“PUT AWAY YOUR STRANGE GODS!”

Joshua 24:20-24

²⁰If ye forsake the lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. ²¹and the people said unto Joshua, nay; but we will serve the lord. ²²and Joshua said unto the people, ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the lord, to serve him. And they said, we are witnesses. ²³now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the lord god of Israel. ²⁴and the people said unto Joshua, the lord our god will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

1. Joshua knew that idolatry would eventually be the downfall of the people of God.

2. I have been able to stand through the worst season of my life, because my late wife and I always sought to know the God of the bible; and not just people’s idea of God. Their ideas are most of the times popular, but not biblical.

3. I am seeing more and more that people are not worshipping God; they are worshipping their “idea of God.” That is a form of idolatry.

a. They say God always loves. But the Word says that He also hates. Be glad that He chose to love you.

Romans 9:13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

b. They say God will never do you harm. But He has at times chosen to bring harm. Be glad that He has chosen to do you good.

Exodus 4:24. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the lord met him, and sought to kill him.

Job 13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

c. They say walk in “your” truth; but Jesus said the Word is truth. So, there is absolute truth; not our personal truth.

John 17:17. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

d. They say that Jesus will never offend us, and that He only offended religious people. But He offended his followers just as much.

Matthew 16:23. But he turned, and said unto peter, get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of god, but those that be of men.

Matthew 15:15-16. ¹⁵then answered peter and said unto him, declare unto us this parable. ¹⁶and Jesus said, are ye also yet without understanding?

Matthew 15:16 amplified bible. And he said, “are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]?

4. God created us in his image; but we have recreated God in our own image and likeness. Unfortunately, all this does is support the atheists claims that we are inconsistent. We ignore the Bible and stick with our own ideas. We explain away everything. But this is a faith and trust walk. We cannot always explain everything and why God does what He does; but we yet trust Him!

Genesis 1:26-27

²⁶and God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ²⁷so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

5. Here are some strange gods (i.e., idolatrous ideologies) that people worship; that must come down. While they may be comforting, they are not the truth of God’s Word.

a. God is only concerned about my comfort. God is caring, but, if Jesus had uncomfortable situations, then what about us?

Matthew 8:20

And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Matthew 10:24-25

²⁴the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

²⁵it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

b. God wants me to live the American dream. He will supply your needs; but you cannot find the American dream in the Kingdom agenda of the Bible.

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Mark 10:30

But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

c. God always takes my feelings into consideration, regarding my destiny. That would be nice. But, many times, with God, our feelings, opinions and concerns are not taken into consideration at all. This is a kingdom, not a democracy. As Americans, we despise anyone having total control over us. We refer to that as dictatorship. But there is really no other way to describe it. God does in fact have total control over our lives (not by force, but by our surrender to His will). The sooner we realize that, the better equipped we will be to conquer life.

i Dictator. A ruler with total power over a country.[1]

ii Dictatorship. A government by a dictator. [2]

iii Democracy. A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.[3]

John 21:17-19

¹⁷He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

¹⁹This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

d. God is sending everyone to Heaven.

i Let’s be honest, there are some Scriptures that seem to allude that everyone will be saved (universal reconciliation).

1 Timothy 2:3-6

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

⁴Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

⁶Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1 John 2:2

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 Timothy 4:10

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

1 Corinthians 15:22

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

ii Yet, there are other Scriptures that allude to God handpicking those who will be saved and those who will be damned for eternity (predestination).

John 6:44

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 15:16

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Acts 13:48

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

iii While, those points can be argued at another time; the Bible is very clear that only a few people will be saved. So let us be thankful that we are in that number!

1 Peter 4:18

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Matthew 7:13-14

¹³Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 7:21-23

²¹Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

²²Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

²³And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Luke 13:23-24

²³Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

²⁴Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=DICTATOR+DEFINIION&oq=DICTATOR+DEFINIION&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i13l4j0i13i30l5.4440j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. (Accessed, August 20, 2022).

[2] https://www.google.com/search?q=dictatorship+definition&oq=DICTATORSHIP+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i433i512j0i512j0i131i433i512j0i512l6.6458j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. (Accessed, August 20, 2022).

[3] https://www.google.com/search?q=democracy+definition&oq=democracy&aqs=chrome.0.0i20i263i433i512j69i57j46i433i512j0i131i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i131i433i512j46i131i433i512j46i433i512.38587j1j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. (August 20, 2022).

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