Rituals or faith?
In today’s crazy world, churches have become just as lost as the sinner. The only difference is, the churches have a lot of religious show and pomp. They thrive off of peer pressure, image, money, and conformity. So where does a person really go to find God or his truth?
Eternity is along time. Spending it in the tortures of hell is not a good choice. On the other hand, to spend eternity in heaven requires some decisions and directions. If you are looking to an organized religion to find God, and make it to heaven, you probably will not make it! If just being religious, strict, popular, making a good show or just being different, could get us to heaven, then the Old Testament Jews would have been a good example. The pharisees, scribes and Sadducees that crucified Christ would have all been heaven bound. But Jesus clearly and loudly called them all hypocrites and generation of vipers. Jesus rebuked them and called them the child of the Devil. Sounds like their religiosity did not work for them. Just the opposite! While the professed to know the truth, they lived just the opposite! Their damnation was even worse, because of their hypocrisy.
So, this raises a question: didn’t Jesus say the church was referred to as the bride of heaven? Isn’t Jesus the head of the church? Didn’t Jesus die to establish the church? Isn’t the Church supposed to be the arm and guiding light of God in the New Testament? The answer to all these is YES! All that is true and straight from the bible!
This raises another question: What happened!
God knew the heart of man was wicked beyond measure. He knew that man would fail at every attempt to find God, or to obey God. The Israelites failed in the Old Testament, and the modern churches of these last days, have failed God also. God knew this before he ever created Adam and Eve. The plan of salvation and the cross, was laid out before the foundation of the world. Throughout the Old Testament, the laws and ordines portrayed the coming of Jesus as the lamb of God, redeemer, Savior, and eternal King!
The same wicked heart of man in the Old Testament, is still alive in the New Testament! The modern churches of today, are nothing like the original early church! So what actually happened!
The cycle of destruction: turning from the bible, and trusting in ourselves!
Let us consider the cycle of destruction, and see if we can learn anything from it. Learning from the mistakes of others, can be a tremendous help in setting our course today.
The CYCLE OF DESTRUCTION!
- What did God say?
Answer: His Word!
- Is that what I am doing?
Answer: Yes/No.
- Can I get around it?
Answer: No. you can lie to yourself, question God, ignore your conscience, accuse any who know the truth, and avoid the bible, church, and anything else that you don’t like, or make excuses for.
- Can I justify myself in doing so?
Answer: No. but you can deceive yourself, mislead others.
- How can I cover it up and still look good?
Answer: attack anyone who could expose you, or make you look bad. Twist the scripture to say what you want it to say, mislead others by your hypocritical actions.
- Can I use my experiences to rewrite Gods theology?
Answer: no. you can only sooth your conscience until it is dead. Then nothing will bother you!
- Will God accept it?
Answer: no. it will only make him angry at you, punish you, and allow you to go on, completely deceived and believing it!
- Where will I spend eternity because of it?
Answer:
- Fighting the devil’s warfare in this life, building your damnation.
- First in the darkness and horror of the Grave.
- Then, In the flames and torments of Hell.
- At the Judgement bar of an angry God!
- Finally, In the lake of fire. Where the torments, horror, terror, burnings, screeching, groaning, despair, and eternal hopelessness will never end.
1. The cycle of destruction was first seen in the Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve. Satan started it, and it has served him well all through the centuries. Now we are nearing the end of time, and satan is really ramping it up!
2. The cycle of destruction was the main weapon Satan used to fight against Moses. Moses stood his ground by standing on the word of God, and trusting in God to work it out. God stood with Moses, and destroyed those who fought against him.
3. The cycle of destruction destroyed the Israelites, after they crossed the Jorden River and into what was supposed to be their land of milk and honey. They were enslaved, slaughtered, and starved repeatedly. Because of the cycle of destruction.
4. The cycle of destruction destroyed the laws and ordinances handed down by God, to the Israelites. They were supposed to be the light house to the world. But by the time Satan and his cycle of destruction got through, They became the offscouring and mockery of the world.
5. When Jesus came to earth, The cycle of destruction in the religious world, had become an embarrassment to God! Most every nation around Israel hated the Jews for their debauchery.
6. Then the hypocritic religious leaders, persecuted, undermined, threatened, and killed every Christian they could find. When they finally reached their highest peak of their hate, and jealousy: they Crucified the son of God! Doing all of this while trying to pretend to be so self-righteous! (In Gods name of course!)
After Jesus resurrection and Pentecost, the early church was established! It was alive and powerful! God was real and his Gospel went everywhere! There was no compromise, watering down, paraphrased, or backing up! Thousands were added daily! The miracles were as common as the people! God kingdom was moving forward!
Then: The cycle of destruction started all over again!
Pride, selfishness, jealousy, materialism, deceits, false prophets, power trips, micro-managing, lying, greed, persecute anyone who does not comply, self-rightlessness, religious rituals, twisting the scripture, peer pressure, religious form, emotionalism, entertainment, good image, and do lots of bragging to convince the simple minded. Just to name a few of the seeds of destruction!
This brings us into today! There are a few churches still carrying the torch of truth. But they are so few, very few. They are almost impossible to find. Even then, there are things that are glaring, and the symptoms of religious showmanship, are creeping in!
The safest thing for anyone to do in these days, it to read their bible completely. Preferably, the king James version.
Apply all of it to your life, every day, everywhere. Spend much time in prayer, and obey Gods word. STAY AWAY from the organized religions. They are sand traps for the soul. Get saved by asking Jesus to forgive you of all your sins. Live in an attitude of prayer every day. Taking all things to him. The Holy spirit will guide you into all truth! This level of obedience and surrender, will take you right into the very halls of Heaven.
Knowledge: knowing something. (We all have knowledge about something)
Understanding: knowing how they work. (Comes from experience or being taught.)
Believing: knowing the things that are true and from God. (The devils believe! But they have no obedience!)
Faith: obedience to the things we know are true.
Convictions: putting into our lives as a way of living, the habits and lifestyle of what God has shown us every day.
Drifting: forgetting that our obedience is a standard that keeps us in right relationship with God.
Works: the actions and deeds we do, as a servant of Jesus!
Self-righteousness: thinking it is our works, (actions or deeds) that help us to heaven.
False works: thinking it is our works for a religion, that make us righteous.
Victorius living: living without sin, in any form, by the power of Jesus Christ and his word!
Heaven: our eternal home!
Backsliding: to turn from the things of God. And lose you salvation!
Hell: the final eternal place of punishment for the sinner.
Death: (spiritual): Satans demonic world of darkness.
Death: (physical): to die physically.
Life abundantly: to live and walk with Jesus, in harmony with his word!
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