I feel as though I'm in this calm, simple world while everyone else is in their own complex universe, that when they collide it's a huge earth quake. I'm just sitting here, listening to so-and-so tell me why what they believe is right, then so-and-so's best friend over hears us and steps in with his opinion. Pretty soon it's just a big complex argument that I honestly am in awe of. I'm in awe that a human can take something so simple and turn it into something so complex. I'm in awe that we're even arguing about this.
There are so many different views from every single religion out there. All the different sects of each branch, each belief, each reason for this and that. It's complex . . . why can't our belief be simple? That question kills me every time I ask myself that. I ask my neighbor that question and they give me a complex answer. I ask my friend that question and they give me a complex answer. I ask my family that question and they give me a complex answer. I ask my mind that and it gives me a complex answer. I ask my heart that and it sinks in the sea of complexity. I ask God this and His answer is simple. His answer is always simple, I don't think He meant it to be hard for us to understand. We rely too much on what man says. Man makes things complex and that bothers the heck out of me! I can't stand it. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "So, Michaela, what makes you so different?" I previously wrote about trust. Go back to that post and you will find your answer. I don't trust anyone. I trust only in HaShem and I don't follow man - I follow Yeshua Hamashiach. How simple is that?
There is no man on this earth who can separate me from Yeshua - my salvation. There is no man on this earth who can separate me from HaShem - my creator, my God. Not even death can separate us. It's like a marriage, you love God so you WANT to follow His Torah which is like wedding vows! Its beautiful! These two are the only I will fully trust and follow. I cannot even trust myself with myself! I know I can trust the one who made me, with me. I know I can trust the one who died so I could live, with me. Anyone else? No. Absolutely not. Now some will call me a Jew - I follow Torah, oh no! Some will call me a christian - I'm one of those "jesus" people. Some will call me a Messianic - I'm in the middle.
I'm a Hebrew, an Israelite. I'm a follower of Yeshua and I don't know how to make that anymore clear. Any more simple.
I hope everyone who reads this sees the simplicity of God's love. That's what I see. I see that God loves me, so He gave me His Torah so that I might live a justly life knowing right and wrong. And by blessing me as I follow in His ways. I see that Yeshua died for my sins (Torahlessness) because we all screw up. No one can follow Torah to a T all the time. One is incomplete without the other.
Here's what I want anyone reading this to get out of my post:
religion is
1) complex
2) dead
3) man made - man trusting
faith & love is
1) simple
2) ALIVE!
3) trusting in God alone
Ephesians 3:16 - 19
I pray that from the treasures of his glory he will empower you with inner strength by his Spirit, so that the Messiah may live in your hearts through your trusting. Also I pray that you will be rooted and founded in love, so that you, with all God's people, will be given strength to grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of the Messiah's love,yes, to know it, even though it is beyond all knowing, so that you will be filled with all the fullness of God.
Dear Michaela,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right to exhort us to cling to the simplicity of faith. If we can't give a simple answer when it's called for, then our faith may not be faith at all--just subscription to an ideological framework.
That said, I don't think everything is always simple--just ask someone who's struggled with continuing to believe in God even though their child died. Sometimes life gets complex. Luckily for us, our faith can scale--there is more than just simple answers, for those times when we need more than simple answers.
I'd also like to point out that while you characterize religion quite negatively (as "complex," "dead," and "man-made"), the apostle James was able to have a different, quite positive connotation to the word religion:
"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." (James 1:27)
For more thoughts on this, check out Russ Resnick's blog post "In Defense of Religion".
Keep blogging!
Yahnatan
gatherthesparks.blogspot.com
I hear you Michaela. I struggle with this as well.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago, I watched an old Christian music video from my childhood. It had the words,
"Believe in your heart that for your sins he died,
Speak with your mouth, a miracle will be done:
You will become one of God's sons"
And it hit me: man, is it really that simple? If so, why have I complicated it so much? Since then I've been battling back in forth in my head about the whole religion thing.
As Yahnatan pointed out, there certainly is a kind of religion that is acceptable to God: caring for orphans and widows.
However, that may not be an argument for religion as much as it is against it! (That is to say, is James saying that's the only acceptable religion?)
"No man can pluck them out of My Father's hand".......
ReplyDeleteYet one blaspheme The Holy, Set Apart, Spirit.
And there is most definitely an if, "If you continue in The Faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the Hope of The Good News".......
And The Good News?
Was, "The Kingdom of G-D is at hand".......
Now, "THY Kingdom" HAS "Come".......
HalleluYAH!
Yahnatan, it seems that what James said is pretty simple, not complex at all, so I do agree! And I say religion as more of traditions of man and what we have put into our faith.
ReplyDeleteAs for things not always being simple - yes! Life does get crazy, things happen where our trust in God is challenged. But I don't believe that thats going to change the simplicity of our faith, the truth is simple - God is there and we are the ones who choose to take His love or leave it. To believe that everything is for His will, that He is in control of everything. It's us who make things complicated, man-made religion that makes things complex.
There is hope that there would be those reading this who have "seen" organized 'religion' for what it is, and not what it pretends to be, and have realized, not just read, that "the natural man does not receive the things that are of The Spirit of G-D, for they are foolishness unto him and he can not know them, for the things that are of The Spirit of G-D need to be Spiritually discerned".......
ReplyDeleteAs for "Pure And Undefiled Religion".......
"Pure religion and undefiled before G-D The Father is this, to visit the fatherless (those children who know not their Father, HE WHO is The Only True G-D, Father{Creator} of ALL) and widows(those who are not joined together as One with The Messiah, His Brethren and Our Father) in their affliction and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world."(James1:27)
Simply, all other religion is impure and defiled.......
And notice that "pure and undefiled" religion is "oneself(individual)", The Brethren of The Messiah doing The Will of Our Father, as they are led by The Holy, Set Apart, Spirit.......
Simply, corporate "religion" is pagan and of this wicked world ;-(
"Brethren" is not "religion", for what are The Brethren of The Messiah and sons of Our Father if not Family?
And would not The Family of The Only True G-D, Father(Creator) of ALL, "The Body of The Messiah", be much closer than a natural, fleshly family?
And so it is that most of those who have chosen to follow The Messiah on "The Narrow Way" have had to "forsake their natural father, mother, brothers, sisters" and all others who will not follow The Messiah because they "love this wicked world and their own life in and of it".......
The Brethren of The Messiah have "forsaken all for The Kingdom of Heaven's sake".......
They are truly "strangers and pilgrims while on the earth".......
Father Help! and HE does.......
What is declared to be "religion" today is the 'd'evil's playground indeed.......
Simply, Faith will not create a system of religion.......
Hope is there would be those who take heed unto The Call of The Only True G-D to "Come Out of her, MY people"!
For they will "Come Out" of this wicked world(babylon) and it's systems of religion, and enter into "the glorious Liberty of The Children of The Only True G-D".
And so it is that they will no longer be of those who are destroying the earth(air, water, land, vegetation, creatures) and perverting that which is Spirit(Light, Truth, Life, Love, Peace, Hope, Faith, Mercy, Grace, Miracles,,, All that is Truly Good).......
Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world and it's systems of religion, for "the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one" (1John5:19) indeed and Truth.......
Thankfully Truth IS, that which is of a lie is not.......
Abide in The Truth....... francis