Most people know a religion and practice it.
Few people know how to have a relationship with God.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WANTS RELATIONSHIP WITH US – NOT OUR RELIGION!
Why people choose to practice religion and traditions of men instead of seeking a personal relationship with God
There are many reasons people practice religion and follow traditions rather than seeking a personal relationship with God, often stemming from psychological and social needs for comfort, certainty, and belonging. This can lead people to prioritize rules, rituals, and external validation over a direct, intimate connection with the divine.
For many, organized religion and its traditions provide compelling benefits that can unintentionally take the place of a personal relationship with God:
- Security and comfort: Religious traditions and rituals offer a sense of order, predictability, and emotional stability, especially during uncertain or distressing times. This can provide a framework for coping with life’s challenges without the perceived anxiety and personal responsibility of walking by faith alone.
- Community and belonging: Organized religion provides a sense of community, fellowship, and social belonging. This communal aspect offers support and validation, fulfilling the human need to be part of something larger than oneself.
- Established guidance: Religious laws, doctrines, and moral guidelines can offer clear rules for living and a moral framework for society. For some, this established guidance is easier and safer to follow than navigating a personal, and sometimes uncertain, relationship with God.
- Continuity and identity: Following the traditions of one’s family and culture connects individuals to their heritage. This can foster a sense of intergenerational identity and purpose that is rooted in history.
- Perceived superiority: Some individuals find validation and a sense of superiority in strictly adhering to a set of rules, creating a feeling that they are “doing everything right”.
The challenges of a personal relationship with God
In contrast to the clear structure of tradition, a personal relationship with God can be perceived as demanding and unpredictable.
- Personal responsibility: A direct, personal faith requires a continuous process of individual growth, self-reflection, and repentance. This can be challenging compared to relying on the structured, often passive, practice of tradition.
- The unknown and lack of control: A personal relationship requires trusting God’s plan and walking by faith, which can feel unsettling for those who desire certainty and control over their own lives.
- Ongoing engagement: Maintaining a personal relationship with God demands consistent, mutual communication and effort. In contrast, traditions can sometimes become a form of passive religious activity rather than an active pursuit of the divine.
- Focus on the internal, not the external: While traditions are highly visible and offer a sense of communal belonging, a personal relationship is internal and private. Some may value the outward expressions and public identity of religion over an internal, unseen connection with God.
WHY WE SHOULD HATE MAN-MADE RELIGION!
RELIGION IS A SILENT KILLER!
AMAZINGLY… JESUS CHRIST DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO PROMOTE RELIGION IN THE BIBLE! HIS FOCUS WAS ALWAYS ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
John 8:42-45 Jesus calls the Religious leaders children of the Devil
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!
LINK to “8 Reasons Jesus Hates Religion”
LINK to “9 Reasons Jesus Hates Religion”
AMAZINGLY the word “RELIGION” does not appear in the original manuscripts of the OLD TESTAMENT. It is mentioned in the NEW TESTAMENT 3 times by the Apostles Luke, Paul and James
Acts 26:5 – The Apostle Luke states that he practiced The Jewish Law before he believed on Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior
Galatians 1:13-14 – The Apostle Paul states that he practiced the religion of the Jewish Faith before he believed on Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior – Paul states that he persecuted the Followers of Jesus Christ (The Eklessia) when he was practicing The Jewish Law.
James 1:26-27 The Apostle James states that pure religion is what man does for the good of man – Pure Religion IS NOT how man maintains a relationship with God.
I would like to challenge you… please put down religion for a minute and and open your mind and heart to the possible truth that you are missing out on an amazing relationship with God. If this is possibly true, wouldn’t you want to experience this relationship that I am talking about? Wouldn’t you want to know your creator intimately and personally?
RELIGION \ PHILOSOPHY WILL NOT GIVE YOU A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
Apostle Paul’s disdain for worldy wisdom
The Apostle Paul’s disdain for worldly wisdom can be summarized as a deep conviction that human reason, pride, and intellectual cleverness are utterly foolish and inadequate for understanding God’s truth. He repeatedly contrasts the temporary, self-serving nature of worldly wisdom with the eternal, humble, and spiritual nature of God’s divine wisdom, centered on the message of the cross.
The foolishness of human intellect
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul directly confronts the city’s prevailing Greek philosophical tradition, which valued rhetoric, logic, and intellectual status. He argues that this approach is utterly useless in knowing God.
- A challenge to worldly thinkers: Paul famously asks, “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”.
- The wisdom of the world is folly: He bluntly states, “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” and “He catches the wise in their craftiness” (1 Corinthians 3:19).
- Ineffective for salvation: Paul asserts that the world, through its own wisdom, “did not know God” and that God chose to save those who believe through “the foolishness of what was preached” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
The paradox of the cross – A stumbling block to many who refuse it’s simplicity
For Paul, the ultimate proof of worldly wisdom’s futility is the message of the cross itself, which inverts human concepts of power and success.
- Christ crucified as foolishness: He recognizes that to the Jews, the cross is a “stumbling block,” and to the Greeks (intellectuals), it is “foolishness”.
- The power of God in perceived weakness: Paul preaches that this apparent weakness and foolishness is, in fact, “the power of God and the wisdom of God” for those who are being saved.
- The humbling of human pride: God deliberately chose “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” so that no one could “boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).
The source of true wisdom
Rather than relying on human eloquence or philosophical argumentation, Paul presents true wisdom as a divine revelation available only through the Holy Spirit.
- Divine revelation, not human reason: Paul declares that he came to the Corinthians not with “lofty speech or wisdom” but to preach Christ crucified, so that their faith would rest not on “the wisdom of men but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5).
- Spiritual discernment: He explains that spiritual truths are “spiritually discerned” and that the person without the Spirit cannot understand or accept them, considering them foolish.
- The mind of Christ: Through the Spirit, believers are given access to the “mind of Christ,” which allows them to understand divine mysteries that are hidden from worldly intellects.
Although there are many religions in the world today, there is one movement that seeks to join them all together to form the One World Church that will be under the New World Order. Most people do not see what they are doing yet.
THEY ARE USING TOLERANCE AND UNITY TO TRICK US INTO THIS ONE WORLD RELIGION!
THIS VIDEO EXPOSES THEIR PROGRESS AND WHAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR
THEY ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT BUILDING THE ONE WORLD CHURCH! IT IS NOT A JOKE… AND IT BEGINS… THE NEW WORLD ORDER WITH ONE RELIGION IS GETTING US READY FOR THE ANTICHRIST
THIS NOT A CONSPIRACY OR FICTION – THIS IS VERY REAL & VERY DANGEROUS
LINK to The Parliament of the World’s Religions Website
LINK to “The One World Church” Website
LINK to “The Temple of Understanding” Website
LINK to “Religious Tolerance” Website
Why are there so many denominations and sects in Christianity today?
THEY WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT ALL RELIGIONS SERVE THE SAME GOD.
IDOLATRY IN THE CHURCH! YES IN THE CHURCH!
The Apostle Paul was communicating about the true temple of God being the actual believer
The Apostle Paul communicated that the true temple of God is no longer a physical building, but the believer themselves, both individually and collectively. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God’s sacred presence now resides in his people, fundamentally changing the nature of worship and how followers of Christ should live.
The believer as a collective temple
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul first refers to the entire church as God’s singular temple, emphasizing their unity and shared purpose.
- The church as “God’s building”: Paul uses the imagery of the church as “God’s building,” with Christ as the chief cornerstone, on which all believers are built together into a holy temple.
- A dwelling for God: Writing to the Ephesians, Paul states that Gentile and Jewish believers have been “built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).
- A call to unity: This understanding of the church as a corporate temple serves as a powerful call to unity, urging believers to be reconciled with one another and to avoid internal strife and division (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).
The believer as an individual temple
Paul also applies the temple imagery to the individual believer, particularly in the context of moral and sexual purity.
- A contrast to pagan temples: In a city like Corinth, which was full of pagan temples and sexual immorality, Paul provides a radical counter-cultural instruction: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
- A call to holiness: This redefines the concept of a holy place. While Old Testament priests were set apart to care for the physical temple, all Christians are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This requires personal consecration and separation from anything that would desecrate the sacred place where God dwells.
The consequences of this truth
The temple imagery creates significant implications for a Christian’s life:
- God is accessible everywhere: With God’s presence no longer confined to a single physical location, believers can now worship him anywhere “in spirit and truth,” as Jesus taught (John 4:21–24).
- Every believer is a priest: Paul’s teaching on the spiritual temple reinforces the concept of a “priesthood of all believers,” where every Christian can approach God directly, offering up “spiritual sacrifices” of worship and service (1 Peter 2:4–5).
- High stakes for unholiness: The seriousness of damaging the temple is severe. Paul warns that if anyone destroys God’s temple, “God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17). This emphasizes the sanctity of both the individual believer and the collective body of Christ.
True followers of Yeshua do not follow the pagan or Jewish temple system
This statement is largely aligned with the New Testament’s theological shift regarding the nature of worship, though the transition away from Jewish temple practices among early Christians was a gradual and complex process, not a uniform or immediate break. Here is a summary of the nuances of this shift in thinking and practice among early followers of Yeshua.
The fulfillment of the Jewish temple system
For Christians, the Jewish temple’s sacrificial system was fulfilled and rendered obsolete by Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) crucifixion, which is understood as the one, perfect sacrifice for sin.
- The veil is torn: The Gospel accounts describe the veil in the temple tearing from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’s death, symbolizing that the physical barriers between humanity and God were removed. Direct access to God’s presence was no longer limited to a specific place or a priestly class.
- A new High Priest: The Letter to the Hebrews reinterprets the Old Testament priesthood, explaining that Jesus has become the ultimate High Priest, making the Aaronic priesthood unnecessary for mediation between God and humanity.
The nature of pagan temple worship
The transition away from paganism was much more straightforward, as it was directly contrary to the Christian message of monotheism.
- Idolatry is explicitly forbidden: The Apostle Paul, in his letters, is unwavering in his condemnation of idolatry and participation in pagan rituals. He explicitly told Gentile Christians to avoid any connection to idol worship.
- A fundamental break: Unlike Judaism, which was the historical context for the Christian faith, pagan temple systems had no theological continuity with Christianity. The move away from pagan temples was a core element of conversion for Gentiles.
The complex transition for Jewish followers
For the first-generation Jewish believers in Yeshua, the transition away from the temple system was more nuanced.
- Early continuity: In the immediate aftermath of Yeshua’s resurrection, Jewish believers continued to practice their Jewish customs, including meeting in the temple courts for prayer and teaching (Acts 2:46, Acts 3:1). They saw their faith as the fulfillment of Judaism, not a replacement for it.
- Paul’s changing perspective: While Paul himself participated in temple rituals early on (Acts 21:26–27), his teaching and ministry to the Gentiles caused tension with some Jewish Christians. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) addressed this, deciding that Gentile believers were not required to follow all Jewish laws, though they should still abstain from things offered to idols.
- The fall of the temple: The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD was a significant event that solidified the separation. Without the physical temple, the sacrificial system was no longer possible, reinforcing the early Christian belief that the temple had been replaced by Christ.
The modern distinction
Most modern Christians would agree that following Yeshua means adhering to the New Covenant established through his sacrifice, rather than participating in either Jewish temple sacrifices or pagan rituals. However, this does not eliminate all aspects of organized religion. While rejecting the temple system, the ekklesia (the church gathering) and its ordinances provide a structured way for believers to come together to express their faith.
IDOLATRY COMES IN MANY FORMS – DO YOU WORSHIP IDOLS?
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES – CATHOLICISM IS JUST ANOTHER RELIGION – NOT THE EKKLESIA
I was born and raised Catholic. I attended the St. Rose Parish church in Chelsea Massachusetts and attended the Parish school. I was also an alter boy for this Parish. My family left the Catholic Religion after my grandmother passed away from a heart attack and the parish priest informed us that she was not going to heaven because she did not complete all of the sacraments and did not attend mass regularly. They told us that she was going to purgatory and that we needed to pray the rosary and have mass dedicated in order for her to eventually make it to heaven! My mother challenge this priest and asked where purgatory was in the bible. He stated that it was not in the bible and that it is found in the catechism which was given to us by the church fathers (Popes). My mother pointed out that the bible clearly states that we should not add anything to the bible or take anything away from the bible. So we left the Catholic Religion and never looked back.
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest religion in the world today, with approximately 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide as of 2019. The Roman Catholic church was formed around 314 AD by The Pagan Emperor Constantine when he declared Christianity to be the official religion of Rome. The problem is that they did not abandon their prior religious doctrines that they adopted from the pagan religions that Rome conquered. Instead, they adopted some of the Christian doctrines into their existing Pagan Religion creating a false Christian Doctrine. (The Catholic doctrine is not based on Holy Scriptures alone. This makes Catholicism a religion of man made traditions of men)
DO YOU KNOW THE DEEPER DOCTRINES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH? MOST CATHOLICS DO NOT KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHAT THEY ARE A PART OF!
Their doctrine not based solely on the the scriptures of the Bible. Instead, their doctrine is established by the traditions of man found in the Catechism. They also include many worldly philosophies and Pagan religious beliefs to round out their doctrinal position.
The Apostle Paul warns us about False Apostles – 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 & 11:13-15
1 I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that. 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily. – 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
No Other Gospel Galatians 1:6-8
6 I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel 7 which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!
YOU HEARD OF THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, DO YOU KNOW THE LAWS OF JESUS CHRIST?