The American Idols We Worship

The American Idols We Worship by Kevin Probst

American Idol is a reality show to find new solo talent. It has been running at the top of the ratings for nearly nine years. It is the only program to be rated number one for six consecutive years in the Neilson ratings. The title of the show belies America’s unbridled thirst for celebrity. It is as if America’s youth live their fantasy for popularity and fame and wealth through Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks. Every year we choose another idol to adore.

In theological terms, an idol is defined as anything one might rely on for salvation other than God. It is that which captures love which should be directed to God. An idol can be just about anything. Answering certain questions can help you determine if there are idols in your life. What is it that brings you joy? What do you worry about? What are you willing to sacrifice time and money for? What are the things or the people in your life that you simply could not live without?

The sin of idolatry is addressed more than any other sin in the Bible. In fact, because God saw the danger of this particular sin, he addressed it in the first two of the Ten Commandments. “You shall no other gods before me and you shall not create any gods of your own to worship instead of me.” 20% of God’s directives toward us deal with idolatry. Tim Keller has done extensive study on idols and he says, “Making an idol out of something means giving it the love you should be giving your Creator and Sustainer.” (1)

Keller reminds us of Rocky Balboa when he says he is going the distance. “If I can just go the distance I’ll know that I’m not a bum.” What is it in your life you really NEED to conquer? Have you given yourself to achievement, to the accumulation of wealth, to the acquisition of fame and fortune? Which of those things must you acquire so you will know you are not a bum?

There is within every soul an innate desire to worship the one and true God. We often try to distract ourselves from that primary appetite by substituting secondary objects to worship. We try to heal the pain in our heart by consuming drugs or alcohol or we try to address the emptiness by going on shopping sprees or skipping about from one romantic relationship to another. But these are all temporary fixes, poor substitutes for the salvation that Christ offers us. We are really saying to God, “Your son isn’t good enough or big enough to satisfy my needs, I must heal myself and create my own happiness.”

Unlike the cattle in the field who eat and then lay down in satisfaction, we eat and consume and search for more and more on an everlasting quest for satisfaction. It never comes because the void in our heart is a puzzle space created for Christ. He alone can satisfy our cravings.

Consider Solomon. He was perhaps the wealthiest man in history. Though he had all the toys a man could ever want he was still looking for more to satisfy the emptiness in his soul. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines and probably barn sized closes to hold all their shoes. I’m sure he thought each one would be the one that would finally satisfy his yearning for fellowship and love. No girlfriend or boyfriend, no husband or wife can satisfy completely our desire for love. Only Christ can do that and if we think otherwise we set up others to be our idol.

Americans have idols. We put many things before God. In our search for soul satisfaction we look for it in excessive leisure. Men strain their relationship with their wives and with God by idolizing football and sports. Women go on spending sprees in an attempt to erase the emptiness only to strain their relationship with their husbands and with God. We are especially reminded during the political season that men will do anything to achieve high rank and power. Position and power becomes an idol. We bow at the temple of materialism and worship fashion. We bow at the institute of learning and worship knowledge. We bow at the temple of labor and worship filthy lucre.

Americans have idols. We have made our own gods. Isaiah 44 tells of the man who finds a tree in the forest and he uses it to create a fire to stay warm. He then uses the fire to cook a meal and with what is left of the wood he creates an image and bows down to worship it. “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless.” (Isa. 44:9)

The absurdity of seeing a man make a wooden object and then say, “Save me; you are my god” is nothing but tragic. Is it not every bit as heartrending to see a man look to modern idols of power, prosperity and sex and say “You are my god, save me.” Isaiah 44 contrasts a man who finds only emptiness in worshipping his own created idol with a man who worships the Creator of all who is absolutely supreme and totally sufficient for the needs of man!

Christ addressed our yearning for stuff in a very concise manner when he said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Christ is saying, “Let me fill the void in your soul, let me satisfy all your longings then I’ll take care of all the other things in your life.”

Occasionally I’ll clean out my storage shed. When I do I wonder at the fact that what is now a bunch of junk seemed to have had value in earlier years. There is a lot of junk in our lives. It may appear to have value but in the whole scope of things it doesn’t. When Christ is centered in our lives a lot of stuff becomes junk.

Whatever is the longing of your soul, whether it is strength for the next step, or provision for the next day or supreme truth to sustain you forever, Jesus is there to satisfy our all the longings of our heart.

1. Talking About Idolatry in a Postmodern Age. – Tim Keller


Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.

Success: Discovering the Real Meaning of Success by Kevin Probst

What is the real meaning of success?




Do you ever feel like you are spinning your wheels? The wheels turn faster and faster but the vehicle doesn't move. I remember a few times my father sliding into a ditch on snowy, rural roads in western Pennsylvania. The more he gunned the engine, the further into the ditch his car seemed to sink. There are so many in our society today who believe they are very successful simply because their wheels are moving so fast.

There is a great dialog between Alice and the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll's story Through the Looking Glass. It goes like this:

“Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else — if you run very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.”

“A slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

There is a great difference between being successful and doing successful things. There are many people who are great at doing things but are not successful people. You may be great at throwing a baseball. You may be great at cooking meals or singing. But just what does it mean to be truly successful?

Many think success will confer greatness. They will dedicate their lives to climbing the ladder of 'success' in order to satisfy a deeply ingrained desire to be significant. Alexander the Great achieved 'success' by conquering most of the known world but then died very young before he could enjoy his status as one of the greatest conquerors of all time. Hannibal was a renowned military genius who filled three bushels with gold taken from his enemies but then committed suicide by drinking poison. Julius Caesar was said to have "stained his garments in the blood of one million of his foes" on his way to conquering 800 cities only to be betrayed and stabbed to death by those who would call themselves friends. These found no satisfaction in their lives because they failed to define success properly.

History is littered by those who committed suicide after they had achieved 'success'. Multimillionaire George Washington Vanderbilt III killed himself by jumping from a hotel window. Kurt Kobain reached the highest rungs of musical success before shooting himself in the head as did the great American author Earnest Hemingway. Adolph Hitler was adored by the German people but shot himself in the mouth rather than be captured by the Soviet army.

Christ told the story of a rich man who was very successful by the standards of the world. He had accumulated so much he decided he must build more barns to store his wealth. This man said to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." (Luke 12:19) But God defines success differently than men do. God said to this man, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

Christ didn't condemn success but he did condemn those who make success their god. When men bow at an altar to pay homage to success God is offended. Christ asked the question, Why do you "store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy , and where thieves break in and steal." Why not "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there is your heart also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

Why do we consider ourselves successful if, in the end, everything we've worked our whole lives for gets burned up? Jesus suggests another way of measuring success. Why not make deposits for the next world? Why not lay up treasure in heaven?

Success according to Christ is developing a Christian character. When we give to the poor we make a major deposit in heaven. When we help the downcast and make sacrifices for others we invest in an eternal retirement fund. Jesus summed up success by saying it can be achieved in two steps: Love God and demonstrate that love by loving others.

Jesus tells another story about a man who was lying in a ditch. A man sees him but walks on by. Another man sees him but continues on his way. The Good Samaritan sees him and stops to assist. He gives him his coat. He buys him a meal and provides lodging for him. The sacrifices he made that day are the treasures he will one day enjoy in heaven.

Here is the irony. In order to climb the ladder of Christ-defined success, you must actually come down instead of climb up. Christ demonstrated this by humbling himself and submitting to the Roman soldiers as they abused him and finally hung him on the cross. He didn't look too successful hanging on that cross, but wait until you see him split the eastern sky!!

Beware, if you answer the call to success as defined by your culture, you will put forth great effort to climb the rungs of the ladder. Your life will be filled with the whining sound of spinning wheels. Those you see descending the ladder are the truly successful ones. It's what Christ was referring to when he said, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first."

Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.

Ghosts, Witches and the Road to Endor by Kevin Probst

Witches and Ghosts and the Road to En-dor by Kevin Probst

I recently had a conversation with a friend regarding ghosts. He said he didn't believe in ghosts. I asked him if he believed in spirits and he said, "No, I don't." I then asked if he believed in the Holy Spirit and he looked a bit confounded and replied, "Yes, of course."

Webster defines a ghost as a spirit or a demon, a disembodied soul believed to be an inhabitant of an unseen world.

We live in a very naturalistic age. Those who embrace naturalism believe that nature is all there is. It's not so much that a naturalist wants to affirm the world in which he lives, he mostly wants to deny there exists any other world. As Carl Sagan once said, "The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be." He was denying a supernatural world.

Wasn't John Lennon making the same denial when he wrote his song, Imagine? Imagine "there's no heaven", no hell, nothing but earth and sky.

Worshipping the idol of naturalism goes back thousands of years. The Greek philosopher, Epicurus, declared our existence to be a "blind experiment in a planless world."

So which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did those who paid homage to the idol of naturalism first deny the existence of God and then they went looking for a theory that would vindicate their atheism or did they first worship their own idol of naturalism and then decide there must not be a God after all?

God could most certainly have included in the Scriptures a logical treatise proving his existence and his role in creation but what would that have done to our faith? God teaches us that faith is necessary to establish a relationship with him. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, faith is believing in something for which there is no proof. Instead of presenting us with logical proof, God simply said, "what may be known about God is plain to (all people), because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20 NIV)

In essence, God is saying, "seeing is believing". How can one look at the creation and deny the existence of a Creator? Some have stepped up to the challenge. Intelligent and well-educated men have declared a logical absurdity that contradicts all of science, that something can actually come out of nothing. They have made science a religion by inserting it into the realm of theology. Why do scientists insist on trying to answer religious questions: "Where do I come from?", "Who am I?" and "Where am I going?" The naturalist believes they came from nothing, evolved from monkeys, there is no meaning in life and they have no destination. Such despair and hopelessness!

When I told my friend that I believed in ghosts he looked aghast. I clarified by telling him that I am not willing to deny that there is a supernatural world and bow with the masses to the idol of naturalism.

2 Kings Chapter 6 tells the story of Elisha who had defied the King of Aram. The king sent a vast army of horses, chariots and warriors to besiege the prophet's hometown. When Elisha's servant saw the great army he began to panic and he ran to Elisha and asked, "What shall we do?"

Elisha calmly invited his servant to step away from his natural world and consider the supernatural world.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:16-17

Elisha's servant got a glimpse into the supernatural world.

We are fascinated by the supernatural world that parallels our own. Even naturalists and atheists are often intrigued by the possibilities of a supernatural world. Demons, werewolves and vampires are popular in our literature. But God instructs us clearly in his word that we are not to be obsessed or try to participate in a world that belongs not to us. 1 Samuel 28 tells of the Witch of Endor who was employed by Saul to call up the ghost of Samuel after his death. The witch was successful and the spirit of Samuel first uttered these words: “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” The woman realized how dangerous it was to try to communicate with those in the supernatural realm? "I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do," she said to Saul.



Rudyard Kipling repeated the warning in his poem, En-Dor

"Oh the road to En-dor is the oldest road

And the craziest road of all!

Straight it runs to the Witch’s abode,

As it did in the days of Saul,

And nothing has changed of the sorrow in store

For such as go down on the road to En-dor!"


Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.

Cry Out to Jesus - Third Day

Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.

Theology: Are we under law or grace

Theology: Are we under law or grace

Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.

Relationship with Christ: Are we Under Law or Grace?

Relationship with Christ: Are we Under Law or Grace?

Theologians have been debating it for hundreds of years. After Christ’s work was done on the cross we now have access to his wonderful grace. Where does that leave the law? Is there no more place for law in the Christian life? Has law been replaced by grace? Jesus gave us clear direction on that issue when he preached on the mount: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17) Paul reaffirmed what Jesus said in Romans 3:31 “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law”

Many would argue in defense of sin. Now that we have access to grace we are no longer under law therefore any sin we commit it is automatically forgiven by a merciful God who offers an everlasting supply of grace to his weak and feeble followers. This is a dangerous belief with unspeakable consequences. Some are so disillusioned that they are willing to entertain the idea that sin may be good in that it proves the grace of God. To this Paul rises up in indignation when he says in Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

Christ, and Paul who followed him, are not asking for a shallow confession or a soft repentance that is tinged with insincerity and proves ineffective. They are calling for a tangible repentance. A confession so remorseful and honest that, when joined with the grace of God, it causes one’s thinking to change. It changes our attitudes and it altars our behavior in a radical way. The consequence of a tangible repentance will be a deep and personal relationship with God that will result in good works so that our light might “shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16.

So, if we are saved by grace, what is the purpose of the law? The law is like a great spotlight in the hands of God to show us the darkness in the deep, inner recesses of our depraved souls. The law is the great revealer. It exposes that which is contrary to God and provides us an opportunity to confess that which we now see which hinders God’s work in our lives.

I have a Llewellyn Setter, she is about 5 months old. She could be an excellent bird dog even though I don’t bird hunt. She is a family pet and an inseparable companion to my five year old son, Kameron.

Every morning Keely and I take a walk down an old country road near my home. I use this time to pray and meditate and begin my day by focusing on the things of God.

Keely walks with a leash. The leash is what gives me control over her. Without it she would run and rampage through the neighborhood completely out of control. She is young and still being trained. Occasionally she will pull the leash attempting to go in a direction I don’t want to go. If I gently jerk the leash she will fall back beside me. Sometimes she digs her front paws in the ground in an attempt to resist going forward. Again, a gentle tug reminds her she has a master.

The law of God is like a leash. It helps us to keep in line. It enables us to walk beside the Savior and prevents us from getting ahead or falling behind. It is the vehicle through which we demonstrate our love by submitting to the will of our master. “If anyone love me, he will keep my word” – (John 14:23). We will occasionally want to sniff out the pleasures of the world but a gentle tug on the leash reminds us of the relationship we have with the Master and how “friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (James 4:4)

As we get older and more mature in the faith we walk with less resistance. We love Him more and more and we treasure our fellowship with the Master. In fact, there will probably come a time when the leash is totally unnecessary. We walk with him simply because we want to and wouldn’t dream of leaving his side because the aroma of his holiness is so much more attractive than the stench of sin.

The question is not law or grace? The question is how these two work together to sanctify us in our walk with the Master.


Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.

Highest Branch:

Highest Branch Mobile:

Shannon is contemplative. We are about to pick a pumpkin to carve for Kameron's halloween.
Kevin Probst - Is a teacher of Apologetics and History at Calvary Christian School and Associate Pastor of Crosspointe Nazarene Church church in Columbus, Georgia.