A friend and I were having dinner tonight and someone we were witnessing to told us, "I'm not religious" My first thought was, "Great! Neither is God"
When some people think of God they think of religion,
fasting, being oppressed, going to church, doing things that are, well,
religious. But the Bible in James 1:27 tells us this..."The only
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look
after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being
polluted by the world.
Concerning fasting it says's...Is not this the kind of
fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the
cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to
share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with
shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your
own flesh and blood? Then
your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly
appear; then your
righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will
say: Here I am. ~ Isaiah 58:6-9 ~
* Loose the chains of injustice - Do not withhold from
others
* Set the oppressed free - Help those who are in bondage
* Share your food with the hungry - Don't be greedy
* Provide the poor with shelter - Have compassion
* Clothe those without - Do more than wish someone well
* Provide for your own - Take care of your own family
Then...God will answer
your cry for help.
Because you are dying to self, and living to intercede for others, just like
Jesus did when He died on that Cross, He will intercede for you in your
needs.
In other words... Turn from a wretched, self centered life,
and Turn to a life of trusting Jesus as your Lord, Get rid of the filth in your
life, Love God, Love people, Help those who can't help themselves, and Put
others needs above your own. Then you are fulfilling the commandments. Matthew
22:37-40 tells us, "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This
is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.
That doesn't sound like
religion to me,
it's sounds like Love!
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