The Spiritual Significance of Idols

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gen 35:1 And God said to Jacob, Rise up, go up to Bethel, and
dwell there.... (2) Then Jacob said to his household and to
all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are
among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments.
(3) And let us rise up and go up to Bethel, that I may make an
altar there to God...
Phil 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is their
stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their
minds on earthly things. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Jacob told his household and all that were with him to put 
away the foreign gods that were among them....Many may claim 
that they have never had anything to do with idols. Materially 
speaking, it may be true to say that you have no idols. But we 
must know, spiritually speaking, what an idol is. An idol is 
anything that replaces God. Your education, your ambition, 
your position, your name, your desire, and your intention may 
replace God in your life and thus become idols. If you view 
the matter in this light, then you will have to admit that you 
have had many foreign gods.

People worship idols for the sake of gaining long life and 
happiness. Satan threatens people, telling them that if they 
do not worship idols, they will not have long life and 
happiness, but that if they worship idols, then they will have 
long life and happiness. Happiness includes many things: 
money, position, ambition, fame, a name. Many have idols due 
to their desire to be healthy. Why do you have something that 
replaces God? Simply because that thing may make you 
happy....Today, man has lost God and, pursuing foreign gods, 
seeks his happiness in idols. But God is our long life and 
happiness.