By virtue of creating or crafting an image of oneself in opposition to the likeness of the one divinely given to us; we are breaking the commandment of no idols before us. Now, some say this is too far-reaching, yet the devil is called as stated, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast” - Gen. 3:1. He, satan is crafty and as such his default method to kill, steal and destroy is by cunning, nefarious methods and using good things for evil purposes. It is not coincident that many of the pagan religions often have their priests wearing an animal’s head or skull and their idols are of animals either of the land, sea, or air. The Bible tells us, “The light of the body is the eye” - Matt. 6:22. This means whatever see and look upon is illuminated or rather given attention to. So the more we look at such graven images through the lens of selfies and such is the more we feed on it. It is the new age form of idol worship.
As technology and social platforms increase across all areas of society, a country and the world it is prudent to ensure that as a Christian we feed on the Word and seek God’s Spirit of counsel in all things that affect us bodily, mentally and spiritually. In many cases, these new age platforms are unavoidable but can be used to spread the Gospel, obey the command to assemble, learn and build relationships with other Christians across the globe. For we empowered to take ground as with all things for God and His Kingdom.
Flush it Out! - God’s image is our selfie through Christ Jesus.
Now, to be clear; social media was designed to bring people together but in the wrong hands has only promoted an antichrist agenda for the most part. This is evident and prominent in most platforms but especially in those that are acute in focusing on self-expression. How does this affect the relationship that God desires? Foremost and has been criticized by secular and religious perspective is the statement by God saying, “I am a jealous God”! - Ex. 20:5. For how can a good and Righteous God be jealous which is considered a sin. This is where Faith and fear intersect and by lacking wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; those outside and inside Christianity fail to appreciate what God is trying to counsel you on. This word first appears when God is instructing not to have other gods before Him. It is meant to be a description of His person and not as a warning. God is indivisible to His person and His Kingdom meaning how it is administered for being in Faith or in fear. To worship something or person that does not have the Heavenly Power, Principalities and Thrones at their disposal would place one under the curse; meaning separation from God’s Grace and subjected to darkness. This is like tuning to a television show that is demeaning which results in disturbing your sensibilities. The origin connotation for the word jealous is to be zealous which indicates an ardent and fervent attention to an issue. Placing that attribute into the context of God’s statement and knowing the heart of God who applies Grace generously is really saying to those who choose life that He is passionate about their Salvation and wants them to not be lost due to a self-imposition to be under the curse and satan’s authority. Remember, satan is a legalist and even God who sets the rules have to abide by it for the sake of His Kingdom and integrity; for as stated, "God is a respecter of no one" - Rm. 2:11.
We cannot avoid social media platforms if we hope to continue the Great Commission. The challenge and decree are to use what is in the world but not to become a part or promoter of it. This is no different than when God uses evil men for His righteous cause as stated, "The LORD hath made all things for himself: yes, even the wicked for the day of evil" - Prob. 16:4. Everything that speaks to our emotions and feelings is to be discerned because this is where as Christians we are most vulnerable and is usually the target of satan. With selfie’s, people are looking for value of their ego which leads to pride because one is no longer humble or has grace and are not conservative. They are more likely to display various expressions that range from a simple smile to all sorts of facial contortions including using their eyes, mouths and even tongue for this, including using software to enhance these looks with other forms of imagination such as parts of an animal or inanimate object. This should sound familiar as a practicing Christian for it is God’s decree within His command not to worship idols of any kind as stated, “do not make any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” - Ex. 20:4. Now, this is quite obvious but alas is innocently done. For graven means craved but is also crafted as in using one’s imagination.
Spiritual Awakening
There has been a paradigm shift; like a strong hold in the world that has made this not only available to do but has increased its effect more rapidly and far-reaching just like a virus. There is no way to put it back into the pandora box once it has been opened and released. It is addictive once you drink the devil’s kool-aid without reservations and to be cured of it, requires a regiment of Spiritual detoxing. As previously said; technology is not the real culprit but the abusers of it and some being naive to the destruction that would come in its wake has led many down the slippery, deep and dark path for greed, power, and control. Just like any great source of change; without understanding and appreciating its social ramifications; many will be doomed and be victims of it. History provides the indictment for such engineered agents of destruction. Such agents include gunpowder, fossil fuels, and pesticides. Remember; of themselves, they are not solely responsible for man’s demise but in the hands of evil men, they lay to claim many graves of innocent people as their legacy. Today, several agents of change just like a grim reaper have impacted how the man lives, fears and reacts. Two, in particular, are the forces behind this downfall of modern man.
Today, it is not the technology that is the real problem but its combination with idolatry. For this final age has birthed this combination and impact almost as fast as the speed of light. The devil has been very busy to orchestrate this ultimate weapon of destruction which goes at the core of every other type of sin. The sin of idol worship! God’s first command in the Old and New Testament is to Love, Honor, Worship, Praise and give Thanksgiving as stated, “you shall not have no other gods before Me” - Ex. 20:3. It is very implicit to be obeyed and rightly so. For God is the holder of all things seen and unseen; small and great.
Today, self-idol worship is easy and widespread especially with the generation that has inherited the combined internet technology and the social media platforms. The millennials are referred to as the lost generation because they have little or no sense of what it means to act as a society but rather loves to express their dissension for things that are not seen right in their eyes. In other words, they tend to be self-righteous. Another way to say this is, they self-worship. Other generations also fall into this trap by choosing to partake in the vices that social media offers. There are several social reasons that the millennial generation and others face traps that place them outside of God’s Grace including improper parenting, lack of home and country values just to name a few. But what is more disturbing, is these individuals are subjected to chronic stress, depression, and suicides; and also have tendencies of narcissism. It should not surprise Christian’s that this has happened especially when viewed with the historical timeline of what one generation sins have now passed on to the next. For as stated, “but when the wicked have the rule, the people mourn” - Prob. 29:2. This lost generation is because most of the previous generation failed to uphold God’s guidelines for peace and prosperity with the foundations of His commandments.
And without exception this was the case in Heaven and so must be on the Earth, whether Spiritual or physical, there cannot be two or more “bulls in a china shop”. Yet, despite knowing and it being obvious; Lucifer came to the conclusion he should be entitled to the same claims as God requires as stated, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” - Is. 14:13. He; Lucifer wanted to be glorified not just as but more than God. That is nothing more than being audacious and asking for a good whopping; which he received rightly so. After all; you don’t come to a gunfight without a bigger, faster and more deadly gun than the other guy who happens to be the gunfighter of note. You must be drinking some kind of wild and psychedelic kool-aid to even think that.
Well, the devil is still drinking that kool-aid today and worst; others are too. It has been an age-old battle between God and satan to see who receives the most adoration, acclamations, and reverence. The devil’s goal is to have people not give God His due as the supreme, ultimate creator and sovereign over all things in the universe and this battle is coming to a head and its final push is with worldly idolatry. As the Body; it’s a good time to self-examine from the heart and up. The world will always change and every generation will consider that theirs is better than the previous especially as things improve with technology, medicine, and lifestyle. With these improvements, it would not be unreasonable to think that people themselves will improve socially on the family, commercial and industrial levels. People who study and records such phenomena will tell you; it’s not improving but actually becoming worst. And the culprit for this is technology and is why my statement about engineers. Now to be clear; engineers play their role and just like everyone else has Salvation available to them. But those included in other fields of study and practice who choose to propagate destructive technologies in physics, biology, chemistry, and software must be drinking the same kool-aid as the devil is. For their goal is nothing short of idol worship.
Jesus states, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” - Matt. 10:16. There is no place or time to hide your Faith in the Risen One, for as also stated, “for that Day shall not come, except there comes a falling away first - 2 Tess. 2:3. These agents of change are designed to draw many including of the Body away from their call and Salvation and are why Jesus tells us to be astute as a snake and irreproachable as a dove. It is also designed to not only blind but also self-indulge those lost in sin. A snake is a metaphor for someone who is using their smarts, intelligence to understand what they are facing; and a dove is a metaphor that regardless of any threat, to remain in Faith and not in fear. It is satan’s weapon of choice today and will be until Jesus returns and claim His bride. When God directed Joshua and the new generation into the promised land, He gave a direct command that seemed cruel, unnecessary and punitive as any jealous person wanting revenge as stated, “But in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes” - Deut. 20:16. God instructed Joshua to rid the promised land of all idolatry and those who practiced it in some shape or form. Some say this is Old Testament and does not apply to Christianity. Jesus also did this action where it mattered as stated, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves” - 21:13. Jesus of course destroyed and raged against those who committed the offense with their processions of sale. In both cases, the blinded man placed their self above God’s first commandment and in the process became idolaters of secular things.
Idolatry is not only having a false idol before yourself for worship and vain prayers but it is really anything that takes the place of Faith in God including all forms of obsessions. For as stated, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” - Matt. 6:21 and “No man can serve two masters” - Matt. 6:22. God’s Kingdom is an up, down administration of His Grace and everything that happens resulting in good or bad is the burden of the top guy; our God. Of course, any great leader will hold accountable everyone within His purview for their actions. Idol worship is nothing short of usurping God’s authority for chaos; therefore we should not be surprised but fully endorse God’s direction through Joshua and Jesus to rid His responsibilities of anything that would aid this anarchy. This is why satan’s final goal is to usurp God’s authority as he tried to do in Heaven and has managed to bring that purpose to fruition. He has taken it viral because the traditional way of swaying people to give him homage is time-consuming and requires too many infra-structures to propagate it into practice. The original goal was to make himself the center of focus with satanic rituals, conclaves, and sacrifices but with today’s two prime agents of destruction, his focus is to distract, obsess and self-love into personal worship and idolatry; with the ultimate goal that he becomes man's god. This results in the same goal to usurp God’s authority of decrees and declarations across millions instantaneously.
Sept. 28, 2017.
Worldly Idolatry.
It’s no secret that the world is idolatry in motion and that the enemy has used this to sway many from Salvation. But what is mind-boggling is when many in the Body does not acknowledge or by self-imposition is blinded by it. I often make the humorous statement; “engineers are the ones who will destroy the world and it’s good I am not an engineer”. Now, that’s a bit facetious, but not too far off from the Truth of it all. The technology of itself is not evil but those who abuse it and in many ways, it was simpler to deal with in previous years; for one could just avoid using it as a personal choice. Some technology, of course, is unavoidable and in many cases forced on you.
Commonly known as a selfie and taken with mobile devices have dominated not only children and teenagers but even adults looking for attention and others using this platform for ulterior motives. Sure it is fun and has a place in this highly modern technological society. But with all things that become obsessive and leads to many idolizing and worshipping these things which in God’s eye is no different than worshipping another person. Selfies have made people self-absorbed to the point they define their life my how many pictures they are able to share with friends and the rest of the world through several social platforms. Just a few days ago in a South Asian country, a student drowned while his classmates were taking a group selfie even though he was within hearing, seeing and reaching distance. There has also been a report of a person videotaping a man drowning while not making an alarm or attempting to help him and uploading it to the World Wide Web.
The result of these social platforms and especially selfies have made most users and partakers of it, insensitive to other issues, immediate events around them and humanity in general. It is a tool to kill, steal and destroy. Many victims including Christians not aware of its hidden agenda begin to define their life, personality, and value by its addictive attention. This is no different than when someone becomes famous and receives applauses, acclamations, and recognition from their fans, the media, and endorsers. It is a drug that is self-inflicted and affects not only the mind but even the body and spirit. There is not a day, hour or minute that a selfie is not uploaded for someone to view. These users just as a famous person of the arts find their value in a number of endorsers. On these social platforms, this is collected as likes and followers. So the goal of selfies is to become popular and recognized by people who one does not know with the credibility determined by the accumulation of these likes and followers.
The internet combined with social media is this tool of destruction and there has been no time like now that this combination has impacted so rapidly and globally. There was this combination over two decades ago but was very rudimentary in the form of land phones and local community organizations. But with advancements in the power and efficiency, the effectiveness of this is multiplied and has become more quickly ingrained in every day and most people lives.
As with all things that have benefit; the devil twists it towards his agenda to kill, steal and destroy. The true promise of this combined technology is to build the relationships with people near and far by sharing. The twist of this is using this technology and platform for selfish reasons as an anti-action to its intended purpose just like using the Bible to shine the light of unrighteous glory on oneself. This is really idol worship of self.