Idol Factories

[evangelist6589]

Tim Keller and other authors have a great way to communicate scripture truths. What are your idols? A sports team? A car? TV program? Your stomach? Lots of things can tempt us these days. Lately I have been tempted with Star Trek and other old TV programs I have on DVD and being too addicted to them. Also some old video games from my earlier days I started to play and am finding myself addicted as I was in the 1980's. But these forms of entertainment cannot be a God. Or perhaps even this board is your god.

John says "little children keep yourself from idols." We do not have the temples and statues as primitive cultures but in America our idols are more and the temptation is stronger to fall for them. It's baseball season and I also was finding an addition to watching the Giants win it and see KC in the series for the 1st time since 86. The idols can be addicting! But the Holy Spirit can help us overcome them.

 

[Revmitchell]

Your idol seems to be sending harrassing letters to other churches.

 

[matt wade]

Your idol seems to be sending harrassing letters to other churches.

Your idol seems to be allowing hatred to rule your life.

 

[PreachTony]

Lately I have been tempted with Star Trek and other old TV programs I have on DVD and being too addicted to them. Also some old video games from my earlier days I started to play and am finding myself addicted as I was in the 1980's.

You better be careful watching Star Trek, evan. Next thing you know you'll be playing Dungeons & Dragons.

 

[Zaac]

Tim Keller and other authors have a great way to communicate scripture truths. What are your idols? A sports team? A car? TV program? Your stomach? Lots of things can tempt us these days. Lately I have been tempted with Star Trek and other old TV programs I have on DVD and being too addicted to them. Also some old video games from my earlier days I started to play and am finding myself addicted as I was in the 1980's. But these forms of entertainment cannot be a God. Or perhaps even this board is your god.

John says "little children keep yourself from idols." We do not have the temples and statues as primitive cultures but in America our idols are more and the temptation is stronger to fall for them. It's baseball season and I also was finding an addition to watching the Giants win it and see KC in the series for the 1st time since 86. The idols can be addicting! But the Holy Spirit can help us overcome them.

evangelist, yours don't seem to be idols based upon what you have said. There's nothing wrong with watching a tv program or having a favorite sports team as long as it doesn't start to supersede Christ in your life.

Think about how some folks on this board are about politics and all that left/right, liberal/conservative, Calvin/Arminian, Dem/Repub stuff. And how they can be meaner than a snake but claim the name of Christ. That's idolatry.

Or folks who live and breathe sports for their kids to the point where they will skip church on Sunday to go with a travel team.

Just make sure that you're not putting your stuff ahead of Christ. It is easy to do and we have to pause every now and then and realize what we're doing.

 

[Salty]

...Think about how some folks on this board are about politics and all that left/right, liberal/conservative, Calvin/Arminian, Dem/Repub stuff...

What does Cal/Armin have to do with politics?

 

[InTheLight]

Idols are things people worship, hoping to gain favor somehow. Idols are false gods. I don't worship video games, television shows, or sports teams. People need to quit referring to activities as idols, because they are not.

 

[Revmitchell]

Idols are things people worship, hoping to gain favor somehow. Idols are false gods. I don't worship video games, television shows, or sports teams. People need to quit referring to activities as idols, because they are not.

That is right they are not. It is a tragic misuse of that term. Maybe he read it in a book.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Your idol seems to be allowing hatred to rule your life.

:thumbs: Exactly!

 

[matt wade]

That is right they are not. It is a tragic misuse of that term. Maybe he read it in a book.

It's not a tragic misuse of the term. You know very well that even some of your favorite preachers have compared sports and other activities to modern day idols. You've probably sat and Amen'd them when they did it. Your problem isn't with the use of the word idol, it's personal against Evangelist.

 

[evangelist6589]

It's not a tragic misuse of the term. You know very well that even some of your favorite preachers have compared sports and other activities to modern day idols. You've probably sat and Amen'd them when they did it. Your problem isn't with the use of the world idol, it's personal against Evangelist.

Could never figure out why he hates me so much.

 

[evangelist6589]

evangelist, yours don't seem to be idols based upon what you have said. There's nothing wrong with watching a tv program or having a favorite sports team as long as it doesn't start to supersede Christ in your life.



Think about how some folks on this board are about politics and all that left/right, liberal/conservative, Calvin/Arminian, Dem/Repub stuff. And how they can be meaner than a snake but claim the name of Christ. That's idolatry.



Or folks who live and breathe sports for their kids to the point where they will skip church on Sunday to go with a travel team.



Just make sure that you're not putting your stuff ahead of Christ. It is easy to do and we have to pause every now and then and realize what we're doing.

Thanks for the advice friend. In other words don't be so consumed with Trek and other old shows that I neglect my bible reading, reading books, praying, and of memorizing scripture.

Satan has tempted me or I have tempted myself to spend so much time on these old video games to the point I miss my bible reading and reading of books. That's a bad thing so I am praying to have the strength to limit my game playing and TV watching each day.

 

[Rolfe]

Your idol seems to be sending harrassing letters to other churches.

Street preaching in Denver gets chilly this time of year.

 

[Rolfe]

Books can be idols.

 

[blessedwife318]

I neglect my bible reading, reading books, praying, and of memorizing scripture.

.

One of these things is not like the others

 

[kyredneck]

Your idol seems to be sending harrassing letters to other churches.

Your idol seems to be allowing hatred to rule your life.

:thumbs: Exactly!

....and he claims to be a 'Reverend'. What a joke, except it's actually not funny, at all.

 

[JamesL]

Idols are things people worship, hoping to gain favor somehow. Idols are false gods. I don't worship video games, television shows, or sports teams. People need to quit referring to activities as idols, because they are not.

I agree.

In scripture, idols were not merely objects of affection and worship, though. People would trust in idols, and that's why they adored them and worshiped them.

They trusted an idol to bring rain, or sunshine, or bumper crops, or death to an enemy, or long life, or calm seas when sailing, etc

Like a Catholic praying to a statue of their favorite patron saint


I don't know that I've ever heard of someone trusting in a t.v. to put food on the table, or hoping in a football game to provide a better job


But I've seen people talk to a figurine on the dashboard of their car, asking to keep us from running out of gas before we get where we were going. That's idol worship

 

[padredurand]

One of these things is not like the others

Thank you. :laugh:

 

[HankD]

Judging by the time spent vs service to our God, the most popular idols today are probably electronic communication/computer devices.

HankD

 

[InTheLight]

Judging by the time spent vs service to our God, the most popular idols today are probably electronic communication/computer devices.

HankD

If time spent doing something is the criteria I submit a job, school, or sleeping is an idol. Activities are not idols. Idols are things that are worshiped with the expectation of salvation, goodness, or some other gain in return.