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Idols in their heart

by Pastor Jim Brown
Horizon Christian Fellowship
(www.calvarychapel.com/hcfw)



God wants to be the Lord of our lives...He wants to be everything to us and wants us to depend upon Him and Him alone!

In Ezekiel chapter 14, God speaks to Ezekiel and tells him that some of the elders (older and supposedly wiser men of the city) have set up idols in their hearts and because of this they are estranged from God. This always the case when we allow something else to become more important to us than God – idolatry is rampant in our society. Almost everyone we will speak to will have something that is more important than God in their hearts at one time or another.

An important “fact” regarding this heart-idolatry is found in verse 7...these idols become a stumbling block of iniquity in the eyes of the Lord. What might some of these “heart idols” be? Examples might include ourselves – what “we” want instead of what God wants for us, our own self-righteousness instead of standing on the righteousness that comes only from Christ, our jobs, money, power, children, spouse, hobby...this list goes on and on. The issue here is not that we are not to enjoy the life that God has blessed us with during this time we spend on earth, but rather that in all and through all we are to hold God as supreme in our hearts. Seeking the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, loving the Lord God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and laying our lives on His altar of sacrifice daily as we take up our cross, deny ourselves daily and follow Him are what God desires most for us.

Why is this important? Because God loves us, knows what is best for us and desires for us to be in the perfect center of HIS will for our lives. By the way, this response is natural for us as we see God’s goodness, His hand of mercy and ALL of the grace that He has extended to us – remember Romans 12:1 begins with the word “Therefore” (which is speaking to all of the greatness and love that God has poured out to us as documented in the previous 11 chapters of the book) present your bodies as living sacrifices...which is our REASONABLE service (not even our extraordinary service).

Pray with me that we see any “heart-idols” in our lives and cast them out that we might follow God alone...
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Ezekiel 14:1-8 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. 6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel , Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: 8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Email me at pj-brown@sbcglobal.net

posted by Pastor Jim @ 11:50 AM