The more I know the more I don’t know. One thing is sure however, the older I get the less interested I become in religion for the simple reason that religion cannot give me what I need and want more than anything else….
An uninterrupted relationship with God.
All religion can give is a relationship with religion or ritual and through that a hope that everything is OK. Religion and ritual demands that I conduct my affairs with God through a man made organisation or system. That, I have to say is not for me. Religion for me is just a means to an end and if I don’t experience the end I am not interested in the means.
Not so with a relationship with God. A relationship is not only the means to an end but it is the end as well. A relationship like this producea a unity of purpose and spirit.
Every day whatever I do, I want to be in contact with a God who is my father and who loves unconditionally. Not according to how good I am or how obedient I am. It is difficult for us as mere mortals to do that and understand the why of love but God doesn’t because he is love.
Take away love and there is no God. The two are synonymous.
When we come together as the body of Christ our avowed aim should be to fellowship with God our Father and through that fellowship with one another. If we don’t have the first all we are is just another social organisation with specific objectives.
Most of the ritual is designed to keep us away from God and keep God away from us. We fellowship with the backs of people’s heads but not much more. A cursory handshake at the end and then we are on our way home to wrestle with the pressures of everyday life.
Very few take time to get to know God and get to know each other. We are all gifted to bring edification to the body of Christ and to build up the body into a united whole. In essence we are meant to minister to one another via the spirit of God.
In most meetings that is left to the chosen few, appointed by man in most cases.
To be intimate with God you don’t need meetings, ritual or religion. All you need is a heart’s desire to make God a part of your life and to place your relationship with him above everything else.
A few years ago I made a decision that if anything did not enhance my relationship with God I was not interested. This meant that I avoided meaningless meetings where in the end there was more said than done which leads you up the garden path but prevents you from smelling the roses.
Our God wants you not your religion. Our God wants you not your ritual. Our God wants you not your doing. Our God wants you, not your sacrifices. Our God wants you not your money. When he has got you, he has got everything else.
Showing posts with label THE LOVE OF GOD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label THE LOVE OF GOD. Show all posts
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
THE INFINITE GOD
You in all probability are like me. You read a verse over and over again and then one day you get a revelation about its content that to this point had not been seen. Today, this verse jumped out at me and set up a train of thought.
Eph 1:4 Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence. Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this.
For those of us who believe that the earth is 6,000 years old according to what is written in scripture, this verse tells us that over 6,000 years ago, God had singled us out to be his adopted son even before an earth even existed. Not only that, he decided to make us holy and perfect in his presence and as God does not lie, that is what will happen.
This was possible because he was motivated by his love for us. There was no compulsion about it. He chose to make us sons, me, you, sons out of all the billions that were to be born.
Notwithstanding that we had not been born or as far as the earth is concerned our existence was just a figment of God’s imagination, with no tangible evidence for our being born onto this earth. That did not prevent God choosing us.
This gave me an insight into the omnipotence of God. The fact that before one person was created then born, he had already decided that I was to be a son of his.
In addition, out of all the billions of people that were to be born over the centuries, before the earth was created, he chose specific individuals to be part of his kingdom because of his love.
If ever there was a reason to acknowledge God’s love for us this would be it. He chose us out of billions. He didn’t have to but he did.
Why did he choose us? It doesn’t say beyond that he loved us. Why did he love me specifically and choose me and not others? We don’t know. All we know is the fact that he did.
This revelation makes our salvation so fantastic and it puts into perspective this life that we live. We get caught up in all the day to day things of life, the minutiae of religious observance when all God wants is to shower his love on us, give us lots of hugs and enjoy the pleasure of our company. What more do we need if we have that?
Lord, deliver us from religion so that we can have relationship….with you.
Eph 1:4 Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence. Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this.
For those of us who believe that the earth is 6,000 years old according to what is written in scripture, this verse tells us that over 6,000 years ago, God had singled us out to be his adopted son even before an earth even existed. Not only that, he decided to make us holy and perfect in his presence and as God does not lie, that is what will happen.
This was possible because he was motivated by his love for us. There was no compulsion about it. He chose to make us sons, me, you, sons out of all the billions that were to be born.
Notwithstanding that we had not been born or as far as the earth is concerned our existence was just a figment of God’s imagination, with no tangible evidence for our being born onto this earth. That did not prevent God choosing us.
This gave me an insight into the omnipotence of God. The fact that before one person was created then born, he had already decided that I was to be a son of his.
In addition, out of all the billions of people that were to be born over the centuries, before the earth was created, he chose specific individuals to be part of his kingdom because of his love.
If ever there was a reason to acknowledge God’s love for us this would be it. He chose us out of billions. He didn’t have to but he did.
Why did he choose us? It doesn’t say beyond that he loved us. Why did he love me specifically and choose me and not others? We don’t know. All we know is the fact that he did.
This revelation makes our salvation so fantastic and it puts into perspective this life that we live. We get caught up in all the day to day things of life, the minutiae of religious observance when all God wants is to shower his love on us, give us lots of hugs and enjoy the pleasure of our company. What more do we need if we have that?
Lord, deliver us from religion so that we can have relationship….with you.
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