Don’t Like Religion? Neither Did Jesus!

Please welcome my guest, Doris, as she discusses religion versus a relationship with God.

By Doris Homan

Do you dislike hypocrites? So did Jesus. Do you think religion is empty and those who play the game or go through the motions are fake? You’re in good company. 

Man-made Religion

Jesus had some very harsh words for the religious leaders of His day. He called them “blind” and “whitewashed tombs beautiful on the outside but on the inside full of dead men’s bones and full of uncleanness” (Matthew 23:16, 27).

Christ said they were blind guides leading the people into more legalism and not leading them to God. Because they looked good on the outside but were dead spiritually on the inside (see Matthew 23).

In Psalm 50:7-15, the Lord rebuked the religious practices of the Old Testament in making sacrifices. But He rebuked the practice only because people were completing the act without the right heart attitude of worshipping God. Instead they were simply going through the motions. 

Faith Versus Religion

There is a difference between faith and religion. Faith comes from God but religion is fabricated. Religion is man’s invention and attempt to appease God. 

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The Saving Power in the Blood of Jesus

Every year I endure the same trauma at my doctor’s office—the drawing of blood. 

Why, traumatic? The answer lies in the words of a lab tech during one visit. “Your veins are itty bitty, Mrs. Friday.” Gee…yay for me. 

And to add more apprehension, the veins on my arms refuse to come out of hiding. Like a game of hide-and-seek, lab techs armed with needles make several attempts to seek an appropriate candidate—but to no avail. Although I’m already bruised and lightheaded.

Then, the lab employee enlists support from other techs, and sure-fire methods to raise a vein. Such as trying to warm up the vein with heat packs or squeezing a round object with my hand. Any success, now? Nope. 

Finally, one brave and innovative gal not only used a butterfly needle—the smallest option—but she also decided to use a visible vein on the top of my hand. She expressed one concern. This particular vein may not yield enough blood.

Drum roll, please. It worked! Hooray! 

Ever since that day, I share my tiny-veins-and-hard-to-get-blood story with my lab person. So I kindly ask for a butterfly needle and to stick the vein in my hand. This makes my experience a little more pleasant. 

It amazes me what our blood shows about us: type, heart-health, overall health, and often diagnoses a medical condition, disease, or illness. Life is in the blood.

Life in the Blood

Look at what the Lord told Moses:

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I Am: 4 Declarations of True Identity in Christ

Sometimes we forget who we are in Christ. The enemy of our souls hopes we believe all the wrong “I am” declarations. Those negative statements we often say and repeat to ourselves that damage our true identity.

So we need to remind our hearts of 4 powerful “I am” declarations to regain our true identity in Christ.

(1.) I am loved. 

If you’re anything like me, you grew up questioning if people really loved you.

And—gulp—wondering if God loves you.

Maybe these questions formed in various stages of our life. Or, the enemy uses our uncertainty of love to haunt us in the present.

But the love of Christ is firm and certain. To believe and know the truth about His love, write out and pray these scriptures: 

• Love lays down His life for us (John 15:13). 
• Perfect love drives out our fear (1 John 4:18).
• The Lord quiets us with His love, singing over us (Zephaniah 3:17).
• Christ crowns us with love (Psalm 103:4).
• God’s love stands firm forever (Psalm 89:2).

If you belong to Christ, repeat after me: I am loved. This is our true identity. 

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Turning Hearts Back to God: A Consuming Fire

I stepped into the oversized paws, pulled the furry costume over my legs, and inserted my arms. Yet, I waited until the last second to put the head piece in place, wanting plenty of air for as long as possible.

Feeling a tad claustrophobic, and with limited vision through the mesh eyes, I asked someone to lead me to the designated area. Once we reached our destination, my instructions included: wave, nod, shake hands, give high fives, and pat heads. But no speaking—someone else spoke on my behalf.

So an excited group of pre-schoolers gathered around me to meet Smokey Bear. My son, Caleb, three-years-old at the time, hugged one of my legs. While I patted his head, he remained clueless Mom stood underneath Smokey’s fur, blue jeans, and forestry hat.

Smokey spent the last 75 years telling kids not to play with matches, warning about campfires, and reminding us, Only You Can Prevent Wildfires. 

Although my bear-costume-wearing days ended, I continued to possess a healthy fear of fire.

Fire From Heaven

And one of my favorite Bible stories describes a showdown of epic proportions involving fire from heaven in 1 Kings 18.

King Ahab reigned over Israel. Sent by the Lord, the prophet Elijah told Ahab he troubled all of Israel because he “abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals”(1 Kings 18:18b). 

Elijah called for all of Israel to gather at Mount Carmel along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (verse 19).

Then, Elijah spoke on God’s behalf.

“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men’” (1 Kings 18:21-22).

Now, for the showdown details.

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Gaining the Victory in Our Thought Life

If we’re honest, we all struggle with our thought life—those thoughts that make or break us, and often shape us. So, I’m super excited my friend, Sarah, returns as a blog guest to talk about her new book, Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus.

By Sarah Geringer

Our thought lives form the structure for our words and actions. Every problem we have begins in our thoughts. Since no one else knows our thoughts except God, we think we can hide them. 

However, what you think in your inward life inevitably spills out onto your outward life. You can either be defeated in your thought life before you ever take action, or you can transform your thought life with the power of God’s Word. You can have victory in your thought life struggles by meditating on the truths in Scripture.

Our Past Experiences 

Many of us experienced hurt and difficulties in our past that influence our lives now. For example, my parents divorced when I was four years old. The fallout from their divorce has affected nearly every area of my thinking. 

As a little girl, I began dealing with negative, anxious, fearful, and critical thoughts in response to the wounds the divorce caused. These thoughts carved paths in my conscious and subconscious mind that still tempt me today. 

I have used the power of Scripture to reroute those thought life paths. You can reroute your own thought pathways by using key scriptures in specific problems.

The Battle With Our Thought Life

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