He is no Idol, He is Alive!

Over the past couple of years my pastor has been leading our mid-week Bible study time through the Book of Psalms. This week we were in Psalm 115. Contrasting the God of Israel with the idols of the nations, in verses 4-7 the Psalmist writes; "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. "

Reading through the passage brought to mind the accusation made against the Apostle Paul, recorded in Acts 19:26 where the author wrote, "You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of
Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all."

The Psalmist's words also reminded me that ours is a living God and that unlike the idols of the nations, our Savior partook of flesh and blood. "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" scripture says. "Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, in perfect harmony the man who is God" the Christian song goes. As I considered the wonder of this truth it seemed so apparent that Christ is all that the idols of the nations were not.

The idols of the nations were gold and silver while He was flesh and blood.

They could not speak, but of Christ it was said that "never has a man spoken the way this man speaks."

The idols had eyes, but could not see. Christ had eyes that could see Zaccheus up in a tree, see a demon possessed man and even see the demons that possessed the man.

The idols had ears, but could not hear. Christ had ears that would listen to the voices of men, while able also to hear the thoughts and intentions of their heart.

The idols had noses, but could not smell. Christ had a nose that smelled the fragrance that filled the house when Mary had anointed His feet with a "very costly perfume".

The idols had hands, but they could not feel. Christ had hands that could hold a child in His arms, cleanse the leper, make the blind man see and feel the nails that were driven through his hands.

The idols had feet, but they could not walk. Christ had feet that could walk the road to Golgotha and walk on the sea of Galilee.

The idols could not make a sound with their throat. Christ, while suffering great cruelty uttered words that would change the lives of men forever, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" and "It is finished"!

Ours is a living God. Praise the Lord!
Greg

Not What I Have but Who I Know

I have so much to be thankful for! My wife, my daughter and son, their spouses, my two beautiful granddaughters, my church and my job would be the beginning of a lengthy list if I attempted to compose one. As I considered the many things that I have to be thankful for this past "Thanksgiving" day, it occurred to me  that what I was most thankful for was not what I had but who I knew. I am most thankful that I have been privileged by God to know Him and His Son Jesus! It is only because I know Him that I can begin to fully appreciate and enjoy everything else that He has blessed me with and that I am thankful for. As recipients of God's grace, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should be the most thankful of all men. Knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ should never be taken for granted. We are of all men most blessed with this divinely given knowledge.

In the following passage of scripture found in Ephesians 1:3-14, the Apostle Paul was inspired to summarize much of what God has done on behalf of the believer in Christ:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will,according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."

Praise and thanks be to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!