Friday, November
23, 2018
When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair…. So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe. She said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’ 2 Kings 22:11, 14-17(NLT)
Josiah became Judah’s king in when
he was still a child. This chapter
records that he was a very godly man all his life. When he was only 26 the scrolls of God’s Word
were discovered during a renovation of the temple.
(Hear
that again: God’s Word … hidden … in God’s House!).
The king was mortified and began an
investigation as to how to make things right; he’d discovered (by reading this
hidden Word of God) the whole nation had forsaken their LORD and were in danger
of the mother of all woodshed experiences.
God was not pleased with a nation that worshipped themselves.
I’m pretty sure nothing has
changed in that department! When God
says His anger will burn, and it will not be quenched, there’s
nothing to doubt about how God sees the sin of paganism.
That said, we must take a look at
ourselves; there is a neo-paganism in the land.
Current surveys show the largest, and fastest growing demographic in our
land is aptly-dubbed the nones. These are people who self-identify as
atheists or agnostics, as well as those who say their religion is “nothing in
particular….[2]
While the surveys include atheism,
the “belief” that there is no god, no “higher power”, that is the smallest part
of the problem, and always has been; atheism is whistling in the dark, hoping
there isn’t a god who’s really in charge!
Scripture tells us God has imprinted His image on our souls, and so we know
He is there, and we are accountable to Him.
When it comes down to the rest of
the demographic, besides atheism (which amounts to around 3.1% of Americans[3])
the other 24% who have left church in the rearview mirror are unsure, or disenfranchised. The most common and rising explanation you
hear these days is: I’m very spiritual; just not
religious.
Understanding what that buzz-phrase
really
means is: I’d
rather worship myself; I believe in me, my rights, my personal self-esteem, my
time, my choice.
And that’s pretty much it; the new-paganism
in the land is worshipping other than the one-true-living-God – it’s the
god-within. This is not anything new; in
fact, it’s rather ancient (so old as to be quite boring when you hear it again):
“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:12-14(NLT)
Of course, Scripture is giving us
a peek into Lucifer’s mind (and his eventual fate, fallen!)
Choosing to turn your back on God’s
prior claim on your life is a matter of sin.
Any attempt to explain why a person chooses to
reject worship is a further compounding of that sin. I am not saying it is wrong to question, or
even to leave a group because there is a lack of worship, or faithfulness
inherent in that group. However, it is
sinful to decide to just delete from your life assembling with other believers
for worship, prayer, fellowship, witness and supporting the mission of Christ,
when Scripture clearly indicates that is counter to God’s will for all humans. It is neo-paganism at its worst!
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25(NLT)
In a culture gone a little bonkers
over the human rights thing, we have managed to confuse the right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as the right to think we’re
in charge; and that isn’t right …
For You Today
I have a little prayer I say at the beginning of the day; join me?
God, YOU are
God, and I am not. Amen.
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