Scripture: 2 Kings 18 v 4: "He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan."
Numbers 21 v 8: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."
Nehushtan, Moses' brass serpent, had gone from being a miracle against snake bites on the Exodus from Egypt, to being worshipped as an idol during the reign of King Hezekiah. So the obedient king destroyed it along with all the other forms of idolatry being practiced.
Moses never realised that his Nehushtan was symbolic of the Son of God being lifted up on a pole when He was crucified. He took upon Himself all the sin that the serpent in Eden had brought upon humanity. He became SIN on that Cross and broke its power to free us all.
The work of the Cross in your life is to crucify your flesh, break through your stubborn soul to release your eternal spirit to receive from the Holy Spirit everything you need to stay in God's perfect will. It brings death to every wrong thing in your life and brings healing and renewal to your whole body.
The Lord does not want a religious idol made out of the Cross. Witches and satanists hang crosses everywhere to try to ward off their own evil spirits from attacking them. It doesn't work.
The Lord wants us to be free of dead works. If by wearing a cross on a chain is meant to convey your commitment to Jesus Christ, why didn't His disciples do it? Why is it not stated clearly in the Bible? Even the persecuted Christians in Rome used a symbol of a fish to know each other. One would draw an innocent arc in the sand and the other would complete it so it resembled a fish. Then they knew they were fishers of men. They had to be sure they were both Christians because of persecution and death from Caesar if any but him was worshipped.
If your lifestyle, behaviour, love, hospitality, generosity, peace, and witness do not proclaim Who you follow, then no ornament will make it clear either. We need to be real with ourselves; with God and man; ready to help one another in every way possible. We need to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, be a martyr or put others first to really make the world take notice.
The world is weary of fake Christians and plastic Christianity. We are in a war zone 24/7 but many churches are like entertainment centres full of amusement and fun. Christians in the Middle East lands were dying on crosses every day at the hands of ISIS not long ago.
Philippians 1 v 9 - 11: "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."
This is how Paul and other early disciples lived day by day which is an example for us. People knew they were different and thousands were saved. The power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts of healing and deliverance spoke louder than anything they adorned themselves with.
To be healed or free of evil spirits is what created a desire to be a Christian. That's why evangelists would hold tent meetings and many were healed of dread diseases, the lame walked, the blind could see. Then they would have an altar call for souls to be saved.
Some years ago a pastor asked me to come teach his church members about deliverance. I was just opening the subject when one lady in the congregation started shrieking and her body was jerking. Satan was trying to leave her body before we got hold of him. The people around her learned very quickly how to handle demons so it made my lessons that much easier. Demons are afraid of the work of the Cross within us, they will try anything to distract people from bothering with them.
In Mark 5 v 4 - 9: "Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."
However the Gadarene Demoniac was different. He saw Jesus as his last hope and ran to Him. The demon in charge of a huge bunch of them, he spoke through the tormented man's vocal cords saying what have WE to do with You Jesus? The demon knew Jesus and was asked for his name. His cover was broken and he and his legion of demons had to leave. The end of the story was this former Demoniac was now sitting clothed and peaceful at the feet of Jesus. The people of Gadara told Jesus to leave because those demons had gone into their large herd of pigs and the pigs had all died.
These are examples for us to learn from. We do not have to be an ordained minister to pray for the sick or cast out demons. We just have to be born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
1 John 2 v 27 : "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. "
Hezekiah broke Nehushtan into little pieces, even though it was given by God to Moses to do miracles. As soon as it became an idol it lost its power for good. It became a curse to them. Put your faith in Jesus alone and not in statues, symbols, or objects. Get rid of religion and religiosity to become a person of power in Christ.
Prayer: Heavenly Father our world is full of logos, emblems, brands, product identities but You call those dead works, especially religious symbols. Help us to clear our lives of all that offends You, Lord, and let Your grace upon us be a beautiful ornament. In Jesus' name. Amen.