Thursday, May 22, 2008

TWG - May 22, 2008

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TWG - May 22, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Exodus 7; Psalm 18:1-24; Matthew 20

Today is May 22, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day

Happy birthday to Susan. Today she is the big 50! Congratulations for making it one more year having to put up with yours truly! Yesterday I spent the day at work. I edited growing together for radio. I worked on the IFCA Convention. Bill and Mike were in front of the church most of the day forming up our new handicapped parking spots. What a great job they are doing. Soon I will need some help forming up the stage in the amphitheater. I also added some more seed to the grass in the amphitheater and did a little watering. It is beginning to look really good down there! You ought to check it out. Then I spent a bit of time working on our Graduation Power Point presentation. It is coming along nicely. After work I ran to KGRV where I spent two hours on the air with Phil on their Share-athon. That is always a lot of fun. I put a picture of a couple of firemen checking out our hydrant the other day on the blog at timewithgod.mypodcast.com. check it out.

This week’s theme verse is Romans 1:21-23. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Idolatry is foolish. Most of us civilized folk think that worshiping statues is down right stupid. What could be dumber than bowing prostrate before a piece of wood or a chunk of gold? Yet people all over the world still do it. It is more prevalent than you think. How many millions worship Buddha? That fat little man… Now there is a religion in need of some weight loss if I’ve ever seen one. The Hindus worship many idols; Shiva, Ganesha, Rama, Kali, etc. There are dozens of religions in all corners of the world that bow down before idols. And among us enlightened folk here in America, there are many Roman Catholics who pray to Mary or some other saint… if praying to a statue isn’t idol worship what is it? But they are not the only ones. The world is full of people who wear lucky charms, rabbits foots, bracelets and even crosses hoping that these charms will help them out. We’ve all seen people kiss their medallion for luck or knock on wood or some other ridiculous practice. How can a dead piece of wood answer anybody’s prayers? It can’t do anything! The Bible clearly states, “Thou shalt not make a graven image!” In Exodus 20:4-5 the NIV says, “"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” Idolatry is common. It is the typical way to worship once people turn away from the creator. I’m afraid that the world today has not advanced much beyond the superstitious idolatry of yesteryear. Let’s compare apples to apples… In the red corner weighing in at 325 pounds, chiseled to perfection in the mines of China we have the Idol, Buddha! In the blue corner spanning the endless universe, having no beginning or end, the creator of the mines in China, welcome the Eternal Living God! The Idol can not speak, can not move, can be chipped, broken or put in some dusty closet in a museum to rust away. When the living God speaks, His words create the worlds, and give life. He is all powerful and unassailable. Why would anyone ever consider trading the Living God for a Dead Idol? I don’t know maybe they are fools!

Dear Living God. I will bow down and worship you, the invisible, immortal, almighty God. Please don’t let me slip into the way of the world where I place more value on glittering gold or valuable carvings or even houses and land as more important than you. I want to worship and serve you with all my heart. Make it so today!

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