What religion are you?
This is a question that I have been asked many times. The definition of the word religion in the Webster’s dictionary states religion describes a person under obligation, bond or reverence. With that definition, we can easily be led astray because no one wants to feel obligated or bonded to someone or something unwillingly. True Christianity is not a religion in my opinion; followers of Jesus have a relationship with Him and with God. We are a son or daughter to God and a brother or sister with Jesus. My answer is that I do not belong to a religion, but I have a relationship with the one true God and His son Jesus Christ.
We should attend church because the Bible tells us we should. Hebrews 10:25 says we should “not [be] giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Your obedience pleases God. Church is a place where we can learn Bible basics like knowing God and instruction on how to walk with the Lord in our daily life. Church is also a place where we can praise and worship God, fellowship with other believers, and learn many other principles that strengthen our relationship and dedication with God. Most of all we show our faithfulness to the Lord.
Even though you are going to church, I want to to make it clear that going to church doesn’t save you. Church is a place where salvation can be preached and learned. The only way to be saved is to believe that Jesus was sent to die for your sins and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of your life.
There are so many different types of churches because of the way scripture is interpreted. Throughout history, many people have taken various scriptures and sculpted them to fit what they believed to be true. Because of these interpretations, different churches evolved and taught the Bible in different ways. This caused the division of the churches, and many denominations evolved.
When looking for a church, make sure that the church teaches scripture-based information and the five tenets of faith. A church must teach:
- Jesus is the son of God.
- Jesus was conceived by a virgin named Mary.
- Jesus died on the cross and shed his blood for the forgiveness of human kind.
- Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
- Jesus will come back again for his church and take them to Heaven.
It is better to know Jesus now as Lord and Savior instead of chasing after man’s opinions or ideas.
Many people look at the world and see and experience evil. Many assume everything they are facing is an act of God. Don’t be deceived! God is a giver, not a taker. Ephesians 2:2 states: “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil–the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” We have all seen and experienced the work of Satan in this world.
Temptation is real. Even Jesus was tempted by Satan, but because He was the son of God and knew the word of God, resisted temptation. His identity prevented Jesus from giving into the Devil. We all have this same choice to overcome temptation and the pressures of this world just like Jesus did. We must respond to evil with the word of God in our mouth to every obstacle and pressure we face. Just speak the truth; arguing with others over what you believe will not get you any where. Others will see through you that following God is truly a better way to live.
God created Adam in His own image and likeness. Man was in a perfect state, but decided to question God’s ways and took advice from the enemy of God. Man listened to the wrong counsel and lost his perfect state through disobedience to his creator God. Because of this, man was expelled from the perfect state he was in. God has given us chance after chance after chance to willingly comply with His ways and we continue to reject God’s counsel. Choosing to rebel against God forces Him to discipline his creation.
Just as a parent disciplines a child for disobeying, God disciplines us so we can change our ways and follow the right path. We are the ones who put ourselves out of the protection of God where the enemy sees us as a target for destruction. God allows Satan to target us but most of the time, He has nothing to do with the attacks. We do it to ourselves.
Many people have a misunderstanding about this subject. At one time, I was one of those people. I thought if I do more good than bad, then I was fine and would go to Heaven. God would see that I was a good person and everything would be fine. But the truth is no one is good enough to stand before God. We need a mediator to stand between us and God. Hebrews 7:25 states: “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him [Jesus], because He always lives to intercede for them.” God sent his son Jesus to save us from ourselves and save us from sin. Jesus rescued us and paid the price for all of our sins.
Just being a good person is not the way to God. We have to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and confess that He died for our sins. Then we must believe with all our hearts that Jesus did this act because He loved us and wanted to redeem us in the eyes of His father. We are not saved by our deeds (being a good person), we are saved by grace.
Many of us have tried to better ourselves and have tried to become someone we want to be or have things that we feel we deserve. Sometimes what we try works for us, but to often the results end in failure. One of the stronger ideals in society is that people want to put in the least amount of effort and get more than they deserve for their effort. With this kind of mentality, people are going to get discouraged when they don’t get what they feel they deserve. Failure after failure causes people to lose hope and not to see what is going well in their lives. They see no way out of their situation.
God is hope. We must learn to trust in Him and know that God always has our best interest at heart. He hears every prayer, and in time will answer your prayer. It may not be the answer that you want to hear and it may not come as quickly as you would like, but you can rest assured that it will be the best answer for you and will be in your best interest. Don’t lose hope because things aren’t going your way. Trust God and wait patiently for His answer. The answer may be more than you ever expected.
The world is full of opinions that lead us to confusion. Death can be devastating especially when the death is a close family member. We have all experienced this pain or will experience it in the future. I have attended funerals where families are devastated by the loss of their family members. The families would rather die than live without the person who has passed on. I have also attended funerals where people are at peace. They mourn the loss of their loved one but rejoice that their loved one is now with Jesus and know they will see them again.
The difference between these funerals is what those left behind believe. If anyone believes that Jesus is the son of God and accepts the salvation that He offers us, that person will be with Jesus when he or she dies. We all have a choice to make and can chose our destiny. We can live with Jesus forever, or we can choose to live separated from him.
Many people have been hurt by ministers and pastors. Some pastors have abused their authority to bring admiration to themselves, and others have started out on the right path only to be led astray. The results in some cases have been devastating and have caused some to lose their faith in the church.
Pastors are human. Even though we hold them to a high regard, they too are tempted by the very same things we are. Through out the Bible, we see story after story of God using imperfect people to further His kingdom. David was a murder, Peter denied Christ, and Paul spent most of his life persecuting and murdering Christians. And yet these men are an integral part of Bible history and God used them to bring many people to His kingdom. God uses pastors to teach us His word and He holds them responsible for what they teach us. Like us, they need to continue to seek the word of God and to stay in constant contact with God through prayer. Find a church with a pastor that teaches and follows scripture and who is open to discuss concerns with you. You will be less likely to be disappointed.
With the way things are going, what is going to happen to the world and to us?
Society has given us many ideas about what is going to happen to this world. To some extent, these ideas have given many a false sense of security. Other people see the gloom and doom of this world and fear what is occurring. Just like a tornado can bring panic and destruction, not knowing what is going to happen can bring these same feelings to your life. For answers, we need to go to the source to understand what is going on and what to expect next.
The Bible tells us exactly what we need to know. We must remember that we don’t control time; God does. The Bible is full of passages (see Daniel, Ezekiel, and Matthew) that tells us where we are today and what we can expect to happen next. We are living in perilous times and it will get worse. For those not willing to follow God and to learn what the Bible teaches, the results could be deadly. The book of Revelation outlines an upcoming tribulation and judgment like nothing we have ever seen. For those of us who study the scriptures, we will have a true sense of understanding and peace through it all.
Why have family values diminished?
This can be answered by taking a long, hard look at society today. Moral decay is all around us. What used to be considered abnormal is now normal in today’s society. Movies, television, and music is filling our heads with ideas that aren’t morally acceptable. The celebrities we idolize, how they dress, and how they carry themselves in public also have an affect on us. Young teens emulate this behavior because they think this is how they are supposed to behave to be accepted. Look at the stories the media pushes down our throats.
In the past, the majority of families were families of faith who put their trust in God and participated in the community and their place of worship. Television networks limited what could be shown on television to standards that were morally acceptable. They didn’t have the far reaching media that showed us every evil that occurs in our world. Stores were closed on Sunday so everyone could attend church and spend family time together. Although not everyone was brought up this exact way, it contributed to a society that held family values to a high standard. Family values have been diminished today, but are not fully lost. We will always have hope and always be ready to move from where we currently are to wherever we need to be so we can be with God.
Why should I trust God?
Most of us want to do better or become a better person. We try to do everything ourselves; we fail and get discouraged so we look to other people or things for help and they too fail us. Anger and resentment take over and eventually destroys our minds, bodies, and emotions.
But God is hope and He is there for us. Put your trust in God. Hebrews 6:18 says “it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” He will only tell us the truth and will not leave you. If you put your trust in Jesus, he “will never leave or forsake you. I will be with you forever.” This quote is so powerful that you can find this quote in both Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5. God really feels this way.
So why trust Him? Because God cares about you and everything that is going on in your life. God assures us that He will be there every step of the way and will pick you up when you need help the most. Just put your faith in God and let Him shape you into the person you are supposed to be.
At some point in time, everyone has felt like no one cares about what problems they are going through. The truth is we all have access to the best help available. Call on the creator of the universe. God is awaiting your call and is ready to help if you will ask Him. He can help fix any situation you are in or guide you to a better solution for your situation.
Some of us have been given the gift of a giving heart and have been taken advantage of because of our giving hearts. It’s painful when someone we care about takes advantage of our kindness and are ungrateful for the help that we give to them. Unfortunately, society has changed and many people now have a “me” attitude and will take, take, take instead of giving to others. Some want more than they deserve without having to put in the work for it.
Don’t give up on giving to others and being a kind friend. Be joyful and know that what you are doing is pleasing to God. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 says: “each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God will generously provide all you need.” God saw us lost and in sin. He chose to give up his only son Jesus to show us how much He loved us and still many choose to turn away from Him. God gave us a huge gift with no attachments to let us know He was willing to reach us wherever we are. So don’t lose your giving heart. Continue to do what God impresses upon you and you will reap what you sow.
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