Fancy stumbling over a fantasy!

Today, a thought on...

Fantasies:-
A hope in anything other than a Promise of God is a fantasy (not real!). When a person covets and lusts after any of these fantasies in their heart what they are actully doing is committing idolatry.

Coveting is the strong desire you have for the fantasy to 'come true' or 'be real' (only God's Words are True). This is idolatry and lust - lust changes the direction you are facing.

Merriam Webster's dictionary says to covet means:
1 : to wish for enviously
2 : to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably.


The Apostle Paul instructs, directs and commands us to...

"Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
Colossians 3:5

NOTE: when Paul says, PUT TO DEATH, he is referring to the daily crucifixion that Jesus mandates for "ALL" His disciples in Luke 9:23, "Then He said to them *all*, “If *anyone* desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross *daily*, and follow Me."

And informs us...

"For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."
Ephesians 5:5

Then we DO covet something in our hearts what we do is turn AWAY from God and set up that thing as an idol and worship that instead. This causes us to STUMBLE in The WAY, that is, it TERMINATES our journey with God along His Narrow Way - we are no longer walking WITH Him. The end of that journey, the one that veers OFF the Narrow Way is death.

This behaviour is called in the Bible, "iniquity". God says in Ezekiel 14:3,

"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?"

And in Ezekiel 20:3,

“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’

And in Ezekiel 20:31,

"For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will not be inquired of by you."

To me this inquiring is prayer and God is saying He will not hear their prayers! This sentiment is put explicitly by David in Psalm 66:18 where he says,

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear."

I Hope you can see then that you can't walk and talk with God along Life's NARROW WAY when you are coveting and serving your own [vain] fantasies in your heart, whatever they may be.

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."
1 Corinthains 10:14

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."
1 John 5:21

[I didn't even mention the sin of ENVY! or how we are POWERLESS apart from Christ!]