Sacrificing Children on the Altar of Baal

" They [the people of Judah] have quit following [abandoned; forsaken] me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors [fathers], nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people.  They have built places on hilltops to worship [high places to; sites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] Baal [God of the Canaanites], where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even entered my mind [came up in my heart] " Jeremiah 19:4-5 (Expanded)

As I write this I'm heartsick, heartsick because it's so common, heartsick because I, as well, have practiced it, and heartsick above all because God is so heartsick about it.

Oh my friends, we have been sacrificing our precious children on the altar of Baal! How? Surely we all can see what's happening, what's being taught, modeled, and forced into the heads of kids in school systems? And more subtly, have you considered the same thing being done by movies, tv shows, games & other vain amusements?

Webster's Dictionary says one definition for vain is: without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless and amusement as: anything that amuses; pastime; entertainment.

More significantly "vain amusements" are referenced in 2 Timothy when talking about the condition that people will fall into in the last days:

" [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:4 AMP

And later in the chapter it says: "from such turn away".

God says if you love Him you will obey Him. If professing Christians were honest they would acknowledge that Hollywood was bad & schools were programming kids, and some may even pull their kids out of the school system but how few ever will unplug them from the idol of television, and cut off all vain amusements! Compromise maybe, try to "filter" what they watch maybe but never completely abolish it, never turn their hearts and those of their children from the altar of Baal. So more children continue to be sacrificed.

Sadly, most people can't even imagine never watching tv again. They try to "balance" Christianity with the world (Satan) but Jesus never taught that, in fact, when people came to him and weren't willing to leave all behind he sent them away as unworthy to follow Him (Luke 14:25-33)

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. " Luke 14:26-27 (Emphasis mine)

And again he emphasis that point later:

"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Luke 14:33-34

 He even told a parable of guests invited to a wedding feast who wouldn't come because they wouldn't leave the things that they clung to (their idols) and come, they were found unworthy and when one guest came and didn't wear a proper wedding garment he was cast out into "outer darkness". (Matthew 22:2-14)

We cannot bend our knee to the Altar of Baal and still follow Christ, we cannot sacrifice our children on his altar and say we've dedicated them to God. Elijah pleaded with the people to stop trying to serve God and Baal but to choose who they would serve!

We need to repent! I repented for watching that idol so long, for calling it "harmless", for trying to "Christianize" the devil, I repented for putting two beautiful children who were made in the image of God in front of it, and I grieved over it, and grieved over the fact it had such a hold on me!

Don't think it has a hold on you? Stop watching it, stop using "vain amusements" for a month. Listen to what gets talked about and referenced in your homes!

I sat in a church Sunday school with my autistic nephew and the only topic those children talked about were movies and tv. That is what their minds were full of, that is what their hearts were full of! How can anyone call that "harmless" or "innocent"??

Here is just one example of the programming involved with "entertainment" geared towards children that looks innocent. (The devil does masquerade as an angel of light!)

http://thelasthiker.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/how-i-hate-that-i-get-bothered-by-the-movie-frozen-and-telling-myself-i-need-to-let-it-go/

 When I repented it took time but, by the grace of God, I was able to see things so much more clearly, and serve God with an undivided heart.

Please, let's repent!! Let's stop sacrificing our children with the fire from Baal's altar and instead present them to God to be dedicated to the All Consuming Fire, who tolerates no other God's, and in so doing save their lives, save their very souls.

Partiality AKA Discrimination

“My brethren, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do not [attempt to] hold and practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ [the Lord] of glory [together with snobbery]!” James 2:1

^“Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble).” 1 Peter  3:8

God wants us to be one. United. How shall we ever do that when we constantly divide and discriminate among ourselves? In Corinthians Paul makes it clear that it’s the body working together that keeps it healthy, yet we so often divide ourselves in groups by age, sex or marital status.  What else do you call “women’s groups”, “men’s groups”, “children’s groups”, “teen groups” and on and on? Oh my brothers and sisters if we would just be united!

I have heard many reasons for the divisions; we want to talk to people we have something in common with for aren’t those the people after all, who will understand our plight? Please, my friends, stop practicing the faith of our Lord together with partiality! Have you considered people older than you have learned more from the Lord and would therefore, be better qualified to offer you Godly advice than someone “your own age” might? Or that people younger than you need to hear about your struggles and triumphs and the thing the Lord is showing you to grow in wisdom? And that your level of wisdom has nothing to do with your marital status or gender? And most importantly, that the Lord makes no such distinctions on who He talks to or through.

We all are members of one body with unique and varying gifts from God to be used in the maturing of the body of Christ and we could do that if we would stop assigning value to one another and judging one another’s worth based on fleshy and worldly standards.

For my friends, what else do you call it when you only wish to fellowship with people in your same social status? Aren’t you in effect saying, “Well So&so  couldn’t know anything about my struggles and my walk with God because she isn’t married like I am.” or “She isn’t my age and doesn’t understand what it’s like!”

What do we all have in common? We have one Lord and one faith and maybe, just maybe, we should be focused a lot more on Him, living full of Him, and talking about Him rather than what music we like, what clothes we wear, or what movies we watch.

We need each other! I need you ! You need me! Let’s all get together and grow up.

That is the challenge for all of us.

The Corrupting Influence of Control

“And He sat down and called the Twelve [apostles], and He said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.” Mark 9:35 Amplified

“[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16 Amplified

Control; it’s led to countless evils and oppression, slavery, abuse, corruption. Control is very corruptive.  When Jesus came He made it clear that this was not God’s way; this was not The Kingdom Way. It’s without a doubt the world’s way and I am never surprised to see it at work in the world. What has surprised me, alarmed me, saddened and grieved me is how much of it I have seen within the organized church. My parents were pastors for many years and I saw the inside of how things operated.  I saw a system largely designed around control. 

I’ve seen pastors work to control their congregations, elders fight to control the pastors, children’s church leaders, worships leaders and every other person who had the name “leader” attached to their title fight to keep control; feeling threatened if another came along with an anointing, calling, or even talent to do what they were doing, scared that person might threaten their control and then going to great lengths to drive that person out of their fellowship. Sadly, it happens in every area. I even see men trying to claim control of women asserting “authority” using scripture that has a vastly different meaning.

This isn’t meant as a criticism of people who attend or participate in church services, I have known many wonderful people who do, it isn’t even meant to expose a system which I see as having a great power to corrupt good people, but as an example of the dangers we face when we desire control; a plethora of very deceptive evils that can work in our hearts just by wanting one wrong thing; control.

Why do people want control? The answers are varied and only God can show us on an individual level, but I do know what the cure for control is; a servant’s heart.

The servant’s heart is a beautiful, sweet thing and it eliminates the power struggle completely. It is the heart Jesus has:

“Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.” Philippians 2:5-7 (AMP)  

He didn’t come to control; He came to serve. Men wanted to make Him a “leader”, to overthrow the government, to set up an earthly kingdom but He would have none of it. He showed us another way, a way where “leaders” are servants, and where love motivates not control.

The servant’s heart is the heart we all should have. The servant’s heart doesn’t feel threatened when someone else comes along who can do something better than we can, doesn't fight to protect it's own interest and self, for the servant’s heart cares about the good of all, about giving, about meeting someone else’s need.

This is my challenge. To develop this servant’s heart, knowing that I have the mind of Christ and hold the feelings and purposes of His heart, to keep a prayerful eye to not yield to the desire to control. And when I feel it rise within me to yield and to "live at all times as a servant of God".

The Heart Doctor

“That first tent symbolizes the present time, when gifts and sacrifices can be offered; but it can’t change the heart and conscience of the worshiper.” Hebrews 9:9 The Voice

The heart, infinitely precious to God, can be so easily corrupted.  Jeremiah says,

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?”  Jeremiah 17:9 Amplified.

Why we do what we do only God knows. But if we ask He wills show us and the answer is not usually pretty. When I battle bad attitudes, yield to the same sins, or find myself absorbed with my own problems, no matter the symptom I can trace the source back to a problem with my heart. And that is what God always deals with.

God in His infinite wisdom moves past our symptoms and outward expressions of sin (the act) and goes straight to the heart condition that is causing the manifestation of sin in our lives. Which, I have discovered, is why being sorry for your sin isn’t nearly enough.  For example, if a married man commits adultery and then is filled with regret and professes that regret, the mere profession isn’t enough to restore him to his past relationship with his wife, because unless the heart problem that caused the manifestation of sin in the first place is dealt with, then the symptoms will just resurface again and again, as sorry and truly grieved as he may be.  No, what this man needs is an evaluation by The Heart Doctor. What he needs is go before the throne of grace and implore the Holy Spirit to search his heart, to reveal the problem, to heal him of this condition.

Many don’t. Many people walk around with sick hearts because they don’t like the taste of the medicine. It’s rarely easy and most often painful. Dressing a wound usually does cause pain. So many times it’s the idols in our lives that make us sick, our self-love, our little fleshy indulgences, and those things the flesh fights giving up.  Hebrews 12:11 put it this way:

“When punishment is happening, it never seems pleasant, only painful. Later, though, it yields the peaceful fruit called righteousness to everyone who has been trained by it.  So lift up your hands that are dangling and brace your weakened knees. Make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame in you won’t be put out of joint, but will heal.”

“So what is lame in you won’t be put out of joint, but will heal.”  Daily I find I must go to the Heart Doctor. I must spend time asking Him to search my heart, daily I must wait before Him as He reveals to me the things that could make me sick. It hurts as I yield to God and submit to His will in matters where my flesh wants its way, but I keep focused on the prize; deeper intimacy with God and “the peaceful fruit of righteousness”.  It will mean changing the way you think about things and people, humbling yourself when you want to be exalted, forgiving when you want to punish, letting go of relationships that are toxic or unhealthy, giving instead of receiving, and so much more.. but oh the peaceful fruit of righteousness! What can compare to it?

“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]” Galatians 5:22-25 Amplified

This is my challenge:

“Let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.”

And this: “So lift up your hands that are dangling and brace your weakened knees. Make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame in you won’t be put out of joint, but will heal.”

And a crucial part of that is daily visits with The Heart Doctor as He is the only One who truly knows my heart.

Expecting the Best

“But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings (the Gospel), so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who tests our hearts [expecting them to be approved].” 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (emphasis mine)

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (emphasis mine)

What is my expectation of people? How can I knowing humanity (after all I am a member of it) believe the best of them? Even Proverbs 20:6 brings up the lack of faithfulness among mankind.  So then, how do I deal with the reality of humanity and still have the right expectation? This is what I asked God and He showed me this is done by looking for and focusing on the good things in people.

The devil is the accuser of the brethren, the fault finder, but God nurtures the good things in us, expects the best from us, and leads us to repentance with His loving-goodness.

 How do I expect the best from people? By seeing how God does this with me.  It is critical to know how God thinks about a matter, because until I accept His way of thinking about it and believe it as truth and receive it from Him I can’t think that way or behave that way toward others. I can only give to others what I, myself, have first received from God.

And because God expects the best from me, I expect the best from others and am, as 1 Corinthians says, ever ready to believe the best of every person.  And what if they fail? Then I pray for them, and expect God to work on their behalf while keeping my focus on the good things I see in them. Admittedly, seeing the best in people requires more searching with some than with others but that in itself is an important point. I should be aggressively looking for the good.

Faults we all have in abundance, and the world and devil are quick to point them out to us often, but as a Christian I should be a treasure seeker, not a fault finder.

I’m not saying that we should ignore destructive behaviors we see others engaged in or never offer loving correction when needed, certainly God does neither, but what I am saying is that while sometimes it is necessary to warn others of sinful behavior , we must always cherish and look for the good qualities in people, nurture those, and delight in even their smallest steps of progress. 

I know for certain that God does all that with me. While I tend to focus on my faults and failures, He is delighted with me and thrilled at my progress in the work He is doing to mold me in the image of His Son.  He never focuses on my failures, reminds me of them, or berates me for them. And I very much want to be like God.

As one, who in the natural, would be a fault finder, I am greatly challenged to give up my carnal way of looking at myself and other people and instead be a treasure seeker, like my Father.

Oh God, thank you for revealing this to me. We both know I have no power to change on my own and unless You do this work, unless You help me, I will stay the same. I don’t want that, God! I lay down my way and repent of my carnal thinking. Please change me, Holy Spirit and thank You so much for challenging me.

Internally vs Eternally Minded

What does it mean to be eternally minded? Many Christians would say that this means you think of heaven and of the second coming and meeting Jesus in the air, and I wouldn’t disagree this is true in part, but the danger I have witnessed from this interpretation of being “eternally minded” is that we often become oblivious to the responsibility and urgency of building God’s kingdom where we are at and instead unintentionally live very self-serving lives while we wait for the day Jesus returns.   I would like to add to the interpretation of eternal mindedness to include also being aware of what your actions now, what your choices now mean for eternity. It means asking questions such as, “Does this have eternal value?” or “Is this the best use of my resources and my life in light of eternity?” Jesus says this to Peter and I believe He is still saying it to us today:

“And Jesus answered him, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17-19 ESV

The gates of hell shall not prevail. We must be mindful of our responsibility to gain ground for God’s kingdom wherever we go. We gain ground and the forces of darkness cannot withstand us. Being eternally minded is part of aggressive Christianity.  It also means as we wage war on this earth we are mindful for what and for Whom we are fighting for, and Whom the battle belongs to.  

In war it is incredibly important to know and have deep conviction about what you are fighting for. In the American Revolution, for example, though the Americans were vastly outnumbered and out gunned their convictions , their purpose was much stronger than their enemies and it was what kept their resolve during the hardest of times. It wasn’t what won them the war, but it is what kept them from quitting during it.

Paul often talks of keeping his mind set, and remembering the reward that lies before him.  I believe if you are internally minded you only think of the battle you are currently engaged in, the hardness of it, the price of it, but if you are eternally minded you think of the  eternal reward that lies before you.  Moses was a great example of this. The Bible says this about him:

“[Aroused] by faith Moses, when he had grown to maturity and become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life. considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense). [Motivated] by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27

Moses was definitely eternally minded.

There is much to be said about how we wage war against the enemy and build the kingdom of God, and the methods aren’t natural at all. For me, I have learned that loving people, praying about everything, trusting God, and taking the time to meditate on His word and spend time in His presence have been battles, I am sure as I grow in the Lord that there will be new levels and I know there is so much I don’t know, but for now, my challenge is this; to be eternally minded.

Aggressive VS Passive Christianity

“And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].” Matthew 11:12

There is nothing passive about Christianity. Christ was never passive and He tells us that only aggressive or violent people will have a part in the kingdom of heaven. What does that mean? That means if I want God in my life, if I want His will done, and if I want to establish His kingdom on this earth I cannot be passive. I can’t just float through life going with whatever current is flowing.

 I cannot be passive in seeking God and in my prayer life, I cannot be passive in my love walk, I cannot be passive in my spiritual growth. Jesus tells us to ask and to keep on asking. It is dangerous to be passive! Why do I say that?

“Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.”  1 Peter 5:8

Firstly, because we have an enemy and there is a war going on. Passive people do not survive in wars. Secondly, because love isn’t passive. If it is it isn’t love. God wants to be sought passionately. He deserves this, He inspires this.

And that is why I believe the first thing I must be aggressive about is seeking God. I can’t seek God one time, say one prayer, and go on my merry way. No, God says that if we seek Him with all our whole hearts THEN we will find Him. Every day I have to seek Him, every day I have to meditate on the Word, speak the Word, and aggressively cast down every vain imagination that would exalt itself against the knowledge of God.  Every day I have to aggressively and with my whole heart seek God and violently cut off all that hinders me from Him. I must insist that God be involved in EVERY area of my life. And  I must set aside time to wait on Him and spend time with Him. If I don’t seek God like the Vital Necessity He is to me I will not find Him.

Another thing that I have to be aggressive about is loving people. Passive Christianity says I will do something if the perfect opportunity presents itself, but aggressive Christianity looks for, prays for, and when possible makes opportunities to demonstrate love. Who can I give to? Am I looking for people to be good to? What kind thing or word of encouragement can I offer? I must look for these thing on purpose. Aggressive Christianity is done on purpose!

I must also be aggressive in being uncompromisingly righteous. Of course I will never do everything perfectly, but I will be quick to repent, sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading, and prompt to obey.  Delayed obedience is disobedience.

Really God has shown me that passive Christianity is nothing more than lazy Christianity. It’s saying, “Well, here I am God if You want to spend time with me then You know where I live. If You want me to obey You and what You said in Your Word than You need to create the perfect circumstances for me to do that. If You want me to love people than give me a sign.”

It grieves my heart knowing that I have been as guilty as anyone of this. God doesn’t serve me, I serve Him, and He has given me His word not only filled with wonderful promises but urgent mandates. And it is way past time that I start acting like it. That is my challenge.