Letters From Grandpa #164

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 164

Dearest grandchild,

As I have told you before, I pray for everyone of you every day. Like Paul, however, I fear that the wicked one may beguile you through his subtilty (2 Cor. 11:3). It is hard for me to understand the pressures you must face every day to “conform” to the world. As you are constantly faced with conflicting opinions on religion and a great many other subjects, I feel constrained today to remind you of the following words of Jesus: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:15 - 17).

How simple! How profound! Note that when buying seeds they have to be labeled. It is hard to tell by looking at a seed what it will produce. Note also that when buying produce no labels are necessary. You don’t need a label to tell you the difference between a pineapple and a banana.

But the purpose of our text involves recognizing false teachers. In our shrinking world we are exposed to an ever increasing number of teachers who influence the world. In addition to the Bible we have the Koran, the Communist Manifesto, Mein Kampf, the Hindu Vegas, etc. The seed of a redwood tree and the seed of a tomato plant are both about an eight of an inch long. There is a dramatic difference, however, in what they produce. The redwood tree grows to 300 feet tall and the tomato plant doesn’t. By their fruit you know them. Jesus applied this simple logic to teachers. By their fruit you know them. The true nature of Hitler’s Mein Kampf is not best recognized by reading it, but by seeing the fruit that book produced in Germany. Similarly, the Communist Manifesto may seem harmless in the classroom, but it produces deadly fruit. When this evil seed was planted in Russia, China, and Cambodia it resulted in over 100 million deaths. You can recognize the value of teaching by the fruit it produces.

The new atheists seek to convert you with evangelical fervor. One great appeal of atheism involves the lack of accountability. The atheist can live any way he or she wants to with the “belief” that there is no God to hold them accountable. The Psalmist said: “The fool says in his heart there is no God” (Ps. 14:1). The Hebrew word translated as fool is “nabal”. This refers to someone who is shamelessly immoral. Thus when an atheist is “shamelessly immoral” he or she believes in their heart that since there is no God they will get by with it. The late Madalyn Murray O’Hair bragged about spending her time as the only woman in a theater watching X rated movies. She delighted in hiring convicted murderers after they were released from prison. Sadly, some of these atheists whom she esteemed so highly killed her, her son, and grand daughter and chopped them into pieces.

In this regard Christianity has no equal. It’s fruit is delicious. Many years ago I corresponded with a feminist who felt that the Bible denigrated women. I asked her to tell me where on earth she would like to live where the Bible has never been taught. She said that was a good question and promised to get back with me after the holidays. That was over 20 years ago and still no answer. So the avowed atheist chooses to live in a Christian country and not N. Korea. The avowed socialist

does not emigrate to Venezuela but prefers to promote his theories from the prosperity of a capitalist country. The man who wants a future in farming does not choose to live in Zimbabwe.

For some strange reason atheism seems to have a growing influence on the college campus. As we have pointed out before, the Communist Manifesto, is recommended reading on many college campuses. It would be interesting to have an open meeting on campus and compare the fruit of Christianity with the fruit of atheism. It would be so simple to set a date and invite all the Christians and all atheists to come and share their testimonies. How many marriages have been saved? How many suicides prevented? How many alcoholics reformed? How many disabled helped? How many children adopted? How many abortions prevented? Etc. Have you ever heard of an atheist hospital?

In this regard Charles Darwin rebuffed the critics of Christianity by writing: “They forget, or will not remember, that human sacrifices and the power of an idolatrous priesthood - a system of profligacy unparalled in another part of the world - infanticide, a consequent of tat system - bloody wars , where conquerors spared neither women nor children - that all these have been abolished; and that dishonesty, intemperance, and licentiousness have been greatly reduced by Christianity. In a voyager to forget these things is base ingratitude; for should he chance to be at the point of shipwreck on some unknown coast, he will most devoutly pray that the lesson of the missionary may have reached thus far . . .” (Journals of Research by Charles Darwin p. 414).

If someone thinks the “fruit” of atheism is better than the “fruit” of Christianity, then they should move to N. Korea as it is perhaps the most atheistic country on earth?

Please don’t be deceived by false teachers. By their fruits you will know them

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce