Information Related to "Don't Stand on Your Head!"
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Virtual Christian Magazine Editorial Don't Stand on Your Head! By Larry J. Walker A recent cellular phone commercial shows a man hanging upside down. This metaphor of our modern world goes all the way back to the first century, when the apostle Paul showed that the truth could turn things around.
ou have probably seen the cellular phone commercial that shows a man casually watering his lawn, suspended upside down in mid-air. This humorous scene is meant to depict the confusion over the claims of so many different cell phone companies. A similar scenario confronted Paul and Silas as result of their preaching in Thessalonica, when some of the disbelieving citizens referred to them as those "who have turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). Of course we know that it was the accusers who, like the man in the commercial, were upside down in their thinking. An upside-down world We still live in an upside-down world, where many of the customs we take for granted are different from, even contrary to, the teachings of the Bible. Sadly, most people, like the man in the commercial, seem to have become comfortable with this posture. Many even offer violent resistance when exposed to the truth, like those described in Acts 17. In contrast to those in Thessalonica, some in Berea were praised for their response to the new information Paul was preaching. The Bible commends them for two things: 1. They were open-minded and receptive, rather than closed-minded and resistant. 2. They "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). How about you? What is your response to new information? Are you like the man in the commercial, comfortable and content with your life, even though some of your beliefs may not be supported in the Scriptures? Are you like the religious zealots in Thessalonica who angrily resisted the truth as a threat? Or are you like the Bereans, who "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so"?
A reason to rejoice Discovery of new truth should be exciting. During the reforms at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, they and other leaders of the nation of Israel rediscovered the Feast of Tabernacles as result of an intensive search of the Scriptures (Nehemiah 8:13-15). They restored the practice and celebrated the Feast with "very great gladness" (Nehemiah 8:16-18). The command to "rejoice" is fundamental to observing this festival, which celebrated the blessings of the fall harvest in the new land (Deuteronomy 16:13-15). The Israelites also stayed in temporary dwelling places during this festival as a reminder of their living conditions en route to the Promised Land (Leviticus 23:40-43). Foreshadowing future events So what does that have to do with us today? The apostle Paul explained that this and other festivals foreshadow important future events in the plan of God (Colossians 2:16-17). This is why he and the original Church continued observing these festivals and Holy Days (Acts 18:21; 20:16; 1 Corinthians 5:8).
More information about these Holy Days is available in our booklet, Perhaps this sounds a bit upside down to you. But we invite you to check this information out. I think you will find it interesting. The booklet, and the festivals it talks about, show how Jesus Christ will turn the world right-side up. Copyright 2002 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Keywords: holydays upside down open minded
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