No one should need to be convinced that Americans worship famous people. To be famous means “to be widely known and honored.” While the world has been weeping over the death of Michael Jackson, the earth beneath our feet and the sky above our heads has been weeping for glory to be given to their maker.

Psalm 19:1 (ESV)  
    The heavens declare the glory of God,
        and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

With a very loud voice, the beauty of the created order calls us to worship God and we worship the created order instead (Romans 1:25). The sadness of this whole Michael Jackson ordeal is the evidence it gives for the futility of idol worship. In crude reality, no matter how devoted we are to men, they die. They leave us wanting. They remind us that any pursuit after the glory of men is a futile one. It is futile because men cannot hold something reserved for God. Men are not meant to be worshipped. God is.

Isaiah 42:8 (ESV) 
    I am the Lord; that is my name;
        my glory I give to no other,
        nor my praise to carved idols.

Lately, I’ve heard a lot about the steroid controversy in baseball and I can’t help but equate that to the Christian steroid controversy. My wife and I went into a local Christian bookstore last night and found many examples of Christian steroids. For example, there was a book on understanding and applying every book in the Bible. “All 66 books explained and applied!” That particular volume was about 25 pages long. My favorite example was that of the charismatic section, which should read “how to be devoured by wolves”. That section was packed with books on how to have your best life now, while a book of Jonathan Edward’s sermons was on the “last chance clearance” table. Sure, pick up the book written by the guy with a golden coffee table and a $30,000 toilet, but the book by the greatest American theologian in history has to be on the last chance table. This is why I say Christian steroids are far more dangerous than those used in baseball. Just like baseball players want a quick fix to get huge so they can hit the ball out of the park, so too Christians want to buy the latest merchandising campaign that will get them to spiritual maturity in 40 days or less (or your money back!). How do I know that this is how Christians operate? Simple. It sells. Jonathan Edwards is marked down, Joel Osteen flies off the shelf. Steroids, not just for baseball anymore.

In keeping with the “all you need is lots more stuff” theme, I saw a commercial today for a television that was the newest, clearest, thinnest thing on the market. I have to admit, the thing looked really cool. The problem I had was at the end of the ad when the tag line appeared. “Change your T.V., change your life. I thought, “Really? That’s all it takes?” There are people so devoid of purpose that a flat screen image projector mounted on their wall will change their life? How boring is that? Where is the church in this? Why aren’t we answering the guy who thinks a T.V. is a life-changing thing with the gospel reality that things aren’t life-changing. Things aren’t eternal. Things burn. Things rust. Thieves break in and steal things. Children wipe greasy fingerprints on life-changing flat-screens every day and if we find ourselves talking about non-eternal, material possessions in terms of how they change our lives, we treasure the wrong things. This Christmas, run from this nonsense to the true treasure (Matthew 6:19-21).

So I’m watching Veggie Tales with my daughter yesterday and providentially she chose Madame Blueberry which talks about greed. The line in the video that stood out to me was the line, “Happiness waits at the Stuff Mart, all you need is lots more stuff.” This became even more glaring when I got my paper this morning and the ads were so thick I could barely get the paper out of that little plastic sleeve. With each ad, it was easier and easier to hear the song, “…all you need is lots more stuff.” It is difficult to hear anything else this time of year but the siren song of marketing and media promising happiness and joy, but delivering nothing. Our lives should be centered on something greater than this, right?

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’” Luke 12:15

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:1-6.

Four things to notice about this passage:

1. The Charge is Serious. (1) First of all, I urge…  This resembles Samuel as he prayed for Israel even when they rejected God as being king over them (1 Samuel 12:23).
2. The Charge has a Broad Scope. (1-2) …that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions…
3. The Charge has several Motivations (2-6)
   1. The Glory of God (2-3)
   2. The Cross of Christ (6)
   3. The Pattern of the Mediator (5)
4. The Charge has several Biblical demonstrations
   1. Abraham (Genesis 18:24), prayed for Sodom.
   2. Moses (Exodus 32:11-14), prayed for disobendient Israel.
   3. Elijah (1 Kings 18), prayed that God would show himself to idolatrous Israel.
   4. Jesus (Hebrews 7:25) lives to make intercession.

I hope that this post finds you ready to pray for the new President of the United States and that you won’t neglect this key part of honoring God and helping people. (James 4:17)