Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

The denial of the existence of the living God, the God of creation, leads to idolatry, the worship of pagan gods. Note that we have been created to worship. If we choose not to worship the Creator we do not cease to worship, we simply worship idols of our own making.

What is the root of our sacrificing of innocent blood today? This is the subject of my reflection on Psalm 106. 
The Hebrews turned to pagan worship, and pagan worship leads to pouring out innocent blood. So says my wise BIG mentor through my harrowing high school years after I’d 1st become a Christian between my 2nd & 3rd years at Scottsdale High School. This is Darrow L. Miller, now a world-renowned author. But he was just a Young Life Club leader back then (in the ’60s).

He continues, “Nations become like the God or gods they worship. When the Hebrew people entered the promised land, they turned from worshiping the living God, who led them out of slavery in Egypt, to mix with the nations. They “learned to do as they did” (Psalm 106:15). Note the consequences of learning from pagan worshippers (Psalm 106:36-38).

Our culture insists on sex without restraint, without consequences, without responsibility. In addition to the convenience of having sex whenever we want, the pagan culture wants to have sex without responsibility. Sexist culture dictates that a “real” man demonstrates his manhood whenever he wants without responsibility. Modern feminist culture does the same. A woman demonstrates her “manhood ” by the same standard, having sex without being pregnant. Herein is the SACRIFICE OF INNOCENT BLOOD: abortion on demand, gendercide (200,000,000 girls and women the world will never know), and now we are entering the era of infanticide, post-birth abortion.
The modern Baal of Peor is the god of convenience. We bow at the altar of convenience. “It is not convenient for me to have this baby. She will interrupt my schooling, my career, my life, my plans, my world.”

Worshipping the god of convenience

This worship of the god of convenience puts me above others. It sacrifices the other for me. But the God of the universe, the God of creation and life is the God of inconvenience. He puts the interest of others before the interest of self. We see this in the life of Jesus Christ.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. <>

Philippians 2:3-8

I can still remember in 1965 or 1966 I was suited up, running out onto the football field to play a Varsity Football game and quoting Philippians 2:5 to him, first, in front of pagan bystanders. 

"Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be." (Philippians 2:5 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) which we used in the Young Life Clubs and Campaigners).

Abby Johnson, a young woman with two abortions in her past, became the youngest clinic director in Planned Parenthood’s history. In that capacity, she witnessed an abortion and realized what the psalmist referred to as the “pouring out of innocent blood.” Her life was changed forever. Abby has become one of nation’s fiercest pro-life advocates. (We urge you to see her true story depicted in the movie “Unplanned.”)

May we become the “Inconvenient People,” sacrificing self for others, that the spilling of innocent blood may cease.
– Darrow Miller

May 11 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

One factor might have been that whatever demonic forces were at work in and through the false gods that the people worshipped (as well as in the gods' earthly representatives or priests) may have demanded such sacrifices as part of the evil that they sought to promote. 

Also, the people themselves, in order to demonstrate their devotion to their false gods in as dramatic a manner as possible, may have voluntarily made such sacrifices in a misguided attempt to placate their gods or obtain their favor, as the pagan king of Moab did when fighting against the combined forces of Israel and Judah (2 Kings 3:26-27).

May 03 2019 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report