27/07/2021 - STAY AWAY FROM FALSE WORSHIP

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You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 26.1

The Lord treated the Israelites as if they were kids, who didn´t understand the meaning of having Him as their God. We should also be treated like that, because we haven’t acted as His particular people, capable of eating the best of this land (Isaiah 1.19). We were led to the Promised Land, His blessed Word, but we live as if we were still in Egypt, crying to be delivered from the daily oppressions (Exodus. 2.23; 3.7,9).

The shout given by the Savior still doesn’t mean much to God’s people, but there is nothing more He can do for our happiness (John 19.30). One of the reasons for His coming was to bring us abundant life (John 10.10), but by the way we live, it seems that we don’t believe in Him. “If you hear and will” – these are two conditions to have the best (Isaiah. 1.19), but we must believe and confess, for this to become a reality. Make your mea-culpa now!

There are experts in making images of abstract beings or things, calling them “gods,” and religious people bow down and worship such aberrations. However, there are idols not represented by statues, figures or images that are revered in other ways and some consider to be just mere recognition. Whoever raises an idol in his heart becomes a transgressor of God’s command, even if it is an idolatry disguised as mere gratefulness to his pastor.

Our land is the Holy Scripture, from which we draw strength to live and deliver ourselves from the threats of the kingdom of darkness, which strives to swallow us up. Whoever puts before himself some kind of teaching outside the Word -raises an idol, which will bring the devil into his life and other people’s lives. To remove the old landmarks, biblical commandments, and to put other limits and targets on your faith, is wrong (Deuteronomy. 19.14).

Any doctrine that doesn’t come from God’s mouth is unclean, that´s why Jesus doesn’t accept testimony or glory from man (John 5.34,41). Job described the human state, saying: Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! (Job 14.4). Sin makes man unclean, but the Word is pure: Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him (Proverbs 30:5).

Of one thing we must be certain: in the new birth, God comes to dwell in us and teaches us the truth in the Holy Book. There is no fault in biblical revelation, so we will not accept another “revelation”, even if it comes from someone much used in the faith. It is impossible to extract something pure from what is unclean. Without Jesus, we return to the realm of filthiness.

Don’t be fooled by the devil, for his greatest fight is to keep us away from the Bible. In this way, he intends to corrupt our heart and contaminate our faith in God: To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8.20).

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares