Tuesday, Sep 21, 2021
Exhortation: Pst Anita Etta
Topic: Idolatry

Exercise: how do you spend your 24hours?

• Truth is, as much as we love God, how much of our time/money/etc is spent on God and His Kingdom?
• Do you know that many of us believers are involved in Idolatry without even realising it?

• Why it isn’t obvious to us is because the idols in our case are not the physical carved statues. These idols are our jobs, our tv, our money, social media, etc.
• Have you ever asked yourself, as a woman or man of God, why you are unable to (easily) heal, cast out demons, and perform other discipleship duties?
• How, compared to the disciples in the Bible, is it that we in this day are barely covering ground in the miracle work aspect of the Kingdom work God has called you and me to?
• How many of us jealously guard our time with God?
• No wonder we pray and fast for 24 hours, but the power still isn’t active or intense.

WHY??

• For one, our fire is not consistent. We jump in and out of God’s presence.

HOW??

• We spend MOST of our day on worldly things.
• Many of us have been in the Faith walk so long that we forget the fact that our God is a king, meaning we can’t just call on Him and expect Him to immediately show up.

Rather, we have to WAIT as long as it takes for Him to show up. Just the same way you’d wait to see someone very important to you.

Exodus 20:3-5

• This verse gives us a warning if we have other idols!
• Sadly, our jobs, tv etc have become our idols.
• An idol is anything that takes up a significantly huge chunk of our time, resources, imagination and energy.
• An idol is anything that makes you think – believe – you won’t be able to function without it.
• There are times in our life that God will not allow us get something we badly want, just to get our attention.

• Worship is reverence and adoration for God, but many of us revere and adore other things.
• What is driving you to go after the things you are?
• Is it a desire to build God’s Kingdom?
• What thoughts do you carry in your mind throughout/most of your day?

Types of idols:

• False gods
• Pride: self
• god of technology
• materialism

• Can you worship God with the the same reckless abandon you express when your favourite entertainer shows up?
• Sadly, many of us have put God in a box fwe only open on Sunday mornings, mid-week services, choir practice, etc.
• But if the Holy Spirit nudges you in the middle of the night or at work to stop and intercede for someone, will you do it?

• Are we truly available for whenever God calls us to a task?
• In North America, especially, materialism is our biggest idol; it’s ALL about our ego.

• We give 60-80 hours to our jobs, meaning that during those 60+ hours, our minds are disconnected from God.

• How many of us, instead of asking for a promotion in our jobs, ask God for a promotion in His Kingdom.

1 John 2:16
Colossians 3:5

• For some married couples, sex has become an idol; we’ll do thorough preparation to get both ourselves and our spouse in the mood. Can we put in as much time and effort in setting the mood for God?

Judges 10:14

• What god have you chosen? That tv you watch 2+ hours, the job you spend 8+ hours at, that SLEEP you so prioritize over spending time in prayer. Let them save you when you’re in trouble.

• Today, I challenge you to examine how you spend your time, talents and money!
• I know, life today isn’t what it was yesterday. Back then, you didn’t have to spend hours in commute to and from work, and run the rat race. But regardless of the time we may be living in, the God of yesterday is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

What does this mean?

• It means that our Father never changes, which means that the same things it took back in Apostle Paul’s time to get God’s anointing are STILL the same things it will take in our current times to get under His anointing.

So how can prioritize God in our daily life?

• Instead of spending that extra money only towards yourself – new clothes (which you probably don’t even have room for), trips, etc – you can use it to help the House of God.
• Our lives must be a living sacrifice, meaning our time and giving must be sacrificial. That’s why Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted. It was not sacrificial.

• The truth is that instead of our Isaacs, many believers have put God on our altar of sacrifice. We’d rather sacrifice a relationship with Him so that we can spend more time on those things we love.

• So you know that many demonic bondages are tied to idol worship?
  Exodus 20:4

• See, God is jealous of your job, because that job is able to get 8 hours daily from you, whereas all He gets is maybe an hour.
• When you do anything that brings out the jealousy of God, He considers that hatred. And the hatred God refers to in His commandments is not hatred as we define.
• The key to deliverance, healing, etc is putting God FIRST in everything!

Revelations 9:20 refers to that car you are so after, or the jewelry you love so much.

Galatians 5:19

• Any ambition that’s not to glorify God is an idol.

• Today, you are encouraged to ask God for understanding and knowledge of His word.

• Because things like deliverance is more than just about the casting out of demons; the most important – simple – thing is understanding God and His word.
• So take a moment today. Recommit one specific thing to God, and may He give you strength to carry through.

Thank God for this word!