Mushrooms or Toadstools?

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 9
 
What were those strange objects on the kitchen table? Were they mushrooms or toadstools? Opinion was divided; some said that they were mushrooms while others claimed that they were toadstools. The finder was sure that they were edible, but the cook insisted that they were poisonous. Other members of the family were anxious to clean and taste them.
Someone remembered seeing a copy of the National Geographic which was devoted to the subject of mushrooms. After a little searching, the magazine was found and its pages eagerly scanned for information which would decide the matter.
Sure enough, two pictures were discovered which proved that the strange things were "shaggymane" mushrooms, and the description of that species contained the definite statement that they were "edible."
All fears of suffering and death being removed by her faith in the magazine, one member of the family immediately prepared and ate some of them. The next day found her alive and well. Her experiment verified the statement of the article.
The incident is an everyday illustration of the fact that we "receive the witness of men." Just because the magazine article said so, that young woman believed that those strange-looking things were "good for food," and she was perfectly willing to risk health and life to prove it.
"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater." 1 John 5:99If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. (1 John 5:9). The Bible is infinitely greater than the best magazine. Its word-pictures and statements are authoritative. Men and women have their opinions about spiritual things (just as they have about mushrooms and toadstools!) but a simple "thus saith the Lord" should be an end of all controversy.
God: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).
And the statement, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)), should be enough to reveal God's way of salvation to every sin-burdened soul.
To stake your soul and its eternal welfare on the word of the living God is far safer than the risking of life and health on a magazine article! A verse like the following should be sufficient to convince anyone of his sinful condition before