By Pastor Tim Burt
A person sent me basic fundamentals of a new religion they were following with the encouragement that this will improve my life. This is what was given me that I should say and practice today:
• Just for today, I will not be angry.
• Just for today, I will not worry.
• Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
• Just for today, I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing.
• Just for today, I will give thanks for my many blessings.
The creations of false religions and philosophical lifestyles aren’t a new problem. Isaiah talked about God’s people having gone astray, deceived by the false gods back then. God spoke through Isaiah about this and the foolishness of it.
We read this in Isaiah 44:13-20 (NIV) “The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak… Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me; you are my god.” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
There is only one God! He is Almighty. He sent His Son Jesus to die and take the punishment we deserved for our sins upon Himself. This is a gift of His love and desire to reconcile us to Himself. When we receive the gift of Jesus Christ into our hearts, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us and opens our eyes to the biblical truths that do work in our lives. They don’t work just as good principles to follow. They work because we have a living, breathing relationship with the one true God that leads us and guides us by His Holy Spirit. And what we do must be motivated from a pure heart of love with Him leading us in our life. This is what makes biblical principles work.
To teach principles or philosophies that are biblically based without a relationship with Jesus Christ is to be the person that creates an idol from a piece of wood, using part to heat his fire and part to worship a false God. They result in becoming mislead and misleading others.
If you know Jesus today, praise Him that He has revealed Himself to you and that you are instructed how to walk in His ways, motivated by His love. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you can learn how to receive Him into your heart here. Invite Jesus into my heart
Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one other than Jesus Christ! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”
Pastor Tim has been an Associate Pastor at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, MN since 1989. For more information, visit his blog: https://todaysfreshmanna.wordpress.com.
