Idolatry: Big word, small acts.

It’s January 4 — first Friday of 2013 — and God has already warned me of my idolatrous tendencies (or habits).

Listen to the Bible from 1 Kings 11:1-13

Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. ² They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. ³ He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.⁴ As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. ⁵ He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

⁷ On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁸ He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

⁹ The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.¹⁰ Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.¹¹ So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. ¹² Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

Solomon was the wisest man EVER, the Bible says so, and yet he wasn’t immune to his own humanity. Idolatry is such  a big word, no saint would wanna be labeled “idolatrous.” Yet, the smallest acts, desires, and emotional whims that we do, long for, and cherish embody the word “idolatry” fully.

I hate to admit it, and I hate to confront it even more, but I am probably the most idolatrous person I know. God knows that, and I guess that’s why early this year He’s already cautioning me about it.

That’s the hardest part. I already know it. Like Solomon, I also know of what God wants for me — not totally, but I know the generals well enough. I know of the commandment that says: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3) I know myself well enough to know which things I do are undeniably idolatrous. And like Solomon, I have talked about holding on to God’s commands.

He exclaims this in the presence of his people in 1 Kings 8: 56-61 and says,

⁵⁶ “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses.⁵⁷ May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us nor forsake us. ⁵⁸ May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in obedience to Him and keep the commands, decrees and laws He gave our ancestors.⁵⁹ And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may uphold the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel according to each day’s need, ⁶⁰ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.⁶¹ And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.”

I’m afraid of how the future might be for me. I really am. Though I should not be, I have to admit I am. I may not be as wise as Solomon, but I am wise enough to see what He wants of me — an undivided heart. I am afraid that like Solomon, despite knowing these, I would still go my way and break His heart.

It makes me wanna put a different spin on the statement “He that is in me, is greater than he that is in the world.” Right now? I’m convicted to declare…

He that is in me is greater than he THAT IS ME.

I am my worst enemy. I bet a lot of you saints out there feel the same way. It’s not that the enemy’s lies are powerful, it’s not that they have power over us beyond what we can deal with — it’s that we have decided to listen to and cherish those lies.

The spirit is willing but the body in indeed weak. YET in all these? We have to remind ourselves that WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US .(Rom. 8:37)

By the cross, by Christ’s sacrifice, by His power, by His love, and ultimately by His grace — WE CAN OVERCOME.

I urge you saints to admit your idolatrous ways. Search within and see where you are weakest. AND COMMIT YOURSELF TO PRAYER. We have no power aside from that which is ours through Christ — and we need to tap into that power EVERY MOMENT of our lives. Do not underestimate the power of prayer, and do not discount the need for total humility and submission. In prayer, we surrender ourselves and submit to His power and call for His will to be done.

Don’t get me wrong, I am in no position to say I have totally overcome myself. Nor am I in any way better than any of you — remember, I am the prodigal saint, I have a wandering heart that strays way too often. I am talking to you as a brother who cautions and reminds you of what I have been reminded so that together we will overcome.

I guess what I’m trying to say is:

1) Idolatry is a serious issue we better deal with NOW.

2) I am battling it, and I need your prayer and support. 

Honestly, I am thankful for the reminder. Very early in the year God has already cautioned me. I pray that I can hold fast to this reminder though. I pray that His mercy and grace be ever with me as I battle it out with myself.

Just remember, saints, it’s not about being religious and ritually righteous. It’s about having a heart that seeks to love and build a relationship with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ who came to seek and save us who were lost.

Sainthood doesn’t include numbness.

It’s in the midst of so much pain and anguish is FAITH really tested.

It’s one thing to try and stand firm when circumstances are pressuring you, it’s definitely another to try and stand firm when you’re battling with things within yourself.

When it’s not about what’s pleasurable, what’s desirable, what’s fun — when the decisions are about dealing with the pain, feeling the burn, and enduring the sting.

It’s in times of dealing with these that our faith is really tested. James’ words ring in my head:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

Pure joy. WOW. What a calling.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

God says peace… We all have it in us as saints, we just have to HOLD ON TO IT.

No one said this life would be easy. Diamonds don’t get their luster without pressure for years and strenuous cutting. We Saints too don’t get to become like our Master without any of these trials.

THEREFORE SAINTS,

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 2:3)

The Saint Communes: Listen, flee.

“Son, I’ve been telling you. You are not meant to confront temptations HEAD ON. As much as My salvation for you is complete and victorious — you still are in this world. Yes, you are a saint, you are My saint. But as you know, even as a saint, you still are HUMAN. Son, part of your humanity is your sinful nature. I’ve freed you from it, but I do not offer instantaneous change. You need to learn.What good is your perfection if you did not learn from the process?

I want you to learn, I want you to change, but I do not want robots. Son, you of all people should know how good having someone love you feels like. I want OBEDIENCE OUT OF LOVE. I do not need machines that I can program and reset when they mess up. I want people who would follow Me, choose to obey Me, and hold on to Me.

You, My son, are a saint. I’ve set you apart from the world to be ambassadors of My love on earth. And son, how do you expect to do that when you keep falling? I am not expecting you to be perfect, I know your limitations, and I know how to test you. Every time you encounter temptation, I provide a way out.

Son, I give fire exits to burning buildings, not portal guns that can zap you places. I need you to make the conscious effort of FLEEING. No son, a burning building cannot be salvaged by cans of fire extinguishers, you have to flee from it — you are not equipped to fight it. Your sinful nature always keeps you vulnerable to being tempted; however, My grace is sufficient for you. Turn to Me, I can help you. I’m the fire fighter that rushed to climb the burning inferno of a building you’re trapped in to save you. Just choose to take my hand and let’s go. No, no, no. How many times do I have to tell you? Stop trying to fight the flames. You cannot win, not at your current state. You are not equipped, nor trained, to fight flames of this intensity. Listen to Me, My child, flee.

Son, you will always be tempted. You cannot just sit around all day and hope to not encounter any. The devil is like a roaring lion, seeking those he can devour. Don’t be sitting duck! Flee at the sight of him! In cases like these, fleeing is not cowardly, it’s wise. Sure, in severe cases, even in the wild, some prey gets to overpower their predator. But for the most part, even if they can, they’d much rather run away — it’s safer, more efficient, and saves a lot of trouble. PLUS! It’s a guaranteed safe option for them. If you run, and you get caught — then fight. But if you fight and you realize the opponent’s too strong, can you still run?

Son, being bound by your sinful nature is like swimming with an open wound in shark territory. They will always be able to find you, so keep swimming! Don’t laze around and hope they don’t find you. FLEE! I will never leave you nor forsake you, and your battles can be won with My power. BUT, you have to remember, I am not your guard dog. I am your Father. I will protect you when I need to, BUT, you HAVE TO OBEY ME. Run when I tell you.   I’ve made it clear in a lot of ways in the Bible to flee from temptation, to flee from the devil. Listen to me, child. FLEE!

Look at every time you get caught by temptation because you did not flee and tried to fight when I clearly commanded you to run. Every time that happens, the enemy succeeds in destroying you, your morale, your well-being, etc. What’s worse? I am the only one who can heal you and make you whole again, BUT you feel so dirty and broken that you assume I would not want you anymore! Look at the LIES you’re vulnerable to when you give in to temptation, when you allow the prowling lion to get a hold of you. Son, he is full of hate, he is miserable — and he sees how happy you are in me AND HE WANTS TO DESTROY THAT RELATIONSHIP! Do not, My son, allow him to do that.

Listen to your Father. “

— Love, God

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)

Whatever it is that’s “pulling you away from God,” as a friend of mine once said, never allow it to take over you. Always seek Him, and He will always be there for you to find. And as the verse says, “along with those who call on the Lord” — we can all work together at this, to help each other find our way back to our Father, and to STAY with Him.

In Jesus’s Name, we HAVE victory!

Salt and Light: FOCUS!

There are a lot of things we end up craving for, yearning for, and even lusting for. But every time we find ourselves reaching for something, STOP and ask: Does God want this for me?

It’s not really easy to pause every time, and I mean EVERY time, we start wanting something. But we HAVE too.

There are SO many things in this world that are just too LUSCIOUS for us; even as Saints, we are not immune to the idea of “craving.” We will ALWAYS want things, it’s part of what we are as human beings.

What do we do then?

FOCUS!

Staying focused is as simple (simple, not necessarily EASY)  as always stopping and asking yourself. In this case, as a Saint, it’s about stopping and asking GOD:

“Lord, is this what You want for me? Would this bring glory to You? Am I being a good Saint by pursuing this?”

Our ultimate goal as Saints is to bring GLORY to God.

FOCUS!

We have to focus on our calling, we are called to be SET APART. To not be like everyone else. Sometimes it’s really easy to say: “Oh, this is okay. Everyone’s doing it.” But we are NOT like everyone else, we are SAINTS!

Our goal as SAINTS is to be SALT AND LIGHT on earth. It was straight from Jesus’ mouth, as recorded in Matthew:

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:13-15)

Salt is EXPECTED to be salty. And light is EXPECTED to dispel darkness. And Jesus goes on to say:

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

We are like walking signboards displaying His glory. Everything we do SHOULD reflect Him.

So back to whatever it is that’s luring us. Does having a craving for it glorify Him? Does it help us maintain our “SALTINESS” on this earth?

FOCUS!

There are a lot of things, thanks to the media and our twisted sinful nature, we end up thinking to be “okay” things — not inherently good, not inherently bad. But I’m here to tell you, there really is no such thing as GOOD nor BAD. There’s only one way of classifying things: PLEASING or NOT PLEASING to GOD.

Take the temptation of Jesus in the desert for example. (Matt. 4: 1-11; Luke 4:1-13)

The suggestion to turn stones into bread seems to be an attempt to persuade Jesus to satisfy His immediate physical need outside of God’s will. …  Though I believe Luke 4 is primarily an attack on the person and Messianic work of Christ, there are surely lessons for us: Satan desires that we take the initiative to meet perceived needs outside the way and will of God. We are tempted to seek possessions, pleasure, position and power. On His part, Jesus submitted to His Father’s will regardless of personal consequences, comfort and convenience. — Derek Newton (Principalities and Powers)

Jesus too, as human, had desires — some were as simple as being hungry after not eating for 40 days and 40 nights.

In the Bible, we can see two distinct ways of dealing with desires, cravings, wants, etc.

1) Jesus, as Derek Newton pointed out, His temptation is the desert is a clear picture of the things we humans want: “possessions, pleasure, position and power.”

and

2) Esau, as I’ve posted in “The Saint Communes: Blessings,” was also confronted with his earthly desires. He was hungry after a whole day of hunting, and so did not care about his birth right and sold it for a bowl of soup.

Thing is, Esau GAVE IN. He allowed his humanity to take over him. As for Jesus, He stayed focused on His status as Chist, and held on to the COMMANDS of God.

FOCUS!

We, like Jesus, have a status we must hold on to: we are SAINTS. We carry around Christ is our daily lives. That’s the whole idea of being SALT and LIGHT. Salt, when added to food, makes things salty. Light, when placed in a dark room, lights it up. WE, when placed in this world, SHOULD HAVE SOME EFFECT ON IT.

Salt is ONLY salty, it cannot be both salty and sweet. We can only either be: glorifying God and showing people HIM, or just going with the flow and fading into “everybody else.”

So in everything we do, in everything we want, and in everything we do for the things we want always keep in mind: we are SAINTS, salt and light of the earth. It’s not easy, but hey, we are SONS and DAUGHTERS of the Most High God! His Spirit is our power, all we have to do is ASK. When it becomes too tough? PRAY.

As the song goes: “We fight our battles on our knees.” (We Are United)