Religion verses Relationship

God gave us His instruction in His word the Bible.  Instructions for how He wants us to live and act.  He wants to have an intimate relationship with His people as we learn from Him and He directs our lives.  He wants us to think about Him and love Him.  He wants us to treat others with love and respect.  He wants us to meditate on His words and see Him speaking to us in everything around us and in everything that happens.  God is everywhere and in everything.  Those with eyes to see will notice subtle messages in all things.  There are no coincidences in life.  Everything serves a purpose.

Religion is man’s attempt to reach God.  It contains man’s thinking and man’s traditions.  No religion deviates from this pattern.  Religion tries to put God in a box and explain the unexplainable, things that are beyond our grasp and understanding.  Religion rationalizes everything they do and the traditions they follow.  God’s word says to rest and worship on the Sabbath, which is Saturday, following His pattern of creating for 6 days and then resting on the seventh day.  Religions change that and then make excuses as to why they deviate from the Sabbath to worship on Friday or Sunday.  Some religions even start calling Sunday the Sabbath thinking that by changing the name it somehow is being obedient to God and His instructions in the Bible.  They point to Paul in the New Testament who gave instructions for Christians to meet on the first day of the week (Sunday) as their reason for worshiping then.

The key question is who are we supposed to follow?  Man or God?  God’s instructions in the Bible are clear.  Any person that changes God’s instructions for man-made traditions is anti-God and antichrist.  Who are you following?  Are you following a religion, a man, or God?  Are you reading God’s Word and using the brain that God gave you to discover His truths or are you believing whatever other men tell you?  A relationship is the path to knowing God.  A religion is the path to destruction.  There is some truth in religions, but there is also much paganism and man-made traditions.  There is only truth with God.  Follow His words and His instructions.  Chose God and His truth!