For the past couple of years or so, I’ve been noting comments made by the same few people on one particular “social” media forum who say they don’t believe in God and religion. When a new discussion thread comes up about either one, they can always be relied upon to turn up like clockwork and express an opinion. Sadly though, few opinions ever get expressed without anger, bitterness, sarcasm and cynicism. The religions of Roman Catholicism, Mormonism and Russellism (Jehovah’s Witness) appear to be the backgrounds of most of them. Based on my experiences with those formerly belonging to these religions, it explains why they respond in the manner they do.
I don’t believe they don’t believe in God, but I do believe Satan has achieved his intended purpose with them, as he has done for multitudes of people. He’s turned them away from God. None of those religions are biblical; they’re all false. Each one of them uses the Bible for its own glory, never for God’s glory. In fact, they don’t use the Bible, they abuse the Bible! Each of those religions has exalted a man at its center, but it is not the Man Jesus. It is not difficult to read between the lines of those making comment that they (or someone they know) have been dreadfully hurt by their experiences somewhere along the way. They’re all adults, yes, but within them there’s a frightened, hurting, angry child screaming out.
What never fails to shine through in their comments is the despising for rules. That’s something I have in common with them though, I too despise religious rules. But rules are a fact of life when one embraces or gets trapped in false religion. The men running those shows thrive on rules; they are nothing without them. Take away their rules and they’ve got nothing to say and nothing to do! That’s a frightening prospect for religious controllers. On the other hand, freedom is a fact of life when one embraces Jesus Christ. Embrace Jesus Christ and one has plenty to say and plenty to do – all of which becomes beneficial to others as well as self. But freedom comes at a price too; it means you have to embrace the truth about yourself and the truth about God.
But therein lies the grandest of problems; most people won’t embrace the truth about themselves. Even at a surface level they don’t like what they know of self, let alone going to any deeper level. They may not know in detail that defilement comes from within as Jesus said it in Mark 7:14-23, but they know it’s true nevertheless. Like all of us, they have the internal witness that this is what they are in essence. Those false religions tell their people that they have the solutions for such a predicament, but every solution is a lie because they all deny the blood of Jesus Christ and its power, not only to wash them and make them whole, but also to transform them on a moment by moment basis as they come closer to the Lord.
The leaders of those false religions don’t want anyone getting close to Jesus; that means they become less dependent upon them. In turn that means they have less influence over them, less control over them, less opportunity to manipulate them and – horror of all horrors … they receive less money from them. Those false religions couldn’t survive without money! It’s the money of people that motivates them, not the souls of people. Take a look at the elaborately outrageous headquarters of these false religions – each has come a long way from the One whom they claim to represent – the One who once said, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head Matthew 8:20.
Granted, it’s not just leaders of false religions that abuse the Bible, enslave their people with rules and suck them dry of their money and spiritual vitality. False Christs, false prophets and false brethren of all kinds are doing the same in apostate “churches” as well. Any deviation from Bible truth is Bible abuse and therefore brings its own set of consequences. The greater the deviation, the greater the consequences always, no exception! The Old Testament is replete with examples of that truth. It was this that caused God to bring judgment on the Jews time after time until such time as He (temporarily) gave up on them and dispersed them from the land He personally gave them, Israel.
The reality is, when false religions and apostate churches abuse the Bible they abuse God. Just as God was patient with the Jews, He is patient with this crowd too, but one day His patience is going to run out; then it will be judgment time. Part of the judgment will be because of the way they used and abused people who came under their charge, the other part will be because of the way they used and abused God Himself. Both parts will be severe. For many, it will be the reason they shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone Revelation 21:8. They don’t believe that of course, but even that unbelief is part of the judgment of God; it has already come upon them 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.
Because of the anger, bitterness, sarcasm and cynicism expressed by these people I don’t participate in this forum. Based on what Jesus said about giving what is holy to the dogs and casting pearls before swine Matthew 7:6, it is unwise to do so. Some of them behave just like dogs and pigs! I guess that’s one of the reasons people freely take advantage of the Internet – no face to face meeting, no eye to eye contact – no reason to act like anything but a dog or a pig, whether the topic is God, religion or anything else. But I would like to talk with them face to face because it’s a different ball game when you do. When they sense you’re a genuine listener they then begin to change back to what they genuinely are – a person.
Not all are looking for arguments; it’s amazing how many are looking for answers. They didn’t get answers when involved in their religions, they got doctrines and dogmas, rules and regulations, creeds and confessions – none of which were they allowed to question. They were simply told to have faith. Faith without questions is not faith; at best it is fantasy, at worst it is idiocy! The leaders of false religions and apostate churches are disingenuous when they talk about faith anyway; it’s not about faith, it’s about authority and control and those other things mentioned in the 5th paragraph above. True, some priests and others may not be authoritative and controlling, but those above them are, so they’re trapped too!
A man brought up in one of those false religions says he doesn’t believe in God, but “if there is a heaven and hell, I’ll choose the latter out of spite for god!” How’s that for twisted thinking?! He may have physically left his religion (which sends them to hell anyway), but it hasn’t left him; it controls him as much as it ever did. I’ve met a few “atheists” like him from false religions – all angry at God, hitting back at Him for something that He had nothing to do with in the first place. Only Jesus can deliver them from the hurting, angry screaming child within, but few there are who will humble themselves and allow Him the privilege to do so. Those who do, discover a the God way beyond their wildest imaginations.
Indeed, some of those from false religions who encounter God become His mightiest advocates. Why is that? They’ve discovered what real truth is. Better than that, they’ve discovered Who real truth is – Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life John 14:6. Whilst trapped in their false religions they were told nobody gets to God, “unless you come to us and ours,” so to speak. Now, by experiencing Jesus the truth they know this to be Satan’s great lie, deceit and deception and it astounds them! Every false religion sows and waters dreadful concepts of God the Father into the minds of its adherents, but these humble ones discover another astounding truth … it was God the Father who drew them to Jesus in the first place! They could not get to Jesus otherwise.
It’s true. What I’ve just said is beyond all shadow of doubt. You and I can’t get to Jesus Christ unless God the Father who sent Him draws us John 6:44, and you and I can’t get to God the Father unless Jesus takes us to Him. How’s that for mercy? How’s that for compassion? How’s that for divine love? That’s the grand reality that separates biblical Christianity from false religions and apostate churches. To any new Christian reading this post, let that truth be your encouragement always. When (not if) accosted by someone from a false religion seeking to tie you in knots over what they believe versus what you believe, hold on to those two Scriptures – the one here and the one above it. That’s all you need to silence any doubts.
False religions will continue to turn out angry, bitter, sarcastic, and cynical people, as will apostate churches. Some will become rabid enemies of true Christians in days around the corner and they won’t limit themselves to Internet “social” media forums. This will happen, not because they are God-deniers, but because they are God-haters … God-despisers! They are Satan’s people and he has plans to place them in positions of great power and influence. As those currently holding down these positions get removed, killed, murdered, assassinated or simply die, these are the people to replace them. Yes, these same people who despise religious rules will thrive on imposing both religious and secular (non-constitutional) rules upon us.
What to do then? God wins, stick with God – His name is Jesus. Alpha and Omega wins, stick with Alpha and Omega – His name is Jesus. The power of God wins, stick with the Power – His name is Jesus. The way of God wins, stick with the Way – His name is Jesus. The truth of God wins, stick with the Truth – His name is Jesus. The life of God wins, stick with the Life – His name is Jesus. The word of God wins, stick with the Word – His name is Jesus. The Savior of God wins, stick with the Savior – His name is Jesus. For such a “stick” you will be blessed by a few and cursed by many. Too, you will be a blessing to a few and a curse to many. By Jesus, however, you will always be blessed and never cursed. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” Galatians 5:1.