Counterfeit Gods? Idolatry Thrives.

COUNTERFEIT GODS? … SUBSTITUTE GOD’S?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) (This is a series of lessons.)

COMFORT, EASY… I HAVE AN EASY BUTTON…

There is a cry today coming from the heart of people: God is too hard and his rules are mean. Perhaps there is a call that we hear, let us compromise and become SEEKER FRIENDLY? Perhaps the Bible suggests we will face troubles, trials, difficulty, persecution and perilous times? We hear of offended often. We rarely hear of conviction.

TEXT:

2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

*COUNTERFEIT: Imitation, deceive, defraud, forgery, fake. (Shoes: Nike; Gucci: purses; brand names like watches: ROLEX; $30,000 diamond rings for $20? THE MOST COUNTERFEITED ITEM HAS TO BE GOD…

*SUBSTITUTE: acting like another, one that takes the place of, a substitute teacher.

*IDOLATRY: to replace God and His word, to love things rather than loving God, to worship something other than the real God, placing anything above God, to worship physical objects as a god, false pagan worship, enemy of faith,

WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE REVEALS THE HEART OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST… LET’S TAKE AN HONEST LOOK… IS IDOLATRY STILL ALIVE TODAY?

We see many cultures that had pagan practices. The people seemed to love and worship many gods more than worshiping the one true God. Seems people are often tempted to establish the love of idols. It is said India has over 3 million gods.

HAVE NO OTHER GODS EXCEPT GOD… THIS PROBLEM IS AS MUCH A PROBLEM TODAY AS IT WAS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT… WE JUST DENY IT…

Exodus 20:3 (KJV) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:3 (MSG) No other gods, only me.

Exodus 20:3 (NLT2) “You must not have any other god but me.

Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

Exodus 23:13 (NLT2) “Pay close attention to all my instructions. You must not call on the name of any other gods. Do not even speak their names.

Exodus 23:24 (NLT2) You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.

Joshua 23:7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:

WE MUST EXAMINE OUR HEARTS AND OUR THINKING PATTERNS THAT CAN CAUSE US TO WANDER FAR AWAY FROM GOD… AND FALL IN THE TRAP OF WORSHIPING IDOLS.

We tend to excuse our behaviors by seeing idols as a gold calf or hand making small trinkets that have eyes and cannot see, ears that can’t hear and body parts that cannot move. But in reality idolatry can be any action that is more important than God!

BALAAM COULD NOT CURSE GOD’S PEOPLE… BUT HE SUGGESTED HOW TO DEFEAT THEM… IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM JOIN THEM AND GET THEM TO ACCEPT THE IDOLS AND COMPROMISE…

Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BRAZEN SERPENT THAT SAVED MANY LIVES BECAUSE OF COMPLAINING? SEEMS GOD’S PEOPLE LOST THEIR SIGHT OF GOD AND HIS SYMBOL OF HEALING. THEY REVERT TO WORSHIP THE SNAKE. INSTEAD OF THE HEALING POWER. THEY THEN CHANGE TO THE POINT THAT THEY WORSHIPED THE POLE AND THE SNAKE? HEZEKIAH HAD TO DESTROY PART OF HISTORY BECAUSE GOD’S PEOPLE WORSHIP THE SNAKE NOT THE GOD OF THE SNAKE!

2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

What a sad day, seems the people wanted to worship the visible snake that could not do anything to be a counterfeit god?

DAVID AND MANY MEN OF GOD USED THE EPHOD AS A TANGIBLE SOURCE TO CONTACT GOD… GIDEON, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EPHOD THAT AIDED IN WORSHIP… THE EPHOD BECAME A SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL WORSHIP…

Judges 8:27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.