Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Second Commandment
Nov 4th, 2012
CommentaryIan C. Kurylyk
Categories: Exhortation

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4)

This is the essence of the second of the 10 commandments. In the first commandment God made it clear that only He is God, and it is forbidden to serve idols. But idolatry can happen in some subtle ways, so God has given this second commandment to expose what might otherwise pass as true worship.

This commandment shows us that worship must not only be directed toward the true God, it must also be in an acceptable manner. God cannot accept everything that is religious simply because it is done in His name. Israel was forbidden to use graven images or physical likenesses to represent Him in their worship. That was the stuff of idolatrous religion. That kind of worship is in fundamental disagreement with His revealed person.

The words of Jesus to a person from Samaria, a region rife with idolatry, help us to understand the message behind this second commandment. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). God must not be thought of or honoured in terms of created beings of a fallen creation. Rendering homage to Him by way of a likeness of a bull, or a fish, or a monster, or even a man is a great offense. It fails to acknowledge His perfections as a supernatural God who transcends the things He has made. It also ignores the problems of sin and its curse that have entered the creation through man.

Violation of this law takes place today in “unofficial”worship carried on outside of organized religion. Any physical thing that becomes loved or served the way only God should be is just like the ancient idols of gold, or stone or wood. The lifestyle of materialism which serves material things, money, or the pleasure it offers is in principle the same as the worship of gravens in God’s sight. The unbounded longing after things of this world was reproved by Paul in Colossians 3:5 by the words “covetousness which is idolatry”. The philosophy of secular humanism also comes into sharp conflict with the teachings of the Bible as it gives the honour due to God unto mankind instead.

God is a pure Spirit, and is called in Colossians 1:15 the“Invisible God”. He is only faithfully represented and made known through the revelation He has made of Himself in the Bible. This is why Jesus says worship must be “in spirit and in truth”. This is why historic Christianity insists upon the centrality of the Bible in its worship services. God must be honoured by believing in Him and professing Him in the terms of the revelation He has given in His own Word.

Further, the Bible reveals that there is a person that is the truth incarnate. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). That is, God must be worshipped in the truth, and this can only be done when we approach God through a person, His own Son. Worship to God is only through Him. He is the one who came from heaven and was born miraculously into this world for the purpose of dying to pay for our sins. He rose again and offers to bring worshippers unto an infinitely Holy God if they will but receive Him personally by faith as Lord and Saviour.

Our First Responsibility
Nov 4th, 2012
Thought for the WeekA.W. Tozer
Categories: Commentary;Exhortation

I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word. -Psalm 119:147-148

Briefly, the way to escape religion as a front is to make it a fount. See to it that we pray more than we preach and we will never preach ourselves out. Stay with God in the secret place longer than we are with men in the public place and the fountain of our wisdom will never dry up. Keep our hearts open to the inflowing Spirit and we will not become exhausted by the outflow. Cultivate the acquaintance of God more than the friendship of men and we will always have abundance of bread to give to the hungry.

Our first responsibility is not to the public but to God and our own souls. God Tells the Man Who Cares, 115-116.

"Lord, why does our first responsibility so easily get crowded out? Quiet me today that this first thing might get the time and attention it deserves. Amen."

Let the Headlines Speak
Nov 4th, 2012
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

PA official hints Israel, Hamas in secret talks
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said Saturday that the Palestinian Authority will soon expose information on "secret talks" between Israel and Arab and Palestinian elements aimed at preventing the PLO from submitting its UN status upgrade proposal. Abu Rudeina hinted that a channel of communication had been established between Hamas and other Arab elements and Israel.

NYS Board Of Elections: It’s Possible Voting May Be Permitted Beyond Tuesday
New York state law allows for an extra day of voting if turnout is drastically suppressed because of a natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy. That could potentially postpone state, congressional and even presidential election results beyond Tuesday’s Election Day...The commissioners, two Democrats and two Republicans, would make that decision after Election Day. Any second day would have to be scheduled within 20 days.

Kenya policeman killed, 10 injured in church attack
A policeman has been killed and 10 people were injured in a grenade attack on a church in Kenya, officials say. The attack took place in the town of Garissa, near the border with Somalia. Unconfirmed reports say that gunfire was later heard at the scene of the explosion. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

MOTHER OF SEAL: 'I BELIEVE THAT OBAMA MURDERED MY SON'
A father and a mother used the word “murder.”...The families of three Americans killed in the Sept. 11 U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya, are offering widely different reactions to recent reports that U.S. personnel issued several requests for help that were turned down.Patricia Smith, the mother of slain State Department employee Sean Patrick Smith, is now blaming President Barack Obama for her son’s death.

G20 flags U.S. fiscal cliff, Europe's debt woes
Finance chiefs of the world's 20 leading economies are ringing alarm bells over the U.S. fiscal cliff and Europe's debt woes at a meeting in Mexico this weekend as they look to push back deficit reduction targets to help boost growth. Unless a fractious U.S. Congress can reach a deal, about $600 billion in government spending cuts and higher taxes are set to kick in on January 1, threatening to push the American economy back into recession and hit world growth.

Bombing Kills Taliban Enemy in Pakistan
A prominent anti-Taliban politician in northwestern Pakistan was killed on Saturday in a suicide bombing, underscoring the dangers faced by politicians who stand up to the insurgents.

Bishop Tawadros new pope of Egypt's Coptic Christians
Bishop Tawadros has been chosen as the new pope of Egypt's Coptic Christians, becoming leader of the largest Christian minority in the Middle East. His name was selected from a glass bowl by a blindfolded boy at a ceremony in Cairo's St Mark's Cathedral. Three candidates had been shortlisted. The 60-year-old succeeds Pope Shenouda III, who died in March aged 88.

Netanyahu ready to resume negotiations 'today'
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is ready to return to negotiations with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as early as today, he said at the opening of Sunday's cabinet meeting, Army Radio reported

Syria opposition groups hold crucial Qatar meeting
Syrian opposition groups have gathered in the Qatari capital, Doha, for a key meeting on how to form a more united front against President Assad. The meeting could lead to a replacement body for the Syrian National Council (SNC), the main opposition in exile. Rebel forces in Syria have criticised the SNC as out of touch, and the opposition is also split ideologically.

U.S. disaster relief in a race against freezing cold
Fuel supplies headed toward disaster zones in the U.S. Northeast on Saturday and a million customers regained electricity as near freezing temperatures threatened to add to the misery of coastal communities devastated by superstorm Sandy.

Syrian tanks enter demilitarized Israeli frontier
Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights on Saturday, Israel said, raising concerns violence from Syria's civil war could heat up a long-quiet frontier that has not seen such an incursion in nearly 40 years.

Strong earthquake shakes southern Philippine island of Mindanao, but no injuries or damage
A strong earthquake rattled the southern Philippine island of Mindanao early Saturday, but there were no reports of any injuries or damage and no tsunami warnings were issued. The quake, which hit at 2:17 a.m., had a magnitude of 6.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology measured the magnitude at 6.5.

Jerusalem Mayor: Let Jews Pray on Temple Mount
Nov 4th, 2012
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Ryan Jones
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat last week said it was time for Israel to finally implement true religious freedom and allow Jews to pray atop the Temple Mount.

"The government is ultimately responsible for whether or not Jews can pray on the Temple Mount, not the Jerusalem municipality," Barkat told students at a religious high school. "My opinion is that everyone should be able to pray there."

Despite being the holiest site in the world to Jews and many Christians, none but Muslims are permitted to pray atop Jerusalem's Temple Mount.

Technically, anyone can pray there, but threats of Muslim violence have resulted in a police policy forbidding Jews and Christians from even mouthing prayers while visiting the Temple Mount.

Despite the ban, a growing numbers of Jews have been saying quiet prayres while visiting the Temple Mount, and many have been arrested for doing so as a result of Muslim authorities complaining to police.

The Muslims claim Jerusalem's Temple Mount as an "Islamic Trust," and therefore view "infidel" prayers as desecrating a site holy to them. Local Muslims have in the past responded with deadly violence to visits to the Temple Mount by prominent Jewish leaders.

Editors Note......When the government of Israel refuses to allow Jews to pray on the Temple Mount we have confirmation of the fact that the nation of Israel is estranged from God. We understand why the Lord is about to put Israel in the fires of affliction. Zechariah 13:8-9 tells the frightful but glorious account of what yet lies ahead for Israel.

Iran Now Denies Suspending 20 - Pc Enrichment
Nov 4th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The semi-official Fars news agency denies earlier reports from Tehran and affirms that 20-percent uranium enrichment activities “continues as before and no change has happened.” The earlier report, confirmed by an Iranian lawmaker, was given high prominence in Tehran.

Abbas Backtracks on Concessions for Talks
Nov 4th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: "I watched President Abbas' interview over the weekend. I have heard that he has already managed to go back on his remarks. This only proves the importance of direct negotiations without pre-conditions. But if he is serious, I am ready to sit down with him immediately.” Friday night, Mahmoud Abbas said in an Israeli Channel 2 TV interview that he would not demand the right to live in his birth town of Safed (which is in Israel proper) and viewed a Palestinian state as existing only in the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem its capital. “Everything else is Israel,” he said. But after a chorus of Arab and Palestinian criticism, the Palestinian leader told the Arabic Al-Hayat newspaper Saturday that he spoke for himself and not about Palestinian Authority policy.