Tag Archives: Religion

Christianity is Not a Religion

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Detail - Glory of the New Born Christ in prese...

Image via Wikipedia

The foolish look on Christianity as a religion; just a single example of man’s contrivances toward pleasing his version of God.  The wise, those led by the Spirit of God, encounter Christianity with a fearful and understanding heart.  They know that they are approaching the Living God.  And they consider their ways with great trembling; aware that they will certainly give account of their lives to the Lord Most High, Jesus.

I have pity for those who live as foolish men.  I was one of them.  I have pity for those who consider religion simply a contrivance of man.  In one fashion they are correct.  There is but one way to the Father in Heaven.  While there are thousands of religions toward gods who are not gods at all.  The religion of man will worship anything from a rock to a cow, from a snake to a star.  But God calls us to the Holy and consuming fire of “The Faith”.  This faith is not born of the mind of man.  And should not be considered as part of the definition of the word “Religion” which man holds so very dearly (either with a loving embrace or with a drawling hatred).

We serve the Living God through Jesus the Christ.   We are not of those who worship God through a religion.  Our religion is the spawn, or child, of The Faith.  It should never be the other way around.  The Faith is first, as it is given and not contrived.  Religion is our response to this gift.  This is the sum of the dynamics of Christianity.  This is how it works.  Yet man would confuse the issue by reversing the blessing.  They contend that religion spawns faith.  They morph the truth of God in Jesus into something evil.   And this should not surprise us.  For the eye of the evil one sees everything as evil.  While the eye of he who loves truth seeks to envision everything lovely, true, wholesome, and vividly alive.

May God grant insight into what has been said here for everyone who reads these words.  Your soul is at stake in understanding this concept.  We do not believe so that we can be saved.  We are saved so that we will believe.  Faith comes from God so that no man can boast.  And it is because of that gift that we come to believe.

In Charge of a Star

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The oldest star of our Galaxy: HE 1523-0901

Image via Wikipedia

It would be to our advantage to make sure that our religion causes us to do what is right before the Father’s eyes.  It is not possible that religion can suffice in itself. 

Suppose an Angel was told to take charge of a star and make sure it burned with the certain intensity that God ordained it should.  It would be good for that Angel if he monitored the star and feed it according to the will of God.  But suppose that Angel said to himself, “The star is mine to watch over.  God has considered me a great Angel because I am in charge of a star.  And suppose that thought became the singular reason the Angel remained near the star.  In time he did not feed the star the proper amount of energy sustaining elements.  Instead, he simply maintained it as he desired or remembered.  Either the star would burn too brightly or begin to dim.  What do you think the Lord will say concerning that Angel’s work? 

To bring this thought down to earth consider that the star the Angel is placed in charge of is a star not visible to earth.  Much like this blog.  I write as I feel led.  And I write that anyone reading might be compelled to consider the Lord.  What does it matter to me if no one reads it?  I am given this task of building a resource for the Lord.  Regardless the popularity or visibility.  And if I fail to continue to build it, I alone will answer to Him.  It is not my responsibility to provide the eyes of those who might benefit from this blog.  It is only my responsibility to continue to build it.

I could stop building posts here.  But wouldn’t that become a thing of the past?  Something I rely on to have done.  Perhaps some would read what was written and walk away with a renewed spirit for what they gained.  But would I be able to tell the Lord that I kept my place?  Or would I have to confess that I built for a while but no one came to visit.  So I stopped building.  That’s not what I want to be telling the Lord who made His way all the way to the cross and allowed the third nail to penetrate His body.  It would be better for me to be able to say “It is finished”, when I can no longer add to what He has allowed me to watch over.

Isn’t that what religion can become?  We begin to attend the needs of our religion as we see fit.  We no longer desire that it should match the Lord’s desire and demands; which are in place due to His wisdom.  It is wise for us to consider the Holiness and Purity of the Lord as we attend our religion.  We are the ones who will be held responsible for what we know to do.  Whether we succeed or fail to deliver our full attention to what we know is right, we will be held responsible.  Be careful that you do not fall into disrepair for lack of understanding.  You alone are the one who will answer for what you do with what you have been given.

By His Grace.

Pure Service

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For those who believe religion is enough to present yourself before the Most High God on the day of Judgment and receive that “Well done, good and faithful servant”.  I know this is what you currently believe.  And I know that what you’re doing by believing this is to shoot for the minimum service due to the Lord of Life.  You think you can have the best of both worlds.  That is, you think you can live in this world and perform your religious duties and be acceptable come that day.  Thinking on this, I stumbled across a way to describe what you are doing.

One man owns a very ornate cup.  And once or twice a week he takes his cup down from above the fireplace and takes a sip.  Swirling it around in his mouth, he then spits the water back into the cup.  Carefully putting the cup back in it’s dustless ring on the mantle, he turns to enjoy his life of ease.  He has done this for years.  And the cup is full of his spit and the dust which gathers from the room.

Another man has abandoned everything he had and moved into a house boat which was given to him by the owner of the Great Lakes.  from Yahoo Group "Houseboatbuilding"Every moment of every day, he lives on pure water.  He has more water than he can drink in 100 life times.  He drinks as he will and serves the owner of the lake with joy and abandon.

Religion is much like the first man.  It is held captive by man and set on a perch for certain times of ritual need.  But religion is not pure service to the Lord of Life.  And as foolish and sickening as this man’s ritual sipping might appear, so the man without a love for God’s will appears foolish and sickening before the Most High God.

You can do anything you want in this life.  God has allowed man to chase after anything he wants for now.  But only those who render service to their creator through the blood of Jesus will receive that “Well done”.

By His Grace.

Man is Not Animal.

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A dog does what a dog does.  A rabbit, likewise, does what a rabbit does.  Fish do what they were meant to do.  And so it goes through out all God’s creation.  Oh, we can train them to do a few tricks.  But in the end, they are just a dog, rabbit, and a fish.  They obey what God has made them to do.  But what of man?

From the fall of Adam till now, and till God does away with everything wicked, man has hated his Creator.  There have been very few who earnestly desired to please Him.  The vast population of earth has openly hated their God.  I look around me and marvel at how openly man hates God’s name and ways.  And I am perplexed even at the sinful nature in myself which wishes to live without God.

What shall be said regarding man?  Hasn’t it already been said?  The verdict of guilty has ben rendered on all men.  The only way out is the forgiveness of Jesus.  Man is not animal.  God demands that all men turn back to their Creator.  There’s no room for debate about this.  You might debate what I just said, but God doesn’t. 

By His Grace.

Come on in. The Water’s Wonderful.

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To all men, saved and unsaved:

The will of God is being accomplished in heaven and on earth.  All around you, men and women are being transformed into creatures of eternity.  His will is that all who He accepts as “sons” will receive discipline, that they might become “sons” of the Most High God.  And He encourages all men to take from His hand this generous offer. 

Believing in God is not enough.  It is a believing which provokes a willingness to serve Him that God is looking for.  If we believe with a determined leaning toward obedience we begin to learn from Him.  And it is through patient endurance that we learn to obey Him completely. 

The finished work of God in Jesus’ death, and subsequent resurrection, is the entry point to His favor.  In Jesus we find both forgiveness of sins and the power to begin living under God’s will.  You will not find power to please God through religious activity.  

Please consider what God offers.  Count the cost, for it is high.  You will be required to die to all your selfish expectations.  And let us not forget that every one who accepts His gift of forgiveness and leading will be tested.  It is through trials that our faith is proven to be true or false.  There is forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ work for His Father.  And there is leading into the holiness that God requires of all His people.  But it in the testing of our faith that many fall away.  Seek God.  Remain seeking God.  Enter the war as a loyal servant of the Most High God.

By His Grace.

Who is This Jesus?

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Who is this Jesus?  He was made heir of all things by the Living God.  He was given the status of Son by the Living God.  He was taught by the Father how to create all that is created.  He has loved righteousness and hated wickedness.  And so He was elevated to the status of God Most High.  He is the radiance of God’s Glory; the exact representation of God.  He is the spoken and speaking Word of God.  Who is this Jesus?

The world thinks of Jesus as a little baby.  And in that form He is conveniently small and insignificant.  Yet that is not the Jesus of God’s understanding.  He is a prophet to some, yet that is not the Jesus of God’s understanding.  He has been with the Father from the beginning and will remain with Him forever.  He is the redeemer of men; causing them to become holy as the Father is Holy.  Yet the world sees Him as a nuisance. 

We will see Him as the One who endured GREAT pain for the sake of His Father’s will.  When we see Him, He will be dressed in absolute Glory.  For now many see Jesus as an irritation.  On the Day of God’s Wrath, we will see Him as He is.  No longer will men doubt.  No longer will they rail against righteousness.  No longer will they kill, maim, chide, and relegate God’s people to obscurity. 

The wicked will perish like a ball of cotton in an intense flame.  They will scream with terror at the prospect of their fate.  And they will hate Jesus with an eternal hatred.  I do not wish anyone to endure what is coming for the wicked.  Please consider what He is.  Consider with a great trembling.  You are about to meet your maker.  His name is Jesus.

By His Grace.