March 27th 2022
Do Not Be Deceived Everyone Has A Religion, Which Reflects Their Worldview!
1 John 4:16-17 (NIV)
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
Do you profess to be a Christian? Many people when asked about their religion will respond that they are a Christian, but does their profession of faith change how they try to live in this world? In the selected verses we read “in this world we are like him.” Are you trying to live in this world like Jesus would if He still walked this earth today? Here it comes again, the question we need to ask ourselves at the start of every day. Are you working on becoming more like Jesus, today?
John has written this message about what true love for other members of mankind could look like, if you (we) truly believe that Jesus Christ is your (our) Lord and Savior in this world. John also wrote that true believers would exude love because they have come to know Jesus Christ and have decided to follow Him. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. (1 John 4:15). The bad news is that most of the people in this world today are not practicing Christians. Worldly religions do not teach their followers to love everyone, as Jesus taught His followers. Do not be deceived everyone has a religion, which reflects their worldview!
We are now seeing ads which tell us to look for someone who looks like me, and only follow the one you see who is successful in this world. That is also how racism is defined. Recently I saw a slogan “who we stand for separates us!” which seems is being used to exemplify strength to survive and thrive in this world. A better slogan would be “only love for everyone brings us together!” If we see someone who looks different than we see ourselves does it cause us to be fearful? Because of our sinful nature we have inherited a suspicious outlook toward everyone, and especially toward people who desire to appear or want to be extremely noticeable!
It is important to point out that everyone has some biases, and these feelings will provoke fear when we see other people who desire to be separated and go to some extremes with their appearance to accomplish this separation. This is not a new thing, but it may be more practiced today than it was in the past. Of course, this is just a comment based on the changes I have seen in the USA during my lifetime. This is NOT a new thing as it seems some people do not choose to be included in any specific grouping of look alike people. Therefore, I generally do not believe there are many people working on becoming more Christ-like. Are you?
It appears that more people wanted to conform to some standard they chose in the past, then there are people who desire to conform in this world today! The younger generations it seems have not been taught to desire conformity and thus, we see very few young people attending a church of their choice. Most people are tuned into this world through some form of social media, and they do not desire to be taught by any other member of mankind.
More people desire to follow a robot than to identify with another human being. If this is true, why would someone feel this way? It may be because then they do not have argue their view, as it is not their view anyway. And there is not rebuttal from the robot as there may be from a human being. We hear about young people taking instructions from some website and performing what it instructed them and doing it without questioning what they are doing. This sometimes results in injury to other students they performed the trick on. Are you blindly following some instructs you get from some website?
Are you trying to influence some young person to become a follower of Jesus Christ? If our young people are not persuaded to become followers of Jesus Christ, they will follow something else they hear or see on some electronic devise, or they follow what they are being taught is the school they attend. In this world they will learn to distrust other people and to hate their enemies. Many people today have not even seen the Ten Commandments, as they have been removed from public view. Jesus was once asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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." (Matthew 22:36-40).
Do the younger people you love know Jesus Christ? The question is not do they know ABOUT Jesus Christ, as almost everyone has heard of Jesus. You know it that guy some people talk about when the Easter Bunny comes. Do they know what this Jesus taught, and now His followers still teach? Jesus teaches through His followers about the need to love every member of mankind. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48).
The Apostle John wrote about what he learned from Jesus about love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21). Remember what John wrote in the selected verses, “in this world we are like him.” This means that followers of Jesus are striving to appear to others on this earth as a form of Jesus. We are trying to emulate Jesus in this world. Is that what you are aiming for when you see others who do not appear to be trying to be Christ-like?
It appears that most people on this earth claim to believe in God or a god, or gods. James, Jesus’ earthly brother, wrote about when someone says they believe in one God! You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (James 2:19-21). Are you practicing a faith without deeds? Are there people you love, who do not know Jesus? It seems to me; the Bible teaches that they will go to hell when they die. I believe this is true! Do you?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 John 4:16-17 (NIV)
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
Do you profess to be a Christian? Many people when asked about their religion will respond that they are a Christian, but does their profession of faith change how they try to live in this world? In the selected verses we read “in this world we are like him.” Are you trying to live in this world like Jesus would if He still walked this earth today? Here it comes again, the question we need to ask ourselves at the start of every day. Are you working on becoming more like Jesus, today?
John has written this message about what true love for other members of mankind could look like, if you (we) truly believe that Jesus Christ is your (our) Lord and Savior in this world. John also wrote that true believers would exude love because they have come to know Jesus Christ and have decided to follow Him. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. (1 John 4:15). The bad news is that most of the people in this world today are not practicing Christians. Worldly religions do not teach their followers to love everyone, as Jesus taught His followers. Do not be deceived everyone has a religion, which reflects their worldview!
We are now seeing ads which tell us to look for someone who looks like me, and only follow the one you see who is successful in this world. That is also how racism is defined. Recently I saw a slogan “who we stand for separates us!” which seems is being used to exemplify strength to survive and thrive in this world. A better slogan would be “only love for everyone brings us together!” If we see someone who looks different than we see ourselves does it cause us to be fearful? Because of our sinful nature we have inherited a suspicious outlook toward everyone, and especially toward people who desire to appear or want to be extremely noticeable!
It is important to point out that everyone has some biases, and these feelings will provoke fear when we see other people who desire to be separated and go to some extremes with their appearance to accomplish this separation. This is not a new thing, but it may be more practiced today than it was in the past. Of course, this is just a comment based on the changes I have seen in the USA during my lifetime. This is NOT a new thing as it seems some people do not choose to be included in any specific grouping of look alike people. Therefore, I generally do not believe there are many people working on becoming more Christ-like. Are you?
It appears that more people wanted to conform to some standard they chose in the past, then there are people who desire to conform in this world today! The younger generations it seems have not been taught to desire conformity and thus, we see very few young people attending a church of their choice. Most people are tuned into this world through some form of social media, and they do not desire to be taught by any other member of mankind.
More people desire to follow a robot than to identify with another human being. If this is true, why would someone feel this way? It may be because then they do not have argue their view, as it is not their view anyway. And there is not rebuttal from the robot as there may be from a human being. We hear about young people taking instructions from some website and performing what it instructed them and doing it without questioning what they are doing. This sometimes results in injury to other students they performed the trick on. Are you blindly following some instructs you get from some website?
Are you trying to influence some young person to become a follower of Jesus Christ? If our young people are not persuaded to become followers of Jesus Christ, they will follow something else they hear or see on some electronic devise, or they follow what they are being taught is the school they attend. In this world they will learn to distrust other people and to hate their enemies. Many people today have not even seen the Ten Commandments, as they have been removed from public view. Jesus was once asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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." (Matthew 22:36-40).
Do the younger people you love know Jesus Christ? The question is not do they know ABOUT Jesus Christ, as almost everyone has heard of Jesus. You know it that guy some people talk about when the Easter Bunny comes. Do they know what this Jesus taught, and now His followers still teach? Jesus teaches through His followers about the need to love every member of mankind. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48).
The Apostle John wrote about what he learned from Jesus about love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19-21). Remember what John wrote in the selected verses, “in this world we are like him.” This means that followers of Jesus are striving to appear to others on this earth as a form of Jesus. We are trying to emulate Jesus in this world. Is that what you are aiming for when you see others who do not appear to be trying to be Christ-like?
It appears that most people on this earth claim to believe in God or a god, or gods. James, Jesus’ earthly brother, wrote about when someone says they believe in one God! You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (James 2:19-21). Are you practicing a faith without deeds? Are there people you love, who do not know Jesus? It seems to me; the Bible teaches that they will go to hell when they die. I believe this is true! Do you?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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