Today’s Reading:  Isa 5:1–6:13, Luke 1:67–2:21, Job 2:1–10

Today’s Theme: God Displayed

Today’s theme is God displayed, we will be looking at the various ways God is shown to and through us. God can be shown through fruit in our lives, judgement, glory, mercy, integrity and ultimately through the incarnation.

Isaiah 5:1–6:13

Fruit Displayed

What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? Isaiah 5:4 (ESV)

God wanted to see the fruit of his care, covenant and dwelling with his chosen people Israel. The fruit would be evidence of God being with his people and seeing the good fruit would bring God glory and pleasure (in a sense God would eat or be pleased by the fruit).

Jesus picks up the same theme when he speaks about his followers bearing good fruit that show evidence of our changed natures.

Jesus sums this up well in Matthew 7:17–19 “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Also see Matthew 12:33, Matthew 13:23, Luke 6:43 and Luke 13:6-9

Paul speaks about fruit that comes from the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

We are called to display God by bearing good fruit today that others can come and taste, taste and see through us that God is good which brings glory and pleasure to God.

Judgement Displayed

I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Isaiah 5:6 (ESV)

This verse speaks about God’s judgement on his own people, the later verses speak about judgement on the wicked. God is displayed through his judgement on his people when we are wayward and on the ways of the wicked.

When the world see God’s judgement it should show the fuller picture of God, he is not just a God of love, he is Holy and actively brings judgement on the wicked.

You have a choice! You can display God through his judgement in your life which is not wise or you can use wisdom by displaying God through the proclamation of the gospel which includes the truth of God’s judgement.

We can depend on God the Holy Spirit to point to God by bring conviction of judgement to come. Jesus said in John 16:8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:”

We are called to display God by speaking the truth about the coming judgement

Glory Displayed

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1 (ESV)

When God takes it upon himself to display himself it is just awesome. Isaiah had one of the most amazing visual encounters with God.

God showed his great, majestic glory as the King throughout the bible to others like Moses, Elijah, Daniel and John.

Like Isaiah the reality of God’s glory should cause us to walk in humility.

This glory was seen most clearly through Jesus.

Let’s pray God’s glorious presence will be seen and felt in our times of private and corporate worship.

Luke 1:67–2:21

Mercy Displayed

to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, Luke 1:72 (ESV)

God would show mercy to his people through his prophet John the Baptiser, giving them the opportunity to repent and fulfilling the promises he had made.

God’s mercy and goodness points us to God, it reveals God for who he is and God’s word declares the goodness of God should lead us to repentance.

When we show mercy we display God, when we forgive and show mercy we are most like God.

Jesus Displayed

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 (ESV)

God is most clearly displayed through the incarnation of God the Son in the person of Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Jesus the God-Man displays God’s heart, ways and plan. John said in John 1:14–18 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

Look to Jesus to see God’s greatest revelation, Show the word Jesus to show them God.

Job 2:1–10

Integrity Displayed

And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Job 2:3 (ESV)

If we hold unto our integrity in the middle of suffering we display God in a way that the enemy can never counterfeit and cannot overcome.

This is the great mystery of the Gospel that God is strong when we are week, let God be strong in the middle of your suffering so that he is displayed to all.

Today’s Reading:  Isa 2:6–4:6, Luke 1:39–66, Job 1:13–22

Today’s Theme: The Traps of Idolatry or 10 idols to avoid

Today’s theme looks at the traps of idolatry, when we walk in pride, exalt man, our own desire, ideas or work we form idols and bow to them, and then are bound by them.

Don’t fall for the alluring trap of idolatry, worship and trust in God only.

To help us all apply this to our lives the Lord has shown me 10 idols that we need to look out for from today’s reading, they are listed below.

Isaiah 2:6–4:6

Idol 1: Your works

Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made. Isaiah 2:8 (ESV)

The land was filled with idols, idols the people had formed with their own hands.

What things have you made and now idolise? Is it your education, career, sports achievements, your house, your car, your religious works or your family.

God is the creator and expects us to use our hands to work and make things but he does not expect us to substitute him for the things he gave us the wisdom to make.

We thank God for the gifts he has given us, we must not forget the creator and worship the creation or anything man made. Romans 1:25

The works of our hands cannot save us, idols always hold out a false promise albeit in our own minds as an idol is nothing, it has no mind or will or power only God can help us, only God should be trusted and only God deserves our worship and allegiance.

You can not make God, God alone is God, cast down the idol of your own works today.

Idol 2: Pride

For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; Isaiah 2:12 (ESV)

Pride both creates idols and is an idol itself. God declares he will cast down all pride, God will judge pride and bring it down.

The Hebrew root word for proud in this verse is “arrogance”

To help us identify and avoid the trap of pride here some working definitions (taken from the bible sense lexicon):

A. Unreasonable and inordinate self-esteem.

B. A person characterised by arrogance.

C. Undue feelings of self-respect or pleasure in something by which self-worth is measured.

Pride can be a tricky idol, this is why we need to ask the Holy Spirit to watch over our hearts and need each other. It is possible to walk in pride without realising, this is why need God’s help and need to live with a humble attitude.

Pride is such a large area of sin that it is one of sin’s three major type groupings which affect all in the world mentioned in 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

Don’t make pride your god, God alone is God, cast down the idol of pride and arrogance today.

Idol 3: Men

And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:17 (ESV)

It is possible to lift a mere person up to the status of a false god or idol in our lives.

The obvious “idols of men” will be famous people like movie stars, musicians, authors, speakers, preachers and leaders. We need to watch our hearts with those we are fans of or look up to that they do not become idols.

There is nothing wrong with looking up to, respecting or holding someone in honour, in fact we should do this with our parents, elders and Pastors for example but must stop short of idolatry, looking up to God above them all.

The less obvious “idols of men” can be our children, spouses or some other positive person in our lives who we look up to or worship in place of and above God.

Jesus dealt with this in Matthew 10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

Don’t make people your god, God alone is God, cast down the idol of men and family today.

Idol 4: Arrogance

For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. Isaiah 3:9 (ESV)

There was arrogance in Israel, they boldly and happily proclaimed their sin like Sodom.

We live in a world where sin is paraded and championed. We have seen this most recently in the cultural upheaval and sexual revolution happening on both sides of the Atlantic where gay marriage, transgender and abortion advocates have made pride in sin their mantra i.e. Gay Pride.

Arrogance in sin must not be an idol in our lives. We must not burn our conscience. Arrogant and open sin makes the sin and apparent right to commit the sin the idol.

This 4th of our 10 idols is one of the worst. if you are in the grip of the evil one, taking pride in your sin you desperately need God to save you though his son Jesus Christ.

Remember the warning of 1 Timothy 4:1–2 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,”

Don’t make sin your god, God alone is God, cast down the idol of arrogance and rebellion today.

Idol 5: Injustice

God calls his people to be champions of justice. God desires that men, women and children flourish in the world that he has made.

The idol we observe here is injustice, this is an idol we erect and worship through a sin of omission (not doing something we should do) rather than a sin of commission.

Our western culture teaches us to look out for number 1 and to pursue a comfortable life. It also pushes aggressive egalitarianism which would see inexperienced children ruling over us and women usurping authority over men.

This is a picture of a broken and cursed society. Our society is like this in ways today, we have been called to be lights in this world. Matthew 5:14

Do not erect an idol of injustice through not pursuing justice. Speak up for the speechless, the oppressed, the poor and forgotten in Jesus name.

Don’t make injustice your idol, God alone is God, cast down the idol of injustice and indifference today.

Idol 6: Lust

therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will lay bare their secret parts. Isaiah 3:17 (ESV)

Our world is becoming more and more sexualised.

Sex is the biggest idol in today’s world.

We must not make sexual pleasure our god. We should not cherish sexual lust or hold it close, if we do we will be burned.

Concerning lust the proverbs warn us in Proverbs 6:27–28 “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?”

Sexual lust wars against the soul. God has created sex to be enjoyed in the honour and security of marriage between one man and one woman only.

Beware if sex is your god, God will judge the idol and the judgement will bring you shame, for example; a child out of marriage, a sexual disease, being found out etc.

Parents protect and educate your children so they avoid the aggressive sexualisation of the culture around them.

Don’t make sexual lust your idol, God alone is God, cast down the idol of sex and lust today.

Idol 7: Self

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach.” Isaiah 4:1 (ESV)

The exhalation of self is the idol that strikes us closest.

Our world has pushed many women into a very difficult position through women’s liberation, extreme egalitarianism and libertarianism. Our world teaches women to pursue careers and self above the God given desire to be married and rear children.

A woman can be so desperate to pursue her career that she will stretch herself to provide for herself as long as she can have a child and a partner like the women in this verse.

This toxic mixture has fostered many unhealthy relationships where partnerships are entirely practical while each member pursues their own self centred agenda. This eventually destroys the individuals and hurts the children.

This is an example of the idol of self. The effect of self exaltation is a confrontation with the Self Sufficient One, God.. you know who will win.

Don’t make self your god, God alone is God, cast down the idol of self and self exaltation today.

Luke 1:39–66

Idol 8: Mary

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 (ESV)

Now we look at a specific idol that has oppressed generations of faithful Roman Catholics, Mary.

This is so sad because Mary is a hero of the word, she exhibited great faith and trust in God and she was called blessed in scripture because God chose her and she responded in submission and obedience.

She is called blessed because of her faith in the word of God.

In her song of praise Mary magnifies the Lord, she did not see herself as an idol or god.

Lets appeal to Catholics everywhere to follow Mary’s example from scripture, which was to worship God alone, to put faith in his word and submit to him.

Pray today that the idol worship of Mary in the Roman Catholic church would be cast down and Catholics would worship God alone.

Idol 9: Tradition

but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” Luke 1:60 (ESV)

Elizabeth boldly stood against the traditions of her people which we will see throughout the new testament has become an idol.

We must not allow traditions of man to become idols that we worship especially in our families and in the church.

We must not put our trust in traditions but God alone.

The truth of God’s word trumps every tradition.

Don’t make tradition your god, God alone is God, cast down the idol of tradition and religion today.

Job 1:13–22

Idol 10: Things

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:20–21 (ESV)

Every physical thing that Job had was wiped out in one day, but these things were not idols to Job so he worships the Lord in response to losing them.

Materialism is everywhere in our world. Materialism teaches us to make idols of things.

We should not make the things we possess idols, we should not let them possess us.

Lets join Job in his worshipful perspective, his heart was consumed by God not his riches that is the only way he could respond like this. His very response is the opposite of materialism. What would our response be?

Don’t make things your idol, God alone is God, cast down the idol of things and materialism today.