The problem with icons

Throughout the bible God clearly steers us away from icons in any form--whether MATERIAL things like the ark or the bronze serpent or PLACES like Jesus' tomb and the exact spot where he ascended or even PHRASES like the actual words that Jesus prayed. Take the "Lord's prayer," for example. Turns out neither version in Matthew or Luke actually concludes with the closing phrase "for thine..." and an amen. Jesus purposely leaves us hanging. Record companies do the same thing when they market their songs. Customers are only given a snipet, a 30-second sound bite to sample. That's so we'll go to the original source. Life is found in the whole, not in the sample. Unfortunately, icons take on a life unto themselves and ultimately lead us away from dependancy on Christ. Jesus didn't intend the Lord's prayer to be mumbled like some sort of incantation, as if there was power in the words themselves.

Matthew 6:8 "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Does that mean God knows our thoughts before we do? I think so. (He may even put those thoughts in our head.) Another nail in the free will cofin.