Definition of Idolatry! Exodus 22:20 "He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed. 1 Chron. 16:26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Psa146:5-6 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God; Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; Jeremiah 10:11 Thus you shall say to them, "The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens." Rev. 14:7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." 1 Cor. 8:5-6 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, [6] yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. Exodus 20:23 'You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. Exodus 22:20 "He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed. Isaiah 2:17-18 And the pride of man will be humbled, And the loftiness of men will be abased, And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. But the idols will completely vanish. Isaiah 42:8 "I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. Deut. 4:16 lest you act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, Deut. 13:4 "You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. Psalm 16:4 The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their libations of blood, Nor shall I take their names upon my lips. Act14:15saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them. 1 Cor. 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, Rev. 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Deut. 4:19 "And beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Deut. 5:8-9 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. [9] 'You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, Deut. 8:19 "And it shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God, and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish. Deut. 13:6-8 "If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods' (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, [7] of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), [8] you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. Isaiah 2:17-18 And the pride of man will be humbled, And the loftiness of men will be abased, And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. But the idols will completely vanish. Jude 1:25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. Matthew 11:11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Clearly it can be seen by the Word of God being stated unequivocal that all forms of worship to any creature created by God is idolatry. To diminish, reduce, lessen the power, influence, and ability of the God who created the heavens and earth in any form is idol worship of the worst form, yet in many ways the church is in denial of some forms of idolatry.. Jesus gave greater glory to John the Baptist than any other human on earth but per scripture John is not a creator of heaven and earth, he is the creation of God therefore not to be worshiped. All humanity except the Only Begotten Son of God Christ Jesus who created the heavens and earth per John 1:1-14. Pastor Don Corcoran

The devil and the duck

The Devil & the Duck There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his Sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes' But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.' Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?' So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.' Sally just smiled and said, 'well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help? She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he Finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.' Thought for the day and every day thereafter: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done...? And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that: God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen you r whole life... He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved. Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today. Share this with a friend and always remember: God is at the window! When Jesus died on the cross; he was thinking of you!

Kingdom Living

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place" (Psalm 51:6). In this Psalm David came under powerful conviction of sin. As a result he poured out his soul to God in prayer pleading for mercy and grace. David's sin of adultery and murder had been weighing heavily on his soul. True repentance of sin leads one to healing and restored fellowship with the Lord. He realized that only God could restore him. God heard his cry for pardon and granted him forgiveness and reconciliation. David realized his sin was committed against God. This realization brought great sorrow and shame. To sin willfully is to deny the Lord, for one must push Him out of their mind in order to do evil. Every sinner who returns to the Lord desires God's truth in their inner man. God gives wisdom and discernment to the repentant. Only the Lord can give grace to overcome the power of our old corrupt nature. Then we can "Walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." In 1923 the following individuals were the most powerful men in the world. They ruled the world of finance and money. Please take special note of the end of their lives. Charles Schwab, president of the largest steel company in America. Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company. Howard Hopson, president of the largest gas company. Arthur Cutten, the great wheat speculator. Richard Whitney, president of the New York Stock Exchange. Albert Fall, Secretary of Interior in President Harding's cabinet. Jesse Livermore, the great "bear" on Wall Street. Ivan Krueger, head of the world's greatest monopoly. Leon Fraser, president of the Bank of International Settlements. These men were "movers and shakers," of their day, the kind many people envy and wish to emulate. Yet something went terribly wrong with these men's lives. Twenty-five years later: Charles Schwab, went bankrupt. Samuel Insull, died in foreign land penniless and a fugitive from justice. Howard Hopson was insane. Arthur Cutten, was insolvent and died abroad. Richard Whitney had just been released from Sing-Sing prison. Albert Fall had just been pardoned from prison and died at home, broke. Jesse Livermore committed suicide. Ivan Krueger committed suicide. Leon Fraser committed suicide. Each of these individuals had a melt down in their inner lives. It began in their minds and hearts. "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." The inner man is where life's battles are won or lost. "Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life." Ask the Lord daily to give you the strength to live a life of integrity and honesty. He is the source of strength for Kingdom living. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Sin of Knowing Better

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17). Never is ones faith so empty as when he only offers well-wishes to a cold and hungry person. Some times we can commit the sin of being a "Useless fig tree." When Jesus told us to "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me" He means there are things we ought not to do and things we ought to do. When a person comes to Christ there are things that get cleaned out of a new converts life. But there are things that are also added to the believers life. Sinful living leaves, prayer, Bible reading, church going and telling others about Jesus moves in (Matthew 28:18-20). The idea that a Christian can be pleasing to God by turning from evil and then sitting idle while others advance the work of God is the sin of omission. Certainly we understand that we must abandon Satan's vices, however the enemy is just as happy if we sit down and do nothing. Several verses are worth our consideration. "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." Note the doing part. "It is more blessed to give, than to receive." Here the emphasis is on giving. "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel." Here witnessing (proclaiming) is emphasized. Christ told us that He is the Vine and we are the branches, as we abide in Him there will be fruit produced in our lives. We need not (nor can we) master all that God has commanded us to do at once. Just as a new baby struggles in its first attempts to crawl, when we are born again in Christ, our ability may not match our desire to be fruitful. However, we learn that as we are persistent in our efforts, God will prune away the sins which hinder us, and at the same time He empowers us to become more fruitful. This Holy Spirit led fruit bearing reveals the glory, power and love that is found in Christ to those around us. God desires that we avoid the sins of omission. What is the Lord asking you to do in His Kingdom? How obedient have you been? What do you need to clear out of your schedule to make time for His schedule? Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Paul's thorn in the flesh

Please read II Corinthians 12:1-10. God is sovereign in all his dealings. Satan is God's Satan and the Lord uses him for His kingdom purposes as He sees fit. We see Satan's involvement in church discipline. "Turn such a one over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh" In the following we will see Satan's work in the Apostle Paul's life. We are to fear the Lord and Him only. The evil one is never to be a fear object. In this passage of Scripture the Lord pulls back the curtain and shows us His purposes for enemy activity in His servants life.Paul was 'caught up' (i.e., raptured) in a vision of the third heaven (the same as "Paradise." The fact that Paul was not permitted to speak further and that such things were incommunicable in human terms shows that a more detailed knowledge is not of significant importance either to his argument or to the church as a whole.To keep Paul from becoming conceited over his vision, he was given a thorn in the flesh. Over the centuries many ideas have been purposed for the "thorn in the flesh" from human opponents to temptations to physical problems. God purposely left it ambiguous because the ambiguity of Paul's problem makes it easier for us to relate our own "thorns" to it. I believe every Christian I have ever met could point to their own "Thorn in the flesh." To some it was poor health, or a wayward child, perhaps continuing financial struggles, or an unsaved mate, etc. How was it a 'messenger (lit. 'angel') of Satan? It need indicate not more, than that his stake through the flesh was Satanic in origin, attributable to demonic agency, though permitted by God and overruled by Him for His servant's good. Whatever it was, Paul was not given victory over it, though he prayed three times for its removal. God's purpose was greater than mere removal of the thorn. Rather, He used it as His sovereign tool to shape Paul into a humble servant, totally dependent on God's grace in all he did. Do you realized God is giving you sufficient grace for your "thorn?" Have you thanked Him for the work that is being accomplished in your life because of it? The will of God is always good.

Spiritual warfare & CHOICES - Copley

In warfare teaching it's always necessary to explore the human will as it involves making choices. Our enemy would have us make choices based on sinful habits rather than thoughtful reflection on Biblical truth. He desires that we deny or ignore our ability to choose. Or if the above fails he would want us to choose some form of distortion of the truth. Our common enemy was a liar from the beginning and he will go to great lengths to keep us from the truth. Our mandate as believers is to choose to glorify God through commitment to His truth. This means we are to choose right "programming" based on the truth and exercise our choosing ability in the areas of: Loving God (repenting before Him, believing in Him, submitting to Him in obedience, enjoying Him, pursuing Him. communing with Him through prayer and worship, fearing Him and trusting and thanking Him in all of life's circumstances). It also means that we ought to be loving others as we love ourselves (being filled by the Spirit stripping off the old self and putting on the new, walking in the light, fellow-shipping, taming our tongues). This really means living in a Scriptural manner, taking God's Word seriously enough to practice it in our daily living. At the heart of spiritual warfare is understanding that we face choices and that, being made in God's image and empowered by the Spirit, we are able to make correct choices. This is a critical area, it is essentially the application of the basic truths that we learn through the study of God's word. It is important to distinguish between desiring (wanting) and choosing (commitment). An example of this would be I want to quit smoking, desire (or want). Or I choose to quit smoking (commit). Or I desire to lose weight (or want). Or I am going on a great eating place and going to work out three times a week (commit). God has set us free in Christ to choose what is right; but He leaves the actual choices up to us. Satan on the other hand, would have us make choices based on sinful habits rather than reflection or deny and ignore our ability to choose or choose some form of a distortion of the truth rather than God's truth. God has empowered us to make the right choices, and He desires that we use that power for righteous choosing. God does not dress us in the morning, and He generally does not tell us what we must wear when we get dressed in the morning-He wants us to choose and do because we are made in His image. The choice we must make is that of the person we will glorify. We must exercise our choice of who we will glorify by glorifying God. We glorify God by consciously acknowledging His sovereignty with our lips, in our hearts, and through our feet. The choice to glorify God, or not is made through out the day. We do this by choosing the right "programming" (through learning God's Word and its correct application). We must learn to walk in the Word. A believer who is saturated with the Scriptures will be better able to discern right and wrong. David said the Scriptures were his counselors. This begins by our believing in God. "Believing in" is more than believing in what He said; it involves assenting to the truth of it in your own life. However, we must be careful not to try to read too much into the word. The basic meaning of the Greek is similar to the English word "believe," and it can also be translated as obey, trust, or hope. We must also repent before God. What does repenting involve? Repenting involves the pain of knowing the beast in my basement and the wonder of knowing that I am still loved and accepted. The enemy would have us deny that we are sinners. Then after we sin he would tell us that we will never experience the favor of God again. Remember he is a accuser of the brethren, and he is most efficient in doing his job. Submitting to God in obedience; "Submit" was a military term used of soldiers under their officers. They were required to submit, and Paul gives us the same requirement for our own good. It involves the surrendering of our will under the will of others (Phil. 2:3-4). We are to submit to government officials, church elders, employers, and any other person God has placed us under. For example Jesus in this life on earth offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission (Hebrews 5:7). We as believers are to "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, (James 4:7). Note submission operative in heaven "Who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand-with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him, (I Peter 3:22). Popular author John Piper argues that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. David in the Psalms shares with us a multitude of fountains of praise and enjoyment of God. God has graciously given us the ability to choose and it is for our good and His glory when we choose to come down on His side of every decision.

Sex today - Satan's way

Please read I Corinthians 5:1-5; II Corinthians 2:5-11. We live in a day of sexual openness in society and at times in the church. A pastor friend said he was in a restaurant recently and a young woman who used to attend a Bible believing church was his waitress. She told him how she was pregnant by her live in boyfriend. She said she was looking forward to having a child. The irony of this is she knew who this pastor was and did not show any type of embarrassment or remorse for her life style. This bring us to God's standards concerning immorality among His people. Paul gives us the example of a man involved in an immoral relationship with his step mother. Paul commands that this brother involved in flagrant sexual sin be delivered to Satan so that his spirit might be saved. "Deliver him to Satan" is excommunication, which puts him into Satan's arena, outside the protection of the church. This judgment does not come lightly; it is made in the name and with the power of the Lord Jesus. There are two possible meanings for "the destruction of his flesh" 1. Destroying his sinful lusts. 2. Destroying his physical flesh (death). In some way, both senses may be involved. On the flip side of this coin, the man repents and the church refuses to restore him. Note the passage above. Plummer in his commentary said "That Satan should take man by sin is proper for him, but that he should do so through man's repentance is too much, for repentance is our weapon, not his" When we do not appropriately forgive others, Satan is able to gain an advantage (to defraud for the purpose of gaining what belongs to another) over us. He does so by overwhelming both the offender with excessive sorrow, and us with unforgiving hearts. Paul was aware of Satan's schemes, and we must be also. Paul was aware of Satan's schemes, and we must be also. When we refuse to forgive a repentant offender by not allowing him or her to resume fellowship with us, we are giving Satan an opportunity to defraud that person of his or her rightful participation in the body of Christ. Ken Copley