Cornerstone

Acts 19:21-29

Browsing through your local Christian bookstore you will notice many titles that explain and describe false doctrines, cults and the occult. You may pick up a book about the New Age movement, Mormonism, or the Moonies. As you leaf through the books one by one you would be struck with one central consideration. Each of them is challenging the Truth! Galatians 5:20 says that this idolatry is a work of the flesh. God made man in his own image but ever since Adam and Eve sinned, people have been trying to create God in their own image. This is idolatry! Romans 1:22-23 speaks of this when it says people just like those of our society were

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (KJV)

This is terrible and we waggle our spiritual fore-finger at those who are steeped in overt idolatry. But maybe we should examine ourselves. Do our materialistic, self-sufficient, self-planned Christian lifestyles challenge the truth? Matt 6 says that we should be content to only have our needs met. Are we? Heb 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Are we people of faith? Maybe if we would divorce our “Christian” idolatry we would experience a real revival of holiness.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Psalm 73:28 – “But it is good for me to draw near to God…”

Adam and Eve walked in the garden with God. Enoch walked with God. We are encouraged in the Bible to walk with God. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth; us from all sin.” I find God wherever I am obedient to Him. When I live close to Him I sense the intensity of the relationship.

I do have favorite times and places to communicate with God. I prefer to speak to Him at length in the quiet of the early morning. At other times I enjoy talking to Him as I walk along or when I am in the solitude of my car driving down the highway. Of course, there are the short conversations we have when things are not going well. It doesn’t take long to tell Him what my problem is and then return to the task at hand. On those occasions I don’t wait for an answer for I know that He will bring the answer to me when He chooses it is best.

Where and when I find God are not nearly as important, however, as whether I find God. The finding is not His obligation but mine. It is my desire to keep close to Him. I want to walk with Him continually as did Enoch. I must daily make this choice.

Dr. Gayle Woods