Posts Tagged ‘idolatry’
Lessons We Need from Balaam and His Donkey
by Richard Blackford It begins with Balak, the Moabite king, who was fearful of the Israelites moving through his territory on their way to the Promised Land. He sent for Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet and diviner, to bribe him to pronounce a curse on the Israelites. Concerning the donkey, the KJV, ASV, and older translations…
Read MoreGenesis Challenges Naturalism
by Terry Wane Benton The opening chapters of this revelation to Moses defied the premises of naturalism and superstitious paganism. Genesis announced to the Israelites who saw the Red Sea open for them and close on the Egyptians that the same God was the One who originally created the heavens, earth, and all manner of…
Read MoreHow do I look for a wife without losing focus on God?
Question: Hi, How are you? I’ve been doing well. It has been a rough journey. It’s taken me a while to get to where I’m at and sober from alcohol for the last four months. I’m still working on other areas in addiction, of course. I’ve always had such a strong desire for a spouse.…
Read MoreJeroboam’s Golden Calves
by Clay Gentry Imagine God handing you immense power, a kingdom, and a divine promise of an enduring legacy. What would you do to keep it? Would you trust His word, or would you take matters into your own hands, even if it meant compromising the truth? This isn’t a modern political thriller; it’s the…
Read MoreAnd Man Created God in His Own Image
by Floyd Chappalear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991 Yes, we are well aware that the Bible states that God created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:27), but there is something to be said for the title of this piece. You see, “every way of a man is right in his…
Read MoreThe New Idol?
by David Gibson A cartoon depicts people bowing to a golden calf. The calf is labeled SCIENCE. Do you find that amusing, offensive, or right on target? The word “science” simply means knowledge. One of the definitions of science is “systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation [dictionary.com]. Good…
Read MorePagan Ways Transferred to Christians: Looking for Signs
by Terry Wane Benton On the Isle of Malta, Paul found some friendly natives. When a viper bit Paul, these people read that as a sign. They were wrong, and people who try to read events as signs today are borrowing from paganism. In Acts 28:1-4, the natives read the viper event as a sign…
Read MoreCan Pets Become Idols?
by Terry Wane Benton I think we can see an unhealthy attachment to anything becomes a form of idolatry, the same as covetousness for money becomes a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). When our love for animals gets in the way of doing what God says, it can become a form of idolatry. We hear…
Read MorePomp and Pageantry
by Doy Moyer Pomp and ceremony do not make worship more holy any more than does the physical location. God seeks true worshippers who worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). He does not need the inventions of our hands, does not dwell in buildings made with our hands, and is not impressed by our…
Read MoreTheism
by Zeke Flores Theism is alive and well. Aside from those religions that venerate men (Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Islam, to name a few), some worship supernatural deities (Greek mythology, Hinduism, and many other Eastern religions). There are gods of our own making (money, sex, relationships) which we hope will save us from _________ (fill in…
Read MoreThe Direction of Your Life
The Direction of Your Life – Part 1The Direction of Your Life by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 6:19-24 I. Whenever I taught someone to drive, I was reminded that people have a tendency to go in the direction they are looking. A. When a person first learns to drive, they tend to look at things…
Read MorePagan Ideas of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/PaganIdeasOfGod.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Micah 7:15-20 I. Through the ages man has had difficulty grasping the concept of God A. As Christians, we understand that God is a Spirit – John 4:24 B. But for the common man, without the knowledge of the Scriptures, that idea is too vague. So God is remade in their…
Read MoreThe Root Cause of Sexual Sins
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I’ve become fascinated by the lists presented in the Bible when I came to realize that many of them are more than a collection of related items. Permit me to illustrate this with a list that Paul gave in Colossians 3. “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead…
Read MoreIs imagining what God is like idolatry?
Question: Hi Mr. Hamilton, How have you been? I’ve been wondering, is it sinful or idolatrous for me to try and picture God or Christ in my mind? This is often something I do whenever I pray for God’s wisdom on a matter, when I’m stressed out about something and just want to leave those…
Read MoreSolomon: Failure of the World’s Wisest Man
by Max Dawson In my mind, it is one of the most difficult things to reconcile. How did it happen? How could it possibly happen? I am talking about King Solomon. How did the wisest man in the world mess up so badly? How did a man with such a great beginning have such a…
Read MoreA City Full of Idols
by Matthew W. Bassford As all of us are doubtless aware, we are currently in the middle of Pride Month, a celebration of a number of different lifestyles the Bible condemns as sinful. In case we have forgotten, anytime we shop at a chain store, displays and decorations all remind us. I would not be…
Read MoreLies People Protect
by Terry Wane Benton In the first century, Paul exposed the lies people were telling each other. It was that an animal is a god to be worshiped (Romans1:18-26) and that such gods allow us to make up our moral standards as we desire. Thus, one lie protected all kinds of sin. Since the moral…
Read MoreNo Other Gods
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/No-Other-Gods.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 40:12-26 I. The Ten Commandments formed the prologue to the Law of Moses A. They were the foundation of the Old Law B. Even though the Law of Moses ended, nine of those ten commandments are still in effect today. C. Understanding these basic laws can help us understand the New…
Read MoreElisha’s She Bears
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Elishas-She-Bears.mp3 Download Audio by Ralph Walker Did the prophet really unleash two bears to kill a host of little boys? For making fun of his baldness? How sensitive can a prophet be? Preaching the Bloody Bible
Read MoreAgainst All the Gods of Egypt
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Against-All-the-Gods-of-Egypt.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 12:1-13 I. The descendants of Jacob moved to Egypt because of a severe famine and within a short time became slaves in that land – Genesis 15:13 A. Yet, God promised to rescue them and returned them to land promised to Abraham. B. When the time came, God raised up…
Read MoreSometimes the Best Thing to Do is Run!
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Sometimes-the-Best-Thing-to-Do-Is-Run.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Colossians 3:1-15 I. Timothy was admonished to fight the good fight – I Timothy 6:12 A. We are in a battle for our lives, and we must have the courage to do battle – Ephesians 6:10-18 B. We cannot be passive against sin – James 4:7 C. But a person trained in…
Read MorePresent Your Case
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Present-Your-Case.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:21-22 I. The Apostle Paul challenges Christians everywhere to prove all things – I Thessalonians 5:21-22 A. Jude 3 tells us to contend earnestly for the faith B. I Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to give an answer to every question 1. The Greek word is the one…
Read MoreThe Root of Bitterness (Bassford)
by Matthew W. Bassford Most of us have had an experience, invariably bad, with bitter people. Something has happened to them that they have continued to resent for years or decades, and they often take out their resentment on those who are closest to them. Frequently, we turn to Hebrews 12:15 for a Biblical condemnation…
Read MoreAre movies that depict Jesus violating the rule to make no image of God?
Question: Hello, I have a couple of questions. Does the movie “The Passion of Christ” violate Exodus 20:4-5? I understand that there is no idol worship here, but making images from that which is in heaven would apply, it seems. I read your article about the review of the movie and this issue was not…
Read MoreWhere do prayers go?
Question: Where do all prayers go? Does God answer all prayers, even those of Muslims, Hindus, etc. although they pray to false gods? I heard from someone that the Bible says all prayers and praise reach God only. Is there scriptural evidence for this? Thanks. Answer: There is only one God. The gods of other…
Read MoreWill you explain Exodus 32:30 to me?
Question: Will you explain Exodus 32:30 to me? Answer: “On the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin”” (Exodus 32:30). Israel had broken the first two commandments God had given them (Exodus 20:3-4)…
Read MoreWill my Hindu grandparents go to heaven if they don’t follow Christianity?
Question: My grandparents are Hindu and very religious. They pray every day for 30 minutes and on the weekends they go to their church and stay there for hours. They are good-hearted, kind people. But can they still go to heaven if they don’t follow Christianity? It’s not like they don’t believe in Jesus, they…
Read MoreLimping Between Two Opinions
by Matthew W. Bassford The story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most famous in the book of I Kings. Even though the direction of the book is generally downward, I Kings 18 contains a moment of spiritual triumph. However, even before the triumph takes place, there are still lessons…
Read MoreAnd Then There Were None
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AndThenThereWereNone.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Amos 6:3-11 I. One of my favorite mystery writers was Agatha Christie. She would write books where you tried to figure out who did it before the end of the book, but in the process you were distracted by so many possibilities. A. One of my favorites was based on…
Read MoreChristians in First Century Corinth
by Hugh DeLong We live (lived, past tense, as our world is quickly changing), in a time when Christianity (the basic principles) is the majority belief. The concept of one god is accepted. Such was not true back in the first century. The pagan world was full of gods. Such were woven into the very fabric of the lives…
Read MoreHow could Israel worship idols shortly after agreeing to keep the covenant?
Question: In Exodus 19, everybody hears God telling about the covenant and they all agree. In Exodus 32 we read that when Moses is on the mountain (chapter 21-31) they let Aaron make a golden idol as in Egypt. How can they do that? Answer: I don’t know if you could have picked a better…
Read MoreWhat Is Idolatry?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WhatIsIdolatry.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 44:9-20 I. I got into a discussion with a teenager about what exactly is idolatry A. He had the impression that anything you really liked was an idol, whether it was sports, cars, or girls B. “What is an idol? Well, it is the thing. It is the thing loved…
Read MoreIs it wrong to look at images of Hindu gods?
Question: I have a question: you see, with my religion now, I tend to look at other religions. Not for worship but there are some religious gods in Hinduism that I usually research because they look interesting, such as the art that is made of them. Is that bad? If I’m interested in them but…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between idolatry and obsessions?
Question: Hello! I just read a question answered on your website about idolatry: Is having a symbol of Christianity idolatry? In it, idolatry was defined as “anything you turn to for guidance or security.” While that makes sense, to what level of guidance and security are you describing? You see, I still sleep with my Blankie,…
Read MoreWill God forgive me for worshiping idols to please my mother?
Question: I am 21 years old. My mum is a Buddhist, which forces me to worship Buddhist idols. But I am a Catholic and she opposes me and scolds me. She even denies Jesus publicly. I am not yet baptized because of her. What should I do? Will God forgive me because of my worship…
Read MoreAre animal guides compatible with Christianity?
Question: I’m a teen and I got in trouble with my mom just for trying to contact my spirit animal. She said not to do it again because she does not want me to get possessed by a demon. She did not explain to me how or why. I was reading this question and answer…
Read MoreShould I participate in my parents’ Hindu burial ceremonies?
Question: Dear Sir, I am from Malaysia. I and my whole family accepted Christ as our personal savior. We submitted ourselves to him and in due time we will be having our water baptism by our local church pastor. But my parents have not accepted Christ as they are Hindu. My parent both are quite…
Read MoreIs it a sin to divorce someone who forces you to worship idols?
Question: I need to know something: Is it a sin to divorce someone who forces you to worship idols? I have been praying fasting for my husband to stop. He sees the light for a short period but he goes back again. This has been happening for years. His family wants to force me to…
Read MoreIs it wrong for a Christian to visit a place of idol worship out of respect?
Question: Hello, I had this question in mind for a long time and I feel you would be the best person who could answer this based on Scripture. I stay in India, and we have a multicultural society with multiple religions and festivals celebrated among friends and neighbors. It is quite common to be invited…
Read MoreWhat is meant by abstaining from things polluted by idols?
Question: Hello Jeff, After reading Acts 15:20,29; 21:25; Revelation 2:14, 20 it seems it was wrong for Christians to eat food sacrificed to idols but in I Corinthians 8 it seems OK. It seems to me after reading Revelation 2:14, 20 the churches in Pergamos and in Thyatira were told to repent of eating things…
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