To Heal and Free the Bound

Date: March 27, 2013
To: The Body of Christ
From: Aldwin and Wendy Naruse
Subject: Our daily devotional journal
Re: The ministry of Isaiah 61:1

Bringing healing and freedom to those in bondage

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1, NKJV, Nelson)

What this tells me is that Jesus has called us to mend those who are brokenhearted, expose darkness, open blind eyes, set captives free and proclaim the good news. Jesus is reaching out to them through our hands and feet. How will they know if we don’t tell them? How can we tell them unless we are sent? How can we be sent if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit?

What this means is that we NEED to be baptised and be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be effective for the kingdom of God. Without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing of value for the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we have no love, no power, no strength, no authority and no wisdom. We are merely operating in our  own limitation.

What we are called to do is to bring comfort and deliverance to the least one of these and do this for the rest of our lives. The least one of these are those who are sick, hurting, in distress, oppressed or are troubled. Jesus loved the least one of these and always went out of His way to care for them. He showed us this in the Bible and He is still doing that today. What have we to gain by helping the least one of these? We get to see God glorified. We are serving Him. We
are walking the straight and narrow. We are working out our salvation. It has nothing to do with us or building our congregation or membership, but simply, we are doing it unto Him that He be glorified in what we say and do. We become His extension, His instrument to convey and express His love. 

Jesus came as the great physician to heal the sick.

“When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mark 2:17, NKJV, Nelson)

When I was lost and dead in sin, Jesus came to me and mended my broken heart and my  broken soul. He healed me and gave me new life. He gave me a new purpose. He showed me that I am called to do the same for others for the rest of my life. One way to show my love to God is to help His people. Jesus is all about fending for the poor, the blind, the lame, the lonely and the outcast. As Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt, we are called to minister to the immigrant Chinese people in Hawaii. Many are deep rooted in their culture. They are poor, wretched and blind to the god of their ancestors that they live for money, power and prestige.

In mending those who are brokenhearted, there is no room for selfishness. I am a servant to God and He is my master. I follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I must seek God’s wisdom to identify the least one of these. God did not call me to help everybody, but He said to help the least one of these. Jesus reached out to the broken hearted. He did it selflessly. He has called me to do the same because they are defenseless. 

● Are we serving the Lord or are we serving ourselves?
● Are we reaching out to the least one of these or are we looking out for our own needs only?
● What did Paul caution us? He gave us a warning against living for the flesh.

“Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.”   (Phil 3:17-19, NKJV, Nelson)

● How can a person who is in gluttony represent Jesus Christ? Is it not obvious that he is serving his belly as oppose to serving God?
● How can the anointing of the Holy Spirit use such a person who is bringing shame to the Lord Jesus Christ by his uncontrolled appetite for food and other things?
● Who are the least one of these in our sphere of influence?

For the Spirit to be upon the speaker clearly meant in the Old Testament that the speaker was controlled (filled) by the Holy Spirit—his message was the message of God breathed out by the Holy Spirit through the person. That means when I am speaking, what I say must be of the Holy Spirit and not of myself. I must pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily so that I am controlled by the Holy Spirit. So that all that I say and do is from Jesus, God breathed and God inspired. 

To be born again and baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is to operate in the supernatural. Jesus Christ is the Spirit of God. We need the Holy Spirit to execute God’s will. Without the Holy Spirit, the words we say is nothing but the world’s wisdom and not God’s wisdom. 

“He has anointed me” and “He has sent me” mean that the believer was set apart for this mission and endorsed by God.

The “poor” are those who are destitute, in a distressed condition, poor in every way.

To mend the broken hearted is to bring revival to the contrite and the lowly.

To proclaim liberty for the captives is to bring freedom and liberty to those who are bound spiritually or emotionally or physically.

To release those who are in prison is for the opening of eyes and ears. There are many who can see with their physical eye and hear with their physical ears, but are blind and deaf to the truth. They are in bondage to their own sins and unable to hear and understand the truth of  God’s word. They are blind and unable to see the true wretched, iserable condition of their heart and mind. They either don’t know that they are in bondage to their sins or they have no clue as to how to get free from such bondage.

Jesus made the blind to see—but that by His own explanation was also a symptom of release from the bondage of sin, for there were many who saw but were blind spiritually and still imprisoned by sin. (Ross)

So the ministry of Isaiah 61 is a ministry of God’s anointed as a healer and messenger of freedom and comfort. (Hayford)

Thus, the description of the Messiah and His anointing elates directly to his mission on earth. For Jesus to fulfill his ministry, He needed to be anointed by the Holy spirit.

The following fourfold purpose characterizes the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ that will continue to be fulfilled by the church. So we, the body of Christ, must make Jesus Lord, and the head and the leader, which is the anointed one that He anointed his church to continue the work that He started.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”  (Jn.14:12, NKJV, Nelson)

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1Jn. 2:20, NKJV, Nelson)

The four purposes are:
(1) preaching the gospel to the poor, meek, afflicted;
(2) healing and binding up the spiritually sick and broken hearted;
(3) breaking the bonds of evil and proclaiming from sin and satanic dominion; and
(4) opening the spiritual eyes of the lost that they might see the light of the gospel and be saved.
(Stamps)

This ministry is in place to open the blind eyes of him who is dead in his sin, to mend the brokenhearted, to proclaim the good news to them who do not know Jesus, to expose darkness to those who are have chosen to embrace evil (living for the sole purpose of gratifying their lustful appetites), and to set free those who are in bondage to their own sins (i.e. addictions, wrong thinking, self-righteousness).

In conclusion, true freedom comes in executing God’s will in our lives. For us, it is in fulfilling our high calling in Christ Jesus which is the ministry of Isaiah 61. And this is only possible through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

So he answered and said to me:
“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the LORD of hosts. ” (Zech 4:6, NKJV, Nelson)

Work cited:

Ross, Allen, The Spiritfilled Servant and the Kingdom of God Isaiah 61:111, http://bible.org/seriespage/spiritfilledservantandkingdomgodisaiah61111

Stamps, Donald, C., The Full Life Study Bible King James Version, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, 1992.

Hayford, Jack, The Spirit Filled Life Bible New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1991 

Nelson, Thomas, The Open Bible, Thomas Nelson Publisher, Nashville, 1985.

All Things Work Together for the Good

Date: March 15, 2013
To: The Body of Christ
From: Aldwin and Wendy Naruse
Subject: Daily Devotional Journal
Re: All things work together for good

Romans 8:28 (KJV)
28 And we know that all things work together (with one accord, to put forth power together with and thereby to assist) for good (beneficial, upright, honorable) to them that love God, to them who are the called (summons, divinely selected and appointed) according to his purpose.

Commentary:
What this tells me is that for those who love God and are selected by God for His services, everything that goes on in their lives will serve God’s purpose, whether positive or negative.

What this means to us is that it doesn’t matter what we have to face on this earth. Because we love God and know that He has called us to His service, He will allow things to occur in our lives to accomplish His purposes and it will be beneficial. But all things are not necessarily beneficial.

This is a promise to the believers only. All things, whether positive or negative, will only work together for good because of the two special conditions (1) to those who love God with all their heart, soul and might and (2) for those who called according to His purposes. If you do not love God and are not called according to His purposes, all things will NOT work out for the good .

What we do is continue to walk according to His word, and fulfill our high calling. Even though many have treated us poorly and judged us wrongly, we know that God’s hand is on us. Even in the face of mistreatment, in the end, it will all work out because we love God and God has selected and appointed us to serve Him by serving the children, the elderly, and the gap population.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 19:14 (KJV)
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 25:40 (KJV)
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The Jealousy of God

Date: September 20, 2012
To: The Body of Christ
From: Aldwin and Wendy Naruse
Subject: Our daily devotional journal
Re: Jealousy of God

The Jealousy of God

Definition of jealousy:
Envy, indignation, to desire eagerly, to desire to have.
Intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness, flirting, covetous, demanding, envious, green eyed, grasping, mistrustful, suspicious, doubting, questioning, (Doherty)

Covet, desire to have, envy, desire eagerly, provocation (Vine)

Exclusive single mindedness of emotion may be morally blameworthy or praiseworthy. It depends if the object of jealousy is the self or some cause beyond the self. In the former case, the result is envy or hatred for others. In the New Testament, it is the antithesis (opposition, contrast) of love and hence the enemy of true fellowship. However, the other possibility of divine jealousy is a consuming single minded pursuit of a good end. (Brindle)

The positive usage is frequently associated with the marriage relationship where the jealousy for the exclusiveness for the relationship is the necessary condition of its permanence. Scripture also witness to a positive application of jealousy. It finds this idea a highly relevant term to denote God’s holy zeal for the honor of his name and the good of his people who are bound to him in the marriage covenant. In this sense, the jealousy of God is the essence of His moral character, a major cause for worship and confidence on the part of his people and the grounds for fear for His enemies. (Marshall)

Psalm 78:58
For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.  

The Israelites brought their sins with them when they settled in Canaan. The children were like their fathers and brought their own corruption into their new habitation. They sometimes seemed devoted to God, but they presently turned aside and provoked him to anger with their carved images. Idolatry was the sin that most easily beset them, which they often professed their repentance. But however, they often relapsed and repeated them.  When God heard the cry of their iniquity which came up before Him, He was wroth (angry, wrathful) . He deserted His tabernacle among them. He removed their defense which was upon that glory. God never leave us until we leave Him. When His people treacherously forsook Him, He justly forsook them and all His glory departed. He gave them all into the hand of His enemies. Those that God forsake become easy prey to the destroyer. (Henry 663)

Commentary:
God is jealous when His children turn their love and devotion to other gods. When we do this, we become estranged from God. God created us for Him. He desires and deserves total devotion and allegiance from us. And when we give all of our time, energy and focus on other gods (TV shows, our hobbies, our car, our children, our social parties, another person, and the like), we provoke God to anger. God’s jealousy is a good jealousy because we were bound to Him in covenant when we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord. God commands us to love, honor and respect Him. He is the only One who has the right to demand that of us. God is the creator. We are children of God through Jesus Christ. We become legitimate heirs.

Proverbs 6:34
For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

commentary:
When a wife commits adultery, the punishment is death. She shall be reminded of this sin all the days of her life. Her adultery will be punished just as fire burns clothing and coal burns feet. When a woman is married, she has no business even looking at another man, for whatever reason. Just her curiosity alone is adultery. If she is married, why would she need to look at other men? What reasons can she have to warrant this unfaithful behavior? Is looking a sin? Is the American culture promoting satan? Are we not to avoid even the appearance of evil? Why do we look and smile at strangers? Is it to be friendly or is this part of the lust of the eyes? Why do women look and smile at other men when they are married already? What happens when eye contact is exchanged? Is it not the start of a negative soul tie? What does it mean when a stranger comes up to a woman as asks her “do you have the time?” 

Whenever a man and a woman who are not married to each other exchanges eye contact, a negative soul tie is established. It all starts with just “one look.” This is called the lust of the eyes. If he sees something he likes, he will think about it and if he does this long enough, he will want to take action. People don’t just commit adultery. When they say things like “it just happened, I didn’t mean to,” that is a lie from the pits of hell. It happened because one or both individuals took interest in the other and started thinking about having sex with that person. This is called the lust of the flesh. If that thought was allowed to grow, it is only a matter of time before the forbidden act is manifested. And when they have rationalized their sin or want of sin, they have given themselves a justification to commit adultery. They will say things like, “ Oh, but he is so kind to me, or no one ever took time to care about me, or my husband does not meet my needs at all.” These are their justification for committing adultery. They think that they have really valid reasons to commit adultery. This is called the pride of life.

● Sisters, do you know that if you are married and you have long conversations with another man or share a meal together or even smile at another man at work, or fantasize about him that is adultery?
● Did you know that if you are married, just thinking about another man is adultery, even if you are just thinking that he is a nice guy, a kind person, a thoughtful man?
● Do you know that if you think that your pastor is such a good speaker and that he is so spiritual that you are indeed committing adultery?
● Do you know that idols come in many forms? It could be an actor, a pastor, or co-worker?
● Did you know that if you are married and you praise another man, that you have just committed adultery?
● Did you know that you can commit adultery with another man even if you are not in the same room as him or have never even spoken to him? It all stems from the heart.

The Bible tells us to guard the affections of the heart. But women today are so vulnerable. They become such easy prey to the men who are nice and kind to them. These men say things like “your husband just doesn’t know what he has” or “If I was your husband, I would take really good care of you” or “you deserve better than this.” These men (wolves in sheep’s clothing) know that women are emotional creatures and are in need of attention and affection and these men gladly offer themselves to provide that for the women. What the women don’t realize is that because they refuse to submit to their husbands and the Lord Jesus Christ, they will listen to what their itching ears want to hear. They will open up their hearts to a man who gives them “sweet talk” and they will start thinking things like “how nice if only my husband was like this guy” or “why can’t my husband pay me this kind of attention.” They begin to entertain these ungodly thoughts of men and then they second guess their husbands. This is how the devil gets
his foot in the door and starts to cause havoc in a marriage. Women, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Wake up and smell the rat !!! Don’t fall for the deceitful words of a “smooth talker.” He is from the pits of hell.

2 Tim 3:1-6
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

2 Peter 2:1-3
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

2 Peter 2:12-14
12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.
.
2 Peter 2:17-19
17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.  The reason is when you are married and you are a believer, your sole affection and devotion is supposed to be for your heavenly husband, Jesus Christ and your earthly husband only and no one else. If you have feelings for another man, even if it is just sympathy or empathy or just feeling sorry for another man, it is adultery. 

And if you are a believer and single, did you know that your sole affection and devotion is supposed to be for your heavenly husband, Jesus Christ, only? You are not to have eyes for any man out there. You were married to Jesus Christ when You said “yes” to Him. A single woman looking at men is adultery to Jesus Christ. It is a violation against God’s law.

Ezekiel 39:25
“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name—

Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

2 Cor 11:2
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

commentary:
There are two kinds of jealousy: a godly jealousy and an ungodly jealousy. 

A picture of godly jealousy:
“Those who love freedom seek to guard against whatever threatens the freedom of others. Paul proved his love for the church by seeking to protect it from false teachers. Paul's godly jealousy sought to keep the Corinthians from going astray. He encouraged them to live for Christ. Paul refused to commend himself as he preached the gospel rather he commended Christ.  Godly jealousy is a protective jealousy. Parent's jealousy over their children seeks to protect them from what is harmful. This type of jealousy forgets about itself. It is revealed through thoughtfulness for the other. This is a powerful ceaseless motive straight from the heart of God.” (Davis)

2 Cor 5:12-15
12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

A picture of ungodly jealousy:
Ungodly jealousy is envy. “Envy is an undue, zealous desire for what someone else has or is. Envy is a sinful attitude that gives birth to sinful actions. Envy leads you to do things contrary to God's will to achieve your goals. Paul identifies envy as one of the works of the flesh.” (Winstead) This type of jealousy is of the flesh and it is evil. It is a partnership with the devil. It stems from greed and lust and is to be avoided at all cost. Those who continue to rationalize and justify their thinking and attitude will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

John 2:17
And His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Holy Scriptures], Zeal (the fervor of love) for Your house will eat Me up. [I will be consumed with jealousy for the honor of Your house.]

Commentary:
Jesus had just turned over the moneychangers’ tables. He is jealous of His Father’s house. The temple was dedicated for prayer, but the merchants used it for their business, to make money.  They were disrupting the peace of the temple. Jesus was executing a righteous anger toward the money changers.                                                 

God is a jealous God. His jealousy stems from His great love for us, His children. His jealousy for us makes Him constantly watch over us and protect us from the evil one. We watch over our children and seek to protect them from danger because we love them. How much more God does that for us. God paid the ultimate price to redeem us back when He sent His only Son, Christ Jesus, to die for us. There is no one on this earth who deserves total and absolute love and devotion from us except God. He has every right to be jealous of us, His children, because He created us. We belong to Him. Why would God not be jealous after He sacrificed His only begotten son, paid the ransom to redeem us and then watch us get entangled with the world and become estranged from Him?  Why do we think that we can accept the gift of God, who is Jesus Christ, be healed and delivered from satan’s grip and then go right back into our sin like a dog returning to his vomit and not
provoke God to jealousy? We need to be careful. We are crossing a fine line when we sin with our eyes open. We are messing with eternity and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 6:1-6
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away,  to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.  

Husbands ought to consider and wise up because husbands give their wives independence. They are being foolish because they should have a godly jealousy for their wives. They should watch over them and protect them from the world. If not, satan will be right there accommodating them and to snatch their wives .

The duties of husbands toward their wives are as follows:
 Love - Ephesians 5:25-33
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man sh all leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Live with for life - Matt 19:3-9
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 

Be faithful to - Mal 2:14-15
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”  Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.
15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

Be satisfy with - prov 5:18-19
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.

Instruct - 1 cor 14:34-35
34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

Honor - 1 pet 3:7
7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Confer with - Gen 31:4-16
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father.

Provide for - 1 Tim 5:8
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Rule over - Gen 3:16
16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”


Conclusion:
Therefore, be faithful to God and love Him with all your heart, soul and might. That means, the Lord Jesus comes first and then your earthly husband, second. May we cease from provoking God to anger by loving God and our husbands more than anyone or anything else on earth.

Work cited
1. Abraham, Kenneth A., The Matthew Henry Study Bible King James Version. Thomas Nelson Inc.:Nashville, TN 1994.

2. Marshall, Howard I., A.R. Millard, J.I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. New Bible Dictionary. Downer's grove: Intervarsity Press, USA. 1996.

3. Vine, W.E, Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Blue Letter Bible, 1940.

4. Brindle, Wayne A., The King James Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publisher: Nashville, TN 1988.
,
5. Doherty, Kathleen M., and E. Ward Gilman, The Merriam Webster Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated: Springfield, MA, 1989.

6. Davis, Jim, Conflicting Spirits of Jealousy, http://www.focusongod.com/2Corinthians-11_1-33.htm,

7. Winstead, Richard, Envy and Jealousy, http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~cmadd01/envy.html

8. Broomall, Wick, The Open Bible Expanded Edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson publisher, 1985.

The Danger of Idolatry

Date:  Jan 25, 2012
To:  The Body of Christ
From:  Aldwin and Wendy Naruse
Subject:  Daily Devotional Journal
Re:  Idolatry

Idolatry

Exodus 20
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
2 Kings 17:12
for they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.”

Ezekiel 37:23
They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Definition of Idol:
any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.  (dictionary.com)

Commentary:
When we place value on people or hold them in high esteem, we are treating them like idols. We all value different things and people on different levels. There are basically three types of values: Face
value, special value and divine value. Face value is what you see in front of you. Special value is that element(s) about that person that makes him more valuable than anyone else in your eyes. Divine
value is when you worship that person as if he is your god. When we place value on some one or some thing, we spend all our time and energy on it. We think about it. We exercise it. We take care of it. We dream about it. We meditate on it. We mull over it. Over time, it builds value. It then becomes something special. When something is determined special, more value is added to the face value. At that point, it becomes special value. Left unchecked, the special value continues to grow and the need level in you increases and it becomes an idol. Idols are derived from one who places divine value on a person, place, or thing. This entity has then become his idol because it has high value to him. This is why people kill themselves when they lose a loved one, a huge amount of money, or their job. They have placed so much value on this one person, thing, or place that when this entity is removed from them, they feel like they have no more reason to live. This is the danger of having idols.

Most people are ignorant of the devil’s schemes. They do not know that the devil wants them to have idols. The devil hates God and does not want us to worship God. So he tries to get us to worship
another human being (i.e. actor, singer, etc), or our job or even our own self. If the devil can get you to worship something or anything other than our Lord Jesus Christ, he has succeeded in pulling you
closer to him (the devil) and away from our Lord Jesus Christ. If we never come to the realization in our lifetime that we are worshiping man more than God, we have sold our soul to the devil and thus,
we will lose our salvation. The only person who deserves all of our worship, praise and honor is our Lord Jesus Christ. No man on this earth, no matter how seemingly successful or great he is in the eyes
of man, is worthy of all praise, glory, and full worship.  When you have idols in your heart, the Lord Jesus Christ is kicked out of your heart. The two cannot co-exist in your heart. Either you serve Jesus or mammon. You cannot have two masters. Many believers today who sit in the churches will lift up holy hands to praise the Lord Jesus Christ while they are in possession of one or more idols in their hearts. This grieves the heart of God more than anything. If the Lord is not your Lord of all, He is not your Lord at all. Our Lord Jesus Christ will never share His glory with anyone else. If He is only in your heart half the time, then He really isn’t your  Lord at all. He is not a part-time Lord. He is an all-the-time Lord.  

Questions to ponder
● Do you hold anything in your heart more valuable than Jesus?
● Think about the people in your life? your money? your job? your position? How do these
entities stack up against the Lord Jesus?
● Is the Lord Jesus Christ really your Lord? Or is He more like an extra-curricular activity?
● If Jesus told you today to give half of your money to the poor, how will you respond?
● Would your answer be “No way, man, it took me 10 years to save up this money,” or “Lord, are you serious? Can I just give $50?” Or will it be “Yes, Lord, I will do that immediately.”

Sobering, isn’t it, when we are face with the decision of whether to choose Christ or some other person, place, or thing? Who is your idol? Who do you value most in your heart? What do you value
most in life?

The first commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” “The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of is giving the glory and honour to any creature which
are due to God only. Pride makes a god of self, covetousness makes a god of money, sensuality makes a god of the belly; whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on,
more than God, that (whatever it is) we do in effect make a god of. This prohibition includes a precept which is the foundation of the whole law, that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that he is God, accept him for ours, adore him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon him.” (Henry)

Some common forms of idols in today’s society are the following:
● an actor or actress that you really love to watch over and over again because he or she is either good-looking, talented in acting, or makes us laugh.
● a teacher that you secretly admire and think about all the time.
● an ex-girlfriend that you cannot seem to forget because she was such a good catch.
● a pastor that you love to talk to every chance you get because he is such a holy man of God and preaches a great sermon every single Sunday.
● a statue in the temple that you bow to religiously three times a week.
● your television set, your car, your house, and your baby....did you know people idolize their baby all the time? That is why by the time the baby turns two, he is running the house and his parents are running around the house catering to his needs and wants.
● the self, the ego which strives to be seen, heard, recognized, admired, and so forth. This is the most prevalent idol in today’s society.

God wants to bless us more than we can ever know. But He will not bow to our needs. He will not bow to us. He knows who He is, the Almighty God. He came first. He created all of humanity. He is
omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscience. We bow to Him. He does not bow to us or our needs. In fact, if there was no God to begin with, you and I would not be here today. He is our creator. He is the potter. We are the clay. Sometimes, we forget that and we think we can run the show.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This passage clearly shows us that God’s people (you and me) can be wicked in our ways. He is saying “IF” My people who are called by My name will do these four things which is to be humble, pray, seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways, then he will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land. God is saying a few things here. He is saying that if you will do your part, I will do mine. In this case, we are talking about idolatry, so we are to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from idolatry. Also, notice that God said “if My people..... will turn from their wicked ways.” This shows that God’s people, who are called by His name, have the ability to be wicked. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9) How sobering!! God’s people can choose to be wicked. Many of them go to church every Sunday. Everything stems from the heart. Righteousness is a daily choice, not a gift.

How do we turn away from idolatry? 
Answer:  Take all that blind admiration, devotion and adoration that you had for a human being. Then confess, repent, forsake it and cast it to hell, and give back to the Lord Jesus what is rightfully His which is your total, exclusive and complete admiration, devotion and adoration. Idols are from the pits of hell. Idols make you tie to the devil and separated from God. The more idols you have, the more tied you are to the devil, our enemy. And they are there to draw you away from Jesus, not closer to Him. The more idols you have in your life, the farther and farther you will be away from the Lord Jesus and if left unchecked and undealt with, you can lose your salvation. So wake up before its too late. Turn or burn.

Prayer to God:
Gracious Abba Father, in the name of Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we ask for forgiveness. We admit and confess the idols in our hearts and lives. We pray to denounce all these idols, rebuke, and cast them all into the dead sea. We ask for forgiveness for putting these idols above You and in place of You, oh Lord. We pray to sever all negative soul ties with people, places, and things that we held in high esteem. We pray to denounce all these idols today and forevermore. We ask for forgiveness of the sin of idolatry. We ask to be restore into full fellowship with you, Lord. We give you all the worship, praise, admiration, devotion and adoration which is rightfully Yours. We thank and praise You, Lord. In Jesus most precious and holy name, we pray. Amen.

Work cited:
1. Henry, Matthew, commentary on Exodus 20, http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=698&commInfo=5&topic=Exodus