Man's favorite Idol...

[Daniel Martinovich]

I'm not convinced that what happened then is worse. At least they could blame the murder of their children on the sacrifice of Molech. Today, there is no shame in admitting it's primarily a matter of convenience.

Wow, you guys are just so ignorant of mankind's past its scary. Its public education multiculturalism. I'm just going to list a few things that have changed.

1. For the 8ooo year history of mankind, outside of small family government the world knew nothing but perpetual despotism. Yet since the Bible got into the hands of the general public starting 500 years ago when the last of the four gentile empires finally fell. Mankind, Christians in particular were finally empowered by the truth to win the freedoms we now so enjoy.

2. Along those same lines. Up until the Bible got into the hands of the general public. Wars of extermination against Christians were ultimately always won by the bad guys. But now the nations most influenced by the Bible, it's principle and real Christians who actually read it are dominant in the earth and every mighty empire or dictatorship that has sought to conquer these nations full of real Christians, who have a say in the destiny of their nation, has failed.

3 Along these same lines. Slavery was the state of existence of perhaps half of all human beings that ever walked they earth. They were the property of others. Now slavery, all though existing among criminals is illegal.

4. Slavery for woman which included polygamy was the state of the weaker sex in most of the world in perpetuity. Just like in Islamic lands. Now illegal everywhere the Bible has influence.

5. Idolatrous nations regular sacrificed the wives of husbands who died and buried them with their husbands, (masters.) From the north and south America to Asia to Africa this was a common practice.

6.The average lifespan of people has more than doubled. 80 years ago it was rare to find a family who a sibling didn't die from come childhood disease. Now the opposite is true, in free nations where the Gospel has influence. Just a 100 years ago little children were working in factories from 4:00 am - 6:00 pm with their parents. And this was a better life than subsistence farming.

7. Nations lived and became wealthy by stealing their labor of others and conquering their neighbors in perpetuity. There were those that owned the gold and made rules and the masses were the poor. Yet now in nations were the Bible is in most households and the Gospel has been being preached in power for centuries. The masses create unimaginable wealth and the wealth of all the classes from the poor to the rich in countries like the USA is more like kings of old lived.

8.Since the world began people suffered famines. In the lands the Gospel has been preached for centuries. Famines are distant history, We never suffer such things. Even in war. Not so in lands the Gospel has little or no influence.

9. The most powerful men in the world divined the destinies of their nations and public or war time policy by the practice of studying how sacrificed animal or human entrails fell on the ground. yet now one even knows what that is.

10. Homosexuality was the norm in the Ancient world. One could actuality say that homosexuals ruled the ancient world. Sex with anyone man woman or child was just sex and there were no prohibitions against it. The emperors and kings courts were filled with children to be used for sex.

11. In the Americas, in cities rivaling in size and structure to European cites. Hundreds of thousands of people were sacrificed to the sun god and their bodies cannibalized by the people in great feasts. These were the lands where the kingdom of God had no influence whatsoever to curb the madness. These civilizations had been being exterminated by judgments from heaven. What Europeans found when they arrived was their rebuilding, not their zenith.

Then there is recent history. In the last 50 years a billion people have come to Christ if the mathematical trend continues. 2 billion more will in the next 20-30 years. Freedom is slowly but surly spreading. Prosperity is slowly but surly spreading. I could literally list hundreds of things here that have drastically changed for the better in the lands that have Bibles and the gospel has been preached in power for the last 500 years. Yet you compare our world so influenced by God to a world like in Hollywood movies, like mad max or something. I'm sure so many would object and say don't you wee what is happening. Evil is growing stronger and more prevalent! Not if you look at it though the lens of history. It has never been a straight line upwards of good over coming evil. But times were it got worse for a while but the over all trend since the Bible got into the hands of the general public, and the Gospel has been being preached in power, has been upward. Where Christians have freedom to preach and teach it's their fault anyway that the wicked are dominate in the culture and politics. They have accepted a bunch of lies as Gospel truth and believe that the wicked should be dominate. Ridiculous lies too. Like believing the nations today in lands the Gospel has such influence, are no different morally than the idolatrous empires of old.

How The Nations Are Blessed

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

Brother ..if you had asked 1st century christians to give their children to the Romans/Greeks to raise 5 days per week so that you and your wife could go make money , they would have thought you were out of your mind . For the love of money we give our children to others so they can also learn to love money ...Israel did the same thing ..sacraficed their children so they could get rains . No, our wickedness is more subtle and sublime. We are only killing the souls .

Wow, you guys are just so ignorant of mankind's past its scary. Its public education multiculturalism. I'm just going to list a few things that have changed.

1. For the 8ooo year history of mankind, outside of small family government the world knew nothing but perpetual despotism. Yet since the Bible got into the hands of the general public starting 500 years ago when the last of the four gentile empires finally fell. Mankind, Christians in particular were finally empowered by the truth to win the freedoms we now so enjoy.

2. Along those same lines. Up until the Bible got into the hands of the general public. Wars of extermination against Christians were ultimately always won by the bad guys. But now the nations most influenced by the Bible, it's principle and real Christians who actually read it are dominant in the earth and every mighty empire or dictatorship that has sought to conquer these nations full of real Christians, who have a say in the destiny of their nation, has failed.

3 Along these same lines. Slavery was the state of existence of perhaps half of all human beings that ever walked they earth. They were the property of others. Now slavery, all though existing among criminals is illegal.

4. Slavery for woman which included polygamy was the state of the weaker sex in most of the world in perpetuity. Just like in Islamic lands. Now illegal everywhere the Bible has influence.

5. Idolatrous nations regular sacrificed the wives of husbands who died and buried them with their husbands, (masters.) From the north and south America to Asia to Africa this was a common practice.

6.The average lifespan of people has more than doubled. 80 years ago it was rare to find a family who a sibling didn't die from come childhood disease. Now the opposite is true, in free nations where the Gospel has influence. Just a 100 years ago little children were working in factories from 4:00 am - 6:00 pm with their parents. And this was a better life than subsistence farming.

7. Nations lived and became wealthy by stealing their labor of others and conquering their neighbors in perpetuity. There were those that owned the gold and made rules and the masses were the poor. Yet now in nations were the Bible is in most households and the Gospel has been being preached in power for centuries. The masses create unimaginable wealth and the wealth of all the classes from the poor to the rich in countries like the USA is more like kings of old lived.

8.Since the world began people suffered famines. In the lands the Gospel has been preached for centuries. Famines are distant history, We never suffer such things. Even in war. Not so in lands the Gospel has little or no influence.

9. The most powerful men in the world divined the destinies of their nations and public or war time policy by the practice of studying how sacrificed animal or human entrails fell on the ground. yet now one even knows what that is.

10. Homosexuality was the norm in the Ancient world. One could actuality say that homosexuals ruled the ancient world. Sex with anyone man woman or child was just sex and there were no prohibitions against it. The emperors and kings courts were filled with children to be used for sex.

11. In the Americas, in cities rivaling in size and structure to European cites. Hundreds of thousands of people were sacrificed to the sun god and their bodies cannibalized by the people in great feasts. These were the lands where the kingdom of God had no influence whatsoever to curb the madness. These civilizations had been being exterminated by judgments from heaven. What Europeans found when they arrived was their rebuilding, not their zenith.

Then there is recent history. In the last 50 years a billion people have come to Christ if the mathematical trend continues. 2 billion more will in the next 20-30 years. Freedom is slowly but surly spreading. Prosperity is slowly but surly spreading. I could literally list hundreds of things here that have drastically changed for the better in the lands that have Bibles and the gospel has been preached in power for the last 500 years. Yet you compare our world so influenced by God to a world like in Hollywood movies, like mad max or something. I'm sure so many would object and say don't you wee what is happening. Evil is growing stronger and more prevalent! Not if you look at it though the lens of history. It has never been a straight line upwards of good over coming evil. But times were it got worse for a while but the over all trend since the Bible got into the hands of the general public, and the Gospel has been being preached in power, has been upward. Where Christians have freedom to preach and teach it's their fault anyway that the wicked are dominate in the culture and politics. They have accepted a bunch of lies as Gospel truth and believe that the wicked should be dominate. Ridiculous lies too. Like believing the nations today in lands the Gospel has such influence, are no different morally than the idolatrous empires of old.
How The Nations Are Blessed

 

[royal priest]

Wow, you guys are just so ignorant of mankind's past its scary. Its public education multiculturalism. I'm just going to list a few things that have changed.

1. For the 8ooo year history of mankind, outside of small family government the world knew nothing but perpetual despotism. Yet since the Bible got into the hands of the general public starting 500 years ago when the last of the four gentile empires finally fell. Mankind, Christians in particular were finally empowered by the truth to win the freedoms we now so enjoy.

2. Along those same lines. Up until the Bible got into the hands of the general public. Wars of extermination against Christians were ultimately always won by the bad guys. But now the nations most influenced by the Bible, it's principle and real Christians who actually read it are dominant in the earth and every mighty empire or dictatorship that has sought to conquer these nations full of real Christians, who have a say in the destiny of their nation, has failed.

3 Along these same lines. Slavery was the state of existence of perhaps half of all human beings that ever walked they earth. They were the property of others. Now slavery, all though existing among criminals is illegal.

4. Slavery for woman which included polygamy was the state of the weaker sex in most of the world in perpetuity. Just like in Islamic lands. Now illegal everywhere the Bible has influence.

5. Idolatrous nations regular sacrificed the wives of husbands who died and buried them with their husbands, (masters.) From the north and south America to Asia to Africa this was a common practice.

6.The average lifespan of people has more than doubled. 80 years ago it was rare to find a family who a sibling didn't die from come childhood disease. Now the opposite is true, in free nations where the Gospel has influence. Just a 100 years ago little children were working in factories from 4:00 am - 6:00 pm with their parents. And this was a better life than subsistence farming.

7. Nations lived and became wealthy by stealing their labor of others and conquering their neighbors in perpetuity. There were those that owned the gold and made rules and the masses were the poor. Yet now in nations were the Bible is in most households and the Gospel has been being preached in power for centuries. The masses create unimaginable wealth and the wealth of all the classes from the poor to the rich in countries like the USA is more like kings of old lived.

8.Since the world began people suffered famines. In the lands the Gospel has been preached for centuries. Famines are distant history, We never suffer such things. Even in war. Not so in lands the Gospel has little or no influence.

9. The most powerful men in the world divined the destinies of their nations and public or war time policy by the practice of studying how sacrificed animal or human entrails fell on the ground. yet now one even knows what that is.

10. Homosexuality was the norm in the Ancient world. One could actuality say that homosexuals ruled the ancient world. Sex with anyone man woman or child was just sex and there were no prohibitions against it. The emperors and kings courts were filled with children to be used for sex.

11. In the Americas, in cities rivaling in size and structure to European cites. Hundreds of thousands of people were sacrificed to the sun god and their bodies cannibalized by the people in great feasts. These were the lands where the kingdom of God had no influence whatsoever to curb the madness. These civilizations had been being exterminated by judgments from heaven. What Europeans found when they arrived was their rebuilding, not their zenith.

Then there is recent history. In the last 50 years a billion people have come to Christ if the mathematical trend continues. 2 billion more will in the next 20-30 years. Freedom is slowly but surly spreading. Prosperity is slowly but surly spreading. I could literally list hundreds of things here that have drastically changed for the better in the lands that have Bibles and the gospel has been preached in power for the last 500 years. Yet you compare our world so influenced by God to a world like in Hollywood movies, like mad max or something. I'm sure so many would object and say don't you wee what is happening. Evil is growing stronger and more prevalent! Not if you look at it though the lens of history. It has never been a straight line upwards of good over coming evil. But times were it got worse for a while but the over all trend since the Bible got into the hands of the general public, and the Gospel has been being preached in power, has been upward. Where Christians have freedom to preach and teach it's their fault anyway that the wicked are dominate in the culture and politics. They have accepted a bunch of lies as Gospel truth and believe that the wicked should be dominate. Ridiculous lies too. Like believing the nations today in lands the Gospel has such influence, are no different morally than the idolatrous empires of old.

How The Nations Are Blessed

Yes, God has been very kind to humanity in spite of our barbarism.
But how has that changed mankind's tendency to idolize the creature rather than worship the Creator?
To whom does this world credit it's civil advance? They gaze upon their greatest hope in the mirror each day. "It's up to me." "I need to follow my heart." Don't bother preaching to me, I'm just fine." "We don't need Jesus when we have each other."
Idolatry is the worship of the created thing rather than the Creator. It still goes on today though the wrath of God continues to be revealed from Heaven. Men supressed the truth in unrighteousness in Paul's day, and God's timeless truth bears witness to it today. Men in their modern ideas, think themselves wise only to become fools. For this reason, God gives them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchange the truth about God for a lie.
For this reason God gives them over to dishonorable passions. Women exchanging natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise give up the natural relations with women and are consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they continue to not see fit to acknowledge God, God gives them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They are filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

These words of Paul ring clearer everyday.

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

Yes, God has been very kind to humanity in spite of our barbarism.
But how has that changed mankind's tendency to idolize the creature rather than worship the Creator?
To whom does this world credit it's civil advance? They gaze upon their greatest hope in the mirror each day. "It's up to me." "I need to follow my heart." Don't bother preaching to me, I'm just fine." "We don't need Jesus when we have each other."
Idolatry is the worship of the created thing rather than the Creator. It still goes on today though the wrath of God continues to be revealed from Heaven. Men supressed the truth in unrighteousness in Paul's day, and God's timeless truth bears witness to it today. Men in their modern ideas, think themselves wise only to become fools. For this reason, God gives them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchange the truth about God for a lie.
For this reason God gives them over to dishonorable passions. Women exchanging natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise give up the natural relations with women and are consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they continue to not see fit to acknowledge God, God gives them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They are filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

These words of Paul ring clearer everyday.

Your definition not the Bibles. Idolatry is defined a separate sin than all those listed. Many of those things may be a motivating factor in a person being an idolater. But idolatry is its own particularly egregious sin and addressed as such in both the old and new testaments. It’s just common sense too. A person may “idolize’ certain celebrities or leaders and still truly believe in Jesus. Albeit immaturely. But a person cannot believe in Baal, or Molech or Sacrifice to the Sun as a god or throw the vestal virgin into the volcano to appease that god. Or as the Roman religion dictated make sacrifices to all the gods so as not anger any of them and yet be a real Christian at the same time.

I can also tell you with all authority that the entire Christian world with a 99.999% chance of you being included in this. That they have by default, with thier will chosen the love of self supremely over the supreme love of God. That their Ultimate aim in life is their own welfare and interests not Gods welfare and interests and all the good and service they do. They do because of that goods connection to themselves. Conservatives would call it enlightened self interest.

By your definition of idolatry the entire Christian population on earth, pastors and all are idolaters. There might be one in a thousand who is a Christian because they have chosen Gods interests, his welfare as the ultimate choice of their will in life. I’m not ragging on Christians either. hundreds of millions more would choose to change their fundamental motive in life if they knew such a choice was possible. But the fact remains that by your definition of idolatry they are idolaters. Exactly the same as the person who believes the sun and the moon are Gods and that statue of Baal is a God that must be prayed to and sacrifices made to. Or the witchdoctor in Africa who sacrifices to demons.

 

[royal priest]

Your definition not the Bibles. Idolatry is defined a separate sin than all those listed. Many of those things may be a motivating factor in a person being an idolater. But idolatry is its own particularly egregious sin and addressed as such in both the old and new testaments. It’s just common sense too. A person may “idolize’ certain celebrities or leaders and still truly believe in Jesus. Albeit immaturely. But a person cannot believe in Baal, or Molech or Sacrifice to the Sun as a god or throw the vestal virgin into the volcano to appease that god. Or as the Roman religion dictated make sacrifices to all the gods so as not anger any of them and yet be a real Christian at the same time.

I can also tell you with all authority that the entire Christian world with a 99.999% chance of you being included in this. That they have by default, with thier will chosen the love of self supremely over the supreme love of God. That their Ultimate aim in life is their own welfare and interests not Gods welfare and interests and all the good and service they do. They do because of that goods connection to themselves. Conservatives would call it enlightened self interest.

By your definition of idolatry the entire Christian population on earth, pastors and all are idolaters. There might be one in a thousand who is a Christian because they have chosen Gods interests, his welfare as the ultimate choice of their will in life. I’m not ragging on Christians either. hundreds of millions more would choose to change their fundamental motive in life if they knew such a choice was possible. But the fact remains that by your definition of idolatry they are idolaters. Exactly the same as the person who believes the sun and the moon are Gods and that statue of Baal is a God that must be prayed to and sacrifices made to. Or the witchdoctor in Africa who sacrifices to demons.

Whether a man worships a pretend deity or himself, the heart sin of covetousness is the same. Whether a man bends his body is not the fundamental transgression against the first four commandments. It begins and ends with a bowing down of the heart. Rendering service with your will and affections.

 

[NeedyFollower]

Wow, you guys are just so ignorant of mankind's past its scary. Its public education multiculturalism. I'm just going to list a few things that have changed.

1. For the 8ooo year history of mankind, outside of small family government the world knew nothing but perpetual despotism. Yet since the Bible got into the hands of the general public starting 500 years ago when the last of the four gentile empires finally fell. Mankind, Christians in particular were finally empowered by the truth to win the freedoms we now so enjoy.

2. Along those same lines. Up until the Bible got into the hands of the general public. Wars of extermination against Christians were ultimately always won by the bad guys. But now the nations most influenced by the Bible, it's principle and real Christians who actually read it are dominant in the earth and every mighty empire or dictatorship that has sought to conquer these nations full of real Christians, who have a say in the destiny of their nation, has failed.

3 Along these same lines. Slavery was the state of existence of perhaps half of all human beings that ever walked they earth. They were the property of others. Now slavery, all though existing among criminals is illegal.

4. Slavery for woman which included polygamy was the state of the weaker sex in most of the world in perpetuity. Just like in Islamic lands. Now illegal everywhere the Bible has influence.

5. Idolatrous nations regular sacrificed the wives of husbands who died and buried them with their husbands, (masters.) From the north and south America to Asia to Africa this was a common practice.

6.The average lifespan of people has more than doubled. 80 years ago it was rare to find a family who a sibling didn't die from come childhood disease. Now the opposite is true, in free nations where the Gospel has influence. Just a 100 years ago little children were working in factories from 4:00 am - 6:00 pm with their parents. And this was a better life than subsistence farming.

7. Nations lived and became wealthy by stealing their labor of others and conquering their neighbors in perpetuity. There were those that owned the gold and made rules and the masses were the poor. Yet now in nations were the Bible is in most households and the Gospel has been being preached in power for centuries. The masses create unimaginable wealth and the wealth of all the classes from the poor to the rich in countries like the USA is more like kings of old lived.

8.Since the world began people suffered famines. In the lands the Gospel has been preached for centuries. Famines are distant history, We never suffer such things. Even in war. Not so in lands the Gospel has little or no influence.

9. The most powerful men in the world divined the destinies of their nations and public or war time policy by the practice of studying how sacrificed animal or human entrails fell on the ground. yet now one even knows what that is.

10. Homosexuality was the norm in the Ancient world. One could actuality say that homosexuals ruled the ancient world. Sex with anyone man woman or child was just sex and there were no prohibitions against it. The emperors and kings courts were filled with children to be used for sex.

11. In the Americas, in cities rivaling in size and structure to European cites. Hundreds of thousands of people were sacrificed to the sun god and their bodies cannibalized by the people in great feasts. These were the lands where the kingdom of God had no influence whatsoever to curb the madness. These civilizations had been being exterminated by judgments from heaven. What Europeans found when they arrived was their rebuilding, not their zenith.

Then there is recent history. In the last 50 years a billion people have come to Christ if the mathematical trend continues. 2 billion more will in the next 20-30 years. Freedom is slowly but surly spreading. Prosperity is slowly but surly spreading. I could literally list hundreds of things here that have drastically changed for the better in the lands that have Bibles and the gospel has been preached in power for the last 500 years. Yet you compare our world so influenced by God to a world like in Hollywood movies, like mad max or something. I'm sure so many would object and say don't you wee what is happening. Evil is growing stronger and more prevalent! Not if you look at it though the lens of history. It has never been a straight line upwards of good over coming evil. But times were it got worse for a while but the over all trend since the Bible got into the hands of the general public, and the Gospel has been being preached in power, has been upward. Where Christians have freedom to preach and teach it's their fault anyway that the wicked are dominate in the culture and politics. They have accepted a bunch of lies as Gospel truth and believe that the wicked should be dominate. Ridiculous lies too. Like believing the nations today in lands the Gospel has such influence, are no different morally than the idolatrous empires of old.
How The Nations Are Blessed

Brother ..As much as I am able through Christ Jesus , I try to do truth . Covetousness is an abomination according to the Bible ..no different than homosexuality . I am very familiar with history ..Both secular and religious . When the Israelite's asked for flesh in the wilderness , God provided it but to the detriment to their spirituality . Yes ...as a people we are longer lived , more healthy, more prosperous and I believe a case could be made if we are able to be honest ..this condition has caused many Christians to become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ...not instead . 2nd Timothy chapter 3 is about believers in the last days . Over 50% divorce rate for believers and divorce is almost always for selfish reasons ..remarriage certainly is . ( There is a gospel of self being subtly preached ..God wants Me to be happy , etc. ) Know this also in the last days men will be lovers of their own selves , covetous , boastful , proud , disobedient to parents , unthankful and unholy without natural affection , etc. To compare Christians with heathens , barbarians and unbelievers , will only lead to a self inflated image of ourselves ....with the freedom you correctly point out that we have ...would you say believers spend more time in prayer, reading scripture , ministering or in work , relaxation , entertainment and non-devotional activities ? Watch and pray always lest that day come upon you unawares is what Jesus counseled . If Christ should return during a collegiate game or a super bowl ..how many believers would be using that time to pray for the lost ? Or would they be entertaining theirSELVES .

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

Whether a man worships a pretend deity or himself, the heart sin of covetousness is the same. Whether a man bends his body is not the fundamental transgression against the first four commandments. It begins and ends with a bowing down of the heart. Rendering service with your will and affections.

Your confusing motive with the commission of a crime.
When a person is born with an act of their will they choose, as an ultimate aim in life the gratification of their needs and desires. Or one might call this the supreme love of self. An infant does this by default because they know nothing else. Human beings remain in this state and it is the basis for all known sin committed in the world. So the infant has the same ultimate motive in life as Hitler. The American patriot the ultimate motive in life a Mao. The (well today's ignorant Christian world) the same ultimate motive as Satan himself. The lover of animals the same ultimate motive as the men who killed all the Buffalo. The person who gives themselves in martyrdom, gives all their goods to the poor, the miracle worker; all of them serve themselves supremely and all the good deeds done are done with the exact same motive as the person who loves to torture human beings to death for some dictator. And the idolater has the same motive as the evangelist.

The outward manifestations of this supreme love of self though, well some of them are downright good deeds, some are neither good or evil some are crimes. But I don't think your thinking very deeply about what you are implying. That all crimes are equally as evil both in the light they rebel against to commit the crime or the effects of the crime. God is not going to forgive Satan and his angels ever. Because of the light Satan had that he rejected and the effects of his rejection of that light. My point is though. Actual idolatry is a far greater rejection of light and its effects are far more destructive than say automobile theft. In other words it is a far greater crime. Just like 1st degree murder is a far greater crime than shoplifting. Motive is the same but the crime committed is not.

Now if you have nothing in your knowledge to measure the enormity of the crime of idolatry against other crimes at least look at God's response to nations where idolatry had run its full course. Canaan for example. God told Abraham that the sin of Canaanites had not yet run its full course. Took 400 years. The penalty for the depravity of idolatry they fell into was total annihilation. Same with the Aztecs. Same with Noahs world. Same with Sodom and Gomorrah. Two reasons. Once a nation falls that deeply into depravity God must make and example of them of to show what he will not tolerate. Number two. A culture that falls into that kind of deprativty is often not redeemable like Satan is not. The sin against the laws of nature and natures God is to great to forgive. #3 The effects of the evil are so horrific that the only way to mitigate it is by destroying the hearts and souls that have opened the door to it. #4 Whether mankind knows it or not. What they accept or reject and the deeds they do effects the physical world around them. A nation of thieves will not have the same effects on planet earth as a nation of idolators.

If all crimes were equal in nature then in the Bible and in human society they would be treated equally. But they are not for the reasons stated above. The light one must reject and the darkness one must accept differs with different types of crime\sin. Likewise the effects of that crime on the person and the world around them are vastly different. The way you are using the word idolatry, figuratively, to say idolatry is to love anything more than God. Verses what actually idolatry is. There is just no comparison of the two in the willful rejection of the laws of nature and natures God or the light of Gods Word or the effects in a nation or the entire world.

Like I said and I stand by my statement. Today's heaven bound Christians are all idolaters by the above figurative definition because no one is teaching them to change what their will is committed to. Their will is committed to the same thing it was as a new born child. Love of self. God is totally tolerating it too, and pouring out his Spirit on them. They are not however rejecting the light from heaven and committing the crime of actual idolatry. Destroying the nations they live in through the madness and demon inspired sin of actual idolatry. Therefore, true knowledge has to make a distinction of the two. Plus once again. I am sharing this to get people to understand the great thing God has done in the world by destroying the power of actual idolatry and the madness and depravity that subjugated the ancient world.

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

Brother ..As much as I am able through Christ Jesus , I try to do truth . Covetousness is an abomination according to the Bible ..no different than homosexuality . I am very familiar with history ..Both secular and religious . When the Israelite's asked for flesh in the wilderness , God provided it but to the detriment to their spirituality . Yes ...as a people we are longer lived , more healthy, more prosperous and I believe a case could be made if we are able to be honest ..this condition has caused many Christians to become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ...not instead . 2nd Timothy chapter 3 is about believers in the last days . Over 50% divorce rate for believers and divorce is almost always for selfish reasons ..remarriage certainly is . ( There is a gospel of self being subtly preached ..God wants Me to be happy , etc. ) Know this also in the last days men will be lovers of their own selves , covetous , boastful , proud , disobedient to parents , unthankful and unholy without natural affection , etc. To compare Christians with heathens , barbarians and unbelievers , will only lead to a self inflated image of ourselves ....with the freedom you correctly point out that we have ...would you say believers spend more time in prayer, reading scripture , ministering or in work , relaxation , entertainment and non-devotional activities ? Watch and pray always lest that day come upon you unawares is what Jesus counseled . If Christ should return during a collegiate game or a super bowl ..how many believers would be using that time to pray for the lost ? Or would they be entertaining theirSELVES .

My answer to the other bother who is saying what you are saying.
Man's favorite Idol...

 

[royal priest]

The outward manifestations of this supreme love of self though, well some of them are downright good deeds, some are neither good or evil some are crimes.

The OP is saying that idolatry is committed by rendering all honor, glory, and power to self instead of to God. Although this sin has degrees of egregious manifestation, Jesus taught that mere motive is enough to render someone guilty of the sin.

 

[NeedyFollower]

My answer to the other bother who is saying what you are saying.
Man's favorite Idol...

Brother ..The interesting thing with idolatry in the OT , is that the people became just like their idols ...having ears without hearing , eyes with out seeing . This is the lesson and warning . Idols are souless ...they do not have the ability to reason ..not in a Godly way . Materialism is not different nor is the love of money ( one form of covetousness /idolatry ) ...both items souless and the effects are the same in Isaiah's day and in ours . These are unchanging principals and it is why Jesus tells BELIEVERS in the various churches to repent in revelation. It would be ludicrous to think Jesus was talking to the "unsaved" in revelation . They tolerate Jezebel ...now we know there is no such woman named Jezebel except Ahab's foreign wife and we know that the worship of Baal is not practiced in the church ....so this must be metaphoric . Jezebel ran Ahab's Kingdom ...the taking of Naboth's vineyard was nothing more than manifest destiny ..the same "spirit " is manifested today and it's primary motive is love of self . Israel committed adultery with the surrounding kingdoms ..this was a lack of faith aka as faithless towards God . What does it profit a man to gain the world and yet lose his soul ? Yes ....we are far more successful than any time in history ..You might say we have gained the world but at what cost ? Dead is dead ..rebellion although manifested in thousands of ways , is still rebellion . Having a name as being alive does not count any more than a profession of faith is not the same as actually having it . God's name was more important than His chosen people in the old covenant . I believe the OP is correct and we do God a disservice and ourselves ( and those who we influence ) harm by not heeding the warnings regarding believers in the last days in 2nd Timothy , chapter 3 and again ..lovers of their own selves is the first description . To compare ourselves with atheist and reward ourselves the kingdom is a big mistake . Dives said "Father Abraham" when lifting up his eyes . He was a believer.

 

[Neogaia777]

Wealth is mans fav idol i would say. Riches, money.

Or power maybe too...? I'd say these are a big three though, Wealth/Riches/Money/Possessions/Material wealth, and/or Power, and/or Themselves...

God Bless!

 

[Neogaia777]

The OP is saying that idolatry is committed by rendering all honor, glory, and power to self instead of to God. Although this sin has degrees of egregious manifestation, Jesus taught that mere motive is enough to render someone guilty of the sin.

What about not rendering "all" honor, glory, and power to God and God alone and "none of it" for your own self "at all"...?

I think that is one of the true real marks of a real saint, and true Man or Woman of God...

God Bless!

 

[royal priest]

What about not rendering "all" honor, glory, and power to God and God alone and "none of it" for your own self "at all"...?

I think that is one of the true real marks of a real saint, and true Man or Woman of God...

God Bless!

Yes. I would even go so far as to say that any misrepresentation of God is a form of idolatry, whether intentional or not.
Worship of the true and living God must be according to His revelation given in the Word.

 

[DennisTate]

Man's favorite Idol is himself...

The Pharisees did not think they were doing this, but they were wrong (and still are) wrong and deceived (about that) today... And it has been pointed out...

They thought all those "other people" do and are doing that, but did not think they were at all, and when this was pointed out, they would get very upset and deny it, and call you names or things, and want to even do much worse to you...

Their "religion" had blinded them and greatly deceived them... So much so, that you, or one, usually had to use a sledgehammer to get through, or point it out, or to make it known...

I'm tired of sledgehammers... Isn't there a better way...?

Anyhow, Man's favorite idol is himself...

What do you think...?

God Bless!

I would say that that is accurate. Near death experiencer Bob Jones was shown that we make many idols out of what we obsess over...... and ofcourse selfishness and self centeredness would be number one.