Fourthstream

Commandment #3: You Shall Not Take My Name in Vain

Humans by our nature are dreamers and builders – and by our fallen condition speculators. Being made in the image of God we bear His propensity to perceive glory. But by our actions we rob that glory and claim it for ourselves. We are truly free to do this even though it brings bondage. But God has given us a better way. By humbling ourselves and exalting our Creator we bring truth back into the world. And here is the truth:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 

And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. 

Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 

The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and Who is to come.”

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”  – Revelation 4:1-11

We disrespect God when we do not place Him at the forefront of the things we think and go after. How have you seen God disrespected?

We diminish God when we live as though what is important to Him is not important to us. How have you experienced this?

We devalue God when we scoff at Him by our actions, words, or selfish choices. How do we not take Him seriously?

Our modern culture is consumed with values which diminish God and exalt humanity. As Christ-Followers we are to choose differently.

“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”  – 1 Timothy 4:16

Here is a great family conversation guide on the freedom this commandment may bring
Here is a good values song

Freedom Commandment #2: You shall not make images (tool)

“Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.”  – Acts 17:29

Why is it that we think we can improve upon what God has spoken – as well as what He has created with His mighty power? Houses have very few “fashioned images” in our world, right? How silly we would look if we had our own crafted image on the mantle. And how much more if we made a little shrine around it, with candles and incense and little post-its of our hopes and dreams. Thank goodness we have evolved to more civilized pursuits.

Idolatry is not merely a temptation for humans, it is at the core of who we are. As you dig into an understanding of the chief false gods of the nations around Israel you will discover several things.

1) There is nothing passive about making idols for ourselves. It is active and it is consuming. The Bible calls this harlotry or what some might indelicately define as conducting ourselves like a whore. And it displeases our Father deeply.

“While Israel remained at Shittim (built by a tree), the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.”  – Numbers 25:1-3

2) There are green trees (fresh places) throughout any land, and hearts are drawn away with the illusion we can worship our Creator at the same time as other gods. This never seems to work out for humans in any century. To recognize a high place or a green tree we need merely need to ask the question: “would the Living God join me here?” Think about it.

“But he (Ahaz) walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.”  – 2 Kings 16:3-4

3)  Finally (of many others) Baal was not a god of only one locality. This was the ugly beauty of Satan’s work through Baal – he (or she/Asheroth) adopted many forms and faces. It is almost as though he could adapt to the craving or fears of any person, group, or region. These were the many faces of Baal. A farming face. A city image. Those which appealed to males – and those to females. The options were simply unlimited. Everyone could find (and fashion) a face of Baal that suited his or her purposes.

There are several questions we must be able to fluidly ask and answer throughout our journeys in this life:
Are my current desires leading me astray into some sort of idolatrous gratification?
Are the people who influence me sincere in their desire to please the Living God?
Am I vigilant to expect idols and images to have huge appeal to me, and do I have the eternal internal compass necessary to identify and reject the many faces of Baal?

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  – Exodus 20:4-6

Succinct.

Some good family conversations about internal and external idolatries
A good warrior song

 

Freedom commandment #1: You shall have no other gods before me

Since the garden of Eden this has been endemic to the human race. We are simply idolatrous to the core. It is primarily because we have removed God as Lord over our hearts. So, instead of being captured by belonging to our Creator, we sell ourselves to idols (other gods).

Bondage is the end result of idolatry. Rather than subject our sinful impulses to God, we enthrone them. They simply capture our imaginations and become the focus of what we want. I call them the ME-gods.

Within our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls there is tremendous conflict. While we may wish to do what God wants, we are seduced by what we want. This is where the evil one meets us. And not in just in the more obvious places. It occurs deep within our hearts – the place where our King was made to inhabit.

The conscience is where we converse with God. He brings His law to define what is right in His sight. This law is written in our hearts. At one end of the human continuum are narcissists. These are completely absorbed by being their own god. At the other extreme are those who live life riddled by and controlled by guilt. Most of us live somewhere in between.

A conscience becomes seared because of exposure to evil, and giving over to sin in our conscience conversation.

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…”  – 1 Timothy 4:1,2

When it comes to the first freedom commandment, I must take care to include God in this conscience conversation. First: You are my great God. There is no one beside You. No one above You. You and Your Son have moved heaven and earth to rescue me, and I am deeply grateful. Second: be honest with God and ask Him to deliver you from the things which carry your heart away from Him. By God’s grace, I choose to allow no other to take Your place. And when an idol does so, I do all I can in my heart, soul, body, and mind to dethrone it.

This is embedded deeply within the fight of faith. Will I offer my conscience to God so He can reign supreme there, or will I live a life of excusing sin and robbing my soul of freedom?

Someone once said that the problem with living sacrifices is that we keep crawling off the altar. My ME-gods are quite evident to my conscience. I must continue to willingly invite God’s Spirit within me to dethrone the things which capture my heart and result in my addictions to false gods. This is core to me experiencing true freedom. My conscience is a tool to help make this happen.

What do you think? Deep waters, my friend!

“…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  – Hebrews 9:14

Dave

Challenges are not new to God’s people. Hardship. Opportunists. Experts. False teachers. Even persecution. After all, this should not surprise us.

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:6-9

That about sums it up, doesn’t it?! We are not even supposed to be surprised (1 Peter 4:2).

So here we are, in the middle of a global “war” as far reaching as any in history. Hundreds of thousands dead or dying. Division at unprecedented levels. Impotent leaders consulting with themselves and denigrating the help of our Creator. Hope is in short supply.

While with some of my wiser friends the other night we spoke about the pressures we are seeing upon ourselves and the people around us. This conversation was framed by Hebrews 12:3: “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Do you ever feel this way?

Weariness results from facing apparently unsolvable issues. We noted the never-ending nature of the current conflict. No resolution regarding the “science.” Nothing but bad news with regard to the “next strain.” And on and on.

This results in a cloud of discouragement, not to mention driving people into camps. The sheer weight of processing these events – along with the fanciful God-free pursuit of solutions – weighs us down.

Add to this the obvious spiritual battle which gets no press in our misguided media and no acknowledgement from our leaders. We are witnessing a breath-taking onslaught against the truth and the propagation of lies is unprecedented. The teachings of demons are everywhere.

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…”  – 1 Timothy 4:1,2

The relational toll is staggering, and the temptation to be hands off and give up is massive. It is difficult to be on the same page with others. Consensus escapes us. Accusations are rampant. Immature responses push us into corners. Division reigns.

What to do with one another?

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  – 1 Corinthians 1:10

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  – Ephesians 4:32

What to do with ourselves:

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
– 1 Peter 5:6-11

Selah friends. God is near. After all:

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He Who is coming will come, and will not delay. But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”  – Hebrews 10:35-39

Suffering with you in hope,

Dave