Thanks to Mark Lowry. This really says it about "religion"......... How would you feel if you passed your children’s room and overheard them arguing…loudly? You put your ear to the door so you could hear better and heard them arguing about you. Debating and philosophizing about you. Not how mean and unfair you were but how they could be more like you? How would that make you feel? Well, after getting up off the floor from fainting how would that make you feel? And if you heard this discussion, would you kick out of the family the child who ‘got it’ the least? I hope not. I hope you would feel honored and a little embarrassed. Because I’m sure, if you’re like the rest of your kind, that is: human, you know things about you you hope your children never discover. But God doesn’t have anything to hide and the angels have never had to keep a secret. So, He’s worthy of our praise, discussion, songs and yes, even debates. I’ve spent a lot of my life arguing, debating and mentally wrestling with my fellow believers but honestly we’re probably all wrong a little — you more than me, I’m sure. Aren’t you glad God gets the last word on Scriptural interpretation? I’ve discarded so many of my former stiff-necked beliefs – which come to find out were just someone else’s preferences wrapped in Scripture and taught as ‘convictions.’ So I’m sure I’ll discover and discard more before I get Home. I figure by the time I get to Heaven the load will finally be easy. The problem is religion. Jesus hated religion. Not true relational and spiritual fellowship with God, but rules. He got especially mad when religious leaders packaged God’s Law into policy. You know what He said? Well let me tell you. Listen to what Jesus said to his followers about the religious charlatans of his day: “Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’ (Matthew 23:4-7 in The Message) Yikes! Jesus was tough on self-righteous folks. So that’s what I’m trying to purge from my journey. Not self-righteous folks, but religion — man-made doctrines which have over-shadowed the simplicity of Christ…The Christ who came to fulfill the law because He knew we couldn’t. God originally gave 10 laws and we’ve been adding to it ever since. A total of 613 at last count. As my friend Paul Johnson asks, “Why do we tend to run back to Mt. Sinai when we’ve been given Mt. Calvary?” I think it’s because we want to do something. We want to help. The problem is: there’s nothing we can do. Jesus did it all. “It is Finished”, he said from the cross. I’ve heard it said, and I believe it’s true: Our participation in our salvation boils down to two words: “Yes” and “Thanks.” So, I’ll continue to discuss Him, philosophize about Him, sing about Him, and yes, sometimes when I get with Gloria Gaither debate about Him. Beliefs are like bricks in a building — I can lose them all, none are essential — except The Cornerstone (Jesus). As long as you have The Cornerstone you can always re-build.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 17:15:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015