I have been a journey listerning to my audio bible from beginning to end, I have never had the opportunity to do so before. But since I have to drive an hour each way to work, its a way of accomplishing it.
My eyes have been open, and full of surprises, trying to understand, why the Jews of the Old Testament had so many problems, which ultimately lead to the lack of vision to see John the Baptist and ultimately recognising Jesus. God knows the beginning and the end, He is our Faithful witness, Saviour and Friend.
Shortly before, Moses died he gave Israel a final address recorded in Deteronomy 31:14-29
Israel’s Rebellion Predicted
14 The LORD said to Moses, ‘‘Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, where I will commission him." So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.
15 Then the LORD appeared at the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the Tent. 16 And the LORD said to Moses: ‘‘You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?’ 18 And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
19 ‘‘Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. 20 When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. 21 And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath." 22 So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
23 The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: ‘‘Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."
24 After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: 26 ‘‘Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! 28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them. 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made."
Israel was unfaithful, did not do what God had asked her, when entering the promise land, when God had instructed her to slay foreign people and do not give daughters in marriage etc, Israel did the exact opposite to what God had asked. As a result God did remove His guilding/protecting sheild and Israel was attacked, plunded and set into captivity time and time again.
Ironically, how some people have said that the Old Testament has no bearing and is unconnected to the New Testament - that is a lie, those people do not know the power of God or the words in He contains. From the beginning of the Great Contraversy, it has been the ever induring battle of worship, how God demands it and that satan tries to distract us to obtain it.
It is now coincedence that the 1st Commandment (Ex 20:1) says "You shall have no other gods before me." This is the threat the binds the Old and New Testaments. It is the THEME of all the major and minor Prophets, especially noted in the Book of Daniel and Revelation. Without understanding why our Lord has a Divine Standard in which stamps His authority on. The first four commandments lay the foundation and standard for worship.
I will concluded with Idols: we may not bow down to golden calf. The question remains is what Idols to you have in your live that are distracting you from full pray potential, is it too many movies (DVDs/Cinerma), Music, GAMES/Internet. We have to be so careful and vigilant what we watch and do affects our spiritual life no matter how subtle. 1st John 5:21 "...keep yourselves from idols."
I think of life as an obstacle course and Satan has his snares along the way. Each snare is made to look very attractive and has its own infomercial attached to it.
It is no secret that our beloved SDA church is going down the same path as the Israelites of old. But the breath-taking manner is not so well known among us yet ----- It is being taught by growing numbers of "missionaries" and leaders of our church that Allah of the Muslims is the same as our God, and i just got a email this morning saying that leaders here where i am in Bangkok are promoting chanting Buddhist prayers.
There is nothing new under the sun.
May we repent and come back to our Lord and Saviour - the eternal Son of God - Jesus Christ
Yes, I agree that the church as a whole is not doing what it should. There are individuals here and there getting the dew but the rain will not fall until there are many more inspired individuals that can finish the work. This makes me so sad. A few people cannot finish the work. We need more people to do the finishing work! Please wake up people and start the movement and become Philadelphia!
Our idols are temptations to worldliness, self-security, indulgence of pride, covetousness, and appetite. This are not the idols of the past where you can see them but these are the idols that are hidden in our hearts.
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