Rights, Freedoms, God.

 Rights, Freedoms, God.

In the book of Joshua we read,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24: 14,15.

In Exodus we read of God saying,

"You shall have no other gods before me."

                                                                   Exodus 20:3.

What Joshua was saying and what is recorded in the book of Exodus is directed at those people who claim to believe in God.

In Exodus God makes it clear believers are to have no other gods in heaven or on earth. Monotheism and worship of the one true God is the only acceptable thing.

Sadly many in North America where I live have many gods although they many times may not realize it.

One person said to me referring to the United States said to me,

“Too many people calling themselves Christians worship their rights and freedoms more than they do God.”

Sadly that is true. Many calling themselves Christians, again particularly in the United States but to a lesser degree in Canada, are believing the lie of “Christian nationalism” where they believe The U. S. and Canada are nations founded on God and Christian principles. 

Nothing could be further from the fact.

In following this doctrine of Christian nationalism they are putting their nation ahead of or equal to God. Something that should never be.

The apostle Peter calls believers in Christ Jesus we are aliens and strangers in the world. He states,

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:11,12.

As true believers in Christ Jesus we need to constantly put God first in our lives and represent God by doing good deeds and glorifying God in our every day life.

Thus I would ask anyone who claims to be a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus, reading this; Who are you serving. Who comes first in your life your right, your freedoms, or God?

Please think about it.

In a mask

  In a mask

"You shall have no other gods before me."Exodus 20:3.

This is a serious commandment. The full quotation states,

"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. Exodus 20:3-6.

By my way of thinking anything you put before God is an idol. 

Here in North America we have many idols, money consumer goods, materialism in general are obvious ones. But there is one other that most don’t really think about and that is rights and freedoms.

As this covid crisis has shown, tens of thousands here in North America who disagree with their government on covid do so because they feel their rights and freedoms are being restricted. Many of those protesting call themselves Christian. Yet nowhere in the Bible does God guarantee our rights and freedoms.

We only have to look at the life of the apostle Paul to see that. He was put in prison, and stoned among other things. 

But Paul was not put in prison or stoned for protesting his rights and freedoms. For the most part Paul obeyed the laws of Rome. Paul was put in prison because of what he was preaching, the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

Pauls focus was always on the job given to him by Christ, presenting the saving grace of God that comes through Christ Jesus. 

We as believers in Christ Jesus would do well to remember this. 

While our rights and freedoms are good to have, it is important to remember we should not put them ahead of God.

If we are to tell the world about Christ Jesus it is important we focus on what God would have us to do and if necessary do it in a mask, socially distanced. 

Please think about it.

You

You
           In the book of Exodus we read that God tells us,

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

                                                            Exodus 20:3.

Here is one of the absolute values of Christianity. Christians are to have no other god’s except the Lord God Almighty.
Sadly however to many people especially here in North America have many other gods. Gods that they put ahead of the One True God. These gods range from the god of materialism, to the gods of politics, to their love of self and much more.
As Christians we must be careful that we don’t let other gods into our lives. Just because you have said the sinners prayer doesn’t mean you will necessarily get to heaven.
Leonard Ravenhill an English/American evangelist has said,

“The sinner's prayer has sent more people to hell 

than all the taverns in America.” 

                                                   Leonard Ravenhill

“I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again

and that's true of England!” 

                                  Leonard Ravenhill 

To be a Christian you have to truly believe the teachings of Christ and to put those teachings in your day to day life. You have to be willing to give up everything. As someone has said,

F. A. I.T. H. 

Forsaking 

All             

I               

Take Him. 

That means putting aside the gods of this world, materialism, money, politics, self. It means being willing to follow Christ to the grave if necessary.
So my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a Christian is, Are you willing to
Forsake all and follow him?
Please think about it.