Tuesday, August 18, 2009

How you love me-Bebo Norman

Hope came home,Home to me today,And fear has run the other way.And words are weak;They don't know how to say,"You know I still believe in You."And should my dreams fall through,I will be safe with You.So with every breath I can breath,I'll sing about how You love me.I'll sing about how You love me.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

idolatory in my life.

i don't usually write things like these.

I was reading 1 Cor 10 and Paul is warning against idolatory which I've realized to take my insidious forms and is more cleverly disguised than the mere worship of idols such as statues etc. An idol is essentially what is crafted by hand and we are told to rid our lives of all idols.

It suddenly struck me this week that I have a whole altar of idols in my life and in this modern day and age, there are so many more and because they don't take on the form of the archetype of statues sitting on an altar, we dismiss them when they've all but set up thrones in our lives and govern our decisions accordingly.

Last Sunday in church, my pastor brought up this example- there was this king in the bible who was so evil he sacrificed his own children to his gods. Child sacrifice is clearly undisputedly an abomination and a clear act of evil.

Are we not doing these today when work has become our gods? Are we not ourselves a generation of children who have grown up less than whole because our parents made the decision to give their lives to their work (god) ?

And now today, Paul says it this way in verse 7 , "Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written ' the people sat down to eat and drink and rose to play'"

Have we not become our own idols in pursuit of hedonistic pleasures and self-seeking objectives and comforts? I never thought of it this way and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

I am sad to acknowledge in all my years as a christian, so little is preached on following the call at ALL costs and crucifying the flesh at ALL costs and living a life so separate and sanctified. I can count the messages on one hand that have at least briefly addressed this because this is not at all comforting to the ears of this generation who simply cry out for more blessing, which happens to only be measured in financial and material units.

This is an extremely uncomfortable message and it is the message of Paul. He delivers this as a sombre warning to the Corinthian church and admonished them strongly to not partake of the ways of those who had gone by fallen before them. It's been said so often, let the bible interpret the bible..and now, we see yet another aspect of idolatory.

I don't know if this speaks to anyone else but its time to tear down another throne that has erected itself in the presence of the Living God in my heart and not be a fool to carelessly brush this off.

I know He is not coming back for a bride so caught up with herself and her comforts. I know He is returning for a warrior bride without spot nor blemish and I don't want to be part of any body of influence including circles of friends that will otherwise point me in the road of least resistance because I can sail along and enjoy the breeze. I am not sure if I am strong enough to withstand against the values that try to creep into my soul and overtake my heart and love for Him. I have no confidence and thats why I made the not-so-painful decision to 'circumcise' many people out of my life.

And I'll very much seek fellowship with the remnant (few as they are) to charge along this course in pursuing Him and His purposes at all costs, ridding ourselves (daily if need be) of pursuits that tie us down to lesser things and prove to be nothing but deadweights in our pursuit of Him. I don't want to be a coward and allow my fears of not having enough to rule me. I don't want my lust for temporal things to overcome my zeal for Your glory. Before I'm ready to usher His kingdom here on earth, I must ensure that my heart and will is subject to this kingdom's authority entirely.

And I want to rest in the exhilirating delight that in their company and His, I'm home.