It is written in Judges 10:11-14…
And the LORD said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”
God had delivered Isarel multiple times… yet they worshiped other gods. So God tells them in essence… “I’m done. Quit calling out to Me. The next time you’re in a desperate situation, cry out to them for deliverance. Let them save you.”
Our functional god (Little “g”) is whatever dominates our thoughts, energy, money, and time. It is whatever give us our selfworth. It is what our mind and heart naturally gravitates toward when we have nothing else to think about. It is the thing that defines us and makes us who we are.
It could be: Another person (Spouse, children, friend)… our career… reputation in the community… looks… intellect… our own wisdom… ad infinitum. The Bible calls anything that comes between us and God an idol. And we ALL have to constantly battle idolatry.
What if next time we’re in a desperate situation God told US… “Let your spouse heal you. Let your job give you peace of mind. Let your looks give you joy as you face cancer. Let your community reputation heal your marriage. But don’t ask me for help. You’ve been treating me like I’m nothing more than a spiritual Santa Clause. In fact… let Santa be the one that guides you next time you have an important decision to make… maybe he’ll climb down the chimny to rescue you!”
Where a man’s heart is, is also where his treasure is. And visa versa. THAT is his functional god.
So what do YOU think about when you don’t have anything else to think about? What does YOUR heart naturally gravitate toward when you’re alone? Where do you place the majority of your time, energy, and money?
Oh… Israel repented of worshiping idols and false gods (Like depicted in the picture above) and returned to the Only True God.
“Love Not The World”
”For the WHOLE world(not just a portion) is under the control of the evil one”…….(I John 5:19)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world will pass away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of The Only True GOD will abide for ever.”(IJohn2:15-17)
“If you were of the world, the world would love it’s own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.” (John15:19-20)
“Where do wars and fighting among you come from? Do they not come of your lusts that war in your members? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is to be at enmity with The Only True GOD? Therefore whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of The Only True GOD.” (James 4:1-4)
“The world cannot hate you; but the world hates Me, because I testify that the works of this world are evil.” (John 7:7)” and “The Messiah gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of The Only True God, Our Father.”(Gal 1:4)
The Messiah testified: “If the world hates you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”(John 5:18) Truly, Truly, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life in this world shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall have it unto life eternal.” (John 12:24-25)
John testified: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you.” (I John 3:13) And once again, “Whoever would be a friend of this world is the enemy of GOD”(James4:4)
The “earth and it’s life forms” are The Creation of The ONE and Only True GOD, Father of ALL! The “worldly” systems are the creation of, and under the dominion of “the god of this world”, he who is “the father of lies”, he who “has blinded the minds of those who believe not The Messiah”! All the nations of this world are under the dominion of, and serve, the “god of this world” for he provides the fuel that feeds mankind’s “imag”ination.
And sadly, mankind’s “imag”ination is destroying Creation(air, water, land vegetation, creatures) and perverting that which is Spirit(Truth, Light, Life, Faith, Love, Peace,, All that is Truly Good) ;-(
“Come out from among them and be separate”!
Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world and it’s systems of religion, for “the WHOLE world(not just a portion) is under the control of the evil one” indeed and Truth……
Truth IS, a lie is not…….
Abide in The Truth……. francis