| Subject: Unknown God |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 19:42:26 05/17/14 Sat
Acts 17:23 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.
Buddha, Hare Krishna. Mars, Venus, Tammuz (Eze. 8:14), Allah, Herod (Acts 12:22)Moloch or Remphan (Acts 7:43) and we could go on and on. These names have one glaring thing in common, they are all gods of mans making. Most were and are honored with statues and shrines. They, in many instances, are rabidly and fanatically followed and worshipped. Whether it be the host of heaven, a dead fat man with a following or a god that promises 72 virgins if you die in faithful combat or suicide in jihad not one of them can deliver on any perceived promise that has been made. These gods are of man's making and imagination. The Creator of all things knows of no other god. Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
It was among a group of educated Epicurean philosophers and Stoics that Paul made the above pronouncement on Mars Hill while in Athens. These "learned" men of Athens had their ears tuned to current events in philosophy and religion as much as the NSA has it's ears opened to any bit of news on people it can glean. Acts 17:20-21 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
What was this strange thing which had come to their ears? Acts 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, 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. Here before them was a man declaring that their gods of gold, silver and what so ever else they fashioned them out of were worthless gods and had no power. Instead he introduced them to a God that had the power to raise them from the dead. He introduced to them Jesus Christ the one true God. 1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Jude 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Man, for the most part, has never been satisfied with the one true God. Only those who have received Him know Him. It is in these relatively few souls who live in Him, move in Him and have being in (Acts 17:28) that there is a modicum of satisfaction. Sadly even in God's children many times He is and unknown God. Some see God only as a God of love. He is that but so much more. Some see Him only as a stern God that brings judgment in a moments notice and fail to see that He is also a God of mercy who has been longsuffering with them and forgiven them so much. God has so many wonderful facets all rolled into one God that we don't need a pantheon of gods to cover it all.
Eros was supposedly a god of love our God is more so. 1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Mars was a God of war our God is more so. Deuteronomy 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. Moloch (Molech) demanded human sacrifice (2Kings 16:3, 23:10,Eze. 16:21). God demanded a human sacrifice for sin and instead of Isaac He became God incarnate and sacrificed Himself for us. The various fertility gods and goddesses? Who made His creation male and female and commanded they be fruitful and multiply? What God planted a garden that yielded far more abundantly than man's gardens and fields could ever yield. Who filled the seas and waters with fish? Who opened Sarah's womb and who caused a virgin to conceive? My God has more power and goodness than all man's invented god's put together.
What man invented god can heal? What man made God can tell our future? My God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). What man made God could speak the heavens and worlds into existence. The One True God who is Jesus Christ did exactly that.
I declare to you our God, to most of the world, is an unknown God. Today it seems most of the world puts their trust is scientists, doctors, lawyers and government to solve their problems. They look to the government to supply their needs when the Bible tells us plainly "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) What scientist ever could get enough water from a rock to satisfy 3 million people and all their flocks? My God did. What scientist ever brought bread down from heaven. My God did and fed daily the same people He watered. What scientist could ever take a handful of meal and a little oil and feed three people for 3 1/2 years? My God did (1 Kings 17: 12-16). What physicians can speak to a person lame from birth and heal him that he could walk. My God has. What physician can rub spit and clay in a blind man's eye and cause him to see? My God did. There are many other examples of things that the one true God has done that cannot be duplicated yet people will still trust other's before trusting God.
To these the Saviour of the world is an unknown God. I may now see through a glass darkly but I do know in whom to put my trust. To me He is not an unknown God. I met Him when I was about 12 yrs. old and He has been my God ever since.
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