ROMANS 1 NOT ACKNOWLEDGING GOD IS IDOLATRY

October 7

ROMANS 1

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. – Romans 1:22-28

ROMANS 1 NOT ACKNOWLEDGING GOD IS IDOLATRY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God chose you as one of his prized possessions

You will inevitably recognize his power and omnipotence

As he elected you, you will be given wisdom to know him

Your view of life will no longer be a craving for sin

It will be a life of pursuing his truth and giving him praise

But those who don’t acknowledge him will make images

Not admitting God’s presence and power is idolatrous

Unbelief leads to blindness and acts of unrighteousness.

In this letter of Paul to the Romans, he points out the importance of believing that God is the Lord Almighty and there is no other God that humans need to bow down to. He gave the examples of those who boast about being wise. In God’s eyes, those proud and arrogant people are fools. In verse 23, Paul says that the result of such foolishness led them to make images that they worshipped. These images usually looked like creatures that God made such as humans, birds, animals and creeping things. In verse 24, they experience God’s wrath, not in a very obvious manner, but in their hearts and minds, they began to follow their cravings and lusts and impure thoughts which led them to dishonor their own bodies. In verse 26, they began to see things in a twisted manner. They began to have perversions, where they committed shameless acts of homosexuality and a mind that is corrupt. It does not recognize what is right. It does what it pleases and what is against the image of God. In other words, they misused the original purpose of their bodies and their whole existence. They were made to be praising God but instead, they praised creatures created by God such as humans and other living things. They didn’t acknowledge the Creator but the creatures. Not recognizing or acknowledging God is a form of idolatry that all believers need to ponder on.

REFLECTION

  • What other forms of not acknowledging God can you think of?

JUDGES 10 IDOLATRY STIRS GOD’S WRATH

October 6

JUDGES 10

6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.10 And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 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.” Judges 10:6-14

JUDGES 10 IDOLATRY STIRS GOD’S WRATH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Whenever God calls you as his own, he requires faithfulness

To run to other gods instead of to the Lord is pure idolatry

Because God is love and sin is what he hates most

He expects his people to loathe and avoid sin as well

This is why he made a covenant law with his chosen ones

This is so that his people will remember only to praise him

If you continue to idolize and worship different gods

Do not expect to be constantly rescued if you mess up

Although God is patient, he doesn’t tolerate idolatry at all

He is a jealous God and he doesn’t want spiritual adulterers.

One of the most fascinating books of the bible that shows us God’s patience, love and provision is the book of Judges.  This book of the bible was anonymously written although sources say that it may have been the prophet Samuel who wrote it. In this time period. Israel has not had a king yet. According to Biblegateway.com “The main feature of this period was the emergence of individuals who delivered their fellow countrymen from their oppressors. The word “judge,” which suggests a preoccupation with legal affairs, is misleading, for besides judicial functions they exercised a saving, liberating activity that was conceived to be the result of a direct endowment from Yahweh.” In this book, we witness how God provided for the Israelites’ need for a savior from the nations that oppressed them, but we also see the patterns of idolatry and God forgiving them many times, but in this account, they feel God’s wrath.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think humans tend to do things that are right in their own eyes?

PSALM 16 THE IDOLATERS’ SORROW INCREASES

October 5

PSALM  16

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those who run afteranother god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also, my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 

                                                                                      – Psalm 16:1-8

PSALM 16 THE IDOLATERS’ SORROW INCREASES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When a man decides to make his own god, he creates more sorrow

He becomes obsessed to bow down to his idol as if there’s no tomorrow

He puts these counterfeit gods as the center of his life

He doesn’t realize that he is manipulated to believe all kinds of lies

He becomes blind to the truth as he continues to cater to these gods

He isn’t aware that his sorrow increases as he competes with the Lord

He begins to darken his spirit and misery becomes normal in his life

He is tossed by many different false beliefs and cannot be content.

In this psalm, David expresses his deep trust in the Lord God. He praises God as he acknowledges his nothingness if he is on his own and deprived of God on his side. It is David’s humble admittance of his dependence on God and how the Lord has provided for all the dark valleys he went through in his life being constantly chased by enemies left and right. He declares that he belongs to God in verse 5 and that whatever happens, God is in control of his life.  He blesses the Lord by seeking God’s counsel and truth and remembering such advice in his heart. His trust and faith in God in verse 8 is exemplary. He knows that he is leaning on a solid rock when he relies on God alone.

In verses 3-4, he points out the difference between those who worship God against the idolaters. For those who trust in God and serve him, they become exceptional. Because they believe that God is the source of all things and that they are able to give him all the glory, they exude their likeness with their Creator. On the other hand, the idolaters experience the opposite. Their sorrow, adversities and trials multiply as they navigate through life. They have no idea that their desire to become like God is making them create these counterfeits that consume them. It literally makes them without life, without truth, without the knowledge of the One true God who made them.

REFLECTION

  • Cite some stories in the bible that reiterates the fact that idolaters increase their sorrow.

LEVITICUS 19 DON’T TURN TO IDOLS

October 4

LEVITICUS 19

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.5 “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is tainted; it will not be accepted, 8 and everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people.  – Leviticus 19:1-8

LEVITICUS 19 DON’T TURN TO IDOLS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God made a covenant with his own people

They were not to worship or turn to idols

They are also to honor the day of rest

If they turn to idols, they’ll be removed from the flock

To turn to an idol is defiance and an insult to God

You become an outcast if you give your loyalty to other gods.

Why do you think God specifically commands his people not to turn to idols? The word “turn” according to Merriam Webster dictionary is both a verb and a noun with its core meaning related to rotation, changing direction, transformation and sequential order. So, you can probably understand that the command of God to his people is about prohibiting them from changing their worship from Him to another god. In other words, God requires faithfulness from his own people. In verse 2, God specifically requires from them “holiness” because he is holy. They were forbidden to stray away from him because God didn’t want them to perish from the worship of anything other than him.

Why does God forbid his people from turning to idols that do not speak or hear or see? Psalm 115:8 and Psalm 135:18 say the same thing: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” Imagine making something out of an object and making them your own god. Do you remember the story of King Nebuchadnezzar? In Daniel 3:1, the king made for himself a golden image of about 60 cubits which is equivalent to 9 feet high and 3 cubits wide. Everyone was commanded to bow down to the golden image whenever they heard music and if anyone didn’t bow down, they would be burned to death. In Daniel chapter 4 we are witnesses to the account of the idol he made. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. This was the consequence of his idol making and commanding his kingdom to bow down to it. He became an animal and deprived of humanity. This is what happens to us if we turn our backs on God and worship idols. We are stripped of God’s image.

REFLECTION

  • What are some manifestations and results of idolatry that you have witnessed in your life?

ISAIAH 44 THE FOLLY OF IDOLS

October 3

ISAIAH 44

9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”  – Isaiah 44:9-11,18-20

ISAIAH 44 THE FOLLY OF IDOLS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who believe in God will not create idols for themselves

They know that there are no other gods that are better than him

The Lord God Almighty is the only Creator of all things on earth

He is the only God who made humans in his own likeness

He is the alpha and the omega and only in him is eternity

No other gods can give life or can give love unconditionally

It is folly to create idols that will compare to who God is

Those who decide to make them become blind and deceived.

In this account, the prophet Isaiah builds a case against those who fashion or create idols. In verse 9 he seems to mock the ability of such idol makers to truly see the harm that they are doing to themselves when he said “they neither see nor know that they will be put to shame.” In other words, they become blind to foresee the aftermath of creating these gods made of materials that they think will profit them. In verse 11, it talks about craftsmen who are only human. In other words, these created things will not even stand up against a God who made everything out of nothing and only with his breath and word. Artists, craftsmen, designers and builders take days, months, years or decades of work before they make their masterpieces. God created all things within 6 days just by saying “let there be…” Who can compete with that? I used to be a painter and photographer. Most visual artists try their best to capture images, thoughts or feelings which come from their own minds and senses. Then someone else loves their work and buys them. I have that feeling of pride and accomplishment that someone appreciates what I’ve done. After 400 paintings I sold in two-decades of work, I forgot that God only used such an emotional outlet for the traumas I’ve gone through as a beginning of my healing journey. Then I began to take pride in the fact that even if I was still alive, I was able to sell those paintings. It then got to my head and thought it was what I was made for. God showed me I can’t hold on to such idolatry or I’ll be destroyed.

REFLECTION

·       Share some instances when the folly of idolatry you witnessed made Isaiah’s point here.

JONAH 2 IDOLATRY LEADS TO LOSS OF HOPE

October 2

JONAH 2

4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head.6 To the roots of the mountains I went down,

to the land whose bars closed upon me forever. Yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

                                                                                      – Jonah 2:4-9

JONAH 2 IDOLATRY LEADS TO LOSS OF HOPE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God created you, it was for his own glory

He was exalting himself when he made you in his image

Having the same make as God is the reason for your being

Without acknowledging him, you are likely to make an idol

When you bow down to something other than the Lord

You will be defeated and will lose hope of his steadfast love

When man sinned, he twisted the image that God made in humans

Mankind now craves to know more about what he can never fathom.

The story of Jonah is well known even amongst children. But many people remember only the story of Jonah being inside the belly of a whale. This Old Testament account is a premonition of the resurrection of Jesus in three days. Jonah was in the whale’s belly for three days too. It is also an account of disobedience of this prophet who was asked to go to Nineveh to pronounce repentance to its people. Instead of following his calling, he turned to the opposite direction because he was saving himself from giving a wrong prophecy in case God changed his mind to destroy that sinful city. This story is more about idolatry and pride. One cannot be idolatrous if one is humble. Idolatry is a result of pride. Pride focuses on what you think you have accomplished or possess. It is a form of thinking highly of oneself. As one thinks that way, the person will convince himself that they are better than others or have illusions that they are someone bigger than who they really are. It focuses on the abilities or gifts but not the source of those gifts that they have received. So, he has actually created an idol of himself, competing with God.

In this account, Jonah was spitted out of the whale’s belly and learned his lesson on his pride and idolatry. He wanted to save himself from being judged as a false prophet if God changed his mind when the Ninevites repent. God gave Jonah three days to let him experience the loss of hope of God’s steadfast love when he continued to exercise arrogance, pride and idolatry.

REFLECTION

  • Cite some insights as to how idolatry can make one lose sight of God’s steadfast love.

COLOSSIANS 3 PUT OFF IDOLATRY & PUT ON CHRIST

October 1

COLOSSIANS 3

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old selfwith its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. – Colossians 3:5-11

COLOSSIANS 3 PUT OFF IDOLATRY & PUT ON CHRIST

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As we are elected by God to be his people

We ought to give up all kinds of idols

No longer should we engage in impurities

Including practices of sexual immoralities

Let us let go of foul talk and all forms of greed

Instead, let us speak only what edifies others

Put off all forms of idolatry and put on Christ

Let us step away from our old life & into our new life.

What is an idol? If you ask these to younger people, they’d answer you with someone they look up to or “idolize”. They’d likely mention a popular singer or band or actor that they love to become or is fond of. These idols usually represent power, wealth, prestige, status, great skill or gift. Interestingly, most of the laws of the Lord are themed on not engaging in idols. It is also of great interest why these idols are named small letter gods in comparison to the capital letter God. In other words, they are counterfeits. They symbolize power in a different form. They are not the same divine power and sovereignty that God possesses because they are created by humans themselves and not by the One true God. In the Old Testament, we have heard of idols made out of gold or wood or any other kinds of stones which people put on a hill so that they could be seen and bowed down to. They also have household idols that they bring with them and keep them in their homes so they can worship them. An idol according to the bible is anything that counterfeits God and steals the praise and worship that is only due him. So, anything that would replace God’s hierarchy in your life could be an idol.

In this account, Paul writes to the Colossian church about another form of idolatry not mentioned in the Old Testament. He listed them here as sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth and lies. They are not visually carved in an image, but they are imprinted in the hearts of those who do not believe in God. Paul challenges the believers to let go of all these idols that we all used to have before we became a follower of Christ. A true Christian would let go of these idols. Instead, they’ll put on Christ.

REFLECTION

·       What does it mean to give up idolatry and to put on Christ?

GENESIS 3 SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF SIN

September 30

GENESIS 3

14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspringand her offspring;
he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be foryour husband,
and he shall rule over you.”17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it, ’cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

                                                                                   – Genesis 3:14-19

GENESIS 3 SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF SIN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God created humans to have a relationship with him

But the serpent thwarted that plan and enticed them to sin

Because God is righteous and loathes sin, he can’t condone it

There has to be a consequence to such acts of disobedience

Now, the creatures have to face the result of their rebellion

Suffering became that painful aftermath from such insurgence

They will no longer have the privilege of God’s presence

Each of them will experience a certain pain and anguish.

Many unbelievers ask the question “If your God is so good, why does he allow suffering?” Only those who believe and serve God will be able to accept that suffering is part of this world, where Adam and Eve were banished. They forfeited their perfect life being with God’s presence and the purity that came with it when they were created. They are now corrupted by sin and view God differently. The fact that they hid from God after the disobedience showed that “fear” came into their hearts. It was originally filled with love. As the book of John says, perfect love casts out fear. John also says that God is love so, when they sinned, they encountered fear and cannot see God. They hid because of shame for what they have done. They can no longer perfectly love the Lord because they now love themselves more than they loved God. As a result, they began to hide in shame and did the blame game, pointing at each other which one started it all. As an aftermath of that first sin, each of them received a certain form of suffering. The serpent has to crawl on his belly and eat dust and his head shall be bruised by the offspring of the woman. This refers to Mary giving birth to Jesus who will defeat him. To Eve, the curse was labor pains in childbearing and her desire to overpower her husband. To Adam, he will have to work the ground that is full of thorns and thistles to be able to find nourishment.  They all suffered as a result of sin.

REFLECTION

  • Name some kinds of suffering that results from sin. Is God right to punish such evil?

HEBREWS 12 IN YOUR STRUGGLES AGAINST SIN

September 29

HEBREWS 12

4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:4-11

HEBREWS 12 IN YOUR STRUGGLES AGAINST SIN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you are faced with struggles against sinning

Do not despair for the Lord God corrects and disciplines

He will not allow you to suffer to the point of death

He will show you a way out and you will not be defeated

While he corrects you, you may feel much pain

But take heart, because it is for your own good

The Lord will not allow you to get waylaid

Instead, he wants you to endure what is painful.

In this account, we are focusing on suffering from struggles against sin and not for suffering for righteousness. What is the difference between the two kinds of pain? One pain is about keeping your path towards righteousness while the other is about dying to your desires. It is painful to say no to our sinful nature because we still live in our bodies in this corrupt world. So, the struggle for the believers is to find the strength to say no to these lustful desires, cravings and lures from the world we live in. Until the Lord Jesus comes again and until the fulfilment of the new heaven and new earth has come into fruition, we will always have these inner battles inside of each believer. Those who aren’t Christians won’t have a problem following their cravings and lusts because they haven’t pledged allegiance to the Lord. The believer on the other hand struggles with how to deny their flesh and follow the right path. The writer of Hebrews discusses the importance of discipline in order for a Christian to stay victorious over those temptations and enticements from the world. We are called to have a life of discipline. According to Gotquestions.org, the bible defines discipline as the loving process of training, instruction, correction and testing that guides a person towards spiritual maturity and holiness. It is not just to be better in the world, but to grow in the faith so that we can be holy because that is what God requires of his people.

REFLECTION

·       Share a kind of spiritual discipline that a Christian should practically apply regularly.

PSALM 23 COMFORT THROUGH SUFFERING

September 28

PSALM 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. 3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
 you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely,goodness and mercyshall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwellin the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23: 1-6

PSALM 23 COMFORT THROUGH SUFFERING

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will have joy

No amount of suffering or trials can draw you away from God

There is much comfort in knowing that the Lord never leaves you

Even though you go through the darkest times, you have hope

Because you stand on the promises of God who truly cares for you

He will lead you to paths of righteousness for his name’s sake

He won’t leave you in the dark and be defeated by evil

God will convert that suffering into strength and courage.

Psalm 23 is probably the most known chapter in the bible. Probably, even unbelievers or those who don’t know the Lord and the bible have heard this psalm during a funeral of a loved one or a friend. Why is this simple psalm read during funerals? I guess it is because of the comfort it brings to alleviate the loss of a person. Losing someone through death is probably one of the most painful experiences we can have in our lives and the biggest wound it can inflict on our souls and spirits. No wonder it is popular to be used in funerals and burials.

King David wrote this psalm but there is no clear indication in the bible when he wrote it. Scholars have mixed opinions on when it was written. Some say it was during his youth that he wrote it. Others think it was during the time when he was fleeing from Saul and some even say it may have been during his son Absalom’s mutiny against David. When it was written is immaterial. Why it was written is more important. He wrote it as a confession of his faith and knowledge of his Lord, who will never leave him and who will fulfill his promise to bring him back to the righteous path no matter how dark it was that he had been through.

I think every Christian ought to memorize and meditate on this verse because it declares our faith and knowledge of our Lord and keeps our dependence on him deeply intact. It solidifies our belief in Jesus.

REFLECTION

  • What happens to the human soul and spirit when we are not comforted during suffering?