WAY BACK IN THE DESERT days, under the great leadership of the mighty Moses, the people were journeying and complaining against God and Moses as they often did. So this time God sent serpents to bite the people and many died. (Numbers 21) Side note- stop grumbling and complaining against God and your leaders in the faith. I’m fairly certain He is not pleased with your complaints. Pray for your pastor, he’s doing the best he can, and not to mention he has to put up with a few hundred people just like you.
Your pastor will answer to God for how he shepherds you, but you will answer for how you submit to his authority. God will provide for His own, even in times of famine. Let’s continue with our story. Moses was commanded to build a bronze serpent and when the people looked to it, they were healed.
Fast forward several generations and surprise, Israel made the bronze serpent an idol. Many kings kept it, but during the reign of good king Hezekiah, he removed all the idolatrous altars, including the bronze serpent. “He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.” II Kings 18:4 Nehushtan means “bronze thing”. It seems that Israel made most good things into idols. But don’t we do the same?
An idol is anything that we place either above or equal to the Lord or the authority of God’s Word. Currently, “science” is being placed equal to or even above the Lord’s Word. People place philosophies of the world above the Word. They place worldly teachers and scholars above God’s Word. Many place those with gifts of miracles and healings above the Lord.
This is quite common in Christendom. If you remember Benny Hinn, I knew a couple who followed him around worshipping at the altar of Benny Hinn. When you do what you want to do and place your desires and comfort above the Word of the Lord, you are an idolater of self. The heart of satanism is: I am my own god. It’s the first rule of this demonic religion. Satanism is an elevating of self, it elevates the flesh’s will and emotions above all else. Is this not the age in which we live? We live in the “selfie” generation. It’s all about how people feel, and what they want or don’t want to do.
Many claim to know Him, but they really worship at the altar of their own desires. Christians worship their comfort over the Creator. They worship the opinions of men. This is idolatry. It’s time to tear down those high places and bronze images you have created. God is calling His people to repent of worshipping everything else but Him. Have you left your first love? Whenever Jesus and His Word becomes an afterthought, He will quickly deteriorate to no thought. If He is not first in your heart and mind, He will eventually become last, and then no thought at all. “My people have forgotten Me days without number”, perhaps one of the saddest Scripture recorded by Jeremiah.
Pleasing the Lord must be our first and highest priority. You cannot live your life how you want and then add Him in when you have time. God is a jealous God. If you say you love Him and you do not do what He says, you are a liar. If you do not love the brethren and continue to isolate and “do your own thing”, you do not love Him. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” 1 John 5:1-2 NKJVCommune with your heart and place every idol on the altar. Repent and return to your first love. Behold! He is standing at your door and knocking. #runyourrace
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
