The Gods of Culture

October 4

(Acts 19:26b-29 NIV) “He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. {27} There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty. {28} When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" {29} Soon the whole city was in an uproar."

(2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NIV) “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. {4} The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

(Deuteronomy 4:23-29 NIV) “Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. {24} For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. {25} After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time--if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and provoking him to anger, {26} I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. {27} The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. {28} There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. {29} But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Many today would say they are not religious, but they are not being truthful. We are all religious in some way. We all worship something or someone. Some worship science. Some worship nature. Some worship the stars. Some worship money. Some worship sex. Some worship power. Some worship sports. Some worship their addiction. Some worship themselves. The gods of culture are many, and if you faithfully follow Jesus, you will come into conflict with these gods. As the influence of Christ grows in your life, the power of cultural gods will begin to wane. They will begin to get less of your time and money, and they will squeal their displeasure. They may even threaten you. The gods of the culture despise Jesus and those who serve Him, but remain steadfast. Those who worship the gods of culture will perish, while those who follow Jesus receive eternal life. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Led Astray

October 3

(Acts 19:26 NIV) “And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.”

(Matthew 7:13-14 NIV) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. {14} But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Anyone who takes their Christian faith seriously will begin to walk a different road than the rest of the world. In turn, popular culture will see you as “off the beaten path” or even as “off your rocker”. Christians have been labeled as “wacko” since the days of Jesus. If you haven’t been called a “wacko” or something worse, you have likely been hiding your light. Demetrius and the other establishment idol-makers saw the early believers as people who had been “led astray”. The “folly” of this new religious sect was found in their rejection of “man-made gods”. Those on the wide road to destruction cannot comprehend why disciples of Jesus persist in going a different direction, but we who follow Jesus have been commanded to walk the narrow road. If we obey, we are indeed guilty of “straying” from the wide road. We must learn to live with the world’s ridicule and disdain. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day 

A Different Kind of Buyer

October 2

(Acts 19:24-26 NIV) “A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. {25} He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. {26} And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.”

(Matthew 6:19-24 NIV) ““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. {20} But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. {22} "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. {23} But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! {24} "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.””

As more and more people in Ephesus were saved, a recession hit the idol making business. Paul taught that the silver idols of Artemis had no divine power, and people stopped spending money on them. Demetrius called the union bosses together and launched a public relations campaign against the Church. These new believers, led by Paul, were cutting into the idol- maker’s profits. They were taking their faith too seriously, and it was harming the local economy. These new people of the Way had changed their spending habits and had become a different kind of buyer. Every Christian should be a different kind of buyer. Money that was once spent foolishly will now be offered to Jesus, or wisely saved for future needs. If your God has not affected the way you spend money, your God is not the God of Scripture. Becoming a disciple of Jesus will make you a different kind of buyer. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

The Disturbing People of the Way

October 1

(Acts 19:23 NIV) “About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.”

(Acts 4:1-4 NIV) “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. {2} They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. {3} They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. {4} But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”

(Matthew 2:1-3 NIV) ““After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem {2} and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." {3} When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.””

The early church had been derisively called “Christians” at Antioch. In Ephesus someone decided to label them as “The Way”. Both labels were meant to be derogatory. Wherever those early disciples lived, they caused a disturbance as they lived out their faith. As others became believers, their lifestyle and spending habits changed. They were rocking the boat, messing with the system, stirring the pot, and this caused friction. They didn’t fit the mold, and what they had seemed to be contagious. They disturbed the status quo. Contrast that with many church people today, whose main goal seems to be blending in. We wouldn’t want anyone to think we are weird, and so we become adept at flying under the radar. Something has been lost in the translation. We were saved to shine! Live out your faith, and pray that you can become part of the disturbance in a way that honors the Lord. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day