THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE #1 [1 john 5:20,21] PT1

I know you've seen them around.  The slightly overweight bald guy in Asian monk clothes. Sometimes he's sitting in front of the line at your dry cleaners with incense, or standing to greet you at that nice Vietnamese restaurant with a smile and a stack of cash in his hand.

Just the other day my mom commented that she no longer wanted to go to a local restaurant, the "Kountry kitchen" because now she gets assaulted with the graven images.  Now I know they are powerless statues, and there is no truth found in them that is not borrowed.  Yet I have often found myself looking at the fruit offerings and wondering if I will see a bite from their deity, or a slick mouse.

Some have the nerve to laugh at the sight, after all its just a statue correct.  However many of us have idols ourselves, they just aren't as clearly seen. As kids, We've had action figures and barbie dolls in our homes for a long time, I remember playing with G. I. Joes, He-man (the original), Centurions (remember them), and other various "engraved" images of heroes and villains. We imagined being the good guys, and defeating the bad guys in our own little worlds.  Were we guilty of idolatry then? While many flaws plagued us in our youth, perhaps we did in a way, but what about now?  Have we done away with childish figures who have supernatural powers? Some collect figures of heroes and heroines from comic books and video game these days, grown men I might add.  Is this like the statues once made in Asia during the Apostle Paul's travels (Acts 19:22-41)

For many, money, power, and respect are the most important ideals in their lives.  They live for them, and they will die in efforts to obtain them, or attain dominance by them.  Sort of like when people pray to various gods for favor in their endeavors.  Now I could easily widen the focus, as these days we can be sort of worshipful about things, like food for instance.  E-dub-a-licious treats, for example, are something like divine.

But on a serious note, just as we used to live out alternate realities with your toys, some are trying to live out dreams on the backs of idols.  To put it simply, an idol is something (anything) that you place supreme value on.  You live for it, you die for it, it is all you talk about, all you think about, and the very thing you passionately share with others.  Too often we put idols at the center of our lives and don't even realize it.  These words are to get you to look into your own soul and see what sits at the center of your affection.  Idolatry is so prevalent that people make light of it, even making entertainment of it.  Shows like AMERICAN IDOL are just examples of how we idolize people, but such worship of the unworthy is deeply rooted in our society.  More to come later....

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