Moment by Moment Christianity: Reflections on Fundamental Biblical Issues

By Emmanuel C. Chijindu and David Wraight

Moment by Moment Christianity is a series of short reflective thoughts that have been prayerfully written to give Christian, seekers and even non-Christians everywhere practical guidance and hands-on grip to issues of life and daily living as taught by the Bible. It focuses on very short verses from the Bible, from which the salient matters are carefully discussed while pointing out practical steps and recommended actions for personal growth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781512766486

Emmanuel C. Chijindu

For 27 years, Emmanuel Chijindu, a 1979 graduate of Azusa Pacific College, now Azusa Pacific University in California served with his wife, Mabel as indigenous African Missionaries with Youth for Christ International. He served in various leadership positions in Nigeria - their home country, in Zambia,and in Kenya from where he completed a six-year tenure as Africa Area Director for Youth for Christ. They presently reside in Tempe, Arizona USA, where they have continued to reach out with the Gospel to International Students; focusing mostly on African students. Emmanuel and Mabel have 3 grown-up children.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982

by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright

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Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©

1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches

of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6649-3 (sc)

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6648-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016919891

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/29/2021

Contents

INTRODUCTION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1.     The Attributes of God

Who God Is

The Sovereignty of God

God is Not a Man – Neither is He an Idol

The Uncontainable God

The All-Sufficient God

The Compassionate and Companionable God

I Am the Lord, I Will: The Willing God

The Rock-Solid God

A Jealous God

God as a Father

I Am He: The First and The Last

CHAPTER 2.     The Beginnings

In the Beginning God Created

Dark, Empty and Formless Earth

The Beginnings and The Firsts

CHAPTER 3.     The God Who Communicates and Relates

And God Said: The God Who Speaks

An Intimate and Fellowship-Loving God

I Will Dwell Among Them

Come, Let Us Reason Together

Your God Will Come

CHAPTER 4.     The Christ and His Purpose

The Deity of Christ

No Room in Bethlehem

The Christian Manifesto: Christianity’s Agenda

God Amongst His People

Tempted as We Are; Yet Without Sin

A Prophet and Savior Before His Time

The Christ Purpose

A Savior, Born in The Fullness of Time

The Father Has Sent the Son

I Am the Way

The Resurrection and The Life

The Messiah: Contrarieties and Paradoxes

Expediency of The Cross and The Resurrection

If Christ is Not Risen

Jesus: Mediator and Advocate

The Ascended Mediator

Christ The Lord

CHAPTER 5.     The Distinctions of Christianity

Christianity

God with Us: Our Distinction

Come unto Me

The Christian’s God

No Longer Slaves, But Sons and Heirs

The Son of God

What Is Truth?

CHAPTER 6.     Believer’s New Standing - A New Outlook

A Stranger on the Earth

As Sojourners and Pilgrims

Ambassadors of Christ

You Are Not Your Own

Conformed to His Likeness

Transformed

Known, Formed, Sanctified and Ordained

Hidden with Christ in God

No Longer Strangers and Foreigners

As Friend to A Friend

His Easy Yoke for Your Heavy Burden

A Living Sacrifice

Your Guilt Is Taken Away

CHAPTER 7.     Holy Spirit - The Believer’s Guarantee, Power and Guide

Overshadowed by The Most High

Led by The Spirit

Holy Spirit: The Seal and The Guarantee

Anointed, Sealed and Guaranteed

CHAPTER 8.     The Church - A Called-out Community

Get Out of Your Country

Called into God’s Kingdom and Glory

Pentecost

Holy: Separated or Set Apart

A Unique and Chosen People: God’s Own Special People

You Are an Epistle of Christ

Living Stones, Holy Priesthood

Elements of Church Growth

CHAPTER 9.     Life in Christ - A Converted, Persuaded Life

Unless You Are Converted

You Are My God

The Mind of Christ

God’s Copy-cats – Imitators of God

Now That You Have Been Raised with Christ

Living a Life Worthy of The Calling

Come, Buy Without Money

Rejoice Always?

A New Spirit and A New Heart

I Will Write My Law in Their Hearts

Distinguishing Good from Evil; The Pure from Impurities (By Bethany-Angel Chijindu)

The Abundant Life

CHAPTER 10.   Embracing the New and the Unknown

All Things New!

Away from the Manger

Arise, Go Over This Jordan

You Can Drive Them Out

Give Me This Mountain

Reaching Forward and Upward

Endurance

Lengthen Your Cords, Strengthen Your Stakes

See, I Am Doing A New Thing

CHAPTER 11.   Faith Defined and Demonstrated

Faith

Faith: A Tenacious Trust in God

Faith: Living Out God’s Guaranteed Promises

The Good Fight of Faith

David Had It in His Heart

But Daniel Purposed in His Heart

Someone Touched Me

A Harlot’s Plea

There Is A Man in Your Kingdom

The Prayer of Zebedee’s Wife

Something to Show

CHAPTER 12.   Virtues To Live By

Faith Supplements

Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom

Sincerity and Truth

Justice, Mercy and Humility

Contentment

Giving Thanks

Clothing for The Mind

CHAPTER 13.   Issues of the Heart

Corruption

7 Keys to A Healthy Spiritual Heart (By Bethany-Angel Chijindu)

A Broken Spirit and A Contrite Heart

Introduction

The Bible is not many people’s favorite book to pick off the shelf to read for a quiet afternoon’s relaxation, or for passing the time while riding a bus or train, or even on a long flight in an airplane.

Generally, people avoid the Bible; not only because they have this notion that it is ancient and that its values would challenge their present-day lifestyle. They stay away from it because of its sheer volume which appears too large for them to embrace and tackle. But when people realize that the Bible addresses and discusses pertinent day to day issues that they encounter in real life; they approach it with a more positive attitude.

Moment by Moment Christianity has taken some of those life issues that we encounter daily, and as taught in the Bible and prayerfully discussed them for the benefit of everyone; even for the None-Christian, who may be seeking to know what the Bible teaches.

The book is a product of several years of notations of crucial lessons at both personal Bible studies and from Bible teachings from others.

The idea of sharing these notes with the public first came out of a need, as overseer of the work of Youth for Christ International in Africa between 2004 and 2009, to weekly speak into the lives of my then National Directors who were scattered across 34 different nations. It began as short words of encouragement; about half a page, sent out by e-mails to them. Soon the National Directors were sharing them with their own staff and Board members in their nations, and requests started pouring in from people; to be included on the e-mailing list.

Since then, the Moment by Moment Reflection as it was originally called, has been going out weekly to over 1,000 readers in every continent; to friends, partners in ministry and to people that God had led me and my wife, Mabel to minister to in our many years as indigenous African missionaries. It is from this wider audience and readership, particularly from North America, that the nudge to publish Moment by Moment in a book form started coming, and continued to mount.

With our relocation to the USA in 2010, the encouragement and counsel of our very close friends concerning the Reflections increased and have brought about the conviction that perhaps God’s timing has come for making available to the public in a book form some of the vital lessons that He has been teaching me from His word since 1971, when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and began studying the Bible seriously.

Acknowledgements

This book would not have been possible if God had not taught me quite early in my Christian walk, through the examples of my departed mentor and spiritual father in Christ, Anthony Talbot de B. Wilmot of Seven Oaks, Kent, England, the spiritual discipline of studying God’s word, and how to make and preserve important notes on the margins of my Bible, for quick and easy future reference, and reminder of the lessons that God was teaching me in my daily personal devotions.

I owe tremendous thanks to Youth for Christ International who for over 27 years gave me various opportunities in leadership positions and so afforded me the chance to plough back into my notes, while continuing to write new ones for the encouragement of young people, staff, volunteers and eventually partners who have invested so much in my life and ministry.

I am grateful to all the partners who in some way, by face to face affirmation, in telephone conversations or through e-mail communications encouraged me to consider publishing in a book form those meditations they received weekly from me as the Moment by Moment Reflection. I am thankful to God for now bringing into realization the vision these wonderful people had, with the publishing of Moment by Moment Christianity which is the compilation of years of those Reflections.

Next, I am eternally grateful to God for my wife, Mabel and our 3 children - Bethany, Crystal and Jacinth, who in their own important and special ways have encouraged me and contributed much in fulfilling the call to compile this book. I thank Mabel, not only for her fervent prayers concerning this, but for believing so much in the Reflections that she on her own forwarded them to many in her circle of friends in many nations. I am Thankful to our son; Jacinth for always nudging me and inquiring when I would start compiling the work.

Believing that the Reflections were good enough materials for a book, Crystal our second daughter went ahead and designed this back-cover as far back as 2009, when we were still living in Nairobi. And I must mention here that every one of the weekly Reflections that was sent out was first forwarded to Bethany, our first daughter, who edited them before they were sent out every week. I am very blessed and humbled to have included in this first volume, 2 of the 3 Reflections she wrote on her own, in Chapters 9 and 13, dealing with Life in Christ and "Issues of the Heart" respectively. Her other Reflection on Leadership will be featured in the second volume.

Finally, I give all the praise, honor and glory to God; first for saving a sinful wretched worm like me, and then in His mercy considered me useable in the ministry of making known His Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ to people everywhere that He has led and continues to lead me.

It is His all-sufficient grace alone, working through my weaknesses that has made possible the writing of the contents of this initial volume, and of the second volume that is following this.

To God be the Glory!!!

Foreword

MOMENT BY MOMENT CHRISTIANITY

FOREWARD – by David Wraight

The pervasive decline in biblical literacy and the diminishing acknowledgment of the authority of the Bible throughout the Church globally is a huge concern, particularly when we consider how essential biblical knowledge and the respect of biblical authority is to the vibrancy and health of Kingdom- advancing movements.

Recent research in the United States has revealed some very disturbing trends in the Church. George Barna, reporting on his investigation of biblical literacy in the Church in America, says:

The Christian body in America is immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy. How else can you describe matters when most churchgoing adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize, believe that good works are one of the keys to persuading God to forgive their sins, and describe their commitment to Christianity as moderate or even less firm?¹

Barna further reports on some other disturbing facts:

The most widely known Bible verse among adult and teen believers is God helps those who help themselves— which is not actually in the Bible, and conflicts with the basic message of Scripture.

Less than one out of every ten believers possess a biblical worldview as the basis for his or her decision-making or behavior.

When given thirteen basic teachings from the Bible, only 1% of adult believers firmly embraced all thirteen as being biblical perspectives.²

The provision of access to the Bible for the ordinary believer was the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation that ushered in a golden era of church growth, mission, revival and evangelical endeavor. Up until Martin Luther translated the Bible into the language of the common people, the only Bible available was the Latin translation, which was for the exclusive use of the clergy of the church.

When the general population in Germany gained access to the Bible in their own language, they were able to study the Scriptures for themselves, discover the truth and apply it to their lives. It had a tremendous impact on the church and on German culture. As people started to live and serve under the authority of God’s Word rather than the authority of the Roman Catholic priests, it not only impacted Germany and the surrounding nations, but also led to the production of the Geneva Bible and then the King James Bible, which in turn generated a revolution in the English-speaking Church. Authentic, Bible-believing missional churches sprang up all over Europe and formed the foundation for great advancement of God’s Kingdom.

Is it time for another reformational connection of those in the Church to the authority and truth of God’s Word? It would seem so. Although we have an amazing abundance of biblical literature, translations, study guides and devotionals, it appears that fewer and fewer people are reading God’s Word and applying it to their lives. We seem to have slipped back into the pre- reformation practice where professional leaders of the church are the only ones who have an intimate knowledge of the Bible and are interpreting it for the masses.

Today’s Church has many sound teachers and biblical expositors, but also many misguided, unbiblical, self-focused purveyors of so-called biblical truth who are teaching and practicing self-serving, materialistic and/or comfortable expressions of church that have nothing to do with the Kingdom of God or authentic, self-denying faith in Jesus. The only effective counter to this theological drift is to get people personally reconnected to the content, authority and truth of God’s Word.

Over the years, I have been greatly encouraged by Emmanuel Chijindu’s devotional material. I am pleased that he has now collated his writings and brought them together in this book. Moment by Moment Christianity presents the truth of the Bible in an accessible and engaging format that I believe will be appealing to a broad range of readers. In the pages of this book you will find an excellent balance of biblical exposition and practical application, and I am sure that as you read Moment by Moment Christianity, your knowledge and appreciation of Gods’ Word will increase substantially. It is a book much needed in today’s biblically illiterate world, and I trust it will be used by many to grow in their faith as they are transformed by the life-changing truth of the Bible.

CHAPTER 1: The Attributes

of God

Who God Is

May the Lord daily increase in us a clearer understanding and knowledge of who He is and how much He loves us, and how much He desires to relate with us.

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon thee children and children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.’ (Exodus 34: 6-8 NKJV)

The story is told of a group of blind men who were taken to experience an elephant by touching and feeling the body, since they were visually challenged and could not see. Because the elephant was a very massive animal, the blind men were positioned around the elephant so that each of them could at least touch and feel it from where they each stood. Later, they were each asked to describe their experience of the elephant: -

The one who touched the tusk reported that the elephant was like a long pipe. For the man who touched one of the legs, the elephant was like a tree. And to the one who felt the breath coming out of the nose, the elephant blows hot wind. So, the elephant was a different thing to each of the blind men, depending on what part of the animal they had experienced.

This story illustrates the problem that adherents to mere religion have with understanding who God is. In their attempt, with limited human experience and knowledge for describing who they think God is, they proceed on their own to blindly prescribe for others, ways of worshiping the God who they have not yet first known and who has not declared Himself to them. In mere religion, which unfortunately includes nominal Christianity, people behave like the blind men with the elephant. They use their partial experience of God with their imaginations to judge who God is, then they go on their ways attempting to worship Him, without understanding who they worship and without listening to hear from the one they are attempting to worship. Consequently, they worship without understanding who God is and how He has prescribed that He should be worshipped and served.

In the passage under reference, and in several other passages in the Scripture, we see God reveal Himself. He passed by and made Himself known by proclaiming or declaring to Moses who He is, and what His attributes are. This is where mere religion fails the test. If a religion worships a deity who has never revealed itself in such a manner that it can be related to and interacted with and has never spoken and communicated its mind first by words, by proclamation or by other means, then that deity is not the same as my Lord Jehovah. Rather, it is an idol. It does not matter how grand a temple it may have and how opulently men may have designed its worship, it remains a dumb idol that is not worth following, let alone worshipping and serving. It is only blinded people that would worship a dumb deity as their god. Such people are they, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4: 4 NKJV)

Now, let us look at God; not based on our own partial and scattered experiences or on our imaginations, but let us look at God based on His own personal declaration of who He is: -

1. He is the Lord God: God who in His true nature as God is equally sovereign Lord over the universe and over all that is in it as its creator. Other than Him, there has never been any other true God, and neither will there be, because He is the Alpha and Omega; The Beginning and the End. He is the only God that is rightfully addressed as Lord, because everything belongs to Him.

2. He is merciful and gracious: He is compassionate and kind, never deals with people according to the weight of their transgressions. But sadly, some religions of the world, like the blind men with the elephant, make this singular attribute of God the basis of their concept of Him. These religions never want to look at His other attributes that hold people accountable for sin and transgressions.

3. He is long-suffering - patient: In order to be merciful and gracious, God has always been patient; He gives the sinner a long rope, as it were, – longing for people to repent, and not perish. Again, unfortunately, many abuse this attribute of God either by refusing to repent and turn away from their sin, or by procrastinating. Others have even become obstinate and rebellious by treating His patience as a sign of slackness.

But The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3: 9 NKJV).

4. He is abounding in goodness and truth: Goodness and Truth are the impulse or driving force that moves the heart of God into everything He does. There is nothing that He does that is not done out of truth and for the sake of executing goodness, even when such goodness may be humanly viewed by some as not being so good.

5. He keeps mercy for thousands: This is another way of saying that God is a faithful God who keeps His word by showing mercy to those who love, follow and obey Him, as He has declared, showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20: 6 NKJV)

6. He forgives iniquity, transgressions and sins by clearing the guilty: One thing that sets our God apart from the gods of the pagans and their idols is that He is the only God who has dealt with the transgressions of mankind with total finality. He did this by the redemptive work of Christ Jesus. If any person’s religion does not address transgression or sin and its eradication through remission and elimination of guilt, or provides the power of victory over the same, then that religion with its god and all its prophets is not worth following. Our God, the Christian’s God, revealed in Christ, is the only God who has provided the answer to man’s primary ailment – sin and guilt.

7. He visits the iniquity of fathers upon their children: Yes, God, in addition to being a merciful and gracious God is equally a just God who punishes sin and wickedness. This is the one attribute most of the world’s religions like to omit in the mantras they chant about Him being only merciful, and benevolent. The true God is a God who hates and punishes evil, especially after He has exercised His longsuffering patience. And we must be careful because our sins today might have their punitive consequences on the next or future generation.

The Sovereignty of God

Rejoice and be glad in the Lord our God, whose reign in and over our lives is not like the dictatorship of the heathen rulers of this world or like the idol-gods of the nations, who subjugate and crush their subjects under ruthless and heavy bondage of slavery.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. (1 Chronicles 29: 11-12 NIV)

No other passage of scripture so adequately describes the sovereignty of our God as does this portion of King David’s outburst of prayer, when he was overwhelmed by the surplus abundance of God’s provision, as evidenced in the lavishness of the offerings and gifts the people had cheerfully and willingly brought and given, for the building of the Lord’s Temple.

The closest word that describes sovereignty in the Bible and in this outpouring of honor, encomiums and adoration by David is the word Dominion. But before we look at the word dominion, kindly note that right in the middle of the word sovereignty, is locked the very powerful word, reign. To reign means to be in position of great power and authority as a king ruling over a domain or kingdom. So, when we speak of the sovereignty of God in relation to the world and to our lives, we are talking about a God who must be granted His rightful position of authority and ruler-ship in the domain or territory of our individual and collective life. A king cannot but reign in his kingdom.

And getting back to Dominion; in scriptures, in the Hebrew language, the word can either mean a kingdom or a status quo or condition of supremacy that prevails, subjugates, treads down and takes possession of its subjects. When ordinarily executed, dominion carries with it the expectations and consequences of domination with control and enforcement of repression, as in slavery.

But God’s sovereignty, unlike the sovereignty of earthly kings and potentates is displayed and executed as a sovereignty that is inimitable; with holiness and righteousness at its very foundation. It is a sovereignty that executes dominion without domination as in controlling and enslaving. This is one of the many qualities that sets our God apart and distantly distinguishes Him from all other gods.

Here in Africa, the heathen gods that are worshipped by our peoples are renowned for their ruthlessness and callousness at exercising mastery over their adherents, so much so that they are worshipped with fright; not with reverence, because of the dispatch with which they execute speedy and drastic judgment upon erring devotees and worshipers, and because of the dreadful (demonic) penalties they are well known for expressly inflicting upon their disobedient followers. But Jehovah, the Almighty; the God who we serve, even though He possesses all the powers to induce or force everyone to do what He wants and likes them to do, grants us the freedom to make the choice whether to obey or disobey Him. He restrains Himself from enforcing His command and grants to mankind the freedom (without controlling us) to make the decisions, to either submit or resist His rule.

Think of God’s sovereignty as a king who builds beautiful mansions for his very poor and needy subjects, and then hands over the keys to them; granting them free occupancy. Despite his riches and powers, this king longs very much to get closer to his subjects in their poor situations. In his desire to identify with their struggles, he would visit them, disguised like an ordinary citizen. He would put aside his royal robes and dress himself in a peasant’s clothing; and on rainy spring days, snow winter blizzards or sun-scorched summer days, knock at the doors of the free houses he has given away and occupied by his subjects. But sadly, most of his subjects would never recognize him and would always slam the door at his face or send their dogs after him; to drive him out. God is that King; the Supreme Sovereign, who though created and owns us with everything we have, does not enforce His sovereignty upon us. Instead, He allows us to exercise the freedom to either choose to let Him rule in our lives and in our affairs, or to slam the door at His face.

Here are the areas or aspects of our lives that we must allow God to establish His sovereignty: -

1. Our very being – body, mind, spirit/soul

2. Our sexuality and affections

3. Our enterprises and work (jobs and learning; including studies)

4. Our relationships and family life (including community of the human family)

5. Our resources – time, talents, treasures and territories

6. Our emotions; feelings and passions

7. Our thoughts; desires and aspirations.

All these, when properly surrendered to the sovereignty or dominion of God, reflect daily in our loyalty and reasonable service unto Him.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3: 20 NIV)

Lord!

Grant me the grace to be always and ever surrendered to You in every aspect of my life. Come in and occupy every room and closet. And make my life Your permanent residence and domain; where You would exercise Your benevolent dominion; a small but significant portion of Your glorious Kingdom. Amen!

God is Not a Man – Neither is He an Idol

Beneath every form of idolatry is the erroneous assumption by people that God is one of us; and so, thinks and acts just like we do.

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.

‘"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD.

‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thought than your thoughts.’" (Numbers 23:19 & Isaiah 55:8 NKJV)

Despite the voices of self-acclaimed atheists, there is in every people-group in every nation, culture and language of the world, the notion of God as the Supreme Potentate, to whom everyone is ultimately answerable.

However, in their quest to understand and know this Supreme God, people have erred by supposing that God is someone very much like man in His being, in His thinking and in His actions. It is this erroneous assumption - that God thinks and acts like us that has led mankind farther and farther away from God and into every kind of idolatry that hinges on substituting God with things that the human eyes can see; things that the mind assumes are big, high, bright, strong, powerful and mysterious. It is therefore not surprising that the deities and the symbols/emblems of gods and worship in most idolatrous religions are always things that fall within that order of perception; things like the moon, the sun and the stars, big and tall trees, mountains, rivers and oceans, volcanoes, caves, thunder and lightning and even large animals - like cows, beasts and monsters.

Rather than humbly accepting their ignorance or lack of understanding of who God is and humbly approaching Him for a revelation of the truth, people, like the first man and his wife, Adam and Eve have continued in their act of hiding – running away and refusing to face God in order to discover Him, and know Him for who He really is.

Furthermore, out of fear and out of the misconception that because He is awesome in greatness and power, God cannot be easily approached, they presume He is like human monarchs who cannot be easily contacted and entreated. They assume that God requires protocols and a retinue of attendants and intermediaries who must first be approached and appeased in order to gain access, or who must be totally relied upon to transmit their requests to the king. Consequently, people have created and added to their already idolatrous religions, images and replicas of more gods which they position on both open and hidden altars in their homes, shops and businesses, shrines and temples.

Some people even carry their gods about with them, while others wear images of their gods on their bodies.

But contrary to whatever deception or error the various cultures and religions of this world might assume and try to teach about God, our God is not a man! His ways are not our ways; neither are His thoughts like our thoughts, nor His ways like the ways of man nor the ways of idols.

Our God; the God of the Bible who has always been, is the only God who is now, and the only God who will always be forever and ever - long after all the gods and the idols of all the cultures, civilizations and religions of this world would have been destroyed and crumbled.

Speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, God aptly describes for us the folly and futility of all senseless man-invented religions and idolatry in the following remarkable statement: —

"Is there a God besides Me? Indeed, there is no other Rock; I know not one. Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed. Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?

Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men…

The blacksmith with tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms…

The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man…

He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; …

He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast… He even warms himself… And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it; Prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’" (Isaiah 44: 8-17 NKJV) How absurd! How sad!!!

Having said this much, perhaps, the most dangerous form of idolatry is the kind that is so endemic and so effortlessly practiced by the generality of the human population. It is the idolatry that so much assumes that we, in ourselves, are good enough to be gods. I am talking about the idolatry of self-worship; the attitude of self-importance that enthrones self as the Number one and expects everyone else to worship us.

And in today’s 21st Century modern world, the other subtle and dangerous form of idolatry that we must all be wary of, is the idolatry of dependency upon everything else but God Himself. This is the worship of stuff, riches, money and status – Yes, the idolatry of materialism; the worship of mammon, of which Christ Himself warned against.

Lord God Almighty!

You alone are God!! And You alone deserve all my worship!!!

The Uncontainable God

May the Almighty name of our God ignite in your spirit a flicker of light of understanding as to how great our God is.

"But will God really dwell on the earth?

The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (1 Kings 8: 27 NIV)

How great and big or mighty is the Lord God?

Seeing the magnificence