In the Book of Acts, the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Later King Agrippa was almost persuaded by the Apostle Paul to be a Christian. If you are a Christian, praise God that you bear that name says St. Peter in his 1st epistle. Christian simply means Christ-in you. Christianity is the official name given to those who believe in Him. Roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Church of Christ, Church of God, Lutheran's, Non-denominational, etc. are all "Sects". A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger religious group. Christianity is that larger group. This distinction is important for all of us who want to be Christians without bearing the religious rules imposed by various sects.
Jesus Christ was asked "What's the greatest commandment of the law?" His answer was to wrap all the law and the prophets messages into "Love God with all your Heart and your neighbor as yourself". As we know this is impossible for man to do, just as it was impossible for man to follow the laws and the prophets. Only Jesus was able to accomplish this and thus made the perfect sacrifice. The Ten Commandments are part of this impossible law. You can't do it. We have all put something ahead of God, we have all idolized something other than God, we have all failed to honor our parents at one time or another, and lots of us have committed adultery with our thoughts, many have stolen something that wasn't theirs, etc., etc. If you have succeeded in following the Ten Commandments all your life and you are older than 13, maybe we should follow you. Anyway, you get my point. Jesus was not laying down a new rule, he was summarizing all the rules into one. Personally, I think I have been able to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength for maybe 20 minutes at a time, how about you?
Rules are for the ungodly and those without Christ. The Jews needed rules to keep them in line while they waited for Jesus. Those without God today, need rules to govern their behavior. Our elected officials write new rules ever day to keep the ungodly in line. The further a nation gets from God, the more rules it will need to be governed. George Washington said, "It is impossible to rule a nation without God and the Bible." As our hearts turn from God, the burdens of government will grow to unmanageable proportion, It may already have. The natural tendency of organization is to create rules to keep the organization moving along. I always say; the bigger the building the greater the rules and the weaker the Word. Even the apostle Paul started to lay down rules to the Corinthians when they were not following his teachings. I am in no way belittle the work of the great apostle Paul, but just read 1st & 2nd Corinthians and you will get a feel for what I'm saying.
Many churches push the ten percent tithe rule, the no drinking rule, the no smoking rule, the no intimacy outside of marriage rule, the got to be on time rule, the go to bed early rule, the no TV. rule (I like that one), the dress code rule, the attendance rule, the accountability rule, the serve at church rule, the got to go to the meetings rule, the no red meat rule, the no secular music rule, the watch what you say rule, and the new membership class rules. They can take their rules and stuff them in a sack and carry them around on their own backs. They always give us burdens to carry around and shame us with, and thus keep us in a sin conscience state. This, of course, is not completely true of all organizations, it is a tendency that comes with a desire to protect what one has put so much effort in constructing. This often leads to compromising the Word of faith, celebrating Halloween, putting out Easter eggs to hunt, and playing ungodly music to attract new members.
The greatest compliment a church member can give his pastor is to say to him, "I don't need to come to church anymore". At first the pastor may be dismayed, but joy will fill his heart when he realizes that the member has learned to listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance. We all need someone to introduce us to Jesus and teach us the basics. After basic training, the pastor's job is to hand off to the holy spirit who will teach us and guide us in all things that lead to an awesome relationship with God and the World. All of us are different. Each of us are carrying different burdens and each of us have unique needs. Some of us need and want children, some need money, some need healing, some need a friend, some want to learn, some want play, some need to cry, some need to laugh. We are all ever changing and adjusting to the opportunities of life. Only the ever present Holy Spirit can address our dynamic individual lives. We must learn how to listen and learn from Him. We can trust Him and put our faith in His capacities to help us along our journeys.
Each Christian is granted access to God through Christ, no one can come unto the Father accept through Jesus. There is no jumping over the fence. You must knock at the gate and Jesus will open and let you in. Once this relationship is established God gives you a part of Himself (Holy Spirit) to help and guide you through this life. He will never leave you or let you be destroyed. Though forces may try to hurt you and keep you from God the Father, the Holy Spirit will help you find a way through or around. Although this access to God cost a lot of agony, it is a free gift to you. A gift only requires that you open it.
We live in the "Age of Grace", a time of unmerited favor. God loves to give His kids blessings. As Christians we can go to Him and ask for whatever we need or want. We do not have to give a certain amount of money, go to church on Sundays, read the whole Bible several times, or pray until our knees are worn out. Grace is grace, you can't earn it. Following the rules won't increase your odds of getting God's favor. You already have it. Just spend time with Him and develop your own personal way of talking with Him. Some suggestions would be to go on long walks or bicycle rides with Him, look up your favorite Bible verse and ask Him to show you what it means, or start your day with a prayer of thanksgiving. Talk To Him not about Him. Act like He is there with you. Seems a little crazy, but it is the first steps to living by faith, which is our daily goal. Living by faith is the most exciting way to live. What if I told you that you did not have to spend a lot of mental effort trying to avoid the pitfalls of life. What if I told you that you did not have to spend a lot of mental effort trying to figure out how to live a life of peace, hope and happiness. What I am about to tell you may put a lot of psychologist out of business, but so be it. Here is the rub. God who controls and owns everything, wants His kids happy. God controls time (past, present, future), God controls creation (food, weather, money), and God controls the unseen world. If you loved me and had this power, would you not use it to help me? It is that simple. I tell you these things to encourage you to seek God above all else, and why not, who else do you know has these powers and loves you at the same time. As you begin to walk and listen to God you will notice that your heart (mental core) will begin to change. You will start caring more deeply, you will feel the pains and pleasures of friends and family stronger, your desires will tilt toward higher things, you will see this life from a Kingdom of God perspective, the trees will be greener, the sky bluer, your smile longer, life will slow to a pace you can enjoy, you will begin to notice that your friends and family seem happier, and all this will happen because you have chosen to allow the Father and creator of all life into your life. This is Christianity without rules!
Living by faith will transcend all areas of your life. One example is my Chihuahua Pepe. Pepe is 12 years old and had been slowing down over the last couple of years. He stop hoping on the furniture, walked like everything hurt, became shy and reclusive. Things got really bad when he stopped eating and wouldn't get out of bed. So off to the veterinarian we went to ask the doctor. The doctor ran a bunch of blood and other tests and discovered that Pepe's kidneys were just about gone. Apparently this is common in Chihuahuas over 8. So we began the bi-weekly fluid drips to keep Pepe alive. Wow, this was weird and taxing on my wife and I, so soon we had to decide to put Pepe to sleep. The whole house started to cry, my wife and the other two dogs, Tara and Lucy. That week, I had been reading about God healing King Hezekiah. My faith was above normal that week, so I began to hold Pepe and talked to God about the situation. I Told God that we loved Pepe, and that we were going to just get another Chihuahua, so why not let us keep this one. So God said; put your hand on him, so I did. God said pray for what you want so I did. We took Pepe back to the doctor and in two days his kidney levels were fifty percent better. After a week they were eighty percent normal, and after two weeks little Pepe was hoping on furniture again and being the cute little food beggar we always loved. It has been a year since this occurred. This is Christianity without rules!
Righteousness
Righteousness is the Key to living by faith and dwelling in God's presence. Without It, we would all be separated from Him and have little hope. This free gift of righteousness and your 100% acceptance of it is critical to living a life of faith without rules. Many of us have experienced God on some level during our life, but if you are like me, you never quite felt one hundred percent right in God's eyes. Somehow you were coming up a little short. Allow me to get a little personal here. I spent the last five years going to four different local churches. All lead by great men of God doing their best, but I was not experiencing God's blessings. I was still stuck in the same ruts I was in before I began my church search. Seemed odd because I was going to church every Sunday, I was participating in small groups throughout the week, I was tithing, I was giving to local charities, I was
determined and focused on participating and doing whatever it took to unlocking God's goodness in my life. So there I was five years later and not a whole lot of change or blessings. I was told that God was somehow working behind the scenes and to just keep hoping and try to love Him more. I felt that maybe I was just selfish and my needs weren't that important. It was all real confusing. I would have talks with God about his being pleased with me, and I would feel that He was around eight-five percent pleased with all my doings for Him. Somehow I needed to work on the other fifteen percent and, maybe then, I would get some deliverance. Man, I was exhausted. Then one day, I heard a sermon on ITunes about righteousness and my life has never been the same since. Joy has returned, self worth has returned, God's blessing are everywhere, my relationship with Him has become awesome. My heart (mental core) has been re-calibrated and I have learned how to have heart to heart talks with the giver of all life. Peace has returned, deep sleep has returned, creativity is abounding, relationships prospering and transforming. All this is occurring because I accepted His righteousness and left mine behind. I finally discovered the power of knowing that I am as Jesus is in God's eyes. That is beyond powerful! I can come humbly to his throne and feel one hundred percent accepted and loved. I can let my request be known and know that He who controls and owns everything has got my interest at heart. This is Christianity without rules!
One day at my local company, a business competitor who had done me wrong in the past, wanted me to do him a favor. My first reaction was, "Wow, does not he remember what he did to me." My second reaction was to ask God how to handle this awkward situation. All I heard was, "Give him the shirt off your back, forgive him seventy times seven, love your enemy." So I did what God said and it felt good. I was high for two weeks from just knowing that I had followed His advice. What I did for my competitor got around to all my employees and some other companies, and God was glorified. This is Christianity without rules!
As you can see, Christianity is about relationships with God and others. Friends do not have to do anything to get our favor, they just have to be who they are. We love them as they are and treat them as if they are already part of God's Kingdom.
The following are observational conclusion and suggestions concerning the bigger issues within modern churches (sects).
Healing
Let’s get real. We are all going to die unless Christ comes back before our time is up. But let us have some fun while we are here. And it is no fun to be sick.
For whatever reason our bodies are no less susceptible to disease than wild animals. And just like animals we have the capacity to heal. We heal naturally, with medicines, and with Gods intervention. It is the Godly intervention I would like to discuss here.
We cannot escape the natural decline of our bodies or the occasional interruptions from injury and disease, but we can get God involved in our recovery and prevention. God's desire is for us to prosper and be in health. (3 John 1:2) Christ came to give you an abundant life. Many doctors will tell you that stress causes eighty percent of our physical problems. Separation from God causes most of these types of stresses. Existing outside of God’s presence is an unnatural state. There are many forces at work trying to keep us distracted and separated from Him who heals us.
(Psalms 41:4) Sin and poor health. (2Chronicles 7:14) Removal of sin brings health to a nation. (James 5:16) Confess sin to begin healing process. (Luke 10:9) Sickness leaves when God’s Kingdom enters.
(Ephesians 6:12) Always remember we are in a spiritual battle. (Psalms 51) Keep your Heart and mind clean. (Psalms 19:14) Let your words be pleasing unto Him. (Philippians 1:21) To be alive is to be with Christ and to die is gain because we get to be with Christ, so try not to be afraid of your situation. God wants to dwell with you while you are alive. You are on His team, He wants his players healthy. Receive his love and grace daily and healing will naturally begin
If you are praying for someone who is too young or too incapacitated to process this message, receive and ask for His love to infiltrate every part of your life and the one you love. Then watch and see God's grace go to work.
Trinity
This is an interesting subject, and has been at the heart of a lot of division among various Christian sects. Christianity is God in Christ in you. So if Christ is in you then God is in you, and we can begin to see the development of a tri-union. “Trinity” is not found in the bible but it is a commonly accepted word used to describe the relationship between God the Father, the Holy Spirit given to man for relationship, and Jesus the Son who is our mediator and Lord. You cannot have a relationship with God without all three working together. So “Trinity” is a great word. Studying the relationship between the three parts of the Trinity will enhance and illuminate your relationship with God.
The Big question is: Can you be a Christian (go to heaven) and not fully accept the ultimate dogmatic conclusion of the Trinity that Jesus is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.? And the big answer is yes. Many Christians who worship Jesus as the son of God only, bear many spiritual fruits. "You shall know them by their fruits, love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, meekness, temperance & self control."
This is not a big issue for the casual Christian who attends church from time to time. But if you want to participate in the inner circle of many modern sects, you will need to come to grips with this issue.
Money and the Church
Before we begin let us keep things in perspective. (Ecclesiastes 5:19) All that we have and all that we are comes from God who created all things for His purposes. If you are fortunate enough to be talented, strong , attractive, smart, wealthy, brought up in the right home, learned at the right schools, lived in the right country, or met the right people, try to accept that “you” had very little impact on how the deck of cards was shuffled in your favor. Even your aggressive self driven nature is not your doing. God gave you all the capacities you have. One hundred percent. (Mathew 6:19-20) This reality can be difficult to accept at first, but acceptance will free you from the snares of the evil one who wants you to see your talents as self serving and self deserving.
Now let us get down to it. What about money and the Church? There are three aspects to Church today that need your financial help: The local church, The global church and other Christian endeavors. The local church in your neighborhood needs your help. Yes, they are often poorly managed and have high overhead, but many families use the local church to bring their children and begin childhood spiritual development. Most adult Christians began their journeys in the local church. Imagine your city without any local church buildings, just a hundred percent consumer driven society.
The Global church is an extension of local churches or vice versa and should also be supported even though you may or may not receive a direct benefit from your offerings. The third category is other Christian endeavors; Food banks, disaster relief, clothing for the poor, help for elderly, etc.
So how much should you give? Numbers 18:24 speaks of a tenth of your first fruits. 2Chronicles 31:5 talks of first fruits, wine, oil, honey, increase from the field and tithes. 1Corinthians 13:3 says," It is worthless to give unless God’s love is in your heart." (Ephesians 5:2) We are to give of ourselves like Christ did unto death. So how much and when? This is entirely up to you and God. If you think your local church is helping your community, then give abundantly. Or if you really care about AIDS victims in Nigeria, give abundantly, The point is to give. You are only here for a short time. Giving is living. God creates opportunities to give. We learn a lot by helping others and a lot by being helped. So if you are upstream or downstream of the river of life, be thankful you are fulfilling a purpose.
Final point: Just remember you and God are partners, ask Him for advice. Don’t let men with big words or crying eyes deceive you. Don’t be fooled by fancy music or impressive stages. Also allocate some of your tithes for “one on one” giving between you and the person(s) in need. You will learn a lot about “giving” by being directly involved with the recipients, rather than just dumping money in a bucket.
(Mathew6:21) Let your treasure be in heaven and not on earth. If your heart is right you will have plenty to give.
