Artificial Flowers

Have you ever opened your mouth and stuck your foot in it? I remember one time filling a preaching appointment and after making a few introductory comments; I noticed the flowers on the communion table. They were beautiful, and admiring the flowers I made the comment that they were beautiful. After the service was over, I casually walked to the communion table and stuck my nose to one of the flowers and sniffed. I thought, surely my sniffing power has not left me, after all these flowers were so beautiful. About that time a sister walked up to me and said “Oh, those flowers are not real, they are artificial.” Well, we had a good laugh about my trying to smell the artificial roses.
I looked up the word artificial in the dictionary and found it meant: 1. not natural; 2. produced by human labor; 3. imitation; 4. feigned, assumed. Artificial may mean false as opposed to real, as artificial limbs, foliage, teeth; fictitious, counterfeit, and several other definitions are listed. I think the definitions given are sufficient. There are many imitations in the world today.
Many things are produced by human labors that are not the real things. These fictitious things can sure fool us sometime. We do not find the word artificial in the scriptures. However, the scriptures sure teach that we should beware of artificial things.
My mind goes directly to the Children of Israel, after their coming out of Egypt, they were not satisfied with the great God that had parted the waters, drowned the horse and his rider in the sea, the enemy of the Israelites, and they ate the manna that was sent from on High. They were not satisfied with many other real blessings during their journey to the Promised Land. The first thing was to make themselves an artificial god, one of gold, a golden calf, and said let this be our god that hath delivered us from our taskmasters. And these people fell down and worshiped the golden calf.
I wonder how easy it would be for us today to be willing to accept things that are artificial instead of the real things. Satan is subtle to trick us into thinking things are real when instead they are fictitious or counterfeit. When I think of the word counterfeit, my mind drifts ever so swiftly to the dollar bill. What if I brought a cotton sack full of counterfeit hundred dollar bills to a person and say take these bills and buy anything your heart desires? Even Uncle Sam will not permit counterfeit dollar bills floating around town. Suppose a preacher comes to your place of worship and he has a color coordinate suit, tie, shirt, gold cuffs links, diamond tie pen, socks, shoes, a watch chain dangling from his vest pocket, and has a vocabulary that is out of this world, and has the ability to capture the audience attention by his fair speech. Do you know there are many of God’s dear children that would bow down and worship this man? Can’t you hear them saying, “Ah, he is the greatest!” Have we not seen this happen in our life times? Sure we have. And as this man stands before the people he begins his oration and tells them about a little weak man that is in heaven, walking around the throne of heaven, looking over the walls and wringing his hands, begging that people would accept him before it is eternally too late. He had done all he could and now it is up to the dead alien sinner to do his part. How many would believe such a counterfeit story? Many people would accept such and call it the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I say such speeches are terrible. They are handing God’s little children artificial flowers and at the same time saying, “Don’t you smell the roses?” My dear friends, I have some real flowers for you to smell. The aroma is far above this world’s greatest perfumes. It is not man made but heaven sent.
The gospel that I find in the Bible teaches me about us. We read in Daniel 4:35 “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou? Isaiah teaches us in 40:6-9 “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Oh, but notice the next verse. “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
Brethren, my LORD is not in heaven wringing his hands. He is in heaven at the right hand of the Father and he is there making intersession for me and all of his children wherever they may be. He knows when the sparrow falls; he knows the number of hairs on our head. This sounds to me like the real God of heaven who has all power in heaven and earth. He speaks and it happens. He had power to speak the things that were created into being and upholds all things by the word of his power. My friends, this is the real God! There is nothing counterfeit about him.
Paul said in the Galatians letter 1:3-4 “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” Notice that this work of Christ is according to the will of God and our Father and not according to the will of man. Paul said in Romans 9:15 “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
My friends, Jesus gave himself for our sins. That is what Paul said. I believe this to be the “real thing.” Let’s use some country boy reasoning. The Bible says that Jesus gave himself for our sins. That means that our sins were placed upon him. Now it was not part of our sins but the whole. If, or seeing that this is a written fact, then we must come to the conclusion that eternal salvation is of the Lord. If Jesus took away the sin of the entire Adam race, then the entire Adam race will be in heaven. Or we have some people that have had their sins taken away to be remembered against them no more, going to hell. These are people that Christ declared at his resurrection that they are justified. God is a JUST GOD. He is all righteous. Common reasoning teaches us that this kind reasoning doesn’t make sense that some that have been redeemed are going to hell.
The truth is found in Matt. 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Do you believe that she brought forth a son? The answer must be YES! Do you believe that he was called Jesus? The answer must be YES! Now here is where people begin to argue, presenting a false, artificial gospel. Many will agree with the first and second part of this verse but will refuse to accept the last part and that is “…for HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE from their sins.” What is the answer here? It must be YES, or it is all artificial.
Someone may say after reading thus far in this article, “Well, what about John 3:16?” Well, what about John 3:16? The key to John 3:16 are verses 14 and 15. Remember that God had sent fiery serpents into the camp of Israel and many were bitten and many died. God told Moses to make a brazen serpent and lift it up, upon a pole so that the people could look upon the serpent and then they would be healed from the serpents bite. Not one DEAD Israelite looked upon the brazen serpent that Moses had made. Only those that had natural life looked. It is the same with people today. Those that have been born again have spiritual life. He feels that he is poisoned by sin. He is the one that may wring his hands and say “Oh, Lord is there any hope for me? Oh, Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.” One in this condition will not brag about his or her works for all our righteousness is as filfty rags in the eyes of God. John 3:16 teaches “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This verse is a declarative statement. It is teaching of the WORLD of God’s elect, those that Christ redeemed by his precious blood. These are believers already, not will believe in order to get life, but already have spiritual life. He is saying to these believers, the elect, they WILL not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. Friends this is the real truth! One that has a desire to be an elect child of God IS ALREADY one of the elect, or else one would not desire such things.
Now let us go back to things that are artificial. Paul continued in Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would PERVERT the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” My dear friend, presenting another gospel which is not another gospel, is serious business before the Lord Jesus Christ. There is only one real gospel and that is the gospel that was preached by the apostles of old and teaches the truth about the FINISHED WORK of Jesus our Lord.. Paul said if one comes preaching another gospel which is not another let him be accursed. The word accursed comes form the Greek word “anathemah” which means, “A man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes” Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 16:22 “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. In other words, Paul is using the same word here to teach that a man is accursed, devoted to the direst of woes for the Lord will or has come. Rest assured he will come or does come in judgment. A false teacher is teaching in actuality that the true Messiah is not yet come, for Jesus Christ that walked the face of this earth 2000 years ago did come to save his people from their sins. And he did it. The bible declares this great truth.
How important is it to keep in mind that we do not offer unto God things that are artificial? I think this verse will sum it all up. Lev 26:31 “And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.” There are some things that are sweet smelling odours unto the Lord. But there are some things that are a stench in his nostrils.
When we meet with our friends for a great steak and baked potato meal, and some there are very hungry, how would they feel if we served them a piece of an old shoe tongue? After all I have heard some say “The steak was as tough as shoe leather.” I don’t want to be chewing on a piece of a stinking shoe tongue. Jesus said “I am the bread of life.” Let us keep in mind that God sees through all the artificial, counterfeits, and other false things that one might try to present to his children. Let us stop and smell the roses along life’s journey; the real ones that is!