Avoiding Idol Worship and Vices

 Avoiding Idol Worship and Vices

Positive Christianity Series Episode #377

"The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the GOD of my salvation."- Psalm 18: 46

Scripture instructs us on the need to reprove and avoid idol worship similar to Moses. Moses did not waste time removing idol worship and also reproved idolatry. This is because idol worship seeks to lead to worse and worse sin and even vices. The practice of sin is captivity and lack of freedom. The snake wants individuals to keep sinning and practicing idolatry so that the type and amount of sin increases in the wicked individual's life. The practice of worshiping something other than the GOD of gods leads to lying, stealing, coveting, envying, adultery, and murder. From there, the accuser attempts to introduce worse emotions including bitterness, hate, envy, and resentments so that individuals can increase the type of sin to grave sin and then introduce vileness and maliciousness. This would include the worse types of sins including gangstalking, persecution of the righteous (including prophets seen in the story of Jeremiah), attacking of foreigners, widows, and orphans, telling lies to bretheren in order to ambush and deceive, spilling of innocent blood like Cain, suppressing truth, extortion, coercion, racketeering, changing individuals wages or charging too much interest, adultery, and sorcery. We learn that the snake does not say that you have to persecute righteous individuals from the beginning. Instead it states that you can sin to relieve stress and do not have to escalate the type of sin while you learn "knowledge" and "wisdom". That is why sin must be reproved and not tolerated. Enoch reproved sin. Abraham reproved sin. Moses reproved sin. David reproved sin. Abijah reproved sin. King Jesus Christ reproved sin. Paul reproved sin. This describes that Scripture preaches the reproving of sin and not the toleration of sin. This is because we know that sin does not want to remain small. Sin wants to take control of the individual and enslave them with shackles and chains. This describes the vices.

"The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked He will destroy."- Psalm 145: 20

We can choose to reprove sin by worshiping GOD Almighty with complete devotion and unchanging fidelity. If we love GOD Almighty above everything of this imperfect and temporary world, we are not going to worship something else that does not merit the worship. We can keep fidelity like David who never practiced idol worship a single day of his life and prospered. We can speak truth to the lies of idol worship especially when idolatry has nothing good to offer since it wants to separate from the worship, favor, blessings, and having a refuge in GOD Almighty. We learn that we have everything that we need in GOD Almighty so much so that we have our spiritual necessities describing favor, blessings, and virtues. Going to Scripture nurtures our soul and strengthens ourselves. This is because Scripture is spiritual nourishment.

We should also go to prayer everyday preferably the first activity of the day to start the day with encouragement knowing that our Creator and LORD listens to us and is active in our day to day lives. David went to prayer and was strengthened. Prayer helps us ask for protection from the attacks of the snake, deliverance from evil, and the manner to persevere with resiliency despite the not so good times. While the times may not be amazing, we can keep persisting trusting in GOD Almighty. Praying everyday prevents idolatry and sorcery. This is because sorcerers and idolators place their trust in the snake and idols instead of the true GOD of gods, GOD Almighty. We learn that GOD Almighty answers our prayers and shields us from believing that sorcery can help. Sorcery looks to cause grave difficulties for idolators. Sorcery can drive individuals crazy, mad, and even make them lose their mind. Surprisingly, some street drugs (i.e. LSD, smoking meth, marijuana with PCP, and adulterated cocaine (called cheese because of its yellow color) have known to cause madness, tachycardias, abnormal heart rhythm, changes in personality, envy, and addiction. Sorcery also tends to require the use of street drugs since it is denoted that using street drugs can lead to personality changes (some preachers have said that it causes evil spirits to possess individuals. That is why sorcery and drug use tend to go together and may cause personality changes such as rebelling against Christianity and disobedience.)

Virtues guard us against vices that are essentially shackles and chains. Virtues are developed by worshiping GOD Almighty and obeying the commandments of Moses. Virtues described in generosity, humility, righteousness, serenity, temperance, chastity, piety, benevolence, gratitude, and goodness tend to guard and protect from avarice, pride, evil, intemperance, lust, vileness, malice, ingratitude, and anger. Fidelity to GOD Almighty protects us with virtues that prevent vices from developing. The snake attempts to use lust to lead to slothfulness and other vices. We can battle lust by removing lustful propaganda, lustful magazines, books, socialist series or movies, and songs that speak of lust (especially due to the negative times we live in. Seems that most popular songs since the 2015s are about lust instead of empathy, perseverance, and goodness. They got rid of reggae since the 1990s for idolatrous rap so that tells us a lot. There is better music including worship music.) We can guard ourselves from lust by being industrious throughout the day and avoid slothfulness and lust. Lust tends to lead to slothfulness and envy. That is why we can not practice lust since it does incorporate other vices and types of sin. Lust is not a small vice and is dangerous. That is why it is being weaponized since the 2015s through music and media to lead to slothfulness, intemperance, evil, envy, vileness, and malice. I have managed to fight off lust by going to prayer in the morning and reading Scripture. I am industrious writing and studying Scripture throughout the day that prevents slothfulness. I acknowledge in prayer that I have significance and purpose to preach and can not be lazy. This prevents me from misutilizing my talents and virtues by being slothful. Work by writing until mid day and then exercise after publishing. Also tend to have worship music on that I sing to. David sang worship songs to GOD Almighty. (Do not know the type of music on the radio since the 2015s. Also, I do not watch tv.) Also tend to meditate on Scripture and memorize specific positive and encouraging Scripture verses that describe that GOD Almighty is a refuge from Psalms. I then read books on Christianity or different topics that are educational. Ocassionaly, listen to a sermon. It is possible to avoid sin and idol worship in the times we live in.