west we need to decide who we will follow. Our political leaders, political parties, materialism,...or The Lord God Almighty.

Who are you following?

Please think about it.

The things you accumulate.

 The things you accumulate. 

The apostle Peter writes,

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you" 1Peter 1:3-4.

If you accept the saving grace offered to you by God through Christ Jesus. Then you can praise God because the inheritance we have is not in this world but in heaven where it can never spoil or fade.

The riches you may accumulate in this world are fleeting. At the end of your life they will be dispersed among other people. They will no longer be yours. But the things you do for Christ. The things you do for God will be yours forever.

Please think about it.

Who is

 Who is

Isaiah the prophet talking about man made gods states,

“Those who lavish gold from the purse,

and weigh out silver in the scales, 

hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;

Then they fall down and worship!

They lift it to their shoulders , they carry it,

they set it in its place, and stand there;

it cannot move from its place.

If one cries to it, it does not answer

or save him from trouble.”

                                       Isaiah 46:6,7.

Lets not make any mistake we living in the twenty-first century have gods. They may not be effigies of animals or other things but we have them. A god is anything you put your trust in above all things. 

These things can be money, houses, cars, investments. Even political and religious leaders.

The bottom line with all of these things is they cannot save you. You will not get to heaven by making them first in your life. When trouble arrives in your life these things cannot help you.

I’ve heard over the years of millionaires on their death beds sorrowfully admit they didn’t spend more time with God than making millions.

I’ve heard many people who’ve lost their houses and possessions due to natural disaster or fire cry because their life and meaning of success was in the gathering of possessions.

Isaiah the prophet states,

"A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" 

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:6-8.

The God we as believers in Christ Jesus. The LORD God Almighty is a living God who loves us and went to great lengths to show us in human terms how far He would go to show us the way to heaven.

The apostle Paul writes,

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8.

So who is your God? Your possessions, your money? A political or religious leader? Who?

Please think about it.

God or...

 God or...

The Psalmist writes,

“Trust in the LORD and do good;

 dwell in the land 

and enjoy safe pasture.” 

                                                    Psalm 37:3.

Today I’m writing to those who claim to be Christians, followers of Christ Jesus in North America and also in the democracies of the west.

Here in North America we enjoy safe pasture. We have freedoms the world can only dream of. That being said I think at times those freedoms stop us from fully trusting in The Lord. 

When you are prospering and living in safety it is easy to ignore God. It’s easy to put your trust in other things rather than God.

Jesus told this parable,

"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 

"Then he said, ‘This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  

And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 

"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:15-21.

Now let me say being wealthy is not wrong. There are many wealthy Christians today who but their trust completely in God. 

The problem with wealth is the emphasis you put on your wealth. 

Thus my question to you; who do you trust more, God or your wealth?

Please think about it.

Are they worth Christ dying for?

  Are they worth Christ dying for?

Jesus said,

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21.

Where are your priorities? What is the most important thing in your life?”

The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote,

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind."Ecclesiastes 1:14.

 After examining life the writer of Ecclesiastes came to the conclusion that the things of this world are simply chasing after the wind. They are worth nothing.

So what is the most important thing in your life; your job? your possessions? What is the most important thing in your life?

The late evangelist Leonard Ravenhill asked the question,

"Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?" Leonard Ravenhill.

Thus my question to you dear reader is,

Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?

Please think about it. 

On Idols

On Idols
In the final line 1 John. The apostle makes a definite statement all believers even today must obey. He writes,
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21.
In John’s day idols were everywhere. Idol worship was in every city, town and village in the Roman world. Temples to the various Roman god’s were easily spotted.
Today in the twenty-first century we have as many idols if not more than existed in John’s day. They are just harder to spot.
Idols are anything we worship other than God knowingly or subconsciously. Money is perhaps top of the list. There are people who put the making of money above all else quiet often even their families. But there are other things. Everything from the latest designer clothing to computers to cell phones, consumer goods, to sporting and entertainment events, to
We just have to look at when a technology company announces the release of its latest, greatest gadget. The lineups for it start early in the morning and go for city blocks.
Now there is nothing wrong with having money or the latest electronic gadget or going to or participating in sports or entertainment events. Money, gadgets and other things can make our lives easier. Sporting and entertainment can help us relax.  The problem comes when we desire them more than we desire God.
Especially if you consider yourself a Christian you need to carefully consider what place money and possessions  and other things have in your life.
You need to ask yourself the question do I put the things of this world, ahead of God?
Please think about it.

Idols

Idols
In the final line 1 John. The apostle makes a definite statement all believers even today must obey. He writes,
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21.
In John’s day idols were everywhere. Idol worship was in every city, town and village in the Roman world. Temples to the various Roman god’s were easily spotted.
Today in the twenty-first century we have as many idols if not more than existed in John’s day. They are just harder to spot.
Idols are anything we worship other than God knowingly or subconsciously. Money is perhaps top of the list. There are people who put the making of money above all else quiet often even their families. But there are other things. Everything from the latest designer clothing to computers to cell phones, consumer goods, to sporting and entertainment events, to
We just have to look at when a technology company announces the release of its latest, greatest gadget. The lineups for it start early in the morning and go for city blocks.
Now there is nothing wrong with having money or the latest electronic gadget or going to or participating in sports or entertainment events. Money, gadgets and other things can make our lives easier. Sporting and entertainment can help us relax.  The problem comes when we desire them more than we desire God.
Especially if you consider yourself a Christian you need to carefully consider what place money and possessions  and other things have in your life.
You need to ask yourself the question do I put the things of this world, ahead of God?
Please think about it.