Friday, August 27, 2010

Are we seeking a relationship with God, or seeking religion, faith

Are we seeking a relationship with God, or seeking religion because it is not the same, and it makes a different. When we are seeking God we are not bogged down with relative things changing in our lives. God does not change because you get married, you fight with the people in the church, the leader of the church fails you, you fall out with another member, or someone hurts your feelings. Because the bible states in Malachi 3:6 - For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed (ASB). God is unchangeable. Although, God says sons of Jacob, and some may think we are not sons but we are joint heirs, and know this, God does not do for one of His children, that he does not do for the others. Thus, we are not consumed by life and the madness that ensues in it; because the LORD compassion does not fail us, nor is His hands too short to reach us or remove the confusion trying to consume us. God’s word is unchanging, and remains when all else fails us, as stated in Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. (ASB). Unlike the words of man, and his promises, faltering at every turn, or flimsy white-wash lacking sustainable legacy that breathes new life with each new read. We are to follow the voice of absolute truth that does not change with seasons, people, circumstance, or environment – God’s. Things that change are relative statements, and we were never suppose to be bogged down in them or conflicted over them, because they are not absolute true. If it is not true always, it is a relative statement, thus, there is no argument and the Master’s way, is the way! Relative statements are only for the moment, and work now, but may not work later. It does not mean it is wrong, it is just contextual based to be true; if context is not the same, then it cannot stand. See in religion, faith, church, we tend to focus more on the relative statements that appear, and although we say, we are seeking God, we are actually seeking man’s approval and way. Therefore, we lose sight of God because our rules, traditions, must dos, and he have tos that direct our steps; contextual base rather than covenant and decree focus result in religion and the not the Redeemer being the focus of the relationship. We are consumed with being the appropriate church lady or man, when what is really needed is release of what we think are absolute trues, that are really relative statements that are applicable for the time, place and manner; rather than trusting and obeying God’s word. See, we hold on to what was never meant to be held onto, what we should have released. Why are holding onto what God said, let go! We seem to gravitate to the things that help us to survive, but not grow; it is a difference. When you are only open to survival, and there is no growth, thus the church, the religion become stagnates and dies, literally or metaphorically, because there is nothing sustainable. See, when we look toward God, it is about growth, change, progression, and there is fear of the newness, but not about moving. When we understand this, we can do what this verse is saying - “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”- (NIV) Psalm 16:8. Seeking a relationship with God, opens us up to the way, that is not our way, illogical, and out of order, it seems, but because God sees totality everything makes complete sense.
Proverbs 16:1,3,9 ‘Mortals make elaborate plans, but GOD has the last word…Put GOD in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place…We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.’…Seeking the relationship with God, results in religion, faith in its proper place, an intricate piece of the puzzle, not the main event…

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