There is a disease of the heat that is called cardiomyopathy. It is one of the few heart diseases that can technically be called a “heart attack.” The problems that we generally lump into the category of “heart attack” are those that are caused by problems with the blood supply to the heart muscle, while cardiomyopathy results from a direct attack on the muscle itself. It is thought that some of the instances of this disease are caused by a virus. This patient will exhibit no outward signs of the disease until enough damage has been caused to the heart muscle that it is no longer able to supply blood to the rest of the body.
Ezekiel 14 (NLT)
7I, the LORD, will punish all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts so they fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice.
God gave His people ten specific commandments related to their relationship with Him and their relationship with other people. In Exodus 20:5-6a we read, 4"Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. 5You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God ……” Our omniscient heavenly Father knew that His creation was going to have what has been described as a “God shaped void” as a part of their very being. He also knew that our memories were very short and we needed definite direction on who He was.
The way I read Exodus 20:5-6a leaves no doubt in my mind as to what God expects. The Israelites had these same words in front of them and spoken to them from the day God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, so why did they have so much trouble keeping this one? This passage gives us some insight into the origin of their disease. God tells His people that they have “heart trouble.” They have allowed a disease, more insidious than any bacterial or viral infection known even today, to infiltrate their heart. This disease is evidenced by vision blurred to the sight of the God who is trying to show them the error of their ways. It has affected their hearing to the point that they cannot hear His prophets as they shout out God’s message. But the most damaging symptom is a blockage of the fellowship with the One True Creator of the Universe.
It is easy for us to see what had infected God’s children. They had consciously chosen to worship other gods and bow down to their images. “Boy am I ever glad I have never made the same mistake as the Israelites referred to in this passage,” we boast. Maybe we need to examine ourselves a little closer. Today’s Christian tends to want to look at the problem of idol worship in a literal sense. We don’t have a shrine set up in our house where we bow down to worship our carved gecko, so we don’t worship idols. Look again at what God said in this passage – “who reject me and set up idols in their hearts…” That shed a different light on the whole subject.
God is talking about worship here. Who or what is number one in your heart? Be careful how you answer that question, because every time you refuse to acknowledge that you have something or someone in your life that takes priority over your relationship with God, you bury the cause of your disease that much deeper in your heart. This gives it time to do even more damage. Church, this is the most important question we have to answer as Christ-followers! When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) Every fiber of our being must be involved in our worship of God the Father.
God tells us that, once the symptoms of the attack on our heart begin, He must take desperate actions. We can protect ourselves by allowing the Holy Spirit free reign in everything we think, do, or say. That is the best protection possible against a spiritual “heart attack.”
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
7I, the LORD, will punish all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts so they fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice.
God gave His people ten specific commandments related to their relationship with Him and their relationship with other people. In Exodus 20:5-6a we read, 4"Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. 5You must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God ……” Our omniscient heavenly Father knew that His creation was going to have what has been described as a “God shaped void” as a part of their very being. He also knew that our memories were very short and we needed definite direction on who He was.
The way I read Exodus 20:5-6a leaves no doubt in my mind as to what God expects. The Israelites had these same words in front of them and spoken to them from the day God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, so why did they have so much trouble keeping this one? This passage gives us some insight into the origin of their disease. God tells His people that they have “heart trouble.” They have allowed a disease, more insidious than any bacterial or viral infection known even today, to infiltrate their heart. This disease is evidenced by vision blurred to the sight of the God who is trying to show them the error of their ways. It has affected their hearing to the point that they cannot hear His prophets as they shout out God’s message. But the most damaging symptom is a blockage of the fellowship with the One True Creator of the Universe.
It is easy for us to see what had infected God’s children. They had consciously chosen to worship other gods and bow down to their images. “Boy am I ever glad I have never made the same mistake as the Israelites referred to in this passage,” we boast. Maybe we need to examine ourselves a little closer. Today’s Christian tends to want to look at the problem of idol worship in a literal sense. We don’t have a shrine set up in our house where we bow down to worship our carved gecko, so we don’t worship idols. Look again at what God said in this passage – “who reject me and set up idols in their hearts…” That shed a different light on the whole subject.
God is talking about worship here. Who or what is number one in your heart? Be careful how you answer that question, because every time you refuse to acknowledge that you have something or someone in your life that takes priority over your relationship with God, you bury the cause of your disease that much deeper in your heart. This gives it time to do even more damage. Church, this is the most important question we have to answer as Christ-followers! When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) Every fiber of our being must be involved in our worship of God the Father.
God tells us that, once the symptoms of the attack on our heart begin, He must take desperate actions. We can protect ourselves by allowing the Holy Spirit free reign in everything we think, do, or say. That is the best protection possible against a spiritual “heart attack.”
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
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