What is Your Idol!

They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. (2 Kings 17:15ESV)

We become what we worship. If we worship what is true we will become true. If we worship what is false, we become false as stated above. Our souls are designed for worship. As St. Augustine says, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee." The first two commandments deal with God's uniqueness and the prohibition against any man-made substitute. Idolatry is not just a carved image but anything we desire before God.

John Calvin, the great reformer said, “Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols” We can even make our image of God be an idle when our image contradicts the revelation of God’s nature found in Scripture.

Everything around us in the world we live in tempts us to idolatry. The American culture praises fame and fortune. Some TV preachers reinforce this saying God wants you to have it all! False prophets are not in short supply. The truth is found in all the words of Scripture. Those who worship God in spirit and truth will bear fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)This who worship idols will bear fruit of idolatry! (Romans 1:22-32)

Church Conflict and its Solution!

¹ Brothers and sisters, in the past I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual people. I had to talk to you as I would to people without the Spirit—babies in Christ.² The teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid food, because you were not able to take solid food. And even now you are not ready.³ You are still not spiritual, because there is jealousy and quarreling among you, and this shows that you are not spiritual. You are acting like people of the world. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, New Century Version)

What is the cause of conflict in the Church? Why are people petty? The answer can be found in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. Some are spiritual, some are not. The petty, the self-centered are people of the world. In other words, they may be in church but they are acting out of their fleshly, carnal, non-spiritual desires. The only way to deal with such people is to do what Paul did, remind them that they are acting like people of the world. If they claim to be converted, then remind them they are acting like infants and need to grow up. A true Christian has the Holy Spirit abiding in their heart thereby informing their conscience what is right and wrong. Paul did not look for consensus. He spoke the truth and so should we! Christ came for His sheep. Not for the goats!

The Defeat of Death: A Scientific Impossibility

There are some attempts today to defeat death through biochemistry and other technologies thereby striving to make man immortal. The video below will show one man's theory on how this is possible. But it is not possible at all. Death came into the world through Adam's disobedience.

And to the man [God] said,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19NLT)

Then in verse 24 we read that angels were placed at the entrance of the Garden preventing man and woman from eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. Our judgment for disobedience is death. Today we die because of original sin in us, that potential to lie at a very young age and to do bad everyday of our life! We die because we carry a death sentence. As St. Paul says, "the wages of sin is death." But there is hope for the Elect. By Christ's imputed righteousness, the sting of death has become null and void. When we place our faith upon Jesus' saving act of His crucifixion, whereby He pays the full penalty of our sins, we have the glorious hope of the Resurrection awaiting us. Until then our length of days has been numbered by God because of our wickedness.(Genesis 6:3) So why must all die with only the righteous awaiting a new body and a new earth? The answer is that we are under judgement which is proved by death. And as St. Augustine of Hippo writes in his City of God, "Death is good for the good person and it is bad for the bad person." For the good person all pains of this world are taken away. There is no more cancer, AIDS, violence or pain. For the bad person, justice in the form of eternal punishment. After all, do we really want the unrepentant sinner living forever?

The Plumb Line of God

A Plumb Line is a builder's tool that gauges the trueness of a structure. Is the wall truly perpendicular to the ground. Are the bricks aligned straight to each other? The prophet Amos saw a plumb line and the King of Israel saw that his kingdom did not measure up to the judgment of God. His response was to ask the prophet to go south and prophesy to Judah. Of course this only removed Israel from the hearing of the word. It did not remove God’s judgment.

How do we know if we measure up to God? By hearing His Word. Jesus states that our faith is like a structure built on a firm foundation. Jesus says, “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” (Lk. 6:46-49)

Let us hear the word of God and be doers as well! (James 1:19-25) Then our hearts will measure up to God’s judgment and our faith will be built upon the sure foundation of Jesus our Lord! As Isaiah promised, “Whoever believes will not be in haste. And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line:...” Isaiah 28:16b, 17)

Watch Your Mouth: Why What We Say can be Harmful to Your Soul

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ...Mt. 12:36

What we say has eternal consequences according to Jesus' teaching. The reason for such gravity in our speech is that the fruit of our lips finds their roots in our heart.

What we say and do is an expression of who we are. We often say actions speaks louder than words but words are very important in God's eye's nonetheless. So, does what we say reflect our citizenship in the Kingdom of God? If Jesus is the Lord of our hearts, do our words reflect his pruning?

Jesus' words above come towards the end of His teaching regarding a tree and its fruit. He states, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Mt. 12:33-34) We are judged by our hearts and our tongue will reveal the type of fruit it produces.

We are exhorted to guard our hearts above all else, for our hearts determines the course of our life. (Prov. 4:23) What we think, fantasize, imagine or daydream may come out in ways that may hurt us, condemn us. It is no wonder that the early Israelites were to take the Law of God and bind them on their person. (Dt. 6:4-9) The point was that God’s commandments were to be established in our hearts, the source of our life. Putting God first in our hearts will bear fruit worthy of the Kingdom. When we let God’s Word abide in us through reflection and memorization we grower closer to the source of our life. So let us hold God and His Word in our hearts and bear fruit worthy of the Kingdom!

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoke to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9-11)

Fr. Allen

Epiphany, The Manifestation of God's Light

January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany when we commemorate the visit of the Three Wise Men to the child Jesus in Bethlehem. The word 'epiphany' means manifestation of light! The Wise Men followed a bright light to the true light of the world. This season is a reminder that not only is Jesus the true light but we are not to put a basket over it but rather to let it shine brightly so that others may see Christ for themselves. (Mt. 5:14)

St. John begins his gospel by saying that Jesus is the Word made flesh and "in Him was life and the life was the light of men." (Jn 1:4) Jesus is word and light. We hear this in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." Imagine losing the lights in your home. In order to find our way we search for a flashlight or a candle so we do not hurt ourselves. We cannot see in darkness unless we have a light in our hands as we follow the beam to safety. Jesus is our light in our darkness. We find our way when we pick up His word and hold it in our hearts. One of my favorite songs based on Psalm 119:105 is "Thy Word" by Amy Grant.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid,
And think I’ve lost my way.
Still, you’re there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

I will not forget
Your love for me and yet,
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus by my guide,
And hold me to your side,
And I will love you to the end.

Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
And a light unto my path.
You’re the light unto my path.

Darkness cannot overcome the Light that is from God! So let us with confidence hold God's Word in our hearts as we go where He leads us!

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven." Mt. 5:16