Moving from Religion to Relationship
Not too long ago I found out that a Christian author I admired had pulled away from the faith.
This surprised me. It wasn't because someone pulled away from the faith. I realize everyone's faith is not fully established. It's also not the first time and it won't be the last, but because it was him.
You see, quite a few years ago I read a couple of his books and was so impressed by the gift of teaching upon his life, and the wisdom that came with it. It kinda blew me away.
It's not that i agreed with everything he wrote, and I didn't follow all his advice, but the gift on his life was very apparent and impressive. You don't have to agree with everything to see that.
When I learned of his pulling away, it felt like a personal loss. I personally was somewhat puzzled by the measure of grief inside my heart. I would imagine I was sharing the grief the Lord feels when a child goes prodigal.
I began to search the internet to get more information on what happened to this precious soul since the time he wrote those books some years ago, until now.
It appeared to me that although he was quite a gifted teacher and had an impressive measure of wisdom, he
became deceptively ensnared in religion that comes from partaking of the knowledge of good and evil.
Unfortunately, I have witnessed a good deal of God's children entrapped in that lifeless, unsatisfactory cycle that progresses to the lusts of the flesh and abuses that come with that.
Some years ago I had watched the documentary "Religulous" by Bill Maher. I had some hesitation about viewing it because I was sick and tired of the critical spirit perpetrating throughout circles. Not that I had arrived myself, just saying. Even so, I was curious and decided to guard my heart from bitterness and dive in.
After viewing, I went to lie down to contemplate what I had just seen with the Lord. I was immediately given a series of visions. I didn't fully understand them all, and can't say even now if I am fully right in my interpretation, but I have come to believe that a good portion of the message is that a good deal of the Lord's people are in similar dimly lit, shadowy light as the world.
And what is this dimly lit place we can find ourselves in? Partaking of the knowledge of good and evil and trying to be like God apart from Him.
Therefore, I would like to start a series of entries entitled, "Moving from Religion to Relationship". Not that I claim to know it all and have it all right, but over the years I've seen such a need for a shift in the focus within the body of Christ; to move from partaking of knowledge and trying to be our own gods, rather than entering into the Lord's rest and developing an intimate relationship with Him by which we can experience the transforming power of being intimately acquainted with Him and his love. This is the first installment in the series of entries, and it will begin with this prayer for all of us:
Ephesians 3:
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Not too long ago I found out that a Christian author I admired had pulled away from the faith.
This surprised me. It wasn't because someone pulled away from the faith. I realize everyone's faith is not fully established. It's also not the first time and it won't be the last, but because it was him.
You see, quite a few years ago I read a couple of his books and was so impressed by the gift of teaching upon his life, and the wisdom that came with it. It kinda blew me away.
It's not that i agreed with everything he wrote, and I didn't follow all his advice, but the gift on his life was very apparent and impressive. You don't have to agree with everything to see that.
When I learned of his pulling away, it felt like a personal loss. I personally was somewhat puzzled by the measure of grief inside my heart. I would imagine I was sharing the grief the Lord feels when a child goes prodigal.
I began to search the internet to get more information on what happened to this precious soul since the time he wrote those books some years ago, until now.
It appeared to me that although he was quite a gifted teacher and had an impressive measure of wisdom, he
became deceptively ensnared in religion that comes from partaking of the knowledge of good and evil.
Unfortunately, I have witnessed a good deal of God's children entrapped in that lifeless, unsatisfactory cycle that progresses to the lusts of the flesh and abuses that come with that.
Some years ago I had watched the documentary "Religulous" by Bill Maher. I had some hesitation about viewing it because I was sick and tired of the critical spirit perpetrating throughout circles. Not that I had arrived myself, just saying. Even so, I was curious and decided to guard my heart from bitterness and dive in.
After viewing, I went to lie down to contemplate what I had just seen with the Lord. I was immediately given a series of visions. I didn't fully understand them all, and can't say even now if I am fully right in my interpretation, but I have come to believe that a good portion of the message is that a good deal of the Lord's people are in similar dimly lit, shadowy light as the world.
And what is this dimly lit place we can find ourselves in? Partaking of the knowledge of good and evil and trying to be like God apart from Him.
Therefore, I would like to start a series of entries entitled, "Moving from Religion to Relationship". Not that I claim to know it all and have it all right, but over the years I've seen such a need for a shift in the focus within the body of Christ; to move from partaking of knowledge and trying to be our own gods, rather than entering into the Lord's rest and developing an intimate relationship with Him by which we can experience the transforming power of being intimately acquainted with Him and his love. This is the first installment in the series of entries, and it will begin with this prayer for all of us:
Ephesians 3:
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.