Tuesday, June 22, 2010

DAILY DIFFERENCE DEVOTION 06/22/2010

"But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, 'Come now and hear what the  message is which comes forth from the LORD.' "They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. (EZEKIEL 33:30-31 NASB)

“DESTRUCTIVE RELIGION!”

Religion is a word which can be a blessing to some and a curse to others.  Christianity is true religion, and Professor James gives a well defined definition of what visible Christianity is in James 1:27.  I highly disagree with the no-religion campaigners going around spreading the message of “Christianity with no religion”.   Quite frankly, every human being is religious.  So I must define what I mean when I make the statement, ‘religion is hurting people’.

The religion I speak of is described by James in James 1:22-26.  This is a destructive religion; a religion which has swept across America and destroyed the hearts of many for years.  It has infected Blacks, Hispanics, Whites, Asians, and all races within America and beyond.  It grips people through mindless ritual and sucks them completely dry.  Some of the wickedest unbelievers are those who sit up in a so-called church.  They can be more hurtful than a Muslim extremist wanting to cut the head off of a Christian.  What? Yes because this religion seeks not to just destroy your physical, but your mental, and emotional aspects of your life.  This religion will stab you in your back while smiling right in your face.  Matthew 23 tends to be the common text many use to define these religious actions.  But let’s look at another text which gives us a clear understanding as well.  Let’s not use the Pharisees as the easy target as well; let’s look at something else.  Let’s examine man in general; who disobeys the Lord’s Word! Uh-oh Karsten, that includes you and me; and all our Christian heroes out there.  Yes, that’s how destructive this religion can manifest itself.  But the focus of this destruction is: NOT DOING WHAT THE WORD GOD HAS COMMANDED.  Now let’s look at Peter.

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (Galatians 2:11-14)

Peter had disobeyed the very thing God had told him before about (Acts 10).  Because of this disobedience, other Jews and Barnabas were carried away with this foolishness.  People were getting hurt by a blameful act of Peter, an Apostle.  Well what was the sin that they disobeyed God and hurt others? It was Hypocrisy.  Hypokrisis is the transliteration which means the acting of a stage player, dissimulation, or hypocrisy.  Here’s what Vines Expository says: Peter with other believing Jews, in separating from believing Gentiles at Antioch, pretended that the motive was loyalty to the Law of Moses, whereas really it was fear of the Judaizers.  The same is true of this destructive religion today.

As Christians, how is this destructive religion overcome by Jesus Christ?  OBEDIENCE to the Word of God is most important (John 15:10).  Depending on the situation, let the wisdom of God in the scriptures guide you.  Paul, confronted them in verse 14, because the context called for him to (Titus 1:9-16).  Sometimes religion like this must be marked because of the division it produces (Romans 16:17-18).  In other instances it must be departed from, because it is a general mixing or true worship with false worship (2 Corinthians 6:11-18).  For example, you don’t stay in Joel Osteen’s church trying to rebuke those who are in error.  My goodness that is thousands of people going the wrong way; no you get out of that arena. 

The point is destructive religion is destructive.  In good churches, or in so-called churches; it is destroying men and women.  It must be confronted by the Christian when made known to him and avoided by the Christian in his daily walk with Jesus Christ.  I will leave you with an example my pastor friend told me of his former pastor. 

He knew an individual, who was homosexual, and invited him to his church.  The homosexual stated about how churches can be in loving towards him, but was encouraged to come because this church was different.  Well, the pastor of the church saw this homosexual sitting in the congregation and immediately changed his entire message into a message against homosexuality.  The individual stated later “I will never step foot in a church again!”

Now, from the example if we say the individual was being convicted by God’s Word, we’ve missed the point.  The pastor changed the message based on wrong outward judgment. Then the pastor disobeyed the Lord by giving a message not given to him by God.  Hopefully we can you see how destructive religion brought ruin.  That is why we must obey God and keep ourselves from destructive religion.  God bless.

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