The Devotional - Religion is 'user friendly'

The Devotional

Comment: Religion does not teach about God, religion is “user friendly” since it is full of liberal regulations that direct the follower to practices of self-righteous behavior. Commonly there are a set of regulations that govern the person to be a devout follower to the doctrines prescribed. For example; certain foods are restricted, certain rituals are to be practiced and certain biblical icons are presented as sacred, or the ‘go-too’ image. Thus God who becomes unapproachable or abandoned even ignored. These icons because of human status, but now dead and saints are stand ins to appease an unapproachable God or find favor with an angry God. Sin is dealt with on a human platform of reasoning, rather than by faith in God’s provision for all of mankind. For example again, most sin is dealt with as a disease and if the disease does not go away by self-righteous behavior, the sin becomes normal to do, even sanctioned and protected by human government and human religion. In other words we seek to rid our human body of things we know to be sinful or diseased by making evil good and good evil.

Devotional: Psalm 119:33-40 – God alone is our teacher of right and wrong, it is the WAY of the LORD to reveal His STATUES to you and me. If we fail to understand this or if we are guided by religion we will have no way of knowing that the statutes of the LORD are designed to rejoice our heart/soul. We are not restricted to live life by knowing of God because He is angry, distant or non-existent. Instead the way of God is to completely set free and freedom rejoices the heart/soul. Religion on the other hand is a restriction or slavery to do the impossible. The Christ/Messiah has done for us what we cannot do for our self. Matthew 5:17 and Romans 10:4

God alone is the ‘go-too’ GOD, He is not an icon, or a picture, a statue or figment of some imaginary doctrine. GOD is GOD. When Jesus (God in human flesh) was questioned as to who He was by the Jews, He plainly said He was God (John 8:48-59). It would be good for us to understand that He did not give an explanation or an example. He said, “Truly (assuredly) I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM”. See Exodus 3:14. Also speaking of the Christ/Messiah, Isaiah says in Isaiah 43:10-11. God is the only savior of mankind.

Faith in God will bend our ear to His TESTIMONIES, relieving us from coveting our own self-righteous standards of religions right and wrong. When our heart/soul is directed toward God we are revived in our soul. The laws, statutes, precepts and Fear of the LORD develop a ‘respect’ or ‘awe’ which is a reverential fear of God. Thus we see with our heart/soul that God’s JUDGMENTS are good and that we have been revived and made alive in His RIGHTEOUSNESS. Without faith in God alone, who is Jesus Christ, there is NO hope for eternal life for those who rely on self-righteous religion. Seeking to establish one’s own righteousness is the failure of all mankind to the Jew and the Gentile alike: See Romans 10:3.

The Devotional - Dust!

The Devotional

Comment: As citizens of the United States of America, most of us do not understand poverty in ways that are expressed in the Holy Bible, nor do we understand this by the incredible poverty of the world around us. Even when it comes to a drink of pure water, most of us go to the faucet and quench our thirst immediately. Also, there is an abundance of religion in the United States of America, in fact there is an abundance of religion throughout the world around us, yet most Citizens of the U.S.A. are starved in their soul of the statutes, judgments, precepts, laws and the fear of the LORD. This too is true throughout the world of the millions beyond number, of the souls of people who hunger and thirst for God. Yet to quench that thirst they look to ‘religion’ and not to the ‘Alpha and Omega’ of TRUTH who is Jesus the Messiah of God –Revelation 1:8 and 11.

Devotional: Psalm 119:25-32 – The LORD/Messiah is the Son of the Living God, He is found in every Book of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible does not suggest this truth, it DECLARES it to be so. So whether you believe it or not, does not change this TRUTH in any way. When we are starved by the declarations of the lies of religion our souls cling to the dust, dust is all that is left for the soul when the Word of God is absent.

There are a remnant of men and women who have a soul that flourishes because it is fed with the washing of the water by the Word. Church is where we go to learn this truth, notice in Ephesians 5:22-33 the picture of human marriage of one man for one woman, reveals ONE Christ for His ONE true Church. Thus EXCLUDING all RELIGION. Religion then becomes idolatry (the worship of God with false motives) this leads to immorality (religion is adultery with the gods of religion).

The psalmist seeks for God to open his eyes to the wondrous attributes of God’s law, since he and people like him are really strangers in the earth, so it is the commandments of God that keeps us alert in a strange and dying land. Have you noticed how your soul breaks when you witness sin in the lives of your friends, relatives and media? Psalm 119:158 – adds to this thought by saying that we see the treacherous and we become disgusted because they fail to keep the law of Truth. 

If you have chosen the way of Truth, then the soul within you does not rely on the dust (religion) of the earth for nourishment since it is fed by God Himself. As we search out His judgments, He will not allow us to be put to shame like the rest of the world’s idolatry, He will graciously grant us wisdom in His Word to keep us from the world’s immorality. We daily lay out the Word of the Judgments of God before our eyes and yes, our soul clings to the LORD’s Testimonies and we eagerly run the course and pathway of His Commandments.

Our souls do not whether from the dry and thirsty land of false religions, nor do we commit adultery with the Word of the Living God, our souls are nourished in TRUTH, we heart/soul has been made LARGE in the ways of God our Savior, in other words our desire is for the Will of God to be at work on this earth even as it is being accomplish in heaven; Matthew 6:10, today and forever you are the REDEEMED of God through His Word and your FAITH in Jesus the Living Word – 1 John 1-4.

The Devotional - God answers prayer

The Devotional

Comment: How many of us give any thought at all about the word testimony? I suppose if we were called to jury duty, (speaking of which, I was; but declined since I am over seventy years of age). In this we would be interested in testimony but it would not be ours, but those on trial. Looking into Psalm 119 there are several words that identify the character of God. He, because He is God does not need to say anything about His character. God is Holy, therefore His Testimonies are PURE and without blemish. The word ‘testimonies’ is found 21 times in the NKJV of Psalm 119 and the word ‘testimony’ is found once. God has a pure testimony, in other words “God is not on trial” these expressions of God’s character are RIGHT, they are EVERLASTING and if we seek to understand this we will be delivered through all of the storms of living life. We will not escape the storm, but we will be delivered because the Word of God says so – see Psalm 66 it is a testimony of God’s Faithfulness to those who belong to Him.

Devotional: Psalm 119:17-24; in prayer to God we offer to Him all of our complaints and issues of life so in this we seek a bountiful result. Results of answered prayer give us hope and encourages us to live; to live not only spiritually but physically and mentally too. Answered pray opens our eyes to see the wonderful things from the law of God. For example; the law of God is the control He has over Creation. His answer to our prayers is not limited to our finite ability to understand, but in His infinite power to move mountains.

We are strangers to God’s infinite wisdom and power and when God answers prayer we say things like, “Awesome, I would never have thought of it that way!” The commandments of God’s decree are hidden until we see His decree of Judgment in answers to prayer. Therefore our soul breaks (crushed) with the longing of our need to see God at work in our personal and national life. We should not be proud as a saint of God, we should be humble of spirit – the proud are cursed and today there are many who claim to be saved yet they are religiously arrogant, we need to be careful in our testimonies and not stray from God’s testimonies; God’s Word is truth.

Are we persecuted and viewed as the scum of the earth? Yes, but note that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. To those of us who are ‘redeemed’ we are as precious to Him as He is to us. However, to those who crucified Him and those who do not know Him, to them; He and those who love Him are the scum of the earth. Therefore, because we seek to keep His testimonies we have a future. While the rulers of this world will sit and speak against us, our mediation will be on God’s statutes, His testimonies will be our comfort and counselor, because we have seen God’s answer to our prayers.