Commandment II.       

                        You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 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 fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

        An "idol" is an image, one that is visible, or may be just in one's thoughts. "bow down" means to submit to an authority over you, or to allow some one or thing to rule over you. "Worship" means to express adoration, honor, and veneration, sheer love and joy in the presence of the one being adored. "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" means that God is the Lover of His people Who, while loving you with great passion, He demands exclusive attention, adoration, veneration, worship and faithfulness from you. "keep My commandments" means to faithfully obey God's commandments.

        Here the Creator of you and me tells us that He wants to be the first person in your life. No homage or worship or veneration should be given to any person or thing except the One Who deserves it, the living God Himself!  

        It is so important to the Lord, that He tells us that if we pay honoring attention and adoration to any thing other than Him then we are "of those who hate Me". Hate is a strong word, showing severe dislike and even violence to the Lord God!! In fact, God is still "punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me."

        This second commandment also shows God's love for those who love Him in thought, word and action by giving Him what is due to only Him. God is still "showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Romans 1:21; 1Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-20; 10:7, Galatians 5:19-21 shows idolatry in detail.

Do you Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24 ) and obey all of His commandments?

Do you let other people rule over you, whose rules overrule God's rules?

Are there some situations you can think of where you have joyfully cast aside everything for one person or thing, Who is not the Lord God?

Do you set rules that you obey without knowing if they are God's rules?

How long has it been since you stood in awe while in the Lord God Almighty's presence?

Is there someone or thing keeping you apart from the God of the Bible?    What could it be?

A Person        Shows or Sports        Daydreams        God        Ideology        

Drugs and Alcohol        Appearance

In most cases, if we are honest with ourselves, we can say "Yes, I have 'made for myself an idol in some form'."

Col 3:23,24   Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...            Psalm 1:1,2  Blessed it the man... his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.          Romans 12:2  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.      John 4:24  Jesus says, "Worship in spirit and in truth."      Ways the Lord wants Worship.

A person, a boyfriend or girlfriend, best friend, singer, movie star, TV personality, model, sports person, government official, teacher, a mother or father … Do you think about this person and how they would want you to act towards them? Do you try to do things to earn their approval? Do you dress for them?  Do you daydream about them often? Do you think more about them than you do about God and all that He has done for you and in what ways you are to be in relationship with Him?

Poke'mon and Digimon, or television shows or sports activities,   Are there some sports people whom you think about more than God Himself?  Do you talk about them, or sing songs and think about them all the time?  Do you wish you could do more with them?  Do you realize that they are not real characters involved with your life, but just something that happens which you think about, but has no physical effect on you?  Do you pay more attention to these than you do to your relationship with the Living God of the universe?

Daydreams, Are you often thinking of what you want or hope to own? Do you continually think of girls or boys and what you would like to do with them? Do you look at magazines and picture yourself inside of them? Do you often think about and plan events of destruction? Is your mind preoccupied with things that you would like to do, without your thoughts being sifted through the Word of God, within His Will and purposed for the glory of God?

Ideology, Do you often think about a certain ideology or "ism" which is opposed to the Word of God? Have you checked to see what God says about it? Have joined a group which talks about and does things that are against the fullness of the Bible? Do you value these people, or group as more important than the All-powerful, All-mighty, All-knowing, All-seeing Living God? Are you spending more time with these people and ideas than with the Living Word of God?  ***See "isms". ((Hyper to this: False beliefs/teachings Communism, Maoism, Taoism, New Age, Buddhism, Islam, Animism (Animism =the worship or reverence of inanimate objects, such as stones, crystals, trees, or other natural objects))

God, Do you put limits on God? Do you see Him as only how you were taught by your church or family? Do you think of Him as helpful when you need Him, and off limits when you do wrong?  Do you call on Him only when you really need help?  Do you feel that He is not needed when regular life is going on?        By putting a limit on Who God is and what He can accomplish, you can make God into an idol. By not knowing the Lord God personally, in a responsive relationship with Him, you put Him into a box, to be used at your disposal, and for your purposes.     No longer is God Lord over all, but you act as if you are lord over Him!! Thus, you set the infinite God on your terms and sights as opposed to what He sets and says.  Isaiah 55:9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Your own appearance, Are you often thinking of how you look and the way you sound, and how your body moves? Do you spend hours in front of the mirror trying to appear "just right"? Do you spend lots of money on things that you want for your own physical, emotional or mental pleasure?  Do you invest more time and money in how you appear outwardly than how you really are  inside your soul, in front of God's mirror?  Do you allow the Word of God to mirror your soul, show you its imperfections, and change you to glorify the Lord?

Drugs and Alcohol, Do you use these without a Rx? Do you think of them and depend upon them more than you do the Lord God Almighty to bring you pleasure and your own personal identity confirmation? See the Power Point show on Drugs and Alcohol. 

How all of these pale in comparison to the Righteousness of the Lord God Who can dwell richly in you if you let Him in!!  He sees inside you, even better than others see your outside.  Your heart is what matters most to the Lord God Almighty!  See 2 Cor. 5:17 .

Worship 

Ways the Lord wants Worship:    1 Chron 16:29; 29:9; 

Psalm 22:29;  27:4;  84:1-3;  86:9;  99:5,9;   42:1-4; 51:6    122:1   

Matthew 2:11; 6:1-18;  14:33;  18:20;  28:9,17;          John 9:35;  

Acts 2:46; 5:20,42; 11:25,26; 15:35; 18:27; 24:14        Rom 12:1

1 Cor 11:23-29; 14:14-19, 26;            Phillip. 2:9-11;  3:3;  

Heb 1:6;  10:1-10            1Pet 4:10;   2 Pet 3:18   

Rev 7:11;  11:16;  

Bring me to the 10 Commandments.

If you find that you have not obeyed even one of God's Laws,  GO HERE

Bring me to the Bible words of Salvation      or Sinful Life     or  Righteousness     or  What Next      or Promises     or Holy Spirit in the Believer     

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