IDOL?

Anything I put before God is an Idol.

Anything I love more than God is an Idol.

Anything I can’t stop thinking of is an Idol.

 With my “know it all attitude” I think I know what God wants for me.

 Is it possible I have made Life an Idol?

 Jonah in the belly of the great fish thought that life was already over.  He prayed “they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”  Jonah 2:8  I looked up vanities and mercy in Strong’s.  I think this verse says people who believe empty lies give up their own kindness.  For example, if you take this pill the pain will go away.  How about, if you take this supplement then the cancer will go away.  Or how about eliminate meat.  If you hold onto this  metal rod and receive a small shock that will do the trick.  If you believe this stuff and don’t receive good health, you get frustrated.  When you get sick you get mean.  Jonah 2:9  “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving.”  This means he would die with thanksgiving.  Jonah 2:9 says “I will pay that that I have vowed.”  Salvation is of the Lord.  This means he would pay with his life because he promised it in verse 12.  He did not pray for God to save him. He decided to die happily, but salvation could still come!  So the fish threw up and he lived. Jonah 2:10.

  

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thought that it was over when they heard they were going to be thrown into the fiery furnace, by King Nebuchadnezzar.  So they said “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”  Daniel 3:17 & 18  They did not pray for God to spare them.  The Son of God protected them. The fire had no power and they lived.  Daniel 3:27.

 After this Daniel was serving under King Darius.  I am sure that he had heard the stories of King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar.  You remember, the finger writing on the wall “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”  Daniel 5:27.

 So Daniel was going to be thrown into the lion’s den.  Daniel did not pray God don’t let this happen.  He didn’t say anything.  But the King said.  “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.”  Daniel 6:16  In the morning the King went to the den and said “Is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?”  Daniel 6:20.  Their battle was obviously life.  But I heard a guy talk about how revival became his idol.  After all wouldn’t you think that was what God wanted?  My friend, had a prophesy spoken over him, telling him about his future wife.  Because of that he believed that God wanted him to get married.  Marriage became his idol.  I know a fellow who is looking for the perfect job.  I am sure God wants the best job for him.  A good job became his idol.  Money is an idol to some people.  When you decide what God wants for you, you stereo type God and that is a bad thing.  It is ok to want these things; they are all good things, just want God more!

Do you feel like your life is over?  Has someone told you, that you were in the belly of a great fish, or that your life was headed toward a fiery furnace, or a lions den?  Like Jonah, say, “I will die happily, but salvation can still come.”  Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego say, “Our God is able.  But if not we will still not worship a false God.”  Or like Daniel don’t say a word and let your adversary declare that God will deliver you.

 Was Isaac Abraham’s Idol?  Did Abraham love Isaac, his son, more than he loved God?  “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham; and he said, Behold, here I am.  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”  Genesis 22:1&2

 Tempt (Strong’s 5254) is test.  And the answer is Genesis 22:12  “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”  Abraham passed the test.  He wanted God more than Isaac.  Then Daniel answered.  “I am innocent and I am not hurt.  An angel shut the lion’s mouth.”  Then Daniel 6:23 says “no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”

 For Jonah, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego passed the test.  They wanted God or the Father more than life.  You must want God more that you want children.  Abraham served El Shaddai, aren’t you glad we serve El Elyon, because El Shaddai created a test. El Elyon doesn’t do that.

 I used to pray,” Please God give me the desires of my heart.  You put those desires in my heart now please fulfill them.”  I don’t pray that way anymore.  I simply ask for what I want, and end with, “but if I don’t get it that is ok too.  God I want your will for my life more than anything.”  It is funny how fast God answers prayers now.

 The scriptures say, “ask and you shall receive.  You will receive pressed down, and shaken together.”  So ask.  Just ask with a happy go lucky attitude.  Example, “God, I really would like to have a dependable car so I can go to the Christian book store anytime I want.  But if I don’t get a car that will be ok too, because you have blessed me so much, because I live so close to the grocery store I can walk!”

 I think when you grovel or snivel, you tempt God to not give you what you are asking for.

 Daniel 6:22  “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me ; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”  

 Daniel did break the law of the Medes and Persians.  He did not bow down to the golden image.  I looked up innocent in Strong’s 2136 and 2135  This means translucent.  So Daniel was innocent because he didn’t pray to God in secret.  What is your definition of innocent?  In the sight of the law Daniel was guilty; he did not bow down to the golden image.

The Von Trapp Family Singers (Sound of Music) refused to join Hitler’s army because they knew it was wrong.  After they escaped to America they did join the American side because they knew that was the right thing to do.  If our government passes a law, think about it before you blindly obey it.  You can be innocent before God and still guilty before an earthly judge.

 Jonah disobeyed God; he was guilty before God and innocent in the eyes of earthly law.  God still spared his life.  Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel were innocent before God but guilty by the law of the land.  But God still spared their lives.

 The reason Jonah, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Daniel were spared was because of their attitude.  They loved God.  They wanted God more than anything else, even life.  

 To God Be The Glory!

 Diane Ebaugh Sutton

 We are proud to present the new book.  MONARCH  1984-85   $10.00

Also

 We have these CDs ready.  These are Dave’s lessons, taken from the audio cassettes.

How to Prophecy

Fast from Religion

Who are the 144,000?

Earthquake Whirlwind

Spirit  Soul  Body

10 Commandments  or 4

Pyramid in the Bible

Is Remarriage a Sin?

True and False Prophets

Seal or Mark             part 1 of 2

Seal or Mark             part 2 of 2

Usury                        part 1 0f 2

Usury                        part 2 0f 2

Spiritual Israel           part 1 of 2

Spiritual Israel           part 2 of 2

3 More Great Wars   part 1 of 2

3 More Great Wars   part 2 of 2

9th of Ab

Order of Events

Spiritual Authority

Sun Darkened

Correction on the price.  These CDs were listed wrong.  They must be $10.00 each