"IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL OBEY WHAT I COMMAND"!
Jesus Says: "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15)
Question: Do we really love the Lord? Or do we just say that we do and not really mean it?
Note: If you truly love someone … You will never intentionally hurt him or her! Right? If your mate tells you "I love you" … You expect them to show you-- that what they are telling you...It's completely true and real. And the statement is definitely heard a lot louder when it’s followed by their actions! How would you feel if they told you “I LOVE YOU” but they are seeing other people behind your back, coming home at all late hours of the night, never spending any quality time with you? You will probably think to yourself this person does not love me at all...Because if they did? their actions would be completely different from what they are now doing.
So if we expect the people who claim to love us, to show it... Then why don’t we love GOD in the same way? Again Jesus says: “ If you love me, you will obey what I command ” The Lord tells us if we truly love him, like we say we do...We will NOT judge others! (Matthew 7:1), we would treat people the way that we would like to be treated! (Matthew 7:12), we would love and pray for our enemies and we would pray for those who persecute us! (Matthew 5:43-44), We would spend time in talking to Him (Quality Time) in prayer! (Matthew 6:6) And there are many more Scriptures in the Bible that teaches us that if we truly love the Lord, we would show it by our actions! Remember friends, “ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS”!!!
The Apostle John says it best… “We know that we have come to know him "IF WE OBEY HIS COMMANDS." The man who says, “ I know him”, but "DOES NOT" do what he commands is a liar, and THE TRUTH is NOT in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.(Watch this…Don’t miss it!!) This is how we know we are in him: "WHOEVER" claims to live in him MUST walk as Jesus did!" (1 John 2:3-6)
Friend, if we claim to love Jesus and we call ourselves "Christians"(Followers Of Christ) then lets prove it by our actions! “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15, 21, 23-24, 1 Corinthians 7:19, 1 John 5:3)
JESUS SAID: “IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING, YOU ARE REALLY MY DISCIPLES." (John 8:31, 12:47-50) AMEN! FRIENDS, OBEDIENCE TO JESUS CHRIST LEADS TO HEAVEN!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS!
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Showing posts with label Apostles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apostles. Show all posts
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Monday, January 19, 2009
THE COMMISSION
THE COMMISSION
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Note: GOD at times will ask us to do something for Him and there are times, we don’t do it or get it right the first time around, but don’t get discouraged. We may fall down… But that does not mean we have to stay down. Get up in Jesus name and start again!
Peter denied his Lord. (Matthew 26:69-75) When, he had said, “Even if I have to die with you. I will never disown you.” (Matthew 26:35) Could you imagine how he must have felt? When he did the very thing he swore he would NOT do… Could you imagine the disappointment he must have felt in himself? Peter must have thought he was not the right man for the job, since he just had denied his Lord. (Matthew 26:34, 26:75, Mark 14:30, 14:72, Luke 22:34, 22:61)
The Lord told Peter …” And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will built my church…(Matthew 16:18) What God says, you will be and what you will do, will come to pass. (The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago.)- Lamentations 2:17.
Peter must have thought, after denying Jesus... I'm not cut out for this... So he went back to his old occupation (He was a Fisherman) until Jesus came and reminded him of his calling... What Peter was truly meant to do in this world! (Matthew 16:18, John 21:2-17)
Jesus asks Peter this: "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” (Meaning do you love this job/occupation more than me?) “Yes Lord,” he said, you know that I love you. “Jesus said, “Feed my lambs. ”Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. ”Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep. ”The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
Note: I’m so glad that the Lord came to get Peter back on track and to remind him of what he was called to do (To start His Church). Peter got back on track and in the book of Acts we see him in action… Full of confidence and ready to save souls for the Kingdom of God. (Acts 2:14-41) Three thousand people got saved because of his obedience to the Lord. WOW!
We have all had some road blocks in our lives and those road blocks can sometimes cause us to think and question… Maybe this is not what I’m supposed to be doing. Did I hear God correctly?
My friends, a mistake, oppositions, does not mean God didn’t call you and it definitely does not mean that we just stop and give up! The Lord says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." GOD is always with us… Why are you discouraged then? (Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:18-20)
The Apostles were given a task by the Lord Jesus Christ to make disciples of all nations, to baptize, and to teach people to obey everything that He taught them. (Matthew 28:20) Going through the New Testament, we can see they did just that. Nothing was going to stop these men from carrying out the Lords commands. Not prison, beatings, death, or exile. What a wonderful thing that is … When the Lord can count on us to do His will. Obedience to the Lord Jesus blesses you and others too.
Nothing was going to stop these mighty men of God from making disciples of all men and teaching the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Later in the book of Acts, the high priest and his associates gave orders to the apostles not to teach in the name of Jesus. I love Peter’s and the other apostle’s response. “We must obey God rather then men! (Acts 5:29) "When they would not obey the teachers of the law, they were beaten and released. They (The Apostles) left rejoicing because they believed they suffer disgrace for the Name (Jesus Name).- Acts 5:40-41. I am sure they were holding on to God’s promise when they endured the beatings. (“Blesses are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”)- Matthew 5:10
Nothing was going to stop them. They knew the Lord Jesus was depending on them to deliver the gospel to a dying and hurting world, it was very important for them to deliver the message. God needed them to tell people...
TELL PEOPLE WHAT?
To tell them this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)
The Bible says:
“For the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Note: Friends the message is still urgent, the Lord Jesus is still extending His invitation to everyone who would believe in Him. Salvation is "FREE". Don’t let Him pass you by… Don't delay... Jesus is returning very soon!
Thank the Lord Almighty that the Apostles obeyed the call. Their obedience to the Lord has saved millions of souls around the world and many more are still coming to the Kingdom of God each day. This gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has been translated into different languages. PRAISE THE LORD!
The Lord Jesus said: And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. (Mark 13:10) I believe we are living in the last days. He (Jesus Christ) is coming soon. Live your life like the Lord commands, obey Him and most important tell others about the Savior of man’s souls… Jesus Christ.
Once we become believers we have to continue what the Apostles started. We also have the commission to deliver the gospel of our Lord to a world that needs Him desperately. Jesus is coming soon. Don’t let anything distract you or derailed you from the commission. Jesus is depending on all of us... Tell someone today that Jesus loves them and that HE is the "ONLY" way to Heaven. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-11, 13, 1 John 5:12)
Jesus Says: "HE WHO TESTIFIES TO THESE THINGS SAYS, “ YES, I AM COMING SOON”. AMEN. COME, LORD JESUS. THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS BE WITH GOD’S PEOPLE. AMEN. (Revelation 22:20-21) Amen!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Note: GOD at times will ask us to do something for Him and there are times, we don’t do it or get it right the first time around, but don’t get discouraged. We may fall down… But that does not mean we have to stay down. Get up in Jesus name and start again!
Peter denied his Lord. (Matthew 26:69-75) When, he had said, “Even if I have to die with you. I will never disown you.” (Matthew 26:35) Could you imagine how he must have felt? When he did the very thing he swore he would NOT do… Could you imagine the disappointment he must have felt in himself? Peter must have thought he was not the right man for the job, since he just had denied his Lord. (Matthew 26:34, 26:75, Mark 14:30, 14:72, Luke 22:34, 22:61)
The Lord told Peter …” And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will built my church…(Matthew 16:18) What God says, you will be and what you will do, will come to pass. (The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago.)- Lamentations 2:17.
Peter must have thought, after denying Jesus... I'm not cut out for this... So he went back to his old occupation (He was a Fisherman) until Jesus came and reminded him of his calling... What Peter was truly meant to do in this world! (Matthew 16:18, John 21:2-17)
Jesus asks Peter this: "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” (Meaning do you love this job/occupation more than me?) “Yes Lord,” he said, you know that I love you. “Jesus said, “Feed my lambs. ”Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. ”Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep. ”The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
Note: I’m so glad that the Lord came to get Peter back on track and to remind him of what he was called to do (To start His Church). Peter got back on track and in the book of Acts we see him in action… Full of confidence and ready to save souls for the Kingdom of God. (Acts 2:14-41) Three thousand people got saved because of his obedience to the Lord. WOW!
We have all had some road blocks in our lives and those road blocks can sometimes cause us to think and question… Maybe this is not what I’m supposed to be doing. Did I hear God correctly?
My friends, a mistake, oppositions, does not mean God didn’t call you and it definitely does not mean that we just stop and give up! The Lord says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." GOD is always with us… Why are you discouraged then? (Joshua 1:9, Matthew 28:18-20)
The Apostles were given a task by the Lord Jesus Christ to make disciples of all nations, to baptize, and to teach people to obey everything that He taught them. (Matthew 28:20) Going through the New Testament, we can see they did just that. Nothing was going to stop these men from carrying out the Lords commands. Not prison, beatings, death, or exile. What a wonderful thing that is … When the Lord can count on us to do His will. Obedience to the Lord Jesus blesses you and others too.
Nothing was going to stop these mighty men of God from making disciples of all men and teaching the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Later in the book of Acts, the high priest and his associates gave orders to the apostles not to teach in the name of Jesus. I love Peter’s and the other apostle’s response. “We must obey God rather then men! (Acts 5:29) "When they would not obey the teachers of the law, they were beaten and released. They (The Apostles) left rejoicing because they believed they suffer disgrace for the Name (Jesus Name).- Acts 5:40-41. I am sure they were holding on to God’s promise when they endured the beatings. (“Blesses are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”)- Matthew 5:10
Nothing was going to stop them. They knew the Lord Jesus was depending on them to deliver the gospel to a dying and hurting world, it was very important for them to deliver the message. God needed them to tell people...
TELL PEOPLE WHAT?
To tell them this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)
The Bible says:
“For the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Note: Friends the message is still urgent, the Lord Jesus is still extending His invitation to everyone who would believe in Him. Salvation is "FREE". Don’t let Him pass you by… Don't delay... Jesus is returning very soon!
Thank the Lord Almighty that the Apostles obeyed the call. Their obedience to the Lord has saved millions of souls around the world and many more are still coming to the Kingdom of God each day. This gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has been translated into different languages. PRAISE THE LORD!
The Lord Jesus said: And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. (Mark 13:10) I believe we are living in the last days. He (Jesus Christ) is coming soon. Live your life like the Lord commands, obey Him and most important tell others about the Savior of man’s souls… Jesus Christ.
Once we become believers we have to continue what the Apostles started. We also have the commission to deliver the gospel of our Lord to a world that needs Him desperately. Jesus is coming soon. Don’t let anything distract you or derailed you from the commission. Jesus is depending on all of us... Tell someone today that Jesus loves them and that HE is the "ONLY" way to Heaven. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-11, 13, 1 John 5:12)
Jesus Says: "HE WHO TESTIFIES TO THESE THINGS SAYS, “ YES, I AM COMING SOON”. AMEN. COME, LORD JESUS. THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS BE WITH GOD’S PEOPLE. AMEN. (Revelation 22:20-21) Amen!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
Thursday, December 4, 2008
IDOLATRY FORBIDDEN
IDOLATRY FORBIDDEN
In the book of Exodus the Lord gives the law to the Israelites. The Ten Commandments and this is what it says…
Exodus 20:1-6
“ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“ You shall have no other gods, before me.
“ You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Note: The Lord has given us the right to choose either life or death…. Obedience to our Father and Creator brings life and prosperity. Disobedience to Him brings death and destruction. What will you choose? It does not matter what that image may be or what it may represent. The Lord is very clear that we cannot make an image in the form of anything. (In heaven above or on the earth beneath or the waters below) You may call these images “saints” and Our Creator calls them “idols”. If you are bowing down to these images/idols and worshiping them, praying to them ... Whether you know it or not, you’re committing a great sin. You’re arousing our Creator’s jealousy… Are we stronger than He?
In the book of Deuteronomy 4:15-19 it says:
"You saw "NO FORM" of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that "YOU DO NOT" become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of ANY shape, whether formed like a man OR a woman, OR like any animal on earth OR any bird that flies in the air, OR like any creature that moves along the ground OR any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and stars – all the heavenly array – "DO NOT" be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven."
Note: Verses 23-24 of the same chapter (4) Moses reminds the people NOT to forget the covenant that they had made with the Lord…
“BE CAREFUL NOT" to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; "DO NOT" make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a CONSUMING FIRE, A JEALOUS GOD." (See also Hebrews 12:29)
Let me show you how serious this is to God:
In the book of Deuteronomy Ch.31: Verses 16-18 God tells Moses of Israel’s rebellion.
"And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people "WILL SOON PROSTITUTE" themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They WILL forsake me and BREAK the covenant I made with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. (Don’t miss this last verse!) MANY disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, ‘ Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us? And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of ALL their wickedness in TURNING to other gods."
Note: God gave Moses "a song", so that, it might be a witness between God and the people in their rebellion against Him, which would take place sometime in the future. (Deuteronomy 31:19) In the next chapter 32 we read of that song… Here are a few verses of that song.
Chapter 32: 16-18
"They made Him JEALOUS" with their foreign gods and "ANGERED" him with their detestable idols.
On the next verse we see what God sees in these idols…
“ They sacrificed to "DEMONS", which are NOT God - (Demons can manifest through idols)
gods they had NOT known,
gods that recently appeared,
gods your fathers did not fear."
And by turning from God and serving idols, the Israelites deserted the GOD, that brought them out of the land of slavery.... "You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
You forgot the God who gave you birth."
Note: These idols/images are man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear, or eat, or smell. They cannot help you in times of trouble and they definitely can’t save you or get you into Heaven. For the Bible says… “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the only way to heaven. (Acts 4:12, John 3:16-18, Isaiah 45:20, Habakkuk 2:18-19, Revelation 9:20)
Note: The only thing that idol worshiping brings is destruction and a curse for a people, for a nation. (Deuteronomy 27:15 & Deuteronomy 30:17-18) This is the penalty for turning from the "ONE TRUE GOD", Creator of heaven and earth and worshiping worthless things. The Lord "ALONE" is God; besides Him there is "NO" other. (Isaiah 45:5)
You may say to yourself … That’s the Old Testament and that’s how God did things back then…I will show you in the New Testament that "idolatry" is still a detestable sin to the Creator. The God that we serve is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
In the book of Acts 14:8-18 …we read of Paul and Barnabas in the cities of Lystra and Derbe…
“ In the Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “ Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk." (Watch what happens to Paul and Barnabas after this man received his healing)..."When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “ The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (There goes out the window, the big bang theory)
Note: The servants of God are not to be worship. God gave all his disciples/ apostles … Power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2/ Matthew 10:1) Paul was called later by God to be an Apostle and to carry the Lord’s name to the Gentiles…You can read about his conversion in the book of Acts 9:1-22. Paul had the same authority as the other Apostles. These chosen men are the instruments that the Lord used to demonstrate His power…They’re coming in His name (Jesus Christ) and pointing men to Him. So they are not to be made into an idol/image and be worshiped. It is forbidden.
In the book of Acts Paul tells the men of Athens this concerning idolatry…
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, (With this statement Paul knocks off the Darwin Theory also) we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead(Jesus Christ)."~Acts 17:29-31
In the book of Romans we read of the punishment for the sin of idolatry…
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.THEREFORE GOD GAVE THEM OVER in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. THEY EXCHANGED" the truth of God FOR a lie, "AND WORSHIPED AND SERVED" created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. (Watch This... Don't Miss It!) BECAUSE OF THIS, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."~Romans 1:21-27 (No one is born a homosexual as some may think…According to the "WORD OF GOD" it is the result for worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator.)
Note: The book of Romans says: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie… Let me show you what this means…
The Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) And the lie, that man has taught is, that the world was formed by this “Big Bang Theory”.
The Bible says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) And man has taught, that the human race has descended from monkey’s…“Darwin’s Theory”
And then we wonder, why have "ALL" these calamites and disasters have fallen on our nation…It is time to repent from all these sins and turn to the one true God and serve Him only. . He is our Father…our Creator…our loving and merciful God.
Note: The Bible says… that God is a jealous God. He says of Himself… “For your maker is your husband…(Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 3:14) and as your husband … He considers the "sin of idolatry" as your committing adultery against Him. “Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.” (Jeremiah 3:9)
You are being unfaithful (cheating) on your Creator by worshipping and serving created things instead of worshiping and serving Him…Who is the one true God! GOD created the world and everything in it for the benefit of man and then man turns around and worships and serves those created things…What a let down this is to our Creator.
Now that you heard from the Lord…What are you going to do? “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7)
The LORD Says: “Turn to me and be saved, ALL you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is "NO OTHER.” (Isaiah 45:22)~Amen
GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
In the book of Exodus the Lord gives the law to the Israelites. The Ten Commandments and this is what it says…
Exodus 20:1-6
“ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“ You shall have no other gods, before me.
“ You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Note: The Lord has given us the right to choose either life or death…. Obedience to our Father and Creator brings life and prosperity. Disobedience to Him brings death and destruction. What will you choose? It does not matter what that image may be or what it may represent. The Lord is very clear that we cannot make an image in the form of anything. (In heaven above or on the earth beneath or the waters below) You may call these images “saints” and Our Creator calls them “idols”. If you are bowing down to these images/idols and worshiping them, praying to them ... Whether you know it or not, you’re committing a great sin. You’re arousing our Creator’s jealousy… Are we stronger than He?
In the book of Deuteronomy 4:15-19 it says:
"You saw "NO FORM" of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that "YOU DO NOT" become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of ANY shape, whether formed like a man OR a woman, OR like any animal on earth OR any bird that flies in the air, OR like any creature that moves along the ground OR any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and stars – all the heavenly array – "DO NOT" be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven."
Note: Verses 23-24 of the same chapter (4) Moses reminds the people NOT to forget the covenant that they had made with the Lord…
“BE CAREFUL NOT" to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; "DO NOT" make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a CONSUMING FIRE, A JEALOUS GOD." (See also Hebrews 12:29)
Let me show you how serious this is to God:
In the book of Deuteronomy Ch.31: Verses 16-18 God tells Moses of Israel’s rebellion.
"And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people "WILL SOON PROSTITUTE" themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They WILL forsake me and BREAK the covenant I made with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. (Don’t miss this last verse!) MANY disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, ‘ Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us? And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of ALL their wickedness in TURNING to other gods."
Note: God gave Moses "a song", so that, it might be a witness between God and the people in their rebellion against Him, which would take place sometime in the future. (Deuteronomy 31:19) In the next chapter 32 we read of that song… Here are a few verses of that song.
Chapter 32: 16-18
"They made Him JEALOUS" with their foreign gods and "ANGERED" him with their detestable idols.
On the next verse we see what God sees in these idols…
“ They sacrificed to "DEMONS", which are NOT God - (Demons can manifest through idols)
gods they had NOT known,
gods that recently appeared,
gods your fathers did not fear."
And by turning from God and serving idols, the Israelites deserted the GOD, that brought them out of the land of slavery.... "You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
You forgot the God who gave you birth."
Note: These idols/images are man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear, or eat, or smell. They cannot help you in times of trouble and they definitely can’t save you or get you into Heaven. For the Bible says… “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the only way to heaven. (Acts 4:12, John 3:16-18, Isaiah 45:20, Habakkuk 2:18-19, Revelation 9:20)
Note: The only thing that idol worshiping brings is destruction and a curse for a people, for a nation. (Deuteronomy 27:15 & Deuteronomy 30:17-18) This is the penalty for turning from the "ONE TRUE GOD", Creator of heaven and earth and worshiping worthless things. The Lord "ALONE" is God; besides Him there is "NO" other. (Isaiah 45:5)
You may say to yourself … That’s the Old Testament and that’s how God did things back then…I will show you in the New Testament that "idolatry" is still a detestable sin to the Creator. The God that we serve is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
In the book of Acts 14:8-18 …we read of Paul and Barnabas in the cities of Lystra and Derbe…
“ In the Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “ Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk." (Watch what happens to Paul and Barnabas after this man received his healing)..."When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “ The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (There goes out the window, the big bang theory)
Note: The servants of God are not to be worship. God gave all his disciples/ apostles … Power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2/ Matthew 10:1) Paul was called later by God to be an Apostle and to carry the Lord’s name to the Gentiles…You can read about his conversion in the book of Acts 9:1-22. Paul had the same authority as the other Apostles. These chosen men are the instruments that the Lord used to demonstrate His power…They’re coming in His name (Jesus Christ) and pointing men to Him. So they are not to be made into an idol/image and be worshiped. It is forbidden.
In the book of Acts Paul tells the men of Athens this concerning idolatry…
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, (With this statement Paul knocks off the Darwin Theory also) we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead(Jesus Christ)."~Acts 17:29-31
In the book of Romans we read of the punishment for the sin of idolatry…
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.THEREFORE GOD GAVE THEM OVER in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. THEY EXCHANGED" the truth of God FOR a lie, "AND WORSHIPED AND SERVED" created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. (Watch This... Don't Miss It!) BECAUSE OF THIS, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."~Romans 1:21-27 (No one is born a homosexual as some may think…According to the "WORD OF GOD" it is the result for worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator.)
Note: The book of Romans says: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie… Let me show you what this means…
The Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) And the lie, that man has taught is, that the world was formed by this “Big Bang Theory”.
The Bible says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) And man has taught, that the human race has descended from monkey’s…“Darwin’s Theory”
And then we wonder, why have "ALL" these calamites and disasters have fallen on our nation…It is time to repent from all these sins and turn to the one true God and serve Him only. . He is our Father…our Creator…our loving and merciful God.
Note: The Bible says… that God is a jealous God. He says of Himself… “For your maker is your husband…(Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 3:14) and as your husband … He considers the "sin of idolatry" as your committing adultery against Him. “Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.” (Jeremiah 3:9)
You are being unfaithful (cheating) on your Creator by worshipping and serving created things instead of worshiping and serving Him…Who is the one true God! GOD created the world and everything in it for the benefit of man and then man turns around and worships and serves those created things…What a let down this is to our Creator.
Now that you heard from the Lord…What are you going to do? “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7)
The LORD Says: “Turn to me and be saved, ALL you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is "NO OTHER.” (Isaiah 45:22)~Amen
GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS
YOUR FRIEND,
VICKY RIVERA
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