MIRROR IMAGE: AMERICAN IDOL

Greetings and Salutations O Ye Worshippers. Everyone is a worshipper of someone or something. The question is...who or what do you worship. Some will feign shock as they pledge allegiance to "the man upstairs". Some will sneer with discuss as they deny the existence of such a weak concept as God. Some will place their trust in a "higher power"...that may be in the form of a god, a doorknob, another human being. Some even will be honest enough to admit that they worship the only person worthy of their worship...themselves. Collectively, their is a church that many attend everyday...as they worship of the temple of their own bodies...at the 1st Church of Humanism. We build idols to the human capacity...but would never consider that we are walking in idolatry.

WORSHIP DEFINED: Proskuneo (pros-koo-neh-o)= to kiss towards (and object/person)...like a dog licking his master's hand. To fawn, crouch, to prostrate oneself in homage, to reverence, adore.

American Idol...the T.V. show where people sing...people vote...people win the coveted title of AMERICAN IDOL. Of course...there's nothing new under the sun...and rock n' roll idols have been with us for a long time. I remember going to RCA Recording Studio B...in the back...on a Sunday afternoon...waiting for my IDOL...Elvis Presley to roll in for a recording session of the soundtrack for STAY AWAY JOE. It was a surreal experience as I met him...got his autograph...even touched his Blue Suede boots when I dropped my pin (I figured that while I was down there (in a kneeling position) I might as well touch the king). When he went into the studio...I began to cry. I was sixteen years old...and I was crying like a baby...because I had been in the presence of the one who I IDOLIZED since I was six years old.

In Psalm 115:1-8...we see how the "HEATHEN" idolizes their God. Thank God I'm NOT like those heathens...idolizing dead God's.

The nations/heathens...ask.."Where, no is their God? As Christians...followers of Christ...we worship who we do NOT see. The heathen... needs something MORE TANGIBLE...than theoretic concepts. That's why they build IDOLS. Our IDOLS...may not be built out of silver or gold...but they are constructed in the recesses of our minds...that is manifested in our actions. The first collage represents Verses 4-7 as a composite picture of the HEATHEN'S IDOL.

1. Their idols are silver and gold
2. They are the works of man's hands
3. They have mouths...but they cannot speak
4. They have eyes...but they cannot see
5. They have ears...but they cannot hear
6. They have noses...but they cannot smell
7. They have hands...but they cannot feel
8. They have feet...but they cannot walk.
9. They have throats...but they cannot make a sound

The bottom line is...what cannot speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, make sound...is worthy of them kissing towards like a dog licking his master's hand as they fawn, crouch, prostrate themselves face forward in homage, to reverence and adore.

The problem is...as is stated in verse 8...THOSE WHO MAKE THEM...WILL BECOME LIKE THEM (or are like them).

That principle is so true. If you worship MONEY...you become GREEDY. If you worship SEX...you become FULL OF LUST. If you worship POWER...you become CORRUPT (absolute power...corrupts absolutely).

NOTE: This corruption is not limited to some foreign or communist country. It is not even limited to Democrat or Republican. It can be manifested in the corporate world or the religious world.

If you worship yourself or the human condition...you become unrighteous or fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23) The mask that we wear as we worship ourselves...will leave the imprint of who we are...and will affect everyone with whom we come into contact.

I personally am able to mask who I really am quiet well. I can cover up my fears, my anger, my frustrations, my rage, my greed, my lust, my corruption...by humor, intimidation, good works, religious acts, indifference, piety, success, denial.

The REASON...we become like the idols that we make ourselves is found in verse 8. WE already see the cause and effect of making the ineffective idols... WILL BECOME LIKE THEM. The REASON is...because we TRUST IN THEM.

Our money says IN GOD WE TRUST...but too often...it is what those words are printed on...is really what we trust. But that tangible MONEY...is very unstable...and as the DOLLAR fails....so does our FAITH...because what we TRUST is only as good as what/who we put our TRUST IN.

Hopefully...as we put our TRUST....HAVE FAITH...in the LIVING GOD...we will BECOME LIKE HIM. Psalm 115 starts off with the heathen/idolater questioning...WHERE IS THEIR GOD? The Psalmist answers...BUT OUR GOD IS IN THE HEAVENS. The Psalmist then declares...that this God that we cannot see...who is in heaven...DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES.

The question now begs...WE'LL...WHAT DOES HE PLEASE? Well...our God... who is heaven (Our Father Who Art In Heaven)...decided...that He would become FLESH...and dwell among His fallen creation in the form of His Only Begotten Son...aka Jesus the Christ. Jesus would live on planet earth for 33 years...three of those thirty-three years would be spent...DISPLAYING WHAT PLEASES GOD...that would be culminated in Jesus...allowing Himself to be beaten, humiliated, scourged, and die on the cross in our place...as the propitiation (substitute/satisfaction)...that would satisfy God. He would DIE... He would be BURIED....He would be RESURRECTED. This is known as the
D.B.R...NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS. Jesus then...went back to the Father...and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell our clay temples (aka our bodies)... and begin to manifest the inward experience in our outward lives. As we renew our minds with the washing of the water of the Word of God...and yield our will to His will by our volition (free will)...moment by moment...we conform to the image of Christ. We BECOME LIKE WHO WE WORSHIP. This process will be taking place until He comes back. Thank God...I've got a long way to go.

Are their imperfect Christians...who don't look any different than the idolaters who idolize everything or everyone other than God. SURE!!!

Jesus is our example that we are to FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS (I Peter 2:21-25). My problem is that I make many mis-STEPS. I trip, I stumble, I fall down...I repent, plead the blood, get forgiveness...and continue on in the process. As I worship Christ...Lord...help me to become more CHRIST-like.

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth...how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and Power...and how He went about...DOING GOD...and HEALING...all who were OPPRESSED...by the devil." (Acts 10:38). Lord...as I renew my mind with your Word...as I look at God's will in action in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John...Lord, help me to FOLLOW IN YOUR STEPS...and become LIKE the ONE I WORSHIP.

FINAL QUESTION (FINALLY)

In the 1950's...there was a game show starring an unknown comedian/magician by the name of Johnny Carson. The name of the show is what I want to ask you...WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Love and Non-Idolatry Kisses
Rodney "TRUSTING GOD" Boyd