Author: Brian

Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor

Six Reasons to Have No Other Gods

On By BrianIn Idolatry, Ten Commandments

In the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3), God commands us to have no other gods before Him. Why? Here are six reasons not to have other gods:

First, God spoke this command (v1). God Himself commands it – and that should really be enough for us.

Second, God is our God (v2). He has entered into a relationship with us, and we are his people. We ought to show the same allegiance to God that he shows to us.

Third, God saved us (v3). As God saved Israel from slavery to Egypt, so God has saved us from slavery to sin. And we ought to respond with grateful allegiance.

Fourth, God is our Creator (Genesis 1-2). As such we owe our very existence to Him. And so he should be first in our lives.

Fifth, God is the only true God (Psalm 86:10). How foolish for us to exchange fake gods for the one true God. What a horrible slight to God to follow fake gods.

Sixth, God is greater than all the fake gods. He showed Himself greater than the Egyptian gods through the ten plagues. He showed Himself greater than Baal on the mountain in the contest between Elijah and Baal’s prophets. As the one true God he is greater than all fake gods. He can truly help us. He can truly satisfy us. He is greater.

Can you think of other reasons to have no other gods?

Where Is Your Allegiance?

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 30, Judah had turned away from God. They didn’t want to hear God’s instruction (v9). They didn’t want to be confronted with the Holy One of Israel (v11). They wanted to hear smooth things (v10).

Sounds much like today. People don’t want to hear about God’s commands. They don’t want to think about a Holy God to whom they are accountable. They want to hear smooth things, pleasant words. They want to hear about love. Not a holy love or a real love, but a fawning love, a doting love. They want to think that God is happy with them and just winks at their sin.

What about you? Is there a sin that you are excusing? That you don’t want to be confronted with, convicted of? Is there an area of your life where you have turned away from God? Given your allegiance to sin?

God calls us to return to him (v15). He calls us to repent of our sins and follow Him. He wants us to follow his direction (v21). He wants us to give our full allegiance to Him.

So where is your allegiance today?

Not Enough?

On By BrianIn Idolatry, Ten Commandments

HisLovingLawAnything that comes between God and us that compromises our walk with him is a god to us. We are saying, “You’re not really enough for this situation, Lord. You are not providing for me or protecting me or fulfilling me in the ways that I need, so I am bringing this other god into my life to close the gap between your inadequacy and my needs.”

– Jani Ortlund in His Loving Law, Our Lasting Legacy

Ouch!

Sermon Songs: Isaiah 30

On By BrianIn Isaiah Hymns

Stay on the path – don’t walk away
Don’t trust in empty things
Don’t turn from God and disobey
Beware of all straying

Stay on the path of his great grace
Trust in Him and follow
He’ll stay with you throughout life’s race
Then heaven’s joys you’ll know

– From a sermon on Isaiah 30
(To the tune of “Amazing Grace”)

Where Is Your Trust?

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 30, Judah is trusting in Egypt to save them from the Assyrian army. But Egypt “cannot profit them” (v5). Egypt’s help is “worthless and empty” (v7).

Still today, people trust in empty things. Some trust in other gods. Many trust in their wealth, or their success, or their job, or their health, or their friends, or the government. And yet all of these can fail – prove empty like Egypt.

God called Judah, and he calls us, to trust in Him. He is the “LORD God” (v15) – the one true God. He is the “Holy One” (v15) – beyond us and greater – able to help us. He is the “Holy One of Israel” (v15) – he entered into a relationship with Israel. He cared about them and wanted to help them. And he has entered into a relationship with us and wants to help us.

And so he calls us to rest in Him, to be still before Him, and trust Him (v15). And in this trust we find strength in the midst of the trials and struggles of life (v15). We don’t need to freak out, but rest quietly in Him, looking to Him for what we need.

He calls us to wait expectantly for Him (v18). He calls us to cry out to Him with the assurance that he will answer, and that he will be with us (v19-20). He calls us to listen to Him for guidance through life (v21). He calls us to look to Him in all things – to trust Him.

We can trust in empty things or we can trust in our God. Where is your trust today?

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points1 Comment

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Teaching Children the Ten Commandments – Michael Snow
Michael shares the Ten Commandments in rhyme from the McGuffey readers.  Looks like a good way to teach young children – maybe it could be put to music.

Gentleness Is Not an Option – Dane Ortlund (via Jared Wilson)
[G]entleness is essential to Christian living. It is not an add-on. It is . . . one of the few indisputable evidences of the Holy Spirit alive and well within someone.

Sobering Up: The Prerequisite to a Good Prayer Life – Darryl Dash
Sobering up means that we see reality as it really is; that we recognize that time is short; that we give up any thoughts of trying to live or serve apart from the enablement that only God can offer.

The Tone Deaf Singer – Tim Challies
We sing best when that gospel is dwelling richly within us. God is not looking at the quality of our tone or the perfection of our pitch. He is looking at the heart. 

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day praising our Lord from your heart with your local church!

What We Are Supposed To Look Like

On By BrianIn 10C Quotes

RuleOfLoveThe Law [Ten Commandments] is not revealed to God’s people as the means by which they should earn their redemption. Rather, the Law is revealed to show them how they can be conformed to the image of their loving, covenant Lord…. Christ perfectly fulfilled the obligations of the Law. If we are to reflect the image of Christ, the Law will assist us by showing us what we are supposed to look like.

– J. V. Fesko in The Rule of Love

Consider Our Dependence Upon God

On By BrianIn Virtue of Humility

To grow in humility, we need to renew our minds with Biblical truth and train ourselves for godliness.

Nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. – Acts 17:25 (ESV)

We need to renew our minds by considering our dependence upon God. I am completely dependent upon him for my next breath, my health, and the length of my life. I am completely dependent upon him for success, provision, abilities, and blessings. I cannot exist or accomplish anything on my own.  I am completely dependent upon God. This is a truth that humbles us.

So let’s train ourselves in this truth by praying. As we cry out to God for help, we are acknowledging our dependence upon him. We are expressing our need of assistance from the One who is greater and higher than we are. This is a practice that can humble us.

Pray for God’s help and consider our dependence upon God – and so grow in humility.

Also in this Series

Growing in Humility

Consider Our Smallness Before God