 |
|
| Volume 21 Number 7 July 2019 | Page 10 |
|
|
| Volume 21 Number 7 July 2019 | Page 10 |
Mark McWhorter
In Acts 15:24, we read, “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.” Gentile Christians in Antioch had trouble. Some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem traveled to Antioch and taught that the Gentiles had to be circumcised. They also taught them they had to keep many other things in the Mosaic Law. Some of the Gentiles evidently were being convinced to start following the Mosaic Law.
To turn from the Law of Christ to follow the Law of Moses was sinful. A Christian has promised to obey Christ. A person cannot obey Christ and obey Moses. The Law of Moses was nailed to the cross with Christ. Christ fulfilled that law.
In the verse above, we notice that the false teachers were “subverting” souls. The Greek word for “subverting” had several usages. One of those was for moving furniture. The furniture in this instance is the souls of Christians. The souls of Christians are in the Temple of God, the church. To leave the church and go to the Law of Moses was taking the furniture out of the Temple built by Jesus. There is no salvation to any furniture not in the Temple.
Study your Bible. Learn how to be a Christian. Obey Christ. And always keep your furniture in the church. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
Equilibrium: To Be Balanced
Donald R. Fox
“I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14 ASV). Evolutionists mock Christians because we believe in the God of the Bible and that Almighty God created us. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The atheistic community (which includes evolutionists), on the other hand, believes that all things came into being via the “Big Bang” or some other mode. Has anyone ever seen order come from disorder?
The complexity of our universe and all living things is mind-boggling. However, we are told that to believe in God is stupid. The non-believing community admonishes us to believe that rocks, mud and slime are the true source of all life here on earth. Further, given enough time, eons of time, all sorts of living beings to include humans emerged. The truth is the evolution thesis cannot even tell us what came first, the egg or the chicken. How could an egg develop over time and without the chicken? Can one believe that a human baby came forth without a human mother? On and on we could go. However, people like Bill Maher think Christians are stupid. Some statisticians say that one percent of people here in the USA are atheists. However, these smartypants feel they are smarter than the rest of us. To teach nothing created itself and to be very militant about that belief seems radical.
The fact is that frail humans cannot comprehend many things in our universe, including God Almighty and creation. Let us consider and apply the wisdom of the Word of God. “The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Notice one aspect of how wonderfully made we are. Most of us occasionally get vertigo. We are out of balance, and we get dizzy. Our equilibrium is messed-up. This is an uncomfortable feeling. However, it passes with the help of medicine like Antivert or just lying down. Notice the following concerning “homeostasis” and ask, how could anyone conclude that our bodies just came into being via a slime pit or the like?
Wonderfully Made: Homeostasis Homeostasis is a point of balance or internal equilibrium. All living organisms strive for homeostasis, using a variety of techniques which range from the release of hormones to physical reactions like sweating or panting. In a simple example of homeostasis, the human body uses several processes to regulate its temperature, trying to stay within an optimal range for healthy functioning. Spikes or declines in body temperature reflect an inability to maintain homeostasis, and a corresponding problem. (https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-homeostasis.htm)
[Editor’s Note: Every aspect of the discernible universe, from the galaxies, etc. to the smallest living organism in one’s front yard, validates the existence of the God-source for the existence of everything that is. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” Romans 1:20 NKJV). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]