Remember Herodias with her daughter Salome? She had her daughter to dance a most lustful flesh action to get that king to do what her evil heart desired! He was hooked by a feeling! He was hooked by his youth so far past that he leaped into that flesh hoping to retrieve his ego of that said youth and sank terribly. Those that walk according to the lusts of their flesh will never succeed in the kingdom of God, but we must crucify our flesh with the lusts thereof. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
This woman Heoridas wanted more from others. She desired the king's heart but he had only eyes for Salome.
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
The letter to the Colossians presents us with a good example of the warning here. The church members had been presented with something that looked attractive, something they were told would enhance their worship of God, but it was actually a pagan idea. Contrary to the sales pitch they were hearing, they needed to get it out of their lives, out of their worship of God, or it would eventually lead them completely astray.
They were being deceived by something that appeared right. It seemed so good, and it indeed had its positive qualities, in a way. Paul, though, could see that death waited at its end. The people, apparently, were deluded into thinking about it an entirely different way.
Humanly, God has given us multiple ways to express our personalities that have nothing at all to do with sin or necessarily, with His way. But there is only one "Way," and that is His. When it is alloyed with other ways, it is not improved by any means. The Word of God is pure, and when things are added to it, it is not made stronger or enhanced. Added things actually make it worse and can make it weaker.
Even today people try making lives easier but only cause either the body, your car, or your child weaker. You can give your children spam to eat. What is spam? Is it safe to eat? Oh yeah, a President from several terms ago set forth the spam thing for students in school lunches. Or how about giving you a shot to make you lose weight? Oh, you do not have a sugar problem but just fat. Well some have taken those shots who face a backside totally void of any fat. Sad! Then how about like the President from time past who set in motion some time in his first presidency with "new car makes" to install a "Stop" button to stop you if they "the government or police needed to stop you now". Praise the Lord we have a President today who removed that horrendous thing from vehicles!
We can express our personalities in things like fashion. Look how many different designs there are to clothing. The same applies to furniture or automobiles. Their makers change them on us every so often to make them appealing as in color, good looks and high powered. Today it is electric vehicles but the gas guzzler works for us. We like passing others on those passes when electric cars slow down to the right hand or shoulder. People buy things that appeal to the expression of their personalities. The same is true with houses and yards. Look at the landscaping varieties that there are—hundreds of different flowers, bushes, and trees that we can put in our yards to express a little bit of the beauty of God in our own way. Food and drink are other examples of variety in personal expression. But their food is "caviar" and their drink wine. Too much and it will cause fungus in the body. Many individuals like being "Chef" and create some great new foods to enjoy. But it is God who gave us that mind to use for His glory and praise!
But in terms of morality and spirituality, the Way is extremely narrow. "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, . . . [yet] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). This is the principle we are dealing with in this case. In Colosse', the Christians were victims of yet another attempt to syncretize something moral and spiritual—but humanly devised—to God's Way.
In this case, it was a philosophy of asceticism and the worship of demons, which they were being told would enhance their worship of God. It appeared to be so spiritual, but it was effectively cutting them off from the true Object of their faith and their Source of power to overcome—Christ.
(Heard that Muslims have taken over Times Square this weekend with chants of death to America. Where are the Christian leaders in this hours? Why are they taking over space in their threats over believers in Jesus Christ? Who has the right?
Blending the lies of this world with the truth of God produces a foul mixture called syncretism found in James 3:10-13. What we know of Christian religions of this world have mixed the traditions of paganism with some of the truth of God's Word. There is no difference from what Israel was doing when Amos wrote back in 760 BC. Since their rejection of the house of David under Jeroboam 1, the Israelites had practiced a syncretistic religion found in Amos 5:21-26 and 1 Kings 12:25-33.
1. God
threatens to send fire, symbolizing divine rejection and purification (Malachi
4:1), upon Israel because of her false religion.
2. Malachi
4:1 For behold the day is coming, burning like an oxen, and all the proud, yes,
all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn
them up.” Says the Lord of hosts, that will leave them neither root nor branch.
3. The Bible, though ultimately written for His spiritual children, focuses on ancient Israel because she is comprised of God's chosen people. We too should see our own lives in their examples
4.
Amos proves through the Israelite s'
disobedience and corruption that they had no
relationship with God. They had not allowed their privileged position under the covenant to transform them into godly people.
Thus, God must
send a purifying destruction upon them.
Amos 5
highlights three critical assumptions, all of which are factors in a doctrine
evangelical Christians term "eternal security." The context of the
chapter shows a wealth of religious activity (verses 21-26). Amos mentions religious festivals, animal sacrifices, and
music they believed to be glorifying to God, all indicating worship services of
some kind. They went in for religion in a big way! Undoubtedly, they were
wholehearted about it, so it was probably emotionally satisfying to them. But
what good is worship if it does not get through to God? This is what Amos
reveals to them. All of their enthusiasm was for naught because their daily
lives did not match God's standards.
We are assured of making it into God's Kingdom on the strength of His ability to prepare us. So what is the problem? Verse 24 gives us some insight: "But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
The first phrase can just as easily read, "Let justice [or, judgment] roll down." There is a clever play on a word here, as Gilgal means "the rolling." The people attended the festivals in Gilgal, but before their arrival and after they returned home, justice and righteousness failed to roll down—we might say "trickle down"—into their everyday life. Things went on as before. They had fun at the feast all right, but nothing changed spiritually.
Justice is
the fruit of righteousness. When linked as they are in this verse, justice
stands for correct moral practice in daily life, and righteousness for the
cultivation of correct moral principles. Justice is external, righteousness is
internal. The trouble with Gilgal was that the people allowed their human nature to
keep their religion in a box with no way for it to influence daily life. It is three illustrations showing that in our own relationship with God is not a game to be played. In this present hour, we as believers exist to witness the gospel to the world by our lives we live honoring Him. It is letting others know of His goodness in the land of the living. And you and I cannot witness well in this hour without preparation.
If we do not allow God’s justice to roll down like waters and His righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, then we will see the result of Amos 6:12…… but as for the wicked, God says “you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood and wormwood means “bitter” so when justice is forsaken, all the land is left bitter and poisoned.
May you and I not be left bitter in any way. We should not poison others but lift them to God in righteousness and truth! The word of God should not be shelved on the bookshelf in our office but in our hearts where faith grows!
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