The above panoramic picture is of the water retention basin at Southfork 55+ retirement community. Near the right, at the edge of the houses is a dog walk/exercise area where residents take their animals to "do their business". Needless to say, I am very familiar with the part of the park as Buddy needs about four walks a day!!! In a way though, I really love going here, because the vistas are pleasant!!! Changing from scenery that has houses surrounding you to an open area makes a nice change from time to time. Now, I have traveled through quite a number of states (East of the Mississippi river) but I still have a lot to see in this wonderful country in order to get the BIG PICTURE. Even if I should eventually make it to all the states in the U.S. I would not have done as much traveling as the Apostle Paul- and he did it by foot!!! I can only imagine the vistas he saw when he arrived at Athens...
Acts, Chapter 17
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”
Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.
19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you? 20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, 25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. 26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”
He saw idols throughout the city. Idols. Symbols of Pagan worship to false gods. What intrigues me about his message to them is that he talks in their language, in a way that they are accustomed to and makes references that they will understand. But, someone might say- that was then and this is now- its not fair to make any comparison to us. Wrong. Look around; look hard and you will see that there are the idols of wealth, sexual immorality and sin pervading the culture of the United States Of America. And it is becoming worse each year, as this great country willfully denies even the existence of God and embraces sin with enthusiasm. Step back and take in the big picture of how God views America and it will scare you- IT SCARES ME!!!!