" I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "
" You shall have no other Gods before Me. "
" You shall not make for yourself a CARVED IMAGE--ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH; "
" You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO HATE ME, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep My commandments. "
" And, you shall destroy their altars, break down their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the CARVED IMAGES OF THEIR GODS and destroy their names from that place. " YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH SUCH THINGS! "
( Exodus 20:2-6 and Deuteronomy 12:3,4 )Notice that what you do with these verses from the Holy Bible will not just effect you! It will affect your children, grandchildren, and great grand children! There are so many images, idols, statues, etc. in America, that we often fail to recognize them for what they are. This is a national sin that is even worse than abortion, because it is an insult to God, Himself.
Ask yourself these questions. Is the statue a likeness of something ( or someone ) in heaven, or on the earth, or in the water? The next question, is, " Do you ever bow down to these likenesses, or hold them in awe? " " Do you ever ascribe any kind of power, or capability, to them? " If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you are in very serious trouble before God, and your offspring are in serious trouble also. THE FACT THAT SOMEONE, OR SOME AUTHORITY, MAY HAVE TOLD YOU THAT THIS IS A GOOD THING TO DO, WILL NOT EXCUSE
YOU! You're in serious trouble with God, and so are they!During the Christmas season, another idol appears on front lawns, and in decorations on houses,- in all kinds of celebrations, and is honored in most homes, even homes where the occupants claim to be christians. From all that I have read, the man referred to as Saint Nicholas, was a good charitable man, and his deeds, at least, are deserving of honor. I am not prepared to judge his faith. Usually good works and good faith go together, so it is very likely that he was a servant of God. If so, he is in heaven, and we are specifically prohibited from making carved images of him.
When I was a very young child, I was told by my parents that a big man in a red suit with white trim brought us presents by coming in a sleigh hauled by reindeer, and climbing down our chimney. Cookies and milk were left for him, and lo and behold, the milk and cookies were gone, when I got up on Christmas morning. Later, I learned from friends, and eventually from my parents, that Santa Claus was a complete lie. My parents had lied to me! My friends had told me the truth! Guess who I turned to,- to learn about sex, morality,- all the important things a person needs to know in life. My friends, of course! They had told me the truth. My parents had lied to me.
I am not the only one to have this kind of experience. Some time ago, I read about a study that had been done,- with young criminals in the juvenile justice system. They were asked, " When did you stop trusting your parents? " To a person, they replied that they had lost their trust in their parents when they found out that their parents had lied to them about Santa Claus. This is not a frivolous white lie! THIS IS A SERIOUS LIE,- A FORM OF IDOLATRY WHICH CAN HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON YOU, YOUR CHILDREN, AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN!
Listen to me! REPENT! STOP LYING TO YOUR CHILDREN. IF THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND, ASK THEIR FORGIVENESS,- AND ASK GOD'S FORGIVENESS. You may be able to repair some of the damage, which you have created.
Christmas is a wonderful time,- a time when we should honor our Savior, and share God's love with one another. Don't spoil it by continuing in idolatry.
We welcome the opportunity to minister to you. If your church, cell group, or Bible study, in Gulf County or Bay County, in the Florida panhandle, needs a Wed. eve. speaker, let us know. Send us an e-mail. We are now headquartered in your area!
