Thursday, April 21: Exodus 34- No other God's before me.

       I have been using Operation World daily prayer guides to pray for the countries of the world for a few years now. If you want to help advance the gospel spread around the world through prayer this is an amazingly helpful, too. Check out http://www.operationworld.org.

Today I prayed for Brazil and here is a portion of the prayer need OW identified: Brazil is a spiritually open country, for good and for ill, and is probably more Spiritist than Catholic in underlying worldview. Although “non-religion” is actually the fastest-growing faith group, few of that category would be hardcore atheists. Most follow Afro-Brazilian cults (such as Candomblé, Macumba, Umbanda) derived from African animism and witchcraft, but “high Spiritism” (Kardecism) is more popular among whites. Only 1.3% identified themselves solely as Spiritist in the census, but around 10 million practice, and even one-third or more Brazilians visit Spiritist priests or guides; many quite happily practice Catholicism and Spiritism together. The ecstatic experiences, flexible practices and emotional mysticism give it great appeal to the Brazilian mindset. Pray for all spiritual falsehoods to be exposed as such and for Christ alone to be exalted as Lord in Brazil; pray for those in actual spiritual bondage to be delivered through Jesus.

What I read about with Brazil and the syncretism of the Christian/Catholic church with the indigenous religions of the area connected, I connected it with God’s Word to Moses in verses 12-17.

Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. “Do not make any idols (12-17).

When I was first reading these verses I remember thinking, “Wow, God is really strong on this issue.” Then later when I read and prayed for Brazil, I understood why. A mixed faith is really no faith…

Our God is a jealous God. As Jesus said, You cannot serve God and mammon (xx). You cannot serve two gods at the same time.

This obviously drove into me… am I divided? Have any of the gods of my world wormed their way into my life?

How about you???

Lord, create in me a pure heart ,Oh, God, and renew a right spirit in me. See if there is any wicked way in me, and if so, Lord, root it out. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen