Mars Hill...1/20/13...the Wayfarer

Mars Hill

              1/20/13                        

“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. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN God.

 Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”

(Acts 17:22&23)

Today we go to the book of Acts for our message. There is, in the world today, vulnerability about us, and we find people going hither and fro with what they claim to believe. Sects of every description and purpose fill the airwaves, and printed media.

 The same was true in the day when Paul stood on Mars hill and made the statement above. If we allow it, our children will be seduced by this continual harangue, as they aren’t born knowing what to believe in, but rely on us to teach the truth.

Parents, you need to make sure that what they learn is the truth, and not the lies taught by the so called education process. They need to understand the difference between entertainment, and truth. I will probably offend some readers with the following, but I am called to preach the truth, not platitudes.

1.     There are no ninja turtles waiting to rescue those in trouble!

2.     SpongeBob doesn’t live under the sea having adventures.

3.     Superman doesn’t patrol Metropolis keeping us safe.

4.     Batman doesn’t fight villains in Gotham City.

5.     Captain America is not on the front line defending our freedoms.

6.     Santa Claus, though modeled on a real individual died many years ago.

7.     The Easter bunny never delivered a single easter egg, and has no connection whatsoever with EASTER, which is a celebration of a REAL and LIVING Savior!

We need to teach our young the lessons taught by Christ, the apostles, and prophets from the Old Testament.

They need to grow up honoring real heroes who sacrificed their entire lives so that the word of God can be preached.

They need to comprehend the importance of reality as opposed to the trivial things they are bombarded with daily

.

I find it no wonder that so many are misled so easily once I understand that the foundation given them by their parents is flawed  and will further subject them to false teachings that fall into line with their upbringing.

Acts 17:16 is where I will begin the scripture to attempt to lend some understanding to today’s message.

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say?

 Other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest is?

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

(For all Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)”

(Acts 17:16-21)

Paul encountered all the beliefs and sects that were common at that time. Notice that he debated them vehemently wherever he found them. He was determined that the gospel of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection be heard!

 The Athenians were much the same as our society now, seeking every new teaching that could be found, and, mostly, being busybodies spreading, for truth, the fantasy and the gossip of the day.

In my lifetime, I have encountered those who claim to practice many varied bastardizations of religion, including “Satanism” and “Wicca”.

I have found their practitioners to be such as are purely in pursuit of their own wantonness, and make claims of it being religious practice simply to avoid condemnation that they otherwise would have to face up to, and to thwart our ability to teach the truth of Christ Jesus

We are forced by our courts to allow these practices while these same courts nibble away at the rights to practice the true faith of Christianity.

Do you debate vehemently those whose teachings are false when they expound on them to you, and more importantly to your children?

Paul continues in the24th verse:

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things:

 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Acts17:24-31

We need to make sure that we teach our children that God is not contained or imprisoned in churches and temples, but is in our very lives!

We need to teach them the true way to worship, through a meaningful relationship with Christ through prayer and faith, not by teaching them to worship the idols and icons that we find in many of our churches. 

The little ones need to be taught with every biblical means available, not abandoned to color crayons and coloring books of nonexistent cartoon characters!

Teach David and Goliath.  Not Sponge Bob!

Teach Moses and the Exodus, not Ninja Turtles!

Teach Sampson  instead of Superman, Batman and Captain America!

Teach Jesus instead of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!

Honor our Savior not with lip service, but with true service and be an example to them of what Christ intended for us to be.

Paul tells us that we are all equal in God’s sight.  All nations, colors, and languages mean nothing. What counts is our faith and willingness to seek him out. He is there for everyone that worships him in truth!

He goes on to say that once upon a time God ignored the ignorance of the various nations, but that there will come a time that he will no longer tolerate the teachings and lies of those who deny him.

That judgment comes through his Son Christ Jesus!

Eternity is Eternal! The way we will spend it is determined by us in this life. The way our children will spend it is determined by what we teach them to believe.

The need for repentance has never gone away, and will never go away. This MUST be taught to all who will listen.

Jesus Lives now and forever, and is available for the remittance of our sin through that repentance, if we only BELIEVE.

Teach! Preach! Pray! Help each other. Lean on the faith others share, if it is true faith!

TEACH OUR CHILDREN THE TRUTH OF CHRIST JESUS, DON’T ABANDON THEM TO THE WORLD, IT IS UP TO YOU!!!

I close once more with the love of this sinner saved by grace through the blood of my Savior, in prayer for you, in Jesus’ name.

2 Timothy 1:12
¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer