FAITH OR MYTH?

FAITH OR MYTH?

 The classic cartoon character, Popeye, is famous for eating spinach.  Whenever he breaks open a can of spinach and consumes it, he gains enormous strength.  But there is a little-known fact about this cartoon character.  Since meat was scarcer during World War II, the tale of Popeye was co-opted by the U.S. Government to promote the idea of eating spinach.  Spinach appeared to be an ideal substitute for meat.  Ironically during the 1890s, the scientists of our German enemy combatants concluded that spinach contains the same amount of iron as meat.  And iron is an essential vitamin for building muscle and strength.

 However, their facts were fundamentally wrong.  German researchers did prove that spinach contains iron, but when they recorded their scientific results they put the decimal point in the wrong place.  Therefore, they grossly overestimated the amount of iron in spinach by a factor of ten!  Unfortunately, the correction for this error did not make it across the ocean until after World War II.

 This series of events demonstrates how easy it is for false ideas to become quickly accepted as truth.  Even in the arena of faith, it’s not uncommon for some to embrace concepts that are actually nonbiblical in origin. To wit, we should never be hesitant to ask WHY we subscribe to a certain belief or a particular Biblical interpretation.  Our investigation may prove that we got it right, or it may conclude that we are inaccurate in our understanding of what God intends to communicate.  Either way, our understanding and application of scripture will only be improved in the process.

 Two practical examples of this kind of distortion of the Word are REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY (also known as SUPERSESSIONISM), which holds that the Jews are no longer chosen by God and that He has no particular future plans for the nation of Israel; and (2) PROSPERITY THEOLOGY, which reduces The Almighty to the level of some sort of cosmic genie whose primary purpose is endowing us with material possessions and wealth. Although God truly desires to bless His people, if the abundant life that Christ espoused is reduced to the level of financial prosperity, we are only serving Satan’s cause instead of building God’s Kingdom.

 Will we choose faith or myth?  My friends, let’s get our facts straight.  Let’s make sure that our faith is spiritually grounded, not in tradition, nor in fantasy, but firmly established in GOD’S WORD.

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!