Cornerstone

Acts 19:30-41

Horatio Seymour, was twice the Democratic governor of New York (1853-54, 1863-64). The Democrats even nominated Seymour as their presidential candidate in 1868, but he lost to Ulysses S. Grant. He is best known for his assertion that the Emancipation Proclamation was illegal. He also opposed military draft by the federal government saying it was an unwarranted violation of states’ rights and claimed that the draft law discriminated against New York City. In July 1863, during the Draft Riots in the city, Seymour made a conciliatory speech that led Horace Greeley to denounce him as a Copperhead (a Southern sympathizer), a charge that contributed greatly to his defeat for reelection. The things he opposed are accepted as necessary and true today. We may wonder about people that seem to always be on the opposing side to the stream of society truth and yet we see the same evidenced as people continually take a stance against God’s Word. Today as I traveled I was horrified to hear a radio advertisement paid for by an “Adult” bookstore describing their smutty videos and DVDs. Later I heard a radio announcer sneering as she told how a Jewish radio talk host had protested against certain magazines in a sporting goods store. People strike out at truth daily and yet it will continue to prevail.

Dr. Gayle Woods

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