NEW KING'S BUSINESS FEATURE by Dr. Dick Hillis, director, Overseas Crusades
for women only
“ I W E P T ”
of the more subtle idols that creep into our hearts and take first place in our lives. An idol is anything that takes the place God should have in my life. An idol could include some blessing God has given me . . . a lovely baby . . . a friendship . . . a home . . . a car . . . a bank account . . . any thing that takes the place that Christ should have in my heart. God is the Giver of every good thing, but if I love His gift more than Himself, that very gift becomes an idol. The command is “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” (Mat thew 4:10). “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength . . .’’ (Mark 12: 30). Anything less than “all-heartedness” or whole heartedness is idolatry. It is a frightening thought . . . is it possible that I could have an idol in my life? If God puts His finger upon one, what shall I do about it? In China when one turns to God from idols those paper, wood, clay, or metal idols are taken out and burned. If the idol in your life is some hideous sin, denounce it. Turn from it. Forsake it. In the Name of Christ, destroy it. If however some good gift from God has become an idol, simply through taking the place that Christ deserves in your life, remove it from that place, put it where it belongs, and it is no longer an idol. Not too long ago a man called me all the way from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He informed me that he had “ sold his idol.” He wanted to know if there was some need in the mission. (In his case the idol was a speed boat.) There is nothing wrong with a boat, but there is a great deal wrong with “ loving the world and the things of the world.” Sweep that idol off the throne of your heart. Let Christ be Lord and a new joy will be yours.
npo w e e p is a woman’s privilege, at least that is what we men think. In some cases, it is more than a privilege — it is an art. When women weep we are sympathetic and intrigued. A woman’s tears arouses curiosity in a man’s mind and compassion in his heart. When men weep we are embarrassed. We feel it is a weakness for a man to weep. So I admit I am somewhat embarrassed to confess that I wept as I watched the thousands of worshipers. Every foot of their colorful, ornate temple was filled with people. Each waited his turn to prostrate himself before the hideous gods. In the “holy of holies” of the Dragon Temple were scores of man-made idols. Falling before them were the very people who had made them. At first their superstition seemed so absurd and childish. But as I watched their faces, I realized that this was more than just a ceremony. These were peo ple with problems — problems far too big for them. They were people with burdens too heavy to bear. They were people crushed and frustrated and needing help. They had never heard our Saviour’s loving in vitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Their ignorance of this great truth was not their fault but mine — and yours. As the deep, pressing problems of life crushed all around them, their only resource and their sole relief was the Temple. Inhal ing the sickening fragrance of a cloud of incense, I knew I was surrounded by tens of thousands of heart aches. I did what you would have done. I wept. That day I wept for them. Today I weep for America, not pagan America but Christian America. If there were fewer idols in America, there would be fewer idols abroad. John the beloved wrote, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (I John 5:21). He was not thinking of the hideous man-made idols of pagan religions. He was warning us as Christians
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APRIL, 1963
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