Tear Down the High Places

2 Chronicles 33:17 "The people still sacrificed on the high places, but only to the LORD their God."

This was said after the top-down reformation of Manasseh. This situation might not sound so bad, but it was not complete obedience. God had commanded that his people sacrifice their offering in one place, the place were his tabernacle was. Lev. 17:7-9 "They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”’
“Also you shall say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from among his people."
As you can see, God's people wanted to acknowledge him as king, but they were not willing to offer the service their King required.
I bring this up, because of how many times, Christians disregard the commands of God, but feel that since they are trying to please God with their disobedient sacrifices, he will be pleased. He will not be pleased. Here are some examples of High places, in modern Christianity.

Self Government
Many "Christians" have rejected Godliness. Yes they cling to His name, but they are unwilling to conform their entire lives to His Word.

Family Government
A lot of Christian, even homeschool families, teach their Children about God, but are unaware that how the family is being run is in direct disobedience to God. Whether it is in discipline, education, leadership, or property rights, the Godly principles of the family have been replaced by the high places of experts or tradition.

Church Government
Church government is one of the categories to which this analogy best applies. Man is so caught up in worshiping God his own way, he actually disobeys God's commands and bring a disobedient abomination as worship. This happens all the time with women as pastors, pastors not preaching the whole council of God, and the church as a whole bowing it's head to the state's ungodly commands. Yet they claim to know God, but they willingly offer up disobedience to God on the high place of political correctness.

Civil Government
Most Christians do indeed want a Christian government. A Government one where the Christians are in control. But, most Christians DO NOT want a Theonomic Government, one where all of God's laws are implemented. In effect they want our nation to be Christian in name, but humanistic in practice.

It is not an acceptable sacrifice to "love" God, and then offer to Him what we consider righteous, proper, correct, or just. If we love Him we MUST give Him true obedience.

1 Sam. 15:22
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

The Potter and the Clay.

Romans 9:21 "Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?" Election is a wonderful doctrine. It shows us how God focused our salvation is. God has elected some to eternal life for his glory and other to eternal damnation, also for his glory. Nor did the fall of man catch him by surprise. He had ordained it that he might elect some to life and some to death. I love Systematic Theology!

The Trinity

If you would have asked me how to prove the Trinity from the Scripture one week ago I might have had a tough time, but recently I have been reading Robert Reymond Systematic Theology and I have seen how OBVIOUS it is in scripture.
This is a short logical argument with premises that necessarily lead to the conclusion of the trinity. There is one God,(Deut 6:4) Jesus is God, (Obviously shown in all scripture especially the gospel of John) The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4 Lie to the Holy Spirit is a lie to God) The Father is God (Jesus testifies to him being God again and again.) Yet they exhibit different personalities, Submit to one another, (the Son the Father and the Spirit to the Father and Son) Converse with each other and manifest themselves differently. Therefore there is ONE God, but three persons. A complex being unlike any earthly creature.