Counterfeit Gods: Part 1 - The Idol Factory

Hello All,

For today and the next few weeks, we will be looking at a poem series which was inspired by one of Timothy’s Keller bestselling books entitled ‘Counterfeit Gods’.

Counterfeit Gods: Part 1 - The Idol Factory

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (31^st March 2013)

Our hearts are deceitful as they constantly churn

Fleeting idols for which sacrifices are burned

Their promise to quench our desires in return

Leaves us unfulfilled and empty at every turn

Have vain idols captured your heart in place of God?

Have money, fame and vanity become your Lord?

Who is that person who infects your every thought?

What are the pleasures of addictions you have sought?

Have you been looking to idols for life’s meaning?

What loss would render your life hardly worth living?

Those counterfeit gods would prevent you from finding

True satisfaction in Jesus, the risen King.

Points for Reflection:

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. (Acts 17:16)

·         We are surrounded by a culture of idols. Even in this era of advanced modern technology, the presence of sophisticated idols is evident.

·         During Apostle Paul’s time, pagans worshipped many idols in their futile attempt to fulfill the desires of their hearts. They worshipped Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, just as our modern day culture promotes and elevates the idolization of true love and obsession with physical beauty through Hollywood movies, celebrities and various advertising media. They paid homage to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, just as our modern day culture worships human wisdom in the form of Science. They worshipped Eirene, the goddess of wealth, just as our modern day culture enslaves people to their jobs in their pursuit of affluence. 

 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? (Ezekiel 14:3)

·         Idols are not confined to statues in pagan worship but they are anything that usurps the place of God in our hearts.

·         As sinful human beings, our hearts are ‘idol factories’. What are the idols of your hearts? What are the things and who are the people you have been deriving your meaning of life from? What kind of loss would render your life meaningless?

·         Many of those idols are not bad in and of itself but it is when the obsession of them pushes God out of the center of our hearts. Those idols will never ever satisfy our desires for only God is able to bring true meaning to our lives. That is why they are called counterfeit gods, false gods which promise so much but deliver so little. Pray for God to reveal to you those counterfeit gods and pray for an increasing desire for God instead of those vain idols.

 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (1 Corinthians 10:14)

 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)

For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9)

Enduring Hope

Hello All,

There are many who voluntarily and actively participate in any sponsored walkathons or marathons.

I could never comprehend the thrill of these enthusiastic participants for I am contented with my sedentary lifestyle and indoor hobbies.

The thought of deliberately getting myself sweaty, stinky and tired makes me avoid such activities.

But there is a race that no one is excluded from.

This race is what I call the marathon of life.

In every marathon, there is always an end goal to achieve.

Different people have varying goals while they are on this earth and in their preoccupation of obtaining those goals, they might have neglected and even lost sight of the ultimate goal at the finishing line.

As Christians, while we are living here on earth, we are to live for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ with the comforting assurance of eternal life after death at the end of the race.

During this race, many hurdles and hardship will come our way but we can be assured of God’s comfort and strength to overcome those obstacles.

Enduring Hope

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (5^th July 2013)

Our hearts rejoice for the Lord is bringing us through

The turbulent times when we knew not what to do

He has seen our tears of despair and wiped them dry

In his grace he's heard and answered our desperate cries

God in his wisdom has wrought good out of evil

He has kept us safe from the traps of the devil

Throughout the painful trials of God's refining fire

We're being changed into vessels of his desire

Let's persevere to run the race set before us

Let's not grow weary but fix our eyes on Jesus

Who is the living Word and our firm foundation

In him we've been redeemed as his new creation

Points for Reflection:

Brothers, I [Apostle Paul] do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

·         Have you been distracted by the pursuits of this life and lost sight of the most important goal at the end of the race?

·         What are the worldly achievements that you deem more important than the priceless inheritance of eternal life as God’s people who have been redeemed though the precious blood of Jesus?

·         Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? The truth is after death comes judgment for all sinful human beings and Jesus is the only one who is able to save you from the fires of hell. For he has lovingly and sacrificially borne the penalty of our sins and nailed them to the tree. Would you accept or reject this precious gift of life?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27)

In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4)

·         The process of enduring the countless hurdles in this life is often painful and unpleasant.

·         We pray for God to deliver us from our problems but in his wisdom, he uses trials to shape our character in the likeness of Christ.

·         What are the trials that you have gone through in this life? Are you currently wandering in the valleys of despondency and hopelessness? Do not give up on God but continue entrusting your problems to him in earnest prayer.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

·         After we have emerged triumphant from adversities, we would look back with no regrets for those adversities have yielded in us patience, perseverance and steadfastness to continue running the race set before us.

·         We are far from perfect as inhabitants of this world but the Holy Spirit enables us to grow in holiness each day. However we will be perfected on the Last Day when Jesus Christ returns in splendour and majesty.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Voyage

Hello All,

There are periods in our lives that are both physically and emotionally draining.

We could not help but dread the unpredictable outcomes, problems and uncertainties of the rough journey ahead.

But the good news is we do not need to face this voyage alone for God is always there to help us sail through the stormy gale.

The Voyage

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (23^rd June 2013)

In the daunting turbulence of these trying times

I call out to you Lord for you are gracious and kind

In your strong and mighty arms I know I will find

Your comforting assurance and love so divine

When my vessel is up against the rising tide

I know my Lord Jesus is always by my side

He is my perfect wisdom and constant guide

In the consolation of his Word I will abide

Guide me now safely, Lord, through the perilous storm

Grant me endurance though I might be weak and worn

In sadness, help me to praise you with joyful songs

Endow me with strength and courage to journey on

God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. (Psalm 62:2)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Hope in Our Brokenness

By Joanne Liaw Sook Ling (19^th June 2013)

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

God sees our tears and brokenness although at times it feels as if he has turned a blind eye to our cry for deliverance. There are many moments in life where we are just so jaded with the constant pain and afflictions that surround us. What hurts us most is the seemingly never-ending suffering and agony of a loved one. We pray for God to lift our loved ones out from the pit of darkness and despair but we see no rope being let down for rescue. We try our best to take control of the situation and work very hard to keep things together only to have them all fall apart at the end of the day. When trials come, they come as a flood.

For those of us who are well versed with the Biblical doctrine of God's sovereignty, we know in theory that we have so little control over our circumstances. Knowing that doctrine intellectually is what I would term as a distant and abstract understanding. It is only when the reality of it hits us would we then realize the magnitude of it. During the good times, we often have a subconscious attitude of self-sufficiency and we are very tempted to stay in control as we navigate through life. It takes that plunge down the ravine before we truly comprehend our limited influence over the unfolding of calamities in the whirlpool of our sorrows.

When we have almost plunged down to the bottom of that precarious ravine with only a faltering tree branch to cling on to, it is very tempting for us to just give up on God and let go. But that would be the most foolish thing to do. No matter what happens, we must never let go of our faith in God. For our God is not only sovereign but he is also loving. Because he loves us, we can seek refuge in his sovereignty and trust that he is in control of even the most hopeless situation.

In our hopelessness, he comforts us and gives us the strength we need to carry on. In our hopelessness, he assures us of the future hope that we share as those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. For nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. In his kindness, he has also provided us with the support of our family, friends as well as our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are able to see a glimpse of God’s love and comfort through those kind actions and comforting words.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)