Today's thought is one that may cause you to pause. It may even make you angry. Reader beware. Today's thought will challenge you to look beyond everything you've ever believed an make you think differently. After reading you may want to respond and engage in dialogue. Or it may make you think, "I'm never reading this blog again!" In any case please know that this is not meant to divide. Nor is it meant to offend. Pastor Joyce was a master at making one stop and pause. She always sought the truth. And in seeking the truth, she made it her mission to share that truth. Equally, today's thought is not meant to criticize the tradition of lent. Nor is it meant to say, don't fast, don't worship, don't draw near God. Today's thought is to challenge you to seek truth. Find it, hold tight to it, and never let it go. Take the challenge. What do you believe?
Strange Doctrines February 22
The writers of the New Testament letters warn the Christians
to stay away from strange doctrines that move followers from the Gospel of
Grace to some form of works or religious traditionalism. Most of these traditions have been in
existence for centuries and in religious circles are sacred cows that should
not be disturbed.
In the days of separation in the early church this was a
crucial breaking away of what was being taught as scripture (mixed with
tradition) to embracing a whole new idea of reaching holiness. Those who believed in Jesus Christ were set
free from the vain traditions of men and translated into the kingdom of light
where it was clear that there was nothing in man’s mind or tool box of do’s and
don’ts that would ever make them right with God. By faith men believed in the birth, death,
and resurrection from the dead for the forgiveness of sin; once and for all.
The line was drawn in the sand and there was an absolute
distinction between religion and relationship. We are naturally prone to assume
that as great as the cross is; there must be something more that we can do than
just believe. Belief will lead to doing
the work of the Father but doing the work of the Father seldom leads to
belief. In John 6:29 Jesus says, “The work of God is this; to believe in the
one He has sent.”
Strange doctrines carry people by the masses in the opposite
direction and cause them to practice things that have absolutely no scriptural
basis except the ones added to make them appear to have a form of godliness –
but there is no power to activate change.
Millions of people in cultures around the world have just entered a 40
day observance called Lent. There is no
validation in scripture that this should be observed yet it’s peddled as Christian. Most blindly follow the observance without
ever knowing its true meaning or purpose.
Don’t be led blindly down any path…examine the scripture, build yourself
up in the Spirit and listen for the voice of God…He will never lead us astray!
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