In Baptism, He adopts sinners into His family. In colloquial terms, “God shows up- and does stuff!” And the “stuff” He does is nothing short of miraculous. He is really present-and not simply as a disinterested observer. Scripture makes it clear that when the communion of saints gathers, Jesus comes in all His fullness among us (Matt. But often we think and act as though we actually believe it. We would never say this out loud, of course. We can lapse into habits of thought that make what happens on Sunday morning simply a comforting memorial service for a God who used to speak, who used to act on behalf of His people a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. The problem with “obvious” truths, though, is that we tend to forget them, to overlook them, to take them for granted. When God’s people gather for worship, He speaks to us. You have likely already guessed where this is going. Would you go there? Would you open both ears? Speak, Lord Imagine that He would tell you precisely what you need to hear at any given moment. Suppose you knew with certainty that God would speak-speak directly to your situation. 15:23).īut suppose there were a place where you really could hear from God Himself. Unreliable sources all-and forbidden by God in the sternest terms, we might add (see Ex. Psychics, palm readers, and fortunetellers populate cities large and small today.
Ancient Israel’s first king, Saul, consulted the witch of Endor. The Greeks made the oracle of Delphi their most sacred shrine. The standard has been changed.Throughout recorded history, people have beaten a path to places where they expected to hear divine wisdom.
The tables have been turned, and now, Religion is endeavoring to prove that the bible is not inconsistent with Science. A few years ago, Science endeavored to show that it was not inconsistent with the bible. Science has succeeded in breaking the chains of theology. In matters of fact, the bible has ceased to be regarded as a standard. All that God told Moses, admitting the entire account to be true, is dust and ashes compared to the discoveries of Descartes, Laplace, and Humboldt. In the world of science, Jehovah was superseded by Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler. For the establishment of facts, the word of man is now considered far better than the word of God. A few years ago, this book was appealed to in the settlement of all scientific questions but now, even the clergy confess that in such matters, it has ceased to speak with the voice of authority. It has lost power in the proportion that man has gained knowledge. It was produced by ignorance, and has been believed and defended by its author.
If the writers of the various parts of the bible had known as much about the sciences as is now known by every intelligent man, the book never could have been written. “If the people of Europe had known as much of astronomy and geology when the bible was introduced among them, as they do now, there never could have been one believer in the doctrine of inspiration. Whence arose all the horrid assassinations of whole nations of men, women, and infants, with which the Bible is filled and the bloody persecutions, and tortures unto death and religious wars, that since that time have laid Europe in blood and ashes whence arose they, but from this impious thing called revealed religion, and this monstrous belief that God has spoken to man? The lies of the Bible have been the cause of the one, and the lies of the Testament of the other.” It is better, far better, that we admitted, if it were possible, a thousand devils to roam at large, and to preach publicly the doctrine of devils, if there were any such, than that we permitted one such impostor and monster as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and the Bible prophets, to come with the pretended word of God in his mouth, and have credit among us. It has been the most dishonourable belief against the character of the divinity, the most destructive to morality, and the peace and happiness of man, that ever was propagated since man began to exist. “The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries, that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion.
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