Why is it that we struggle with idols of the heart? Often we pursue the lusts of our hearts instead of desiring to know God in a deeper richer way. In James 4:1-3 we see three reasons that we struggle with our desires: First, in verse one we see that we do what we do because of our desires. The chief among those desires is the desire to bring pleasure into our lives. Second in verse 2 we see that envy and jealousy (covetousness) become the motive for our behavior. We want what we want, and because of this we will sacrifice what we know to be right, for what we want. And third, in verse 3 we struggle with selfishness. Life is not about “ME” it is about service. Unfortunately, the desires of our hearts cause me to want what I want! We must learn to evaluate our heart as we come before God.  … READ MORE

Until we are able to examine our hearts, we are not able to understand the struggle that is in our hearts. We look back at the Old Testament and see that they served many gods, as idols were spread throughout the land. We feel a sense of pride that we do not have statues in our homes that illustrate our worship of other religions. However, our struggle is that our idols are much more insidious, and dangerous, because they are idols of the heart. They are things that we have placed in our lives that motivate us to do what we do. It can be a simple as the “idol of peace” which is the idol that a husband craves when he does not take the leadership role he should in his house, or the idol a mother may choose to worship when she refuses to deal with the behavior of the sinning child. We do what we do, because we want what we want. Our choices reveal what we are truly worshipping. James 4:1-10 gives us a call to examine our hearts, we need to take time to evaluate our heart motivation and what we are truly worshipping.… READ MORE

The Fruit of Rebellion is threefold: First, our rebellion angers God (Joshua 22:18). It is that rebellion of heart that separates us from God for all eternity. It takes a humble heart before God that seeks forgiveness and reconciliation. Second, Rebellion affects others as well as ourselves (Jeremiah 28:16, 32). We never act in a vacuum, there are unintended consequences to all acts good and bad. There is no way that we can surmise the ripple effects of our actions, and we must realize that what we do always affects those around us for good or evil. And Finally, Rebellion alters our future. In Numbers 13-14 the children of Israel rebelled against God and as a result were not allowed to go into the Promised Land. This consequence is like number two, but the ripple effects filter into our own lives. While at times it appears that people get away with their rebellion, Revelation 20:11-15 reveals that one day those who have rejected God will be answerable before him for their actions. The time to seek and find forgiveness for our rebellious heart is today, while there is still time to repent.… READ MORE