Bow Down

This is something we may all have to face someday, something that we as Christians need to think about seriously, will we bow or will we stand?  Will we live for the Lord or will we forsake Him?  Things are just starting to get heated up as far as persecution goes.  Think about this, if we suffer for Him we will also reign with Him.  As things get worse and it costs us more and more of our liberties and even abuse will we be able to stand for what we believe in and still love people, even our enemies, or will we get bitter and angry and want to take revenge and deny the faith.

Read Luke 9:22-26 “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.”

There are some things that believers should be willing to do, one we should be willing to take up our cross and deny ourselves and our selfish desires and be willing to use our time, money and our resources to glorify the Lord.  People are willing to pay a lot of money for valuable things that they want and Jesus is more valuable than anything else.  What are we willing to give up for Him? 

What about the idols that many of us have in our lives that we spend most of our time with?  Some of these things can be very expensive and we don’t even know that they are idols, or we don’t care.  We use all kinds of excuses for why we have them or need them.  Think about the things that you spend most of your time with!  Spending all the time that we do and the money we spend on these things is like bowing down to an idol, but of course we wouldn’t call them that, but what if they were taken away?  Think of this, what if your gadgets were taken away, would you know enough about the Word of God to sustain you?  What would your relationship with the Lord look like then, and what would you do then?

I just want to remind us all, me included because I have also been guilty of these things, that whatever we spend most of our time, our money and our devotion on can be an idol.  What do you think about during your day and what do you spend most of your energy on?  An idol can come in many forms, from people to vehicles and anything else we think about and spend most of our time with.  Think about where your true commitment lies.

This is so important because we live in a time where things are changing so fast and the name of Jesus is being hated more and more, along with any that profess His name.  This is a time to be diligent and sincere about our faith and be prayed up and walking in the Spirit and hiding the Word of God in our hearts and seeking His kingdom and not conforming to the world and it’s practices and it’s vises.  This is not a reprimand; it is a heads up, a reminder of the signs of the times we now live in.

I want to remind you of Daniel and his three friends that were taken captive to Babylon and how they would not bow down to the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had made even if it cost them their lives and it very well could have.  They stood against tremendous peer pressure but they were resigned never to bow down to any other god but the one who created them and the universe.  Think about this, how would we respond in a similar situation?  Are we completely sold out to the degree that we would not compromise our faith or deny the Lord or be ashamed of Him in any situation?  

My prayer is that none of us would have to face these things but they are a possibility so I hope none of us will take this lightly.  I have given you something to think about, please do, and if you have anything that is an idol in your life take the positive steps needed and return to your first love.  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  And have a real special Thanksgiving Day and don’t forget to count your blessings and give the Lord all your thanks and praise!!