Daily Bread 11-29-18

Acts 17:22

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said,Ye men of Athens. I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

ref. - Jer 50:38 - A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

Paul was addressing the Athenians. These were a people that had many idols and had created Gods out of many things. They made Gods out of ones they loved, ones that did good for them, animals that fed them, they were always looking for a sign or a new direction to follow. Not much different than today, We tend to make Gods out of those who have passed, spending countless hours staring down into the dirt and asking them questions and somehow waiting for the answers. Weeping and moaning while somehow thinking that they can brung us the comfort that they once brought us. We make shrines and altars with their pictures and their possessions all the while claiming it is a memorial but it is a shrine to be worshipped. Their memories, the ones that we hold dear, are engrained in our minds forever. But the world teaches us to make idols out of the dead even though in the Bible we are instructed to let the dead bury the dead. We make idols of those who benefit us or support us, willing to do anything, whether it be sin or not, just to please them. If it benefits us financially or makes us feel better about ourselves, whether truth or not, we turn these people into idols. But what Paul was trying to get through to the Athenians, and the word of God is trying to get through to us, is this; Not one person, place, or thing can do the work or the miracles that God can do. The capabilities are not there. Not one can do the miracles that God can do. Not one can give us the answers, the correct answers for our needs. Not one can stay with us for eternity. Even the pipe dream that we will be with our loved ones in eternity should not be the basis for our salvation or our motivation to serve God. We will not remember nor will we know them when we get there. But man has put in us to idolize this human form that we have been given temporarily and our superstition leads us to believe that we will walk hand in hand through fields of flowers together some day. Though that may be comforting at the moment, and this is why we hold these superstitions, the word of God teaches us the truth and we need to believe in it rather than superstitions that men have planted in the realm of the Christian Church. It is high time for the Christian Church to worship our God and to set aside all other idols and superstitions. We need to listen to the Spirit as it speaks and follow it. We must put aside our idols and superstitions and all of these worldly doctrines of deceitful men and cling to the pure, true word of God. Not opinion of the word of God, but the true word of God, divided rightly, and given to us for correction and reproof. The word that is given to us to transform us and get us ready for that journey where our Spirits leave this body and this earth and this world and its inhabitants no longer exist. We must prepare to be taken to the place that God has prepared for our souls and leave behind these idols, superstitions, and traditions that keep us from opening ourselves to the truth. We had and have the greatest example the world has ever seen, and his name is Jesus Christ. One God before us, one body, one Holy Spirit, one salvation, and one way to do it..............by the book!!! Have a great day!!!