The worst thing that can happen to a Christian is not persecution, physical injury, or death. In many respects, these are the best things that can happen to us. Jesus said that we are blessed when we are “persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matthew 5:10). Paul decided to “take pleasure in infirmities…for Christ's sake… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Jesus said to His followers, “My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). This makes perfect sense, because for the believer, “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord.” None of these earthly threats should hold any sway over us whatsoever.
Jim Elliff

IDOLATRY

IDOLATRY

IDOLATRY

  1. Forbidden # Ex 20:2,3 De 5:7
  2. CONSISTS IN 2a) Bowing down to images

    # Ex 20:5 De 5:9

2b) Worshipping images # Isa 44:17 Da 3:5,10,15 2c) Sacrificing to images # Ps 106:38 Ac 7:41 2d) Worshipping other gods # De 30:17 Ps 81:9 2e) Swearing by other gods # Ex 23:13 Jos 23:7 2f) Walking after other gods # De 8:19 2g) Speaking in the name of other gods # De 18:20 2h) Looking to other gods # Ho 3:1 2i) Serving other gods # De 7:4 Jer 5:19 2j) Fearing other gods # 2Ki 17:35 2k) Sacrificing to other gods # Ex 22:20 2l) Worshipping the true God by an image, &c # Ex 32:4-6 Ps 106:19,20 2m) Worshipping angels # Col 2:18 2n) Worshipping the host of heaven # De 4:19 17:3 2o) Worshipping demons # Mt 4:9-10 Re 9:20 2p) Worshipping dead men # Ps 106:28 2q) Setting up idols in the heart # Eze 14:3,4 2r) Covetousness # Eph 5:5 Col 3:5 2s) Sensuality # Php 3:19 3) Is changing the glory of God into an image # Ro 1:23 Ac 17:29 4) Is changing the truth of God into a lie # Ro 1:25 Isa 44:20 5) Is a work of the flesh # Ga 5:19,20 6) Incompatible with the service of God # Ge 35:2,3 Jos 24:23 1Sa 7:3 1Ki 18:21 2Co 6:15,16 7) DESCRIBED AS 7a) An abomination to God # De 7:25 7b) Hateful to God # De 16:22 Jer 44:4 7c) Vain and foolish # Ps 115:4-8 Isa 44:19 Jer 10:3 7d) Bloody # Eze 23:39 7e) Abominable # 1Pe 4:3 7f) Unprofitable # Jud 10:14 Isa 46:7 7g) Irrational # Ac 17:29 Ro 1:21-23 7h) Defiling # Eze 20:7 36:18 8) THEY WHO PRACTISE 8a) Forget God # De 8:19 Jer 18:15 8b) Go astray from God # Eze 44:10 8c) Pollute the name of God # Eze 20:39 8d) Defile the sanctuary of God # Eze 5:11 8e) Are estranged from God # Eze 14:5 8f) Forsake God # 2Ki 22:17 Jer 16:11 8g) Hate God # 2Ch 19:2,3 8h) Provoke God # De 31:20 Isa 65:3 Jer 25:6 8i) Are vain in their imaginations # Ro 1:21 8j) Are ignorant and foolish # Ro 1:21,22 8k) Inflame themselves # Isa 57:5 8l) Hold fast their deceit # Jer 8:5 8m) Carried away by it # 1Co 12:2 8n) Go after it in heart # Eze 20:16 8o) Are mad upon it # Jer 50:38 8p) Boast of it # Ps 97:7 8q) Have fellowship with devils # Ho 4:12 8r) Ask counsel of their idols # Ho 4:12 8s) Look to idols for deliverance # Isa 44:17 45:20 8t) Swear by their idols # Am 8:14 9) Objects of, numerous # 1Co 8:5 10) OBJECTS OF DESCRIBED AS 10a) Strange gods # Ge 35:2,4 Jos 24:20 10b) Other gods # Jud 2:12,17 1Ki 14:9 10c) New gods # De 32:17 Jud 5:8 10d) Gods that cannot save # Isa 45:20 10e) Gods that have not made the heavens # Jer 10:11 10f) No gods # Jer 5:7 Ga 4:8 10g) Molten gods # Ex 34:17 Le 19:4 10h) Molten images # De 27:15 Hab 2:18 10i) Graven images # Isa 45:20 Ho 11:2 10j) Senseless idols # De 4:28 Ps 115:5,7 10k) Dumb idols # Hab 2:18 10l) Dumb Stones # Hab 2:19 10m) Stocks # Jer 3:9 Ho 4:12 10n) Abominations # Isa 44:19 Jer 32:34 10o) Images of abomination # Eze 7:20 10p) Idols of abomination # Eze 16:36 10q) Stumbling blocks # Eze 14:3 10r) Teachers of lies # Hab 2:18 10s) Wind and confusion # Isa 41:29 10t) Nothing # Isa 41:24 1Co 8:4 10u) Helpless # Jer 10:5 10v) Vanity # Jer 18:15 10w) Vanities of the Gentiles # Jer 14:22 11) Making idols for the purpose of, described and ridiculed # Isa 44:10-20 12) Obstinate sinners judicially given up to # De 4:28 28:64 Ho 4:17 13) Warnings against # De 4:15-19 14) Exhortations to turn from # Eze 14:6 20:7 Ac 14:15 15) Renounced on conversion # 1Th 1:9 16) Led to abominable sins # Ro 1:26-32 Ac 15:20 17) SAINTS SHOULD 17a) Keep from # Jos 23:7 1Jo 5:21 17b) Flee from # 1Co 10:14 17c) Not have anything connected with in their houses # De 7:26 17d) Not partake of any thing connected with # 1Co 10:19,20 17e) Not have religious intercourse with those who practise # Jos 23:7 1Co 5:11 17f) Not covenant with those who practise # Ex 34:12,15 De 7:2 17g) Not intermarry with those who practise # Ex 34:16 De 7:3 17h) Testify against # Ac 14:15 19:26 17i) Refuse to engage in, though threatened with death # Da 3:18 18) Saints preserved by God from # 1Ki 19:18 Ro 11:4 19) Saints refuse to receive the worship of # Ac 10:25,26 14:11-15 20) Angels refuse to receive the worship of # Re 22:8,9 21) Destruction of, promised # Eze 36:25 Zec 13:2 22) Everything connected with, should be destroyed # Ex 34:13 De 7:5 2Sa 5:21 2Ki 23:14 23) Woe denounced against # Hab 2:19 24) Curse denounced against # De 27:15 25) PUNISHMENT OF 25a) Judicial death # De 17:2-5 25b) Dreadful judgments which end in death # Jer 8:2 16:1-11 25c) Banishment # Jer 8:3 Ho 8:5-8 Am 5:26,27 25d) Exclusion from heaven # 1Co 6:9,10 Eph 5:5 Re 22:15 25e) Eternal torments # Re 14:9-11 21:8 26) Exemplified 26a) Israel # Ex 32:1 2Ki 17:12 26b) Philistines # Jud 16:23 26c) Micah # Jud 17:4,5 26d) Jeroboam # 1Ki 12:28 26e) Maachah # 1Ki 15:13 26f) Ahab # 1Ki 16:31 26g) Jezebel # 1Ki 18:19 26h) Sennacherib # 2Ki 19:37 26i) Manasseh # 2Ki 21:4-7 26j) Amon # 2Ki 21:21 26k) Ahaz # 2Ch 28:3 26l) Judah # Jer 11:13 26m) Nebuchadnezzar # Da 3:1 26n) Belshazzar # Da 5:23 26o) People of Lystra # Ac 14:11,12 26p) Athenians # Ac 17:16 26q) Ephesians # Ac 19:28 27) Zeal against-Exemplified 27a) Asa # 1Ki 15:12 27b) Josiah # 2Ki 23:5 27c) Jehoshaphat # 2Ch 17:6 27d) Israel # 2Ch 31:1 27e) Manasseh # 2Ch 33:15 28) All forms of, forbidden by the law of Moses # Ex 20:4,5 29) All heathen nations given up to # Ps 96:5 Ro 1:23,25 1Co 12:2 30) Led the heathen to think that their gods visited the earth in bodily shapes # Ac 14:11 31) Led the heathen to consider their gods to have but a local influence # 1Ki 20:23 2Ki 17:26 32) OBJECTS OF 32a) The heavenly bodies # 2Ki 23:5 Ac 7:42 32b) Angels # Col 2:18 32c) Departed spirits # 1Sa 28:14,15 32d) Earthly creatures # Ro 1:23 32e) Images # De 29:17 Ps 115:4 Isa 44:17 33) Temples built for # Ho 8:14 34) Altars raised for # 1Ki 18:26 Ho 8:11 35) Accompanied by feasts # 2Ki 10:20 1Co 10:27,28 36) OBJECTS OF, WORSHIPPED 36a) With sacrifices # Nu 22:40 2Ki 10:24 36b) With libations # Isa 57:6 Jer 19:13 36c) With incense # Jer 48:35 36d) With prayer # 1Ki 18:26 Isa 44:17 36e) With singing and dancing # Ex 32:18,19 1Ki 18:26 1Co 10:7 36f) By bowing to them # 1Ki 19:18 2Ki 5:18 36g) By kissing them # 1Ki 19:18 Ho 13:2 36h) By kissing the hand to them # Job 31:26,27 36i) By cutting the flesh # 1Ki 18:28 36j) By burning children # De 12:31 2Ch 33:6 Jer 19:4,5 Eze 16:21 36k) In temples # 2Ki 5:18 36l) On high places # Nu 22:41 Jer 2:20 36m) In groves # Ex 34:13 36n) Under trees # Isa 57:5 Jer 2:20 36o) In private houses # Jud 17:4,5 36p) On the tops of houses # 2Ki 23:12 Zep 1:5 36q) In secret places # Isa 57:8 37) Rites of, obscene and impure # Ex 32:25 Nu 25:1-3 2Ki 17:9 Isa 57:6,8,9 1Pe 4:3 38) Divination connected with # 2Ch 33:6 39) Victims sacrificed in, often adorned with garlands # Ac 14:13 40) IDOLS, &c MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE 40a) Adrammelech # 2Ki 17:31 40b) Anammelech # 2Ki 17:31 40c) Ashima # 2Ki 17:30 40d) Ashtoreth # Jud 2:13 1Ki 11:33 40e) Baal # Jud 2:11-13 6:25 40f) Baal-berith # Jud 8:33 9:4,46 40g) Baal-peor # Nu 25:1-3 40h) Baalzebub # 2Ki 1:2,16 40i) Baal-zephon # Ex 14:2 40j) Bel # Jer 50:2 51:44 40k) Chemosh # Nu 21:29 1Ki 11:33 40l) Chiun # Am 5:26 40m) Dagon # Jud 16:23 1Sa 5:1-3 40n) Diana # Ac 19:24,27 40o) Huzzab # Na 2:7 40p) Jupiter # Ac 14:12 40q) Mercury # Ac 14:12 40r) Molech or Milcom # Le 18:21 1Ki 11:5,33 40s) Merodach # Jer 50:2 40t) Nergal # 2Ki 17:30 40u) Nebo # Isa 46:1 40v) Nibhaz and Tartak # 2Ki 17:31 40w) Nisroch # 2Ki 19:37 40x) Queen of heaven # Jer 44:17,25 40y) Remphan # Ac 7:43 40z) Rimmon # 2Ki 5:18 40A) Succothbenoth # 2Ki 17:30 40B) Tammuz # Eze 8:14 41) Objects of, carried in procession # Isa 46:7 Am 5:26 Ac 7:43 42) Early notice of, amongst God’s professing people # Ge 31:19,30 35:1-4 Jos 24:2 43) THE JEWS 43a) Practised, in Egypt # Jos 24:14 Eze 23:3,19 43b) Brought, out of Egypt with them # Eze 23:8 Ac 7:39-41 43c) Forbidden to practise # Ex 20:1-5 23:24 43d) Often mixed up, with God’s worship # Ex 32:1-5 1Ki 12:27,28 43e) Followed the Canaanites in # Jud 2:11-13 1Ch 5:25 43f) Followed the Moabites in # Nu 25:1-3 43g) Followed the Assyrians in # Eze 16:28-30 23:5-7 43h) Followed the Syrians in # Jud 10:6 44) Adopted by Solomon # 1Ki 11:5-8 45) Adopted by the wicked kings # 1Ki 21:26 2Ki 21:21 2Ch 28:2-4 33:3,7 46) Example of the kings encouraged Israel in # 1Ki 12:30 2Ki 21:11 2Ch 33:9 47) Great prevalence of, in Israel # Isa 2:8 Jer 2:28 Eze 8:10 48) A virtual forsaking of God # Jer 2:9-13 49) The good kings of Judah endeavoured to destroy # 2Ch 15:16 34:7 50) Captivity of Israel on account of # 2Ki 17:6-18 51) Captivity of Judah on account of # 2Ki 17:19-23