Tag: God

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No Other God

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me'” . . .  . Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.” They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.  (Isaiah 44:6, 16-18, NASB)

In Isaiah 44, the prophet begins by extolling the blessings of Israel, and then discusses the futility of idols. 

In the portion above, God is speaking (so pay attention!)  Isaiah reminds Israel of God’s names, which also reflect what He does.  Isaiah calls Him “the King of Israel”; Israel’s “Redeemer”; and “the LORD of hosts.”  Then God reminds them, “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.” 

Isaiah 44:6 image.  Found at Knowing Jesus, 
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Uniqueness-Of

In the next section, Isaiah both makes fun of and expresses the futility of idols, and those who worship them.  He speaks of a man who cuts down a tree.  He cuts it into logs.  With one, he builds a fire.  He roasts his meal and warms himself with the fire.  With another log, he fashions “into a god, his graven image.”  He worships it.  “He also prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god.'”  Isaiah explains why the people of his era would worship their idols, and not the King of Israel:  “They do not know, nor do they understand, for [God] has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.”

Why does God do this?  I don’t know!  But He still blinds people from His truth, to fulfill His purposes.  I don’t understand, but He is God, and I am not.  My job is to trust in His love and His promises, and love Him and other people.  My hope is in His name!

We have other idols today.  They may not be inanimate statues that can’t speak, hear, or move, much less save, like our God can.  An idol is anything that divides our attention away from worshiping the one true God.  It could be baseball.  What’s wrong with baseball?  Nothing, as long as we still worship God, and take care of our families.  There are many things that could become an obsession and divide our attention away from where it should be.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.”  (1 Corinthians 8:4)  There is only one God, there is none other.  Let’s worship Him! 

Worship:  “You Are God Alone,” by Phillips, Craig 
& Dean
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Last Days?

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God . . .  (2 Timothy 3:1-4, NASB)

This portion is from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to his son in the faith, Timothy.  Timothy was still at Ephesus trying to right wrongs in the church there, and his mentor was writing advice.  This is Paul’s last letter we have in our Holy Bible, as he was again imprisoned in Rome, and he says it doesn’t look good for him.  In this excerpt he speaks of signs of the End Times, before Jesus comes back to earth for His people. 

Paul begins with a prophecy:  “In the last days difficult times will come.”  He elaborates with the characteristics of the people of the times:  They will be “lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”

There Will Be Terrible Times In The Last Days - 2 Timothy 3:1-5
2 Timothy 3:1-5 image.  Found at 316 Quotes,https://316quotes.com/terrible-times-last-days-2-timothy-3-1-5/

Does this sound familiar?  It reminds me of the world around us.  There is so much lawlessness and rebellion going on everywhere.  “Wars and rumors of wars.”  (Matthew 24:6)  Chaos everywhere.  Confusion.  Are we in the Last Days?  I don’t know, it sure looks like it.  But . . .  I remember at Sunday School or Bible study, hearing someone tell of a conversation with some senior members at his church.  They were getting closer to the end of their lives, and they expressed disappointment that Jesus had not come back for them.  They thought for sure that during their lifetimes . . . 

The point is, since the beginning of Christianity, believers have thought they were in the Last Days.  Paul’s list of evil traits is not new, not original to our generations; yet to us it seems that the evil around us is more pronounced and accelerating.  Jesus said it’s not for us to know the hour or the day of His return, that only the Father knows for sure.  So what shall we do while we wait for His glorious return? 

Well, first we need to (in the words of CBN’s Gordon Robertson) populate Heaven.  God knows how many souls will be in heaven at the end.  If He tarries, it’s to get to that number.  Second, practice.  As believers, we’re in dress rehearsal for what we’ll be doing for eternity in heaven.  And third (we’ll be doing this in heaven), execute what Jesus called the two greatest commandments:  Love God and love other people! 

Worship:  “Love God and Love People,” by Danny Gokey, ft. Michael W. Smith