Every evil act will at some point be judged by God, whether on this earth or at the judgment seat of Christ.
In the Bible, we see kings do evil and God does not forget that evil and often God will stir up an adversary against that evil doing king.
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Solomon:
God gave Solomon both wisdom and riches. But twice God warned Solomon. These "strange wives" would turn Solomon's heart away from God.
Solomon's downfall:
I Kings 11:1-14 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
God places a penalty upon king Solomon:
Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
And God raises up an adversary against king Solomon:
And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
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Men set up idols in New Testament churches. If we choose to bow down to these idols we surely harm ourselves as did the kings of Judah and Israel. And when God's judgment comes, this can even cause damnation to those who do things on this earth pertaining to religious idols.
An idol is any seemingly religious thing that is not commanded by God in the New Testament Bible.
It is a very serious thing for a Christian to follow after superstitions.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft (superstitions), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
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One very serious superstition in some of today's church groups is teaching their people to "cross themselves" for "luck" or for "blessings".
In doing this, people show they trust in themselves, in that which they do.
There is no statement in Bible telling anyone to make the sign of the cross at any time.
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The lighting of candles attached to prayers or for any other religious reason, is another damning act.
It is not in New Testament Bible to use candles in religious context.
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship HIM. God is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.
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To call a minister "Reverend" is to set up an idol in the church. And for any minister to allow himself to be called "Reverend" is a sin against God and to cause the people to worship him.
After Jesus arose, HE set up the New Testament church and gave ministers to the New Testament church for the work of the ministry.
Ephesians 4
11 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The Old Testament has many strong examples showing God's hatred of religious idols and also showing penalties that come to kings when they set up images and fail to cut these down and destroy them.
23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
11 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
There are no other ministries set up by Jesus for the church today.
(No minister of music, no pope, no cardinal, no archbishop, no minister of music)
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Jesus says: Call no man your father. (Matthew 23)
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There are no "priests" in the New Testament church. Priest is Old Testament.
Ministers in the New Testament are: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.
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Setting up graven images in churches or in homes for religious purposes:
There are 47 verses in the Bible where God prohibits the use of graven images.
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There is no place in Bible where we are told to wear crosses, or religious medallions for protection, or to set up alters at our homes with graven images, photos, candles, crosses or anything else.
We simply go to God in direct prayer to God and depend on God for our protection and well being. In fact, we should refuse to accept anything other than God in Spirit.
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We will curse ourselves if we serve religious idols which are set up in churches by humans and are not set forth by God in the New Testament Bible.
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I Kings 11 (Concerning Solomon)
24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
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Jeroboam was one of the most evil of all the kings.
The sins of Jeroboam became a by-word describing sins among the kings of Judah and Israel.
Jereboam set up 2 golden calves for the people to worship:
I Kings 12:25-33 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
Only the Levites were ordained by God to be the priests in the Old Testament.
And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
Jeroboam committed 2 great sins:
* He set up golden calves as symbols of worship.
* He would not let the Levites, who were appointed by God as ministers, work in the ministries to which God appointed them.
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Ministers in New Testament churches: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12)
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Ahijah, the prophet, sent by God to Jeroboam with this message:
I Kings 14:7-11 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over MY people Israel, And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as MY servant David, who kept MY commandments, and who followed ME with all his heart, to do that only which was right in Mine eyes;
But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast ME behind thy back:
Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the Lord hath spoken it.
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I Kings 14:14-16 Moreover the Lord shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.
For the Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which HE gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger.
And HE shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
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In the New Testament churches today, the church leaders sin by setting up commandments for their churches which is not commanded by God in the New Testament Bible ... and by these false commandements they also cause the people in their church to sin as they worship idols.
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I Kings 14:22-24 And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked HIM to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
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I Kings 14:8-13 (Concerning king Asa of Judah) And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.
And he took away the sodomites (homosexuals) out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
But later in his life, Asa stopped following God and turned to humans for his help.
But before Asa sins, God sends a prophet to warn Asa and at first his action was good ... but then he stopped calling on God. Asa failed to heed the warning given by the prophet.
I Chronicles 15:1-8 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah (the prophet) the son of Oded:
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, HE will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, HE will forsake you.
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, HE was found of them.
And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.
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Asa makes league with another king and seeks help from this man rather than seeking help from God.
II Chronicles 16:1-3 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
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God sends a prophet to pronounce a sentence and judgment upon king Asa:
II Chronicles 16:7-10 And at that time Hanani the seer (prophet) came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
The prophet reminds Asa of a previous time when he relied on the Lord and there was a battle and a great victory because he called on God for help.
Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, HE delivered them into thine hand.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
A sentence from God pronounced upon king Asa by the prophet of God: In the future you shall have wars.
Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.
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Asa turns to man a second time, instead of turning to God, and by this Asa dies:
II Chronicles 16:12-13 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.
13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.
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In the New Testament church today:
Because people do not keep God in remembrance by calling upon God, those people are turned over by God to a reprobate mind.
Romans 1
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
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Jesus says in the last days, people will perish because they allowed the love of the Word of God to grow cold in themselves.
Matthew 24
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
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