T: Things
to remember as God’s People
T: Deuteronomy 7th Chapter
By
Pastor. Francis
When we think of our lives
we have many responsibilities to fulfill in the family and at our work
places.
In my childhood days I went
to learn swimming, during that time my instructor instructed me to remember
some things as an instruction before I get into the water. This applies to us wherever we work and
receive the training. Particularly in the Defense forces they remember very
well what things to do and not to do in their job.
Let’s look into the God’s
word what it says about the things that we need to remember.
1.
No compromising with the enemy V 2-3
2.
No connivance at False worship V 5
3.
No swerving from Divine command V 11-12
4.
No fearing face of Man V 18
5.
No coveting the riches of the world V
25-26
No
compromising with the enemy V 2-3
As the difficulties raises
in a personal, family life and Job, our natural human tendency is to compromise
with the world. As a God’s children when
we go through difficult times and temptations there are chances to compromise
in our lives with the enemy.
God’s word clearly commands
us to remember that not to compromise with the enemy. Why not to compromise with the enemy.
There are several reasons I
would like to highlight as it is in Romans 1: 19-23
19since what may be known about God is plain
to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation
of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have
been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are
without excuse.21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
They
do not know the value of God
They do not know to whom worship Romans 1:19-23
They do not know the Law of
God
They walk in darkness
Here God gives clear
instructions to God’s children in which are they shouldn’t compromise.
1.
You shall not make
Covenant: for a word “Covenant” in oxford it gives perfect meaning “basic
relationship of commitment with God”. It talks that our basic commitment must
start with God till we die. In Joshua 9:6 6 Then they went to Joshua in
the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a
distant country; make a Covenant with us.” God’s children are supposed to
maintain their relationship only with Him and in the following verses we find
the adversaries what God’s children they faced. Many of the times we tend to
believe blindly the words of enemy and fall into the snare.
Our Covenant with
God and His people will benefit us and our families.
No connivance at
False worship V 5
These are the main things
that we need to remember in our life, that we need to stay away from our lives.
From the altars, idols and wooden images.
God commands three things
to stay away from the worldly worship
Altar
If we look into the God’s
word there is some specialty about the Altar
i.
These Altars are
built in the most high places
ii.
These have special
consideration
iii.
These are built with
a purpose
iv.
These are built when
God revealed Himself to God’s people
v.
It’s a place where
God cleanses peoples sin
vi.
These are the places
where God satisfies, but there is a reason when God commanded to destroy and
not to gather near the gentile’s altar.
Gentiles they don’t know God, they built
their altars for their purpose, for their enjoyment and has corrupted.
I would like to request you to ponder on
this thing
Do you have such altars in your heart that
which don’t glorify and please God? If
so come to the Christ he is willing to take away all the worldly things from
your heart and gives you the peace and eternal life.
Not only the altars we built in our hearts
but also we give room for idols in our heart.
Idols
Idols are made by
man and it is made according to human mind.
In Ex
20: 1-3
“You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an
image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the
Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Wooden
images
This could be the goddess of Canaanites or Feninians,
its worship has been taking in the high places. As these places are built by man,
in God’s word high places belongs to God.
The Christian
faith is Iconoclastic.
No
swerving from Divine command V 11-12
If you want to receive the
eternal blessings in your life, we need to follow God’s commandments. In John Chapter 14:21, 24, 31
21 Those who accept my
commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me,
my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of
them.”
24 Anyone who doesn’t
love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am
telling you is from the Father who sent me.
31 but I will do what
the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.
Come, let’s be going.
Are you following God?
No
fearing face of Man V 18
We as God’s children should
never fear with the face of man, at the same time Bible commands us to obey our
masters.
There are some incidents in
the Bible where God strengthens His children by giving boldness.
In the Old Testament we
find the boldness of Daniel
Dan 3:16-17 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O
Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom
we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
In the New Testament we
find the boldness of John and Peter.
Acts 4:19-20
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you
think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We
cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
No
coveting the riches of the world V 25-26
God wants us to be
content with what we have, don’t greed for the things that which you don’t have. Thank God for what you have wherein God will
bless you.
In I Timothy 6:9-10
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is
itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing
with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we
leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing,
let us be content.9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Apostle Paul in his ministry life he says in Acts 20: 33
33 “I have never
coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes.
My dear reader where is
your heart and where is your goal. Are you
content with what the Lord has given you.
Are you thanking Him in your day to day life for what you receive.
May God bless you.
