The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/deuteronomy/5.htm

First Commandment – Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Second Commandment –

8‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9you shall not bow[c] down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, [d]visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and [e]keep My commandments.

All throughout the Bible, pagans have made carved images of false gods, then bowed down to them and worship them. This is called idolatry, and it violates the 2n Commandment.

Much of the land of Canaan, Moab, and Edom sacrificed to Baal. Even some of children of Israel themselves fell to idolatry. And many of the kings did as well, including Ahab and Jebu.

“The Ephesians worshiped a carving of the love goddess Diana.

The Babylonians worshiped a statute of King Nebuchaddezer.

Even today, some religions worship idols, some of the statues of Greek gods were renamed St. Peter, St. Michael, and others in the name of Christianity. There’s even a church that worshiped snakes, venomous snakes at that.

This is against the 2nd Commandment, and even the 1st Commandment because not only are they bowing down to idols, they are worshiping those idols as gods and placing them before our only God.

Here is an article that discusses three modern day idols in the church. One in particular caught my eye because it struck home with me. The author suggests that if you believe what your pastor says over what the Bible says, that is a form of idolatry because you are worshiping your pastor and not the word of God. And that is why this time reading the Bible, I’m trying hard to interpret the word of God myself, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Each time I study, I pray that God opens my heart and mind to prepare me for instruction, and that He sends His Spirit into me to teach me Himself. Jesus is the perfect teacher, and I trust in His thoughts and words well over the thoughts and words of a pastor paid to recite the ideas he was taught in theology school. Make no mistake, I’m not dissing on pastors. I myself have watched pastors that were more teacher than preacher, but he taught from scripture and not from a prepared sermon.

And who I most align with isn’t even a pastor, he is a doctor of psychiatry who has been able to merge his knowledge of the brain and how it works with the word of God.

I’ve read the Bible before. I’ve studied the Bible before. I’ve studied the Bible using Bible study aids and on-line Bible Study courses. And this time, it’s just the Bible, the Spirit, and I.

I’m not suggesting you stop going to church, but make sure your pastor is teaching the word of God.